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Denzil was a twin to
Wenzil, born September
26, 1915 to Grover and Rosa Crow. Denzil grew up around Bernie and
attended Bunker Hill Grade School. The twins went to Dexter High School
because their dad wanted them to go to a high school that had a good
agricultural program. He grew up on a farm with a large family and all had
to do their share in the various farm chores.
Denzil and his wife (Wilma Johnson) met when
Wilma and Ruby Creg (Wenzil’s wife) were chopping cotton and the two twins
came walking down the road. Ruby told Wilma, "You take crip and I’ll
take one-eye", so the story is told! It wasn’t long after that,
Wenzil and Ruby were dating and were married the next year (1934).
However, it took Wilma a while longer before she caught Denzil and they were
married on October 5, 1935.
Denzil and Wilma lived around the Bernie area
until 1941 when they moved to Brea, California for three years, then returned to
Bernie and farmed for one year. Due to a very wet and rainy season that
year, the crops were mostly all lost so they returned to California and settled
in Taft on February 7, 1947. Upon their return to Taft, California, Denzil
worked for Standard Oil of California for three years and was laid off in
1954. After being laid off he purchased his first equipment (a 5 yard dump
truck and a small Ford tractor with front bucket loader of one yard
capacity). Then in 1960 he established his own business consisting of a
rock crusher, a 5-yard bucket caterpillar loader, three additional 5 yard dump
trucks and a 10 yard dump truck. This business was purchased from one of
the deacons of their church who was retiring. They were apprehensive, it
would take six long years to fully pay off this business venture. With the
economic boom and the various oil companies rapidly putting in oil and gas
wells, their business was fully paid for in only 1 year. Denzil was able
to contract all road base materials, for roads leading into the different well
sites. This enabled his company to purchase four new 10 wheel dump trucks,
and dispose of the lighter 5-yard vehicles. During all this time Wilma
kept the record books, answered phone calls for the business, and directed the
drivers to each site where the base material was required. In 1967 they
sold their business, due to a slow down in drilling operations in the area, and
Denzil went into semi-retirement. They owned some apartment houses, which
he began to look after.
Denzil died on May 14, 1989 and is buried in Taft, California. |
