I Believe – My Values

Memories of Mom Walker

I have chosen to put my memories of Mom into categories. Some of my memories will include Dad and other siblings and friends as they are all intertwined.

 

Clothing

Some of my earliest memories of Mom relate to wanting her to sew Indian frays on the sleeves of my long sleeve green plaid shirt. She labored so hard to make it look “real”. I also had a matching pair of green Levi’s that she constantly sewed knee patches on. It was my favorite outfit. [Photo]

 

Along the same “Indian” theme, I remember getting a bow and arrow for one of my early birthdays. Dad really wanted a picture and wanted me to shoot the arrow. Apparently he wanted an “action shot”. In any event, I shot the arrow toward him and I came a little close to hitting him. I remember him getting a little bit angry with me. We never got the action shot, but I do have a photo holding the bow and arrow fully drawn and ready to fly. [photo] I vaguely recall Mom commenting about how Dad was the one that asked for the action shot so he shouldn’t be mad at me for almost shooting him.

 

My next clothing memory was during Junior High. I wanted Star, Guess, and Lawman jeans. Mom and Dad both tried to explain that for the price of one pair of Lawman jeans, I could get three or four pairs of more reasonably priced jeans. I insisted on the Lawman jeans and they acquiesced. Unfortunately those jeans did not last any longer than any other jeans, but they were cool and fashionable. Also, I grew out of them quickly because of that early developer gene.

 

When I was a teenager Powder Jackets were the talk of the town. They were pullovers with a front pocket. The body of the jacket was a solid color and sleeves a different solid color. We all wanted one. Mom found a pattern somewhere and worked many hours sewing Powder Jackets for many of the kids. We loved them and wore them until we grew out of them. They were sturdy.

 

Piano Lessons

 

I think Mom and Dad wanted me to play the piano, maybe like the girls. So, they put me in piano lessons with Dixie Alder. I would ride the bus to the Alder’s house and wait for my time to come up. I didn’t add up to much of piano player but I am thankful that Mom kept me in lessons for a number of years. After that was mostly a failure, they later put me in lessons with an elderly lady named June Gower (sp?). That didn’t last long and I think after that I was a lost cause for being a pianist and I turned to signing.  As a side note however, while I was still in high school Dad did showed me the basics of chording on the piano. I didn’t really make anything of it until my mission but I have always been thankful for the lessons insisted on by both Mom and Dad.

 

Voice Lessons and Music

Most of my voice lessons came from Mom, Dad and the girls, but at one point Mom did send me to Lou Cheney and Linda Walker. Mom was always so encouraging when it came to singing. She has a beautiful singing voice. She also wrote a song for the Young Women many years ago when she was a leader over the group. That inspired me to attempt to write songs as well.

 

Over the years, I settled in on singing as my music outlet of choice. Mom was a wonderful singer herself and gave me appropriate and timely tips through the years. She, along with the girls, somehow arranged for many opportunities for me to sing. I really don’t know how that happened, I just know that I sang for various events or meetings over the years. Mom accompanied me when I was younger and Lara filled in when she was more accomplished. Im eternally grateful for the love Mom and Dad instilled in me. It has positively impacted my entire life.

 

Food

To this day, rice cereal and baking powder biscuits bring feelings of Nostalgia every time we eat them. In my world Mom invented both of them. There’s something about butter or honey or both on Mom’s biscuits along with a bowl of rice cereal. The rice cereal was not quite the same as the Danish made it but it became her own signature breakfast meal that beat the heck out of wheat cereal.

 

Coming home late after games and practices was always a happy time because Mom was always willing to wait up or wake up and fix hot chocolate made from Dark Cocoa, milk toast, or toast some of her delicious homemade bread.  I think the Cocoa may have contributed to my occasional insomnia but I wouldn’t change those late evenings with Mom making pots of hot chocolate from scratch.

 

Mom’s homemade bread blessed my life on so many occasions. I remember coming home school or practice to warm loaves of homemade bread. She always seemed plan it so that a warm batch would come out right when we got home. I’m craving some while writing this…

 

Even up until as late as this summer, 2020, Mom was making bread and delivering it to us for a special treat or as a thank you to the boys for helping out on something. I believe making a loaf of homemade bread was her favorite way to serve others. It was her language of love and appreciation.

 

Homemade lunches always included homemade bread. The lunches were a hot item at school. My friends were envious of the bread. Even more lunches were needed when Brett Dille moved in with us for my sophomore through senior year of high school. And if that wasn’t enough, my senior year Matt Sanders moved into the house as well. I think I remember as many as eleven lunches made by Mom in the mornings when Kira and Kirsten started school.

 

I remember one time we didn’t recognize the meat on the bread. When we inquired, we found out it was bear meat from the bear Dad shot some years earlier. It was interesting.

 

Over the years, Mom has brought loaves of bread, pudding, sheet cake, and other delicious foods for our family to enjoy. It truly was one of her favorite ways of expressing love to her family and those around her.

 

Education

 

I remember Mom emphasizing reading and writing. I didn’t listen very well. Some of the books she made available for me to read or read to me that I remember were Mr. McBroom’s Ghost, Call of the Wild, and the scriptures.

 

The most important memory of her helping me with school work was my research paper. Probably as a Junior in High School. She typed the entire paper for me. I remember her typing and fixing mistakes with white out as we worked together to make it perfect. She stayed up very late into the night to help get it done on time.

 

Mom and Dad of course supported me through college and law school. They were always there for the important milestones.

 

Having said that, school attendance was not the most important thing to Dad, and I think Mom acquiesced in allowing us to miss as many as nine days per semester and 18 days per year. I remember one time reading a letter from the school district about me missing too many days per semester and per year. I’m not sure how they defended our position or exactly what happened, but somehow we were able to pass the various grade levels throughout the years. I don’t recall exactly what we missed school for but it was not from illness. It was mostly likely to go to Boulder Creek, work on the farm, or on some family vacation.

 

“Who can find a virtuous woman?  For her price is far above rubies.”  Proverbs 31:10

Those are the sweet words that were such a blessing for me to read the night before Mom passed away.

In an effort to reach a personal goal to read the Old Testament from beginning to end again, I periodically added that book of scripture to my daily study.  During the last week of Mom’s life I had been struggling to find something meaningful to me in the book of Proverbs.  I remember feeling quite frustrated the previous night because I was not reading anything that filled my soul or inspired me.  Looking back now, I feel that Heavenly Father prompted me to continue reading on in that book so that at the perfect time the spirit could testify truth to my soul through the words written in Proverbs Chapter 31, verses 10 through 31.   The truth that my Mother was indeed a virtuous woman!  And her value truly was far above rubies.   The feelings that flooded my mind and heart that night were feelings of pure joy and gratitude for the blessing of being raised, nurtured, loved and taught during my  life on earth by a virtuous woman.  That’s my Mom!  An extraordinary, beautiful, faithful, gifted and lovely virtuous woman.  Since her passing, I have had such strong feelings of joy, thankfulness and gratitude for my Mom.  I miss her at times, but mostly I feel so proud of her!  Proud of her for finishing her glorious mission on earth, faithful to the end!

