July 12-17, 1981

Sunday July 12

I studied for my Sunday School and Relief Society lessons and walked over to the church and back.  I really felt good.  I spent the afternoon writing in my journal, writing some letters and cards and making some telephone calls.

 Monday July 13

I’m going to write here about the new construction being added to our church house.  (left blank…I guess she forgot!) 

 Friday July 17

It was just about one year ago today when we boarded the plane to go back on the American Heritage tour – Betty Mecham, Betty & Wally Green and myself.  I used money that I should have used to complete projects around the house.  I have several half-finished ones.  But I wouldn’t have missed that trip for anything – we have had as much enjoyment out of watching the pictures and remembering the different places and things we did as when we actually did them.  There were many spiritual experiences that were really testimony builders.

February 26, 1981

Thirty-eight years ago today since I was married.  Happy Anniversary to me. I remember when we were on our way over to the Logan Temple, the snow was piled up so high on either side of the road you couldn’t see over the top of it. Today it’s like a spring day outside.  I woke up early this morning and the memories of my wedding day were sweet to recall.  I’ll never forget the feeling I had when we knelt at the alter and joined our hands.  I know Harvey felt the same way.  We loved each other so much and when they said “for time and all eternity” it seemed like we were standing on the very brink of eternity at that time.  It has echoed down through all these years and when I was separated form my beloved nearly sixteen years ago this was one of the main things which sustained me – the sure knowledge that we would be together again some time in the future, never to be separated again.  I am bearing this testimony to any one who may be reading this journal in the future and I bear it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

December 7, 1980

Today my mind goes back to the year 1941 when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.  I don’t remember if I have recorded this date anywhere else in my history so I would like to tell of the events and the circumstances that I was in at that time.  I was living with my Aunt Jane on Grant Avenue in Ogden.  It was on a Sunday morning when the news came over the radio.  My aunt was sitting next to the stove and when we heard the news her face went as white as a sheet.  That was the one thing I remember most about it.  My cousin Gladys’ boyfriend was stationed over there and she was very concerned but we learned later that he was safe.

This past week has been rather uneventful.  I’ve been very busy working especially in the budget department.  Our 1981 budget hearing is on December 15 and it is really a chore to get it ready for approval.

Last night Wendy came down to see if I would tend Alicia while she and Ken went to a party.  I agreed to and Alicia stayed all night with me.  She was very good.  Today in church was enjoyable.  Twila Giles gave such a beautiful lesson on the pure in heart.  There was a lot of food for thought that is applicable to our lives today in helping God to establish Zion in these days.  Then in Sunday School, Doris Noyes gave the lesson on obedience of Abraham when he was going to sacrifice Isaac because the Lord had commanded it.  Which is something we have to all work on if we are to help to build up Zion in these latter-days upon the Earth.  It’s going to be built up with our without our help.  Our exaltation, however, depends on our efforts to help with this tremendous work.

In Honor of Tax Season

I found this letter mixed in with Grandma’s things.   She saved it for a long time!  I hope it comes through clearly.  If not, I will figure out how to make it clear.  It is dated February 3, 1960.

October 22, 1980

Today was blue Monday but of course it is only psychological.  But this week is just a continuance of last week and probably will be until next week after election.  So many people coming in to register to vote.  All we hear and read about is elections, elections, elections.  On TV, on the radio and in the newspaper.  From Federal, State and County levels.  I’ll be glad when its all over.  I’m really concerned as to the outcomes.

However, Sher’s birthday was on Oct. 22.  I took some money down to her after work.  Lynn gave me pictures of Sher, Joey and Janice.  They are very good of them.  I took them to work.  I enjoy having them to look at while I’m at work.  It gives me a lift.  Thursday at noon I had a very wonderful visit with Paul Russel.  We talked of our joys and sorrows and we seemed to touch bases in many ways.  He has had his problems and seems to be able to pick up the pieces and put them back together.  They don’t always fit in the same place, but if a person keeps working at it, pretty soon things start shaping into a whole picture again.

