This is to give your some background of my early life. It has been one filled with joy, challenges and innumerable blessings. I hope you enjoy getting to know me a little better.
One beautiful spring day in April of 1942, a handsome young couple were married in Ogden, Utah. He was just 21 years old and his beautiful wife only 17.
After being married for just a few short months, World War II broke out and this young husband joined the Marines so that he could do his part to protect his country.
His sweet young wife couldn’t afford to take care of herself and the new baby that would arrive in a few months, so he arranged for her to move in with his mother in Malad, Idaho.
They lived in a very small, but comfortable little two room house, which also housed a younger brother and sister, along with a married daughter and her two young children. The house did not have running water, the bathroom was outside and it was heated with a small coal stove, which was also used for cooking and heating water.
Early Life
My early life began on a cold, winter day in January as this mom-to-be realized that the baby was coming. Grandma summoned Uncle Sam to drive them to the hospital, since he was the only member of the family with a car. After many hours of labor, I was born. Mom says that I was not a very healthy baby, so she was happy to have so many people in the house to help her.
During the summer of 1943, my mom and grandma took me on a long train ride, clear to Chicago, Illinois, to see my daddy and stay with him for a few weeks, before he was shipped out to the South Pacific. This was the first time he had seen me. I’m sure this was a special time for my parents, but I don’t remember it.
After my daddy was sent off to the war, my mom was very lonesome for him and worried a lot. She tells me that she wrote a letter to him every single day, but he didn’t really get many of the letters.
During the war it was very hard to live and things like sugar were rationed so it was very hard to get.
WWII Ends
When I was two years old, my daddy finally got to come home and we moved as a family to Texas for the rest of his time in the Marines.
We lived in an old warehouse that several families lived in together. Daddy built some petitions to divide up the areas so each family had their own little apartment. I think we probably had a lot of fun as everyone would sit outside in the evening and play and visit. We didn’t have a yard, so we were just on the street, I guess.
Daddy had to put the legs of my bed in cans of kerosene to keep the bedbugs from getting on me.
On To College for Us
All too soon we left Texas and moved to Ephriam, Utah so my daddy could go to Snow College. While we were there my daddy played basketball, football and boxing. They tell me that I was the little cheerleader and all of the guys loved me. I talked a lot and because I was always with adults, I was their entertainment, I guess.
We didn’t have a car, so we would just walk to the movie or grocery store or wherever we went. Mom says daddy would carry me if it was very far.
Mom tells me that one day a salesman came to the house and I was making friends with him. He asked me if I wanted to go home with him because he had little kids. I ran to my room and came back with a little bag so that I could go. My mom says she cried to think that I would want to go.
My mom always loved me very much and she took such good care of me. She would curl my hair in little ringlets, by brushing the hair around her finger and putting bobbie pins in until it dried. Then when she took the pins out, the ringlets were there.
Growing Up
When my daddy finished college, we moved to Pocatello, Idaho for a little while and then we moved to Tremonton, Utah where we lived until I was married. Memories of my life are that I was always happy and comfortable. I always wished that I had a brother or sister, but my parents were not able to have any more children after the war. Being an only child, I have always felt special.
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