Kirsten Burningham

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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Moscow, Russia and that Marianne would assist in the same office with the registration of the young Elders and Sisters upon their arrival. They would be registered with the U. S. Embassy so that they could be reached with important information for their safety. After meeting with Elder Wickman, we also met with Elder Boyd Black and William Atkin who are counselors to Elder Wickman. By this time it was evening and we met Dalian and Nicole and family to go out to dinner. Needless to say, we were excited and full of anticipation as to the filling out of Mission applications, getting Dental work done and meeting with our Doctors. We left for home the next day and went to work getting things in order the best we could.

As soon as we got home, we started to work on the internet to fill out the Missionary Applications and get our Doctor appointments. We also told the rest of our family what we were up to and that we needed their support. Unfortunately, it was the end of May before we could get appointments to have our physical examinations. Marianne’s most important appointment however, was with her Cancer Doctor, Dr. Furientino. This doctor had been very attentive and caring. He approved her going on a mission if she would send quarterly reports of her blood condition to him. What a relief we all felt and moved forward with faith.

Most of the month of May was spent with our families in the eastern part of the U.S. We flew to New York City with the help of Steve & Kirsten who got tickets for us and picked us up at the airport. What a great time we had in NYC! Actually it prepared us for the experience we would have in Moscow, Russia. The cities are quite a bit alike. Steve was pretty busy with work and went with us when he could, but Kirsten was able to go with us or see that we got to a lot of special sites in the city. We especially enjoyed the Rockefeller Center, winning the Lottery tickets to “Wicked”, Wall Street, Time Square, Central Park, Ground Zero, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and our walk to the Hudson River, just to name a few. Steve & Kirsten are wonderful at taking care of their guests and so we really enjoyed being with them and Ben & Brooklyn.

The next important step during the month of May was a trip to Derrel’s graduation from Medical School in Morgantown, West Virginia. Steve & Kirsten rented a big enough car for all of us to travel together. We always enjoy traveling with them. It was exciting to arrive in West Virginia and see Derrel, Kim, Lydia, Kate, Grant and Austin. We had not had the chance to meet Austin, since he was born in December. We arrived late Thursday evening and spent a wonderful weekend helping get their house ready for them to sell and things ready for the final move to Boise, Idaho. Derrel’s graduation was Saturday morning. We felt that it was a very outstanding graduation and we were able to get seats quite close to the front of the auditorium which made it even more enjoyable. What a great goal he and Kim have accomplished.

Sunday morning Derrel & Kim loaded up and left for Idaho and the rest of us started out to look for a Sacrament meeting to go to in Pittsburg where Steve and Kirsten lived for a few months in early 2011. It was quite interesting to see the town, but there was a Marathon going on some of the streets in the city and every street we tried to turn on to get to the Chapel was closed. So—pretty soon the time was passed to attend Sacrament meeting and we were never able to get close enough

After our marriage on July 23, 1963, we settled in Provo, Utah for Lary to finish his education.  Marianne had only one year at BYU and loved that year, but chose to work and begin a family. We arrived the first part of August which gave us a little time to earn money to get started in school, since we had spent most of the $300.00 Lary had earned operating a combine in Ritzville, Washington, the two weeks before we were married.  We found an apartment at 485 East 600 North, just below campus.    The apartment was located above the “Wash Hut” and a small grocery store.  Thankfully, it was furnished with the necessities and was only $45.00 a month.  That doesn’t seem like very much, but campus jobs were paying 75 cents an hour and gas cost anywhere from 18-25 cents a gallon.  (Quite different from the time of writing in 2014)

The next few weeks were very interesting!  Uncle Bernie Packard and his wife Sarah were also in Provo at this time and helped us find jobs.  Marianne was able to get a job in the jewelry section of the Kress Department store.  Sarah was also working at Kresses which helped with transportation.   Lary and Bernie were able to get jobs working at Geneva Steel for Custodas Chimney Company, helping to tear down the chimneys that were being shortened.  It was a hard, dirty, hot job, but they were paid $10.00 an hour, plus they had the opportunity to work a 2nd shift which added more to their paychecks.   Lary was able to make enough to get started in school and supplement our monthly needs.  After school started, Marianne got a job working at the Administration building operating a “key punch” machine and Lary worked an early morning shift at a nearby gas station and also worked for the food service in Cannon Center at Helaman Halls, men’s housing.  He worked for the food service the entire time he attended BYU.  At Graduation time, in 1966, he offered his boss his last paycheck to pay for food and drinks he had eaten over the years, but the boss liked him well enough that he refused the money and told him he appreciated his good work.

