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A House by the Side of the Road

Here are some photos that have captivated me since the day I took them.  They are not the highest quality, just taken with an old 35mm camera in 1999 and scanned in 2008.  It probably does not mean much to you, but I walked down this road probably over a dozen times.  There was just this feeling every time I walked down this road I shall not soon forget.  Nothing miraculous happened on this stretch, at least that I recognize in mortality.

This stretch of highway is called Moss Road heading north outside of Cadishead, England.  This picture is facing south between the bridge crossing over the M62 and Woolden Road.  I still remember it as if I were there yesterday.  I was also able to locate the buildings in the picture on Google maps and with the street view see how things have changed in 12 years.  Even in the distance I can see a new house has been built, but the road looks much the same.  The other photo from Woolden Road of this amazing little farmhouse that was a blast from the past.  I am posting that picture a little further down.  It is a shot of the farmhouse from the brook (near Glazebrook Lane).  Click on the picture to see it better.

At the time of this photograph, I was companions with Elder Jose Hernandez of Benidorm, Spain.  I have not had contact with him since the time we served together.  We did teach a number of people on the street about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  One of them, the Richley Family, I have memories with and still wonder about.  Since we had a number of teaching appointments on the street, we would ride the bus the 45 minutes or so to Cadishead from Patricroft and teach these good people.  One lived about a mile off the bus route, and the rest about another mile out.  We walked this street at least once a week for several months.

We walked this street during the month of August, which is probably the hottest month in England.  With our Dr. Martens and the heat, it was a bit of a trek in the heat.  But the friendliness of the people on this little street is what I remember.  One lady we stopped at her house to ask for a drink and she invited us in to share some fizzy pop with us and shoot the breeze.  She was overly nice but made sure we understood her husband would not be quite as welcoming and we should probably not return for a teaching appointment, but any time we needed a drink, we were welcome.  She sent us on our way with a liter of lemonade in my backpack.

Years later I stumbled upon a poem by Sam Walter Foss that returned me to my memories of this little road and the house on Woolden Road.  Little Moss Road’s residents were nice to us, just as I imagine Cadishead was to those passing on the old Manchester Ship Canal that runs just south of town.

There are hermit souls that live withdrawn
In the peace of their self-content;
There are souls, like stars, that dwell apart,
In a fellowless firmament;
There are pioneer souls that blaze their paths
Where highways never ran;
But let me live by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.

Let me live in a house by the side of the road,
Where the race of men go by–
The men who are good and the men who are bad,
As good and as bad as I.
I would not sit in the scorner’s seat,
Or hurl the cynic’s ban;
Let me live in a house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.

I see from my house by the side of the road,
By the side of the highway of life,
The men who press with the ardor of hope,
The men who are faint with strife.
But I turn not away from their smiles nor their tears–
Both parts of an infinite plan;
Let me live in my house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.

I know there are brook-gladdened meadows ahead,
And mountains of wearisome height,
That the road passes on through the long afternoon
And stretches away to the night.
But still I rejoice when the travelers rejoice,
and Weep with the strangers that moan,
Nor live in my house by the side of the road
Like a man who dwells alone.

Let me live in my house by the side of the road
Where the race of men go by–
There are good, they are bad, they are weak, they are strong,
Wise, foolish–so am I.
Then why should I sit in the scorner’s seat
Or hurl the cynic’s ban?–
Let me live in my house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.


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Baby Andra Ross

I believe this is the earliest photos I have of my sister, Andra Ross.  She will probably not be entirely pleased that I am displaying the earliest photographs I have of her.  At any rate, with the whole baby kick and trying to find similarities at this point in the game, I thought I should post a picture of my full sister.

Andra Ross was born 16 September in the Cassia Memorial Hospital & Medical Center in Burley, Idaho (the same location as me).  She weighed in at 7 pounds, 1 ounce at 19 inches long.  Her parents are my parents, Milo Paul Ross and Sandra Jonas.  My parents were then residing at 108 N. 3rd E. in Paul, Idaho.  I believe the same address my Mom was living at when I was born.  We also were delivered by the same doctor, Dr. A. L. Kircher.  (If anyone knows his first and middle name, I would not mind having it.)  Interestingly, Sandy purchased a 1956 Dodge Coronet from Dr. Kircher on 22 September 1978.  The same “Old Dodge” in my possession, drivable, and will be lovingly restored at some point.

