Bishop George H. Soderborg
From Burton Ward Scrapbook 1914-1919
Written by his wife Florence Soderborg 1951
George H. Soderborg was born in Salt Lake City, the son of Anders P. Soderborg and Augusta Johnson, who emigrated to America from Sweden and crossed the plains in 1860.
George was the ninth of eleven children, five of whom died in infancy. When he was four years old his father died, leaving his mother with six children to support. When he was old enough, he had to get out and do odd jobs to help his mother. His first job was pushing an ice cream cart. He made fifty cents a day and was allowed to eat one package of ice cream a day.
At the age of twelve he graduated from the public schools and went to work as the Juvenile Instructor Print Shop learning the printing trade. He worked there for four years. He then decided to take up accounting so he went to the LDS Business College from 1903 to 1905. During this time he took two paper routes to help him through school.
In 1908 he was called on a mission to the Central States and served as secretary. When he returned, he went to work for Armour & Co.
In 1911 he married Florence Lloyd. There were born to them six boys and a girl; the youngest having died at birth. Of these boys, four have fulfilled missions two served as officers in the Navy during World War II and four are college graduates.
At the time of their marriage, they moved into the Fifth Ward where he was chosen first counselor to Bishop Jesse R. Pettit. In 1915 they moved to Logan where he attended the Agricultural College.
On returning from Logan, they moved into Burton Ward where he served as President of the MIA and later as a ward clerk.
In 1923 he succeeded Mathew A. Miller as Bishop of Burton Ward and chose Don Mac Dalton and Paul Paulson as his counselors. He served in this capacity for six years; during which time the amusement hall was built and paid for in one and one-half years.
He served on the High Council of the Granite Stakes; Clerk of the High Priest Quorum of the South Salt Lake Stake; taught classes in Sunday School. High Priest Quorum, Mutual and the Genealogical Society and has done Temple work for many of the ward people.