(left to right: Simeon Adams Dunn (Grandpa), Eliza Jane Dunn (Aunt Jennie), and Evaline Silver Dunn (Aunt Tebe) |
A STORY OF MY LIFE
(By Simeon Adams Dunn,
Written approximately 1970-1971)
The first seventeen years of my life were spent in College Ward, 4
miles south of Logan. My father
purchased a fine farm of some 57 acres just across the road east of the present
Ward Chapel and built two small houses, one for my Mother and her children, on
the corner lot on which a large service station is operated at present, just
south of the Church; and the second home was for Aunt Tishy and her family.
These humble homes each had two rooms - one larger front room and a back room
in each. My father sold his property
in Millville and moved to College Ward after having been sustained as the
Bishop of this ward. His farm and home
in Millville today is in the Nibley Ward, directly across the road east of the
chapel. Father was the first Bishop of
College Ward.
I was born March 2, 1896, the firth child is what came to be a family
of six children, in my mother’s 2-room home.
The older children were Charles Welch, Eliza Jane (Jennie), John
William, and Evelyn Silver. Two- and
one-half years following my advent into this world, my brother Lester Welch was
born.
I could not very well attempt to write the story of my life without
including my other sister and brothers, Harriet Letitia, and four brothers,
Levi; Oscar Smith; Samuel Atwood and Leslie Smith. The children of Aunt Tishy and the first wife
of my Father. The two families were so
closely related and held together by the bond of love so strong that people not
acquainted with our relationship would not readily detect any difference. With us there has always been two families of
Brothers and Sisters and the word “half brother and sister” has had little use.
The arrival of March in 1896, must not have been “in like a lamb”. Mother remembered that the weather was stormy
and cold, the wind strong and the roads muddy and rough. The midwife lived some four miles to the
south and east at Hyrum. On the night of
March 1st, the time was fulfilled and, the horses were hitched to the buggy and
the long trip to Hyrum began. I am not sure who made the journey, whether Father
was on board, or whether Levi and Charles went on the mission; but I am sure
Aunt Tishy was with Mother and when old Sister Lauritzen was late in arriving,
the baby boy had already arrived and Mother was resting peacefully due to the
loving and professional care of a new midwife, who in the years to come brought
several hundred babes into the world in the College Ward area (Grandma
Tishy). My Mother used to smile as she
reported the late arrival of Sister Lauritzen.
This fine old Sister brought a cool, damp cloth to Mother and carefully
bathed her face and said, “Now you are pretty”.
This, in brief, was my entrance into the world, 49 years after the
first Company of Mormons entered Utah.
When I consider the great changes that have taken place during my
lifetime from the “Horse and Buggy Days” to the Atomic Age, I am quite certain
that I am one of the groups, fast passing away, who could be classed as
pioneers.
I have a very faint recollection of our life in the small home where I
was born. My brother Lester was born
here August 18, 1898. I seem to remember
finding a small dog, made of crockery, by the fence just south of the house one
day. I remember, largely from what my
older brothers and sisters have told me, that a family by the name of Hansen
lived just across the street to the east, and played with our youngsters.
Father sold our home and moved Mother and her children about a mile
down in the field just north and west of the meeting house. This was about
1899. I recollect going with my sister,
Eva, to see Aunt Tishy and her new baby boy, Leslie, born April 15, 1900, and I
am quite sure we then lived in the log 2 room home Father had purchased from
Lars Sorenson.
Our nearest neighbors were the Joseph Bindrup and Nephi Bindrup
families, both of which lived about a half mile north and the Hans Sorenson
family a short distance to the south.
They were all good neighbors and I remember them with love and respect.
Our home was made of logs, two rooms, a large kitchen and a large
bedroom. The kitchen furnishings
consisted of an open hearth coal and wood burning stove, with a small water
reservoir; a large kitchen table and a lounge that could be extended in front
to sleep two people, a small safe with shelves and two front curtains to serve
as doors and protect the food and dishes; a rag carpet with straw between the
floor and the carpet; a wide bench to hold the wash basin and the bucket of
water. A small mirror hung above the
wash basin and a bomb and brush case attached to the wall just above the wash
basin. We also had six or seven kitchen
chairs for the use of the family. The
large bedroom was almost bare of furniture, the floor was covered with a clean
rag carpet made a lot softer with fresh straw from the fall threshing, two
double beds, made quite softer with fresh straw from the fall threshing, two
double beds, made quite comfortable with bedtick filled with straw and plenty
of blankets and quilts for the winter weather.
There was also a large wooden box with a lid on the top and a large
drawer across the bottom. In the box my
Mother kept clothing and other things which needed special storage. A couple kerosene lamps furnished our lights
for this primitive home during the long evenings.
Perhaps the one thing that I dream about most in relation to this home
was the wonderful flowing well just outside the kitchen window east of the
house. Night and day, it was always
there and the water was just a bit more than 99.44% pure. Even today, Wanda and I often go for a ride
down the old Lane west from the meeting house in College Ward. We turn the corner at the Lars Sorenson home
and stop at my childhood home and enjoy the cold, fresh, pure water, the same
as our family enjoyed it in those days of long ago. This home is located on a 40-acre tract or
land known as the “Lars Sorenson Forty”.
My memory of the life on the Lars Sorenson farm is remarkably
vivid. I recall the location of the poor
land on the forty, where the soda shone white in the sunshine, and where the
land produced no crops. I remember the big
ditch which crossed the road just north of our home and continued in a southwesterly
direction to divide a few acres of land just west of the house from the
remainder of the land to the fence; the willows and the big irrigation ditch
which separated our land from the Chris Bindrup acres to the west. One day during the irrigation season when
much of the water had been drawn from the ditch which passed below our corral,
my father jumped into the ditch and with his hands caught a very large
trout. I have always loved to fish and
being a fisherman, I may be forgiven if I over-estimate the size of fish at
times, it is my considered opinion that this was a very large fish, trout, at
least 30 inches long, and it must have weighed at least 15 pounds. Please remember that I am estimating after
some 67 or 68 years and that I was quite a small boy at the time.
My first work for hire was during about my final year in the Sorenson
home. My b rothers, Charles and Oscar
rented Father’s lower 40 acres, located ¾ mile directly north of Mother’s home,
for the summer. They hired me to tromp
hay, foxtail and alfalfa. When the
summer was over, each of the brothers gave me 50 cents as payment in full. According to my wages, I must have been
rather a poor hired hand, but I remember paying 10 cents tithing to the Bishop,
my Father.
One day as our younger children were playing outside, we saw four or
five ponies with Indian riders coming towards our home from the south. This was not too many years after Indians had
settled on the reservations and children, at least, were frightened when they
came to the settlements. We ran and told
Mother, and she kept us close to the house until the Indians had passed. They were on their way to the Washakie
Reservation in the northern part of Box Elder County.
My best friends of the neighbor boys were Ezra and Leonard
Sorenson. Ezra was two years older and I
was from March 2 to May 5 older than Leonard.
We started school together in the fall of 1902. George D. Cardon was our teacher, and he
taught all eight grades in the one-room school.
The building still stands, and today is part of the home of John L.
Green, just across the main road south from the College Ward Chapel, a few rods
south of the chapel.
When my brother Levi was about 16 years of age, he and his friend, Will
Nelson, decided to leave home to seek their fortune in Wyoming. They left in the night without conferring
with the folks. They rode horses to
Logan, in the morning our old Tom was at the barn, the saddle still on his
back, peacefully eating hay. Some weeks later the boys returned and Levi
brought with him 3 or 4 horses, his wages for his work on a Wyoming ranch. One of these horses was a fine black gelding,
named Bethwick Dexter. Another was a
beautiful dark bay mare whom he called Utah Kate. He sold the black horse to George Dunbar, a
horse fancier from Logan at a good price for those days. Within a short time, Dunbar sold the horse
for a really fancy price, we heard for $750.
We kept the bay mare. She was a
beauty and I think one of the fastest horses in our community. She was in the pasture just through the fence
west of our house. One morning we found
an addition, four wobbly legs peacefully feeding from Utah Kate. This was a red and white pinto with two long
ears. Will claimed the mother and now he
also claimed a very cute little pinto mule colt.
I learned to milk the cows while we still lived in this home and in
later years, I had plenty of practice as Father always had a dozen or more in
the herd.
During my first two years in school I frequently called at the Sorenson
home and Leonard and I walked to school together. Often, I would arrive early and help him feed
several lambs on the bottle. These were
some foundlings which had no mother to feed them and so were raised on cow’s
milk. They were in a small pen just back
of the cows. I remember the stable as
being warm and clean, even in the coldest winter weather.
I think I should make a more detailed description of our home in the
field – “the Lars Sorenson Home”. This was a good-sized home, with a hip roof,
originally planned to have two bedrooms upstairs. It even had a part of a stairway outside of
the back of the house, some of the steps were missing, but there was a door at
the top in good condition. A large
shanty about 16 feet north of the house was accessible without much difficulty
even during rainy weather, as it was connected to the house with a roof over
the 16 feet, and a wall on the west.
There was a good lumber floor between the two buildings. During ???
… the little building west of the house, by the back fence, where was
kept a small box of ashes with a coal shovel, and a Sears and Roebuck Catalog,
which made good reading during daylight hours.
In the Fall of 1903, Mother moved to Logan for the winter months to
take care of the older members of our family who were attending the Brigham
Young College. Father rented a large
house west on 5th South. I believe it
belonged to a Mr. Johnson. We returned
to the home in College Ward in the spring.
The following winter Mother again moved to Logan and this time rented a
home just across the Logan River bridge, on the west side of the street. It belonged to an elderly widow, Sister
Hansen. There was not room enough for
me, and I lived with Aunt Tishy in her home. I well recollect that I turned
eight years of age in the spring and my brother, Will, transported me to Logan,
behind him on a horse and Mother took me to the Temple where I was
baptized. I had been promised that I
could stay overnight with Mother, but it just happened that my sister, Eva, had
contracted chicken pox so I returned to Aunt Tishy’s with my brother Will. The weather was not good, it rained almost
the entire day.
Father sold the Lars Sorenson home about 1905 and purchased the home
adjoining the school on the south, from William Williams. This became Mother’s home. We lived here until April of 1913, when
Father sold all his property in College Ward and moved both families to
Logan. My brother in law, Victor Allen
built two houses for Father in Logan 7th Ward.
Aunt Tishy lived in the one just east on 2nd South and Mother lived in
the one on 228 South 2nd East.
My second teacher in school in the one-room College Ward was J. W.
Seamons from Hyde Park. He boarded at
our home during the severe winter weather, but traveled from Hyde Park to our
school in a two wheeled cart, drawn by a small roan pony, when the weather was
mild. Other teachers I remember are, Eva Williamson from Wellsville, Emily
Olsen from Paradise, Jennie Edwards from England, my brother Charles, Wm. P.
Leatham, and Walter J. Nes from Wellsville, Harry Olsen from Millville, and
Naomi Law from Avon, who was my last teacher in the grades.
I graduated from the eighth grade in the spring of 1911. College Ward boasted 4 graduated that spring,
Myrtle Anderson, Marian Nelson, Alvin Jensen and myself. We took the County examination in the Nibley
Hall at Logan with all 8th grade students in Cache County.
I have always loved fine horses; I suppose a direct result of my
experience with them while I was a youngster on the farm. I vividly remember Tom, Chief, Mac, Maud,
Brownie, Utah Kate, a beautiful sorrel mare whose name I do not recall, and Old
Orthodox who could never put on fat to hide his ribs, regardless of the grain
and hay he consumed. In the late years
of my life I have generally kept a fine riding horse, with a suitable saddle
and bridle to match, so that I have been proud to ride in the holiday
parades. I sold my fine American Saddler
and my complete riding outfit just two years ago, 1968, to a horse fancier from
Salt Lake City. I remember at least 15
fine saddle horses which I have owned during my life and at least half of this
number were fine American animals.
I also recollect that we had a wonderful dog, Old Watch, and our large
grey cat. These two pets we shall always
remember, we had another tract of land north of us which we called our lower 40
acres.
My father was the first Bishop o College Ward. He was a faithful Bishop, and he served 21
years in this calling. The ward members
finished building a very fine meeting house about 1896. This building served remarkably well for many
years. It was made of brick, only one
large room, with curtains to draw when a number of classes were needed. Grandma Tishey lived just across the road
east of the meeting house. On the large
lot adjoining the home were fruit trees, a variety of berries, and sufficient
area for a large garden plot.
The Hyrum slough carried plenty of water to serve as a fair swimming
hole. During the summer months this pool
was in use by the boys of the ward, almost every Sunday immediately following
Sunday School. My Mother taught her boys
it was wrong to go swimming on the Lord’s day.
I recollect that I did not disobey my Mother.
Very early in life I was introduced to the fine sport of fishing. I loved to fish and it seems that each year
of my life my love for this wonderful sport has increased. I presently have the fishing gear required by
a fisherman who really loves the sport.
I regret to acknowledge that I am about ten years behind on my favorite
pastime. We fished in the spring creek,
generally in the farm area of Bro. John H. Schenk. I remember that there were two swimming holes
“Little Boys Sunday” and “Big Boys Sunday”.
These holes were generally in use on Sunday, and also on other days of
the week. The water was not warm.
My Mother was a wonderful woman.
She loved her church; she loved her home and she loved her
children. I remember very little about
the two - room home where I was born but I remember the Lars Sorenson
home. My Mother was a quiet and reserved
woman, queenly in her bearing and deeply religious. Our home received the light from a coal oil
lamp, placed upon the long kitchen table.
Around this table the children prepared their lessons for the
morrow. I believe that we had our home
evening almost every evening. We
gathered around our lovely mother, one of the children read a chapter from the
scriptures, we sang a church hymn, knelt in prayer offered by one of the
family, kissed our mother goodnight and went to bed. Father spent very little time at our
home. He had two wives and the deputies
still caused much trouble for the brethren, even after they had served time in
the state prison. My Mother was a
Latter-day Saint who kept the commandments and taught her children to do the
same. A few things were required in our
home, no gossip about our neighbors, playing cards not allowed in our home and
we were expected to faithfully follow the church teachings. We were taught to have respect for each other
and to pray to our Heavenly Father faithfully day by day. Ours was a beautiful Mother, quiet and
unassuming, and a queen in her bearing and speech with her children. As a
family we were closely bound together by love, respect and taught by a saintly
Mother and a fine Father.
I think our College Ward was best known in the early days for its muddy
roads. In the spring our roads were
almost impassable. Father was road
supervisor and I remember well when gravel was placed on the main road, just
wide enough for one wagon, or buggy to use.
This was a narrow strip between the Larson home and north to the Abe
Hansen home. I think that today there
are no muddy roads except perhaps some field roads with very little
travel. About 1904 Father sold the Lars
Sorenson home and purchased the home directly south of the old school house,
the William Williams home, and here we lived until we moved to Logan in April
of 1913.
I registered for the 9th grade in the BYC at Logan in the fall of
1912. Soon after this, my brother, John
William, left on a mission to the Eastern States. I was late in starting and really lost
interest in school. I wanted to be a
farmer and I could be kept busy on the farm while J. W. was on his mission, so
I dropped out of school at mid-year and worked at home. I registered at the Hyrum High school late in
the fall of 1912. My lifelong friend,
Orville E. Nelson, also registered there and we lived together in an upstairs
apartment above the old Post Office on main street. We quickly became acquainted with the young people
of the town and played on the Hyrum High School basketball team. We really enjoyed the winter and have had
life-long friends from our first year in high school in Hyrum Stake.
I registered at the USAC for my sophomore year, then returned to the
old BYC for 1914-1915, and 16, and 17. I
completed my 5th year normal in the spring of 1917 and began my career as a
teacher in Cache County in September 1917.
Through all of my years in the school before graduation, I was under the
necessity of entering late in the fall and dropping out early in the spring to
work on the farm. I continued to work as
a hired hand on the farms owned by James A. Anderson, J. W. Anderson and my
father’s ranch in Blue Creek, Box Elder County.
I continued my studies by extension and correspondence and summer
school and graduated from the USAC in 1949.
I claim to have a long record in school.
I began in College Ward in the Fall of 1902 and retired from school May
1962. I therefore answered the school
bell for a total of 60 years without a break of a full year.
I registered for a 3-year course in the study of Law, from the LaSall
Extension University. I completed 1/3 of
the courses very well but because of illness in my family, I dropped the course
and never completed it. I also took a
course in wireless telegraphy through the University of Utah in 1918 in
connection with my Army service for Uncle Sam.
My special extension courses, through the years, brought me credits well
above the requirements for a MA Diploma.
I registered at the BYC in the fall of 1911 but had to discontinue that
at mid-year to help with the work on the farm.
It was during the first winter of 1912 at a High School basketball game
and dance in the old Elite Hall in Hyrum that I first met Wanda Facer. Our friendship was of the lasting kind and
after quite a long courtship we were married in the Salt Lake Temple, August
31, 1917, by Elder Joseph F. Smith, of the Council of the Twelve. A later chapter will deal with our happy life
together with our children and our grandchildren and great grandchildren.
I enjoyed my life in school, playing basketball, being a member of the
Track Team, I was a quiet backward young fellow and really did not enjoy being
President of my graduating class in High School. I remember the lines which appeared in the
year book under my picture, “Doesn’t talk much and shies when he sees a
girl”. Our Senior class put on a play at
graduation time and I had one of the important parts.
My ward activity in Logan as a young boy included a part of the giant
in the opera “Jack and the Beanstalk”, and also a part in the drama with Olga
Carlson.