Each verse seemed to describe Mom perfectly and brought memories to mind.

11  The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

12  She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

13  She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

Mom was so good at working willingly with her hands!  One of my early childhood memories is of standing next to her as she worked with her hands using the sewing machine to make MY yellow shirt.  She was sewing matching shirts for her three girls Lori, Lara and LaReesa out of the same yellow fabric.  I loved that fabric and couldn’t wait for mine to be finished so I could wear it!  We were living in the first house Mom and Dad had purchased in Weiser at Route 2 Box 22, Cove Road.  Mom had the sewing machine set up in front of the attic window that faced west.  I remember looking out of that window with feelings of excitement as I watched Mom finish the last few seams in my shirt that would match my sisters.  I would wear it proudly to school on picture day.

14  She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar.

I remember going with Mom to different orchards in the valley to pick fruit to preserve and bottle each summer.  She would always have a massive canning project that we would help with.  She always organized us to help her but never made us do it on our own.  Later in life I realized that I didn’t know exactly how to bottle and preserve fruit, but I knew that I could do it!  I had the confidence to try it on my own because she gave us the opportunity to help in the family project.  And we didn’t just preserve fruit, we preserved chickens!  Dad would go out to the chicken coup early in the morning and ring the chicken’s necks one by one.  Once the chickens stopped hopping around the lawn with no heads Mom would hang them upside down in a row on the side of the garage or barn.  There they would wait for us to clean out their inside parts and skin them so they could be bagged and frozen for dinner sometime later that year.  Mom really was a miracle worker with food.  She could always make something delicious out of nothing it seemed!

One of my favorite memories of Mom and food was when she helped me make a special Family Home Evening treat.  It was my turn to make the treat and she didn’t just take the easy way out and buy something.  She made vanilla and chocolate pudding and then helped me layer them in tall glass parfait cups.  I was so proud to serve such a delicious and beautiful dessert to my family that night!

15   She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

I love having a hot breakfast every morning.  It doesn’t matter how early I have to head out the door, I always want to eat breakfast before I leave.  I believe that I developed this habit because Mom ALWAYS made sure we had a hot breakfast of waffles, pancakes, or hot rice cereal with homemade biscuits.  She had a magical way of making everything taste so delicious!

16  She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

We learned the value of working in the dirt as we planted a garden every year.  We did weed the garden, but I remember that most years by the end of the summer the weeds had taken over the garden.  Although the garden was not perfect, the lessons learned from the law of the harvest have still blessed my life.

17  She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

Mom’s arms were so strong!  They were definitely strengthened by carrying each of her 11 babies around as she went about her daily activities of caring for her home and family.  That’s a lot of years of carrying babies and her arms were strong enough for the task!  One day I remember Mom giving me the opportunity to strengthen my arms.  My job was cleaning the carpet on one particular day and the vacuum was broken.  I remember Mom having me sweep the carpet with a broom.  Right then and there I vowed that I would never have a broken vacuum or sweep carpet again!  I hated doing that!

18  She perceiveth that merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.

19  She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

20  She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

Mom was a perfect example of Christ-like reaching forth to those in need.  I remember looking up the stairs into the kitchen late at night many times and seeing her sitting at the typewriter with Alan McCord next to her.  She helped him write many papers for his English class after she had tucked all of her young children into bed for the night.  She reached forth her hands and her heart to many in need and blessed them with her life changing love and service.

21  She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

22  She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.

Mom clothed me in a light pink, silky Prom dress that she made for me my Junior year of high school.  The fabric was actually pink taffeta which is not very easy to work with when sewing but Mom was always up to the task what ever it was!

23  Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

Dad always sat among the elders on the stand during Sacrament Meeting.  It was Mom’s responsibility to get us all up, fed, dressed, and to Sacrament Meeting on time by herself.  And getting there was only half of the battle!  Keeping all of her children corralled on, under, or close to the chapel bench may have been the greater task.  Mom did it all while looking beautiful and put together with a smile on her face.  She was a great helpmeet for Dad!

I remember keeping myself quiet during a Sacrament Meeting by rolling my knee-high socks down and then back up over and over again.  Years later while cleaning up my own children’s things after a Sacrament Meeting in the Weiser Chapel I spotted my younger siblings names, Kira and Derrel,  written in crayon on the underneath side of the chapel bench.  This was the same bench that our family sat on when I was a child.   I am thankful for Mom’s efforts in getting us to church each Sunday and nurturing our testimonies even though it may not have been easy or perfect.

24  She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

25  Strength and honour are her clothing and she shall rejoice in time to come.

26  She openeth her mouth with siwdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

27  She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

Mom took special care to look well to the ways of each child in her home.  I loved to play the piano!  Even though she had a home full of children of all ages and interests, she always made arrangements for me to have the piano lessons I wanted that fit my schedule.  When my schedule became busier during middle school she arranged for me to have lessons in the morning before school so that I could continue to be involved in sports after school.  Dad would drop me off for lessons at 7:30 a.m. at the home of my teacher Emily Mowry.  Then at about 8:00 a.m. Mrs. Mowry would warm up her light blue Volkswagen Bug and drive me four or five blocks to the middle school.   A few years later at the beginning of my Senior year of high School, Mom made arrangements for me to have another very good piano teacher in Payette.  With the pressures of a Senior year I soon felt too overwhelmed to continue with piano lessons.  I remember sharing my feelings about lessons with Mom.  Although she had spent time making the arrangements for my lessons, she didn’t get angry with me or pressure me to continue.  She just took care of it and cancelled my piano lessons.  Mom continued to be involved in the details of my life as I went off to college.  She made sure that arrangements were made for me to have private piano lessons from a teacher in the music department at BYU.  I am so thankful for Mom’s efforts to look well to the ways of her household, which in part, was me and my love of playing the piano.

I was confident that she would always be there to support me whenever I performed.  So confident in fact, that when I sang a special duet in our Park School  5th Grade Christmas Program I didn’t even tell her.  I wanted it to be a surprise and knew that she would be there no matter what.  And she was always there.  Two vivid memories I have are of Mom are looking up to meet her eyes after finishing a piano solo at the District Festival and seeing her up in the Boise State bleachers at the state track meet holding baby Kirsten who was six months old.  She was always there!

 

The ability to work long and hard was definitely one of Mom’s strongest attributes.  She certainly did not eat the bread of idleness!  I hardly ever saw her take time for herself.  She even preferred to cut and perm her own hair instead of go to a salon.  We kept coaxing her to go to the salon and treat herself to a hair cut and style.  Finally, she decided to try the salon.  As soon as she came home from her hair appointment we could tell that she didn’t like it.  I actually think she hated it and never tried the hair salon again!  The only time I remember her taking time to do something she wanted was when she spent time writing a song.  The song was based on the scripture in Joshua 24:15 and was titled “Choose This Day”.   The truth is she wrote the song for us.  It was a way to share her testimony and encourage her children to choose Jesus Christ.

28  Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

29  Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.

30  Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.

31  Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Love you Mom!  Thanks for being a virtuous woman!

