Lynn Verl Simmons was born on August 11, 1915, in Payson, Utah, to Ezra Lee Simmons and Mary Veneta Seabury Simmons. He had a younger brother, William, and a younger sister, Carol.
Lynn’s great-grandfather, on his father’s side, was a private in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. His paternal grandfather was born in Virginia, and the Simmons family relocated to Utah somewhere along the way. Lynn’s maternal great-grandparents hailed from England and Sweden.
Lynn resembled his father, had a good upbringing, and was active in local events. He won a red ribbon for his White Frillback Show Pigeon at the 1914 Utah State Fair.
Lynn graduated from East High School on June 2, 1933, and attended Westminster College from September 1933 to June 1935 but did not graduate. He attended the University of Utah during the 1935-1936 school year.
During the summer of 1937, Lynn began conducting field survey work with the Department of the Interior’s General Land Office (GLO) (predecessor to the Bureau of Land Management).
On January 7, 1939, he married Irita (Rita) Fullmer, born on September 17, 1919, and they had one child together, Lawrence Lynn Simmons, on December 3, 1939 in Salt Lake City. Lynn and his family resided with his parents at 1196 Browning Avenue in Salt Lake City.
Disappearance of Lynn Verl Simmons
Around 2 p.m. on September 4, 1940, Lynn, 25, and his GLO crew conducted field survey work on Lamotte Peak in the Uinta Mountain range at roughly 12,700 feet when a snowstorm hit. As a result, Lynn and three coworkers started hiking toward Spike Camp, established on the head of Boundary Peak.
Lynn trailed behind the others and last seen as he came down the saddle of Lamotte Peak on a long, rocky ridge to Bald Ridge, about half a mile from the peak. His coworkers waved to him, and he waved back. However, no one ever saw him again.
Search for Lynn Verl Simmons
Several storms in the following days hindered search efforts. Furthermore, Lynn was unarmed and could not hunt small game for food. As the days went on, hope for finding him alive dwindled.
A week later, searchers found a sweater and believed it might have belonged to Lynn. However, his father, who joined in the search, could not identify it as his son’s, and authorities cast doubt on the find.
Around this time, a man named James Mann received a phone call at 9:25 a.m. on Thursday, September 12, 1940, from someone talking on a phone installed on a tree. The caller asked, “Where am I?” and “What time is it?” He then transferred the call to a Kamas operator. However, the operator had received similar calls and only thought of this once she learned a man was missing. Still, police did not believe it was Lynn because there were numerous camps in the vicinity where shepherds were staying. They would have seen him and vice versa.
Sadly, on Friday, September 21, 1940, authorities called off the search after a storm dropped eight inches of snow over the Uinta mountain area. They never found any sign of Lynn and believed he succumbed to the harsh weather conditions. They asked residents of the neighborhood in which Lynn was working to keep an eye out for the missing young husband and father, regardless.
It’s worth noting that Lynn’s father said his son was experienced in rugged mountain terrain, having worked on several similar jobs before he vanished.
Aftermath
Lynn’s widow, Rita, married Hayden Arthur Powers in Salt Lake City on November 9, 1945. Hayden had served in the Navy during WWII and had a daughter from a previous marriage. Hayden and Rita had two children: Terrence Powers (b. 1948) and Randall Scott Powers (1953-2023). The couple were married for 50 years until Hayden’s death from lung cancer in 1995. Rita died in 2001 at age 81. Lynn is not mentioned in her obituary.
Lynn and Rita’s son, Lawrence Lynn Simmons, married Sharon Annette Allred on November 18, 1971, and ultimately had three children: Annette (1967), David (1974), and Shane (1975, now deceased). Lawrence died on September 17, 2002, at age 62. His wife survives.
Lynn’s parents long outlived their missing son. Ezra died in 1972, and Mary died in 1973. Lynn’s siblings, William and Carol, died in 1987 and 2011, respectively.
Sources
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/31854971/anna-olsen: accessed August 31, 2024), memorial page for Anna Nilsdotter Olsen (17 Feb 1831–27 Jul 1917), Find a Grave Memorial ID 31854971, citing Payson City Cemetery, Payson, Utah County, Utah, USA; Maintained by SMS (contributor 46491005).
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/13075718/charles-simmons: accessed August 31, 2024), memorial page for Pvt Charles Simmons (29 Nov 1826–8 Jul 1901), Find a Grave Memorial ID 13075718, citing Payson City Cemetery, Payson, Utah County, Utah, USA; Maintained by Ryan D. Curtis (contributor 46858513).
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/194907498/ezra_lee-simmons: accessed August 31, 2024), memorial page for Ezra Lee Simmons (7 Nov 1888–30 Jan 1972), Find a Grave Memorial ID 194907498, citing Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, Millcreek, Salt Lake County, Utah, USA; Maintained by Garry Piiparinen (contributor 47487501).
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/154450/hayden_arthur-powers: accessed August 31, 2024), memorial page for Hayden Arthur Powers (16 Nov 1918–30 Aug 1995), Find a Grave Memorial ID 154450, citing Mount Olivet Cemetery, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, USA; Maintained by Burt (contributor 46867609).
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/60814181/irita-simmons_powers: accessed August 31, 2024), memorial page for Irita “Rita” Fullmer Simmons Powers (17 Sep 1919–2 Jun 2001), Find a Grave Memorial ID 60814181, citing Mount Olivet Cemetery, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, USA; Maintained by SKP (contributor 46875390).
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/30340034/thomas_english-daniels: accessed August 31, 2024), memorial page for Thomas English Daniels (29 Sep 1829–6 Nov 1906), Find a Grave Memorial ID 30340034, citing Payson City Cemetery, Payson, Utah County, Utah, USA; Maintained by SMS (contributor 46491005).
“Forest Crews Search for Lost S. L. Man.” The Salt Lake Tribune, September 8, 1940.
“Hope Dwindles for S. L. Man Lost in Wilds.” The Salt Lake Tribune, September 11, 1940.
“Lynn Verl Simmons,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/about/K2HX-LDF)
“Lynn Verl Simmons, Life Story Brief Timeline,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/memories/K2HX-LDF : Wed Apr 10, 2024)
“Search Abandoned For Lost Worker.” Nevada State Journal (Reno, Nevada), September 24, 1940.
“Search Pushed For S. L. Man.” Salt Lake Telegram, September 9, 1940.
“Snow Ends Search For S. L. Surveyor.” The Salt Lake Tribune, September 21, 1940.
“Sweater And Telephone Call May Be Clues To Lost Boy In Primitive Uinta Mountains.” The Wasatch Wave (Heber, Utah), September 13, 1940.
“Utah, County Marriages, 1871-1941”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2MY-Y172 : Sun Mar 10 05:30:30 UTC 2024), Entry for Lynn Verl Simmons and Miss Irita Fullmer, 07 Jan 1939.
Utah Department of Public Safety. “Lynn Verl Simmons.” https://bci.utah.gov/coldcases/lynn-verl-simmons/