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Mavourneen
and
Darwin
Lamb
never
looked
back after
leaving
Las Vegas
for Cedar
City about
30 years
ago. |
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When 78-year-old Darwin Lamb moved to Cedar City from Las Vegas more than 30 years ago, you might say he brought a piece of history with him.
Considering that the Lamb family had been part of southern Nevada since the 1920s, Cedar City was a refreshing respite, complete with mountainous greenery, a change of seasons and a slower pace, combined with a charming population of friendly folks who treasure their rich history.
Lamb’s brother, Ralph, was a no-nonsense sheriff in Clark County who ran off a group of unruly Hells Angels motorcycle thugs in about 1962; and even left them with their bikes at the state line with an order never to come back to the area again.
The younger Darwin wasn’t far behind leading the charge as the head of the Clark County Commission. His civic dedication was evidenced by the fact that he spearheaded the construction of 36 parks long before Las Vegas was invaded by corporate hot shots who transformed the city into a plastic jungle of three-piece suits, high-priced automobiles and a long line of wise guys who many times come in driving a Cadillac before leaving in the back of a Greyhound bus.
“I tell people that I used to play marbles on Fremont Street where the Golden Nugget now sits,” laughs Lamb. “Then, I’d set pins in the bowling alley to make a few extra bucks.”
Lamb’s business sense led to good results in Las Vegas, where he sold his Lamb & 1 beverage business in 1995 to Coca Cola, which came to town with big ideas and a fat checkbook. The check was written, the Lambs put one of several sizeable investments in the bank and the rest is history.
In fact, while Cedar City wraps its arms around its past, Las Vegas has commenced to blowing up anything with any history, and Lamb is tickled to be living in a home filled with endless memories collected for more than a half century.
His resume states that his middle name should have been Versatility.
Lamb has made a living trapping coyotes, bobcats and fox, and was a lead employee in a Henderson, Nev., grocery store. He was also the superintendent of one of the largest construction companies in Nevada at the age of 24. Then he led the country in sales of burglar alarms, fire alarms and Kirby vacuum cleaners.
Sprinkle in the fact that he created and operated a chemical company in Las Vegas before discovering a 300-acre gold mining ranch in northern Nevada and it’s easy to see why Lamb might make the ideal poster child for those willing to work.
The hunter Darwin Lamb has 147 species of stuffed animals throughout the house, and there is an assortment of rodeo-related gear, as well. And when he’s not busy doing other things, Lamb is taking care of a pair of Mr. Bubbles Car Wash facilities that he owns; or visiting with friends at the Market Grill coffee shop.
When the urge arises, Lamb still frequents a rodeo, which was so much a part of the Lamb family during its years growing up in the tiny town of Alamo before moving to Henderson, Nev.
“I never thought that I wouldn’t miss Las Vegas,” Lamb says. “Vegas was good to me, but after I got up here for a few years, I realized just how bad the traffic was down there. I mean, Cedar was named the top getaway by the Las Vegas Review-Journal the other day, so that sure says something.”
The initial visit to Cedar City was certainly interesting. “I came here on the weekend one time,” Lamb explained of his first visit to Cedar City in 1979,” he said. “My sister, Irma, had a cabin on the mountain. I came here driving a highprofile vehicle and the wind was blowing, so I parked it until the wind quit.”
Truthfully, Lamb needed an excuse for moving to Cedar City and he found the high-profile vehicle to be the perfect reason to stay in Southern Utah.
“I told my brother that anyone over the age of 50 living in Las Vegas needs to move on,” he said. “I have lost my eyesight and I’m crippled, but I love living here. Anyone who isn’t forced to stay where they’re at because they need to make a living there is a damned fool not to live in Cedar City.”
Lamb’s wife, Mavourneen Marie, is a native of Wyoming who grew up in southern Nevada. She left the drag race pace behind and you won’t find a happier person. She now works as an office manager at Century 21 First Choice Realty.
“The people here are so real, friendly, warm and helpful,” she said. “They wave at you and won’t hesitate to help their neighbor.”
Mavourneen Lamb still manages the Mr. Bubbles car washes and also helps with various charitable organizations.
“I just try to help everyone,” she says. “It’s just part of the city’s way. The people of Cedar City think nothing of helping others. This is a wonderful city when it comes to people volunteering to help others.”
Mike Henle is a Las Vegas based freelance writer and the author of “Through the Darkness: One Man’s Fight to Overcome Epilepsy.” He can be contacted via e-mail at mhenle@aol.com or through his Web site www.mikehenle.com.
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