Mom's Story Part 19 .............. Wedding Anniversary Special

 This post is in honor of Mom and Dad's Wedding

April 3, 1944.... 69 years ago

 

The six weeks before my wedding were filled to the brim with excitement.  I was in Phoenix with my sister Mayola.  She had bought a beautiful little house on McDowell Street.  Mother sent us truckloads of old furniture to be refinished and recovered with which we furnished the house.  I was busy, scraping old wood finishing off the furniture while Mayola was learning about a new job.  The pressure on her must have been terrible for she bore the entire financial burden.  We made curtains, covered old chairs, refinished tables and other pieces and when we finished the house looked like a dollhouse.  It was beautiful.  I shan't forget how ugly and bleeding my hands looked, and how I tried to get them ready for the wedding band that would soon be placed on my fourth finger.

Bill's mother and sister, Frances, came from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and Mother and Dad came from Snowflake.  Mother brought a beautiful temple outfit plus all the other necessities I would need. She had worked so hard getting things ready in Snowflake for the reception, which would follow.  World War II was at the height of intensity and gifts for weddings were out, so Mother had supplemented my now bulging Hope Chest with the things I needed.  I received a beautiful quilt from her Relief Society Stake Board, but I think that was about the only other gift I had outside my family.  I still have two of the beautiful quilts Mother prepared for me herself.

The temple ceremony on that April 3rd, 1944, evening was beautiful.  I was scared and anxious, but Bill was calm and serene as always.  Pres. Harry L. Payne married us.  There were many little incidences which stood in our way just before we left for the Temple, and I remember Bill taking my hand and saying:  "Come on, honey, let’s get in the Temple.  It must be the right thing for Satan is trying his best to stop us."  From the Temple ceremony to the little wedding supper Mayola and Frances had prepared for us after the session, all was heavenly, and I will admit I was in a cloud and so was Bill, for many of the details are still lost to our memory.

The next day Mayola and all the family left for Snowflake, leaving Bill and I to come later.  I can only imagine the excitement and preparation, which went on at our house getting things ready for us.  The reception was held in our home and hundreds of well wishers streamed through the house.  The LaMusica Woman's Chorus under the direction of Rufus Crandall sang, Dad recited the beautiful literary classic "The Lady of Lyons", my lovely trousseau and hope chest was displayed, but other than that I don't remember much about the reception.

The next day we left for Phoenix again with the family.  I was scheduled to sing in an Easter Cantata that Sunday night in our Phoenix Stake.  After the Cantata the family took us to the train station and told us goodbye amid tears, rice and hugs, and well-wishes.  It was like a dream with my darling Bill by my side.  I'm sure everyone on the train was aware we were newly-weds, but we were oblivious to all their stares and glances.

            Our married life began in San Antonio, Texas, where Bill was stationed at Kelly Field, as a radar instructor.  Housekeeping in our first little garage apartment was meager.  We lived high on the hills of San Antonio at Ridgewood Court a nice residential part of town.  It was not too far from the Zoo and we spent many happy hours wandering around the Zoo feeding the animals.  Also for entertainment we walked around the city looking at the beautiful homes and dreaming of the time when we too could have a home of our own.  At night coming home from our walks we studied the Constellations of the Heavens.  Bill was such a teacher. He has always been such a student of science.  Our transportation was the City bus service and would ride the bus from one end of the line to the other just to see the City. 

Mom's Story Part 18

College Days

1936-1940

When it was time for me to attend college, Mayola had just gotten a job in Douglas, Arizona working for the Arizona Social Welfare Agency.  The folks felt it best for me to go to the University of Arizona so Mayola would keep an eye on me.  However, she didn’t stay long in Douglas and the next year found her in New Orleans getting her Master’s Degree.  For that first awful freshman year, however, it was a comfort to have her nearby.  I was really one lost little country girl; the school was so big, the city girls so smart, and my clothes looked so tacky.  I survived and even though Mayola wanted me to try for a Sorority, and outfitted me in a beautiful outfit, after one or two invitations to their houses, I knew that I could never fit into their life style.  I declined their bids, and I’m grateful I did, for most of the good Mormon girls lived in the Dormitories.  My monthly allowance from home was $35.00; but when I left home Mother entrusted me with the huge amount of $150.00 to pay my tuition, books, and first month rent.  It was a sad, sad day when I told my dear Mother goodbye, I shall never forget.  I couldn’t stand to even look at her, and the tears flowed unashamedly all the way to Tucson. 

