Honorary Guests

Brent and Michele are lifelong residents of Duchesne County. Brent was raised in Tabiona, and Michele was raised in Duchesne. They each can trace their County roots back three generations.

They have been married for 58 years. Making their home in Hanna. Together, they are the proud parents of five children, twelve grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Brent served 35 years with the US Forest Service before retiring, and Michele gave 23 dedicated years to the Duchesne County School District, working as an educator at Thompsen School. Two lives of service to the land, to the kids, and to the County.

Today, they are the owners and operators of the Lee Ranch. Brent just turned 80 and is still going strong.

Michele says she is working harder than ever, trying to keep up with him.

Ferrell was born to Charlie and Norma Crozier in a small house west of Neola. He was the third of eight children and grew up on a dairy farm, where there were always chores to be done, including milking cows twice a day. In the 1960s, the family sold the dairy herd and transitioned into the beef cattle business.

Ferrell married Joan Zimmerman in 1960, and they moved to Roosevelt, where they still reside today. They have been married for 66 years and are the proud parents of three children: Toni Ansel, Tami Long, and Charles Crozier. Their family has grown to include six grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, with another on the way.

Ferrell worked at a tire store in Roosevelt until the 1970s, when he began working in the oilfield. During those years, he also helped his father manage the family cattle operation.

In the late 1980s, Ferrell purchased one-third of his father’s ranch and started his own herd. In 2025, he was honored by the Duchesne County Cattlemen with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Ferrell purchased his first roping horse in the early 1960s and developed a love for calf roping and team roping. He competed alongside his brother Claude, his son, nephews, and many friends. In 1966, he won first place in calf roping with the Roosevelt Quarter Horse Association and continued to place in rodeos and jackpots throughout the years, earning numerous buckles and titles.

Ferrell also trained and raised horses that he raced in chariot competitions for many years. At one championship event, he returned home with the Sportsmanship Award.

Even after hanging up his spurs, Ferrell remained deeply involved in the rodeo world by running the calf chutes for his son and grandchildren and making sure they always had calves, steers, and dependable horses to ride.

Above all, family has always been the most important part of Ferrell’s life. You can still find him at rodeos cheering on his grandchildren, family, and friends. He also enjoys watching them play baseball, basketball, and soccer. In his spare time, Ferrell has enjoyed fishing, pack trips, and hunting.

John was born and grew up in Roosevelt. His parents were Hollis and Elaine Goodrich Hullinger. His family owned and operated a soft drink business, bottling Pepsi Cola, Seven-Up, Dr. Pepper, etc. He graduated from Union in 1967 where he was active in sports and student government. He served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Northern States from 1968-70.

Korinne grew up in Morgan on a Dairy and Cattle farm. Her parents were Woodrow and Twila Yearsley Giles. Her interests were reading, music (she plays the piano and bassoon) sewing and 4-H. She graduated from Morgan in 1968 and from BYU with a Clothing and Textiles degree in ‘72.

They married on August 24, 1973 and took a honeymoon driving a cab-over Peterbilt truck to Erlanger, Kentucky where they picked up a Dr Pepper trailer for the business. He drove the semi-truck through December and returned for his last semester at BYU, graduating in April ‘74.

In 1975 he started work for Ted Olpin in the mortuary and in September that year they moved to Los Angeles were John went to mortuary college through August of ‘76. Together they have six children, Roger (Karie Ann), Roosevelt, Mark (Wendy), SLC, Allen (Natasha), Los Altos, CA, Martha (Adam) Ware, Seattle, Heather (Tyler) Elison, Twin Falls, ID, and Owen (Mike Broska), Austin, TX, and 19 grandchildren.

In 1981 they purchased the Olpin Mortuary when Ted retired and operated Hullinger Mortuary until 2014 when they retired. Together they served an LDS mission to Melbourne, Australia, 2014-2015.

John still likes to play a little Pickleball, ride a 4-wheeler in the mountains, hike and fish some above Farm Creek and Mosby; keeps active trying to keep the neighborhood weeds under control, tending to the family camp ground in Hanna that they share with his brothers and sisters, and serving in the church and Vernal Temple.

Korinne served on the Basin Arts Council for many years which provided a number of cultural and entertainment programs. She is known for her curious stunts: like laying in the back of the Horse Drawn funeral coach through a parade, or, laying in a casket on our front porch at Halloween (one little girl that knew her, asked: “where are your legs?”), or, under pressure from a daughter to provide a cake for her sister’s birthday, she went to school with a “DIY Birthday Box” of cake mix and candles, and presented it to her.

We have loved living in Duchesne County with all its diversity of people, recreation, climate, and culture. It has been a rare privilege to serve all the communities of the Uintah Basin in funeral service and 14 ½ years on the School Board of the Duchesne County School District. No other occupation could give a person the ability to meet, greet and know so many fine people. You have blessed our lives beyond measure.