This past Saturday and Sunday was another log of interesting acquaintances and thoughts. At least for me.
Saturday found me in Malad again. I had to leave really early in order to get out of there at a decent time to head to Salt Lake City. I left about 6:30 from Preston, and started spraying about 7:30 AM. I am getting used to this early thing. That does not mean I like it though.
One of the first jobs I did was for a Price family. I caught my arm on the chain link fence and took a large chunk out of my forearm. It was a great way to start the day. I think I might be allergic to silk worm silk. I walked under a tree with loads and I sneezed pretty regularly for the next hour or two. I thought my poor lungs would give out by the time I was done.
There was this one lawn I was spraying. Tim Burnett had this really cool recreation of an old time fueling station, like 1930’s. He had created it out of all local materials. Some of the signs were very interesting. He came up and asked me some questions, then another neighbor, Don Hess, joined us. Before long we were talking politics in Malad. I am so dismayed that people go to such great lengths to do what they do. They passed a bond (what a fitting term, let’s enslave the people) for a new jail. Now, I have no qualms with a new jail, but what in the world does Malad need a 64 person jail for? What is more, I am sure they will have somebody from outside design it and it will ruin the downtown spirit of Malad. From the 20 or so neighbors who ended up weighing in on the street, either joining us, or just catching the conversation walking by, not one liked the idea. I am not sure how they passed the bond if this is the sentiment. What was even more disgusting, is that the person who was behind it had much to gain by the building of the jail. As Tim was commenting, feathering his own nest at the expense of the community. Whoever the guy, apparently also a policeman, gets to sell his land for the building of it. Another neighbor commented how odd it is that the water line for the new jail is already being built (the street where we were talking was tore up) yet he still doesn’t have enough water pressure at his home to adequately water his lawn (we spray his lawn as well). I have to admit,
I am really disgusted sometimes what happens in politics.
Larry drove over in my car to relieve me and finish what I did not finish spraying. I headed quickly to Kaysville. There I showered and changed, then Amanda and I headed to Salt Lake. We found a great little parking spot and headed to Abravanel Hall for A Prairie Home Companion. It was not his best show, I will admit. In fact, some of the show was quite the letdown. Usually they do a really interesting background on the areas that they go to. There was nothing of that sort in this show. Plus the news from Lake Wobegon actually was telling a story that he had already told, just with a different setup. There was some of it which was a really good laugh. Especially the Coffee Council. I did enjoy lives of the cowboys as well. I enjoyed the music the
most. It was a surprise that Amanda did not know any of the songs. The classic Americana songs which I remember singing at the county fair or other places, especially the sing songs in England, she did not know one of them. The ones I thought were well known like Good Night Ladies, and In the Good Ole Summertime.
We finished the show and headed to Kaysville. There, we changed and got ready to attend the temple. Amanda’s parents were finally able to join us for one. We drove up to Ogden together. I enjoyed the session. I learned some good things this time. Lately it seems I have been so tired I could not be in tune. We finished and headed home, happy to have completed our goal of attending all the temples in Utah before leaving for Virginia.
Sunday arrived far too early for me. We drove up to Tremonton for Jami Rupp’s farewell. She is a sweet girl. We then headed south to Brigham City for Jeanette Smoot’s farewell. We had some time, so we tried to pay a visit to Lenard and Donna Bruderer, but we could not find their house and they were not answering their phone. We went to the cemetery and walked around. Of mention was the grave of Lorenzo Snow. We then went down to the Box Elder Tabernacle with the intent of taking a nap on the lawn under a tree. However, I wanted to walk around and the building ended up being open. We watched a movie, took a tour, and the guy asked if we played organ. I ended up playing the organ for an hour. I was a bit rusty, but it came back. One guy who came in for a tour even said he was honoured to hear me play. (He must not go to church, they play better there!).
We headed to the farewell. It was good to see everybody, most of which we saw also at Jami’s. Jeanette gave a good talk as well. Afterward we headed to the VFW Building for a little luncheon. It was fun. I enjoy good company. It was good food too.
We had to leave to meet Nathan and Holly Wayment. We were meeting them to sign the rental contract for their home in Glen Allen, Virginia. We met them at the old Perry Tabernacle, now the Heritage Theatre. We had a good visit with them.
We paid a visit to Grandpa in Plain City. He was in a good mood, however he was headed to a viewing for another friend. He said he liked the photos we gave to him. We talked some about Hobart Day and I told him about meeting Carma Preece in Vernal. He seemed interesting to know how she was doing.