I do not want to give too much commentary on Andra’s life.  I will make a few mentions about the photos above though.  Notice the full head of hair that she was born with.  Honestly, her chubbiness covers up most of the features that distinguish her later in life.  I look at these photos and do not recognize her.  But then again, the trauma of a giving birth does a number on a baby’s head and facial features and head shape change quite drastically over the first few months.  I will say this.  Looking at Andra’s pictures as she grows older, much of the bone structure and facial features remind me of my Grandma Gladys Ross.  As Andra approached adulthood she took on more of Sandy’s characteristics.  I still personally see much of Gladys in there, but so many people comment on how much she looks like my Mom.  I think they are just going from memory and not comparing the actual pictures.  Anyhow, I see no resemblance, except for hair, between little Aliza and my sister Andra.  (I realize we already have too many “A” names in the family; ie. Amanda, Andra, Aliza, Alyssa).

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Slumbers Not

I stumbled upon this photograph again tonight and thought I would share it.  This picture was taken by an old roommate of mine at Utah State, I do not remember for sure which one, I think Mark Morris.

The contrasts of the photo are pretty dramatic.  This is taken from Darwin Avenue in Logan, Utah.  You can see the Wellsville Mountains on the west side of Cache Valley.  You can see the lighted Logan LDS Temple with its greenish spires and lighted facade.  Some other silhouettes are discernible and will be recognized by most people who have lived in Logan, particularly the LDS Tabernacle Spire and the red Wells Fargo sign.  This photo was taken 12 November 2003.  You have to click on it and zoom in to get the full effect.

Whenever I see the picture and the amazing sunset, I am reminded of Felix Mendelssohn’s oratorio named Elijah.  The song particularly that comes to mind is “He watching over Israel, slumbers not” (from Psalm 121:4).

I know God is watching over Israel and not slumbering.  In the end, all things will come out right.  He is in charge, this is His world and His plan.

“When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land.  [T]hey shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards…they shall build with confidence, when I have executed judgments upon all those that despite them round about them; and they shall know that I am the Lord their God.”  Ezekiel 28:25-6.

“Let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God.”  D&C 101:16.

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Shall never thirst

Here is a photo we took in Chester, England.  We took it on 2 July 2008 at Chester Cathedral.  We visited Chester as it was a memorable site in England that I visited in December 1998 or January 1999 as a missionary.

A church has stood in this location pretty much since the 11th century from what I understand.  As a missionary visiting in 1998-99, I just remember the influence it had on me to realize that this place was of importance with relation to Handel’s Messiah, a piece I had learned to love in high school.

The scripture around the base is of John 4:14.  “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

I quoted from the King James Version, but this writing ends with “up for everlasting life.”  Which I thought was an interesting variation of words.

Anyhow, we found it beautiful and I thought I would share.  I know this cathedral is a tourist location, but I also know that many do not venture into the courtyard where this sculpture is located.

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Jonas-Andra Wedding

Bill and Mary Andra are pleased to announce the marriage of their daughter Colleen Mary to Wilburn Norwood Jonas, son of Joseph and Lillian Jonas.  They were married in Elko, Nevada on 27 September 1946.

Colleen is a 1946 graduate of Preston High School.  She is currently pursuing a degree at Brigham Young University.

Norwood attended North Cache High School.  He is currently employed at Pet Milk in Richmond.

The couple will make their home in Richmond.

While short and sweet, I think that is what their announcement may have been like.  What else is in there between the lines?  Norwood and Colleen met at the Persiana in Preston, Idaho.  A dance hall on the second floor of the building.  William and Mary Andra were not entirely pleased with Colleen’s selection of a spouse.  The poor boy from Richmond who smoked and drank was not an appropriate mate for their daughter.  Not only that, she loved him so much that her parents did not see this as a good influence on her even while they dated for a couple of years before.  While not entirely supportive, they allowed their daughter to make her own choices after having a number of clear, frank conversations with her.  If this is what she wanted, then she could do as she pleased.  But she was well aware that much heartache and pain could be in her future, at least as her parents predicted.

With so little support from her parents, many of her siblings liked “Nor” for the most part.  He worked hard and provided for his family and that is most important.