I was blessed with a fine well-proportioned healthy body, and I always
enjoyed hard work. World War I had begun
in 1914 in Europe and at this time Germany was at the peak of her power. U.S. declared war on the Central Powers April
6, 1917 and Sam and Lester enlisted in the 145th Field Artillery soon
after. Elder B. H. Roberts was their
Chaplain. They left school and their
homes and were in Camp Kearny in California.
I finished the year in school and spent most of the summer at our ranch
in Blue Creek. I did take a month off
and worked on the Knudson ranch at Corrine, where brother Levi was
foreman. I was paid $40 for my month’s
wages. I then went back to Blue Creek for the harvest. I had in the meantime signed a contract to
teach school at Trenton in Cache County.
Mom and I had set the date for our marriage for August 31, 1917. I left the ranch immediately following the
harvest, late in August; borrowed $100 from the Cache Valley Bank in Logan and
we traveled to Salt Lake City on the Bamberger line and we were married in the
Temple by Joseph Fielding Smith. Today
he is the 10th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
We were out of the Temple early in the afternoon. We rode a street car to Fort Douglas and
visited with my two brothers, Sam and Lester, who had enlisted in the
Army. We spent the night in the Wilson
Hotel, then returned to Cache Valley the following morning and began our
preparations to set up housekeeping in Trenton to a small two room house. The rent was $7.50 per month. Our furniture consisted of a kitchen Monarch
range purchased from the Lundstrom Furniture Company in Logan. Also, a kitchen table and 4 chairs, small
cupboard, wash stand with a small mirror, a bed, dresser and small center
table. pumped any spilled water ran off
the boards right back into the well. The
well at that home was topped by a board covering. When we pumped any spilled water ran off the
boards right back into the well. Furthermore,
when i gave it a good cleaning in the spring, we discovered to our dismay that salamanders
were living in that well.
After school and on Saturdays I chopped beets, that first fall, earning
more than I was receiving from my salary.
This was a humble beginning, but we were a couple of happy youngsters, anxious
to work and with no fears for the future.
I was to begin my life as a teacher for $72 per month a year of
approximately 8 months. My fine friend
Roy Hall was the Principal at this school. He taught grades 7 and 8, and I taught grades
five and six. Sarah Hayward and Luis
Romney taught the four Primary grades.
Our students from the farms came to school in a buggy. All neighbors who could pile in, came in this
outfit. The school was provided with a
slope-shed, in which the horse and buggy could be kept all day, and the
students brought along a bundle of hay for the horse, each morning.
My first two weeks as a teacher were really not happy ones. I often considered resigning but I remembered
reading something about “The man who put his hand to the plow and looking back,
etc”, and I had no desire to be a quitter, so I put off my resignation for
forty-five years and resigned the first week in May, 1962, having had a
wonderful 45 years as a teacher, school Counselor and a Principal.
I like Nephi of old, was born of goodly parents, and was blessed with a
strong and healthy body, with such a body as I have always possessed, it is a
bit difficult to understand how I could have had such a list of peculiar
diseases, as my record reveals:
Measles - 1905
Whooping Cough - 1907
Mumps - 1913
Articular Rheumatism - 1915 (Dr. H. K. Merrill)
Slight sunstroke - 1915
Tonsillectomy - 1930 (Dr. D.C. Budge)
Influenza - 1918 at Camp Travis in Texas
Spine in my eye from a dry burdock-hospitalized 4 days (Dr.
Porter) - June 16-1950
Shingles (Dr. Burgess)
Phlebitis – 1944-confined 6 weeks (Dr. Burgess)
Gall Bladder Operation-6 weeks in Vets Hospital in 1941, found
small ulcer in stomach (Dr.
Pierce and Covey)
Sciatica – to bed 3 weeks (Dr. Burgess)
Arthritis of lower spine (Dr. Burgess)
Appendectomy - March 16, 1950 (Dr. Burgess)
Congestive Heart Failure - Adelaide, Australia (Dr. Magara) 1963 -
lost 35 pounds-Released from
Mission and returned
home—reported to LDS
Hospital in Logan for series of tests Dr.
Burgess diagnosed Anemia –
ulcer acting up
Prostate Gland trouble-malignancy (Dr. Lund, Ogden) – Feb 1967.
Have taken Hormone tablets
past 4 years and seem to
be okay at Present;
Phlebitis - both legs - 4 days in Logan LDS Hospital (Dr. Burgess)/
Vets Hospital in Salt Lake
City August 8, 1967 following
treatment for phlebitis for
4 weeks-poor circulation (Dr. Layne),
October 1967-LDS Hospital in Logan-further treatment for
Phlebitis. Have had regular checkups since 1967
including
extensive X-rays and blood
tests. Doctors give me a clean bill
of health at this date (Dr.
Burgess and Lund).
June 1970 visited Dr. Tony Lund
and he made examination of
Prostate Gland, smiled and
told me to check with him
again in 3 years.
Jan 4-1971-entered LDS Hospital in Logan for extensive checkup.
Had complete blood tests,
cardiograph and prostate
gland. The growth had almost
disappeared, large 4 years ago.
Dr said he would be safe in
promising me that I would never
die because of this
malignant growth. Weighed 157 lbs. -
quite
a reduction from 200 lbs.
for past 55 years.
As of today, July 1, 1971, I am in fair health. I do seem to get tired rather often, but a
good night sleep generally brings back much of my vitality and thus I am ready
for another day. I am happy and thankful
for such improvement in my health and general condition.
TEACHER TO ADMINISTRATOR IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
I finished my first teaching position at Trenton in the spring of 1918,
the following two years I replaced LeRoy Hall as Principal. The next year I moved to Tyhee, Idaho where I
was Principal in a 3-room school. The 3
trustees of this school were unfriendly to Mormons and I was not offered a
contract for the year 1920 and 1921. In
the meantime, I had talked with Superintendent R. V. Larsen of the Cache County
Schools and accepted a position to teach in the grammar grades of Lincoln
School in Hyrum, where LeRoy Hall was again Principal. Thus, my work in the Lincoln school began in
September of 1921.
In the fall of the year 1927, I believe it was, Mr. Hall transferred to
South Cache High School to be the head of the History Department. Hugh R. Adams was Principal. When Principal Hall transferred the High
School I was appointed Principal of the Lincoln Elementary school I held this position until September 1935
when LeRoy Hall left the teaching profession to become manager of the Lundstrom
Furniture store in Logan, Utah and I was happy to transfer to the High School
where I followed Mr. Hall as Head of the History Department. I enjoyed my work under H. R. Adams.
At South Cache High School, we did not have a drop-out problem, but
there were a few boys who could be called drop-ins. Al they wanted to do was act silly and amuse
themselves in class, wasting everyone's time.
Our solution for this situation, us to send such boys home, allowing
them to return on condition that they would apply themselves to their
studies.
I was employed at the High School as teacher, Department Head, School
Counselor and Principal. I resigned my
position at this school late in Mary of 1959 when my wife, Wanda and I sailed
away to the South Seas, to open a lovely new High School in American Samoa, for
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was the first Principal of the Mapausaga
High School and operated that school until May 1, 1962 when Mom and I returned
home to live in a lovely new home of our own in Lehi Utah. Nadine and Elmo with
their 5 children had a home in Lehi and we expected to live close to them. Now that I had retired, having reached the
ripe old age of 66 years.
OUR HOMES
World War I separated us for 6 months, from July 15 to December 28,
1918. Our lovely Wanda Myrtle was born
at Hyrum, Utah on July 5, 1918 in the large Soren Hansen home on Main
Street. This was three weeks after I had
enlisted in the Army. Wanda and Myrtle
lived with her Father and Aunt Emma while I was in the Army. I was discharged December 23, 1918. On my return from the Army, I found that the Principalship
of the Trenton School was awaiting me at a salary of $125.00 monthly. The school had simply remained closed until
the Army men returned from the service.
There was a pump on our school grounds, having learned more of
sanitation, than had been practiced in the Eighteen Hundreds, we did not have a
bucket and dipper in the class room. We
let the pupils drink at the pump at recess and noon.
We lived for three years in Trenton, Utah, where we occupied four
different homes.
1. Two- room home on
South Main, belonging to a man named Andrews.
2. Joseph Brough home
3. Robson home about ½
mile south of town
4. J. W. Bentley home
on South Main Street. Our second daughter was born in the Bentley home November
25, 1919.
5. We moved to Tyhee,
Idaho on May 1920 and lived in what we called the “Jap” house. It belonged to Father Facer. Our teaching only lasted one year, and we
returned to Hyrum by was of an Emigrant Car.
Here four of our five children were born and three grew up and made of
our home a little Heaven on Earth. We
had our share of worries, hard times and sickness. Two of our babes were not permitted to remain
with us but we have been greatly blessed and our life has been wonderful and
rewarding. We have been a family of many
homes.
6. The sixth house we
lived in was the Emma Liljenquist home, one block east of the Lincoln School,
which we rented.
7. Lofthouse home on 2
West 50 South which we purchased and then sold to Milton Baxter
8. John Israelsen house
1 block south of Elite Hall, rented
9. John Allred home
joining Hyrum first ward on the hill and we sold to Moroni Smith later
10. Les Nuhn, 1st house
north of 3rd Ward Church, rented.
11. George Lemon home
approximately 183 E 2nd South, rented
12. The Old Church, 1st
house east of Soren Hansen House, rented.
13. Dr. Eliason home, 166
East Main, purchased and sold to Wayne Olsen
14. Bendt Nielsen home,
50 South 1st West, purchased and sold to Ellery Bickmore
15. E. J. Wilson home,
442 South Center, purchased and sold to Ree Stauffer
16. James J. Facer home,
purchased and sold to Leon Swenson
17-21. Homes in Samoa, rented
22. O. H. Birch Home for two months, rented
23. Lived in our new home in Lehi for 6 months,
24. Called on Mission to Southern Australia, November 1962, lived in
Howells Apartment in Perth
25. Lived in Ballentine
Apartment in Perth.
26. Wilson Apt in Logan
27. Alpine Motel in Pleasant
Grove-2 months
28. Lehi Home, sold to Bro
Garrett
29. Rouche home in Nibley
30. Florida Mission , Rudolph Apartment- 800 Jenks, Panama City Florida
31. Atmore Alabama Upstairs
Apartment - Mrs. Lewis, 202 ½ South Carney, Atmore Alabama
32. Nibley new home
33. Mobile Home (Magnolia
Deluxe), 26 South 1st East, Hyrum, Utah—added a fine garage
Also lived in Sherrill Apartment in Salt Lake City Utah during
Legislature Sessions (2 regular and 2 special sessions)
TIMELINE and POSITIONS HELD IN THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER -
DAY SAINTS
1. Born March 2, 1896,
College Cache County, Utah
2. Blessed April 1,
1896 by my father, Charles Oscar Dunn
3. Baptized, March 8,
1904 by Elder George H. Tibbits, Logan Temple
4. Confirmed March 8, 1904 by
Elder Thomas Morgan, Logan Temple
5. Ordinations: Deacon, September 3, 1907, Bishop Charles O.
Dunn
6. Teacher, January 15, 1912,
Bishop Charles O. Dunn
7. Priest, April 7, 1913, Bishop Charles W. Dunn (brother)
8. Elder, May 7, 1916, Bishop Charles O. Dunn
9. My first position in
the Church, Secretary Deacons Quorum
10. Married Wanda Facer,
August 31, 1917, Salt Lake Temple, Elder Joseph F. Smith, Sealer
11. Counselor in YMMIA,
Logan 7th Ward
12. Class Leader Mel Priesthood
Class, 1918, Trenton Ward
13. Patriarchal Blessing,
Patriarch John Welch, (Grandfather) (I was very young)
14. Patriarchal Blessing,
Patriarch O. M. Wilson, July 1918 (Prior to Military Service)
15. Wanda and I also
received blessings from Patriarch John C. Brenchley
16. Superintendent, Tyhee
Ward Sunday School, North Pocatello, Idaho
17. Sustained Ward Clerk,
Hyrum Third, July 30, 1922
18. Class Teacher,
Parents Class, Hyrum 3rd Ward with Verna Miller
19. Ward Teacher in
practically every Ward we have resided
20. Sustained 2nd
Counselor Bishop Nicholi Jorgensen, July 15, 1923, Hyrum 3rd.
21. Ordained High Priest,
July 15, 1923, Elder Melvin J. Ballard
22. Set apart First
Counselor, Bishop Jas C. Christensen, Hyrum 3rd, Elder Joseph F. Smith
23. Released from
Bishopric, Aug 16, 1926
24. Supervisor Teachers
Quorum, Nibley Ward
25. Class Leader Adult
Aaronic Priesthood, Nibley Ward
26. Member Ward Choirs,
number of times, Choir Member Logan Stake Choir
27. Member YMMIA Stake
Board, Hyrum Stake
28. Sustained Class
leader High Priest Group Hyrum First Ward
29. Scout Master Hyrum
3rd Ward Scouts, Troop 25, August 16, 1926
30. Sustained Hyrum Stake
Clerk, March 26, 1928, Set apart, Elder David O. McKay
31. Sustained Member High
Council Hyrum Stake, January 12, 1941, set apart, Elder Mark Austin
32. Released Stake Clerk,
March 23, 1941
33. Set apart Temple
officiator, Logan Temple, May 26, 1944 (Pres. ElRay L. Christiansen)
34. Released from High
Council, April 17, 1949
35. Sustained
Superintendent Hyrum 3rd Sunday School Counselor, Lamont Larsen and Carroll
Miller
36. Released as Sunday
School Superintendent, Nov. 11, 1951
37. Released Temple
Officiator, October 15, 1953
38. Sustained President
High Priests Quorum, Hyrum Stake Feb 6, 1955
Counselors: Earnest S. Obray,
Seth P. Leishman, Reuben Hansen Sec.
39. Released Pres. High
Priests Quorum, Oct 15, 1957
40. Called to establish
new High School for Church in American Samoa.
Interviewed by Elder Spencer W. Kimball of Council of the Twelve. Serve three years as Principal, Mapusaga High
School, June 1959 to May 1962. This was one of the finest experiences that My
Wanda Marie and I have had in this life.
41. Branch President in
Australia, Elizabeth Branch, 1962, Member Perth District Council
42. Branch President in
Panama City, Florida, 1966
43. Branch President in
Atmore, Alabama, 1966
44. Mission to Australia,
1962
45. Mission to Florida,
Dec. 1965
OUR MISSIONS
AUSTRALIA
My Wanda Marie and I were called as missionaries to the Southern
Australian Mission and set apart by Elder Harold B. Lee, of the Council of the
Twelve, November 11, 1962. We were
assigned to labor in the Perth area, which included four Branches at that
time. We were responsible for organizing
the fellowshipping program in these Branches.
I also was sustained a member of the Perth District Council. This was a wonderful assignment for us, and
My Wanda really enjoyed this assignment.
She made friends here who will remember her and bless her all the days
of their lives. Here in Australia we
became well acquainted with President Bruce R. McConkie and his lovely
wife. We have loved them dearly and I
shall love and respect them as long as I shall live. Sometime in July, we were transferred to the
Adelaide area and I was to preside over the Elizabeth Branch some 20 miles
north and west of Adelaide. We served
there until our release in December of 1963.
FLORIDA
Mother and I entered the Mission Home on November 29, 1965, in
preparation for service as missionaries in the Florida Mission. We were set apart and blessed by Elder
Delbert L. Stapley, of the Council of the Twelve. I received a wonderful blessing under the
hands of Elder Stapley, and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. I realize that the blessings pronounced upon
my head are to be realized only as I am a faithful servant in the work of The
Master. Among many other promises, I
remember the following: 1. The Spirit and inspiration of God to be with
me, 2. His protection to be over my Wanda and me and also to be over our loved
ones at home, 3. We, including our family, were promised peace of mind because
of the faithfulness of our dear ones, 4. Wanda and I were promised health and
strength sufficient for us to meet the appointments and duties in the service,
5. We were promised that we would be an influence for good and a blessing to
those with whom we should labor, 6. I was informed …….???
Service in the Mission Field:
Mother and I had fasted all day and had prayed for the Spirit of the
Lord to inspire the Servant of God, who should set us apart. Our tears flowed freely as we sat under the
hands of Elder Stapley. This has been
such a wonderful day. We shall never
forget this Holy Day. December 1, 1965,
we purchased our Temple Garments. Have
purchased our accident insurance for the duration of our Mission. We have sat with all the missionaries for a
group picture. Also had a group picture of the 10 older couples in the Mission
Home. Were set apart for our missions
and received our Minister’s Certificates.
At 9:20 this evening, our classes for this day ended.
A letter came today from President Ned Winder of the Florida Mission,
requesting another program of our Ward Testimonial. In this letter he saluted us as President and
Sister Dunn. We wondered just what that
meant. We later learned that we were to
preside over the Panama City Branch of the Church. The people all loved President Dunn. But it
was difficult to listen to their sorrows and not be affected by all of it. Too much sorrow, too much infidelity. All this hurt terribly.
In August, we were assigned to preside over the Atmore Branch of the
Church in Atmore, Alabama. Troubles here
too. Not so many members and so much
inactivity. No one could play the piano
so we had a great disadvantage. There
were good people here too.
(Grandma Wanda Marie wrote the following:) "The Branch had a fine
piece of property and Sim made the final payment on it, so if they could have
raised the money, they could have had a fine chapel.