We attended BYU 10th ward where Max Wallentine was the Bishop. During this first year in the Ward, Lary served in the Elder’s Quorum.  The President was John Galbraith, who we later connected in 2011 while we were serving our Mission to Russia.  He was the Temple President of the Keiv Temple.  Lary loved serving in this calling and has fond memories of the opportunity to get to know the ward and those with whom he served. 

As we remember, the Tuition for each Semester was $85.00.  Lary’s major was Human Development and Family Relations with minors in Accounting, Economics, Sociology and the Norwegian Language.  This variety of classes gave him a well rounded education and he then graduated with a Bachelor of Arts.  Lary also was in the Acapella choir from 1963-1966. When Lary went to register for school the fall semester of 1963, he met Ralph Woodward who had been his Male Chorus Choir director before his mission.  Brother Woodward asked him if he wanted to try out for Acapella Choir since they needed more 1st Tenors.  At first he wasn’t sure, but decided to try out even though he had a bit of a cold.  Brother Woodward told him to come back in a few days and talk to him.  When he sang again for him he said that he could use him as a 1st Tenor.   Farming was his first love and his end goal, but he felt like it was important to finish college first.  He decided to re-take any classes in which he had not received at least an “A” or “B” grade.  This ambition kept us at BYU a year longer, but really paid off in the end when he graduated with a 3.7 grade point.

During this year of college, Marianne was able to help with the income by feeding the evening meal to her older brother, LaMarr Kofoed, who had just returned from his mission to the New England States and his roommate Robert Hallem.  This was a fun experience for all of us.  At the time, LaMarr was dating one of Lary’s younger sisters, Daleen.  They were married the next year and moved into the ground floor apartment of the same building where we lived at 485 East 600 North in Provo, Utah 84601.  We loved having them near us.

When we went home at Christmas of 1963, we were able to tell our families that we were expecting a baby in August!  We were very excited to start our family and planned to spend the summer of 1964 in Weiser helping with the farm work and being near our families when we had our first child.  At that time we just waited to see if we had a boy or girl.  We lived in an older home, on Cove Road, a few miles from Grandpa and Grandma Wendell and Beth Walker.  Grandpa and Grandma Glen and Verla Kofoed lived 8 miles out of New Plymouth on the farm where Marianne was raised.  It was great to be close to both of our parents.  While living in this home, sometime in the fall, Lary was on his way home one rainy, dark evening and hit one of  Bob Routon’s black cows that was in the middle of the road.  It was such a blessing that Lary was not hurt, but the car had to be replaced.  We then purchased a two tone green & white Oldsmobile.

In the summer of 1964, Marianne went to Dr. McGrath in Weiser for her prenatal care.  The doctor did not think that the baby would come on the due date of August 14, and was out-of -town that day.  Well, he missed the delivery!  Dr. Hancher was available and delivered our first baby, Loriann, on her due date of August 14, 1964.  She was so beautiful!! She weighed 6 lbs. and 7 oz. and was 18 inches long.  Loriann had a lot of black hair and a very fair complexion.  OH, What joy she brought into our lives.  Being the oldest child in a family is not easy, but she did a wonderful job of being a big sister and great example.

In the fall of 1964, we decided to stay home to earn some extra money and do winter logging on Hit mountain, north west of Cambridge, Idaho, with Don Johnson as our boss.  Wendell and Jean (Lary’s older brother and wife) decided to do the same, so fall semester was spent finishing the farm work and logging.  Lary has some interesting experiences to tell about logging in the winter.  We lived in Cambridge and went to church there where we made some life-long friends.  So, Loriann’s first Christmas was spent in Cambridge, Idaho.

After working in Cambridge and taking a Semester off from BYU, in January of 1965, we moved back to our apartment in Provo to begin school again.  Lary continued his work at Cannon Center with the food service and I became a full time mother and was able to do some babysitting in our home to supplement our income.  

One of the enjoyable things about returning to college was that we had LaMarr and Daleen, who had been married on July 14, 1964, as our neighbors just down stairs from us in the same building where we were living.  LaMarr was in the Bishopric with Max Wallentine & Lary was soon called to serve in the Bishopric as 2nd counselor to Bishop Max Wallentine.  At that time, the directive was for student Bishopric members to be ordained to the office of High Priest.  They were pretty young to be High Priests, but they served many years in priesthood calling where they needed to have this sacred priesthood.   Marianne remembers of going to Sunday meetings alone with Loriann in the stroller going up the steep hill on the way to campus where our church met.  Sometimes, Lary would make it in time, after his early meetings to meet Marianne and baby Lori to help them up the hill before church.  That was just the beginning of sitting alone at Sunday meetings. But, what a great blessing it has been, for both of us, in our marriage, to be worthy to have the opportunity to serve in various church callings over the years.  