 

A treasured, lasting memory of Mom that sums up my experience with her as a Mother, is how she tenderly sang “I wonder When He Comes Again” to us most evenings as we went to sleep. Very fitting as she now has lived to see the year 2020 and she hoped the Second Coming would  be soon!!  She also, read scripture stories , told us scripture stories, had wonderful family home evening’s and taught us principles throughout the days of our lives, very wisely working them into our daily activities.
“No love in mortality comes closer to approximating the pure love of Jesus Christ than the selfless love a devoted mother has for her child.” (Elder Jeffery R  Holland) We all know the truthfulness of this because of our wonderful Mother!

A mother impresses upon her children everything they become, in my life, this includes: faith, work, a desire to achieve goals and an understanding of how to be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.

One of my earliest memories of mom is her example of teaching the importance of work. She found joy in work and want her children to as well. Mom accomplished this by asking us to help her with jobs and as we matured, she would let us tackle things ourselves, coaching us as needed.  She told me how as a young girl, she used to help Grandma Kofoed frequently clean, polish and shine the hardwood floors in their New Plymouth home, Mom worked along side her Mother to shine the floor, then they would stand back and say to each other, “See how it shines!!” Mom told me to always look back on a job and find the work accomplished as a pleasure!! “Find the shine so to speak”,  it was a beautiful life lesson and I still find myself doing it today! See it shine! A job well done!
Mom taught us observe boundaries. When I was age 5, maybe 4, our family lived in a trailer park in Moscow, Idaho. Demonstrating great independence, I rode my bike to the grocery store with my friend without asking, Mom was permanently damaged with “fear of parenting” from that point on! She was terribly exasperated at my disappearance!! This choice of mine lead to a great level of frustration in her, which lead to her imprinting me with the knowledge to never go any where without asking!  ( picture)

Mom loved her babies so tenderly. Dad built a beautiful cradle made of wood and hung it from the ceiling, between the kitchen and dinning room. I saw each of my 10 younger siblings welcomed into her loving arms and heart. She would cuddle them, hold them and smile, comforted and nourish them to great health and well being.
Mom was always involved in our education often requiring extreme efforts in her part, she was very intelligent herself and this lead our family’s way through years of academics. On the humorous side, when we first moved to Weiser, after Dad finished Law School, we lived in a small house near Eldon and Eliane Chandler. I went to first and second grade on the school bus from that home.  One day, Mom was livid when in second grade, I came home and told her we were learning “Cursive” at school. She immediately thought I was learning “to curse” and told me “I should never do that, and that it was bad!” I went to school a little worried but today, I have pretty nice cursive. Ha!Ha!

Mom loved to see potential in her children. My senior year, spring of 1982 Mom and I sang a duet at the Mother/Daughter breakfast held at the Weiser Golf Course Club House. As many know, Mom frequently sewed our clothing, and that day, I remember wearing a beautiful lavender flowered dress that she had sewn for me and how we practice singing together and performed “I Often Go Walking”.  It was one of life’s complete moments; I stood there with my mother, literally clothed in her efforts; my senior year, in front of all my friends and their mothers, in a dress she made me, singing a song that she loved, from the gospel she loved! I felt immense love and completeness that day which carried me through the years ahead.
Later the same year, I remember she took me to an upscale dress shop in Boise to buy a dress suit for the interview portion of the Washington County pageant. She helped me feel beautiful and spoke complements buoying up my confidence. This is something she did well and often and is a key ingredient to her children’s successes!! Through the pageant experience, though I didn’t want to be in it, as it was not my nature or personality to do something like that,  I learned a different side of myself. This paid great dividends in the future as I became a more refined adult. (The truth is, Dad’s secretary was in charge of the pageant in our area so I was “roped into it.”) Because of Mom’s methods of encouragement, I learned to try new opportunities! Over all, trying something new was a positive experience for me and a great parental success, as it pulled me out of a shell of shyness and lack of confidence.
Being inclusive and nonjudgmental is a priceless skill, Mom definitely was and example of this trait. Our beloved friend Lou Cheney and Mom had a wonderful relationship, Mom felt judgments toward her when they first met but later admired Lou greatly. Lou helped all of us children prepare to perform and sing in public. As a side note, Lou’s daughter Michelle was a dear friend of mine, she used to laugh at me as I prepared for a pageant. Well, actually we laughed together about the experience. The Cheney’s were tremendous people and helped so many of us. Years later, when Mom was visiting us in Louisiana, Madeline was asked to give a talk in church about being nonjudgemental. Mom  shared a beautiful story about learning not to judge, an account of her early interactions with Lou Cheney. Mom told how when Lou moved into our ward, Mom was so intimidated by her! Lou was always dressed perfectly, had a gorgeous hairdo, a beautiful, well trained voice, was an accomplished musician and had a very put together life. On the other hand Mom had a lot of young kids and was swamped at that point in life and felt very disheveled and exhausted. The contrasts of their life styles caused Mom to recoil and feel like she did like Lou and wanted to stay away from her. I think they eventually were called to serve together in a calling at church and judgments were dissolved. Mom found out Lou wanted to have more children and actually admired Mom for her accomplishments and family responsibilities! Madeleine’s talk, using this experience about Lou Cheney was touching. How different they were but became best friends- don’t judge!!
All Roosters- The Ultimate Chicken Story: 

