Roy Vaughn

Roy Edward Vaughn

February 24, 1931 ~ June 23, 2020

Roy Edward Vaughn was born February 24, 1931 in Oconee County, South Carolina to his parents John Butler Vaughn and Esther Viola Slater. He was the second oldest in a family of five. He was born in a small house, by the Oconee Station. The house was built by his Uncle Ed Slater. He lived for a short time in his great-grandfather, Ned Slater’s house, so his family could help take care of the place. For a couple of years, his family lived in the old Chalmer’s house.

Roy attended Oconee Station School and Walhalla High School. He said he often had to walk to school barefoot. He passed his GED test and received his high school diploma while he was in the Navy.

When he was in high school, his family moved to Oconee Station, so they could take care of the last of the Green girls, Roy’s Mother’s aunts. Victoria Green willed the place to Roy’s family when she passed away. Roy lived there four or five years, than he enlisted in the Navy.

Their home consisted of two buildings. One was Oconee Station, a stone fort dating around 1748 to 1750, which served as a kitchen. It was built to protect the colonists from the Indians. The other building was a home built in 1805 by William Richards, an Irishman. The buildings and land were sold by the family in 1968. In the 1970’s, the Oconee Station was purchased by the South Carolina Department of Parks to develop as a historic park.

When twin sisters were born to the Vaughn family, Bill, the oldest brother, took care of Ruby, and Roy watched Ruth.

The land around their home was covered with trees. At Christmas time, they would cut down their own Christmas tree and decorate it with homemade decorations.

Roy’s mother always had a beautiful garden, where she would raise all their vegetables. She was an excellent cook. His father had a bee farm. They also raised cows.

During the Korean War, Roy joined the Navy. He was a gunner’s mate. He was wounded in the shoulder, not seriously, and received a Purple Heart.

While in the service, he met and married Ruth Slater in California. They had three children, Roy Jr., Linda and Pamela. After Roy was released from the Navy, they first lived in South Carolina and later moved to Ogden, Utah. They were divorced in 1961.

In Ogden, Roy worked for the railroad as a railroad car man and at Defense Deport of Ogden. In six years at the Depot he worked his way up to a Warehouse Foreman, WS-7.

He met Marjane Jorgensen while they were both working at the Depot. They were married June 12, 1964, after going together only 2 ½ months.

Roy retired from the Defense Depot Ogden in 1976 and went to work for his father-in-law, insulating homes.

In September 1980, he began working part time for Key Limo. He quit working in insulation in June 1983 and just worked for Key Limo. After Key Limo, he worked a short time for Meals-on-Wheels, Flameco-Barnes, and Miconi Tile. He finally retired for good in 1992, if you can call it that.

He helped take care of his mother-in-law and father-in-law when they got older. He took them to doctor appointments, helped take care of their yard, ran errands and did household repairs. Often he was called in the middle of the night for an emergency with Chris, and often had to take him to the hospital.

Roy and Marjane’s favorite things to do for recreation are travel, camp in their trailer or motor home and fish. Since they needed to stay close to Marjane’s parents, they didn’t get to go as much as they would have liked.

They loved to go to Yellowstone and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. They also went on trips to Nashville, Tennessee, South Carolina to visit Roy’s family, the Black Hills, Canada, Washington, Oregon, Las Vegas, and Reno. Sharon also went with them before she got married.

They enjoyed camping and fishing in Logan Canyon, Ogden Canyon, Flaming Gorge, the Uintas, and Naughton, Wyoming.

In July 1995, they realized one of their dreams and bought an Eldorado Motor Home.

Roy and Marjane’s greatest joys in life are their family. They have one daughter Sharon and her husband Dennis, and grandchildren Briana and Tyler. He also loved and enjoyed his visits from grandchildren Demetrius, Nik and Kris and their families.

Roy has a dry wit. He is honest and hard working, with old-time values. Since he was so poor when he was young, he is very careful with the way he spends his money. He has definite ideas of right and wrong, and definite likes and dislikes.

He is a proud person, a private person, quiet yet friendly. He is always willing to help his neighbors and family. He is loyal to his family. His family is very important to him, and he has pride in his heritage.

He likes Country Western Music, fishing and gardening.

He is survived by his sister, Ruby Whitworth in South Carolina.

Graveside services will be held on Monday, June 29, 2020 at 10 a.m. at Lindquist’s Memorial Gardens of the Wasatch, 1718 Combe Rd. Services entrusted to Lindquist’s Ogden Mortuary.

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