Mom's Story: 1940 and 1941

The latter part of February (1940) I took the train to Salt Lake City, where I enrolled in the Dietetics Course under the direction of Katherine Bilby.  I would like to say a word about her.  I was shocked when I met her because of her size.  She was about 5 feet tall and weighed close to 200 pounds.  She could hardly pull herself out of her chair and waddle across the room.  She had an assistant who was in charge of the kitchens and Miss Bilby took care of the teaching.  As I recall the classes consisted of about six students each half year.  We were housed above the laundry room –a dinky apartment with a front room, and three bedroom areas and baths and laundry room.  It was hot and steamy especially during the summer months.  Of course we had the run of the kitchen area so our meals were all taken care of.  Miss Bilby was a good teacher and she knew her dietetics, but she was often the butt of many jokes among the Dietitians and Interns. 

            The morgue was situated in the basement near the kitchens, and often at night we witnessed some of the autopsies that were performed there.  Dr Saunders was always on hand to shock us with the stories of the hospital.  I was embarrassed and used to “blush”,  which only egged him on with comments such as , “How far down does it go?”  This only deepened the “blush” for me. 

            The delivery room was on the top floor of the hospital just across from our apartment.  We witnessed a delivery or two.  In the summer months when our windows were opened we were often awakened with the noise and cries from that important part of the hospital.  Often the interns were very flippant about the mothers’ pain and would say, “Shall we call the whole thing off?”  and other smart remarks.  I’m sure the mothers did not appreciate this. 

            There is so much I could tell about my experience there in Salt Lake City, such as:   my experience in singing with the Allegro Chorus,   my many invitations to sing in Wards all over the City,   my Ward just a block from the Hospital where many of the General Authorities of the church attended,   my  roommates –many of whom were not members of the Church,  and other experiences.  I remember the boyfriend I had who was not a member of the Church.  I became acquainted with him through Mary Downs, one of my non-member roommates.  This boy, Francis Teehan, was later sent to India, and on July 17, 1941 was killed in action.  He was a bombardier.  I received a letter of condolence from the War Department.   Francis’s mother and I corresponded for several years after his death.  How sad she was to lose that fine boy. 

Lovely Affairs

            One very serious boyfriend I had at this time was Knight Kerr, whose father was a University of Utah professor.  Knight came from a very prominent Utah family, he was a brilliant man, and was serving as an instructor for the artillery in ROTC at the University of Utah.  Our romance was very serious and lasted for several years until I met Willis, who, by the way, had been one of Knight’s companions in France while serving on a mission there.  Knight took me to many lovely affairs, and I have always held the highest respect for him. 

           After my year at the LDS Hospital, I graduated and accepted a job at the Dee Memorial Hospital in Ogden, Utah.  This was a Church owned and operated hospital of approximately one hundred beds or more, a real nice little hospital.  I was the Therapeutic Dietitian.  One interesting little incident occurred when the Interns brought a duck for me to cook for them.  They expected me to be an expert on everything.  I had never cooked a duck, had hardly ever seen one, dressed, so I went to my cookbooks to find a recipe.  I don’t think I did a very good job, at least I was never asked again, and I heard very little comment about the bird.

            I lived with a wonderful non-Mormon Irish family by the name of Tarran.  The father was a brick-layer, the mother was a wonderful homemaker whose hands were never idle.  They treated me royally, like one of their own children.  The World War II was on in full force so many of the young men were in the Armed Service, however, their son Dick, was exempt because of a hair-lip and cleft-palate.  He had had many operations to correct it and was a wonderful, courageous, kind, young man.  Our friendship was immediate and he was a good companion to me during this year.  Or course, there were hardly any young men my age left but I made many wonderful friends at the Ward.  One inspiring Gleaner leader encouraged me to get my Golden Gleaner Award.  This was just a new program in the MIA, so I did this, and was the first Golden Gleaner for that Stake and also for Snowflake Stake.  During this year, even though my salary was very low ($90 per month), I collected many beautiful things to go in my Hope Chest.  It was here that I purchased my Irish Linen tablecloth and napkins, and many of my beautiful wool blankets.  This was truly a year of growing for me. 

Golden Gleaner Pin

My Hope Chest

Mom's Story -- College Years 3 and 4

In 1938 and 39, my third year at the University, I settled down to serious study.  I had many, too many to mention, singing experiences.  In the operetta, “The Rose Maiden,” and the vesper service “Seven Last Words of Christ,” I took the lead parts.  There were boys, but I was becoming more sophisticated and choosy. 

            In 1940 I graduated on May 29, with 468 graduates, amid all the excitement, parties, and gifts that go with college graduation.  I had been accepted in the LDS Hospital Dietetics School in Salt Lake City for their March class.  This gave me a little time to rest from school and get my feet on the ground again.  Mayola was urging me to come and stay with her in New Orleans before going into my dietetics school, so I felt that was as good as anything I could do in the meantime. 

            So it was off to New Orleans for awhile.  It was such an exciting time for me as Red’s family were very prominent, they knew the right places to go and the right people.  Mayola was very staunch in the Church, so even though it was then a struggling little Branch meeting above a filthy old pool hall, we were active.  Everyone held more than one job in the Church.  Mayola was the Relief Society President and I served in the MIA.  I secured a wonderful job at Charity Hospital, a big one-thousand-bed hospital located in the center of the city.  I was in charge of the kitchens at the Nursing Home.  It was a good job and opened a new vista of employment preparatory to my hospital training which came later. 

Charity Hospital - New Orleans

While working at Charity, I purchased my sterling silver at a cost of  $143.00 for a service for twelve in everything.  Today one knife in my sterling pattern costs $67.00.  I’ve been so proud of this, and it will be handed down to my daughters when I am gone.

            I met some exciting young men at this time, and one was special, Bill Whitehouse, a brilliant young medical student from Texas.  He was a member of the Church, but extremely busy with his studies.  Later, when I came back to New Orleans after my Dietetics Training, he was interning at Touro Infirmary, where I worked.  We were very good friends, and still are, but romance was for someone else as far as I was concerned.