1. As many of you had experiences with chickens and they were our main sustenances, I thought I would not leave out that Mom and Dad grew in there ability as chicken farmers. One spring, in order to save money they bought 100 baby chickens on discount because they were all roosters.  No one seemed concerned with of this small detail, I was solely in charge of feeding and tending them for several months. I didn’t mind the job because I could hurry with chicken job, then go play with the horses for hours while Lara and LaReesa tackled the endless laundry and dishes! Well, gradually a problem arose with the coop full of roosters. By about July, when I opened the door to feed these roosters, all I saw was claws!! In an effort to continue to do my job, I would carry a big stick when I opened the door to fight them back so they wouldn’t kill me before I dumped in their food and water. It was awful!! I spoke to Mom about this problem and she said I was exaggerating. Well, as luck would have it, I had to go off to girls camp. When, I returned from girls camp a week later, I dutifully went out to feed the chickens and the coop was empty. When I ask Mom where the chickens were, she said Dad had killed them because they were mean!! Good thing I went to girls camp.  Every year we hang a special ornament on our Christmas tree. It is heart shaped and has “Home is close to the heart” written on it. Mom sent it to me on my mission, as missionaries we didn’t have a tree so we hung it on our house plant. I know Mom chose this because she wanted “home to be close to our hearts.” She worked to accomplish this with every fiber of her being!! And succeeded because we loved our home experience!! Another very favorite memory is when Mom helped me find my apartment on 7th East in Provo. We both admit we felt the prompt of the Holy Ghost lead us to that specific apartment but at the time did not know why until we looked back. Ted and I were placed in the same FHE group and met there that year. We knew we were guided to fine each other. Yes and I have been blessed so much by Mom!! Ted loves Mom!! She is like a second Mother to him. I know he is not the only in-law to feels this way. So much loves radiated from Mom to her fellow sons and daughters in law that she travels with in this earth life experience.
   Recently, Mom did genealogy research showing Ted and Mom are related two ways. So, they have always felt like kin and actually are! One funny incident Ted wanted me to add, is a memory of how Mom once towed him in a car that wouldn’t start, at an average speed of 65 mph all the way to town!! The tow rope was only 20 foot long so we figure she was late for something and thought that was a good towing speed or was trying to scare him!!
   One summer, about 2015, Ted and I went to a session in the Boise Temple. Mom knew we were planning to go while Mom and Dad were working as shift coordinators. Before we left for Boise Mom called asking us to bring her Chemotherapy pill, she had forgot to bring it and it needed to be taken at a certain time that afternoon. I’ll will never forget  the incredible moment when I walked into the Temple office, there Mom sat, all arrayed in white, her office, chair and book all white, her glow was angelic.
   A more recent memory about Mom, deeply saddened me,  I will never forget it. We had a family fast for Mom on January 3 rd 2021. I woke up in the middle of the night during the fast in greatest anguish! My throat was dry, my thirst was beyond intense and I felt weak. I realize I was feeling Mom’s pain. For a brief moment may have suffered her painful condition.  I  thankful for Mom’s guidance in helping me prepare for dating, a mission, temple marriage and motherhood. In addition to the eternally important guidances, she never missed an opportunity for the practical side of teaching; cooking, cleaning, baking, sewing, serving others, mothering babies and raising children, family traditions and relationships and the list goes on, all of greatest value to the souls of man. It is good to remember our Mother’s impact of greatness will last for generations. I contemplated my seven daughters and how they carry her strengths. Nothing could be greater for the generations ahead. As Elder Holland describes, “No love in mortality comes closer to the pure love of Jesus Christ” our Mother’s Love is a blessing beyond measure.

Test of no title

After the missionaries and I made back to the mission home at Draminsvien 96 G, where  I met the mission President  Ray Engebretsen and his wife and visited for a while. I remember working in the mission office putting together some tracks and information that needed to go out to the missionaries in the field. I still remember that in the evening of that first day I went with the counselor to the mission president Elder Christiansen and Elder Allred. We went tracting and after a few doors and them teaching me what to say, I gave my first door approach in Norwegian. We continued several times after that. The door approach was basically good evening, we are missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and we would like to visit with you this evening. The answer was usually I don’t have time, or I’m not interested, none of which I understood. But on occasion we were able to get in. I don’t remember getting in any places that night but we had an enjoyable time working together and them teaching me my first Norwegian.

 

 

ELDER ALLRED

For the next several days I worked as a companion to Elder Allred. Elder Allred had been in North Norway in a city called Narvick . Up there he had not seen the sun for nearly 2 ½ months B, because that city was above or north of the Arctic Circle. While, I thought I was in good shape, I  got shin splints so bad that I could hardly walk and keep up with him . I thought he was a very fast walker, As he was a very fast walker, but I think I was really a green new missionary.. I also still remember him giving me the tracting book, which was a green book that folded out with pages and he told me to keep track of the streets and house numbers and the specific addresse. I didn’t think he appreciated the fact that I was brand-new and didn’t know what any of the letters were or what they meant. This was all Greek to me and I don’t think I did a very a job, but I worked it out. This arrangement was temporary until I was assigned my first companion.

A few days working with Elder Allred as my first (temporary) companion,) Elder Christiansen, who was the assistant to the president and Elder Allred put on a display in our apartment, where Elder Christiansen was the investigator, with his typical bottle of beer, (fake in this case) and Elder Allred was the missionary using the flannel board method which we use to teach all of our lessons. Underneath our suit coats, we carried a little trifold pouch that held the flannel board and it opened up and then we had the flannel board pictures that we use to teach the lessons with. It was great because it showed a picture, for example of the church of Jesus Christ founded upon apostles and prophets. One of the flannel board pictures was of the church, with the Savior being the foundation and apostles and prophets being the divine leaders of the church..

The picture on the next page shows how we taught using the family flannel board with each investigator family that we were able to visit with. It was captivating and each of the doctrinal principles was displayed on the flannel board corresponding with the doctrine that we were teaching. This little flannel board demonstration was totally for fun and caused many laughs by the missionaries who are living in the apartment complex above the chapel at Osterhous Gaten.

[Insert photo of Elder Christensen and Elder Allred]

One thing that I noticed soon after I arrived in Norway was that it was the in the middle of the winter. It was dark when we got up in the morning, it was dark when we did our companionship study, and it was dark when we were eating breakfast, and still dark when we were supposed to be ready to go out and start missionary work at 9 o’clock. It stayed this way however, the days lengthened out little by little.

We carried this pouch with us summer and winter, and used it as effective as we could with each investigator that we were teaching. In my trunk I still have this trifold flannel board and even some of the characters that we use to teach each of the principles of the gospel to these investigators. It was effective and captured the interest of the investigators and even younger children in the home.

This also demonstrates that in a dark cold long wintered country we would laugh and have fun and enjoy the company of all the missionaries that lived in those apartments.

[Insert photo of Elder Israelsen here]

Elder Israelsen

My little pocket notebook shows that on Monday, February 8, 1960 I was assigned to work with Elder Israelsen. In reality this was a great blessing because he was a hard-working farmboy from Cache Valley,who had milked cows, knew my kind of life, and was a great help for me as my first companion.

He explained tracting, missionary work, and help me with the language much more than Elder Allred did. They were both great guys but Elder Israelsen was much easier to work with, much more down to earth, and a very hard worker. I remember writing in a little notebook, the six missionary lessons we were were to use and memorizeing them. I would walk behind him with that notebook in my hand working on memorization of the lessons. Wendell had told me that he gave his first lesson in Chinese in about a month and ½ after he started his mission and arrived in China. I therefore set my goal to give my first discussion, which included the discussion about the Godhead, their nature and identity, and then related the Joseph Smith story. I did this with Elder Israelsen, to an older gentleman we tracked it up, in a month and 10 days after I arrived in Norway. I had memorized both the questions and answers in the lesson and recognized most of this mans’s answers. If he said something that I didn’t understand, we had arranged so Elder Israelsen would answer him and then turn it back to me to continue the discussion. That worked great, and a great confidence builder for me in being able to memorize and give the lessons so soon in my mission.

My little to pocket notebook and my Norwegian Bible indicate that on the 27^th day of March, Hulda Sophia Jensen Grainer was our first baptism as a companionship. She We had met her and her five children and she accepted the gospel,.she and her children had attended church and became involved in the branch. We were so excited as we were able to teach her all of the lessons, and saw her life change because of the gospel of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints.

We had felt the spirit and saw the miracle of conversion, with her and the change in her children only one of whom was close to baptismal age. But they were involved in the teaching of their mother. Because she was a fairly heavy lady, Elder Israel seven I decided that both of us would be in the font to make sure she could be lifted up after she was baptized. This was a very special day for as Elder Israelsen I to witness and felt the spirit of this special occasion, our first baptism as a companionship.

