The son of Utah pioneers, the impressively named Mahonri Moriancumer Steele Jr. carved a notable career for himself in Garfield and Millard County, Utah, where he was prominent in Republican politics. A former county recorder and county clerk for Garfield County, Steele was later elected to a term as chief clerk of the Utah House of Representatives. Additionally, Steele served as chairman of the Garfield and Piute County Republican committee and for several years was a member of the Utah Republican State Executive Committee. Born in Toquerville, Utah on February 2, 1870, Mahonri Moriancumer Steele Jr. was the son of Mahonri Moriancumer and Emily Bunker Steele. A distinguished figure in his own right, Mahonri Steele Sr. (1849-1923) was a patriarch in the LDS church and a former Iron County deputy sheriff who also served a term on the Utah state land board. Both father and son were given the names Mahonri Moriancumer, a figure in the Book of Mormon mentioned as "the brother of Jared." Though unnamed in this work, LDS church founder Joseph Smith revealed in 1834 that the Lord revealed it to him shortly before naming and blessing a baby in Kirtland, Ohio.
While his name may be impressive, most period literature records Steele under the name "M.M. Steele Jr", and his 1937 obituary denotes his nickname, "Hon". He was a student in the district schools of Washington County, and in 1892 graduated from the Latter Day Saint College in Salt Lake City. He resided and taught school in Panguitch in the late 1880s and at an unknown date was admitted to practice law in Utah. In October 1889 he wed Charlotte Moore LeFever (1873-1941), and the couple's near five-decade marriage produced eleven children: Lindsay (1890-1918), Frances Fern (1893-1970), Abigail (1895-1975), Harold LeFever (1898-1923), Doyle LeFever (1899-1998), Faymetta (1902-1986), Lila (1904-1988), Arthello Mahonri (1908-1986), Irene (1910-2001), Wanda (1911-1992), and Itha (1913-1999).
Beginning in the early 1890s the name of Mahonri Steele Jr. became one of the most prominent in Garfield County Republican politics. Following election as justice of the peace for the Panguitch district, Steele was elected as Garfield County recorder in 1893, and after a term of two years won election as county clerk. His time in that post extended until 1901, and in 1895 had been elected chairman of the Garfield County Republican committee. This office also saw Steele as a member of the Utah Republican State Executive Committee for two terms, beginning in 1897. In March 1900 Steele was chosen as Sergeant-at-Arms of the Utah Republican State Convention held in Salt Lake City, and at the turn of the 19th century entered the publishing business, being the editor of the Panguitch Progress for a period beginning in 1899.
From "Utah As It Is", 1904.
With his name firmly established in state Republican circles, M.M. Steele Jr. was elected as chief clerk of the Utah House of Representatives at the opening of the January 1901 session. He served through the 1901 term and shortly after leaving office was touted as a candidate for state statistician, his name being put forward by legislative engrossing clerk F.J. Hendershott. While he may have been passed over for that post, Steele continued in government service with his appointment that October as a postal inspector for the Rural Free Delivery service.
Steele served as a postal inspector for six years, and in the mid-1900s removed to Piute County, where in 1906 he was a candidate for county surveyor. In January 1910 he served as a delegate to the Good Roads convention in Salt Lake, where delegates discussed "building 20 miles of model roadway in Utah every year, 10 miles north and 10 miles south from Salt Lake until the state boundaries are reached." In September of that year, Steele was returned to the Utah Republican State Executive Committee, representing Piute County from 1910-12.
By September 1912 Steele had removed to Beaver County, and in that year was a delegate to the Utah State Republican Convention, where he sat on the committees on platform and permanent resolutions. Following his resettlement he engaged in mining in the region, serving as president of the Tot Eiler Gold Mining Company. Capitalized "for over 1,000,000 shares" Steele's company discovered "an auriferous body of sand averaging $2.60 in gold and silver", with Steele remarking "I believe we have one of the biggest cheap placer propositions in the state." Additionally, Steele would hold the presidency of the Beaver Irrigated Land Company for an indeterminate period.
M.M. Steele Jr. would remove once again around 1914, settling in Millard County. Establishing himself in Delta, he held the presidency of the Delta Commission Co., dealing in land and livestock. He continued prominence in Republican circles following his move, serving as secretary of the Republican Central Committee of Millard County in 1916-17, and in 1918 announced his candidacy for Millard County Attorney. In the fall of 1918 his candidacy was profiled in the Millard County Chronicle Progress, which noted:
"His extensive experience in government positions and as an attorney at law has made him exceptionally fitted for the office of County Attorney. On account of the trying times, under which we are now laboring, the mature age, judgement, experience and fitness of Mr. Steele is of inestimable value for Millard County."
In November 1918 Steele narrowly lost out to Democratic candidate G.A. Niles, who polled 979 votes to his own 937. In the early 1920s Steele served as Millard County road commissioner, work that saw him name "The Grand Central Highway from Delta to Ely and worked hard in getting it put thru." In 1922 he visited Los Angeles to confer with officials on having the the Grand Central Highway logged, and for the majority of 1927 was based in Hamilton, Nevada, where he had an interest in a lead-silver mine.
The final years of Mahonri Moriancumer Steele Jr. were spent at his home in Delta, where he died on September 27, 1937, aged 67. He was survived by his wife and nine children and was interred at the Delta Cemetery.
From the Garfield County News, September 30, 1937.
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