We stayed in Provo the summer of 1965 and anticipated Lary’s Graduation from BYU in May of 1966.  During the summer of 1965, we were happy to find that we were expecting another baby sometime in early February.  Marianne saw Dr. Kartchner, in Provo, for her prenatal care and had a very easy pregnancy with no complications.  Our second daughter, Laralyn, was born on February 7, 1966 and weighed 7 lbs. & 2 oz.  Marianne remembers this as her easiest delivery and a great experience.  We were so happy to have two little girls together.  They have remained great friends over the years.

In the spring of 1966, since Lary was still in the Acapella Choir, we decided he should go on the tour that the choir had planned for that spring.  With Lary gone for 10 days, Marianne and the two little girls, Loriann and Laralyn, went to Idaho to spend time with her parents in New Plymouth.  Laralyn seemed quite sick during this time and was diagnosed with thrush, a yeast infection that starts in the mouth, with a white coating that won’t wipe off  and can go through the whole digestive system.  She was quite miserable and hard to care for during the time in Idaho.  Cleo, Lary’s Aunt came with Marianne and the girls to help out with the children on the drive back to Provo.  The medication prescribed by the Doctor in Idaho, proved to be a cause of greater discomfort for poor little Laralyn,  because the dose prescribed was, accidently, an adult dose of Gentin Violet.  When we got her to the Doctor in Provo, he was quite worried about her and almost had her admitted to the hospital.  But, we were able to work through the illness and save having the expense of a hospital bill at that time.  This was just one of the times we were blessed to be able to have the help of the Lord in our health issues.

In the spring of 1966, as we were finishing Lary’s college and anticipating being finished with his education, we prepared to move back to Idaho to work on the farm with Lary’s dad Wendell H. Walker and his brother Wendell F. Walker.  After graduation, and before leaving for Idaho, we decided to make a trip to Arizona.  Two girls from our ward and LeeRen, Lary’s younger brother rode with us to Mesa, Arizona.  We had never been to such a “hot” place, but were able to survive!  We did not have air conditioning in our car, but somehow we made it a fun trip.  One thing we did was visit Marianne’s Aunt Ileen Woodbury Ellsworth who lived in Glendale, Arizona.  We also visited the Oakley and Janet Ray family who lived in Mesa.  The Ray’s daughter, Beverly, was dating LeeRen at that time.  We had the opportunity to stay with Beverly’s family and get to know them.  What a great family of several girls, and only two boys.  We were happy to get back to Idaho where the weather was not so hot and we could finally be near our families and were finished with college. We look back on our days at BYU as a very special growing time for our marriage and have great memories of those years of working together for the common goal of education and service in the church.

In the winter of 1961 and 1962, the Wendell Holmes and Beth Packard Walker family moved to Weiser, Idaho.  At this time, my family, the Glen and Verla Woodbury Kofoed family lived in New Plymouth, Idaho.  Both of these small farming communities were part of the Weiser, Idaho Stake and were located about 30 miles apart.  Lary was serving a mission in Norway and Marianne was a senior at New Plymouth High School.  In Mid July, of 1962, Lary came home from his Mission to Norway after serving an honorable mission of 2 1/2 years.  Marianne graduated from New Plymouth High School in May and was preparing to attend B.Y.U. in the fall of 1962.  

Needless to say, Marianne was aware of the new family in the Stake and made it a point to get to know as many of the family as possible.    The following is told by Marianne.

Two of the High School children , of the Wendell & Beth Walker family,  LeeRen and Daleen were both juniors at Weiser High.  Because, LeeRen, and Daleen and I were all members of the All State Choir held In Boise, Idaho , the spring of 1962, we got to know each other pretty well during the few days we were together.   When B.Y.U. was finished in the spring of 1962, Wendell and Carvel, Lary’s brothers, came home for the summer.  I met Carvel and Wendell at the Stake dance in Weiser.  It was exciting to have some new handsome young men from a good family move into the Stake.  One of my goals was to get to know the family better!  At that time, there were pictures of the missionaries serving missions on the bulletin board in the foyer of the Weiser Chapel.   I remember seeing Lary’s picture and hoping to meet him when he came home.  The hope was that if I got to know Wendell and Carvel, and already knew LeeRen and Daleen, that I would get to know Lary as well.  That summer I accepted a ride to a Young Adult  dance in Emmett , Idaho with Wendell Walker the oldest of the new Walker family and Wilma George,  a girl who had lived in New Plymouth ward and recently moved to Weiser.   We rode together to the dance.  That was a start!!

