2024 Grand Marshall - Don Ezola
Don spent his teenage years at the Wyoming Downs helping Uncle Joe with his Thoroughbred racehorses. When he had the opportunity to move to Evanston 20 years ago, he already knew he liked it here and would call it home. A couple of years later Linda joined him when they got married 18 years ago. They both grew up as neighbors on dairy farms in Trenton Utah. When Don went to Trenton to visit his parents his 4 kids would run down the road to play with Linda’s 4 kids which brought them together and they started dating. After joining their families they settled in creating the funny farm, as their kids called. They have brought their animals small and large to all types of events for the community to enjoy.
Don began working at the Uinta County Planning & Zoning office as the Compliance Officer shortly after moving to Hilliard. He started driving trucks for Lindley Construction a few years later. Gordon soon saw his potential of bringing in sales and helping Mitchell run things. This has developed a long-standing partnership with Gordon who claims him as his adopted son.
Linda has been a nurse for over 30 years and settled right in at the hospital when they got married. She is the Operating Room Director. Her experience has helped significantly to keep putting Don back together whether from his accidents or acts of nature lol. She is the glue that holds the funny farm and family together supporting Don’s crazy ideas.
When first moving to Evanston it didn’t take Don long to develop his “milk route” driving in or out of town stopping to check on the elderly, the widows and of course the youth that might need a nudge or some direction. A typical example, after Harold passed away he noticed Rozella was struggling. He asked her if she would show him the local pioneer history between Hilliard and Lyman to get her out of the house. Rozella totally panicked and called her daughter Marcella to see if it was too soon to go on a date. He gets himself in the darndest situations. But wait it gets better, they stopped for lunch in Lyman and when She got out of the car Rozella rubbed against a service truck in the parking lot and got a big blob of grease on her hind end of her new khaki tan slacks. She immediately pulled a wad of Kleenex out of her purse handed them to Don, bent over, turning her butt in the air and told him “Wipe it off and don’t smear it!” They had a good laugh and she joked about her date with a younger man of 35 years. Don has spent his life trying to help others and make them smile. He will tease, torment, or prod you to make sure you know you’ve been noticed.
Don has served on the Uinta County Fair board where he made a lot of friends. He has helped with Cowboy days Special Needs Rodeo from the onset doing wagon rides with their Clydesdales. He brings other livestock to give the participants a hands-on opportunity. They’ve driven many of our dignitaries in the grand entry with their horse drawn vehicles. He always has a parade entry or two. He loves to take animals to the nursing home to bring a smile to the faces and help the residents reminisce.
He has always tried to do his part to make things better for an individual, the community, or at church. His biggest frustration is having to slow down after the TBI, and later getting struck by lightning. He has coined the phrase “I don’t always know if I’m coming or going but I enjoy the ride”