Sim began to lose weight and was so ill he could not sleep or eat. He looked so miserable. He decided to ask for a release when the year
was over, so he did. Pres. Glen Rudd and
his counselors, Hatch and Nielsen came to Atmore to see us and to give Sim his
release. We were very sorry to leave but
it was for the best. Pres. Rudd asked
what he could do for us while he was there, so we told him to go see the Madison’s. Both Charlie and Pres. Rudd were impressed
with each other. They stood eye to eye
and the president told Charlie that a new chapel was to be dedicated in two
weeks at Mobile, that the new font would be full and how nice it would be if he
could be the first baptized there and that his son Roger could do it. Charlie would not commit himself but he said
he would consider. We were so anxious to
hear what happened and were happy that Charlie Madison was baptized that
day. Reports are that he is the mainstay
for the Branch and doing fine."
A short time prior to our
release to return home, President Winder was released and was succeeded by
Pres. Rudd. We knew President Rudd for
just a short time, as he tendered our release, December 1, 1966.
(Wanda Marie insert): "We
left Atmore and went to Panama City for a couple of days, then on to Columbia
to see Elmo and Nadine, Howard, Leone, and Diane came out for Christmas. Lynda was there and Karen, Nada and Sandy, so
we had a fine time with our dear ones.
Elmo had a meeting in Provo the 1st of the year, so he drove our car out
for us. We had a fine trip to Utah, saw
our first snow at Gallup, New Mexico. Went to Nibley and took our home back
from Byron and Tebe. We liked Nibley and
the people so very well, but this was not the place for us. The fruit trees had died and it was too much
work for Sim to do.
Sim went to the hospital and then to Ogden to Dr. Tony Lund, who
performed a test and reported he had a malignancy in the Prostate Gland. they did not operate but gave him hormones
and that took care of the growth. His
legs were bad...lumps and very painful.
He took it pretty well but was a worry.
August 19, 1967 was Open House for our 50th Wedding Anniversary. Sim had been in the Veterans Hospital for
several weeks but they let him come home for the Open House. We did not go to the Chapel but had it in our
home. Sim could not stand on his legs very
long so he sat most of the time. It was
lovely and we enjoyed it very much.
Elmo, Nadine and the children were here.
Myrtle and Harry and Mary, Marla and Lin. Jane and Gordon and the girls were all in
Bolivia so they could not be here. That
made us lonely but other than that we had a lovely afternoon. Sim went back to the hospital in Salt Lake
the next morning and I went to Afioga's, a wonderful friend. Elden and Louise were in Germany, but their
girls came from Salt Lake and Ogden. We
remained in Nibley until Sept 1969 when we sold our place to Elwood Morgan and
purchased a large Mobile home and bought a lot from Russel Allen and now are in
the process of building a garage and patio.
Back to Hyrum Third Ward. This
has been our home for most of our married life and most of my life so we feel
we are home again. Home for both of
us. I am happy."
In the autumn of 1969, Mother and I, while visiting with Elmo, Nadine
and the family in Columbia, South Carolina, drove down to Panama City where we
visited most of the Branch members of the Panama City Branch. We also visited the Atmore Branch and
received a warm welcome from the Saints and out friends of missionary days.
We spent two nights, I believe, with Brother and Sister Cecil
Gilbert. He was my Branch Clerk in
Panama City. In Atmore, we stayed at the
home of Mrs. Lewis who was our landlady while we lived in Atmore. She was not a
member, but was a very lovely lady, whom we respected and loved.
POLITICAL ACTIVITY: While I have
voted the Republican Ticket as a general rule, I have never been a Radical
Republican in any sense of the word. I
came from a family that were classed as Republican. My father, Charles Oscar Dunn, was to say the
least, a strong Republican. It appears
that the Mormons, of early days, were largely Democrats. The time when the Authorities of the Church
considered it wise to live under the Two-Party System. They therefore
encouraged people who were not too strong for the Democrats to join with the
Republicans in making a strong Republican organization. My Father, in connection with many others,
were asked to help form a new Political Party.
Thus, he became “A Good Republican” and remained faithful so long as he
lived. I think he never missed a single
time in any election to vote.
I served as a party worker for the Republicans in the Hyrum Precinct;
as a party Chairman several times; party Secretary several times; I was elected
Hyrum City Councilman two, 2-year terms and one 4-year term (a total of 10
years). These years were Democratic and
with one exception I was the only Republican on the council. I served as Hyrum City Manager one
summer. While City Councilman, I served
as Chairman or the Finance Committee and Chairman of the Light and Power
Department. In November 1950 Election, I
was elected to House of Representatives, representing Cache County, State of
Utah. I was re-elected to the Utah House
in the election of 1952 and served a total of tour years at the State Capitol. This was one of the finest experiences of my
life, outside the LDS Church. I served
as a member of the Cache County Republican Central Committee, a member of the
State Legislature, I was appointed Chairman of the important Educational
Committee and a member of the State Central Committee of the Republican
Party. I served as a member of the
Welfare Committee for Cache County for 4 years; chairman of the U.S. War Bond
drive in Hyrum for one year, during WWII, served many times as a Delegate to
the Cache County Republican Conventions; and delegate to State Republican
Convention several times. Because of my
intense interest in Education, I often disagreed with Governor J. Bracken Lee
and as a result I sometimes was not too happy with my work. I well remember that on one special day I had
clashed with the Governor in a party caucus.
That evening was the Governor’s reception for all members and employees
of the Legislative Session. I told my
Wanda that I had decided to absent myself from the reception. Her reaction was “we are going to the
Governor’s Mansion; I would not miss it for the world!” We attended the Reception and when we
approached the Governor and his Lady, he looked up and said, “Well
Representative Dunn, we meet again.
Stand by your guns, I admire you for it.” In the years that have elapsed,
I have really learned that I had a wonderful experience; associated with fine
men and women and made many close friends.
I have even forgotten most of the actions of the Governor, which were
calculated to discourage me and weaken my influence among the members of the
House of Representatives.
Since the year 1953, I have taken almost no part in Party
Politics. I think I have read somewhere,
in the Bible, I believe: “OLD MEN FOR
WISDOM---AND---YOUNG MEN FOR WAR.”
AMERICAN LEGION: Joined the Post in Logan Utah soon after it was
organized … I am a paid member at this present time. Through the years, I have
served as Post Commander during WWII. Have served as Chaplain several times.
ARMY SERVICE: Enlisted June 15, 1918. Fort Douglas, Utah. Mustered in.. Served
in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and Camp Travis, San Antonio, Texas, 18th Division,
218 Field Signal Bn. Co. 13. Discharged Dec. 23, 1918 – Corporal. LIFELONG
FRIENDS: Orville Nelson, Leonard Sorenson, Lyman Schenk, Cyrus Anderson, Wesley
Nelson, Alvin Jensen, all of College Ward, LeRoy Hall and Victor Israelsen of
Hyrum, Utah. Four of these friends, Orville Nelson, Victor Israelsen, Leonard
Sorensen, Roy Hall are all deceased. MY FIRST SIGHT OF AUTOMOBILES: When I was
5 or 6 years old, I saw a small car in Logan, driven by Bob Murdock. My first
ride was in the car owned by Governor Spry. He had business in Logan. His
chauffer had a flat tire in College Ward, and I was one of the small boys who
helped pump air into the tire, and we all had a ride in the large open-air red
car. It was quite an experience. GIFT OF HEALING: My Father, in his Patriarchal
Blessing, was promised the gift of healing. This gift came to him early in
life, and we were taught to have faith in this ordinance. When I was Hyrum
Stake Clerk, about 1933, I contracted a severe attack of Sciatic Rheumatism.
Hyrum Stake was holding a quarterly conference and Elder Rudger Clawson, of the
Council of the Twelve was our visitor. Following the afternoon session, the
Stake Presidency brought Elder Clawson to our home and he administered to me
and gave me a wonderful blessing. A few hours later the pain, that had been so
severe for more than two weeks, left me and I have never suffered from this
disease to this day, Jan. 12, 1972. CHURCH LEADERS WHO VISITED WITH US IN OUR
HOME IN MAPUSAGA, AMERICAN SAMOA: Church Authorities, Apostles and General MIA
Board Members often stayed with us while waiting for planes, which did not
operate more than 2 or 3 days during the week. We enjoyed their presence with
us. Wanda was a wonderful hostess and we were greatly blessed through their
influence upon us and their blessings to us individually. The following leaders
were the servants of our Heavenly Father and we thanked The Father for their presence
in our home: Elder and Sister John Longdon; Elder and Sister Mark E. Petersen;
Elder and Sister Marvin Ashton of MIA General Board; Elder and Sister Holt; Dr.
and Sister Richards; Sister Richards of the MIA General Board; President
Charles I. Sampson of the Mission had a room at our home whenever he came to Tutuila.
Sister Sampson often came with him. We also entertained members of the Pacific
Board of Education when they visited on our Island, for planes to transport
them to Church College of Hawaii. These students had graduated from The Church
College of Tonga. Wanda was so happy to care for these girls. She loved them
and made them welcome and happy. In one instance a lovely girl, named Ruby
Wolf, stayed with us for 5 weeks. For some reason she was not allowed to enter
Hawaii. Through these months of our life in American Samoa, a wonderful young
Samoan girl of 17 years lived with us and aided Wanda Marie with the work of
the home. Her name was Annie Bourne, her home was in Western Samoa. We also had
a lovely Samoan woman, Afioga Galeai, who lived with us much of the time and
was such a wonderful aid and friend of my Wanda Marie. OTHER AUTHORITIES WHO
HAVE BEEN IN OUR HOME: My Wanda and I were married in the Salt Lake Temple,
August 31, 1917 by Elder Joseph F. Smith of the Council of the Twelve. Years
later, when I was Hyrum Stake Clerk, we asked that we might have Brother Smith
to our home for dinner. Our three lovely daughters were in their teens and of
course were thrilled to have such a wonderful man in our home. In the course of
the dinner, I said, “Elder Smith, you performed the marriage ceremony for us,
back in 1917.” Elder Smith smiled and said, “Did I do a good job?” On January
13, 1924 I was set apart by Elder Joseph F Smith as First Counselor to Bishop
Jas. G. Christensen, in Hyrum 3rd Ward. HOBBIES: I think I am not an avid
sports fan today, but in my High School and College days I really enjoyed
basketball, baseball, track and field competition, swimming and wrestling. I
was blessed with a wonderful body, strong and healthy and fully able to take
care of myself in most contests and work requiring strength and long hours of
activity. I have always loved fishing and hunting, and through the years this
love has really increased; although during the past 12 years I have done
practically no fishing or hunting. I love travel by jet planes and have many
hours of flight between Salt Lake City, Hawaii Fiji, Samoan Islands, New
Zealand and Australia. I have also enjoyed jet travel in Western and Southern
United States. I think perhaps I preferred travel by the large luxury ocean
liners to that of the planes. VACATIONS: Through the years we have enjoyed many
vacations. I have no record of the number of times we have visited the
Yellowstone Park, but that has been the first place that came to the mind of
our three daughters and their mother and father when the subject was up for
discussion in the family circle. Since those early days when our gals were
home, there have been very few visits to the Park. Our vacations have been our
visits to our lovely daughters, where we have learned to appreciate and love
our grandchildren and our fine sons-in-law. In late years, we have welcomed
twelve great grandchildren to the family of thirteen grandchildren who came to
the homes of our three lovely daughters and their husbands. At the present
time, Grandpa Dunn makes his visits alone, but he still claims to have the
loveliest daughters, the finest sons-in-law, the best grandchildren and the
most wonderful great grandchildren to be found between the Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans. I still enjoy vacations. Vacations other than the above, have included
one three-week trip to the Northeastern States, the Eastern States, from New
York to Washington, DC. We returned home by way of Carthage, Nauvoo,
Independence and through other states as we came west to Utah. Mother and I
have been to California many times and have traveled widely in the South
Pacific area. We have also visited Canada, the Cardston Temple with By and Tebe
and the Passion Play in the Dakotas. Through all these years I had the
encouragement and support of a faithful, lovely and devoted wife, the mother of
our five children, who was largely responsible for our happy home. I think she
read somewhere, something to the effect that a “Wife should provoke her husband
to good works”. This scripture has been faithfully followed in her life, for
almost 53 years. I am truly thankful for my Wanda and our lovely daughters and
their families. At this date, March 24, 1970, our mothers, our fathers, my one
sister and four brothers have departed this life. Six of the original children
still live, Harriet (Hattie) Allen, of Hyrum; Eva Snow of Nibley; Samuel Atwood
of Tyhee, Idaho; Lester Welch and Leslie Smith both of Ogden, Utah; and Simeon
Adams who is now living in 26 So 1st East Hyrum, Utah where with his lovely
wife they have lived so many happy years and where their wonderful daughters
grew from childhood into lovely womanhood, and brought so much happiness and
joy to Mom and Dad.
OUR
GRANDCHILDREN: Barbara married James N. Leiser in 1960 and they have six
children...David-June 14, 1961; Steven-June 28, 1962; Mark-born and died July
1963, John Paul-May 22, 1965, and Julie and Jamie - June 9, 1967. They are
living in Hyrum. Lynda graduated from USU, June 1967 and worked in Denver.
There she met a young man who had joined the Church and so she married Walter
Flewallen. they moved to California where she taught school. She got her
divorce October 1969. Her little boy Steven, was born July, 1969, they were
married March 1, 1968. Howard married May. 1968 and is going to BYU and will
finish his Master's June 1970. He married Sharon Pearl Reed. They have a baby
girl, Sheridan-Feb 1969. They were married in the Manti Temple. Karen and Nada
were married Dec. 18, 1968. Karen married Lance Harmon and Nada married Charley
Lux. Nada is a licensed beautician and they live in Brunswick, Georgia. Lance
and Karen live in Phoenix. Sandy is going to BYU. Leone graduated from USU last
June, 1969 and is teaching in Brawley, California. Diane is finishing her
student teaching this term at Smithfield. She will join Leone at Brawley in the
spring. Marie is married to Jim Nelson of Tempe and they have a baby girl,
December 24, 1969. They married Jan. 21, 1969. Debra is a senior at Manti High
School. Marla is going to the USU and Lin at Shasta College at Shasta,
California. Myrtle and Harry have purchased a ranch at Redding, California, and
they are in the process of moving there. Mary goes to elementary at Redding- 8
years old. Our lovely Mother passed away July 19, 1970, in the LDS Hospital,
following surgery for an Aneurism in the large Artery, which supplies the legs
and lower abdomen with blood from the heart. Dr. Conrad Jensen, heart surgeon
performed the operation. Complications resulted and blood clots collected in
her right leg. She passed away at 9pm after opening her eyes slightly and a
sweet smile came upon her face and she breathed her last. Thus, ended the life
of a Faithful Wife and MOTHER. She leaves a family who loved her dearly and
will always cherish the teaching and example she was to all of them. She was
prepared to leave this mortal existence, and as Paul, "had fought a good
fight", lived a full life, and has earned a great reward which will be waiting
for her in the Mansion of her and our Heavenly Father. our responsibility now,
is to live worthy of someday joining her and continue this rich relationship we
have enjoyed as mortals on earth.
Simeon Adams Dunn, 1917--Junior at Brigham Young College in Logan Utah |
Wanda Marie Facer |
Newspaper article from the LOGAN REPUBLICAN, Thursday September 6, 1917 |
MY STORY
By Wanda Marie Facer Dunn
I Wanda Marie Facer, (Dunn), was born December 6, 1894 at
Avon, Cache County, Utah. My parents, James Jarvis and Myrtle (Lechtenberg)
Conyngham Facer lived on a farm in Avon.
I was the fourth child of these parents:
James Vere, born May 20, 1889; George Lester, born 10 June 1891 and died
June 11, 1891; Redmond Fay, born November 8, 1892 and myself Wanda Marie, born
December 6, 1894. Our Bessie, (Sarah
Elizabeth) born March 16, 1896 and died February 26, 1901.
Our first home was under the hill South. While living here Father was called on a
mission to the Southern States. Mother
kept the farm going with the help of the Carter Brothers, Harold and the other
I do not remember. This was in
1898. This was hard on Mother and her
health was impaired. I do not remember
too much of this time, but I do remember Father returning home in 1900. We went to Brigham to Father’s sister’s home which
was across the street from the Railroad Station. We went shyly to meet him when he alighted
from the train. This was a joyous time
fort his family and it also was a beginning of tragedy. As we had awaited the trains arrival, my
cousin ran down the stairs of the home of Aunt Lizzie and hugged our Bessie,
who was a lovely little lass of four.
Brown curls and a very pretty little girl. That night the Doctor came and announced that
Hazel had Smallpox.
We returned home to Avon and Bessie came down with the
dreaded smallpox. We all had the severe
disease, and Bessie contracted pneumonia and passed away. Membranous croup the Doctor called it. Fay was ill at the same time and I well
remember Mother hanging on the gate after the funeral afraid to go in the house
for fear Fay would be dead also. But we
all recovered and became well again. Later
the same Spring, Fay and I had the chicken pox.
The neighbors were afraid to come in. I remember the good brethren from
the ward coming to the window where Fay and I were and how we giggled as they
looked at us through the windowpane.
I had a happy and sad childhood. Always there seemed was the fear of
death. I was not allowed to do the
things the others did. Never could swim
or skate on the river. Mother was afraid
I would get hurt or drown, but I played as most of the children did in those
days. No sisters, so I became a regular
tomboy. I did the things that Fay did,
climbed trees, rode horses and helped him with the milking and he helped me
with the dishes. We would ride the cows
to and from the pasture. Father took us
to Logan to the circus and afterward we would ride the old mare, which was a
broad as a barn, bareback -- standing up and doing all sorts of tricks as the
people did in the circus. My nearest girlfriend
was Emily Knowles, who lived through the field.
