Ben Jepson was born Dec. 4, 1916 at home in Mendon, to James Anthony and Alice Loretta Prince Jepson. He was the sixth of seven children, having two sisters and four brothers. During his youth his father farmed in Nevada and several places in Utah. Because of this Ben traveled quite a but until his father finally settled down in Farmington.

Ben attended elementary school, grades one through eight, in Overton, Nev., and Washington, Hinckley, Centerville and Farmington. He attended Davis High School in Kaysville and graduated in 1935.

After graduating from high school he joined the US Navy at age 18. He finished basic training at San Diego Naval Training Center then was stationed on board ship for four years. He served in Guam, Australia and the South Pacific, Japan, Hawaii, Tennessee, Virginia, Massachusetts and California. He served on board several ships as an Aviation Metal Smith, then went to flight school and flew aircraft as an Aviation Pilot (enlisted rating) and later as a commissioned officer. He had 18 years of flying and logged over 12,000 pilot hours. He was discharged from the US Navy in 1960 having served for 25 years.

After leaving the Navy he attended college at Idaho State College in Pocatello, Idaho from 1960-61. He attended the Salt Lake Trade Tech in Salt Lake City, graduating in1965 and the University of Utah, graduating in 1968.

Ben’s occupations through the years have been: sailor on a Navy heavy cruiser and on an old destroyer; Navy pilot for 18 years which included test pilot, utility pilot, ferry pilot, navigator and transport pilot; school teacher, carpenter, and warehouse worker.

He met his wife, Myrtle Ellen Gooch, in Salt Lake City, while there on leave from the Navy. They went together for two weeks and then he proposed and she accepted. They were married August 15, 1949 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. They honeymooned en route to Tenn., for two days, because of his need to return to Memphis and the Navy as his leave was about up.

They made their first home in Millington, Tennessee then lived in many locations around the United States and in Hawaii and Japan because of his military service.

Ben is a member of the LDS Church where he is a high priest. He has held positions in the high priest group leadership and frequently presented the lesson in the meetings. He has also been a cannery inspector at the Ogden Cannery and the assistant finance clerk at the Centerville Dry Pack.

Ben and Myrtle Jepson have three children: Ben Jr., born in Portsmouth, Va,; Helen, born in Holyoke, Mass. and Diane, born in Honolulu, Hawaii.