John Franklin Curtis was born Sunday, September 11, 1859 in Springville, Utah to John White Curtis and Matilda Miner. His parents moved their large family to Aurora when John was a young boy and helped settle the area.

He had few opportunities for education but became an esteemed citizen and always held a large circle of acquaintances. From his early youth, he held offices of trust and responsibility because of sterling honesty, which was one of his noble characteristics.

John met Sarah Elizabeth Broadhead while growing up in Aurora and they dated for one year before getting engaged. They were married on January 29, 1885 in the Saint George LDS Temple by President Wilford Woodruff. After sixty-two years of marriage, Sarah passed away on June 16, 1947. John and Sarah had ten children and made sure they recieved as much education as possible. All of their children graduated high school and attended at least one year of college.

At the time of their marriage, John owned thirty-five acres and a one room log house, with a lean-to on the east side. They used the large room for a bedroom and living room and the small room as the kitchen. Seven of their children were born in this home.

On February 17, 1899, they bought a piece of land in town and built a rock home. It took two and a half years to complete as John did most of the work himself. They moved into the house in November 1900. Their new home "had four large rooms," Sarah Curtis recalled in her autobiography. "We soon built up around it with lawns, flowers, and trees, which are now enormous in size. Our place afforded us a great deal of comfort."

They lived in the rock house until August 4, 1913, when they moved to Richfield and bought a home there. They sold the Aurora house to their son, Alva. After moving to Richfield, they went into semi-retirement.

On April 30, 1926, they bought a lovely home at 1115 South 400 East in the Liberty Wells neighborhood of Salt Lake City. They lived in Salt Lake City for seventeen years before moving to Utah County in 1943. They lived in Provo for the rest of their lives, residing at 432 West 100 South.

He was involved in stock raising and farming in Sevier County from 1885 until his semi-retirement in 1913 and complete retirement in 1926. John and Sarah spent every summer until 1890 taking care of a ranch owned by Smith Parker, John's brother-in-law, in Grass Valley, Sevier County.

On February 20, 1892, they purchased another thirty acres of land in Aurora. On December 16, 1909, they purchased the Denmark Wash Land and the bench land northwest of town. After moving to Richfield, they bought a small farm just outside of town. They owned two summer homes in Grass Valley, one on the east mountain and one on the west mountain.

In the summer of 1891, John went to Salt Lake City to help pave West Temple Street. He hauled sand and gravel all summer and the road project was soon completed.

He was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He served as a temple worker in the Salt Lake LDS Temple for several years. Throughout his life, he was a member of the Aurora Ward, Richfield Ward, Liberty Ward, and Provo Sixth Ward.

On Friday, February 4, 1949, at 8:30 a.m., John passed away at his home of causes incident to age. He had been in ill health for the last year of his life.

Funeral services were held on Monday, February 7, 1949 at 1:00 p.m. in the Provo Sixth Ward Chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints located at the corner of 300 South and 200 West in Provo. The Funeral Services were conducted by Bishop Frank T. Gardner. A viewing was held on Sunday, February 6, 1949 from 6:00 until 9:00 p.m. at Valley Mortuary and at the family home one hour prior to the services.
Following the conclusion of the Funeral Services, the funeral procession commenced and solemnly and slowly proceeded through Provo, Orem, Lindon, Pleasant Grove, American Fork, Lehi, Highland, Alpine, Draper, Sandy, Midvale, Murray, Holladay, and East Millcreek and concluded at the Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park located at 3401 South Highland Drive (1495 East) in East Millcreek, Salt Lake County, where John was laid to rest beside his wife.
REST IN PEACE.