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Layton & Taylorsville Temple Open Houses
Before I talk about the Layton and Taylorsville Temples, I thought I better throw in another temple visit we made since I last updated. While on Spring Break this year, we made a stop in Vernal, Utah. While there, we scheduled and attended the Vernal Utah Temple with the kids. Glad we stopped to make another memory at another House of the Lord.
Since the kids have a goal to attend the temple every month this year, we did also make it in April to the Twin Falls Temple. In May, while going to Utah for the open houses, we made sure to stop off and fulfill the monthly goal. May took us to Ogden Utah Temple.
Later that evening, we attended the open house of the Layton Utah Temple with Amanda’s parents. Beautiful.
We look forward to attending the temple after it is dedicated.
The next day we attended the open house for the Taylorsville Utah Temple, again with Amanda’s parents. We were also excited to run into the Brad and Rachel Hales family as well as Sarah Sanderson!
It has been a crazy year for temple attendance and temple open houses. We have attended quite a few and quite a few are coming up for open houses. Wow, should be fun. It is exciting that the Kingdom and Church of God on the earth is in such a position to build so many beautiful houses to the Lord. We are blessed to attend the open houses and hopefully return some day to participate in holy ordinances there.
When I was interviewed for my first temple recommend in 1998, President Gene Hansen indicated he had a goal since he was first endowed to attend the temple every single month. He challenged me to do the same. As long as I have held a recommend, or I had permission to attend, I have attended the temple every single month since 1998. That meant a full day off of work in Missouri as it was a 4 hour drive one way from Branson, Missouri, to St. Louis, Missouri. Or from Richmond, Virginia, to Washington, D.C., that was a 4-5 hour drive and we often would go up and spend the night and return home on Saturday or Sunday depending on the circumstances.
Many open houses are upcoming, including Deseret Peak Utah; Casper Wyoming; Grand Junction Colorado; Elko Nevada; Syracuse Utah; Burley Idaho; Lindon Utah; Ephraim Utah; Smithfield Utah; Montpelier Idaho; Heber Valley Utah; Teton River Idaho; Salt Lake City Utah; Provo Rock Canyon Utah; Cody Wyoming; Lethbridge Alberta; Lehi Utah; and West Jordan Utah. Hopefully we can make some of the more exotic ones, particularly Birmingham England; Edinburgh Scotland; Honolulu Hawaii; and Vancouver British Columbia. We will see what our future holds.
Wilburn Norwood Jonas 100th Birthday!
I thought it would be appropriate to commemorate the 100th birthday of my Grandpa, Wilburn Norwood Jonas. He went by Norwood his whole life, or Nor to those closest.
Grandpa was born 15 May 1924 in Lewiston, Cache, Utah to Lillian Coley and Joseph Nelson Jonas. The fourth child of eight to his parents. He married Colleen Mary Andra 27 September 1946 in Elko, Elko, Nevada. Three children were born to him and Colleen; Douglas in 1952, Sandra in 1954, and Jackie in 1960. He died 14 March 1975 in Burley, Cassia, Idaho and was buried 19 March 1975 in Richmond, Cache, Utah.
I was trying to think of a way to commemorate Grandpa. As linked above, I have written of him before. This week, I went through an old book I have that belong to Norwood’s dad, Joseph. Inside were some newspaper clippings and notes. One linked to Grandpa. I share it to show that research is ongoing and can be found anywhere! Just takes a little luck, heaven’s guidance, and you will stumble on them. I will wrote more on the book and other clippings inside later.
Park School was in Richmond. It was only razed in the past few years. Grandpa went to North Cache High School, although he did not graduate. This clipping also has Irwin written in to it. Which tells me he was missed or it is the wrong Jonas boy that was listed. Although, I do have a class picture of Irwin and Norwood together, so I am not clear if that tips it one way or the other.
“Name Graduates of Park School
“The Richmond Park School commencement exercises will be held in the Benson Stake tabernacle Thursday, at 8 p. m.
“The program follows: Processional; Invocation, Bishop J. M. Godfrey; salutation, Garr Christensen; music, school orchestra; talks, Norma Kaye Funk, Margaret Merrill; music, class; class history, Joyce Larson; presentation of class gift, Oral L. Ballam Jr.; awarding of prizes and the presentation of the class. Principal G. G. Merrill; awarding of certificates, Levi H. Allen; class song, class; adjournment to the community building for dancing; benediction, S. W. Allen.
