GROWING UP IN THE CHURCH

My earliest recollection of church was while we lived in Boise, Idaho. I think it must have been for Junior Sunday School, because it seems to have been on Sunday. That’s where I met the first friend I remember. His name was Roy. Since that was the same first name as one of my favorite heroes, Roy Rogers, I remember him. I had several nursery rhymes and stories that I had memorized by hearing them over and over. And I recited some of them in Sunday School.

After we moved to Salt Lake, and settled on Wyoming Street, we attended the Beacon 2nd Ward. The building was across the street from Dilworth Elementary School. I’d usually go across the street for Primary, but sometimes I’d skip Primary. Mom and I frequently went to Sunday School.

Once, while partaking of the Sacrament in Sunday School, I received a personal lesson from one of the church leaders (I think it was Bishop Garff) on how to take the Sacrament. It seems that I’d been taking it with my left hand. The gentleman came down from the stand and sat beside me and had me practice taking it with my right hand.

I also met the Prophet, David O. McKay at Sunday School once. My friend, David Ashton was in that ward, and President McKay was his grandfather. President McKay came to our ward for meetings because his daughter attended that ward.

About five months after I turned 8, I was called into the Bishop’s office to be interviewed for baptism. By this time Bishop Garff had been released, and Bishop McMullin was the one I interviewed with. I was asked if I kept the Word of Wisdom. I didn’t know what that was, as I had not been attending regularly. But I figured that it had something to do with being wise, and I was trying to do that, so I answered in the affirmative. Years later, after I had learned what the Word of Wisdom really is, I realized that I had not been keeping the Word of Wisdom. I had been sneaking sips of my dad’s beer on occasion. But I never did after I found out the truth.

I was baptized in the font at the Salt Lake Tabernacle on March 17, 1953. A young Priest named Richard Hardy baptized me. I was confirmed by my grandfather, Elmer W. Gale, in the LeGrand Ward on March 29, 1953.

I especially enjoyed singing the hymns and Primary songs. I know it helped me learn to read as well, since reading along with the hymns was easy. They went fairly slowly, a lot of the phrases ended in words that rhymed, and I could hear what other people were singing, so I got the words right from the start.

When I was about 9 years old, they built a new ward building on Foothill Boulevard. It must have been about the same time that Beacon Heights Elementary was being built. We had to walk further from the school to the church building than previously. I started to enjoy Primary so I attended more regularly.

I liked the activities that went along with the boys’ Primary curriculum. I went to a neighbor’s house a few times for boy type skill practice. I do not remember what we did, but I do remember enjoying it. The 9, 10, and 11 year old boys were the Blazers, Trekkers, and Guides. We had green bandaloes with plastic achievement awards that we attached to them as we learned the Articles of Faith and performed different services.

Not long before Christmas, the Primary chorister came along listening to each class sing. I liked to sing, so I sang as loud and as well as I could for her. Later, she pulled me and two other boys out to take parts in the Christmas Primary Program, a little play called The Littlest Christmas Tree. Since I was the smallest of the three boys, I got the lead part. In the story, a dove is looking for a place to roost to be out of a storm. Both of the other, bigger trees turned her away. But the littlest Christmas tree allowed her to rest in his branches. The dove was played by a cute little blond girl, and I held her in my arms to protect her from the storm.

I also wanted to be involved with Cub Scouts. At the time, the Church did not sponsor Cubs. The people in the neighborhood who were involved with Cubs were anti-Mormon. After I got started, they changed all the meetings to be at the same time as Primary. They wanted to preclude the Mormon boys from participating. So I had to make a choice. I chose Primary, because the Primary teachers were so much nicer than the Cub Scout leaders.

The year we were living at 1070 Lincoln Street, we were in the LeGrand Ward. I became more involved with church that year. I attended both Primary and Sunday School regularly, and even an occasional Sacrament Meeting. Sister Hales was our Sunday School teacher. She had 10 and 11 year old boys in the class. Her son Jimmy was a year younger than I, but he was bigger. He was also a little wilder. When he would get out of hand, she’d speak to him in German and he’d straighten right up. I found out that he was afraid of his German grandmother who lived with them. By this age he was bigger than she was, but was scared to death of her.

When we moved to East Mill Creek, Jeff Anderson and Charlie Nielson came by our home and invited me to go to church with them. I was happy to have new friends. Jeff was a little younger than I, so both of us were still in Primary for a month or so. Sister Barney was our Primary teacher. She loved her “Guide Patrol” boys. Jeff and I graduated from Primary together.

The first Sunday Mom took David and Tawny and me to church, the building was closed. We didn’t know it, but they were having Stake Conference, and were dividing the Canyon Rim Stake from the East Mill Creek Stake. Gordon B. Hinckley was called as the new Stake President.