Joseph Jonas had died 14 years earlier and would not be around for this occasion.  In fact, Norwood saw his father electrocuted before him on that fateful day in Ogden, Utah in 1932.  Norwood often took his father his lunch at that time because they lived in railroad housing not far from the switchyard where he worked.  Nor walked up the tracks and his father saw him coming.  He stepped down from the locomotive they were working on to the track and started walking toward Norwood.  A Mr. Child who had been warned earlier to move the line had not done so and Joseph hit his head.  Norwood saw his father thrown back to the ground.  Mr. Child made the mistake that killed Joseph that day and every time he saw the family he always apologized for the death.  If that wasn’t a burden to live with for Mr. Child, it was for Norwood.  His brother, Ellis, indicated that was the day the lights went out in Norwood.  Nor’s mother, Lillian, also indicated Norwood was never the same after that day.

The family lost their housing with the railroad and moved back to Richmond, Utah.  There the family had to live in two train cars placed side by side for years to come.  Finally the family could afford to move into a little home of a few hundred square feet, but that was after most, if not all, the children were gone.  Lillian (nee Coley) was a humble, faithful widow who did what she could for her children.  Much relied upon the good people of the ward in which she lived, but the boys had their crazy days without a father.  The Jonas brothers were known to be a rough, mean bunch.  The meanness only exacerbated by alcohol.

Colleen had graduated Preston High School and followed her parents suggestion by enrolling at Brigham Young University.  I think the parents probably hoped some good boys would come along.  However, Norwood and Colleen could not bear to be that far apart and Norwood came down to pick her up at school after only a few days or weeks there.  They drove back north and would eventually take Lillian and run to Elko to “elope”.

Norwood attended North Cache High School but never graduated.  Only one of his siblings would graduate from high school (Ellis).  Norwood was bright and able to keep up with school.  So much, he attended with classes with his older brother, Irwin, who was two and a half years his senior.  Norwood even shows in Irwin’s class pictures.  But the life of the widow was hard and the boys found employment as soon as they can to help with the family expenses.

The two would be happily married for years to come.  The first child would not come for 6 years after the marriage.  Norwood and Colleen enjoyed the social environment and party of friends, often hosting Bridge and other card games at their home.  Children would arrive in 1952 (Douglas Norwood), 1954 (Sandra, written about at this link: Baby Sandra Jonas), and 1960 (Jackie).

Jonas family at the 1962 Jonas family reunion

I really don’t know much for sure of this period.  Other than they seem to have lived the usual family life.  Alcohol would eventually come to cause the majority of problems within the home and which would eventually take Norwood’s life in 1975.

Colleen’s journals from 1944-1946 can be found here.  Colleen’s Journal 1944-1946.  I also wrote about the journal at this link: Colleen Andra’s Journal.  While short in its entries, it tells more than anything I could have ever found out otherwise.  Everyone, keep a journal, even if only one sentence a day.  That one sentence tells scores of information decades later.  I treasure every word.  I wish she had such a journal extending through every year.

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Baby Sandra Jonas

This is the only photograph I have of my mother as a baby.  I am sure there are more out there, but they have not been shared with me.  This photograph was in an album of my Great Grandmother, Lillian Coley Jonas (Mom’s paternal Grandmother).  It was in an album that had the plastic stick pages and you can see the effects of that and a little moisture on the photograph.  Hopefully some day another version will emerge.  I am sure my Grandmother had some more pictures but nobody seems to know where they went in 1999.

Sandra Jonas was born 16 March 1954 in Logan Hospital in Logan, Utah.  She weighed in at 6 pounds, 11 ounces and I do not have a record of how long.  Her parents were Colleen Mary Andra and Wilburn Norwood Jonas.  They resided at the home Grandpa built at 142 N. State Street in Richmond, Utah (someone update me so I can correct this).  I do not know the exact address.  She was delivered by Dr. Willard Goodwin Noble.  An interesting note about her birth certificate, Dr. Noble made out the certificate of birth on the 24th of March and was probably filed the next day, but the certificate says it was filed on the 15th of March, the day before she was born!  L. K. Gates was the Registrar.  That is all from the State Certificate of Birth.  The Logan City Certificate of Birth all states the same except signed by H. R. Pedersen as City Recorder with W. W. Nyman as deputy.

Sandra, who had a strong dislike for the name Sandra, has always gone by Sandy.  Sandra is not a family name and was popular at the time.

Wilburn went by the name of Norwood (or “Nor”) because he did not like Wilburn.  He is shown as a laborer on the birth certificate and worked on and off at various jobs through the years.  The majority of the time he worked for Sego Milk (aka Pet Milk) in Richmond.  When the plant closed in the late ’60’s, that is why the Jonas family moved to Burley, Cassia, Idaho.  Norwood then began work helping construct the new Del Monte Plant in Burley.  Colleen also worked through the years at various jobs, usually working at the at the pea and other packing plants in Franklin, Idaho and Smithfield, Utah.

