NEW PLYMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL
FRESHMAN YEAR 1958-59
I started out this year as Secretary-Treasurer of my class with some of my best school friends as the other class officers. The President was our neighbor, Douglas Meacham. His family lived east of us on the next county road, the Gem and Payette County line road. His family were close friends of ours and our mothers enjoyed getting together as well. Several children in our family were about the same age as their children and we all went to the New Plymouth Ward. My High School years were busy ones! This year I was in Marching Band as a Majorette and was also in Girls Glee Club with Mr. Brown as our director. I changed from taking piano lessons from Mr. Brown to taking voice lessons from him. My piano skills were not great and I had advanced about as far as I could—which was to play hymns and other easy songs. Singing became my favorite talent to work on over the next four years.
Just a little side note here. Mr. Brown was a member of our Ward and was the Nephew of Elder Hugh B. Brown. His mother Veda Brown lived in Weiser and was a good friend and example to me. His father was never very active, but Mr. Moyle Brown later became my Bishop and we stayed in touch for many years.
This year I also started Early Morning Seminary which was held at our church building probably at 7:00 am. Because I did not drive, nor did we have a car for me to drive and Leola and LaMarr were both at College, on the weeks my Dad worked days at the Saw Mill, he would take me to the corner of the County line road and Doug and Michael Meacham would pick me up and then we would go and pick up the Smith kids who lived close by and then go to Seminary. I loved Seminary! Our teacher was Frank Robertson who knew the scriptures well and gave us a good religious education. My memory is that he taught us all four years.
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I remember of having an annual “Gold & Green Ball” which was a formal dance for all ages, probably 12 and over. It was an Annual Stake dance with a Floorshow and decorations. One year I remember of being in the Floorshow and dancing with Ernie Kartchner a young man in our Ward who had a brace on his leg and had some speech problems. He did a great job of dancing with me and I felt good about helping him to participate.
On Wednesdays, I would stay after school and iron shirts for my School Principal who lived across the street from the High School. If I remember right, I got paid $2.00 a shirt and would iron 4-5 shirts a week. After ironing, I walked to the Church and practiced the Organ until Mutual started. I really enjoy playing the Organ and have been able to serve in the Ward at various times. One thing I know is that I really have to work to play the organ and piano. Practice does not “make perfect”, especially in my case. However, I still enjoy playing the Hymns and easy prelude music. Probably my favorite music calling is Ward Music director or Primary Chorister.
One thing I have not mentioned about High School is that we were the New Plymouth Pilgrims! Our colors were Navy Blue and White. Sports were not my big interest and Girls’ sports were not big in our school. One year I did take PE and remember playing softball, but I was never involved in anything else.
I did go to “Girls Camp” one year at “Pine Top” in Idaho City. Our family went to a few Family Reunions in Lava Hot Springs and to “Yellowstone Park” once if I remember right. My only trip to Utah before going to college at BYU was with Bishop Brown for “June Conference” at Temple Square. We sang in a choir and there was also a dance festival. What a wonderful fun time we had. This event was one of the highlights of my High School years.
I enjoyed the other Young Men and Young Women in my Ward and the teachers we had in Beehives, Mia Maids and Laurels who became close friends as well as great examples. I actually have still had contact with two the girls from My ward. Marlene Ashby and Charlotte Myers.
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SOPHOMORE YEAR 1959-60
During my Sophomore year, Music became my great love and kept me so busy that I don’t remember much else that happened. Of course, I did have regular school classes and always enjoyed learning. Mrs. Moss was my Home Economics teacher and was a great teacher which added to the chance I was having at home to care for my younger brothers and sisters and help out as much as I could at home. In Home Economics, she taught us mostly cooking, sewing which inspired me to study some of the same at BYU when I went to college.
My next younger sister was Karla who was 4 years younger than me. My mom said that I actually helped her start learning to play the piano when she was young and it wasn’t long until she passed me up and was able to accompany me when I practiced my voice lessons and prepared for solos that I had been asked to sing. How wonderful it was to have my accompanist right in my own home. I am not sure when I started voice lessons from Mr. Brown, but he gave me a lot of opportunities and encouragement as a private teacher and music teacher at school.
I was in the Girls Glee Club and was chosen to be in a Sextette with two of my best friends from my ward, Marlene Ashby and Dawn Myers. It was great fun to sing together! We sang for community and school activities and received a “I” rating at District Music Festival. It was an opportunity for me to learn to sing a part because I was a 2nd Soprano in the Sextette and enjoyed the challenge. I am depending heavily on my High School Annuals for most of my information. Writing a journal would have been a lot bigger help, because I don’t remember my church activities as well as I do school activities after reading the Annuals! The High School actually went to the Zoo in Boise one year. We took school busses and had quite an adventure. I don’t remember of going to very many football or basketball games during my years in High School. I’m sure that is because I was too far from and town and no transportation.
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On August, 23 1959, I received my Patriarchal Blessing from William T. Borup. I remember of my parents taking me to Emmett to his home to receive my blessing. My Patriarchal blessing has always been a great strength to me and gives me many guidelines to follow in my life. At my age, as I look back and read it again, it is easy to recognize the fulfillment of so many of the blessing promised if I remained faithful. Our Father in Heaven has provided us everything we need to return to Him “according to our faithfulness”.
Sundays were always a delight in my life. Some of the things I remember that gave me strength and encouragement as I may have mentioned before were the Mutual Firesides when we would gather at the Church and listen to a record of our Prophet President Spencer W. Kimball speaking to us. At this time his voice was hoarse and quiet because he had throat surgery. The messages were strong testimonies and helped build my testimony. I can still remember where I sat in the chapel as I listened to him. We never had a TV in our home and I was never privileged to go to a regular General Conference, so I realize now why hearing the Prophet speak was very special.