“The list of graduates are: Ivan Anderson, Oral Ballam, LaMarr Carlson, Archie Carver, Garr Christensen, Don Hansen, Warren Hamp, [Irwin written in, referring to Irwin Jonas], Norwood Jonas, Robert Johnson, Glenn Mortensen, Junior Peterborg, Darrell Smith, Gail Spackman, Alvin Spackman, Allen Spackman, James Scott, Boyd Tripp, Olive Biggs, Dorma Anderson, Joy Erickson, Norma Kaye Funk, Bernice Frandsen, Ruth Hutchison, Nadine Johnson, Eva Kershaw, Virginia Kirstofferson, Elaine Lewis, Anna May Lawrence, Joyce Larson, Margaret Merrill, Dorothy Nielsen, Beth Rich, Afton Sorensen, Lyle Wilding.
Here is the class picture with many of these same names. It also includes Irwin and Norwood. I have written about it previously.
Harral Siblings
I really do not know anything about this photo. This was one of many photos that were in the Todd/Coley collection that I scanned in 2014. On the back of it was written “Leander Harral Twin Falls” in pencil. I really was not sure if that was enough information. This must have been a friend of Melvin Todd.
Doing a quick search today, I found an obituary for a Leander Harral. Everything seems to be a match. I uploaded the photo to his profile on FamilySearch.
Leander H. Harral
Des Moines, Iowa – Leander H. Harral, 84, died January 15, 2020. Born and reared in Twin Falls, Idaho. Graduated from Idaho State University with a B.S. in business, a minor in accounting. Worked for the State of Iowa, Department of Education for 30 years. Served in the US Army, post Korean Conflict for 6 years. He was active in Neighborhood Organizations in Des Moines. He loved to fish and travel. Most of all he loved his AKC Champion Border Terriers competing in Earthdog, Tracking, Agility, Rally and Obedience. Most rewarding to him was when he did volunteering with his therapy dog, Joy.
Survived by his wife, a 60 year marriage, Olga “Trudy” (Nerge) Harral; good neighbor and friend, Terry Davis; sister-in-law, Betty Lou (Paul) Schwake; sister, June (Wayne Tardiff) Harral; brother, Quintin (Avon) Harral; many nieces and nephews, great- and great-great-.
Leander was preceded in death by his parents, Quintin and Louise (Engelbrecht) Harral; father and mother-in-law, Clarence and Doris Nerge; sister and brother-in-law, Jacqueline and Raymond Davis; and brother-in-law, Harold Haverkamp.
Services will be held at Garden of Memories Cemetery in Waterloo, Iowa at a later date for the immediate family. Arrangements handled by Hamilton’s Funeral Home.
Here is another photo of the bunch. It shows Quinton Harral on it.
I found this obituary for Quinton Harral, he passed away just last year.
Quintin Henry Harral, age 86, passed away peacefully early Sunday morning on July 16, 2023, at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, Idaho, from post surgical complications.
Quintin was born in Twin Falls, Idaho, on July 23, 1936, to Quintin Leander Harral and Louise Lulu Engelbrecht Harral. Quintin was the second of three children, Leander, an older brother by 16 months and a younger sister, June, 2 years later.
Quintin grew up in Twin Falls and was a member of the first graduating class of Twin Falls High School in 1954. He then attended Idaho State College which is now called Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho, and graduated in the Votec Auto Body and Fender Program. He also was a member of the ISU Marching Band. Quintin was a premier trumpeter and was often requested to play “Taps” at funerals and events.
He met Leona Rosa Henrie on October 31, 1957, in Idaho Falls, Idaho, while he was drag racing down Main Street. They eloped to Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 17, 1957. They were later sealed in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple. Quintin’s and Leona’s children are: Cindy Lu, Pamela Joy (deceased), Bruce Quin, and Anthony Vail. They raised their four children while living in Idaho Falls, Twin Falls, Boise, and Pocatello, Idaho. Leona passed away on June 21, 1993, in Pocatello, Idaho. On January 17, 1998, Quintin married in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple Patricia Jane Hancock Anderson. Patricia passed away on November 24, 2001, in Pocatello, Idaho. On November 29, 2003, Quintin married, and is survived by Avon Woolstenhulme Hillman in Eagle, Idaho.
Quintin worked as a Body and Fender man at C Ed Flandro’s in Pocatello and Theisen Motor Company in Twin Falls after he and Leona married. In 1967, he changed careers and went to work for Farmers Insurance Company in Boise, Idaho, as an Auto Claims Adjuster. In 1971, he was promoted to the Pocatello Regional Office of Farmers Insurance as the Regional Auto Physical Damage Claims Manager overseeing Idaho, Montana, and Utah. Quintin retired from Farmers Insurance in 1998.
Quintin loved cars and racing. Drag racing was his obsession. Prior to retiring and Leona’s death, his two sons formed the “Harral Racing Team.” His daughter, Pam, was even involved in the racing world.
Quintin was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He joined the church in 1963, in Twin Falls, Idaho, and remained a faithful member. He had a strong testimony and never doubted it. He was always participating in many acts of service. He and Avon lived in St. George then returned to Ammon, Idaho, where they served a Humanitarian Mission and worked in the Idaho Falls Temple. Quintin held many church callings, including Elders Quorum President twice, Sunday School President, Ward Membership Clerk, Ward Clerk, and Financial Clerk for four different Bishops. He served a service mission in the East Pocatello Stake while he and Patricia were married.