Elise and Wilda Johnson lived near also, but I always liked Emily
best. Then in school there was Dora
Davis, Myrtle Summers and Marguerite Davis.
My best pal was a lady that lived across the street from our place,
Annie Knowles, she lived there near our home, with her husband Sam, and son
Louis. Louis I did not like much. I used to play with the dog at Annie Knowles
place, Shep, I think was his name.
I was a good student in school. My only competitor was Joseph Law. He could get ahead of me in spelling bees, if
he got to the top first. He could out
spell anyone. Vilate Muhn and Robert
Pearce were my teachers.
Father was a hard-working farmer. After he returned from his mission, he began
the new house across the street. A two-room
downstairs—with a pantry and a pump in the pantry so we had plenty of water, a
porch all around two sides of the house and a large room upstairs. And on the south of the kitchen and across
the porch a shanty where we could wash.
We had a large barn. Mother
planted lovely flowers and I remember the snowball bush at the gate. Father planted many fruit and shade
trees. We also had a large granary and
on the side a storage for ice, so we had ice cream all summer. This was a happy time for a while.
My mother was ill most to the time. I never remember when we did not have a hired
girl and – well, they were mostly good to us, but sometimes they got
cross. Vere teased them so much, but I
guess they were good to us. Always was
the fear of death though. Mother could
not carry her babies. First there was George Lester, and then Bessie and then
the twins and then Myrtle Rose after which there was two other babies that
died. This was extremely hard on our
mother. When Myrtle Rose died the doctor
brought a little girl to mother and we had out Ethel. She was four weeks old.
Father was Bishop of the Avon Ward after his mission. He was loved by all the people. He was also a cattle buyer and would be away
from home a great deal of time going to Star Valley, Wyoming and trailing
cattle from Star Valley to Ogden. So,
Vere was Mother’s main stay and she was adored by him. He would pick her up and out of her bed and
waltz around with her. She had taught
him to waltz earlier in life. Then he
would hold her in the rocker chair and rock and sing to her. She was bed fast so much of the time, after
losing five babies and grieving so much.
After Myrtle Rose died, the doctor fearful for Mother’s
health brought Ethel to her one night. I
remember when this happened. She began
to nurse Mother immediately, as if she was starved. I guess she was starved. She was a twin and the mother had not enough
to feed the two of them. How we gathered
around the bed and watched – that is, all except Vere, who would not come near
until Father, Fay and I left to go eat our supper. Then we heard Vere talking to the baby. He always adored Ethel.
Our hired girls I should name, first there was the
Fredricksen girls, from Avon. I do not
even remember their names. Also, the Pulsipher girls—these also it seems I have
forgotten their names. Later, there was
Barbara Hopkins. I liked her best of
all. I think Vere teased them so much
and that was the reason they were cross.
But I am sure they were good to us, and to mother.
Our nights were always happy, Mother would gather us around
her bed and sing to us. She had a lovely
contralto voice. Always she would end
the evening singing my song, ‘Juanita’.
This was a happy time for us.
When she was well, Mother was President of the Primary and sang in the
Ward Choir.
I should tell how our Father would go to Logan, it seems now
quite often and always bring home a large sack of taffy candy. One time he bought a dresser to mother. We still have it in the family. I remember when he got our first washer, one
which was turned by hand. Fay and I took
turns all the way home from Logan, turning it.
It was not so much fun when it was full of clothes and water.
In 1905 because of mother’s ill health we moved to
Ogden. But did not remain there long and
moved to Logan to be near our grandmother and Aunt Susie, mother’s mother and
sister. Here we lived on about 325 East
Center. In the Gabrielsen house and on
the bank of a canal. Aunt Susie lived
through the block and grandmother next to Aunt Susie. They were very good to us.
My best friend was Lettie Turner who lived on the corner west
of us. She and her mother were very good
to us. I went to the, as I remember, we
called it the Red Bug School. There were
millions of them at the school! I believe
it is the Whittier School now. Wm.
Apperly was my teacher, I was so scared of him. It was reported, and of course
was not true, but I did not know any better – that he was a spiritualist and
would make the benches dance over the kids he kept in after school. I had to stay in once and was scared to
death. I remembered how I cried. So, he let me go.
Our mother passed away September 26, 1906. Everyone was kind but this was a terrible
thing for me, for all of us. I guess
Vere was hardest hit as he had been so close to mother and he was 17 years old. Grandmother came to live with us, and she
made us as happy as she could. She was a
very special person and always made people happy around her. She would sing to us as our mother did. So, I remember this as a sad and a happy time. Grandmother had a sad life and she made
others happy around her. She was a
wonderful person and so very lovely. She
lost ten of her eleven children before she passed away—Mother, Aunt Susie, Uncle
Karl and Uncle Pete all left families and to each home she went and helped in
her cheery way. So, our lot was not so
difficult because of our lovely grandmother.
We remained in Logan for a few months, Father became ill in March with a
ruptured appendix and seemed he was not to live either, but he was finally improved,
and we were allowed to see him. I
remember how they cautioned me to be careful and not excite him, when I could
go see him in the hospital. I tried hard
to be careful but was overpowered by the smell of ether and fell to the floor
in a faint. It did not harm my dad and
he came home in about six weeks or two months’ time. Then we moved back to Avon to the farm.
Father had bought a lot east of the Gabrielsen home, where
we had been living and intended to build a home there that Summer – 1907. I was happy at the prospect of going back to
Logan and enjoyed the farm place in Avon.
Father, also intended to finish the house at Avon, which had never been
completed, but fate intervened.
In June 1907, Father was called to be Bishop of Hyrum Third
Ward, so in September we oved to Hyrum.
I hated it but went along. On
August 1, 1907, Father married Emma Louise Jackson of Avon. I’m afraid we did not welcome her very
cordially as it meant our beloved Grandmother had to leave us. She had made a happy home for us since the
death of our mother. So, we did not
cooperate very well with Aunt Emma.
Father was not accepted very well in Hyrum 3rd
Ward. For some reason the Bishop had resigned,
and the people did not accept a new Bishop from the little town of Avon. The people were really up in arms about
this. But it was not long before Father
won them all over. I am sure no Bishop
was ever more respected and sincerely loved by the members of the ward as was
my Father. His first counselors were Zacharias
Israelsen and Louis T. Miller. Later,
Bro. Miller was released and Neils J. Nielsen, the former Bishop was the second
counselor. This was a move that made the
people happy. This was a closely-knit
Bishopric. They all loved each other.
When they were sustained in the Ward, it was reported that
Louis T. Miller failed to vote for my Father and then his name was presented as
Counselor. He became one of Father’s
staunchest friends and most loyal to him always. But because of conflicting work he had to ask
for a release. They were all very good
friends of Father.
First, we lived in part of Z. W. Israelsen’s home. Later Father purchased the Estle-Smith home
on 2nd West and 1st North. Later he sold this place to Estle-Smith and
purchased the Soren Hansen home and the two houses next on the East. One he sold to Jacob Allgaier and his wife
Anna the other he kept.
Vere and Fay served on Missions, Vere in the Eastern States
and Fay in England. Elden, Aunt Emma’s
only child was born November 15, 1908 and he also served on a mission in
Germany.
I had many friends in Hyrum and always loved the place. Nearest were Eulalia Nielsen, who married Fay
in 1917. There was also, Isabella Savage,
Rosalie McBride, Hermoine Haws, LaVeda Allen, Florence Allen, and Essie Nielsen. There were many others, but these were
special pals. I love the ward, school
and my friends in Hyrum.
My schooling was limited.
I graduated from the eighth grade and went to the Hyrum High School for
two years. Then the High School was
discontinued for two years. Father would
not let me go to Logan to school so that was stopped. I started working in the stores in
Hyrum. First for the store run by Mr.
Gunnell and this was located where the Bank is now. I think they called it the Hyrum Co-co. Later, I worked in the Allen Mercantile Store
run by Z. W. Israelsen and owned by Florence Allen’s mother.
I was always unhappy about not going to school. I was a good student and loved school. When the Hyrum High School reopened two years
later I did not go. Fay and Vere were on
missions and they thought they needed me to work. I did not make enough to count so it did not
help much. Now I wish I had gone back to
school.
The Winter of 1913 LaVeda and I went with Jack Wahlen to a
basketball game at the old school building. Veda and I had new dresses of black
voile over red and they were very pretty.
Veda’s sister, Elgeva, had made them for us. We stood at the south end of the hall and
when the players ran out on the floor, I exclaimed of one of them, “Oh, look at
those arms!” Jack said, “Wouldn’t you
like them around you?” I answered, “That would be Heaven.” Later at the dance, Roy Hall came up to
Isabelle and me and asked if he could introduce two of the players to us. I asked him to point them out and he said,
“Oh, they are alright”. So, I met Sim
and his pal Orville Nelsen. The next day
they came up to Hyrum, from College Ward in a rubber-tired buggy and took
Isabelle and I for a ride. I guess it
was love at first sight, but it was not until 1917 that we were married. Sim had to finish school at the Brigham Young
College, at Logan. So, we waited—sometimes not seeing each other for
weeks. No money and no transportation in
those days.
August 31, 1917 Simeon A. Dunn and Wanda Marie Facer were
married in the Salt Lake Temple. The
ceremony was performed by Elder Joseph Fielding Smith of the Council of
Twelve. While at Salt Lake we stayed at
the old Wilson Hotel. I remember there
was a wild party in the room next to mine.
I was scared, and happy when the next night came and I could be with
Sim.
We began our married life in a two - room house, the Andrews
home in Trenton, Utah; where Sim had signed to teach school with Roy Hall as
Principal. They had been and have always
been life-long friends. The house was a
little one, we had a bed and dresser in the one room. A table, four chairs, stove and steel couch
in the kitchen. This was our furniture,
but we were very much in love and so happy.
Our water was from a well out back and this was open and had many
salamanders in it. Our toilet was, also
out back. This did not make for much sanitation,
but we lived and were very happy.
Our nearest next-door neighbors were J.W. and Florina
Bentley and their two daughters Gertrude and Eva. How we loved these dear people.
The people of Trenton were fine and made us very
welcome. Besides Roy Hall, there was
Sarah Hayward and Lula Romney. Sim taught fifth and sixth grades. Sim enjoyed teaching with these people. Especially his good friend Roy Hall. His salary was not much, $72.50 per month for
eight months. Out of this we were paying
for our furniture and $7>00 a month rent.
Some time in this year, in April I think, Sim went to Logan
and when he returned, he told me he had enlisted in the Army. World War I was in progress. His two
brothers, Sam and Lester were already in the Army. Sim said he did not want to be drafted. Roy Hall enlisted in the Navy at the same
time. I was broken hearted but should
have expected this to happen. I had just
put it out of my mind and would not permit myself to think of it. After school closed in May, we went to Hyrum
and moved into part of Father’s house, next to the big house. Here we lived until June when Sim’s call
came. I moved in with Father, Aunt Emma
and Ethel and Elden. They were very good
to me. But I was unhappy. Our first little girl was born July 5, 1918. Sim for back from Fort Douglas a few hours
before she was born. Then had to report
back to Salt Lake and to duty. Stayed
two days. On August 4, 1918 this little
one was christened by her Father assisted by my father. We named her Wanda Myrtle. She was a very cross baby and cried during
the blessing. She cried constantly – I
was nursing her and was surely responsible for her crying. She was a very pretty little child. Large blue eyes and lovely golden hair. A real beauty.
August 15th Sim left for, first for Fort
Leavenworth, Kansas and from there to Fort (Camp) Travis, Texas. Myrtle and I went home with Father and Aunt
Emma. They were so good to us, Father
and Aunt Emma adored little Myrtle. She
would always be good when Father held her.
Ethel was so good with her too; she would take her for rides in her
little doll buggy. Other times, she
cried constantly. We just stayed home
and both of us cried a lot. Father moved
to the ranch north of Mendon and there we lived all summer and fall. Fay and Eulalia lived there also. They had a cattle and dairy set up
there. Eulalia and Fay had a little boy,
born September 15, 1918. He was a big
child and so different to our dainty little Myrtle. But a very good baby and sweet as could be. They too, were good to me and tried to help
me. But there was no happiness without
Sim. This was the time when the big flu epidemic broke out, so we never left
the ranch. Did not even go to see Sim’s folks in Logan. Myrtle and I just stayed home. We did not get the flu.
The Armistice was signed November 11, 1918. Everyone in Hyrum were up town celebrating
except Myrtle and myself. Crying happy
tears this time. We were probably the
only ones not uptown that night. Now
everyone would come home, we thought.
But it was not that easy. Carl
got in touch with Superintendent R. V. Larsen and he said if Sim could get released,
he could go back to teach in Trenton, as Principal. So, Sim got papers signed and was interviewed
and the ball started rolling. He was in
line for Officers Training Corp, but he wanted to come home. When his Superior Officer interviewed him to
come home, the officer said, “Tell me, isn’t it true you are lonesome and want
to go home because of that? The Army takes pretty good care of your wife and
baby, do they not?” Sim replied that he
had been in since June and so far, I had not received any money from the
government. The man made an oath and signed
the release. I had one check, but it was
just about the time of the interview. I
had not received any compensation and it would have been very bad if it had not
been for the fact that I could live with Father and Aunt Emma. So, he received his release. I met every train that came into Mendon and
as a result I caught a bad cold. Father put his foot down and forbade me to go
anymore. He said when Sim came, he would
call up and we could go up then. So, it
happened, he came in and no one to meet him.
Elden was in the field and began to jump up and down and screamed,
“There’s a soldier coming through the field”.
He had walked from Mendon to the ranch.
I was washing diapers and Ethel was holding Myrtle. She just looked at her Daddy with the big
blue eyes. I am sure he thought she was
a beauty. How happy we were to have him
come home again to us. He went to see
his folks in Logan, but we did not go.
The flu was raging, and we did not take any chances, we did not get it.
January 2nd.
Sim and I went to Trenton and he began teaching – as Principal this
time. We lived in a couple of rooms of
the Wm. Brough home. Brother Brough
having died earlier that fall of the flu.
Myrtle was a changed baby. She
was a happy and beautiful child now. I
am sure she missed her daddy. Later in her
school years she wrote a composition of this time saying: “Grandpa thought she
was sick, Grandma thought she was spoiled, Mother also thought she was ill, but
the fact was, she missed her dad and wanted to fight by his side”.
The school year was a success. The teachers with Sim were Audrey Mund,
Ardell Yonk and Donald Jessop. In the
spring, we moved to the Robeson home, south of town and we lived there until
fall, the Bentleys took over the Hotel and we moved into their house. Sim again was Principal of the school. Other teachers were Orpha Larsen and Marie
Hendry.
We lived in the Bentley place until the following
summer. Our Bishop was named Petersen
and later Elmer Robeson was Bishop. We
enjoyed the Trenton Ward, so very much.
November 25, 1919 our dear little Nadine was born. Myrtle was talking a blue streak now, almost
17 months old. When Nadine uttered her
first cry, Myrtle awakened and she stood up in her crib and exclaimed, “Cry
baby, cry baby!” I had a very rough time.
Dr. Adamson could not get there because of the bad storm and muddy
roads, Sister Bentley and Sim delivered the baby, Sim tying the cord. I was hemorrhaging so badly but finally Dr.
Adamson came and took care of my bleeding.
I was weak for weeks and could not get out of bed. The Bentleys were so good to me, to us. Aunt Emma came down from Pocatello and stayed
for a couple of weeks. She was so very
good to us, fixed our Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, the baby was born
Tuesday morning.
In the Spring when school was out, we moved to Tyhee where
my father had purchased a farm and said he would let Sim have some of the land,
to be shared with Fay. Tyhee was about
seven miles north of Pocatello. This did
not work out. Sim got a school there
that Winter and we stayed through the winter.
This was a school district that was run by Trustees—Catholics, and a
lady who was a Mormon hater, so Sim was not offered the school another
year. We had heard this so he called Superintendent
R. V. Larsen, in Logan and he asked Sim how he would like to go to Hyrum and teach
with Roy Hall at the Lincoln school in Hyrum.
This was wonderful news, so the fall of 1921 we came to Hyrum and he
began teaching at the Lincoln School with Roy as Principal. We lived in the Emma Liljenquist home, 1st
South and 59 East in Hyrum. Then we
bought the home of Parley Lofthouse at 157 South 2nd West in Hyrum. It was a three-room house, no bathroom
facilities but it was the first home we had purchased. A very nice large lot and so many betties and
a good garden spot. The following year
on August 14th, our only boy was born and died. I had a bad hemorrhage and the baby died in
the birth. This was a horrible shock and
I was a long time getting over this. I was
ill for months.
March 4, 1924, our little Jane was born. I had a bad time again carrying this
baby. She was nine weeks premature and
weighed 3 pounds. But she lived and how
happy we were to have this little one.
We could not awake her to nurse except for every seven hours. We kept her in a large wicker buggy and kept
hot water bottles around her constantly.
Laneth Carlson who had a baby a few weeks older came over twice each day
and nursed Janie. I finally got my milk
to come in and nursed her, but it was difficult time. Now, they would have put her in the hospital
and in an incubator, but then that was hardly known. Much praying and administering and faith kept
her alive and how grateful we were and are.
We know that it was only the blessings of our Father in Heaven that
enabled us to keep our Janie. We named
her Jane, after Sim’s mother. I remember
when she had gained three ounces in a week, we celebrated. My sister-in-law said she was not worth trying
to save, but how happy we were to have her.