In memory after all these years, sometime early in my mission Alvin R Dyer, our European mission president visited our mission and we had a district conference at our LDS chapel in Oslo. I did not remember the date but I vividly remember that the mission president asked me to come to the stand and bear my testimony as a new missionary because I had done well memorizing the Norwegian language. This was obviously a surprise for me and that’s well it’s still is fixed in my memory. And while I don’t remember what I said, I was able to fairly easily bear my testimony in Norwegian on that occasion. I also have a very clear memory that when Pres. Dyer spoke to us he related in detail quotes from the Apocrypha about the trial of Christ. Under Jewish law he pointed out that they had a fairly clearly defined legal system that allowed the accused, Christ in this case, to have witnesses in his behalf. I have course knew about the trial of Christ from reading the Scriptures, but not in detail as spoken of by Pres. Dyer. I was greatly impressed with what he said and the details of that trial, and the witnesses called to testify on behalf of the Savior. These witnesses testimony was expressed in detail from what he read. I don’t recall if I stayed on the stand after my testimony, but after the meeting was over I approached Elder Dyer and ask him what he was quoting from? Elder Dyer reminded me that Joseph Smith had inquired of the Lord about the Apocrypha. (See D&C 91:1-5) he then told me that one of the best authors and professors relating to the Apocrypha was this Oxford University professor in England named M. R. James. Because I was so touched by the quotes he read out of this Apocrypha the relating to the trial of Christ, I wrote that information down and then went to a big library  in Oslo. My companion and I the next week went to a library there and ask about that very book. They didn’t have it, but said they could order it and have it in just a few days. A week or so later we went back to the library and they actually had that book so I purchased it. I found that the first edition was published in 1924 and then republished with further corrections in 1955. Little did I know in April 1960, that I would visit the city of kiev in Ukraine and see a larger than life size statue of Andrew the apostle. This was a miracle then and now and I will explain more later.

Today is Sunday the ninth day of August, 2020 and while looking for some information to confirm my memory about this visit of Pres. Dyer to Norway, I found that the date of that visit was 24 April, 1960 while he was and had visited several cities with good population of LDS people in Norway. This visit was, consistent with my memory held in the Osterhaus Gaten Chapel there and Oslo. My memory was exactly correct as to the event without remembering the exact date. That record is now clear and I have attached showing my memory was very accurate as to the sequence of events.

(Parentheses sidenote). Between this conference and June 21, the longest day of the year, the days gradually grow longer, but up at a much faster rate because, in January and February you have very little sun during the day .. By June 21, OSLO has nearly 24 hours of sun shine each day. They call this St. Hans Often”Evening.” They build bonfires at different places in the city ,based on the tradition, that the fires keep the evil spirits from coming to Norway. An old time tradition. But I saw those fires, which were huge, 20 foot high or more with sometimes an outhouse on the top. They would find an open lot and start the fire around 11:30 PM and let it burn until 1:30 or 2:00 AM, or when the fire went out.

This was in an amazing tradition, more than a belief today that it had anything to do with evil spirits.

I arrived in Norway in the middle of January, days were very short and very little sun, one to 1 ½ hours per day. By June 20, the sun only went behind the horizon for a few minutes, and then came backup providing a long day for this “Saint Hans Often” fires to burn out. It was quite sensational.

Of the two men in this picture, at the pulpit, the first (left), was a member of the church from Bergen who traveled with Elder and Sister Dyer(well will so (and in (a is and is in you and you will as you and is in you as you and is a you left side inside is (second)as they visited the various cities they visited  in Norway. Brother Fluga  was a professor and had a part in translating the first Book  of Mormon into Norwegian.

The picture below shows the inside of the chapel which was at Osterhuse Gaten 27 where our church services were held each Sunday while I was in that area. There was another branch at Scarpsno, closer to where the mission office was located on Dramensvien in 96 G. The picture below shows the very meeting and the people in attendance when Elder and sister Dyer spoke. It was at this meeting, I was asked to bear my testimony in Norwegian by the mission president. It was in this meeting read from the Apocrypha book concerning the Trial of Christ. It was after this meeting when he gave me the name of the book, the author and I was moved to go to a library closest to our apartment and arrange to buy that Apocrypha Book.

I think it’s appropriate to say here that 52 ½ years after I served in Norway my wife,Marianne and I were called to serve as assistant legal counsel for the church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints in Moscow Russia covering the Europe East Area. That Area Covered All of the Former USSR Nations.. That was a wonderful experience and many things happened while we were there. The one thing relating to the purchase of this Apocrypha book in Norway 52 years earlier. One event became extremely relevant when I was assigned to take care of some legal issues in the city of Kiev in Ukraine. One of the members drove us around for a tour of the city of Kiev, and while driving around there was a , much larger than life, statue of Andrew the apostle. I asked what he knew about that statue of Andrew, and his response was , that tradition has it , that Andrew the apostle came to Kiev shortly after the Savior had been crucified and the apostles received the charge to go ye into all the world and testify of Jesus Christ.

When we returned home after our 23 months in Moscow Russia, I was prompted, one Sunday afternoon to find that Apocrypha book that I had purchased in Norway and see if there was anything in that Apocrypha written by  or about Andrew the apostle. We know that there is only two or three references to him in our New Testament. He was a brother to Peter, chosen as one of the original apostles, and only one or two other comments about Andrew the apostle.

Reflecting on what the prophet Joseph Smith had said about the Apocrypha, I found many pages in that Apocrypha relating Andrew the apostle . he  had left Corinth and went north over to Athens Greece, and then went further north over to Byzantinine,-Turkey today. The history reflects that he called and ordained a Bishop in Turkey. From Turkey. He traveled over to the Black Sea and then went north over up the   DnIeper to the city of Kiev Ukraine. Andrews travels were found in the “Apocryphal New Testament, Translated by M. R James, starting on page 337, found in the apocryphal writings given to me by Pres. Alvin R Dyer in 1960.

The trial of Christ ,spoken of by elder Dyer,is also in this book under Acts of Pilot supra. 95,

[Insert photos of newspaper clippings with Elder Dyer here]

I don’t remember how many floors but above this chapel were the apartments that I lived in while I was with Elder Allred. It was here that we had to carry the human waste out. In what we called “ honey buckets” so that the “honey wagon” would haul it somewhere in the city where they were properly disposed of. Missionaries living  in those apartments with me, and the others, prior and after I, had regular responsibilities to see that these “honey buckets”, when full were hauled downstairs to the “honey wagon”. I still have a clear recollection that Elder Reynolds, one of the more seasoned missionaries, was taking his turn, to empty one of those “tin bottom “honey buckets”. The tin bucket, full of human waste, he barely pulled the bucket out from under the “two holer toilet “ that were there position to catch the human waste under either one of the two toilet holes. He had just moved it out from under the seat when the tin bottom, which had rusted out, allowing all the full bucket to spill out on the floor of the apartment. I specifically remember helping clean that up.