I was ordained a Deacon on November 11, 1956 by LeRoy M. Strand. He was the Bishop of the East Mill Creek Ward. As a Deacon, I learned about the Individual Award Program. To receive an award, you needed to attend 75% of your Priesthood and Sacrament Meetings, 75% of Stake Conference meetings, complete a certain number of service assignments and pay a full tithe. I had few awards while growing up, and I decided I wanted to be awarded. So I started going to my meetings. It was hard at first, as I was not in the habit of going to Sacrament Meeting. I missed quite a few the first couple of months. But then I settled in and had made all my meetings by the end of the year. I had forgotten about tithing, however, so I didn’t get an award the first year.

I don’t remember much about my first talk in Sacrament Meeting. That was one of the requirements for the Individual Award. I do remember being called “Preacher Jim” by a couple of adults afterward. I must have delivered a sermon, rather than a talk.

I did enjoy gathering Fast Offerings each month, and I enjoyed passing the Sacrament. I especially liked the service projects at the Stake Farm. Hard work beside other boys and good men was very satisfying. We cleaned irrigation ditches, hauled hay, cleaned the milking barn, fed the cows, and cleaned wind breaks. I did get sick on one hay haul, as I worked too hard in the hot sun and got heat stroke. A good drink of cool water and a few minutes rest and I was fine.

Another activity that was new to me was attending Stake Conference. At first the East Mill Creek Stake did not have their own Stake Center. We met at the old Grant Stake Tabernacle in Sugar House. That was the first time I remember feeling the Spirit of the Holy Ghost. I was sitting in the balcony of the chapel and the Stake President was speaking. The feeling was wonderful, and I decided I liked coming to Stake Conference. Further experiences with that feeling as I was growing through my teen age years helped me to develop a testimony. I really enjoyed inspired speakers. Still do.

When I turned 14, I was ordained a Teacher by Bishop Strand. I then was assigned to be a Ward Teaching companion to Brother Larry Morgan. We were assigned to visit families who had recently moved into a some new houses in the ward, at the east end of 3400 South, where I lived at the west end. One of the first was the family of Robert Farr Smith, which included his wife Rae Ellen, daughter Georgia, and sons Stephen and Stuart. They also had 2 chihuahua dogs named Tia and Poky. Georgia was not happy to have moved, so she immediately did not like me.

I loved participating in Scouts. More about that later.

I continued in that ward. It was divided in about 1960 and we were now in the East Mill Creek 11th Ward. Ralph Pitts was called as the new Bishop. I began dating Cheryl Cutler, and as she was best friends with Georgia Smith, we often double dated, me with Cheryl, and Georgia with the Bishop’s son, Paul Pitts.

I had several callings in the Aaronic Priesthood, Deacons Quorum Secretary, Teachers Quorum Secretary, counselor in various presidencies. In 1961 Cheryl and I, and Paul and Georgia were called as dance directors for the ward. We participated in a couple of church dance programs. Later Paul and Cheryl dropped out of the program, and Georgia and I were the only ones involved.

I took Seminary classes in high school. Old Testament from Brother Max Moffett, New Testament from Brother Olsen, and Doctrine & Covenants from Brother Groberg. I graduated from Seminary at the same time as I graduated from high school. They only offered 3 years at the time.

Family Vacations

Family Vacations

I’ve previously written about vacations my family took while we lived in Boise.

Our trip to Yellowstone National Park

In 1953 our family went to Yellowstone. Dave was only 2 years and Tawny was only 5 months old. We stayed in a cabin in the Park. We visited most of the famous geysers and hot pools. I wanted to do a lot more exploring on foot, but was restricted because others in the family couldn’t get around as well. Aunt June and Uncle Jake and Steve and Lloyd Hartman also went along. We saw lots of bears, and moose, and elk, and buffalo.

Dad wanted to go fishing on the Firehole River. He was fly fishing. On one of his casts the fly on his line came and caught him in the soft skin right next to his eye. The barb on the hook would not let the hook be taken out without more damage, so he pushed it through so the barb was on the outside, then cut off the hook with the barb, then pulled the rest of the hook back out. Mom assisted in the surgery. Awhile later there was a hatch of blackflies or buffalo gnats on the river. The flies were very hungry and started attacking and biting us. We fought them off as best we could. Then I noticed that Dad had several streams of blood running down his legs (he was in shorts). The gnats were so hungry they were burrowing right into the skin. But we could not feel them. We decided we’d had enough fishing then.

We did have a great time and Yellowstone has always been one of my favorite vacation places. The geology fascinates me.