            Things started to look up for me after a few weeks.  I was able to make wonderful friends who were Mormon as well as non-Mormon.  But the boys … so many “cuties”, and many of them seemed to like me too.  One engineering student, a senior, spotted me at the cafeteria and asked me for a date.  My, how excited I was.  He took me to many beautiful places, but after the end of the year we parted as friends.  I remained a good Mormon girl and he remained a good Catholic boy.  He taught me so much and seemed to enjoy the freshness of a small town girl.  There were many boyfriends after Felix Berar, only a few held the excitement Felix held for me. 

            One important thing happened to me during my freshman year.  I always felt I could accomplish about anything I set my mind to do.  I had an idea I wanted to become a doctor of medicine, so I registered under a pre-med course.  However, I soon found that course was Cat Anatomy, which was taught by a short, brilliant bachelor professor, Dr. Hammon.  It was considered to be one of the toughest courses on campus and Dr. Hammon was known to be an unrelenting tyrant.  By coincidence, I had also enrolled in the School of Music and was taking voice lessons from Dr. Rollin Pease, a delightful person and former Opera singer.  Dr. Pease took a liking to “little Bessie from Snowflake”, and asked me if I’d like to sing in his Presbyterian Church Choir.  He knew I was a Mormon but had many friends among the Mormons.  He offered me $5.00 every Sunday I sang in his Church.  Of course, I jumped at the chance.  Also in the choir was Dr. Hammon, and we became good friends.  Often he brought me home after the Church service.  One day he very kindly told me he didn’t think I was cut out to be a doctor, and suggested I go into Nursing or Dietetics.  That was where I got the idea of Dietetics I got a “B” in Cat Anatomy, but not without a struggle, I worked terribly hard in that class.

Dr. Lowell Bennion

            Our social life at school revolved around the activities at the Institute of Religion.  Dr. Lowell Bennion was our Institute director for a couple of years and we all loved him dearly, then Dr. Darrell Chase, who later became president of Utah State University in Logan.  The young people who attended the Institute were some of the best Mormons in the Church.  We were a very close group. 

Dad's Story Part 17

Great Falls, Montana

-1929 – 1933-

We were members of the Great Falls Branch of the Church.  At that time it was part of the Northwestern States Mission. We were in Great Falls long enough to become well established in the Branch.  I became active enough to be ordained a Priest on May 7, 1933 by Brother William Hitchcock.  This was near the same time that I graduated from high school. 

I  remember a group picture of our Branch that was taken on the steps of the impressive Cascade County courthouse.  It looks like there are about two hundred people in this picture.  Our meetings were held in a rented hall in downtown Great Falls.  I don’t remember too much about it except that it was on the ground floor and that it was a long narrow building.  We used the front end next to the street as the Chapel, and the back end was a large room that we used as a recreation hall where dances and other social activities were held, including basketball games. 

Bro and Sis Croxford

There were many good solid members of the Church in the Branch there.  Some of these had farms west of Great Falls.  One of the members I remember well was Brother Croxford who ran a mortuary.  Probably the reason I remember him especially is that he had a beautiful voice and sang on the local radio station.  His wife was a very talented dancer.  Brother Croxford later became President of the first stake in Great Falls. 

I had a good friend who lived in the next block west of our house.  His name was George Hurd.  His father was a lawyer.  George was in my class in school and we used to go to school together every morning.  We were in French class together.  George was a model airplane enthusiast, and spent practically all of his time studying about airplanes and building all kinds of model planes.  He got me interested in that hobby and I built a few model planes in his shop.  We also were in a model airplane club at high school.  After graduation from high school George went on to become an aeronautical engineer with the Pan-American Airlines.  I corresponded with him until I went on my mission. 

            Our years in Great Falls were during the great depression, but I didn’t realize that a depression was going on until Dad was cut off from his job when the division office of the Continental Oil Company was shut down.  The company had merged with some other big Oil Companies from back East and many employees were laid off.

