---

On July 18, 2020, I got a text from J-R’s niece, Nanette, that J-R’s brother, Parley Delile Hinkins, had passed. Immediately, I decided to listen to my inner guide, J-R, that said, “Get up there.” So I drove up to Springville, Utah, to support Nanette and the rest of Delile’s family and to be in the moment of really reviewing Delile’s life as best as I knew.

A lot of what I knew was first told to me through John-Roger in his seminars about his family; then through various trips to Orangeville and Huntington, Utah, over the years in the ‘90s and 2000s, including family reunions. And then, on the trips that J-R invited Delile and Elda to participate in ever since the China trip in 2000. From then on, and at the big Seder dinners we had at the Sheraton Universal, I got to know Delile and J-R’s family well. Really, Delile and Elda just became sort of the family fixture on trips celebrating J-R’s birthday, and even in Panama where we would take J-R to relax.

At the time of Delile’s passing, I had seen J-R come to me in Spirit. He was coming to me as an older man and fragile, and I asked, “Why do I have to see him like that?” I remember I was arguing in my head with J-R after the dream like, “Why do I have to see you like that? Why can’t I see you young?” Well, two days later, Delile passed away and I realized, at that moment, that was not J-R in my dream; that was Delile, and I was to go help the family. So I got in the car and headed out.

I got to visit Delile after he passed and had a private moment with him calling in the Light and giving a blessing. I was holding for all of the family who were arriving. Then we headed out to Orangeville to the funeral home, which is owned by Nanette and Mark Tanner, Delile’s daughter and son-in-law.

J-R had his original piano at Prana since sometime in the ‘90s when one of his sisters (perhaps Linda who had it in her home) gave it to J-R. It had originally been J-R’s parents’ piano and was brought to Prana and put in the meditation room. In 2014, Elda wanted it back, so Paul Kaye asked Nicole, David Jaramillo, and me to bring this pretty good upright piano — that’s at least a hundred years old — back to Elda in Utah. So there they were at the memorial service playing music from that piano. They were playing hymns and beautiful songs, and it filled the room with so much joy. At both the viewing and the funeral, Delile’s children, Ross, Todd, David, Nanette, and Mckette, all shared. Delile’s oldest daughter, Paulette, had lost her life in a car accident many years ago. So Christy, who is the daughter of Paulette, stood in and shared beautifully.

It was beautiful for me to witness and support the family. I helped set up the Zoom and Facebook Live so MSIAers could enjoy watching Delile’s celebration of transcendence and hear the various stories of Delile being told. It was really wonderful to experience all of it. What I took from all that was, Delile lived his life fully. He was a man who had lost family members, and was burnt over half of his body trying to save a life, and he just kept at it. He was determined to keep going forward in his life, fully, until the age of 88; and that totally inspired me to keep doing my life.

I ended up leaving in the early afternoon after we put the body in the cemetery, and I headed out of Utah into Las Vegas and got home for the J-R marathons. What I left with was just a lot of appreciation for Delile and a lot of gratitude that I got to experience such a great man, who was, of course, the older brother to J-R. As you can see in The Mystical Traveler movie, there were tons of stories that were told by Delile in very private settings, and they were just great stories of J-R growing up and how much the love of the brothers really was the key. J-R quit his job in 1957 or 1958 to help Delile recover from the burns from the fire. It was a really beautiful service by J-R to Delile, and Delile took care of J-R as well. They loved and supported each other very much, and I feel grateful to have witnessed such a bond. As Christy said in the eulogy for her Grandfather Daddy, “I hope there are horses in heaven so you can ride off into the sunset with your brother, Roger. Heaven gained a Hero and one tough-as-nails cowboy.”

God bless you, Delile. And God bless you, J-R.
Love,
Jsu Garcia

Parley Delile Hinkins was born on March 1, 1932, in a small coal-mining camp in Rains, Utah. His mother, Erma Alice Davis, and his father, Parley Hinkins, Jr., welcomed their third child and first son into their home. At a young age Delile showed his love for nature and animals. He would be seen all over the coal mining camp with the camp donkey or one of the horses, chickens, or goats. He was most at home on the back of a horse. He grew into a young cowboy chasing wild horses out on the desert.

As a young man he lived in Huntington where he excelled in baseball, basketball, and track. On February 21, 1950, when he was 18 years old, he married his South Emery High School sweetheart, Elda Luke. They celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary this year. Their story is one of young love that blossomed and flourished. Encouraged by his dad, once married he dropped out of high school and began working in the coal mines alongside his father to support his family.

Soon he and his loving wife welcomed their oldest daughter, Paulette, into their home, and he could often be heard singing to her, “You Are My Sunshine.” They soon brought two more children, David Parley and Ross Delile, into their family. Baby number four was on the way when tragedy struck. Delile was working at American Fuel Mine when a fellow worker caught on fire. As chaos ensued, Delile selflessly took the most direct path to him, off a cliff and down a tree, running towards the co-worker to try and put out the flames. As he attempted to save his co-worker, coal dust exploded and Delile was engulfed in flames as well. He was badly injured with second and third degree burns over 80 percent of his body. It took over a year, and many painful surgeries and skin grafts, but he was able to return to his family of six. Todd Scott had entered into the world by then. Delile survived, then thrived with the love of his life by his side, and within a few years twin daughters, Nanette and McKette, blessed their home.

Delile continued to work in the mines for years after the accident, then became a mine inspector and ended his career as a salesman for his son’s business until 80 years old.

When his oldest daughter, Paulette, was 21, she married Robert Kay Hansen and gave birth to his first grandchild, Christy Kaye Hansen. When the baby was only four months old, Paulette and Kay were killed in a car accident. Following the tragedy, Delile and Elda raised Christy as their own.

Delile was a natural-born storyteller as he entertained his children and grandchildren with some of the scariest stories ever heard. He is a living legacy to his family, and although the storyteller is no longer here, his stories will be passed on through his six children, twenty-seven grandchildren, sixty-nine great grandchildren, and one great, great grandchild.

His family was blessed with his example of living the Gospel of Jesus Christ as he served in church callings and served in the Richmond, Virginia, Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with Elda.

Delile passed away on July 18, 2020, at the age of 88. He is survived by his wife, Elda Luke Hinkins; children David Parley (Lane) Hinkins, Ross Delile (Jeannine) Hinkins, Todd Scott (Nadene) Hinkins, Nanette (Mark) Tanner, McKette (David) Allred, Christy Kaye (Matthew) Hironymous; sister Linda (Raymond) Hansen; in-laws Kean & Charlane Luke, Mack & Eunice Luke, and Ilene Luke.

He was preceded in death by daughter Paulette and son-in-law Kay Hansen; parents Parley & Erma Hinkins; siblings Paula Allred, Helen (Clive) Peterson, and Roger Hinkins; in-laws Elden & Delphia Luke; brother-in-law Earl Luke and great granddaughter OakLee Paulette Engman.

A viewing was held Wednesday, July 22, 2020, at the Heritage Funeral Home, 620 North Main, Huntington, Utah, followed by family funeral services on Thursday, July 23, 2020. All were invited for live-streaming on Heritage Funeral Home Facebook page. Interment followed in the Orangeville Cemetery.

View the Photos of Delile Hinkins, J-R and Family