John Mellor - Hardworking Store owner
John Mellor (1908–1983): A Life of Grit, Grace, and Generosity
John Mellor lived a life defined by determination, service, and family. A man of quiet strength and unshakable work ethic, he was a true pillar of the Granger and Taylorsville communities—respected as a provider, neighbor, farmer, butcher, shopkeeper, and father of seven.
From an early age, John learned the value of hard work. As a boy, he caddied at the Sugarhouse Golf Course, saving every cent he could. By age 12, he had grown to 61.5 inches tall and left Utah for the summer to work on a cattle ranch in Wyoming. There, he learned to ride horses, herd cattle, run a hay rake, and endure long days filled with mosquitoes, milking duties, and fishing in mountain lakes. He earned just $1 a day with room and board, but it was an education in grit and independence that shaped the rest of his life.
As a teen, John worked at a sheet metal shop while walking 10 miles each way to attend Concord High School. Despite the distance and demands, he played football, basketball, and ran track—earning varsity letters three years in a row. He later attended Saint Mary’s College in California, where he played football on the freshman team before shifting focus to work during the Great Depression.
He married Ida Faye in 1929, and like many young couples of the time, they faced the hardships of a faltering economy. They moved from California to Portland and back again, taking any odd job they could find—whether marketing shingles, playing basketball for a company team, or walking the streets of Salt Lake City in search of work.
When a Texas company came to build a pipeline through Parley’s Canyon, John took the job—even in brutal November cold. Later, he found work as a butcher for OP Skaggs, Worthins Meats, and Success Market. In 1939, he worked as a carpenter at the Tooele Ordnance Depot, leaving home at 4 a.m. and returning at 10 p.m. Despite the grueling schedule, it paid off their bills and stabilized the family’s finances.
In 1940, the Mellors moved to Granger/Taylorsville boarder, buying a 40-acre farm. There, John and Ida worked side by side raising cows, pigs, chickens, sugar beets, and apples. During the day, John worked at the Hygeia Ice Company in Sugar House and farmed each night—a testament to his endurance and love for his family.
In 1948, he leased a small market in Taylorsville, which he ran for four years before relocating to Granger in 1953. There, he opened Mellor’s Market at the corner of 3200 West and 3500 South—a cherished local store where customers were friends, and everyone knew the Mellor name. Ida and all seven of their children—five girls and two boys—helped in the store, creating a true family-run business. The market was later expanded and known as Mellor’s Market Basket, serving as a community hub for 15 years until its closure in 1968.
Even then, John didn’t rest. He continued working as a butcher at Emigration Market and Jordan Meat until his retirement in 1973.
John Mellor was more than a worker—he was a builder of community. His small market served countless families in Granger, his farm fed many, and his example inspired all who knew him. A husband, father, and faithful neighbor, he is remembered with deep respect for the life he lived and the legacy he left behind.
