Mom's Story 1968-1972

Rogers Family in Hawaii

Mom’s Story 1968-1972

            In December 1968, Mother (Leonora Rogers) insisted that we all plan to go to Hawaii for Christmas.  My brother (M. R. –Scully Rogers) was living there and made the housing arrangements for us.  So for two weeks Mother’s entire family, consisting of Louise and Royal and their family, (except Marsha, who was living back East), Bill and I and our family plus Eva and Ivan and Grandma Ericksen, and Aunt May, all enjoyed the beauty of the Hawaiian Islands together.  What a paradise!  We saw everything and we received the “Red Carpet” treatment everywhere we went. 

Relief Society General Officers

            Mayola had been called to the General Board of Relief Society, so decided to sell her beautiful home in Scottsdale and move to Salt Lake City.  What a traumatic, sad time for her to break up the home she and Red had worked so hard to get.  I went to Scottsdale and packed her things for her, then Jim and Roger, Louise’s boy who was attending ASU, drove the moving van to Salt Lake and moved her into her lovely apartment on 10^th East. 

            We were having other serious problems.  Bill had discovered when he was in Portland as a dental student, that he had glaucoma in his eyes.  He had faithfully medicated his eyes but after twenty years he realized he was losing his sight in his peripheral vision.  His doctor in Phoenix recommended an operation.   This was the first time Dr. Aiello had done this delicate operation, and even though he did all he could the operation was not successful.  He was desperate so sent Bill to New York City to a world famous surgeon to have him correct the mistakes.  For two weeks, Bill was in the Flower Memorial Hospital on 5^th Ave. in New York City, while the dozens of doctors decided what was the best procedure to correct the problem.  Finally, he was operated on again and the lesion was closed using a high frequency radio beam to do the delicate work.  When he came back to Phoenix after the operation, the pressure in his eye again was extremely high.  So, Bill went back to New York alone to have it corrected.  The first time I went with him, and while he spent his time in the hospital, I spent my time seeing the great City of New York. 

Bishop Robert L Simpson

            There was a faith-promoting incident connected with this crucial part of our lives that I would like to relate.  As Bill’s eyesight began to fail, it was increasingly more difficult for him to work on his patients, so understandably our practice dropped off.  I had made up my mind that I’d go back to school and get my teaching certificate and library stamp.  This meant many extra hours of college work for me, but I began my Library work at ASU, coming home each weekend to take care of the family needs.  Our daughters were wonderful little homemakers during this time.  Of course, Bill was discouraged and wondered what would be his fate as far as his eyes were concerned.  It was Stake Conference time in Snowflake and Bishop Robert L. Simpson (of the Presiding Bishopric) was our visitor.  I had talked to President Taylor and he arranged a meeting at 7 a.m. Sunday morning before conference.  We met our appointment and Bishop Simpson and Bill visited about his condition.  Then he gave him a beautiful blessing.  In the blessing Bishop Simpson promised him that he would retain his eyesight for the rest of his lifetime.  What a promise!  This blessing has truly been fulfilled.  Finally, after all the trips to New York and Phoenix, Bill’s eyesight was saved and although he has lost a little vision out on the periphery, or side vision, he can see perfectly to do his work and to drive a car. 

            I attended school for several summers both at ASU and NAU plus taking many education extension courses.  Finally I received my Library Stamp plus a Secondary Teacher’s certificate, making a total of forty more credits to my degree.  The twelve years I spent at the Snowflake High School Library were some of the happiest years of my life.  I loved my work and the students and teachers with whom I worked. 

Elder LeGrande Richards

            These years from 1969 on were extremely busy years because I was at the height of my Indian Relief Society activities.  One of the highlights of my life, I think was when I was invited to speak at the General Relief Society conference on my experiences while serving in the mission.  I was so nervous about this great responsibility that I prayed constantly both in the preparation of the talk and for a good delivery as it was to be televised.  My prayers were answered for when I stood at that podium and looked out over the sea of faces, the beautiful women of the Church, a great peace and calm came over me.  I felt good about my talk, and had numerous women comment about it.  Sister Spafford told me I “stole the show”, but the greatest compliment I received was from Elder LeGrande Richards, who followed me on the program.  He said:  “What we need is a Sister Ericksen in every mission of the Church.”  A year later I was asked to conduct a twenty-minute seminar in the Lamanite department in teaching Shadow Leadership, at General Conference.  In 1972, after our big Lamanite conference in Snowflake, I was released from the Mission.  I had served six and a half years under three wonderful mission presidents:  President Hal Taylor, President Dale Tingy, and President Paul Felt.  Beyond a doubt that experience was the greatest of my life.