The first part of August, just before leaving for B.Y.U. there was a Young Adult fireside in the New Plymouth Ward building.  Because at that time, Sacrament meeting was held in the evenings and the firesides were after Sacrament meeting,  it made the fireside start about 9:00 pm.  Because Weiser was 1/2 hour away from New Plymouth, Lary and Wendell were a little late.  They arrived just after I had finished singing a solo at the fireside.

It was probably a good thing they were late or I may have forgotten the words.  Now I can’t remember what I sang anyway.  They sat right behind me and Wendell had already told Lary about “this girl in the New Plymouth ward”.  When they sat down behind me, Wendell  told Lary that I was the girl in front of them.  Lary says that he said “she looks good from this side”.  This night was the first time that I saw Lary and I was definitely interested in getting to know him better.  My first impressions were that he was good looking, had served an honorable mission and came from a good family.  What else could a girl want?  All I had to do now was to get him to think the same thing about me.  Lary and I talked for a while after the fireside in the Cultural Hall as we were leaving  the building.   I can still remember exactly where we stood in the center of the gym and how he blushed often while we were talking.  For some reason, he gave me a penny and we talked about our plans to attend B.Y.U. in a few weeks.

We also saw each other at a Young Adult Stake dance in Emmett and danced quite a few times.  After the dance was over, Lary went out to go home and his brother Wendell and Cousin, Rex Walker, talked him into coming back inside and asking me to ride home with them because I lived on their way home in New Plymouth on Elgin road.  He was pretty shy about it all, but I was very happy and excited that had asked me!

We did not see each other again until we went to BYU.  I was getting to know my way around and decided to walk past the Botany pond on my way home from campus because I lived on 6th North  from BY High School which has been renovated into a Public Library.  After crossing 8th North, I was about in the middle of the first block east and a car slowed down and tried to get my attention.  I was a small town girl and had hardly been out of Idaho and was not about to look when someone called to me from the street!  When they persisted, I was unsure if I should even look to see who was in the car.  But, they persisted and finally I recognized Lary.  He was with his Uncle Bernie Packard who was his same age.  They asked me if I wanted a ride home and since I did know Lary, I accepted.  Lary asked me for our first real date!  We went to a dance at the tennis courts and had a great time. (Sock Hop)  It was a little cool in the evening and he shared his white hand knit Norwegian sweater with me.  We dated quite a bit fall semester and were in the BYU Oratorio Choir together.  One evening during football season, we double dated with Lary’s Uncle Bernie and his date Sarah Hayes to the B.Y.U./University Utah game.  Since the game was in Salt Lake, we had a long ride home in the back seat!   Well, Lary finally got up enough nerve to kiss me.  From then on,  I had my heart set on marrying him.  Spring semester we dated a lot and got to know each other more.  I did have some competition at first with some of his “old girlfriends”  from before his mission.  Occasionally he would call me the wrong name accidently! That let me know he was not just dating me.  Lary tried to tell me that he was just testing to see how I reacted ?

I  finally prevailed and we were engaged on March 2nd 1963.  I was hoping to be engaged before the semester was over!  Lary was good at keeping secrets.  The night we were engaged, he told me that there were some people from Norway that he knew from his mission that he wanted to meet on Temple Square.  After we arrived, we were waiting for them (the people never came!) and we started looking at the different areas of the Salt Lake Temple grounds.  It was so beautiful! As we stood by a little log cabin that was on the south side of the Temple, he said that he would like to take me to the temple some day.  I thought he was getting a little ahead of himself, however, he did have a ring in his pocket and formally proposed to me. I said yes and he put the ring on my finger.  Then, we went to the Empire Room on the top floor of the Hotel Utah for dinner.  We were married on July 23, 1963 in the Idaho Falls Temple—- and have lived happily ever after!!    This narrative is according to Marianne’s memory.

According to Lary’s memory there are a few additions!