Trip Back East

The summer I was 9, 1954, we went to Detroit to visit Oma and Opa, my German grandparents. We traveled from there to New York to visit Dad’s sister, Agnes and her family. There was Mom and Dad, David, 3, and Tawny, 17 months, and me.

Before we went I was given a little camera, a Brownie Holiday. I took pictures with it at the Detroit Zoo, and at the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty.

We rode a train out of Salt Lake, The Spirit of Los Angeles dome liner. We had a little compartment for our family, with a couch that pulled out into the main bed, and a let down upper bed. It also had its own little restroom. I don’t remember how we all fit in it for sleep since it really only had sleeping room for 3 adults. For entertainment we had coloring books and drawing materials. I also had a toy gun that shot suction cup darts. Those who cleaned the cabins after the trip probably had a fit trying to get the rubber suction cup marks off all the surfaces of the room.

The food in the dining car on that train was excellent. For one meal I had a lamb chop. It was very fancy with a paper rapped around one end to make it look a little like a drumstick. In those days the dining cars on trains were some of the best restaurants in the country, with the very best chefs.

The dome car was a two deck car with a Plexiglas dome over the upper deck. It was a great way to see the scenery all across this beautiful country. While traveling through Wyoming I went to the dome car to see the countryside. As we rode along I followed with my eyes a meandering stream that ran alongside the tracks. I watched it go away and then come back over and over. After awhile I noticed that my stomach felt very queasy. I went back to our cabin and Mom immediately noticed that I had turned green. Later that evening as we approached Illinois, I saw fireflies out over the meadows. I had never seen them before.

When we got to Chicago we changed to a regular train car to travel to Detroit. That was the first time I ever saw segregation. Some of the cars were “black only”, and some were “white only”. I had no idea before that there were so many black people.

In Detroit we went to Belle Isle, where the children’s zoo was. I took pictures of the giraffes and the rhinoceros with my new camera. Belle Isle is an island park in the middle of the Detroit River. It was Dad’s favorite place while he was growing up in Detroit. There was also a beach and an arboretum there. Dad lived close enough that he could ride his bike there. He played tennis there and swam in the river in the summer and played hockey on the ice there in the winter.

We traveled by car to New York from Detroit. Freeways had just started in California. None existed in the East. But limited access toll roads had been built in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and were under construction in Ohio and elsewhere. We traveled over the Pennsylvania and New Jersey turnpikes to get to New York. The Pennsylvania Turnpike was fairly new. It was built on a railroad bed, but highways were becoming more in demand so the planned railway was never built. One feature of the turnpike was the service areas, each dominated by a Howard Johnson’s Restaurant. Each of these was a different design from the others, and I enjoyed collecting post cards with pictures of each of the different ones. Those were also the days before air conditioning in cars, and it was very hot on that trip. Oma and Opa didn’t know about deodorants and it got very bad in that car with four adults and three children. Motion sickness wasn’t the only cause of nausea on that trip.

In New York I got reacquainted with Aunt Agnes and Uncle George Stein and my older cousin Katherine. I met my cousins Madeline and Elizabeth. They lived on an estate in Rockland County, just north of New York City. I loved the frog pond in their yard. It was a great place to catch tadpoles. They also had a full size black poodle named Pooh. It was a very smart dog.

We went into New York City and visited the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building. That was the first time I had ever ridden in a taxicab. It seemed that almost all the cars on the streets of Manhattan were yellow taxis. I was also impressed by all the bridges. We drove over the George Washington Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge. We also took a ferry ride along the Hudson River. I wanted to go to the amusement park, Palisades Park, across the river in New Jersey, but we didn’t have time for that.

Trip to Phoenix

The Thanksgiving weekend in 1958 we traveled to Phoenix. We stayed in a fancy motel (fancy to me, anyway), The Egyptian. They had flaming torches all around the place and lots of big palm trees. We had fun playing in the swimming pool. Even David, who was only seven, had learned to swim well enough by then to jump off the diving board. What a novelty to be swimming outside at Thanksgiving time.

Dad had gone to check on a place he had invested in that sold motor bikes. He was very disappointed in what he found. Seems the manager had used most of the investment for personal wants and the motor bikes were not selling well at all.

San Francisco

I think it was Christmas season of 1959. We’d had lobster tail for dinner on Christmas Eve. It was the first time I’d had lobster. I got a spoiled one and didn’t realize it. I got really sick. Really, really sick. Food poisoning.