You know Dear Diary, I feel that now is the time for some reflections.  At this point I am enjoying good health.  I’m still fighting the battle of the bulge – I’ve gained about 7 lbs since I went on the trip back east.  All the good food in the garden, the fresh fruit, etc. is hard to resist.  If I could convince myself that I’m eating to live instead of vice versa, then it would be much easier.  Well, anyhow after I get this weight off again I’m going to go for 10 more so I’ll have a few lbs to play around with.  My eyesight and hearing haven’t changed too much in the last couple of years.  Living is really exciting and continues to be so.  My position as clerk-auditor gets more responsibilities and pressure attached to it every day.  So much for my job.  My family – brothers and sisters seem like they are all feeling really fantastic.  They do things that people much younger don’t think they are able to do.  I’m really grateful for them and the security I feel in the knowledge that they are there in case I need them.  I’ll bet our dear dad and his wives are pleased with their posterity.  I’m not referring to myself in particular but I’ll bet he’ll be just as proud of my boys and their families as he will any of them.  And I’ll be mighty proud to present them to him.  I can just imagine how my sweet little mother would enjoy my boys and then all my beautiful little grandchildren.  I can recall her sweet, loving and unassuming manner toward everyone she came in contact with.  My Aunt Mary Shipley’s husband Heber referred to her as the most Christ-like person he had ever known.  She was known as Aunt Maud to everyone who knew her.  Her own sisters looked on her as a second mother.  Her brothers adored her.  Her father was her idol.   Her mother was a salty English woman with a “pizenclean” disposition but a wonderful person nevertheless.  Her income was very meager and she milked several cows and raised a few chickens. Her first act would be to take out her tithing no matter how large or how small her income was.  She taught her children how to work.

Journal Prompt: The First Apartment

(Last Wednesday I posted Grandma’s entry about her courtship and wedding.  Today I am going to post her thoughts about their first apartment as a married couple.    Time for you to go write yours too!)

We were not able to go on a honeymoom at this time because of gas rationing due to the war.  But we went to our apartment on 26th street in Ogden where we have everything already to move it including groceries.  We r eveived many beautiful gifts which helped us for many years afterwards.

 

We settled down in our little apartment but this wasn’t to last very long.  Because of the way, Harvey decided to go back to the farm adn his father so we both quit our jobs and moved to Morgan where we rented a home that belonged to Charles Tucker.  We were here for a couple of years.  Things didn’t work out too well with Harvey and his folks so eventually Harvey went down to the Navy Base at Clearfield.  Our hopes for a family didn’t materialize so I went down to work at the same defense plant.  I worked for a couple of years then quit and stayed at home for a while.  My mother’s health didn’t improve too and she stayed with us quite a bit of the time as my brother Gideon hadn’t gone in to the service. 

I wish she had written a bit more about the apartment and the house.  Oh well! 

A Journal Prompt Idea: How did you meet your spouse?

I am 2 days late!  In one of Grandma’s journals, she has written a lot of her past memories.  One of those journals includes the story of how she met Grandpa.  Their wedding anniversary (according to my records) was February 25.  So I started to transcribe her story today and found out that my records were wrong: their anniversary was February 23, 1943.  This journal of hers is different from the others because it is not about her daily life.  It is full of her memories, like when they decided to go on a mission, her life before marriage, etc.  As I have been working on this, I thought it might give everyone else some ideas for starting a journal.  Maybe you think your life is boring, but your grandchildren will enjoy reading your story.  So today, after you read this story, go write your own!  Type it up and print it out, or write it in a notebook. 

How We Met (recorded July 2, 1978)

 

This evening I was over to Steven’s.  He asked me how Harvey and I met.  I related the circumstances of our first meeting and the events which led to our engagement and eventual marriage in February, 1943 on the 23^rd day, he asked me if I had written it down so here goes.