In December of 1950, in the middle of my 1st grade year of school, my parents made a down payment on an 80 Acre farm in New Plymouth, Idaho.  The farm was about 7-8 miles from the town of New Plymouth, Idaho on Elgin Road. At this time, our family had been blessed with another girl.  Karla Jean who had been born on May 4, 1948 in the Caldwell, Idaho hospital.  She weighed 8 lbs. And had the same dark hair and brown eyes as her brother LaMarr and sister Leola.  We were a happy busy family.  The year after we moved to New Plymouth on May 23, 1951 another baby girl was born into our family.  She was named Treva Louise.  She had brown eyes and almost black hair.  Our family was growing and had many happy times. Music played a major role in my growing up years.  When we lived in Wilder, my parents managed to buy and old used up-right piano.  Leola was young but started piano lessons at that time.  After moving, the old piano had too many notes that were not working so well and Leola was still taking lessons from Melva Leavitt in Homedale.  One day, a Piano Salesman from a Music Store in Boise was driving out on our country road and stopped at our house.  He had a piano for sale in his truck.  My Dad & Mom could not resist and purchased the piano for Leola and the rest of the family to enjoy.  My Dad used the money he had saved for the Mortgage on the farm to buy the piano and then got a loan at the bank which he paid in monthly payments on the farm. Everyone enjoyed using the piano and most of us have developed musical talents over the years.  

New Plymouth had a Grade School across the street from the Middle School which, at that time, adjoined the High School.  There was one hall way for the Middle School and then down a few stairs we entered High School Hall way.  

My 1st grade teacher was Miss Reynolds, a very short old maid.  She was a good teacher and I have always loved school and the chance to learn and get to know new people and have new friends.  The only thing that was awkward was that I was starting to mature and was almost as tall as my teacher!  

I guess the “Kofoed Genes” were at work and I remained one of the tallest students in my class until we reached 7th and 8th grade.  I was described in our class history as tall and thin when I joined my class the 2nd Semester of 1st grade.

Because we lived several miles out of town and had only one car, we always rode the bus to and from school unless we got a ride with Mr. & Mrs. Moss who were school teachers who lived a few miles past our place on Elgin Road.  Carl and Lois Moss were members of our New Plymouth Ward and were both teachers of mine while I was in School.

Some of the things I remember from Grade School are playing at recess time.  I’m sure I must have been pretty active because the boys would grab the ties on my dresses and tear them off!  I guess for some of the younger generation, that may sound strange.  But, the rule was that girls wore dresses to school every day of the week except Friday.  On Friday, were allowed to wear pants.  My sweet mother made my dresses and in those days the dresses had ties around the waist and were made of cotton fabric. I don’t remember of her getting upset with me but would patiently sew the ties back onto my dresses.

My Second-grade year was one I remember very well.  My teachers were Mrs. Wolfley and Mrs. Degroff. I remember Mrs. Wolfley the best because she was a member of our New Plymouth Ward.  This is also the year that I turned 8 years old and was able to be baptized.  At that time, New Plymouth Ward was part of the Weiser Stake and the baptismal font was located in the Weiser Chapel.    The Weiser Chapel has been remodeled several times and at the time of my baptism the font was located about where our organ is located in our present chapel and the current primary room was the meeting room for church meetings. 

I was baptized on May 3, 1952 by my father.  I remember that evening so well!  I was happy to be baptized and become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints.  My Father also confirmed me the next day on May 4, 1952.  I have always been thankful to have received the gift of the Holy Ghost and become a member of the Chruch.

 Lucille Crossley was my Primary teacher that year who has lived in Weiser Stake for many years and has remained a friend as well as a great teacher.  At that time our ward met in the upstairs of a building in the center of town on the street across from the High School.  The building was also used for other purposes and had a very long flight of stairs to climb on Sunday morning.   There was usually cleanup to do after other people used it the night before.  My Grandmother Edith Woodbury was still with us and was so crippled that she had to be carried up the stairs on a chair by my Dad and another brother in the ward.  I remember the building well and enjoyed our church meetings there.

My 3rd Grade year my teacher was Mrs. Johnson and I remember how she had us act out plays.  Members of our class took turns crawling over chairs which was an imaginary bridge while acting out the story of “Three Billy Goats Gruff which was a Norwegian Fairytale about a mean Troll who would not let the 3 Billy Goats cross the bridge to get greener grass on the other side of the bridge.  I remember of being one of the Goats who was crossing the bridge.   I don’t remember much about my fourth through sixth grade years of school except that I loved school and really liked to sit as close to the front of the class as I could. I also loved spending time with my brother LaMarr and we did a lot of things together.  During those years we worked together to help with the cow milking and the farm work.  

At this time, our Primary, Young Men and Young Women and Relief Society meetings were all during the week instead of on Sunday.  On Sunday, we had Sunday School and Priesthood in the morning and Sacrament meeting at 7:30 or 8:00 in the evening.

