Riverton Classical Academy moves forward with partnerships
Idaho
Heyburn Bridge
I wanted to share this photo from 10 September 2020. The mirror of the Snake River from the Burley side with Heyburn’s Riverside Park just behind captivated me then, and still does.
Circle A Construction 1990 Anniversary
Dad has these two photos sitting on his desk at home, they sat on his desk at work too. The one above is from the recognition party given for him and Mel Keyes in 1990. Dad still has the picture, one of the trucks on the cake, and the Traeger smoker. Circle A transferred Dad to AgExpress in about 2004 when AgExpress took over the Paul operations. Dad had roughly 34 years with Circle A Construction. I am posting this in honor of Mel and Dad for what is 55 years since they started for Circle A Construction!
This photo below is for a supervisor training get away some time in the 1990s. Dad could not remember the exact year.
Leslie Sanford Abbott (1953 – 2005)
Lenny Aslett
Larry Dean Aslett (1944 – 2022)
Marvin Bridges Aslett (1926 – 2022)
Sage Aslett
Steven Le Roy Aslett (1947 – 2021)
Clifford “Boomer” Bailey
Eli Calamantes
Dave Dana
Mike Ehrmantraut
Tom Ehrmantraut
DeLane Terry Fetzer (1947 – 2020)
Edward Lenn Foreman (1951 – 2015)
George Reece Garro (1947 – 2012)
Gradus Geert Heeling Jr (1951 – 2020)
Jeff Herzinger
Dale May Keyes (1947 – 2017)
Melvin Eddie Keyes (1943 – 2018)
Jeff Mecham
Milo Paul Ross (1943 – alive)
Tom Schmidt
Nick Stephens
Gerald Stowell
Terry Vitek
Richard Max Hirschnitz
I attended the temple in June and did the proxy endowment for Richard Max Hirschnitz. I felt captivated by the name and the individual.
The temple card indicated he was born 20 February 1893 in Langebruke, Kamenz, Dresden, Deutschland.
After doing some research on Richard Hirschnitz I discovered he passed away in 1917 in Belgium. Which to me told me he was likely a casualty of World War I.
He died 1 May 1917 in Flanders Province of Belgium. It shows he was buried in the Vladslo German Military Cemetery. He was definitely fighting for the Germany military.
I could not locate a formal battle happening in Flanders in May 1917. A German website shows Richard is at Seeflugstation I at Zeebrugge. The ongoing Battle of Arras seems too far away for him if he was a pilot. He could have been part of preparations for the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele). I just don’t have enough detail to tell me more about how or where he died.
FindaGrave shows this designation: Flugzeugf.-Matrose. He was certainly on an aircraft. Planes in 1917 were not very large and not many crew members.
What he shot down? Crashed? Plane failure? He was just over 24 years old.
His proxy baptism and confirmation were performed 13 April 2019 in the Twin Falls Idaho Temple.
His proxy initiatory was performed for him 26 April 2019 in Twin Falls Idaho Temple.
I attended to his proxy endowment on 28 June 2025 in Twin Falls Idaho Temple.
His proxy sealing to parents is yet to be performed.
He appears to be fourth of 13 children born to the marriage Max Friedrich Heinrich Hirschnitz and Johanne Therese Schlegel.
I have more questions but cannot locate answers. Perhaps some day?
Eisenhower Lock
“HELP BUILD LOCK. These foremen and supervisors are working on the Eisenhower lock in placement of concrete. They hail from various parts of the country. Shown are Ward Turner, supervisor, from Arkansas; Manuel Martinez, vibrator, from Mexico; Golden Andra, general foreman, from Idaho; John Catera, foreman, from Utica.
This newspaper article and photo were in the records of Golden Andra. Golden is named in the newspaper, I don’t know/think the second photo is of Golden. It says it came from the Department of Interior, he kept it for some reason unknown to me.
I know this was a significant time in the life of the Andra family. Golden worked and is shown as a general foreman. But I also know that Golden’s brothers Donald and Ross both also worked on the St. Lawrence Seaway. I believe they both worked on the Eisenhower Lock as well.
Golden and Utahna adopted a boy born in 1957 at Bombay, Franklin, New York.
Donald married in 1957 at Hogansburg, Franklin, New York.
Ross told me multiple stories of New York. Unfortunately, I don’t remember any to share.
Since this is Golden, and this article also shares some information in New York, I share it here as well.
“Andra, former Preston man, gets Silver Beaver. The Citizen (Preston, Idaho) 20 March 1986.
“A former Preston man was awarded a Silver Beaver award from the Mt. Whitney Area Boy Scout Council in California recently.
“Golden Andra, son of William F. Sr., and Mary Wanner Andra, of Preston, was one of the two Tulare, Calif., scouters to get the prestigious award, the highest given on the council level.
“Andra, who has been involved in scouting for more than 20 years is serving as district commissioner for the Golden State District, and Explorer advisor for Post 234.
“An active member of the LDS church, he married Utahna Bird of Salina, Utah in the Salt Lake LDS Temple.
“He worked for Morrison Knudsen Construction and the government for many years. He now works in sales for Selig Chemicals and has been in sales for 20 years. He is now buying the old Willard Wanner home in Preston for retirement.
“Andra organized the first charter for the Boy Scouts in Hogansburg, N.Y., for Mohawk Indians, becoming scoutmaster; worked with youth in Pierre, S.D.; Page, Ariz.; Roseville, Calif.; Crows Landing, Calif.; served as a counselor to a branch president and scoutmaster in Manteca, Calif.; scoutmaster, stake missionary, president of the Seventies, president of the MIA in Tulare.