 

Irene James, a cousin, and I were in Cache valley for the weekend.  I was working at that time as a secretary in the District Health Office in Ogden.  Irene was working at the American Canning Factory at the time and we were living at that time with our Aunt Jane Obray on 1925 Grant Ave.  Irene’s fiancé, Russel Maughn from North Logan and Harvey had also come up (to Paradise) for the weekend.  At that time, Harvey was driving a low-slung yellow Oldsmobile convertible.  Irene and I were planning on going to Hyrum to catch the bus back to Ogden.  Early in the afternoon they came by and asked if I’d like to ride back with them.  They didn’t have to ask me twice.  I said to my mother “come and get a load of this car!”  We rode back to Ogden, and then they asked if we’d like to ride up to Morgan.   Harvey wanted to leave his dirty clothes and pick up his clean ones.  We accepted the invitation and this began a series of events that led to one of the greatest episodes of my life up to that time.  This was in the later part of August in 1942.

 

 When we first became acquainted Harvey had acquired the smoking habit.  Ordinarily I wouldn’t have given him a second glance, but there was something about his personality that seemed to reach out to me and we hit it off beautifully.  As we continued to date, we found we had many things in common.  One was our mutual love of horses.  That was one of the first loves of my life.  I could never remember a time when I didn’t ride horses.  I t must have been a things which my brothers and I inherited from our gather.  My sisters, Alice and Mildred, never seemed too enthusiastic but my other sister, Winona, who died when she was 198, had this same love the same as I did.  All my brothers, especially Gideon and Lloyd, inherited this same madness and believe me, when you’ve got it, it never leaves you.

 

I came up to Morgan one Sunday with Harvey and we went horseback riding.  I rode a little bay mare called Penny.  She was to the Mecham Family what Old Barney was to the Olsen’s.  This was the first time I had met Harvey’s folks and it was almost love at first sight when I met and talked to them.  Harvey’s father asked me all about my folks and my work while his mother fixed food for us to eat.  Grandma told me later on that she would much rather cook a meal than entertain people and that was a practice she followed as long as I knew her.  As time progressed our interest in one another deepened however, Harvey continued his smoking habit.  I knew that to continue on would just make it harder to break it off so I told him one night that I felt that we should not see each other so much because I didn’t intend to be married any way except in the temple and I knew he could never make it unless he stopped his bad habits.  He didn’t say anything but we made a date to go down to Salt Lake and meet his sister Wanda and her family.  On the way down he told me he had quit smoking.  Russel had made a big production a week or so before in front of Irene and myself of throwing away his cigarettes.  Then as soon as they left us, he bought a package and lighted one up and continued to smoke.  This (Harvey’s vow to quit smoking) made me very happy because by this time I was truly in love with him.  We continued our courtship and at Thanksgiving time Harvey presented me with a beautiful diamond engagement ring.  Of course we were outrageously happy (as Charlie Brown would say.)  Although we had actually known each other for a short time, we felt we had known each other forever.  We always felt that our marriage must have been planned in Heaven.  At Christmas time we went up to Paradise and celebrated with my folks and at that time Harvey gave me a watch to match my ring.

 

The next step was to find an apartment as we had set the date for our marriage on Feb 23, 1943.  We finally located one on 26^th Street on the third floor in Ogden.  It was small but nice – very adequate for 2 people.  The ensuing weeks were very busy ones.  We obtained our license in Weber County for Laurence Malan Clerk.  I took the week off before our wedding and went up to Paradise to prepare as we were going to be married in the Logan Temple. My mother and sisters entertained for me the day before with a trousseau tea, which was the customary thing at that time.  Harvey came up that evening so we could be together to go over to the temple the next morning.  Although mother couldn’t’ go to the temple with us, she got up and cooked breakfast for us.  Harvey’s folks and Harry and Lena Giles came up to Logan to go through with us.  Brother Giles was Bishop of Milton Ward at that time.  My folks were there just about 100%.  We were the first ones of Grandpa and Grandma’s family of children to go through the temple.  After we had been through the endowment ordinance we went into the sealing room.  This beautiful ceremony will be engraved on my mind forever.  As we knelt at the alter, we exchanged the marriage vows, the words “for time and all eternity” have stayed with me all these years.  Harvey seemed to be the one I’d been waiting for all these years.  We bother had a strong conviction that our marriage was ordained in Heaven.  It more than likely was.   After our marriage, my family entertained at a wedding dinner for us.  It was really special.