Our Family was growing! On October 8, 1954 my little brother Kay James Kofoed was born in the Ontario, Oregon hospital.  We were excited to have a little brother!  He was so welcome in our family and LaMarr finally had a little brother.  He had waited a long time for a brother and was very proud of him.  Living on the farm was one of my favorite memories and I am so thankful that I learned to help with the outside chores and help LaMarr milk the cows.  We spent a lot of time together and have many fond memories.  Right after we moved to New Plymouth, my Dad was able to get a job at the Boise Cascade Saw Mill in Emmett. 

 He worked at this job until he was old enough to retire.  The hard part was that he worked two weeks on the day shift and then two weeks on the night shift.  I don’t know how he was able to keep up with everything and still stay so pleasant and serve as he did in the church.  

My Mother was always busy with Primary, or M.I.A. and was either the Sunday School Chorister or Choir director or both.  

My Dad worked in the M.I.A, and taught Sunday School and was a counselor in the Bishopric during our first years in the New Plymouth Ward. 

In 1956, the year I turned 12 years old.  My sister Leola graduated from High School and got married that summer to Max A. Gardner who was a member of our ward and had also graduated from New Plymouth High School that year.  They were married in the Idaho Falls Temple on August 14, 1956 and started their life together at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho.  Max later graduated with a Masters in Agriculture.

I was so excited to be 12 years old and be able to go to Mutual.  Being a Beehive was a special time in my life.  I still have the “Beehive” manual and remember some of the lessons and the teachers I had during those years that I was 12-14 years old.  At this time, the only Young Women classes we had were on Wednesday evenings.

I loved being a part of Young Women and especially loved the evening firesides we had when we listened to records sent from the church with recordings of our Prophet, Spencer W. Kimball speaking to us!  His special voice after having surgery on his throat made his talks memorable and special to me.

In 1957, my mother was released as M.I.A. President and was called as Relief Society President in the New Plymouth Ward.  Her calling as R.S. President had a great impact on my life!  

During the week after she was sustained as R.S. President, Sister Perkins and her daughter Dora Beth were in a car accident on a country road near New Plymouth.  A farmer was burning weeds and the smoke was so thick that it caused a head-on collision and Sister Perkins was killed and her daughter was badly injured.  My mother was very attentive to the situation and I took the opportunity to become more involved in caring for home and family while she was so busy.

I think it was during these years that I learned to love to cook and keep house.  I always enjoyed cleaning our three large living room picture windows and keeping the hardwood floor shiny.  Homemaking was a pleasure for me which increased my desire to be a good wife, mother and homemaker.

Our Family was also excited for another new baby to come to our home!  On March 2, 1958 a new little sister joined our family.  She was born in the Emmett, Idaho hospital and was named Connie LaRee.  What a sweet spirit she brought into our home.  So, now with my mother still serving as R.S. President, I had the opportunity to care for my new little sister too.  I loved learning to cook evening meals and try out new recipes.  Some of the things I learned to cook were Harvard Beets and chicken fried Steak.   My sweet Grandmother Edith was always there for advice and often helped with the canning by snapping green beans and stemming strawberries.  She often helped prepare fruits for canning too.  How we loved our Grandmother and her sweet patient ways.

What a busy life!  This is also the year that LaMarr graduated from High School and went to the University of Idaho in Moscow that fall. 

 I missed LaMarr a lot because we had worked together and played together, even though he was 4 years older than me.  We were very close and shared some of the same friends. We would work hard and them walk to a big canal a little way down the road to go swimming in the hot afternoons.  I never learned to swim.  I always made sure that I could touch the bottom of the canal.  A few times we went swimming in a public pool in Caldwell, Idaho with our cousins, the Byington family from Homedale.  Fay Byington was my Dad’s Sister.  They had encouraged us to move to the South Western part of Idaho.  Their daughter Vicki was my age.

 LaMarr purchased his first car sometime during his Junior or Senior year.   It was a 1941 Chevy Coupe which was painted Tropical Rose with Black fender skirts and trim.   Not only was it a “cool” car, but it was a real help to our family because it became our second car.  LaMarr even went to the hospital in Emmett to pick up Mom & Connie from the hospital because Dad had to work.  He also helped take his friends to Early Morning Seminary which was a big help to the other families in our Ward.

With both of my older siblings out of the home, I had a lot more responsibilities in addition to babysitting!  I loved fixing my little sister’s hair and helping them get ready for church and school and spending time with them.  LaMarr spent time with Kay and loved finally have a little brother to love.