“He also served as High Priest group leader, stake assistant secretary and scoutmaster over all scouts, last year being given the district award of merit.
“The Andras have six children (four living) and three foster children.
William Andra Ordinations
Working through the family history book of Golden Andra that was given to me, I opened a page to scan some photos and found a surprise. Behind that photo were some ordination certificates. These are originals. I thought I better get them scanned and preserved. I also uploaded them to FamilySearch and got them linked with the names in the documents.
I think they are valuable for family history. They are also a peek into church history. This gives us the missionaries who baptized and confirmed my Great Grandfather in Germany. I have provided some limited biographies at the end.
Also an original Notification of Birth Registration for Robert Lee Andra, son of William and Mary, who died at birth. I am not sure why the United States Department of Commerce is issuing this Notification, or the Bureau of the Census. There is some history behind this I am not aware. Last, a copy of William’s obituary.
I had to do some history on individuals listed on the certificates. Some fascinating individuals, obviously some of them local church leaders.
James Richard Bodily – born 11 February 1872 in Hyde Park, Cache, Utah – died 12 April 1967 in Preston, Franklin, Idaho
Wilford Woodruff Emery – born 16 October 1880 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah – died 10 September 1954 in Salt Lake City.
John Edward Hanks – born 30 August 1877 in Salem, Utah, Utah – died 5 July 1970 in Salt Lake City.
William Gibson Palmer – born 16 July 1884 in Croydon, Morgan, Utah – died 15 May 1977 in Preston.
Henry Helaman Rawlings – born 8 April 1893 in Fairview, Oneida, Idaho – died 14 February 1984 in Fairview.
Adelbert Augustine Taylor – born 9 April 1883 in Springerville, Apache, Arizona – died 15 November 1948 in San Felipe de HÃjar, San Sebastián del Oeste, Jalisco, Mexico.
Luther Hovey Twitchell – born 17 October 1878 in Salt Lake City – died 15 April 1962 in Bountiful, Davis, Utah.
Preston, England
Another more relaxed day in England.
Today we received word the paperwork and everything has all been signed for our home. The paperwork is off to Oklahoma City for the official closing on Monday. I don’t know what could really change now. By all accounts, we are now the proud owners of a little home in Oklahoma City. Or at least we have a title to a home with a significant lien for a bank somewhere. Hopefully everything continues to work out like it has so far.
We ran to the Preston England Temple today. It is one of my favorite temples. There is something in the simplistic beauty of it I adore. Amanda agreed. It is on par with the Rexburg and Vernal Temples for the simple elegance within. We snapped a couple of pictures.Â
We also ran into a member I knew in the Wigan Ward. He is now in the Temple Presidency and enjoyed a good visit with him. We were supposed to go over and visit this evening, but our plans crowded it out in the end. We had to reschedule it for tomorrow sometime. We are going to work it out in church.
Afterward, Amanda and I ran into Preston. I showed her the town center where the missionaries preached the gospel for the first time in the British Isles. It is in Preston that the longest continuing unit of the church operates, the Preston Ward. We ran out of time to go to the flat where Parley P Pratt and Orson Hyde were attacked by the legions of the devil. We did not get a chance to see Avenham Park or the beautiful River Ribble where the first baptisms took place outside of North America. We did not get over to see the apartment where President Hinckley received his famous “Forget yourself and go to work” letter on Wadham Road. Perhaps sometime in the future.
We came back and were relaxed some more with the McCabes. They treated us to a fine meal of South African descent. They lived in South Africa for a number of years. Later this year they are immigrating to Australia! How is that for exciting. When we make it to Australia, we know who we will be calling on! Amanda and I made a call at Tesco today and purchased a Pavlova. Boy, was I glad to get my hands on one. We consumed it after dinner as one of our desserts. Mmmmm.
I realized yesterday was the anniversary of Joseph Smith’s death. I wonder specifically what he is doing these days. What or where is he up to doing work?
Tomorrow we are off to attend the Wigan Ward. Then we will go visit some of the new converts I helped bring into the church. Sadly, I don’t think any of them are active. But we shall find out. I did find out Jim Monks knows where one of them lives.
Europe Trip – June 4-5
We have arrived in Belgium! What a relief. I cannot tell you.
We flew out from the Boise airport. We were fortunate to catch a non-stop flight, from Los Angeles!! Boy, if there is anything near torture, try flying through the night in a very cramped space. After 9.5 hours on the plane, we landed at London Heathrow. We found our way through the Underground to Kings Cross Station.
Amanda went and found Platform 9 & 3/4 at Kings Cross Station of Harry Potter fame and took a few pictures. We waited, checked in for Eurostar at St. Pancras Station, and enjoyed a Cornish Pasty. A first for Amanda, a beloved memory for me.
We climbed aboard the Eurostar which treated us to a trip through the Chunnel. France proved to have beautiful scenery. We got off at Lille, France and switched trains.Â
We rode to Kortrijk, Belgium. James met us at the station and now we are in our digs at Oostrozebeke, Belgium.
Funny thing, we knew we needed to get to Kortrijk but we forgot to bring James & Catherine’s phone number and address. Meaning, when we arrived, we were totally at their mercy. We couldn’t catch a taxi to their home, and we could not call them. It is sure a good thing James showed up with his Toyota.
We find ourselves babysitting while James & Catherine are off to Branch Council. We put the kids to bed in 15 minutes, took a shower, and crashed ourselves! We are exhausted.
Sagacity 