So that you understand, these apartments were old and had been around for a long time, long before the church purchase the building. In order to use one of these two holers, you had to leave the main part of the apartment ,and go out to a a little room approximately 3 foot deep and 4 foot wide, just large enough to accommodate a two hole toilet seats. So the waste was just out of the  doors of our apartment. However so that they didn’t get to smelly out there, the two whole toilet seats were exposed to wind, rain, and whatever the storm wanted to bring in and you often had to wipe it off or dry it off before you launched your bathroom program. I was happy to be assigned to Elder Israelsen, after a few

weeks and we always had proper bathrooms after that.

[Insert photo of police]

Typical Norwegian scene, homeless man and police on horses.

[children sledding here]

The Norwegians take their children, bundle them up warm and take him outside when the rip real young this is a walking sled where the mother are one of the children can push the smaller children with 1 foot on the runner in the back and the other women propelling them along they slide really easy.

 

I specifically remember that shortly after Elder Iserslsen  and I were put together we were asked to go out to a place called Hune Foss where there was a small group of members that met each Sunday. We blessed and administer the sacrament, spoke at the meetings, gave the lessons and enjoyed meeting these people in this small group. It was not large enough to be a branch.

[Insert Horse drawn delivery wagon]

Missionaries had lived in these apartments and lived with this condition for years, before I entered the mission field so this was not a new occurrence for many of them. These apartments were just upstairs from the chapel shown in this picture. (Several pictures about)

In the back of my Norwegian Bible, last full page, was a clear blank page and I wrote this baptism of sister Greener in that book and every baptism there after I had while on my mission.

On Sunday, 22 May, 1960, sister Grainer’s oldest daughter, Terje, whom we taught was baptized by me, but taught by Elder Israelsen and I. This was exciting to have her join her mother as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and see the change in her life because of the gospel that they were trying to live. Before any baptisms could take place sister Grainer and her daughter had to contact their priest in the Lutheran Church and get his consent in writing to be able to be baptized. This was required because the Lutheran Church is the Norwegian

 

State Church and so everybody born in that country, at that time were automatic members of the Lutheran Church.

[Insert 17th of May parade picture here]

Also on that same Sunday, May 22, 1960 Elder Israelsen and I have taught Guri Carlson all the lessons and she was baptized that same day by Leo A.Israelsen and I, she was confirmed by George D Pedersen, the branch president of the branch. This was the same branch that the Grainers were members of.

On Monday, June 22 , 1960, I was assigned to work with Elder Norman Knaphus. He had about eight months left on his mission. Elder Knapus and I had a great relationship and a and had  good success.

17 May is the national independent day  for  Norway and there is always significant parades, national costumes, marching bands and young people who were graduates from different schools who marched in these parade, they were a great event. In Oso they took place on Carl Johan Gata, which was on the main street leading through town and up to the king’s palace. It was a major activity and everybody was out on the streets to enjoy the festivities of this special event.

 

This picture is in the chapel with a member of the branch wearing one of the native costume dresses. They have some amazingly beautiful costumes representing different parts of the country of Norway.

[Insert Osterhaus Gaten native costume]

Any flat surface, in this case a football field, is filled with water and it freezes and

[Insert Ice rink here]

will stay frozen rest of the winter. They may have to sweep the snow off, but they put up lights and have a open-air skating rink and the public is invited.

We passed by these ones and while and thought it look like much fun, however we did not ever put on skates and try to skate.

My first winter in Oslo there was a lot of snow. As you can see the house was mostly covered in the snow was hard enough that I walked up on the snow and that’s me standing at the roof level.

[Insert photo of snow too roof here]

 

 

 

 

Before we went through this section, I reviewed my notes from the one week I was in the mission home and there was a short Temple preparation discussion that help prepare us for the ordinances we would receive in the temple. These are sacred, and are not discussed in detail outside of the temple. We receive those covenants and ordinances with a lifelong commitment that we will honor them, wear the temple garment as instructed and live lives that are worthy of being representatives and teachers of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ as restored in these latter days.

I have always taken extensive notes and last two or three days I have found and reviewed the notes I took while in this one week mission home experience. Some of the people you will recognize. Elder Hinckley of the quorum of the 12 was one of the instructors. LeGrand Richards spoke to us about family history, genealogy, and help explain how we would teach new investigators and new members about the sacred nature, and the importance of the temple endowment and the temple marriage where we become eternal families. It was fantastic. My mission home mission president and his wife, were brother and sister Richards, and I’m sure there is some relationship. You will recall also that it was LeGrand Richards who interviewed me for my final mission interview by a member of the quorum of the 12. Marion D Hanks was one of our teachers during this one week. Brother and sister Richards, I believe had just returned from being mission presidents in Europe. I found my notes where President Richards was teaching and preparing us for our missions. For the next several pages I’m going to attach a copy of my notes so that you can get a feel for the power and knowledge we were given in this one week.

My notes reflect that on this occasion he Pres. Richards started out by reviewing the promises given in the Book of Mormon 10:3 to 6 and John 7:16 and 17 so that we could gain a personal testimony of the Book of Mormon He then relates that on November 28, 1841 Joseph Smith (see church history volume for page 461). He then quoted Joseph Smith statement “that the book of Mormon was the most correct book on the earth”. He then made this statement “you cannot take out of this gospel more than you put into it.” He then related that Joseph Smith was asked by the newspaper “what the Mormons believed” he then taught us that Joseph Smith answered that question by writing the Wentworth letters containing the Articles of Faith

As You Can See from My Notes He Then Told Us That If We Are Asked to Give a 30 Minute Speech or a Two Minute Speech We Could Do It on Each Article of Faith with the Following Scriptural References. He then Outlines Crystal References for Each Article of Faith. These Are Reflected in My Notes from That Day in the Mission Home. Additional from the Doctrine and Covenants . He further gave Us More Scriptural References to Each of the Subjects Taught in Each of the Articles of Faith. He Then Taught Us about Baptism Appropriate Manner Baptism. The Appropriate dress for Baptisms along with the Age for Baptism with Scriptural References. These Notes Continue through Pages 3,4,5, and 6 with Many Instructions, Scriptural References and Giving Us Great Knowledge As Potential Missionaries on Things to Do and Procedure to Follow. I will attach these so that you can see my notes and feel the spirit and power of the messages we received while in the mission home in that one week. This is only one of the many powerful people, including Gordon B Hinckley when he was just Elder Hinckley.

I was set apart , on the day or two after, receiving my endowments, by Apostle Mark E Petersen, another member of the quorum of the 12 apostles.

I felt so close and touched by the spirit and lifted by the power of the messages that I felt like I could fly to Norway without the airplane. It was a wonderful experience.

This picture shows, from left to right,  Aunt Vera, Aunt Maxine, dad, mom, and myself, in the back row. In the front row from left to right, is Tamra , Karen, and just to the right of where I’m standing is Mark who came to the mission home with my family.

[Insert family picture in front of the Mission Home]

Before we went through this section, I reviewed my notes from the one week I was in the mission home and there was a short Temple preparation discussion that help prepare us for the ordinances we would receive in the temple. These are sacred, and are not discussed in detail outside of the temple. We receive those covenants and ordinances with a lifelong commitment that we will honor them, wear the temple garment as instructed and live lives that are worthy of being representatives and teachers of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ as restored in these latter days.