I remember of being in charge one time when my parents went to visit LaMarr and Leola and Max who were living in Moscow at the time. I don’t remember if I had any help milking the cows, but I do remember that a new baby calf was born while they were gone and everything went well.  I treasure my memories of home and enjoying my brothers and sisters. 

The only time I remember of feeling bad when I was asked to stay home to babysit was when we had our Sacrament Meetings at 7:30 or 8:00 in the evenings and sometimes we would have a sleeping baby or one of the younger children would be sick and I needed to tend them because Mom & Dad both had responsibilities.   It was actually good for me because it helped me realize how much I loved to go to church and enjoy the spirit there. By this time, New Plymouth Ward had grown into a large ward and included everyone who lived in Fruitland as well.  We had a nice Chapel on the same street as the High School about a mile South of the school.

Another vivid memory I have is the time I spent with my Dad when he traveled around the Stake as Stake Sunday School Superintendent.  Because our Stake covered wards from New Plymouth to Riggins and then from New Meadows over to McCall and on down to Emmett and Letha, it was no small task to visit them all.  I loved going with him and still remember some of the older people in those wards and branches. I especially remember Riggins and McCall branches because they were so small and we were usually offered a meal after meetings. I think now that maybe I was invited to go with my Dad to help keep him awake.  I hope I did a good enough job.  I never remember of being afraid of having accidents or not enjoying every minute of time with my Dad.

A Few other memories I have of the Church during those years is that we had Stake conference twice a year as we do now, but we would gather either in Emmett or in Weiser and had two sessions, one from 10:00 to 12:00  and another from 2:00 to 4:00 with lunch between the sessions.  We would usually take sack lunches but some of the wards provided a small lunch we could also purchase.  I guess this was the practice because our Stake covered such a large geographic area.   It was a great time to visit and get to know others members in the Stake. I remember 3 of our Stake Presidents very well. J. Raymond Dewey, Owen S. Jacobs and Evern O. Youngberg.  They were very good men and impressed me with their spiritual messages in our Stake Conferences.

Before I finish this section of my story, I would like to mention a few memories about my friends and neighbors that lived in New Plymouth and Fruitland.  Two of my special girl friends that I still have contact with at this time lived in New Plymouth and of course went to Church with me.  Charlotte Dawn Meyers was one of my close friends.  We both loved music and we both learned to play the Organ at church and were able to lead the music for Sunday School practice time.  During this time, I loved getting to know the story behind the Hymns and enjoyed teaching new songs to the congregation during Sunday School singing time which was a 10-minute period of time in Sunday School Opening Exercises.  I also remember having Charlotte play for me to sing in church or at school when I needed an accompanist.

Another friend was Marlene Ashby who also lived in New Plymouth.  Her Dad was our Bishop for quite a few years.  We both loved to sing and enjoyed spending time together on Sunday afternoons between church meetings.  She was a couple of years older that I was so we did not get to do as much together as Charlotte and I did.

The third friend that I remember well was Marilyn Stokes who actually lived in Fruitland and went to school there but was part of our Ward.  Marilyn was also older that I was but we were good friends and were roommates at BYU during Freshman year.

This chapter will have pictures on the next few pages that will be labeled for time and activity.

I was born on April 6, 1944 in Pocatello, Idaho at the St. Anthony Hospital.  I was the 3rd child of Glen and Verla Woodbury Kofoed.  My birth took place at 10:35 pm and I weighed 7 lbs. 5 oz. and was 21 Inches long.  I joined an older sister, Leola Rae who was 6 years old and an older brother Glen Lamarr who was four years old.

I was given a name and blessing by my father on May 7, 1944 at the Lava Hot Springs, Idaho Ward.  Our family lived in Lava Hot Springs until the spring of 1945 when we moved to Wilder, Idaho.  Wilder is a small farming community in south western Idaho.  My father was hired to manage a fruit orchard which was about 5 miles out of town and was close to the Snake River.

I do have some memories of living in Wilder. We did not have a Ward in Wilder because it was so small.  We attended church in Homedale, Idaho which was about 10 miles away.  While living there, my Dad was in the Bishopric and my Mom was Primary President. One of my cousins my age was Vicky Byington who lived in Homedale where her father was employed.  Her parents were my Uncle Ardell and Aunt Fay Byington.  Fay was my father’s younger sister.  Our families spent many good times together because of the close family ties.   At that time, we had Sunday School and Priesthood meeting early Sunday morning and then would have Sacrament meeting in the evening at 7:30 or 8:00 pm.  So, Sunday was a day we often got together for Dinner between meetings.  One time I remember my Mother coming and sitting by me in church because I was making designs on the fur coat of the lady sitting in front of me! I stopped!