Sandy was the second child of Norwood and Colleen, the older being a boy born in 1952, Douglas Norwood.  Mom was later followed in 1960 by Jackie.  Neither Douglas or Jackie are family names and the family appears to used names that suited their fancy than having any tie to ancestry.

As I look at the picture, I see a happy baby.  She continued to grow into a happy little girl.

I look at our new baby, Aliza, and I see much of my mother.  While I never knew my Mom’s real face because it was rebuilt cosmetically after a wreck threw her into some barbed wire than nearly removed her face and her life, I see in this photo many features of Aliza.  Everything from the long hair on the baby, the smile and build of the face, the wrinkles in the skin of the neck, and more.  Little Aliza does not have the ears or the plumpness of this baby.  Perhaps the plumpness will arrive when she is able to sit up as Mom is able to in this photo.  We will just have to wait and see.

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Aliza Belle Ross

We are happy to share the birth of our new baby.  Aliza Belle Ross.

She was born at 11:13 PM on 30 October 2010.

She weighed in at 7 pounds, 6 ounces, 20 inches long.

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Impending Baby Takeover

With the impending baby in the next few days, I thought I would share a photo of me and a couple of thoughts.

My first thought is, “Who is that?”  Of course I never saw myself in this station of life, or at least I do not remember it.  But as I look at the photo I see familiar features.  Not so much of me, but features that remind me of baby photos of my Mom and Aunt Jackie.  I do not see many features of my Dad that would start to appear throughout childhood.  While I want to deny the photo is me, I know it is.

I was born at 9:08 in the morning.  I weighed in at a whopping 5 pounds 12.5 ounces.  I slid into this world at 18.5 inches in length.  The photo you see above is of me probably within 5 days of birth.  I do have a photo from the same day but you cannot see my features like you can this photo.

Notice that I was born with a full head of hair.  It appears our baby will be born the same.  The ultrasound unfortunately does not give us hair color so we will have to wait and see.  My hair has stayed pretty much the same color since with variations for sun bleaching.

I do not know if I came early or not.  I have no knowledge of an early birth and while I may look a little thin, I spent no extra time in the hospital.  I do believe my Mom smoked through the pregnancy would may account for my light birth weight and potential early delivery.

While my Dad is obviously not in this photo, he kinda is.  Those dual tires and trailer in the background clearly represent him.  I do not know if he was superintendent of Circle A Construction’s Paul, Idaho job at the time (I believe he was), he was still working with these sugar beet trailers.  These tires provided my family’s income at this year and for many years to come.

These wheels tell me much more though.  This photograph was likely taken at the Amalgamated Sugar Company’s factory at Paul, Idaho.  If the photo was taken by my Dad, I am not sure a semi trailer would be so close.  A pickup, office, or something else may have been closer.  This shot was likely taken by my Grandma, because she worked as a dispatcher at the Paul factory for Circle A Construction then.  Those trucks and trailers parked only feet from where the trailer was located.  Furthermore, that trailer was so small that a good first photograph by my Grandma probably would have required a little more space and light.  Hence, my Mom is likely standing outside the trailer, my Grandma taking the shot, looking down at the new mother and baby.  The semi is also parked driving from left to right, which is the same direction those trucks drove and parked.  Dad will probably clarify if it was him who took the shot, but I have a pretty good suspicion it was Grandma.  Not only is Dad in the shot, but Grandma is too.

My Mom’s look clothing also is indicative of the time.  Yep, I can class my self with a period.  If that does not ring 70’s, I do not know what does.  Those mirrored glasses that she would wear in many of my memories afterward.  The overalls that were so popular at the time.  My Mom is wearing the bracelet that as far as I know, she wore until the day she entered prison.  While I am sure the glasses were replaced over time, I am not sure about the bracelet.

Even the tread on the tires seems like something from the past.  The tread seems to have changed over the years for semi-tractors although I don’t know.

Anyhow, that is enough on this photo.  Is that a cloth diaper?  I must have been just changed or something because my onesie is still open at the bottom, or that was the coolest fashion!  I swear I can smell the sugar factory now.  That sweet, biting taste that smells of money to so many people.

That cute little baby is actually me.  Amanda seems to think the ultrasound photos show a brow and facial features like this photo.  I guess we will just have to wait and see this weekend.