I have always taken extensive notes and last two or three days I have found and reviewed the notes I took while in this one week mission home experience. Some of the people you will recognize. Elder Hinckley of the quorum of the 12 was one of the instructors. LeGrand Richards spoke to us about family history, genealogy, and help explain how we would teach new investigators and new members about the sacred nature, and the importance of the temple endowment and the temple marriage where we become eternal families. It was fantastic. My mission home mission president and his wife, were brother and sister Richards, and I’m sure there is some relationship. You will recall also that it was LeGrand Richards who interviewed me for my final mission interview by a member of the quorum of the 12. Marion D Hanks was one of our teachers during this one week. Brother and sister Richards, I believe had just returned from being mission presidents in Europe. I found my notes where President Richards was teaching and preparing us for our missions. For the next several pages I’m going to attach a copy of my notes so that you can get a feel for the power and knowledge we were given in this one week.

My notes reflect that on this occasion he Pres. Richards started out by reviewing the promises given in the Book of Mormon 10:3 to 6 and John 7:16 and 17 so that we could gain a personal testimony of the Book of Mormon He then relates that on November 28, 1841 Joseph Smith (see church history volume for page 461). He then quoted Joseph Smith statement “that the book of Mormon was the most correct book on the earth”. He then made this statement “you cannot take out of this gospel more than you put into it.” He then related that Joseph Smith was asked by the newspaper “what the Mormons believed” he then taught us that Joseph Smith answered that question by writing the Wentworth letters containing the Articles of Faith

As You Can See from My Notes He Then Told Us That If We Are Asked to Give a 30 Minute Speech or a Two Minute Speech We Could Do It on Each Article of Faith with the Following Scriptural References. He then Outlines Crystal References for Each Article of Faith. These Are Reflected in My Notes from That Day in the Mission Home. Additional from the Doctrine and Covenants . He further gave Us More Scriptural References to Each of the Subjects Taught in Each of the Articles of Faith. He Then Taught Us about Baptism Appropriate Manner Baptism. The Appropriate dress for Baptisms along with the Age for Baptism with Scriptural References. These Notes Continue through Pages 3,4,5, and 6 with Many Instructions, Scriptural References and Giving Us Great Knowledge As Potential Missionaries on Things to Do and Procedure to Follow. I will attach these so that you can see my notes and feel the spirit and power of the messages we received while in the mission home in that one week. This is only one of the many powerful people, including Gordon B Hinckley when he was just Elder Hinckley.

I was set apart , on the day or two after, receiving my endowments, by Apostle Mark E Petersen, another member of the quorum of the 12 apostles.

I felt so close and touched by the spirit and lifted by the power of the messages that I felt like I could fly to Norway without the airplane. It was a wonderful experience.

[Insert Lary in front of Mission Home]

I also Still have a vivid memory that Mark E. Peterson, a member of the Council of 12 apostles, set me apart 21.as a missionary. And again my memory is clear that he gave me a great blessing indicating that I would have a special ability to find and teach, and would bring many souls into the gospel. This wording was very similar, and in some aspects almost identical to my patriarchal blessing. Patriarch Swenson said in my patriarchal blessing that I would have the ability to “ferret out the honest in heart and bring them into the church”.

My mission home experience was only one week long and I took extensive notes because many of the speakers were members of the quorum of 12 apostles. There were also former mission presidents who taught us how to be good missionaries and how to use our time wisely. During this entire week however, there was not one word said about Norway or the Norwegian language.

Today, August 2, 2020 , Mariane and I have been going through boxes and papers and/or all the information we could find about my mission to supplement my memory. This information has been very helpful.

I do recall, getting up early, before 6:30, usually at 5:30 am because that’s when we got up to milk the cows!. I would then go to the library and start studying and reviewing the things we had been taught the previous day. On Friday morning, early the last day, Sister Richards, my Mission President’s wife, came into the library and graciously complimented me on rising early and using the time effectively to study. When she shook my hand,,she left a five dollar bill in it and thanked me for the good example. Back then, I could have purchased 10 gallons of gas, or a whole bunch of “Milk Nickels”, now known as fudge bars, because they only cost a nickel.

One other vivid memory I have of this week in the Mission Home was that a man came and gave each missionary one of his recently authored books entitled “Know The Bible”. I studied this book, which told about the many martyrs who had worked during their lives to bring the Bible to the common people in English. It also outlines the different canonizations of the Bible, which obviously this little farm boy knew nothing about. I didn’t have time to study it during my mission home experience, but later I had a companion who had trouble getting up in the morning and that’s when I read and studied this and other materials. I had. That has been a topick that I have studied and given talks about.

I still have a clear recollection, that after being delivered to the Salt Lake city airport, I boarded my first jet airplane flight in my life. This was on the American airline flight. I was overly impressed by the power of the Jet engines in the process of taking off, and could not understand how they could generate so much power. We landed in Chicago, after what seemed to be a relatively short period of time, and had passengers deplane and more passengers come on board and then we went on to New York where we landed. At New York, we changed planes, and left the jet airplane and boarded a much older airplane, the DC8.. This was a old propeller airplane, this flight was on the Norwegian airlines. And I remember sitting by the window and watching the runway come to an end just as this DC  8 plane lifted off the ground. I thought we were going to land in the ocean because we were overwater. We didn’t land in the water and we flew the rest of that day.  I still remember, some time shortly after midnight the pilot coming on saying that we were flying over Scotland and if we looked out the right we could see the lights of Scotland below. Sometime later he announced that we were flying into Copenhagen, Denmark, or it may have been Stockholm Sweden.

This was the end of the DC 8 flight and the beginning of an even smaller, and older airplane, that was like getting into an icebox, as we were in the middle of winter. After getting into this older airplane, it took quite a while for them to get it started, warmed up and ready to try to take off. It wasn’t long however before the pilot announced that we would be landing in Oso Norway. I have noted in my original pocket notebook, I used on my mission, and I landed in Norway at 3 o’clock in the afternoon.

This was a very small airport and I still remember clearly getting off the airplane, not being able to read anything, see anything that looked familiar, or having any clue of what I’m supposed to do. I had received no instructions, no guidelines, had no flight itinerary, and found myself in this airport all by myself with a strange language, and in a strange country. It seemed like I waited 15 or 20 minutes before I finally saw two young men coming down a hallway that had black hats. They were missionaries, and I was much relieved.

Because my assumption was correct. I was just have in my possession a copy of the original letter by my mission president, Ray Engebretsen, dated January 28, 1960 addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Wendell H Walker, Route one, Marsing, Idaho. He says that I had safely arrived in Norway and that they had been given charge by the First Presidency, to see that I was safeguarded during My Mission.

 

Jumping back a little bit, the pictures on the following page were taken from my handwritten notes when Pres. Richards taught us some basic principles about missionary work and how to prepared for any challenge that we might encounter. I reviewed these notes just this last week and was impressed to include them in this history. They were significant to me as a young missionary and very informative and helpful.

