PAYSON MARSHALL CALLED BY DEATH

PAYSON - Braxton Barnett, 69, Payson city marshal and prominent civic and church worker, died at his office in the city building on Main Street shortly after going on shift Tuesday morning. Friends had spoken to him as he went to work at 7 a.m. At 8 a.m. his sister, Mrs. Ella Peery, went into his office and found him dead in his desk chair. Doctors reported that he had been dead for about 20 minutes. He is the third prominent citizen to die suddenly during December, Henry Erlandson and Hyrum K. Elmer being the others.

Mr. Barnett was born at Santaquin, on October 27, 1868, a son of William and Mary Ann Openshaw Barnett. He was educated in Santaquin and Payson public schools and the Brigham Young Academy. He married Flora Spainhower on February 13, 1889, in the Manti L.D.S. temple. They resided at Spring Lake for several years. He served as ward clerk there for two years and in the bishopric for several years. In 1897-9 he filled an L.D.S. mission in the southern states. Later the family moved to Mammoth, where Mr. Barnett was manager of the Mammoth Supply company for 10 years. In 1907 he was elected from Juab County to serve in the Utah state legislature. Returning to Payson, he was a traveling salesman in Wyoming, Idaho, and Utah for 15 years. He was appointed city marshal in 1932. For the past nine years, he had been in the Nebo L.D.S. stake old folks' committee presidency. At the recent Onion Days celebration he was chairman of the parade committee. He was much in demand in this territory as a public speaker. He was president of the local poultry producers' organization.

Surviving are his widow, eight sons, and daughters, Milton Barnett, Idaho Falls; Leonard, Florence and Spencer Barnett, Mrs. Donna Taylor, Mrs. Grace Loveless and Mrs. Iva Dee Persson, Payson, and Mrs. Fern Daniels, Long Beach Calif.; four brothers and sisters, Frank, Junius and Stella Barnett and Mrs. Ella Peery, Spring Lake; 23 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

The Evening Herald, Dec. 23, 1937

Provo, Utah