Our First Home

While we were planning our wedding, Georgia and I decided to apply for married student housing at the University of Utah. The least expensive option was Stadium Village, where Georgia had lived as a toddler. We were accepted and assigned to 1563 Sigma, apt 11. The building was formerly a barracks from a military base. It had been used for officers and their wives. There were 14 units in the building. The building faced a common area across from another identical apartment building. Each apartment consisted of a living/ kitchen area at the front, a small bathroom with a metal shower stall, and a bedroom. Walls were thin and you could hear a lot of what went on in the apartments on either side. There were only 3 electrical outlets in the apartment, 1 in the living room, 1 for the refrigerator, and 1 over the kitchen counter. There was limited availability of power. We were given an electric fry pan for a wedding gift, which we could not use because it took more power than the entire apartment could provide. If you wanted to vacuum, you had to unplug the refrigerator, or it would blow the fuse. There was only one fuse for each apartment, located in the laundry/furnace room at one end of the building. Yes, there was one furnace for the entire building. To have electricity in the bedroom, we had to run extension cords from the kitchen. There was a pull chain light fixture in the bedroom, but no other power. A previous tenant had poked a 4 to 5 inch hole in the wall between the kitchen and bathroom to drain a washing machine into the toilet. So there was only an illusion of privacy.

My folks had given us an old TV, which had to be turned on at least one half hour before anything we wanted to watch. We had a mattress and open spring box from Deseret Industries for a bed. Georgia had purchased a nice bedroom set, which was the only nice furniture we had. Everything else was hand-me-down or cheap bargain furniture. We were very happy, even though we were living in poverty. Everyone else in the area was in the same situation, so we didn't care that we were poor, starving students. Actually, I think we ate pretty well.

One of our favorite meals was frozen pot pies, which we could buy 7 for $1. We also managed to get out to parents houses for Sunday dinners, which helped stretch the budget.

As you might guess from the name, Stadium Village was just east of the University of Utah football stadium. We could hear the games, along with much of the play-by-play from our apartment. We knew whenever the U scored a touchdown, as they always fired off a cannon when they scored.

Georgia was working at ZCMI as a cashier and gift wrapper, and I worked at the Deseret Gym as a lifeguard and swimming instructor. We had my '57 Chevy for transportation. Georgia also used the bus to get to work, and I rode a bike to the Gym when the weather was good. We got to be really good at living on very little.

Our neighbors were all students, as well. I think everyone in our building were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Our ward was about a half mile away, on Sunnyside Avenue. Bishop Zwick was our Bishop. Georgia and I were called to head up a Married Students Mutual study group. I don't remember our specific duties.

Several of the young couples in the ward would get together on a regular basis to go to the Salt Lake Temple together. It was wonderful to have so much support around us in the Church.

On my first Home Teaching adventure, I got in trouble at home. My companion and I got visiting with one of our families, and lost track of time. I didn't get home until after midnight and found a very upset, scared, and angry wife. I did learn my lesson, and didn't ever do that again.

I do remember some of our neighbors. Scott Gray and his wife, who had lived in the East Mill Creek area when they got married were in our building. Don and Vonda Bahr were also in the building. We ran into them several years later, when our children became friends. Morgan Moon and wife lived downstairs from us. He made his living as a professional rodeo rider. He won enough money each summer so he didn't have to work during the school year.

Heidi, our first child was born while we lived there. That made her the third generation of Georgia's family to live there. Georgia's dad had been instrumental in bringing the old barracks to the campus for married student housing, and she had lived there as a child. Her dad was the first Branch President when a married student branch of the Church had been organized. The complex was 'temporary' housing. It was only supposed to be there for five years. Our last year there was the 20th year of its use. After we moved out, the entire complex was torn down. Georgia's dad worked for the construction company that had the contract for the demolition, and he was the project manager. The University of Utah Fine Arts Building now stands where Stadium Village used to be.

We lived there from July 23, 1965 until December 24, 1966. Then we moved in with Georgia's parents so I didn't have to work during my last term of school, as I had an unusually heavy load.

Those were very happy times!