Hobart Day was Grandpa’s half brother. His father, John William Ross, had married a May Day (doomed marriage?) before my Great Grandmother. He had a son who lived in West Virginia. He was a preacher and married a Edna Montgomery. He was knocked blind when he was 21. Somebody threw something at him and hit him in the head. He was blind from that point on. He came out to visit Grandpa three times in his life. The first two times he brought his wife. Grandpa was telling me how he used to call him Big Brother. They took him all over. The last time he came out to visit, he came alone. Grandpa was telling me that before he put him on the bus to send him home Hobart day made a few comments. Something like, “I have been to Utah, been to a Mormon Sacrament, visited with a Mormon Bishop, now I can go home and die.” Three days later he was dead. Grandpa said he got a letter or two from Edna afterward she had dictated to someone to write for her. But he did not know where they were and did not expect Edna to be around anymore. Hobart died in 1983.
Before leaving we asked Grandpa if he knew Amanda’s Great Grandpa, Walter Wayment Hansen. He said he did, he even helped him add onto his house. Amanda found that interesting.
Grandpa had to go and we went to visit Glynn and Chyrrl Wayment. Nate and Holly arrived right before us. Glynn and Chyrrl both showed up shortly afterward. Nate wanted us to stop and visit with his parents so we did. They obviously knew Amanda’s Great Grandparents, they only lived a stone throw away. I asked if Glynn knew Grandpa and he pointed to the white house to the south that he owns and said that Grandpa and Floyd Neilson built that house. He said of course he knew him. He had nothing but good to say about Grandpa. The same for Amanda’s Great Grandfather.
We left and drove past her Great Grandparents home there in Warren. I called Jennie Britzman and asked if she was going to be around. She said she was. We headed over. Richard was there as well. We were there for several hours. We visited about life, Virginia, school, and I asked questions for family history. Jennie’s mother was the sister to my Great Grandmother, Berendena (Dena) Van Leeuwen (married name Donaldson). Jennie said that many people thought her mother Jane (Jantje in the Dutch) were twins. She said that she liked Aunt Dena and Uncle Dave.
She told me that her mother used to have premonitions. She knew of things before they happened. When they were growing up in California she knew when the earthquakes were coming and would prepare for them. One time she knew a big one was coming and told her husband, William Frederick Bremer. He had become pretty edgy about her premonitions and did not want to hear of them. He would tell her to not speak of them and that he did not want to hear them. The same was on this occasion. But she knew a big one was coming so she hired somebody to put guards on the shelves in the pantry to keep the bottles on the shelves. But the time it took to get her husband to agree and for the work, he was only half done by the time the earthquake hit. This was in the 1930’s in Los Angeles. They lost half of everything in the pantry because it was not all guarded.
She knew when my Great Grandmother was going to have her accident. She tried to convince Dena not to go where she was going. But she went anyway, and got in the accident that eventually would take her life.
Jennie was telling me about a time when she was going to run to the store. Her mother said that she saw Jennie flying through the air in an intersection. But the ambulance was in the way so she could not see how her state was. She plead with Jennie not to go but she did anyway. She made it to the store alright, but on the way back she was t-boned by a semi that ran a stop sign. Just like her mother said, the car was hit, the door flew open, and she flew across the intersection. She was obviously knocked silly and did not remember any of it. But it happened. When they called her mother, she responded to those on the phone, “I know what happened, how hurt is she?”
Amanda commented that my family all have strange gifts. I thought that was a funny comment. But I suppose it is true.
Jennie (who turns 90 this year) told me that Uncle Dave (my Great Grandpa) was deathly afraid of earthquakes. During the 1930’s when he was working in the area as a plumber he did some work in their house, especially after the earthquake. When an aftershock would hit he would flee from house. He would always run from the house when anything started to shake. He commented to her once that he did not want to be in a basement and stuck down there if something happened. Jennie said she used to like to tease him. They would go to the window for the room Uncle Dave was in and then start shaking the window or screen. They used to laugh and laugh to see a man as big as him jump and run outside. She did not say if he ever knew it was them, but I don’t think he did. I enjoyed this story.
We headed back to Amanda’s parents. Mel and Shanna Thompson were there, Amanda’s grandparents. We had a good little visit. They were working on family history. It was good to see them. I did not know that Mel was born in Pingree, Idaho.
I headed home to Provo for work on Monday morning. They have given me one last job to finish before I leave. It is a good little job and will keep me busy. It is to paint the walls in the crystal department. I have been working on it since.
Last night I went up and met Amanda and her family at the Bountiful Temple. We then went up Mueller Park with Rick for family photos. It was fun. I don’t know if I will like any of the photos, but it was fun. Amanda’s cousin Sherise was there to keep us entertained. We went out to eat Mexican at El Matidor (something like that). I way overate. It was very good food.
Anyhow, today we are packing to move to Virgina. Moving day is fast approaching. Looking forward to the trip!