I have a few great other memories of living in Wilder even though I was pretty young.  Some of the things I remember well are times I enjoyed being with my Dad as he worked outside.  One day while I was riding on a piece of equipment with my Dad, we saw a passenger plane fly over us low enough that we could see the windows!  Where it came from and why it was so low is still a mystery.  Another memory I have is riding on one of the work horses that pulled the hay fork which was attached to the Derrick that went up and down to stack the hay we brought in from the field.  We also had a beautiful yard right along the Snake River with a huge Weeping Willow tree, a Mulberry tree and lots of grass to run and play.  One thing we did not have was indoor plumbing!  So, outside we had a hand pump for pumping the water we used in our house and an outdoor toilet.  

We did have electricity and a on old fashioned wall telephone with a party line.  A wood stove was in our kitchen that we used for heating water.  I remember of shaking water on it to see it sizzle and of burning my arm a little. Outside on the hill going down to the river we also had a spring that had a roof built over part of it where we kept our watermelon, milk and anything we wanted kept cool.

It was while we lived in Wilder that my Grandmother Edith Talbot Woodbury came to live with us.  She was very crippled with Rheumatoid Arthritis but was always cheerful and sang Primary songs to us and helped with everything she was able to do.  One day when I was helping with the dishes, I remember of asking her to come and dry the silverware.  She was happy to help!    I realize now that I just wanted her company more than the Silver ware needed drying. She also had learned to crochet and made many beautiful doilies although her hands were very crippled by her disease.  When Grandmother came to stay with us, my Dad’s boss Mr. Alvin Steele built a room for her out of part of the front porch.  He was a kind and generous boss and helped us have a good experience while in Wilder. 

The river was quite an attraction and our place provided an easy access for fishermen who came to fish in the river.  One day I remember of two men catching a Sturgeon that was so long that they had to carry it hanging between them and holding it up as they walked.  It must have been 3-5 foot long!

My Dad loved to go to Homedale and see the Cowboy movies with John Wayne and other actors.  One night we were getting ready to go and someone knocked the Wash tub/Bath tub off the chair where it was setting.  So, we had to mop up all the water before we could leave for the movie.   I guess that was our only way of bathing because the toilet was outside.

One winter LaMarr and Leola and I were sliding and playing with sticks on a frozen pond that was near our house and I fell through a hole in the ice.  Leola and LaMarr had to pull me out.  Thank goodness they were there to help me.  Maybe this was the first time my life was spared.  Another time my life was spared was when we were traveling to a Family Reunion in Lava Hot Springs.  I am not sure how old I was but we were driving a 4 door Chevy car.  At that time, the back doors opened from the center post so that if it was opened while traveling, the wind would catch it and it would fly opened.  Well, I leaned on the handle and it opened and out I went into the barrow pit.  LaMarr said, “Marianne’s gone!”  I was taken to a hospital in Mountain Home where I was diagnosed with a concussion.  The doctor did not want me moved, so we stayed in Mountain Home that night.  That evening, my Dad found the Bishop of the Ward and had him come and help him administer to me.  When the doctor came in to check on me the next morning, he could not see any signs of the concussion and let us travel on to the Reunion.  I did have scabs in my hair for a few weeks from the gravel where my head hit the ground because I remember my mother helping wash my hair and carefully picking the scabs out of my hair when they were healed and loose. My parents also bought a lock, screwed it in, and made it so the door wouldn’t open unless it was from the outside.

During those years in Wilder, I also remember have a very faithful “Ward Teacher” from Homedale Ward.   His name was Clair Carson.  He must have been a faithful and thoughtful person for me to remember his name and his visits.  As a young girl he made a positive impression on me. Later, I served as a counselor to his daughter who was serving as the Stake Relief Society President.

LaMarr & Leola went to the Arena Valley two room country school during the years we lived in Wilder.  I remember of walking to the school sometimes to walk home with them after school.  The school also had a picnic at the end of the school year that was a lot of fun to get to know the other families in the valley.  I also attended the Arena Valley School for the first half of my 1st grade year.  There were four grades in each room with one teacher for each room.   

I loved going places with my Dad!  One day he took LaMarr and me to the Sale Yard in Caldwell where a lot of wild Mustang horses had been rounded up from the Owyhee mountains and brought in to be sold.  Dad bought a young wild horse for LaMarr.  Even after he had been trained, he knew how to get the rider off his back.  I don’t remember of him ever being very well trained.