Childhood years

Clyde was born December 5, 1918 in Salt Lake City, Utah. There was a diphtheria epidemic right after Clyde was born at Holy Cross Hospital in Salt Lake City. Clyde grew up in Garfield, Utah thirty miles SE of Salt Lake City. Garfield is close to the Great Salt Lake. About a mile from his house were some caves. Clyde was about 4 or 5 years when he remembers playing at the caves. There was no kindergarten when Clyde was born. Clyde has 2 sisters and 1 brother: Iretta (born May 29, 1917) Bernice (born March 18, 1913) and David (born January 31, 1911). Clyde was good friends with his sisters. Clyde was very messy compared to his brother. They lived in the same room, but it was tough. When Clyde was little, they would go on camping trips every week. They would go fly fishing with his uncle George Stewart. They would camp in Duschene country, Utah. They would go camping and fishing. He would sit in his dad’s lap and while his dad would let him steer the car and push the gas. He remembers one trip to Los Angeles. It took 13 days to drive from SLC to LA back in 1928. They had about 10 flat tires and his brother had to siphon gasoline along the way. Motels in those days were just little cabins where they charged around $1 a night. Half of the roads were dirt roads. They could go around 25-30 miles per hour. When Clyde was 6 years old they moved to 537 E. 6th South in Salt Lake City. This part of the city used to be the old trolley square but now it is a mall (2004). Therefore, this house and neighborhood is no longer in existence.

The Fife family lived in Salt Lake until Clyde was 9 years old. Then, at the promptimg of Clyde's father and his love of the beautiful weather, they moved to Los Angeles in 1928. They managed an apartment for Uncle Stewart. (mother’s side) The address of this apartment building was 1409 Fedora Street.