             I do remember how cheap the food prices were in those days.  Milk was ten cents a quart.   You could get a tall can of salmon for about fifteen cents, and everything else was very low in price.

            This was a great crisis in our family, and the first time in his life that Dad had ever been out of work.  Of course, he felt devastated, and didn’t know where to turn.  Good old Uncle Frank Gilbert came to our rescue.  He had a thriving business going in Deer Park Washington where he had an associated oil bulk plant.  Frank was a terrific salesman and had practically fifty per cent of the business up and down the highway between Spokane and Deer Park.  So he offered Dad a job helping him run the gas truck, and we were able to survive until Dad was able to get an associated oil bulk plant of his own in Coeur’d Alene, Idaho about a year later. 

…….This is where Dad’s history ends……..

Mom's Story 1942

Courtship and Marriage:

            The next year 1942 found me again in New Orleans with my sister, Mayola.  Red had a European tour of duty, which lasted three years, and of course, Mayola was very lonely.  I prayed so hard to know what was the right thing for me to do.  Mother visited me several times during this period of my life and she helped me make my decision to go and live with Mayola again, so I took the long train ride back to the South.  This proved to be the greatest blessing of my life for it was there that I met my beloved Willis (Bill, as I called him).  He was stationed in New Orleans teaching Radar for the Air Force. 

Mayola in New Orleans

            I had no trouble at all in securing a job as a Dietitian.  I was accepted immediately at Touro Infirmary, one of the large privately owned Jewish Hospitals in the City.  It was only three or four blocks from Mayola’s home, so I could walk to work.  New Orleans is such a beautiful city with the huge oak trees spanning across the streets and the clinging moss hanging from them.  Magnolia trees were everywhere.  It was truly a paradise.  Mayola and Red lived in the old, established part of the town and the homes were immense with wrought-iron railings around the balconies and porches.  It was beautiful. 

Bess

            New Orleans had many big bases there, both Naval and Air Force, and so the city was swarming with military men.  It was a hunter’s paradise for a young single woman.  Many faithful members of the Church attended our little Branch, and so I had a lovely time and never lacked for dates.  After Church on Sundays Mayola would often bring some of the young people to her home for lemonade and a songfest around the piano.

Social at Mayola's (check out Mom's shoes)

Bill was one who came.  He was standing off to the side, I remember, and we exchanged smiles and a wink.  (He claims I winked at him, but I deny that).  Whoever made that daring gesture is to be thanked eternally for I started dating that quiet, self assured, sergeant and found a treasure under the serene exterior.

One interesting detail is that I was still writing to Knight Kerr, and after finding out Bill had served on a French mission and knew Knight Kerr, I wrote and told Knight about Bill.  Of course, Knight shot back a letter, written in French, to Bill, telling him to take care of his girlfriend.  So Bill did.  Knight was then a high commissioned officer in the Artillery, and made a trip or so to New Orleans to see me before we finally broke off our relationship. 

"Bill" in uniform

            It would be too involved for me to explain all the feeling I had during this period of falling in love and our sweet courtship.  I had the assurance that he was the one I wanted, and the glamour of the Military officers that I was dating held no allure for me.  It was during the Christmas holidays that Bill asked me to marry him, and there was no hesitation on my part.  My prayers had been answered, and I had a sweet assurance he was the one.  His quiet, steadfast manner assured me our life together would be wonderful.  There was no need to meet his family nor he mine … we knew. 

            Bill was being transferred to San Antonio, Texas, Kelley Field, so wedding plans started immediately.  Mayola, realizing she would be left alone again decided to move to Phoenix.  She had a job waiting for her with the State Welfare Department, so that was no problem for her.  So, in February 1944, with gas rationing in full swing, we made the big move to Phoenix, Mayola doing all the driving.  I should mention that I had learned to drive during the year I was in New Orleans, but that is a story in and of itself.  After a few harrowing experiences she didn’t have much confidence in my driving ability.  We spent two or three weeks in Snowflake before going on to Phoenix. 