Two days after Christmas we drove to San Francisco. It was my first trip to the Bay area. We stayed in a motel in Richmond, on the northeast side of San Francisco Bay. We spent the next day or two driving around, looking at tourist sites. There was an old museum on the bluffs over the Pacific Ocean that I really enjoyed. I think that was the last year it was open. It was really old. We also went to Fisherman’s Wharf for lunch. I couldn’t even look at a piece of fish because of my experience with the lobster.

The next evening we went to Chinatown. We had one of those great family style dinners where everyone orders something different and everyone shares. I really fell in love with Chinese food there. It was a lot better than La Choy canned chow main, which was all we’d had before that.


Southern California

Summer of 1960 I got my first drivers license. I was only 15, but Utah law let me get the license since I’d had Driver’s Education in high school. Two days later we headed for Los Angeles and Camarillo, California. Dad had to stay in Salt Lake and work for awhile, and flew down to join us later. Mom and David and Tawny and I headed out in our 1954 Buick.

Mom remembered a lot about the route but not all she wanted to. Near St. George, Utah were some roads that were winding and narrow. She wanted to drive that part, but somehow I ended up driving through there. I handled it ok, but she was very nervous because of my inexperience.

When we got to Las Vegas we stopped for gas and got swindled. The attendant told us our tires looked bad. He talked Mom into letting him put the car up on the rack where he sprayed the tires with something that made it look like the tires were leaking. Then he got Mom scared that she wouldn’t make it another block with the tires like that. So she bought a whole new set of tires from him. He promised to hold the tires for us to pick up when Dad was with us on the way back. But we didn’t stop on the way back. I’m surprised now that Dad wasn’t more upset.

Mom also wanted to drive on the freeways, again because of my inexperience. But I did get to drive on them anyway, and I did great. I was excited to drive there, because I had only seen those freeways in driver’s ed films. I wanted all the driving experience I could get. After all, I was a teen age boy.

We got to Camarillo just fine. Mom drove most of the way while I navigated. Opa met us near the freeway exit and had us follow him to their house at 189 West Loop Drive. They had lived there a short time after Opa had retired from General Motors. They had built the house in the middle of a lemon orchard. They also had several Valencia orange trees. Their next door neighbors, whose last name was Mountain had an avocado tree. It made me want to move to California, just for the fresh fruit. Opa had also planted a lot of onions between two of the rows of lemon trees. Oma was into recycling and would dig all of their organic garbage into the ground around the orange trees.

Each evening Opa would put on his old classical music records and lead the orchestra while they played. Just before bedtime he would wind the grandfather clock that he had built the case for.

They had more TV stations than Salt Lake had. We saw Jack Lalanne for the first time. Also saw a performance by James Brown. I enjoyed watching Opa work in his wood shop, and helping him work in the orchard. He told me he was impressed with my ideas and abilities.

We went to the beach in Ventura and to a great seafood restaurant named The Lobster Trap in Point Hueneme. I ended up taking Georgia there a few years later, and while attending a Fisher Scientific conference near there, I took several of my co-workers.

After Dad joined us we traveled south to Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, and Marine World.


Southern California, 2nd time

With Oma and Opa now living in Southern California, we had an excuse to go back again. This time it was 1963, and I was busy courting my future wife, Georgia. This time we went to get out of the cold, traveling there a couple of days after Christmas.

I was reluctant to leave Georgia behind. I was totally in love. Georgia was not convinced that I was worth her time. I knew that she would not stay at home while I was gone. She would go out to celebrate New Years Eve with somebody else. But I had given her a couple of Christmas gifts that I hoped would keep her thinking of me. One was a sweater. It was a classic, off-white cardigan, with a green cord border, and brass buttons. The moment I saw it in the store, I knew she’d love it. She did. The other gift was a popular record album by Bobby Vee titled, “The Night Has a Thousand Eyes.”

Two adventures stand out for me about this trip. One was my first and only effort at surfing. Oma and Opa had some teenage neighbors who were into surfing. They invited me to go along. It was New Years Eve, but the air temperatures were close to 90 degrees. We went to Ventura County Line Beach. The waves were really not very good and I never got up on the board even a little bit. But I did get very cold. The water temperature was very cool, and I started to get hypothermic while sitting on the surf board waiting for a good wave. It took me about an hour in a hot shower back at the house to start to recover.

The next adventure was a visit to the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena. Dad dropped David, Tawny, and me off near the parade route shortly after midnight New Years Day. We found a spot across from the television cameras on a corner. We were sitting on a blanket about four rows of people back from the curb. There was a rope barricade at the curb to keep people back from the street. As the time for the parade started, however, everyone in front of us moved to fill in the side street, so we moved up to the rope. But the police came by and forced all those who had crossed the rope to move back. I just stood there with my arms folded and nobody tried to take their place back. So we were right on the front row. It was great.