Myrtle and Nadine loved this little one so much.
April 16, 1927, our little Louise was born weighing 2 pounds. This was a sad time for us. She lived three days and cried a little
plaintive cry that tore our hearts. She
passed away April 19, and we had two little treasures in Heaven. This was a real trial and began a series of
illnesses for me. Operations and sickness
seemed to follow each year. How I lived
has always been a mystery to us both. How
wonderful Sim was at this time. He was
Stake Clerk and went to the Stake Office each night after school and worked for
hours. Also, at this time he finished
his degree after school by correspondence.
This was hard but we survived. I was
a constant burden both physically and moneywise. How we ever paid for all the operations and doctor
bills I can not imagine. All three girls
had tonsillectomy and appendix operations. And Sim also, we were blessed, we
didn’t have any money, but we lived frugally and had little in the way of
temporal things. We finally paid our
debts and things began to improve for us.
Our houses were many, first the Parley Lofthouse house, then
the Emma Liljenquist, then we lived in John A’s home and then bought John Allred’s
home next to the 1st Ward Church.
We sold this to Moroni Smith and moved to the house now occupied by
Mervin Nielsen on 3rd South and 2nd East. From there we
moved to the house now occupied by Flossie Miller (then owned by Leslie Nuhn). From here to the house on Main Street next to
the big house and formerly owned by my Father and then owned by Z. W.
Israelsen. From here we moved to the
house built by Dr. P. W. Eliason and this we bought- 146 East Main Street. We sold this and moved to the Bendt Nielsen
home at 64 South 1st West - sold this and moved to the house now
owned by Ree Stauffer, 442 South Center Street.
Father became ill and we moved to his home on 66 East Main to help Aunt
Emma take care of Father. After his
death in 1947, we bought this house as Aunt Emma was going to live with us,
then she moved to Salt Lake to be near Elden and we bought the house from
her. Here we lived until 1959, when we went
to the Samoan Islands. This home we sold
to Leon and Delilah Swensen. Our homes
were modest ones, but happy ones. The
girls had many parties in our homes as the young people liked to come to our
place. We loved having them there. Sim was so good to these young people and
they loved him. We enjoyed them
all. He would take them with our girls
to the canyon to hike or to camp and often took a trailer on the back of the
car so he could take the girls friends in a trailer. This is a happy memory for all of us. The friends loved Sim like a Father. He was
special.
Sim was Ward Clerk – Counselor to Bishop Nicholi Jorgensen and
to Bishop James G. Christensen in Hyrum 3rd Ward. He was also Scout Master. He was Stake Clerk for 14 years and then High
Councilman for 7 years. He was also,
Hyrum City Councilman and served here for 10 years and was City Manager for 2
years.
Sim taught at the Lincoln School for several years. Roy Hall as his principal. Many friendships were made at this school,
all the teachers loved Mr. Dunn. This friendship
has carried on through the years. Jennie
and Dewey Nielsen, Bessie Brown, Lila Eliason, Wm. S. Bailey were special friends,
Liberty Rigby, Defonda Dowdle, Constance Petersen and many others.
Here I should tell that I was also active in the Ward and
Stake. Serving as Sunday School Teacher, MIA teacher and R.S. Teacher. I was Stake Secretary of the Stake Relief
Society for 8 years, and on the MIA Stake Board. Sim and I were Officiators I the Logan
Temple, Sim for 10 years and me for eight years. That was a glorious experience. We enjoyed that so very much, but the school
made it impossible for him to keep up that work and the school program
too.
The Fall of 1927 Roy decided to go to the South Cache High
and teach so Sim became principal of the Lincoln School. Here he remained until 1935 and then went to
South Cache and took Roy’s place there in the History Department. In 1937 he became Dean of Men at the SCHS,
was School Counselor for a few years.
Then he was appointed Principal of the South Cache High School. He became principle on July 13, 1954. Here he served for 4 years, then resigned
because he had been called to go to the Samoan Islands and open a Million
Dollar High School for the Church. He
took Superintendent Lloyd Theurer into his confidence and they decided that Sim
should be the School Counselor until the call came through. He resigned as Principal and served as Counselor
until the Spring of 1959 when the call came to go to the Isles. This call had come about in the following way. Emma Nielsen had written for a recommendation
to go to the Tongan School. We decided
we would like to go too. Sim asked how
this call came about when he had sent Dr. Cook the recommendation for
Emma. Immediately the reply came back, “If
you are interested in this work, fill in the enclosed questionnaire”, they needed
a Principal for a new High School at Mapusaga in American Samoa.
This began a full year of suspense, waiting for word from
Dr. Cook. In February 1959, a call came
to meet Dr. Cook in Salt Lake, so we went down to see about this call. Sim was hired and he got busy, ordering everything
from typewriters, to textbooks to paper clips, etc. for the new school. This in
addition to his work at South Cache High School. We also had to have shots and get our own things
in order, sell our home and everything we needed to do. I became very ill and was almost unable to go
to our Farewell when it did come.
I should enter here our girls’ weddings. Myrtle and Louis Allen Maughan were married
August 1, 1939 and in 1941 their daughter Barbara was born. Nadine and Elmo A. Gray were married July 10,
1942 in Logan Temple. They went to Boise
and then back to Downey Idaho. Jane and
Gordon A. Van Epps were married January 27, 1945 in Phoenix, Arizona. Gordon was in the Navy and was home on leave,
they did not go to the Temple at this time.
Later, they were married in the Logan Temple. Nadine and Elmo have four girls and one
son. Lynda born July 14, 1943; Howard Richard
born October 5, 1944; Karen born December 15, 1946; Nada born June 14, 1949;
Sandra born October 11, 1951. Myrtle
married Adlin Lamar Huish on October 13, 1946 and their children were Marla
Jean born July 26, 1950 and Adlin Lamar Born September 23, 1951. Myrtle married Harry A. Small 27 September
1960. Their daughter Mary Ann was born
October 16, 1961. Jane and Gordon have four
daughters: Leone born February 19, 1947;
Diane born March 9, 1948; Marie born September 14, 1949 and Debra Jane born
April 19, 1952.
All our daughters graduated from the Lincoln School in Hyrum
and then from South Cache High School in Hyrum.
All attended Utah State College and Myrtle went for three years and then
quit and got married. Nadine went for three
years and quit and got married. Elmo
graduated from Utah State, and later got his Master’s Degree from Brigham Young
University. Jane went for one year and
part of the second and quit and went to work at Bushnell Hospital during WWII,
then married Gordon. Gordon has his BS
and Master’s Degree from Utah State.
Lynda has her degree from Utah State and Howard is finishing
his Master’s at Brigham Young University.
Leone has her Bachelor’s degree from Utah State and is presently teaching
in Brawley California, (she later received a Master’s Degree from Brigham Young
University). Lynda is teaching in
Columbia, South Carolina, Diane is finishing her student teaching and will
receive her degree from Utah State this June 1970. Marie is married and her
husband is going to Arizona State at Tempe Arizona, Marie has finished her
Associates Degree and has a baby girl born Dec. 24, 1969. Debra is attending Manti High and will
graduate this year. Nada is married and
so is Karen. Karen is working in Phoenix
and her husband is going to school there.
Nada is a graduate beautician and living in Brunswick, Georgia. Her husband is working there. Lynda is married and has a son Steven born
July 11, 1969. Howard is married and has
a baby daughter, Sheridan, born February 13, 1969. Sandra is attending Brigham Young University
at Provo.
Barbara is married James N. Leiser and is living in Hyrum
and had four boys, David, Steven, John Paul and two daughters (twins) Julie
Marie and Jami Susanne born June 9, 1957.
Barbara is a beautician. Marla is
going to Utah State University in Logan and Lin is attending the College at
Shasta California. Howard has completed
a mission in Switzerland.
Elo is presently the Coordinator of Seminaries and
Institutes in Columbia, South Carolina.
His area is North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and part of Alabama. He had been in the Southeast for seven years.
Gordon has been with Utah State University for several years
as an Agronomist and is living in Ephraim, Utah. They have lived in Iran for three years ad
Bolivia for two years and working for Utah State University ad the Government
as a Soil Specialist. They have traveled
completely around the world and visited many countries of the world, Island,
the Far East and the Holy Land.
Back to the trip and sojourn to Samoa. We had to have shots and pictures taken, sell
our home and store our furniture. But
eventually the day came, and we went on our way. We moved out of our house and went to Nibley
for a few days. Storing our furniture in Jennie’s basement and Byron Snow’s
upstairs. We had a lovely testimonial, a
large crowd came and it was so nice. The Glee Club from Wellsville sang two
songs for us (Parley Hall, Lamont Allen and Ray Leishman and Archie Maughan).
They sang beautifully, “Now is the Hour”.
This made Sandy cry and she could not sing for a while but later she and
Nada sang “Those Dear Hearts and Gentle People.” Everyone wished us well although some people
thought we were crazy to go so far away.
By and Tebe took us to Ogden where we boarded the train, “The
City of L.A.” My first long train
trip. We had a drawing room, but we did
not sleep much. Barbara went to L.A.
with us but could not get on the same train, so she left on another. We saw their train in Las Vegas, they had
struck a cow and were stranded for a short while. No one was hurt. Myrtle and LaMar met us in L.A. and took us
to their home in Sepulveda. We stayed
there for a couple of days. Went to Jim
and Dorothy’s for supper and a visit.
Vere and Bertha were there.
Gordon and Jane and family came down to see us off. We had a nice visit. Nadine and Elmo could not get away. Sam and Ethel were visiting in San Diego with
Melvin and family and they came to see us off.
They, none of them waited for the departure of the ship. It would not leave until midnight, so we told
them not to wait. It was wonderful to
have them there.
The ship was a British Luxury liner, “The Orsova”, it was
729 feet long, our ship steward was named Fletcher and the table steward was
Tony Curtis. In the ship were Marge and
Lowell Wilson; Carman Wright and Vida Hanks; Made Harwood and her three
children, Pamela, Doug and Kathy; Alwyn and Gloria Andrus all going to Samoa to
teach. We had a wonderful trip and
enjoyed these people so very much. The Harwoods
were at our table. Doug was a big eater
and took much kidding from Tony who despaired on filling him up. What a wonderful trip.
The Orsova served delicious food most anytime of the day. I had a bad cold and for the first two days
remained in the cabin. But I soon
recovered and enjoyed the trip. Neither
Sim nor I were ill during the 12-day voyage.
Sim would walk around the deck many times each day. Six decks I remember. Just like a large city. WE met many fine
people and had good visits with them.
Sim especially enjoyed the flying fish. One day we saw a shark. The small islands along the way were interesting. Atolls-six days we came to Hawaii. Small boats came out to meet the ship and
they sang and danced for the ship passengers.
It was so lovely. It was in the early morning hours we got our first
sight of Honolulu. We did not sleep much. The group went on a sightseeing trip around
the Island. Going out to the Temple, sampling
the pineapple at the plantations, and we saw Bro and Sister Tiegen at the
Temple bureau and met the sister of Leo brown at the Bureau. Leo, we met in Upolu and he was a wonderful
man, now we enjoyed seeing his sister.
Vida and Carma went with us in our tour.
It was so lovely, and the scenery was something we could never forget!
Returning to the ship about 5pm we started out trip to the
Fiji Isles. The sea was a bit rougher
and we had to hang on to the sides of the walls going down the corridors. It was difficult walking the deck, but we
were not a bit sick, just loved every minute of it. Reaching Suva, we disembarked and were taken
to the Oceanic Hotel, a unique experience.
It was not the choicest place to spend the night, but we survived much better
than Carma and Vida who were up above a bar and they had a wild night all
around them. But they got through the
night OK. This was our first experience sleeping
under a canopy of mosquito netting to keep the bugs out. The hotel personnel were Indian, not our red
ones, but the4 ones from India and in their white shirts and white lava lavas.
It seemed Suva was predominately Indian, the farmers and workers in hotels and
stores. Lowell and Marge Wilson and Sim
and I went on a sightseeing trip around the Island. We hired a guide and had a very interesting
trip. Including a group of dancers who
entertained the tourists on a large lawn, with their kinky hairdos and colorful
costumes. The dances were interesting,
many of them while sitting on the ground and using their bodies and hands in
the rhythm of the dance. Our food at the
Oceanic was not too good. I guess the
surroundings did not add to the food’s goodness. It was not to palatable.
Next morning, we were taken to the Teal, our first
experience on a sea plane. My first on
anything of the sort- train. Ship’s
voyage-sea plane, I loved it! This was
quite a thrilling experience to be taken out in a launch and getting up in the
plane from the launch. Out on the rough
and wi8ld ocean. This was a double
decker and Sim and I and the Harwoods were on the upper deck and the Andrus,
Wilsons and Carma and Vida on the lower deck.
This was a thrilling experience.
Arriving at the launch landing at Apia we were met by the Barkers, Heber
and Corinne and their children: Doug and Mike (twins), Ruth and Becky and they
all greeted me as Grandma Dunn. Also,
there was the Hanks, Philip and Dawn—music teachers at the school, Also Penny
who lived at the Barkers. We were taken
to the home of Pat and Larry Oler with their little son Eric. Here we were to stay for a week, until our
house was ready.
In a week we
moved into the dorm, formerly a lady missionary dorm. Here we were housed in separate rooms and
used the kitchen at different times. Or
we could go to the mission home for our meals.
Marge and Lowell Wilson, Carma and Vida and Sim and Myself. Also, usually there was Carl Ernstrom, construction
electrician. His wife had returned to
the states because of illness. He had his meals at the mission home but liked
to eat with Sim and I, he said he liked to be with us, enjoyed our food and our
company.
We arrived
in Apia about June 28th.
Stayed at the Olders for a week, then moved to the dorm. When our house was finished at Pesaga-Lotapa
Village, we moved over there. This was a
lovely place although it was not landscaped, three bedrooms with twin beds in
each bedroom, kitchen and bath with laundry room and storage space out back.
Fabulously beautiful surroundings with the huge coconut trees and breadfruit and
hibiscus flowers in the back. It was a
beautiful spot. We were treated so
wonderfully. Although we did not have a
car, we had many rides out away from the area by the construction people and by
Phil and Dawn Hanks our neighbors across the street from us. They had a little girl, Kathy, she and Eric
Older adopted me as their grandmother. They would come often to the door for
cookies. There were besides the Hanks, the
Olders, Harwoods and the Andrus living in a three-bedroom house. The Eyestones, Bob and Virginia and Sue;
Janet, Bobby and Mary Jo; The Grunners, Earl and Lurrine; the Larsen’s and
their son Randy; The Larsens-Don and Royala; Penny and Gene Gough; Carma Wright
and Vida Hanks; the Pucketts, Elden and Pat and four children (Ellen, Becky,
Doug, and Marty); The Pucketts lived next door to us- All were good
neighbors. The Barkers lived over nearer
the school, near the Mission house where the Charles I. Sampson’s lived. They were lovely people. Then there were the construction people: Claire Sterling’s two daughters and one son,
Bryon Thomas-Wells and Virginia Nielsen and daughter Panela-Martha and Lionel
Harris and two daughters and one son: Jack and Ailene Davis, Alfred and Grace
Steward; Frank and Sister Duncan and daughter and son. The R. L. Yergensens and their mother Llyla
Clark, the Yergensens had one little son; the Carl Ericksons an d the Samoan in
charge of the Samoan labor missionaries—Lafe and Tava’etoto. They were special people, very dedicated to
the Church and so good to us. The Labor
missionary chorus sang for us each morning at 5am, their practice time. It was so beautiful each morning, seventy of
them and how they could sing. These were some fine friends, A wonderful
experience but Sim and I were both anxious to go to the other Island—Tutuila where
our school was being completed. He did
not really enjoy the school at Pesaga, too many problems and that was
irritating at least. Septic tanks over-
flowing and such things and nothing being done about this.
On our
wedding anniversary, August 31, the teachers at Pesaga had a special dinner for
us at the White Horse Inn. Gave me a
corsage of native orchids and Sim a white carnation. A lovely dinner and a nice time. We were also, honored at a native dinner
where we sat on the floor and were served native foods served on a banana leaf
and no utensils except a soup spoon to eat our soup. Fish, Taro-breadfruit-chicken-lobster-beef-everything
you could imagine and so much of it!
Sister Barker told me I had to eat everything, or the natives would be
offended. Maria Peters, a lovely native
sister saved me, she leaned over and said, the more you leave the better they
like it. They take all that is left home
to their children.
This was a
most beautiful place and we enjoyed our trips around the Island, the
construction took us around quite a bit.
I enjoyed the church activities taught classes in Relief Society. The people were so lovely. I enjoyed them all. But we were anxious to go to Tutuila. That was always paramount in our minds.
Thanksgiving,
Sim went to Tutuila for a T. G. dinner with the natives over there. They, the native chiefs gave a dinner
honoring the LDS people who were giving them the fine school. Sim went over but I stayed in Apia. I went to a Thanksgiving dinner with Penny
and Gene and some others for an evening at the Shite Horse Inn. It seemed funny not to be with the children
and Sim. When Sim came back, he had word
that we were to go to Tutuila, soon.
We left
Pesaga and went to Tutuila, Mapusaga. The
car driven by Claire sterling was sold to the school at Mapusaga for Sim to
use. So, we took it with us to Mapusaga.
