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John Ortell Kingston
John Ortell Kingston (May 19, 1919 – August 25, 1987) was the Trustee of the Davis County Cooperative Society in Davis County, Utah, from 1948 until his death in 1987.
John Ortell Kingston, colloquially known as "Brother Ortell" was the son of Charles W. Kingston, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) who had been excommunicated from the LDS Church on March 4, 1929. Kingston joined his brother Elden Kingston's cooperative shortly after its establishment. When Elden Kingston died from cancer in 1948, leadership of the Davis County Cooperative Society passed from Elden to Ortell.
During Ortell's tenure as Trustee of the Cooperative, some members formally organized the Latter Day Church of Christ in 1977. Most members of the Cooperative became members of the church and retain dual-membership in both organizations to this day.
The Cooperative had its birth during the Great Depression when many families were finding it hard to provide for their families. For many years, members of the Co-operative lived in poor conditions with those in need having no legal way to apply for assistance. Plural families at times resorted to gathering expired groceries that had been thrown out from local stores. Long-time leader John Ortell Kingston himself lived in a small dilapidated one-story clapboard house in Salt Lake City up until the time of his death in 1987.
As Trustee, Kingston aggressively pursued a financially expansive agenda for the Cooperative in the hopes of improving the financial condition of his followers.
In 1983, after destitute members of the Cooperative had applied for assistance Utah sued Kingston to recoup the subsidies they had received, alleging they were ineligible to receive them due the cooperative's combined assets purporting to total $70 million. While admitting no wrongdoing, Kingston paid the state $250,000 to settle the case and it was dropped.
Over the past 25 years, many members have become college educated and live in middle, to upper-middle-class homes in their respective communities. Currently the group claims that although different skillsets bring different financial outcomes, there is no homelessness within the DCCS and internal programs exist for those experiencing financial poverty.
Kingston was living plural marriage until his death; he had married at least 13 wives and had dozens of children. Believing in the superiority of his bloodline he had also married 2 half-sisters and 2 nieces. According to one of his children he had experimented incest with his cattle before turning to his children. Some of his sons continued to marry half-sisters and nieces.
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John Ortell Kingston
John Ortell Kingston (May 19, 1919 – August 25, 1987) was the Trustee of the Davis County Cooperative Society in Davis County, Utah, from 1948 until his death in 1987.
John Ortell Kingston, colloquially known as "Brother Ortell" was the son of Charles W. Kingston, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) who had been excommunicated from the LDS Church on March 4, 1929. Kingston joined his brother Elden Kingston's cooperative shortly after its establishment. When Elden Kingston died from cancer in 1948, leadership of the Davis County Cooperative Society passed from Elden to Ortell.
During Ortell's tenure as Trustee of the Cooperative, some members formally organized the Latter Day Church of Christ in 1977. Most members of the Cooperative became members of the church and retain dual-membership in both organizations to this day.
The Cooperative had its birth during the Great Depression when many families were finding it hard to provide for their families. For many years, members of the Co-operative lived in poor conditions with those in need having no legal way to apply for assistance. Plural families at times resorted to gathering expired groceries that had been thrown out from local stores. Long-time leader John Ortell Kingston himself lived in a small dilapidated one-story clapboard house in Salt Lake City up until the time of his death in 1987.
As Trustee, Kingston aggressively pursued a financially expansive agenda for the Cooperative in the hopes of improving the financial condition of his followers.
In 1983, after destitute members of the Cooperative had applied for assistance Utah sued Kingston to recoup the subsidies they had received, alleging they were ineligible to receive them due the cooperative's combined assets purporting to total $70 million. While admitting no wrongdoing, Kingston paid the state $250,000 to settle the case and it was dropped.
Over the past 25 years, many members have become college educated and live in middle, to upper-middle-class homes in their respective communities. Currently the group claims that although different skillsets bring different financial outcomes, there is no homelessness within the DCCS and internal programs exist for those experiencing financial poverty.
Kingston was living plural marriage until his death; he had married at least 13 wives and had dozens of children. Believing in the superiority of his bloodline he had also married 2 half-sisters and 2 nieces. According to one of his children he had experimented incest with his cattle before turning to his children. Some of his sons continued to marry half-sisters and nieces.