Another opportunity I had was to be called as Sunday School Chorister. This was a great opportunity because we had a 10 minute singing time every Sunday during Sunday School opening exercise. We learned new Hymns or would let the congregation choose a favorite song to sing. I love the Hymns and have great memories of my time in New Plymouth Ward. My Young Women Leaders were great examples and helped me learn the importance of being a good wife and Mother in Zion. My greatest example of these opportunities however was my own Mother. She was so sweet, loving and organized and always served in the Church even when it was hard and inconvenient. I could not have had a better mother and a more loving, sweet Grandmother who lived with us much of my teen years. My Father in Heaven truly blessed me with the best.
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JUNIOR YEAR 1960-1961
My Junior year was an especially busy one! Our Sextette was asked to sing several times in our community of New Plymouth as well as several other towns including Payette, Vale, Middleton, Weiser and Homedale. We sang at Kiwanis Club meetings in these towns as well as the Letterman’s Ball and the Sweetheart’s ball in our own school. We also sang at the Beta Sigma Phi Talent Show and won the Grand Prize. This year we also made dresses alike made of a deep Purple fabric and added a rhinestone pin as jewelry.
This year I was also initiated into the Honor Society. This was an honor and I enjoyed being a part of their activities. Although I was not involved in very many of the other school organizations, I was pretty busy with music. I was asked to sing the theme song “Stairway to the Stars” at the Junior-Senior Banquet and I also sang “Sayonara”, the theme for the Co-Ed Ball. I really don’t remember these songs very well now, but I was happy to be asked to participate.
In April our family was blessed with another baby boy, Terrell Jay! He was born on April 15, 1961 and was so sweet and healthy. What a great blessing to have brothers and sisters in a family. My Mother had been Relief Society President for 4 ½ years when she found that baby number 8 was on his way. She was released in the fall or 1960. Moyle Brown, my voice and choir teacher was our Bishop at the time. About that same time, my Dad was called to be on the Weiser Stake High Council where he served for Eight years. He usually took some of us children with him to perform a musical number in the Ward he visited and as well as keep him company. This was a special opportunity because he worked so much at the Mill and at farming that it gave us special time with him.
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I notice from my School Annual for that year that I was involved in the District Music Festival in Emmett on the 14-15 of April, the same time Terrell was born! Our Sextette received a “11” and I received a “1” on my solo and went to the State Music Festival and also received a “1” at the competition.
During my Junior year, Mr. Brown started encouraging me to participate in the Miss Payette County Beauty Pageant. I would have never thought of such a thing on my own. But one of my best friends, Marlene Ashby had won the title of Miss Payette County for 1961 and Mr. Brown enjoyed helping her prepare and wanted me to have the same experience with me. So, on August 19, 1961 I was in the Pageant and sang the song “Indian Love Call”. I did not win, but got to know the other contestants and those who put the pageant on in the community. I learned what was expected and how to prepare. I felt that it was a positive experience. Mr. Brown’s goal was to have me enter the Pageant the next summer too. So, I began preparing for the summer of 1962.
In addition to preparing for the August Pageant, I was also selected to represent our school at the 15th Annual Syringa Girl’s State at the College of Idaho in Caldwell, Idaho, June 4-10 1961. It was an amazing experience and I learned quite a bit about the Legislature and how it operates. Girls from all over the State were there. I was asked to sing a solo in one of the programs during the week. I sang a Patriotic song that fit well into the program.
Somehow with all of these activities going on, I still managed to help Dad with some of the farm work. We lived next to a ditch that separated us from our neighbors the who had a Dairy farm. Our hayfield could be seen from their side of the ditch bank and so when I mowed the hay, I would spend the last hour going back to catch the small patches that the mower had missed so that it would look good and clean cut. One evening after the hay had dried enough to bale, I decided to help by baling the some of the hay while Dad was gone to his job at the Sawmill in Emmett. He had told me not to bother, but I loved helping him because he worked so hard and such long hours.
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Well, I managed to bale a 2 x 4 that was in the field. Of course, I stopped when that happened and hoped that I had not broken anything. Everything was okay as I remember. Another time I remember well is when Mom & Dad went to be with LaMarr at the University of Idaho leaving me in charge. While they were gone one of the cows had her calf and thank goodness everything went normal for her and all was well. Another funny experience I remember is that our neighbor right across the road had a herd of cows too. One night we got a phone call in the middle of the night that our cows were out and around our neighbor’s haystack. Well, when Dad got up to get the cows back into our corral, he found that the cows were actually the neighbor’s cows. We had to call him to get his own cows back into his corral. Another thing I remember about my teen years is that we always had a good garden and I enjoyed helping Mom when she worked in the garden. We also lived close to Emmett where we got fruit to can each summer. I don’t remember the specifics, but I have always enjoyed the good feeling of seeing a beautiful batch of peaches or pears come out of the canner!
During all these busy times, I was so happy to have my wonderful Young Women Leaders to help me prepare for my future as a wife and mother and a future Young Women Leader myself. Each level had requirements to receive awards for the age group. In my Beehive year the “Spirit of the Hive” was to help us learn in all areas. It stated: Have Faith, Seek Knowledge, Safeguard Health, Honor Womanhood, Understand Beauty, Value Work, Love Truth, Taste the Sweetness of Service and Feel Joy. I received each award offered in Young Womens as well as had the opportunity to participate in the Stake MIA Speech Competition where I received Superior rating both years. The quote on my awards was “Speech is the Tool of Leadership” and shows increasing self –confidence, skill of expression, and growth of mind and spirit.
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