The Honored Citizens for 2024 are Rick and Connie Tatton.

Rick is a long time native whose ancestors immigrated from Switzerland. He was raised in the house built by his Swiss immigrant Andreas Burgener, who had the first brass band in Wasatch County. Rick is true Swiss as they take pride in their surroundings, Rick winning 40 years of beautification awards in Utah for his lovely garden and out buildings including the CB Barn located just north of the Town Square. The property has been in the family continuously for seven generations.

Rick and his family were in the first Harvest Days festival, which was the precursor to Swiss Days. They sold eggs and carrots from their garden. Later they sold the first sauerkraut and bratwurst dinner and the first to sell Swiss pastries. They were also the first to wear authentic Swiss costumes inherited from their ancestors.  When Connie came along she added Swiss imports to their booth. Rick is the last surviving booth vendor from the early days of the first Swiss Days celebration. Rick was over the Swiss Days parade for many years and then the parking as well as setting up booths or what ever else needed done. Rick’s mother, grandmother and great grandmother were also given the privilege of being the Honored Citizen, indicating a long line and heritage of public service.

Rick served on the Midway Board of Adjustments and twelve years on the Midway City Council. Rick was chair of the County Affordable Housing Committee overseeing the building of two rental complexes in Heber and many $20,000 down payment assistance for first time home owners. Rick also played an important role in the annual Midway Town Christmas party. He brought the spirit of Christmas to many children and then their children and to some even their grandchildren. He also drove the Marshall Band during the Fourth of July celebration, whose picture a top Memorial Hill appeared in the National Geographic magazine.

Rick worked as a court reporter for 40 years and now takes the minutes for the County Council, County Planning Commission, etc. But his first love is baseball. He gave up a promising baseball career to help care for his grandfather who had lost both legs to diabetes. Rick hit many balls over the top of the Midway Community Center and Town Hall.

Connie is a graduate of Brigham Young University. She taught school in Moroni, Utah for four years, then when she married Rick became a full time mother. They have three children, J. R., Erin and Wesley and five grandchildren whom they adore.

Connie was Midway Boosters Club president, served with the Midway Elementary PTA, taught swimming lessons, served as president of the Wasatch County Board of Health and the National Association of Local Boards of Health. Connie was the first manager of the Midway Swiss Bell Ringers and had an opportunity to oversee a musical recording of the bells and travel around the state and Canada to perform.

Connie also served as mayor of Midway for two terms, the foremost administrative achievement has been the codification of our ordinances. What originally was found in four binders and two banker boxes was streamlined and updated to just one binder, a monumental task which took 18 months to accomplish. Other achievements were the establishment of the City Vision, Mission and Core Values, City website, updated job descriptions, employee evaluations, Human Resource Manual, Policy and Procedure Manual, etc. Capital improvements include most notably the rehabilitation of the Town Hall which was a $1.2 million project, acquisition of the LDS church on the Town Square which resulted in the City owning the entire block for the first time in its history.

Both Rick and Connie love Midway and have enjoyed serving the community. Midway is a great place to raise kids and a wonderful environment under the shadow of beautiful Mount Timpanogos.