Funeral Services for John Francis Astle November 9, 1951 - Providence, Utah

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We all know Brother Astle's main hobby or main thought, was the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and he taught us a great many things of importance concerning that Church. Brother Astle was not a fluent speaker when he got up to speak, but he had a wonderful memory and he could back up his statements by verses in the Bible, which he used many times. I sometimes envied him in this trait. Brother Astle was a truthful man, he loved the truth and I can truthfully say that he was an honest man and that is saying a great deal among men of the world. He loved truth, honesty and integrity and willingness to work in all vocations of life. I know he was honest with men and with God.

While I had the pleasure of serving as Bishop, I became well acquainted with brother Astle. When he came to pay his tithing, he paid an honest tithe. When he wasn't doing so well with his furs and poultry, it made him feel very badly because he couldn't pay as much tithing as he had the years before, when he was doing better. He said the Lord expects a tenth of our earnings. I can't pay as much this year as last, we will be blessed for it - and I am sure he was blessed.

We did not have the pleasure of meeting his good wife, the mother of this wonderful family, as her passing was before they made their home in Providence, but I am sure she was a wonderful mother to bring up as fine a family as she and Brother Astle did. After she died, Brother Astle carried on and gave his children every advantage that he could afford, and taught them integrity, truthfulness and the principles of the Gospel as well as he taught everyone he met, by everything he did, because he was honest in his convictions and straightforward in his dealings.

We learned to love the Astle's and when he brought Sister Astle to live here as his wife, we were all very happy to make her acquaintance and she was very helpful in our ward. I am sure she will gain her reward in the life hereafter for the things that she had done for Brother Astle. When they decided to move from Providence, Brother Astle felt that he would like to do something for our community and for us to remember him by, so he consulted with Bishop Zollinger about what he could do and what he could leave here. They finally decided he would leave this beautiful mural as a gift. He hired one of the painters from the college, Everett Thorpe, and they, together, worked out this beautiful scene which is a part of Providence and the mountains above it. They went below our town and drew a sketch. Brother Astle paid for it and presented it to the ward and we will always remember the Astle family by it.

I had one other thing in common with Brother Astle. During our conversations, we found that our birthdays were the same day and the same month. Brother Astle recently reminded me of this. He expressed his appreciation for being born on that day of that month, the 21st of September. He said to me, "I think it is a privilege to be born on such a wonderful day - the day the Angel Moroni visited the Prophet Joseph Smith." He was sincerely thankful that he could come into this world and do the thing that nature required of him.

I am sure that brother Astle was received very heartily and that he had many friends waiting for him on the other side. As was mentioned in the prayer, he spent many years teaching the Gospel in this life. I think he loved the Gospel when he was a boy because of the character of the man. I only urge and pray that we all prepare ourselves, that we might live lives such as this man, who has just left us, has lived - pure, simple, full of work, full of those things that are good - good for everyone, and I hope the children and the grandchildren will always look back on their father and grandfather with pleasure, to think they had such a wonderful man and to emulate his example in everything they do. I hope we can all profit by the things that Brother and Sister Astle have said and done and I do this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Vocal Solo - "In the Garden" - Luella Jensen:

I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses; And the voice I hear falling on my ear; the Son of God discloses; And He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own: And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.

He speaks and the sound of His voice, is so sweet the birds hush their singing; And the melody that He gave to me, within my heart is ringing; And He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own: And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.

I'd stay in the Garden with Him tho' the night around me, be falling; But He bids me go, thru the voice of woe, His voice to me is calling; And He walks with me and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own; And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.

Speaker - Brother William Zollinger:

My Brothers and Sisters - I deem this an honor and a privilege, to speak here to the funeral of Brother Astle, a man whom I have known since he came to Providence to live. I do not know any man whom I esteem more highly and am more proud to have known. He was a solid man. When he put his foot down, it stayed. He was a pioneer in building the Church in Star Valley as well as here. I think our ward was very fortunate when he came here to stay, because of the many services he did. Anything he put his hand to, he did well. He wanted everything done the very best. As mentioned by Brother Alder, he was a man who loved the truth and the Gospel - that was his whole life. A man who filled three missions, could not help but have a great faith.

So, the life of Brother Astle was one of encouragement and faith and anyone who got acquainted with him found his council sound. I found him to be a man of integrity and good works, in my experience with him. I worked with him time and time again in the ward, in the genealogical work and the teachers work and in the High Priests, etc. All these things in which he worked, he did the best he could and was a great help. Any time I met him I enjoyed talking to him - he had very much the same ideas as I had. When he spoke of the Gospel, he told me many times he would like to spend all the days of his life preaching the Gospel and to have his children engaged in the work of the Lord.

When he lived here, he was engaged in the production of furs, very much above the average. Everything he did had to be the best. When he got along in years and couldn't get help, he decided to close out his business and soon afterwards he moved to Logan. He didn't really want to move from Providence and debated a long time before doing so. It's a hard matter, you know, to transplant old people to a new environment. My father moved to Logan, but never felt at home. Young people can transplant themselves, but not older people.

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