The night we, Sim, left for the other island was a terrific storm night. Gene Gough drove the car on to the
interisland boat. We both wondered if he
would make it—the car was driven on to the planks between the cabin and the
front end of the boat. The wind was
high, the waves were high, and it was a big worry. I stayed over and was going to Mapusaga the
next day, with me was going Annie Bourne, a lovely Samoan girl who had been helping
me in the house and with the permission of Annie’s mother and Pres. Sampson’s
permission we were to take Annie with us to Mapusaga. The night was a terrific one, high winds and
heavy rain. I could not sleep for thinking
of Sim on that rickety ship. The next
day, we Annie and I went over on the first trip and it was not too bad as the
rain had stopped. Annie had never flown, and she got a headache. We were so glad to see Sim waiting for us at
the Tafuna Airport at Tutuila. He reported
that the night had been rough, he wondered at times if the boat would come
apart in the high wind and rain, but he had made it ok. We were happy to be in Tutuila.
Our first
Christmas was an unusual one. Penny and
Gene Gough had come over. Gene was to be
the shop man at the school at Mapusaga but was to be on construction until the
school opened the next September. So,
they came and had dinner with us. That evening
we were up in the village for a Primary program. They gave us a bench to sit on but most of
the people sat on the floor. Among other
parts on the program was a small group of youngsters who sang for us. One
little girl sang so loud you could have heard her downtown, she was Claire
Tuia. A beautiful little girl of four years. She was a daughter of Betty and Fatamala Tuia
who ran the village store just a few feet above the school. Claire said she sang so loud so that her
other could be sure to hear her. The song
was, “Be careful little hands, (feet, tongue, etc.) what you say for the Father
up above is looking down on you.” It was so cute. They had a Santa Claus -George Wilson_
dressed in a Scout Uniform. These people all sing, young and old alike, later
we were serenaded by a group of young
elders who had been on the Island of Manua and had not been able to get over to
the Mission headquarters for a conference, so they came and had late dinner
with us.
Our tree was
a specialty also. Sim went up on the
mountain and cut down a branch of a tree and Annie and I fringed crepe paper
and trimmed it. It was really cute. We had ornaments and lights and our gifts made
the tree lovely. Taia Yergensen, a little
native boy that the Yergensens were adopting came over and sang and danced for
us. He could really sing and dance. We took pictures and had a lovely evening. Penny and Gene were special people to be
with. Afioga, our neighbor, came over
also, so our first Christmas away from home was a pleasant one. They all sang and danced for us. Betty and Fatamala invited us to their Fale
and gave me some good lemon pie. Betty
is a cute little Hawaiian girl married to Fatamala Tuia, a Samoan. Reports were that he beat her. She did not seem very happy. Most of the Samoans beat their wives we heard. Their children were Evelyn, Milton, Minnie
and Claire.
We kept busy
all winter if you could call this winter.
The weather was so lovely. Rain,
lots of it but sunshine and green everywhere and flowers all blooming everywhere. I loved it.
Sim ordered all the equipment and the furnishings for the teacher’s
homes. Afioga Galena was a joy to
us. She lived in her Fale across from
the school front. So was near to us. She
helped me a lot and was a joy to have near us.
We met for our meetings in the old mission home at Pago Pago. It was a terrible place and we wondered if it
would fall down on us, but the spirit was right, and we enjoyed the
meetings. Our Relief Society was held in
the different homes. Twice each Sunday
we traveled to Pago Pago to the meetings.
Our only bad
time was when Bro. and Sis. Stoddard would come over to our island. He was head of the construction and had told
Sim he would live in our home when they came over. He was not too bad, but she was a pill—always
telling us that she had blue blood and she really let everyone wait on
her. In fact, she demanded this. She was not tolerant of Annie living with
us. In fact, she told us the first time
she came over that she did not care to have Annie at the table with us That did not go too well with us, but I kept
still for several months, he would not
have been so bad—but she was something different. I finally blew up and told her off. She was always talking of the food she had
stored in the cupboard. Telling me that
she was not even going to count the cans and I would be on my own as to my
honesty. For a long time I did not use
any of it, but when the construction men would come over, I would feed them and
once or twice I needed something that I did not have on hand. So, I finally
used a few cans of vegetables. I fed
them all and would not charge them for anything. I knew that the cans were not hers but were
bought with construction money. Finally,
I told her off, when she had been exceptionally rough on Annie. Then they moved out and we had our home to
ourselves except for when ever the mission people came over, or the
construction workers. President Sampson
had a room in our home always and we were happy to have him and the other construction
men, or women occasionally. We usually
had some one to stay with us, most every weekend. But we loved this, and Annie was wonderful to
help. Whenever I needed extra help, Afioga came over and we loved her for
this. This was a wonderful experience. We did enjoy our Annie. Sometimes she would say, “I’m hungry for Samoan
food” and she would go to the village and soon come back with a plate of taro
or green bananas fried or cooked in a fire outside. She was special. She was so neat and clean and kept our house
spotless. Our house had 615 louvre windows
and she cleaned them once a week. I taught
her to cook and to bake cakes. She loved
that, she sewed her clothes and was lovely.
Our first
teacher to come was Irma Nichols, our librarian. She came early and we were not
ready for her, but she came and stayed with us.
Both she and Pres. Sampson used the end bedroom. His clothes were hanging in the closet. Annie had washed and she and Irma had gone to
Pago Pago. Penny and I were in the
living room talking. Penny saw some
workmen going past our place running and talking fast and loudly. We did not see anything through our window,
so sat down again. Penny smelled smoke
and soon men were running past and screaming.
We found smoke going out of the end room, Irma’s room. Our car was in the carport, so I ran out and
while gathering in the clean clothes that were hanging there, I accidently
dropped the car keys in the clothes pin bag.
When they came to drive the car out of the carport, no keys were to be
had. The fellows finally pushed the car
down over the hill to the school. Sim
was at the school. Samoans go wild when
ever they see a fire, they came in the house and dragged everything out and
even dragged lamps and mirrors and everything off the walls. Sim had left his watch ad ruby ring on the dresser
in our room. They disappeared along with
everything else. Irma lost everything
she had except the clothes she had on, and the clothes that were washed that morning. Annie also lost everything she had. Also Pres. Sampson lost everything. It was a terrible thing. The house was a long one, so we saved our
clothes in the first bedroom. The clothes
were soiled except those which had been in plastic bags. Our dishes and kettles were taken out of
cupboards and they were saved. Also,
some books were saved. But the loss was terrible, especially for Annie and
Irma.
We moved
into a small construction house up on the hill in the village, but the men soon
finished a small apartment that
was to be Irma’s and so we moved into her
apartment, Irma, Annie, Sim and myself. The
next to be finished was a two -bedroom apartment, so Annie, Sim and I moved
into that one. Our house was the very
last to be completed but it was a special one.
On the hill with a background of palm trees, fern trees and so lovely. This overlooked the school and Sim could keep
his eye on things at the school. This was
finally finished, and we moved into the house.
The day the
school opened the desks had not arrived.
Books, paper and all the equipment had come but no furniture. A strike in San Francisco had delayed the
shipment of these items. Mr. Senter, the
school official, down in Pago Pago said not to worry about desks as the students
were used to sitting on the floor anyway and they would not mind. The day they registered, word came that the
ship was in and the desks were there. Bob Eyestone and the construction men, the
Samoan Elders began to haul the furniture up to the school. Everyone helped and by midnight the desks
were all set up. The next morning the
rooms looked as if they had worked for weeks in preparation for the school
opening. The rooms were decorated with
posters and all decorations that usually takes weeks. It was like a
miracle.
We had
several teachers from our home area, Irma Nicholas, formerly of Hyrum, the
librarian; Sylvester and Arlene Anderson from Millville and formerly workers
with Sim at South Cache High; Matilda Miller from Hyrum 3rd Ward and she was
our homemaker. The others were all
degreed teachers, some were more desirable than others. Two were old maids and they caused a rift a
time or two with the other teachers, but they were all good teachers, Penrod’s
especially. Norman Penrod helped Sim so
much as did Sylvester Anderson. The
others were good workers but they, sometimes got lonesome, I guess, they did
not like the primitive life on the island.
They came for something besides doing good to the Samoan people. But things sent smoothly most of the time. Fatamala Tuia was a very good help to Sim in dealing
with the Samoan people, parents who came to see and ask questions about their
youngsters. Sim could not speak Samoan
and they could not speak English, so Fatamal was a big help. He also taught some classes. He had, I believe graduated from a college in
the states, California. Anyway, he
could speak very good English, and Samoan.
There was not too much discipline, they all wanted to go to school. To punish a student all they needed to do was
to tell them they could not go to school anymore, and they would beg. They were a colorful group with their black
hair, occasionally a red head, bright colored skirts and blouses or shirts. They wore, at first, lava lavas, but soon
passed a resolution requiring the students to wear trousers and the girls to
wear skirts. They were a thing of
beauty, and how they could sing. Choral
and anything musical was very popular. The
band instruments were late in coming but that proved to be very popular. Everyone wanted to take band. Marilyn Davis taught chorus and then later band. She was very good and got results from the
students. The instruments did not come in
until February, but in the Spring the band was playing concerts downtown in
Pago Pago. They were born musicians and
fell into the band playing naturally. Some wonderful youngsters.
The construction
went on during the first and on into the second year. Our house was the last going up. But it was very nice. These young men were not fast workers. The electricians, Bro Eror and the painter,
Alfred Steward, came over to our island, from Apia, and would take care of the
current work on our island. Usually
these men stayed at our house. Br.
Steward usually brought his wife, Grace, and they had a construction house up
in the village. There were several
little houses for the construction up there. Bro. Eror usually stayed with us,
as did Pres. Sampson. The Elders stayed
with their local elders, but they came to us often for a dinner or for something
or other. They were a joy to have. Our
school needed some thing new and help all the time. Rufus Maharori, a New Zealander,
was head of the plumbers. He had some
Samoan men under him, and usually had these men doing the work while he went to
Pago Pago. A funny thing happened to one
of the units. Rufus went to Upolu and
left his boys to hook up the bathroom units.
The one we moved into after the fire. Upon using toilet, we discovered
that it had been connected to the hot water line, a real hot seat. Many funny things happened all the time.
Annie and I
planted flowers and shrubs, and everything grew. Not much soil but the girls would bring me a
large bouquet of lilies or hydrangea and after the bloom died, we would plant
them in an inch of soil, but they would all grow and in a very short time would
bloom. That was a marvelous thing how
things grew in lava rock. My home was a thing of beauty.
Fatamala
went to Hawaii and brought back an orchid and we planted that. They grew on a fern tree stump, so Sim went
up on the hill back of our place and cut down a stump for our orchids. They grew but never bloomed until after I had
left. Back of our place the rain would
rush down the hill and made a pond where we planted some water lilies, they
grew so lovely. As I remember, we had 20
hydrangea and some 40 lilies and many hibiscus trees. Just planted a branch of a hibiscus and it
would grow and soon be a big tree or bush.
It was fantastic.
On my birthday,
December 6, a young girl and boy came to our house early in the morning and
they had three dozen gardenias.
Beautiful flowers and the scent was so lovely. It stayed in the house for days. Then after Sunday School another knock came
at the door and there were the Pucketts children, Doug carrying a lovely
birthday cake for me. Marie Peters sent
the gardenias. She had raised them. They
were lovely and the cake was pretty and tasted good too. So, we all had ice cream and cake.
Just after
we had left Upolu and gone to Mapusaga, Sim began chilling and running a high
fever. The first night I changed the
sheets on his bed five times. He would
sweat and the sheets would be as if they had been dipped in the Sami, the
ocean. Some of the construction people came
over and they administered to him. But
he did not improve fast enough. Penny
and I went to the hospital at Pago Pago and talked with Dr. Lyon, a state side
Doctor. When I told him what the problem
was, he almost hit the ceiling. How he
did rave, “That man could have died, and we would have been blamed for it!” He said he should have been taken to the hospital. As soon as I could, I told him we had just
come to the Island from Upolu and that I knew nothing about the facilities and
nothing about the doctors or about the hospital. He stopped raving and put his arm around my
shoulders and said he was sorry, that he was not raving at me but that we should
have contacted him at once. He said they
had an ambulance. That we should have them bring Sim to the hospital at
once. Penny and I went back to Mapusaga
and got Sim into the back seat of the car and took him to the hospital, a distance
of about eight miles. They took him in
immediately, Sim had said it being Saturday nothing would be done until Monday,
but they got busy right off. Took x-rays
of his chest, put him in a private room, the only one available was in the maternity
ward. As Sim passed me, he said, “They
promised not to bring a baby.” They
really worked with him that night. Shots
every hour or so. Then antibiotic
capsules and a nurse, Samoan, a big one and she was marvelous, Sim thought; she
hardly left his side a moment. Rubbed his
head as he said it was aching terribly. The next day I went down to Sunday School and
stayed at the hospital with Sim. We had
a terrible storm, wind and rain and it even came into our house and flooded the
covered walk into our house. The canvas
flaps outside the window of Sims room were soaked and really were
flapping. I had to wade through water up
to my ankles to get into the hospital. He was very ill but recovered and came
back to the school and to me and home.
Penny was a real godsend to me, and Gene also. I do not know shat I would have done without
her. Annie too was such a help; she kept
the place going.
The Doctor’s
bill and hospital bill was something, four days and all the medication he had
came to $14.50. This included a large
box of antibiotics so that was a new experience. It was a real difference from home. And they took good care of him too. Dr. Lyon and the others were very good
doctors. Having made their stake in the
states they came to American Samoa and took their turn doing their bit for the
natives. They were not “no good doctors”
who could not make good in the states, but they were specialists. Dr. Jones had been there for several
years. Dr. Lyon left while we were
there. He was an excellent doctor. I do not recall the other’s names, but they
were all good doctors. I see I have said
the doctor bill, there was none. These
doctors did not charge for their services.
Sim tried to pay them something; but they said they could not take money
from anyone. Two of our teacher’s wives
had babies there and they paid $.25 for one and the other was a cesarean and I believe
it was something like $2.50. I am not
sure now what that one cost. It happened
after we left.
We returned
to the Island a couple of years later and my orchid was in bloom then. I have a lovely colored slide of it in bloom.
Annie had
some trouble with some of her relatives and so her mother sent for her to come
home. This was no fault of Annie; these
girls were jealous Pres. Sampson explained it. We treated her like one of the
family and that made these girls jealous.
They blamed Annie for a report of one of the girls having a baby and
they said she had told her folks in Apia and so the word got out over
there. The real fact was that sisters of
the construction had told the people in Apia, but Annie got the blame, the
girls would try to fight with her and molest her every move she made away from
our house. So, she had to leave. I was broken hearted to lose this lovely
Samoan girl. Annie sent JoAnn to help
us. She was married and had a couple of
children. We had Evelyn, Siutu and they were
ok, but not like Annie. I never had any
of them live in our home with us. Annie
was so special, and no one could take her place. Afioga was a big help, she worked down in
Pago and her Fale was open and almost daily someone would break in and destroy
or steal things. We kept her with us as
much as possible. She was wonderful to
help when I needed someone to take over and help me. Everyone of our visitors loved Afioga.
The Elders
came to our school to baptize in the font there. We had many elders returning home to the
states, from New Zealand, Tonga, Fiji and some from Australia. These were choice experience. The Mission Board members from Apia and
Mission presidencies would stay with us or Andersons or Goughs. Horsleys were good to help also. These were special people to help and were
always willing to help us out. Penrods
were special also.
The first
year the school had 185 students, 9th and 10th graders
the second there were 250 students and the 10th and 11th
grades. There was a high percentage of
baptisms. Although some of the parents
objected to their young people taking religion classes—especially the Book of
Mormon Classes. But they were required
to take these classes and the kids loved them.
The Elders came and held their interviews with the students and gave the
lessons.
Music was
born in these people. Everyone sang and
played their ukuleles. They took to the
band instruments as if they had used them all their lives. I believe there were some 175 band
instruments and they all wanted to take band.
Sister Marilyn Davis was a good musician, strict and got the results.
One baptism
was special, the mother of Afioga, Galu Galeai.
A tiny little lady who had not walked for two or more years. She could crawl and lie on a mat on the
floor. She was well read and could converse
on any subject. She had an exceptional
education for a Samoan. She could talk of
all the current events as she read everything she could get hold of. Elders Ronald
Bell and David Hammong were the two missionaries who had visited her last and
she told Afioga she wanted to join the church.
Afioga was quite upset, fearful that the Aiga family would blame her for
the move if her mother insisted on being baptized. The Aiga were quite prominent and could
really persecute them if they wished to do so, but Galu said she could take
care of the family and they would not be permitted to do anything to either she
or Afioga. She was a leader, her fathers
on both sides being High Chiefs. So, she
was not afraid of her people objecting to what she wished to do. Of course, they would blame Afioga, but Galu
was not worried about them. She had recognized the truth and wanted to be baptized. She could not walk. I arranged for a wheelchair from up in the
village and then we went down to Nu’u’uili to Mer Fale and brought her up in
the car. Wheeled her into the school,
Sim got a library chair and they put her on the chair, and she was baptized,
chair and all. She lived about six
months after the baptism.
At Galu’s
death they had quite a celebration. There
is always a celebration at a death or wedding.
They had a feast and gave many fine mats and bring much food. Cases of
salt beef and canned mackerel and everything you could imagine, cakes fish,
taro and all such things. We did not go
to the feast, they sing, mostly they talk and visit and eat. Afterward, Afioga brought a case of canned
mackerel for the teachers at the school.