The day we left Snowflake for Phoenix, a Valentine’s Day, I received my ring.  I was thrilled beyond measure; I held out my left hand to everyone I met to show off the beautiful blue white diamond my Bill had selected for me.  My “oh’s” and “isn’t it beautiful?” left smiles on the faces of everyone who came in contact with me.  “Cloud Nine” was a reality for me during those weeks prior to my marriage. 

Dad's Story Part 16

Great Falls, Montana

-1929 – 1933-

There was a big Catholic School on Central Avenue a few blocks east of where we lived.  This school had a nice gymnasium.  There was a good scout troop (Troop #1) that was sponsored by the Catholic Church that held their scout meetings in this gym.  I don’t remember how it happened, but I became a member of this troop, and being a first class scout became patrol leader of the Flaming Arrow Patrol shortly after joining.  Our troop meetings always ended with a basketball game, and at this time in my life (before my eyesight started going bad) I was a pretty accurate shot. 

            My patrol specialized in semaphore signaling.  We practiced once a week during our patrol meetings, which were generally held, at my house.  Every member of our patrol became very proficient at the art of signaling.  Our troop also learned to play the harmonica and we had a harmonica band. 

            Every summer that we lived in Great Falls, I attended Scout Camp near Neihart, Montana, which is in the mountains about seventy miles southeast of Great Falls.  This was the Council Camp of the area.  RD Cook was the Council Scout Executive whose council office was in Great Falls.  I became very well acquainted with him during my years in Great Falls.  After attending camp one year, I remember him telling me how much I had grown and what a good leader I could be – building me up and then asking me if I would serve on the Junior Camp Staff the next year.  This I did for a couple of years.  The name of the camp was Camp Jefferson.  It was in a beautiful wooded area with a good spring for our water supply.  RD Cook always led an overnight hike to Big Baldy Mountain every camp period.  It was about fourteen miles from Camp headquarters.  We carried all of our food and camping equipment for a two-day hike.  We thought it was pretty rugged, but an experience never to be forgotten. 

            While serving on the camp staff my jobs were to teach a signaling class every day and to be in charge of the dishwashing detail.  We ate all of our meals together in a large mess hall.  Each patrol had a table in the mess hall.  Our head cook was an ex-boxer and a very good singer.  After each noonday meal one of the adult camp staff members taught us songs.  This is where I learned “The Forest Ranger” and many other old popular songs.  I have many fond memories of my experience at Camp Jefferson that are too numerous to mention here.  

Great Falls is the county seat of Cascade County.  There was a large county court house in which scout courts of honor and boards of review were held.  The courtroom made a very impressive place to hold courts of honor, and I remember attending many of them. 

  Lyrics to The Forest Ranger Song:
 The Lucky Ranger by P.S. Lovejoy (tune: Johnnie and Frankie)

 O once there was a ranger / Who always did his best
 He wore the Service uniform / And a badge upon his vest
 He had no interest / Save in his forest.

 He had his breakfast early / Two hours before daylight
 He hit the trail at sun-up / And kept it up till night
 And half the night / He'd read and write.

 He thought the world was skookum / But asked two things from life
That he should own a forest / And that he find a wife
For to marry / Was necessary.

 One day a tourist's daughter / Got lost out in the brush
The 'phoned in to the Ranger / And he was there with a rush
They needn't worry / For he would hurry.

 He tracked her down a canyon / And up a mountain side
And if he hadn't found her / She certainly would have died
But she was plucky / And that was lucky.

 For when the ranger saw her / A great big grizzly bear
Had run her up on a pile of rocks / And he was a-keeping her there
And now the Ranger / Was in great danger.

 But the Ranger ran right up / And pulled his forty-five
 And the air turned blue with the smoke of it / But the bear was still alive
The fighting / Was exciting.

The Ranger's guns were empty / So he pulled his Bowie knife
 For the bear was coming for him / And he had to save his life
 And for a fight / That was all right.

 The bear reached for the Ranger / Who had fainted with the shock
When the girl ran a hairpin down his ear / And beaned him with a rock
 And with the knife / She took his life.

 The Ranger's leg was broken / But they had to get outside
 So the girl she carried him fifteen miles / And all the way she cried
 For she was sad / And also glad.

 She nursed the ranger well / And then one moonlight night
 He said, "My dear, I love you / You certainly can fight
 You saved my life / Please be my wife."