Landon & Wanda Frei

WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY     (Washington County, Utah)

LANDON HAFEN & WANDA GRAF FREI

(farmer, produce salesman)

BIOGRAPHY

Landon Hafen Frei was born in Howell, Box Elder County, Utah on January 19, 1916. His nickname was Buck.
He was raised in Dixie. He started farming with his father at the age of 14. Landon graduated from Dixie High
School
and attended one year at Dixie College.

Wanda Graf was born in Santa Clara on May 3, 1916.

Landon and Wanda were married in Pioche, Lincoln County, Nevada on October 16, 1936. They were sealed
in the St. George Temple on February 27, 1988.

In 1955, they purchased a small farm and began raising fruits and vegetables. Landon made his living from
hauling produce to Panaca and Caliente in Nevada twice a week for about 36 years. He also at one time took
produce to the CCC camps, Pioche in Nevada, and Enterprise, Utah. His kids enjoyed summer time trips going
with him on the truck to deliver produce.

In 1956, Landon & Wanda set up a card table in their front yard and began selling their apples to the travelers
on old Highway 91. This was the beginning of the iconic Frei's Fruit Market. Business was so good, they leased
space in Cecil Frei's fruit stand for a year and then built a fruit stand on their own property.

Landon was an active member of the Elks, a vice president of the Washington County Cattlemen's
Association, and was on the Santa Clara Town Board.

Landon died in St. George on October 30, 2011 and was buried on November 3 in Plot W12 of the
Santa Clara City Cemetery.

Wanda died in Santa Clara on October 26, 2014 and was buried on November 3, in the
Santa Clara City Cemetery.


FAMILY

Landon's Parents and Siblings:
    Vivian Jacob Frei
    Jessie Lenora Hafen Frei
        Landon Hafen Frei
        Howard Vivian Frei
        Shelby Dean Frei
        Victor Russell Frei
        Dorothy Frei
        Phyllis Frei

(2/8/1893-11/3/1991)   (married 6/2/1914)
(8/3/1893-11/15/1953)
(1/19/1916-10/30/2011)   (married Wanda Graf)
(3/19/1920-8/11/2013)   (married Ora Nell De Lange)
(11/16/1921-3/13/2019)   (married Jewell Gubler)
(xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx)   (married Gwendolyn Kemp)
(xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx)   (married Denzil Lloyd Lightner)
(xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx)   (married Philip Norton)

Wanda's Parents and Siblings:
    John Henry Graf
    Josephine Tobler Graf
        Neola Graf
        Marvin Henry Graff
        Verle Clair Graf
        Wanda Graf
        Beulah Graff

        Marion Jacob Graf
        Glendon Tobler Graff
        Elaine Graff


(10/4/1886-12/6/1963)   (married 6/23/1909)
(1/31/1888-8/6/1939)
(9/18/1910-8/6/1912)
(12/31/1911-8/24/1972)   (married Mary Alice Glen)
(11/7/1913-9/26/1975)   (married Dorothy Larson)
(5/3/1916-10/26/2014)   (married Landon Hafen Frei)
(11/26/1918-1/24/2014)   (married James Monroe Sammons
    and Eugene McAllister)
(2/14/1921-11/24/2000)   (married Beulah Smith)
(6/15/1923-10/1/2005)   (married Dorothy Bastian)
(5/13/1927-2/28/2018)   (married Gerald Fielding Green
    and Jack Dewane Seegmiller)

Landon & Wanda's Family:
    Landon Hafen Frei
    Wanda Graf Frei
        Alica Frei
        Loretta Frei
        Vicki Frei
        Dennis Frei
        Bryce Frei


(1/19/1916-10/30/2011)   (married 10/16/1936)
(5/3/1916-10/26/2014)
(1/7/1937-1/7/1937)
(xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx)   (married Xxxxxxx X. Adams)
(xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx)   (married Xxxxxxx X. Lasswell)
(xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx)   (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx)
(xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/1956)   (married Kalyn Sasse)


PHOTOS

WCHS photos:
WCHS-03155   Photo of Loretta Frei Adams with examples of Swiss paper cutting
WCHS-03157   Photo of Wanda Frei doing Swiss paper cutting
WCHS-04491   Photo of Landon Frei on a horse
WCHS-04492   Photo of Landon Frei on a Farmall tractor
WCHS-04493   Photo of Landon Frei standing with a shovel on his farm
WCHS-04494   Photo of Landon Frei on his farm with young ???
WCHS-04495   Photo of Landon & Wanda Frei in front of Frei's Fruit Market
WCHS-04501   Photo of young Landon Hafen Frei with his mother, Jessie Lenora Frei Hafen
WCHS-04504   Photo of Landon Frei loading produce in the warehouse by the old Santa Clara Merc
WCHS-04760   Photo of Arlo Hafen, Victor Frei, and Landon Frei after hunting pheasants


REFERENCES

A Brief History of Wanda Frei's Early Life
By Wanda Frei

Whims Of Weather Irk Fruit Growers
Article in The Deseret News, April 29, 1967, Page 10A

Landon Frei with a Giant Deer Head
Photo and caption in The Washington County News, October 16, 1980

Washington County growers seek "Home Grown Quality"
Article with a photo of Landon and caption in the
    Washington County Fair newspaper, August 9-11, 1984, Page 13

Frei's celebrate 50th anniversary

Chamber to honor Frei at banquet
Article in The Spectrum?, January ??, 1992

Celebrating 75 Years: Couple credits working side by side for a happy marriage.
Article by Lisa Larson, The Spectrum & Daily News, October 30, 2011

My Father
A book by Loretta Frei Adams of Landon Frei gardening photos, 2007

Unfinished hand-written history of ???
by Wanda Frei

FamilySearch entry for Landon Hafen Frei

Obituary for Landon Hafen Frei, 2011

Find-A-Grave entry for Landon Hafen "Buck" Frei

FamilySearch entry for Wanda Graf

Obituary for Wanda Graf Frei

Find-A-Grave entry for Wanda Graf Frei