Remembering Voris Utley
Written by Justin D. Lamb
Voris Utley in his younger days.
(Courtesy of Marshall County Genealogical Society)
Voris Fields Utley was born in Hardin on October 8, 1906 to Jesse W. Utley, a railway postal clerk, and Lillie Fields. The Utley family was of Welsh descent and Voris’ grandfather, W.A. Utley was a noted Church of Christ preacher in Marshall County for many years, preaching at Walnut Grove, Hardin, and Fairdealing among others.
Young Voris went to school in Hardin all of his school career and graduated from Hardin High School in 1922. Following graduation, he attended Transylvania University in Lexington until the summer of 1924. “I dropped out for 3 years and then reentered at Murray State Normal School in the fall of 1924,” Utley recalled in a 1983 interview with Ray Mofield. “While I was there I worked on the yearbook and played football,” he recalled.
To commute back and forth from school, Utley borrowed his father’s 1919 Dodge Touring until he and his friend, Keith Pace, wrecked the car one night. Utley recalled the amusing incident: “Keith and I were at county fair in Benton one night and happen to run across a few girls we liked,” Utley recalled. “We suggested to the girls a ride in the country and we went to Briensburg. On our way back we met someone on the narrow road and I pulled too far over and the bank crumbled on us. The Dodge fell on its top in the ditch and threw me out of the car and I landed on my feet! The other three made it out and thankfully we were all ok, but the car was a mess. Dad was pretty upset when he found out and he kept the old wrecked car in the shed for the next 5 years and reminded me of the incident often! That’s how I became a train commuter to college.”
By 1927, Utley transferred to the University of Kentucky and graduated in 1930. Utley married Louise Hughes, daughter of Dr. Irvan Hughes, in 1935 and the couple had two children. When Utley returned home, he landed at job at the Bank of Hardin. “When Roosevelt closed all the banks in the nation, he did not permit Hardin bank to reopen until it was reorganized,” Utley recalled. “When it reorganized he was hired as assistant cashier,” he recalled. “The Cashier later resigned, they made me cashier. I later became the teller, bookkeeper, and janitor.” The bank folded by the late 1930s and Utley was made special deputy commissioner to liquidate the bank over the next 4 years.
Following his stint at the bank, Utley purchased his own grocery store in Hardin. “I bought a grocery from Scoggins and moved to the old Ryan Miller building,” Utley recalled. “I operated there until 1946 and then moved to a new building I had built across the street and was there until 1962 when I sold out.”
After selling his store, Utley became a rural mail carrier in the post office until 1976 when he retired. Utley passed away on May 1, 1995 at the age of 88 and was buried in the Wadesboro Cemetery.
Voris Utley Store, 1940s.
Voris Utley and Ola Irvan behind the counter.
A young Mike Miller located on the right beside his mother Pansie Miller.
(courtesy of Chyrill Miller)