[Insert scan of notes here]

 

 

 

The fall crops would have been harvested by the end of October and we were used to working long days and long hours to finish the corn harvest. Therefor from mid-October to January 4, when I was to enter the MTC I had time to make further preparations for my mission. I often reviewed the hundred and 30 scriptures I had learned in my missionary approach class that I felt would be extremely helpful when I began to teach investigators.

We also needed to work on my mission farewell, including speakers and musical numbers and when it would be. Traditionally they were on a weeknight and we as a family needed to put an article in the newspaper and send out invitations to friends and family. Things are totally different now days, and it was not a part of a sacrament meeting.

I continued also reading the Scriptures and striving to build my relationship with my Father in Heaven so that I would be spiritually prepared to represent him in the Norwegian mission.

I should mention here that all my interviews for my mission call were completed by William Davis. Dad was a counselor to him also. By the time My Mission Farewell Took Pl., Bishop Davis had been released and Bishop Jemmett was my Bishop, and thus he spoke that my farewell. Marsing was a small ward and we were best of friends with all the active members.

 

At the farewell there was donations made by different members of the ward and a record of that was compiled and given to me, reflecting those who contributed the night of my farewell. This procedure is not followed today obviously, is donations are made online and nobody knows, necessary who contributes. This was not the case when I had my farewell. This was on two sheets and totaled over $200. My mission only costs $85 a month. These donations were significant and much appreciated. My mission call letter was dated November 3, 1959. It follows: [Insert mission call scans here]

 

Today, August 2, 2020 we finally found some of the mission call papers I had received on November 3, 1959.

We also did some studying to find out a little more about the country of Norway. We found that it was a long narrow country, the upper half of which was above the Arctic Circle. I did not understand what that meant until after I was in Norway for a period of time. We also learned from the list of clothing that I had to take into the mission home, that it was a cold, a long-wintered country.

Sometime after receiving my mission call, I received a booklet entitled “Teach Yourself Norwegian”. This was not an online course where I could listen to the sound of Norwegian words like you can today. This was merely comparing it to the English language what certain sounds would be like. I found it very difficult to make much progress, but I nonetheless gave my best effort. I remember sounds like the letter “O” in Norwegian was like “o” in the word, boat, it was a hard O.

At this time, were still milking quite a few cows usually between 30 and 40 cows and it took us about 1 ½ hours each milking, each morning and each night. We also needed to feed the cattle which included some beef cattle and our milk cows. This took time also, but dad and we boys were able to accomplish these chores and still leave time to have fun, play games, and spend the time in the evenings practicing the piano, singing together, and striving to improve our talents.

You will note that in the papers, written in handwriting, I would enter the mission home in Salt Lake City at 31 N. State St. on Monday, January 4, 1960 at 7:00 AM..

I was to bring with me among other things to good warm suits (preferably not flannel) two pair of heavyweight garments long sleeves and long legs they should be a mixture of wool and cotton for pair of medium white garments for drip diced dry shirts two pairs of shoes one hath and a light overcoat. Oh (heavy workloads can be purchased in Norway). All of this was to be put in a lightweight to suit her suitcase weighing less than 44 pounds.

We received a list of instructions that classroom work will begin at 8 AM each morning, afternoon and evening. We were to come prepared to take notes. There was no free time anytime during the week. We had to bring $100 to purchase insurance at the airport. They also said that we should arrive in the mission field with at least $100 in the form of travelers checks.

 

 

I have attached copies of the first presidency and the quorum of the 12 at the time I received my mission call, I recognized all of because we had attended conference in Salt Lake on a number of occasions prior to this mission call. After this mission home I was scheduled to fly on American airlines to Chicago and then New York. At New York we boarded a Scandinavian airline plane which I explained was a DC 8.

 

As we as a family attended Gen. conference we listen to all of the messages of these members of the quorum of the 12 and other general authorities who spoke. Thus I was familiar with all of them. The first prophet I remember was George Albert Smith, who proceeded present David O McKay. As I explained above that the BYU requires saying during Gen. conference and so we were able to attend and listen to these church leaders speak to us at that time.The first presidency at the time I received my mission call were David O McKay,  J Rueben Clark and Henry D. Moyle.   I have also added the Quorum of 12 Apostles: [Insert Quorum photo here]

I had registered with the draft board and did that on the 20^th day of October 1957 so that I could attend school. During this same time. I had to get my passport and the associated papers that go with it so that I could  serve my mission in Norway. I don’t remember any problems in in getting this documentation in satisfactory order.

A copy of the “ A Missionary Farewell Program Was Prepared and Published in the Paper Probably in Marsing and the Nampa Cultural Area. You will be interested to note that it was held on a Tuesday evening at the Marsing Ward Chapel, on December 29, 1959 at 8:00 PM

I also had set out two favorite scriptures as my model, “oh that I were an angel”: 1 my second favorite Scripture, which I have always had as my motto and tried to live by is the quote by Nephi to his father “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandment unto the children of men save he shall prepare away for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commanded”. One further note of interest is the invite at the end of the program was “dancing in the recreation hall”.

You will note that the main speaker was Elder Joel Durrant, he was on a mission with Wendell in mission Hong Kong. He had returned from the mission and agreed to speak at my farewell at my request. There was also a musical number by four young men from the Nampa stake who were involved in the state dances and whom we became well acquainted with, and even dated some of their sisters.

The other main speaker was my former stake president, and currently the patriarch of the Nampa stake  Leon Swenson, who gave me my patriarchal blessing, after he served as stake president for many years. He was a great man and I appreciated his strength. I was obviously the final speaker but I have no memory of what I spoke about. While I have no actual memory, I think I would’ve told a little bit about the Norwegian mission, that it was a long narrow country, half of which was above the Arctic Circle and had cold long winters. In the summer it was just the opposite, with long days and virtually no night.

This farewell was held on December 29, so we probably left, as a family the next day or two, as the family went with me when I entered the mission home in Salt Lake city on January 4, 1960. [Insert farewell program here]

Times were totally different then, than now.  We did not go through the temple until the first day in the mission home. I still remember that Mom was with me in that session and pointed out some of the historic markings that still exist in the Salt Lake Temple.The Salt Lake tempe endowment session is now what is called a live endowment session. To briefly explain, the ordinance, workers actually speak and carry out, and perform all the ordinances involved in the endowment. Today, the endowment sessions are performed by video doing all the speaking and explaining each ordinance. Before it was closed just this year, 2020, for major renovation and seismic upgrades necessary to protect the premises from earthquakes, and because the Salt Lake Temple was where I received my initial endowments,my wife and I returned to the Salt Lake Temple this last fall so that we could go through it one more time and witness, and bring to my recollection the live endowment. again witness some of the unique aspects of the Salt Lake Temple.   It was a wonderful spiritual experience for Marianne and me

I specifically still remember that my mother, Beth Walker was with me in this first live endowment session with me.  She pointed out to me some of the sacred and unique features in the Salt Lake Temple and those features are still there.

 

 

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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