Lehi People
Heritage Day: Dan and Mary Curtis honored for service with Old Folks, police force, schools
Editor’s Note: The Lehi Historical Society is proud to present the stories of its Lehi Heritage Day 2023 honorees. Each couple will be celebrated at Lehi Heritage Day on Sept. 4, beginning at 2:30 p.m., in a parade, a celebration with the mayor, city council and public, and at a meet and greet. The free, city-sponsored event celebrates those who have given tremendous service to Lehi as well as honoring Lehi’s remarkable history. This year’s theme is, “The Roaring 1920s.” For more information on Lehi Heritage Day or the Classic Car and Bike Show, see lehihistory.com.
Dan and Mary Curtis’s love story began on a chartered bus to Las Vegas with the Lehi High School band. At least that’s where it began for Dan. It took a few years for him to arrange an introduction, but when it finally happened, Mary was all-in too. Many years later, Dan and Mary remain rooted in Lehi where they continue to make a little music and serve their friends and neighbors.
“Lehi is only slightly different than it was back when we were growing up—a slight increase in the population,” said Mary. “There were only a couple thousand residents when we were young and going to Lehi Elementary School.”
Although their careers and family kept them busy, the Curtis’salways prioritized service in the community. They worked on the Lehi Old Folks Committee for 35 years. Mary served as a nursery leader in the Lehi 12th Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more than four decades. For some15 years, the couple took the fourth-year Young Women on their special backpacking adventure at their yearly Girls Camp.
Mary often has a knitting or crochet project in her hands. She rarely keeps her creations, finding more satisfaction in giving them away. Dan took up the guitar and still plays with family and friends whenever they get together.
Dan served in many callings for the Church, including in the bishopric and various quorum presidencies. He was heavily involved in the Boy Scouts of America in his youth and served as an advancement chairman and merit badge counselor as an adult. He is currently on a service mission for the Church in their Addiction Recovery Program.
The second of five children, Dan is the son of Letha Margret Colledge and Darrel Ken Curtis Sr. Mary is the oldest of four children born to Patricia Hillman and Eugene Ray Bone.
After elementary school, both Mary and Dan went to Lehi Junior High and Lehi High School. They were in the concert and marching bands together as well as the choirs. Dan played in the jazz band and even formed three rock-n-roll bands over the years.
After high school, Dan worked to support his mother Letha and his siblings. He attended the Utah Police Academy and received the Outstanding Officer Award—the equivalent of Valedictorian—for his session. He was a police officer for Lehi City for six and a half years. He then worked 18 years for the Utah County Sheriff’s Office before retiring.
Mary Curtis attended Airline Reservation School in California and honed her secretarial skills at Provo Trade Tech.
Once the couple’s two children, Adam and Elizabeth, were in school, Mary volunteered at Lehi Elementary and then worked as a paid tutor. She transferred to Meadow Elementary and then Lehi High School, where she worked as an attendance secretary. She worked for 30 years for Alpine School District before she retired in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. She also worked part-time at Broadbent’s Store from 1980 until 2017. “Now you know where you’ve seen me,” quipped Mary.
As a young man, Dan attended Provo Trade Tech studying gunsmithing. He became an apprentice gunsmith just before he turned 14 and has managed to work on guns in some way for the last 58 years. The day he retired from the Sheriff’s Office; hestarted work for Davidson’s/Pro Force. He also worked for Glock and Remington. Both Curtis children shot on their university’s NCAA pistol teams and competed in National Championships.
The Curtis family enjoys camping, hunting and fishing. The couple has four grandchildren.
