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Carvel and Cleone Solomon, longtime Snowflake residents, will be the grand marshals in the 2019 Snowflake Pioneer Days Parade scheduled for 9 a.m. this Saturday, July 20. Following the parade and barbeque, the Solomon’s will be honored at the Pioneer Program at the Main Street Chapel.
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The Solomon’s are being honored for their many years of devoted service to the community over the decades, quietly serving behind the scenes to help preserve and promote Snowflake’s unique heritage, cultural growth and community celebrations.
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Their efforts have helped preserve local pioneer homes as well as establish both the Silver Creek Performing Arts Association and Heritage Foundation.
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Carvel was born in Winslow in 1937 to William Roy and Pearl Bates Solomon. When Carvel was eight years old, the family relocated to Taylor, where Carvel attended school and began to learn the logging trade while working with his father.
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At 13, the untimely death of his father changed the trajectory of Carvel’s life, steering him toward the development of other talents which would prove valuable to him and to our community. While continuing his education, Carvel began to learn the ins and outs of construction.
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Additionally, Carvel also continued to excel in school and in sports during his high school years. After graduating from Snowflake High School, he served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Northwestern States Mission and then went on to complete college attending both Brigham Young University (BYU) and Arizona State University (ASU), using his construction skills to help pay his way. He went on to teach many of Snowflake and Taylor’s youth either math or science during a distinguished 34-year teaching career with the Snowflake Unified School District.
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Cleone Flake was born in Snowflake in 1939 to Virgil Maeser and Gerda Hendrickson Flake. Her family lived in the Osmer D. Flake Home, located on the corner of Main Street and Second North and now known as The Heritage Inn.
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Cleone and Carvel would eventually raise a family of their own in that same home. Cleone’s father was a cattle rancher and Cleone took every opportunity she could to get out of the house and spend her time riding and working cattle alongside her father and brothers.
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Cleone was also well known in local circles as a formidable opponent in horse racing. At the time horse races were held near the old Snowflake Rodeo grounds, and Cleone often came away the winner of those contests. She went on to graduate from Snowflake High School and attended BYU where she participated in their rodeo club whenever she could borrow a horse, and ASU.
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With just two years and two grade levels of separation, Cleone and Carvel attended Snowflake High School concurrently. While they knew each other, they did not become romantically interested until a few years later while they were both attending college.
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They were married in the Mesa Temple on June 16, 1961, which means they recently celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary. They raised eight children and now enjoy spending time with their 18 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, many of whom are lucky enough to live in Snowflake as well.
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While busily working and raising a family, Cleone and Carvel have been regularly involved in building our community. A trip around Snowflake and Taylor with Carvel often results in his reminiscing about his involvement with the construction of many homes and other buildings throughout his youth and adult years.
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As the primary caretakers of Augusta Flake during her final years, the Solomon’s helped her to preserve the Stinson Home, the Flake Home and many of the artifacts on display at those two locations.
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They have also spent countless hours designing and building floats, stages, and scenery for the many dramatic productions, concerts, pageants and plays produced in the community over the years. More formally, Cleone has served and dedicated many hours to the Heritage Foundation and to the Silver Creek Performing Arts Association.
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“The Good Life,” as is this year’s Pioneer Day theme, for many would include the trappings of wealth and world travel. The Solomons have enjoyed those things as well. They have traveled throughout the United States and Europe, including an extensive Mediterranean cruise and most recently a long but scenic train ride across nearly the entire U.S.A.
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While those types of experiences are enjoyable, “The Good Life” for Carvel and Cleone Solomon consists of days filled with family, productive work and peaceful, quiet evenings on the front porch of their comfortable home in Snowflake. They are truly a couple that enjoys the fruits of their labors.
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