At first Sim did not take the food but Fatamala told him they would be
offended if he did not take it, so he gave it to the teachers, a few cans to
all of them. We gave our share
away. They love food, all the Samoans
and there are many children. Afioga gave
us a fine mat which was her Mother’s and we accepted that.
We went to a
death up in the village. That was
something. We climbed up the stairway
and sat on the floor and the corpse was on a bed on the floor. A sort of bed made of mats and pillows. The mourners and all sat around the
floor. Women sang and they chanted, and
it was quite a mournful affair. Above the corpse was a wire line, on this wire hung
pieces of silk and satins and fine mats that had been brought to the family of
the woman. At the feet was a cushion made
of tapa cloth and covered with a spray of ginger flowers. During the services, the High Chief spoke
almost steadily, then the others would speak all in Samoan. Fatamala probably had
noticed me looking at this cushion and he said that it was the bones of the
girl’s father which they had dug up and washed and wrapped in the tapa cloth. Afioga said she was there when they dug his
bones up and washed them. The High Chief
said it was so the daughter could be buried with her father’s bones and they
could rise at the same time in the resurrection. But Afioga said that there was not space for
another grave so they dug the bones up and they would be buried together. That was quite an experience. There is little space where a grave could be
dug, because of the lava rock formations.
We also went
to a wedding and that was something. Then
had about eight bridesmaids, and attendants for the groom too. The cake was a lovely one, made by Sister
Staline and was beautifully decorated. The
gifts were lovely too. Sister Sampson
had the lady missionaries guard the gifts, so that the families of the bride
and groom would not take them, which was the custom in Samoa. The families would take whatever they wished
and leave the happy couple nothing. So,
this time the young couple got their gifts as Sister Sampson had them taken to
the mission home for safe keeping.
The
Principals of the Island Schools were called to a conference to the Church
College of New Zealand, so I went along with Sim. This was a lovely trip; we
flew and had a very enjoyable flight.
Matilda and Vern Miller went along, and we had a nice time. In New Zealand we were assigned a small
apartment with a teacher from the CCNZ, our meals we took at the Cafeteria of
the college. This was a high school, but
they called it a college--However, it was glorified high school. Here we were royally entertained and had a very
lovely time. We were taken to Little
Yellowstone and went through the Moari Village and the Waitoma Caves, where
there were thousands of glow worms, we were taken in a small boat along an
underground river and the lights were turned off—the glow worms were beautiful! That was unique. The Maori village with the colorful carvings
on the gates, and buildings were so wonderful.
It was such a thrill to see all these things. We went through the Temple, then had an
entertainment of the Moari dancers and singers.
That was lovely too. Here we met
people we knew and among them were Kenneth and Luetta Baugh, from Logan. Ken had been with us for a few days in Samoa. He was a work missionary for the plumbing and
had been to our school and to the one in Apia also.
Arriving
home in Mapusaga we had our Dedication of the school. Our visitors were President and Sister
Wendell G. Mendenhall; Dr. Owen J. Cook, Executive Secretary of the Board; Bro. Mendenhall was the President of the
School Board; DeMonte D. Coombs on the Board; President and Sister Sampson and
many of the Pesaga teachers including Heber and Corrine Barker; and the Samoan
Elders who sang for the program. They were led by Corrine Barker and our own
chorus sang under the direction of Sister Marilyn Davis. We had many noted visitors of the Samoans,
high chiefs and their wives and many of the Samoan people. It was a colorful affair and very
lovely. The school auditorium and the Chapel
was filled to over-flowing and very colorful.
The Samoans usually wear white when they go to any thing of this sort
and always on Sunday. It is such a
surprise to see their white clothing when you see how they have to wash
them. In an open shower or in the river
or Sami (Ocean). But they are so
white. We were proud of our school and
of the students. Elder John Longden was
to give the dedicatory prayer, but something happened, and he did not arrive,
so President Wendell G. Mendenhall gave the prayer and Fatamala interpreted it
for the Samoans. We had a lovely dinner
at the school, and all ate together. We
had in our home: the Mendenhalls, Dr. Cook and Dr. Richard T. Wooten of the
Church College of Hawaii. The others
stayed with the various teachers.
Other
notables who visited at our school were Elder and Sister Mark E. Peterson, LaRue
and John Longden, Brother and Sister Marvin J. Ashton, Brother and Sister A.
Palmer Holt, Dr. and Mrs. Tanner. These
were therefore the MIA and Primary, Dr. and Mrs. Wayne McIntyre, Dr. Billie
Hollingshead from the CCH, Doctor Anderson from the CCH, Also, Bro Joseph Smith
from the CCH. We enjoyed these fine people. Besides these, we had many teachers who came
to go to Tong-to Western Samoa, and they usually stayed in our village for a
few days before going to the other schools.
It was unusual not to have visitors each weekend. Many teachers going back to the states which
would come in on the Inter- Island boat-Tofua and they would arrive for a day
or so, sometimes for a week and have to wait for the plane to leave for the
states. So, we had visitors. We enjoyed
them. I was surely blessed in health to
be able to take care of these people. But it was truly fun, I enjoyed every
minute of it. Afioga always helped me so
much. Shirley and Dick Horsley and the Andersons
were always willing to help when our house was bulging, and we needed help. Many of the students coming or going to the Church
College of Hawaii from Tonga came and stayed with us enroute to the
school. One week we had 5 girls with us
for five days. Then one of them could
not get her visa so she stayed for five weeks before getting a boat to Tonga. This was heart breaking for Ruby. The others that went on were Sala, Mele,
Mary, Iona, Sisi Kafa and Ruby and some others who were dear to us. There were many young men who spent much time
with us although they stayed up in the village in a Fale there.
Our most
special visitors were Jane, Gordon, Leone, Diane, Marie and Debra who came to
us on their way to Iran for a three- year assignment as an advisor to the
Government there in the soils and corps program. They were with us for a week between the plane
stop. This was a wonderful time. But how the days did fly by. I never knew a week to go by so fast. They enjoyed the island, the Samoan people
and the school personnel. It was
wonderful. But the week went by and they
were on their way to Fiji, Australia, Manila, Japan, Hong Kong, India and then
to Iran. They had many stops and reported they enjoyed the all. But we felt lonesome. Afioga really loved our folks, especially
Debbie, She thought Debra was the cutest ever.
We
experienced a small hurricane, a Tidal wave that ruined the lawns at Pago Pago
and did much damage but did not come near the school and our village. Coconut trees were felled, the breadfruit was
destroyed, and the banana and taro were destroyed. This was bad for the natives because their
main food was from these plants. They
did not have money to buy needed food stuffs in the stores, they lived mainly
on Taro, bananas, breadfruit, coconuts and fish. On part of the island many Fales were
downed. It was a real catastrophe.
The second
year at the school the Tripp’s went home, and LaVere Clawson came with his wife
Merlene and six children, also Ishmael Stagner from the CCH, and Pitone Ione
from the CCH. Ishmael was a native Hawaiian
but had an American father. They were fine young men and we enjoyed them. The Clawson’s were from Hyrum and we knew them
well.
Healthwise
we were pretty good. Sim had never
completely recovered from his bout with Pneumonia, but he was pretty well. I was really well all the time. I never went to the hospital except once and
when I did, I had my heart checked and they reported I was fine. Once I fell and got all scraped and went to
the doctor for that. We, I believe were the only persons on the compound that
did not have dysentery and we were extremely blessed that way. Both Sim and I
did not have diarrhea, not even once. Most
of the others had worms one time or another.
Once I had an ear infection, but that only lasted for a few days. Other than this, we were always well. Sim, of course, had a big job and it wore on
him so much, but he did a good job and made many friends.
The Millers,
Goughs, Horseleys, Eyestones left for home together, but we waited until the
following week, so that Sim could close the records. We thought that Sylvester Anderson would be
the new Principal, but he was not appointed and Elder Puckett, from the Pesaga
was appointed the new Principal. We left
the Island and really hated to leave.
Sim would not tell anyone when we were leaving, in fact we left a day
early to avoid the crowd being there.
But a few of the young ones found out and came to the plane. Petala was crying when we were leaving. He said, “I’ll never see you again.” I told him, “Oh, yes you will Petala, because
soon we shall go to Heaven and when we do I intend to request some wings and
the first place I will go will be to Samoa and when you feel some one pulling
at your ear you will know it will be me.”
He laughed and that broke up the crying spell. Pres. And Sister Sampson had already left,
and Philip Hanks had been appointed as the new President of the Mission. So, we left and left a bit of our hearts with
the Native people in our lovely Samoa.
Before we
left, we had Elder and Sister Mark E. Petersen there with us. One day, we were riding into town and Elder
Peterson said, “What are you doing when you get back home Elder Dunn?” Sim answered
he did not know gut he hoped there would be something for him to do. Sister Peterson said there was a crying need
for older couples for the mission field.
Elder Petersen said that was true and we could be used in the Mission
field. We had been home six months when
we were called to the office of Elder Petersen.
Elder Petersen said that Pres. Moyle would like us to go to the Scottish
Mission, I was thrilled and thought now I could see Ireland and perhaps check
up on some of my ancestry. But when the
call came it was for South Australia. Of
course, we were happy. In a few weeks, we were in the mission home and getting
all ready to go to Australia. One
special reason for our being happy was that now we could go back to our beloved
Samoa, on our way to and from there.
We rented
our home in Lehi to Cherryl and her husband. We had been I it for less than six
months. We were sort of reluctant to rent it but were happy for the prospect of
going on a mission. In the mission hoe
were many who had colds and of course I caught one. We left a day early so that we cold spend a
day or so with Myrtle and family in Los Angeles. We did not make a stop in Hawaii and did not
go through Samoa, we went directly to Nandi, Fiji. Then on to Sydney and then to Melbourne,
where President Bruce R McConkie met us.
We were at the mission home in Melbourne long enough to get a lunch and
receive our instruction and then on a plane to Perth. My cold was worse, and I coughed so
much. The plane was full of people going
to Perth for the International Games, ‘Gymes’ they called it. We landed in Perth in a terrible rainstorm
and were met by Isabelle and Johnson and were taken to the home of Pres. and Sister
Cummings for the night. It was so damp
and cold. I thought we would freeze to death. Twin beds, no heat in the room and the wind went
thru the room like wind can. We piled
all our coats and everything we could get on the bed, but we could not get
warm. Despite all this we lived and the
next day, Elders Mendenhall and England met us and took us to try to find a
place to live. The Gymes were or had taken
over all the flats and rooms, so we had a difficult time finding a place to
stay. Finally, we found a room at Mr.
and Mrs. Howells, a former River Boat Captain.
He was a real character. She was
a tiny English lady. They were lovely to
be with. We had a bedroom used with her
kitchen and bathroom. They were nice to
be with and if we could have had a couple of rooms to ourselves it might have
been okay. Their home was an old time one and right on the Swan River. This was
lined with boats and was a lively sight to see. But our chapel was across the
river and a few miles down the Highway.
Sim was over at the chapel and saw they were building a Flat several sections. So, he went up there and asked about them. They were nearly completed and so he arranged
with the owner, a Mr. Ballantyne for a Flat and we moved to this place. The Howells did not wish us to go. They were
not interested in our religion. Mrs. Howells
said, about the story of the First Vision, that it was a real nice story. He would not listen at all, but they treated
us tine. It was fun to hear them talk.
The river across from the Howells was a mile wide. It was a lovely sight. So many birds, and the
boats were interesting. Sundays,
especially, the river was lined with boats.
Mr. Howells would say about the cold weather, “Very unseasonable, very
unseasonable”. She could find excuses
for not being warm. The house was an old
one and had a bath, that you had to go outside to get into. But that was not too bad. We soon bought a hot water bottle and kept
warm in bed. This was a choice
experience. One we will never forget.
The chapel
at Como was the most beautiful I have ever seen and had not heat. It was not unusual to have people come and
bring blankets to wrap around them in church.
But we nearly froze, however I got over my cold and was well all the time
while there. There were 80 missionaries
in the area, which included Perth-Como-Scarborough-Melville Heights and
Dianella. Then there was Kalgoorlie,
over 320 miles from Como, we never did get there. We did go to Bunbury a couple of times, about
a hundred miles from Como-South (115 miles).
Perth was a
beautiful place. Flowers and flowering trees everywhere. The soil was all sand and grew every flower
you could imagine. Carnations grew everywhere,
wild. Jacarandas and Bottle Brush, Flame
Trees, Wattle Trees, and just before Christmas, the most ungainly and ugly
trees blossomed out in a burst of yellow, the Christmas Tree. They were so lovely it was breathtaking. Roses and geraniums grew so tall they had to
keep cutting them down. It was a
fabulously beautiful place. Then, there were
the Cockatoos. Every color plumage, and
they talked a blue streak. I was
fascinated by these birds. The Elders
taught the one their landlady had, to say, “What do you know about the Mormons?”
And, “Cocky’s a Mormon”. It was so
cute. The people were special too, I loved
them all. I especially loved the little
children, they, too, called me “Grandma”.
Many friends we made that we can only hope to meet in the hereafter.
Tostevins, Cummings, Sister Manning, Shirley Mott, and many others. Tea, tobacco, tithing and such things were
the obstacles to their conversion.
We next
moved to Ballantynes and occupied the downstairs Flat. This was new and very nice, although to our
American standards they would leave much to be desired. No floor coverings, no clothes closets, they did
have wardrobes, so the clothes closets were not missed too badly. The bathroom was ok, except there was an outlet
back of the toilet and not covered, so I put something over that space. They had this instead of air vents. No heat, so we had to buy a kerosene heater and
an electric heater. We sold these when we
left there. We paid 7 quineas for this
place. Our laundry was something
odd. In this new building, they put in
coppers instead of washing machines. A
copper was really something. A fire
would be made under the machine and this would heat the water, then we would
have to stir to get the clothes clean that way.
A time or two, I decided to do my wash in the sink by hand. It was easier that way. I took the clothes up to a laundry on Canning Highway
a time or two, but the white clothes got all stained with black oil, so it was
easier to do these things by hand. In
the kitchen was a gas stove, an old fridge (but a good one), a table and four chairs,
a couch and an easy chair of sorts in the living room. Ballentyne’s were fine people and very friendly,
but not interested in our church. They
treated us very well though. Mrs. Ballentyne
did not smoke. They had two daughters
and one son, Jack. Jack had a dog that
had a crippled leg and was named Chester, for the Chester in the TV program
with Matt Dillon, but the same play Matt was called Matt Morgan. Just above us in the Flat were two young
people, Prue and Alan Clements. I
visited them a lot, they had just recently come from England. Finally, I invited them to go to Church with
us and they went. Alan became interested
and the Elders came and taught them.
Alan accepted the truth and Prue did not. She could not give up her tea and tobacco. Alan did not smoke. He was fine, and Prue was nice also, but she
could not accept our belief. One thing
held her back, an Uncle who was a minister
in England and to whom she wrote for advice all the time. Of course, he would not encourage her about
the church. So, Prue was never baptized,
Alan was and would have been a good member if she had not been so antagonistic. But he kept on. We heard he had gone back to England with
her.
Sim was on
the district council and had to make periodical visits to the various
Branches. We were also head of the
Coordination work in the Branches. We
worked closely with the missionaries, and the Presidents of the Branches. So, we traveled extensively. We would help the missionaries if they needed
help in activating their investigators.
We surely enjoyed beautiful Perth, the lovely flowers, trees and the
beautiful River Swan as it meandered through the city. We mostly loved and
enjoyed the people.
While at Perth,
Elder Ezra Taft Benson came to see our people and visit the missionaries. That was
wonderful and we enjoyed that visit. Sister Belle Spafford, of the General
Relief Society, came also, and also a member of the General Board of the
Primary. They had a special meeting, and we invited our
landlady, Mrs. Ballantyne and Prue and Alan Clements to go with us. They enjoyed the evening, especially, Sister
Spafford.
The word
came that Gordon B. Hinckley would be here.
Because of the storms in Samoa, his plane was held up and he did not get
there when he was to arrive. Pres.
McConkie sent word that he, they, would be there at 2am at the airport. So, all the missionaries went out to the
airport to meet with Elder Hinckley. He
got in about 6 and we had a meeting with him until 8am and he left to go to the
continent. He made a personal visit with
all the missionaries and shook our hands and talked briefly with each of
us. He had mentioned Phyllis Were, a
young nurse who was laboring in Taiwan, We had known Phyllis in Pesaga, so when
he shook my hand, I mentioned we knew Phyllis.
He asked where and how we had known her, so I said in Samoa, he asked
how come we had been in Samoa, and Sim told him about our being there. Then I asked about Wayne Facer in Taiwan, that
he was my nephew. He said Wayne was a
wonderful missionary, he talked with Sim and me for quite a while and was so
nice. He is such a dynamic person and a
very good speaker and made all the missionaries feel good.
The first of
August we were called to go to Elisabeth in South Australia. A pretty little city 20 miles from Adelaide. Elizabeth celebrated their 8th
birthday that year. A very pretty little
city. Roses were so lovely and so many
of them, they had to keep cutting them down or they would grow sky high. Geraniums grew high too, they were
beautiful. The houses were in most cases,
of red brick and were being built as fast as possible. Many new ones were going up all the
time. These were for the immigrants from
England Scotland, Ireland Germany ad other European countries, they are given
free passage to Australia, just $5 per family.
Guaranteed a job and a house and are placed in Quonset huts for a time
and given the houses as fast as they are completed. The rent is not high, about $9 per week. They are not landscaped but everything grows
so fast that it is not long before they are lovely. Elizabeth is a very attractive place. The various sections had business districts
of their own. There was Elizabeth Down, Elizabeth East, Elizabeth West, south
and north and several other names. These all had their own Mall and they had a
covered walk around them. These stores were very attractive, and we enjoyed
going through them. Food was not too high; clothing was not bad either and a
good selection. Dry cleaning was cheap,
a suit or overcoat for 3 shillings or 36 cents, haircut=5 shillings or 60 cents.
Sim took the
place of Bro Johnson who had been President of the Elizabeth Branch. The Johnsons went to Tasmania. Sim had become white and weak when we went to
Elizabeth, must have opened an ulcer when he carried the trunks to the car and
to the train for shipping and mailing.
He was white and looked ill. The
day after we arrived, there was a Regional meeting conference. Sim was installed at this meeting as
President of the Elizabeth Branch. The
District Council sat on the stand or just below on the side front seats. After the meeting, in which Sim had spoken, a
man from the Council rushed up on the stand and shook Sim’s hand. I noticed his looking at his fingers. I suppose he felt Sim’s pulse. He said, “is you ever need me, no matter what
time of night, call me and I will come no matter when it is”. This was Dr. Maguaer. In a few days we did go to see Dr. Maguaer and
he told Pres. McConkie to send Sim home, that he had congestive heart
failure. We, of course did not want to
go hoe and stayed until Dec. 1st and then the doctor told Pres.
McConkie, “If you don’t send that man home, you will send him in a box.” The Branch was growing and the conflict that
had been in the branch was improving. There
had been quite a bad feeling for some time, we surely hated to leave
there. Mostly, the wonderful friends
that we had there. The night we landed
in Elizabeth we had gone to bed, so cold that hot water bottles and blankets
and quilts and overcoats could do little to warm us up, but we had gotten so
sleep when we were suddenly awakened to find a group of Elders, yes, and
Sisters at the foot of our bed and singing, “Up, Awake Defenders of Zion”. They had decided to have Mary Paten baptized before
she went back to Perth the next morning.
Mary was from Perth and had said if and when she was baptized, she
wanted to have Elder Dunn do it. So, we
got up. Brother Johnson wen to the
Chapel to warm up the font and to fill it up.
Mary had cone over to see the sisters she loved, Cecile James and Elain
Fielding, and others. They had persuaded
her to be baptized before returning to Perth.
She was not
ready, had not stopped smoking, but they thought if she was baptized it would
help. The heater was either too slow or
did not work at all and the water was ice cold.
There was no baptismal clothing there for men, just a small bloomer type
thing for him to wear. How he got in it I could not imagine. But he did and he looked so funny. But the cold water was worse. He said he nearly froze. These places in Australia did not have heated
homes and boy, was it ever cold. They
said they did not need heat as the winters were so short. Anyway, they baptized Mary, this was a
mistake and did not work out for the girl.
She had never quit smoking. Now 1970,
she is still smoking and feels insecure and sad about it. I am sure she was baptized to please the
sisters. She really fell in love with
these fine lady missionaries.
We loved Elizabeth,
the green rolling hills and fields of roses and flowers. There were many sheep, the hills, many of
them, were covered with a purple flowered plant, called Soursob, this was a
noxious weed and was taking over the hills.
There were also many thistles.
Then a lovely green that covered many miles of lawns and fields that had
a very pretty yellow flower, this resembled a four-leaf clover, but had a
yellow flower. This was Salvation Jane,
it was beautiful, but was a menace. Someone,
they said, had imported this plant from Scotland and it grew like wild, taking
over the fields and lawns. It was all
around the chapel and fields.
Many
problems at Elizabeth, hurt feelings and this had caused some inactivity. The drinking water was brown in color, looked
like someone had dropped a brown paint in it.
I boiled every drop we drank. Just
as I did in Samoa. Sim continued to lose
weight and had such dizzy spells and was tired all the time. Dr. Maguaer was very anxious to send him
home. He did not want to send him to the
hospital, he told Pres. McConkie it would do no good. We did have so many lovely people here, but
they had some real problems. Sim’s first
Counselor was Peter Elliot. He had
marital problems. His wife was not happy
here just what the problem was we did not know until one evening Peter came to
the house and handed Sim a letter and it told that Shirley had run off with a
young man, 18 years of age and the son of Bro and Sis Coates. Peter said she had been immoral other times
and now had left him. Sim took it very
hard. The little family were so darling, Jo Christine Billie, Tony and
Leslie. They were such sweet children,
especially Billy and Jo Christine. How
Shirley could leave them was a mystery.
Arthur Coates was 18 years old and it was a shame to lead him
astray. Bro and Sister Coates were all
broken up about this and all the people were.
Sim’s other
counselor was John Taylor, a butcher and he made sure Sim had the best lamb chops
and liver real often. I guess Brother
Hagerty, Michael Sid, was the Clerk.
They treated us fine. Sis Hagerty
was inactive and would not come out. She
was friendly and treated us fine when we would meet her but hurt feelings and
jealousies were too often the case here as in Perth. I believe this was worse than Perth though,
old Satan just seemed to stir up these feelings and they were hard for Sin to take. His body was not strong enough for him. Our landlady was another worry. She said I was not as friendly as Sis
Johnson. I guess because I was always
going with Sim and did not spend time with her, visiting. Sis. Johnson would be home for most of the
day ad thus would visit with her, so she thought I was unfriendly. So, we were to go home. At first, we had two Elders living with
us. Elder Wixom from Salt Lake City, and
Elder Miller from Salt Lake City. Later
we had Elaine Fielding and JoAnn Gedge with us. Then Sister Gedge left and Elaine and
another Australian lady missionary came for a few weeks, Kay Iredell was her
name. She stayed until we left for home.
We enjoyed these fine young people; they
were so special.
Regional
Conference was Saturday and Sunday and we received our release at this
meeting. Pres. McConkie said some very fine
things about Sim at this meeting. About
his work in the Mission Field, his spirituality and humility and desire to
serve these people. The next morning at
the airport to see us off were Pres. and Sister McConkie and Keith Nielsen,
Regional Supervisor. We were sad though
at leaving the mission field. We hated
to leave the fine friends we have met in South Australia, thankful to our Heavenly
Father for the opportunity to serve and to know this beautiful country and these
fine people. What a marvelous life we
have had. Hope we can continue to do
some good. We hope for another mission.
Arriving at
Sydney I saw two young men and told Sim I knew they were Elders. They were and said they had a telegram to meet
the Dunns at the airport and take us to the Mission Home. We thought it was
either Pres. McConkie or Doug Coombs who had sent the telegram. Doug, the son of Pres. and Sister Coombs had
been with us in West and South Australia.
So, we were taken to the mission home at Sydney and Sim spent the day
resting. Then the Mission Pres. and Sis
Coombs came home and we had a nice supper, then they took us to the place in
Tutuila. We were now on our way to
Tafuna-Am, Samoa. We arrived at Tafuna
at 2am and there we were met at the plane steps by Sameme. She had heard that Bro and Sis Dunn were on
this plane and came out to meet us. We
were so happy to see Sameme, walking back to the airport we found seventeen of
our Elders from South Australia who had been there for several days. They got a
big bang of the way these Samoans greeted us.
Elder Larry Mendenhall said, “They all know and love you two!” At the
airport was Jane Urhle and Mrs. Senter and Betty Tuia. Also, Pat and Elden Puckett, who insisted we
go to their place to stay, to the school and to the apartment where Miller’s
had lived. Elder said they had arranged
for us to eat our meals with the Teacher families. We told him no we did not want that, we could
cook our own meals, but he said the teachers were counting on us and would be
disappointed. We compromised and said we
could go for the evening meal each day and would fix our own breakfast and
lunch. The teachers treated us
fine. But when we left, we were
surprised to find that Bro Puckett had charged us for each meal, for the apartment
and for car rent, one day. $20 in
all. We had had them, both Elden and Pat,
at our home in Mapusaga, four times and Pat’s mother twice for two days each
time. Pat and Elden stayed for four days
each time. We never charged them at all
for anything. Never charged anyone, so
we were surely shocked to have him charge us.
The apartment was filthy and cockroaches all over the place. However, I cleaned it up and paid $30 for
rent and food. I wonder why they charged
us when we had, all of the teachers at one time or another, come from the Pesaga
School and we never charged them a cent.
They had a
special assembly for Sim and the students were so happy to see both of us. They said they wished he would stay there and
be the Principal. It was good to see
them and hear them talk and sing again. They
said the school had not been the same since we left there. We had the car one day and visited some of
the villages and down in Pago Pago.
A week later
we left for Los Angeles, just stopping long enough in Hawaii to change planes.
There we were met by Barbara and Myrtle. They looked so lovely to us. Myrtle has such a lovely home and Barbara has
three darling little boys; Mary is a darling little girl. Marla and Lin were so dear too. Lin, is a fine looking big lad. I had caught a cold and did not get out
much. We had Thanksgiving dinner at Myrtle’s,
and Dad went over to see Barbara and family.
Bob and Jim’s folks were there.
Then to
Logan and to Hyrum. Tebe had found us an
apartment across from the Temple. Sim
went to the Hospital for a checkup. Dr.
Burgess said he should have been sent to the hospital in Australia and threated
there. He gave him some medication to
build up his blood and his body in general.
We lived here in Logan for a couple of months, then we got a chance to
rent Sis Luella Birch’s home in Hyrum, we moved there, it was nicer, and stayed
there for two months. Our home in Lehi
was rented for a few months longer. I believe
we were in Pleasant Grove for six weeks then moved to our home in Lehi. (Luella had suffered a severe stroke and was
at Olive’s in Garland). We sold our home
in Lehi and had one built, same pattern as the Lehi one, in Nibley—Nadine and
Elmo had moved to North Carolina and so we had no one in Lehi. Jane and Gordon were in Iran, and we wanted
to build or buy a home in Hyrum, but there were none available. Our house in Nibley was nice and we planted
many fruit trees, shade trees, flowering trees, and shrubs. Many peonies and iris. It was beautifully landscaped. Everything turned yellow—peach and apricot
trees died, and the flowers turned yellow too, although they grew well.
We lived
there for two years and then improved in health, Sim contacted Elder Gordon B.
Hinckley and we received a call for a mission to the Florida Mission. Left the mission home December 6, 1965 and
drove to Ephraim for a short visit with Jane and Gordon and family. Then went to Florida. Si had a letter from Pres. Winder that he was
to be Branch President and so would not be doing any proselyting. When we
reached Winter Park near Orlando, Florida, WE were told that Sim was to be the
Branch President of the Panama City Branch, to replace Pres. Middleton. We stayed at the home for a few days,
visiting the Kennedy Base and saw the missiles and the church farm. We did not get to Cypress Gardens as we
expected to do. We had planned to go,
but Pres. Winder told us not to go then, that he had, or could get tickets much
cheaper and he would send one of the Elders with us and show us around. Two of the Elders were in a terrible auto
accident at Fort Walton Beach, so Pres. and Sis Winder left in the night to go
there and we decided to go back to our assignment at Tallahassee. We were told that we would go later but that
did not work out either. So, we missed
Cypress Gardens, but did get to many other beautiful places in Florida. We left
the next day for Tallahassee for a conference.
We found a nice apartment assigned to us. Compliments of Pres. Winder. The conference was very interesting. After the Sunday afternoon meeting, we were
taken to Panama City, a distance of 100 miles.
Pres. Middleton drove our car for Sim.
It was a horrible ride. All the
way he talked constantly about the horrible people in Panama City. There was no one there fit to be his
counselor. We stayed at his home that
night and had a nice supper. Monday, Sis
Middleton got busy on the phone and looked through the papers to find an
apartment for us. She was nice to us but concurred to an extent to what her
husband had told us about the people.
So, our introduction to Panama City was not the best. That evening, John H. Pomeroy came to the
Middleton’s and we were impressed with him.
He told us his wife was not too well and they were expecting a new baby. Sister Pomeroy had been ill since their last
one was born and they were worried about her. They had lost a baby a couple of
years before this.
We went to a
few apartments and finally found one at Mrs. Rudolph’s at 800 Jenks Ave. not elaborate, but nice and roomy. Three rooms and a bath and a lovely yard full
of shrubs and flowering and shade trees, also, a garage for our car. The trees were filled with birds which
constantly chirped and sang. I loved
these birds. I would stand in the window
door and whistle and the birds from all over would answer. Mrs. Rudolph said one morning, “That bird
kept me awake all night, with answering your call”. They did get so that they would sit on the
chimney or antenna and sing. They were
so lovely. Her flowers, azaleas, and
camelias were so lovely. All the
flowering trees and shrubs were beautiful.
I loved Florida for its beauty and lovely surroundings.
The following
Sunday was a sad occasion, the death and funeral of Sister Janey basset. She had been a lifelong member and the
mainstay of the Church in Panama City.
She had been ill for a long time, but never gave up her strong
testimony. She had a lovely service and
afterward the meeting when Sim was sustained as Branch President. He chose J. H. Pomeroy and Herman Lindsay as
his counselors, retaining the clerk who was an officer in the Air Force and
soon to be reassigned to another base. I
can’t remember his name. Sim had asked Cecil
Gilbert if he would be his clerk. He
refused and said he did not care to have the mob. He had been clerk for Bro Middleton and cound
not get along with him. Leter when, the
clerk left, Bro Gilbert came in to the office and asked if he could help
anyway. Sim told him yes, he would like
him to be his clerk and he said he would be happy to do this. He said many
times he could listen to Sim for hours, that he admired him so much. Dorothy Gilbert and I wee fast friends, we went
visiting teaching together and she usually drove her car as I did not drive
anymore. They were so good to the
missionaries, too good, I am sure. Scarcely
a Sunday when they did not have some of them to dinner or supper, or both. Dorothy and Cecil and their son, Richard were
so wonderful to us and they liked Sim so much.
The Middleton’s were not so friendly because everyone liked Sim so
much. They had found fault with everyone
and did not have any friends.
Sim, of
course, did not have clear sailing, ----------------------
(THE REST IS
NOT READABLE-----------------------------------)
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Simeon Adams Dunn and Wanda Marie Facer Dunn Family |
Dunn Family: left to right: Nadine Dunn, Wanda Marie Facer Dunn, Simeon Adams Dunn, (seated) Wanda Mrtle Dunn and Jane Dunn |
Simeon Adams and Wanda Marie Dunn with grandchildren: Howard Gray, Lynda Gray (with Doll), Karen Gray (in Grandma's arms), and Leone Van Epps (in Grandpa's arms) |
left to right: Wanda Myrtle, Wanda Dunn holding Diane Van Epps, Jane Dunn Van Epps, Simeon Adams holding Leone Van Epps and Barbara Maughan in front. |
Farewell program prior to mission to Florida:
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Newspaper article about Utah State Representative Simeon Adams Dunn
Christmas 1956 at Grandpa and Grandma's home in Hyrum Utah with ALL the cousins. |
Wanda Dunn (Grandma) - Christmas in Mapusaga, American Samoa., 1961. |
Christmas in 1967, Hyrum Utah with Leone Van Epps and Diane Van Epps--the rest of their family was in Bolivia |
The Last Illness of My Lovely Wanda Marie Facer
(Written by Simeon Adams Dunn, January 21, 1971)
Wanda was never very strong physically and during the early years when our children were small, she had a number of close calls upon her life. Her daily prayers were that Heavenly Father would spare her life until the children were grown. Her prayers were heard by the Father and were answered according to her petition.
Our children were: Wanda Myrtle, born July 5, 1918; Nadine, born November 25, 1919; Simeon Adams, born and died August 14, 1922; Jayne, born March 4, 1924; and our Louise, born April 16, 1927 and died April 19, 1927. A number of periods of her life brought her greatly improved health. She served as Secretary of the Hyrum Stake Relief Society for a number of years and during this time she was greatly improved in health. She worked as an Officiator in the LDS Temple in Logan for 8 years and here also she was improved in health. During or three years residence in American Samoa in the South Pacific Islands and during our Mission in the Southern Australian Mission and during our time in the Florida Mission, Wanda enjoyed comparatively good health, I think I should report, “Exceptionally good health!”
Sometime during the middle of 1968 her health began to fail and she suffered periods of severe pain. The pain grew more intense and the doctors were unable to locate the cause. In the early months of 1970 we had her examined by three specialists of the Salt Lake Clinic and by a heart specialist in Salt Lake City, Doctor Conrad Jensen. X-rays taken previously had shown the presence of a large Aneurism in the large artery, which supplies the legs and the lower abdomen, with blood from the heart. Doctors whom we had consulted agreed that this condition posed a serious threat to her life, and they strongly recommended an operation at once. Wanda readily agreed. She said she could no longer suffer as she had suffered during so many months. The pain had increased steadily and there seemed to be no way to bring her relief.
She entered the LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City on July 13, 1970. Dr. Conrad Jensen was the Surgeon who would perform the operation. Here she was treated for three days and the operation took place on Thursday, July 16, 1970. Complications resulted; blood clots collected in her right leg, in the artery. These were removed but more collected at once and the leg died. We had her removed from intensive care to a private room where we could always stay with her. Our three daughters, Barbara and Uncle Byron and Aunt Eva stayed with us in the hospital and took their turns watching over our lovely Wanda Marie. She was kept under sedation and so she suffered very little pain.
Sunday evening, July 19 at about 9pm, Wanda opened her eyes slightly. A sweet smile came upon her face and she breathed her last. Thus, ended the life of a faithful Wife and Mother, a Lovely Companion and a Wonderful Missionary, and one of the Choice Daughters of Our Heavenly Father.
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