Quintin is survived by his wife, Avon Hillman; daughter, Cindy Lu Latimore (Mark) of Chubbuck, Idaho; son, Bruce Quin Harral (Cathy) of Eagle, Idaho; and son, Anthony Vail Harral (Bobbie) of Pocatello, Idaho; sister, June Harral of Ft. Walton Beach, Florida; and sister-in-law, Trudy Harral of Des Moines, Iowa; as well as his 14 grandchildren and 34 great-grandchildren.
Preceding Quintin in death is Leona Henrie, wife; Patricia Anderson, wife; daughter, Pamela Harral; brother, Leander Harral; and his parents, Quintin Leander Harral and Lousie Lulu Engelbrecht Harral.
Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 20, 2023, at the Cortland Ridge Ward, 3934 E. 49th S., in Ammon. The family will visit with friends from 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. prior to services at the church. Burial will be at 2:30 p.m. in the Mountain View Cemetery in Pocatello, Idaho.
Lastly, there was this photo of Quinton, Leander, and June. Quinton’s obituary indicate she lives in Florida and is still alive.
2023 Annular Solar Eclipse
For the 2023 Annular Solar Eclipse on October 14, we traveled to Wells, Nevada. We wanted to be in the path of totality for the full experience.
We booked a hotel in Wells, Nevada and drove down Friday afternoon. Unfortunately, when we arrived, we found out the entire hotel had been somehow double booked. There was no room at the inn. That was a total surprise and disappointment. We looked up available hotels, there was nothing available within many miles. The options were either to just sleep in our van or go home. We could have ventured back to Jackpot for a really expensive hotel room, or… We just didn’t know.
We did have a dinner appointment with Jordan and Kari Brough. Since we already had that dinner appointment, we decided to keep it and figure things out later. He was a missionary in Oklahoma City and we have kept in contact over the years. I knew he was in Nevada. I reached out and indicated we would be in his neck of the woods and he invited us over (he said to return the favor of dinners in Oklahoma. We had a great dinner with them and their three little children. The food and company was great, very worth the visit.
After dinner, the Broughs asked us about our hotel accommodations. We were not planning on saying anything but we told them. They expanded their dinner invitation to include overnight stay! Which, we were afraid we would impose on them and they would do such. Kari is also pregnant. We had very limited options so we were happy for the chance. We emphasized that they must give us an opportunity to return the favor. We expressly invited them for the Burley Idaho Temple Open House or any other time they may be in our area.
Another perk of staying at the Brough home was that they live in Clover Valley, part of the way between Wells and Ruby Valley. It reduced part of our trip to Ruby Valley. We had a pleasant breakfast with the Broughs, saw their chickens, and headed out.
We had already designated Ruby Valley as the location to meet with Amanda’s family from Utah. We chose The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints branch building in Ruby Valley. The Broughs told us to look out for the Neff family while we were there. Sure enough, a contingent of their family were there to watch the eclipse at the building too.
We went to Rexburg in 2017 for the total eclipse so we had expected something similar. It certainly did not get as dark. Bryan had his camera taking proper shots as the eclipse occurred. You can see the result above. We were very luck to be between clouds for the entire eclipse. The forecast had said it would be about 30% cloud cover, and they were about right. We were really worried we would get cloud cover for the full eclipse and we might not be able to see the sun at all.
Nothing quite adds up in the mind with the changes of light with an eclipse. This was no different. Even as we were driving out to Ruby Valley and the partial eclipse was starting, my eyes were not happy. My mind seemed to be trying to focus as it recognized something was wrong with the light.
It was already a partially chilly day. I do not think the eclipse helped at all. But we were just along for the ride.
It was worth the drive. We are already looking into plans to make the April 2024 eclipse happen. It might be the last chance our children, or either of us, get to experience another eclipse in our lifetime. Where to go to maximize the eclipse length, reduce travel issues, lower costs, but yet avoid potential cloud cover. Where will we end up?
Holden Grave Payson Utah
We tend to not get down to Payson, Utah, Utah too often. On this occasion we were on our way back from Ely, White Pine, Nevada from a trip to Great Basin National Park. We were also coming home on Memorial Day weekend, so we had to make some visits to family graves.
LeRoy and Clara Elizabeth Jarvis Holden are Amanda’s maternal grandparents.
LeRoy Holden was born 28 November 1914 in Provo, Utah, Utah. He was the son of Alvin Peter Holden and Emma Jane Roberts. I tried to convince Amanda we should name a son Alvin citing to her family history, but it was to no avail.
He met Clara Elizabeth Jarvis was born 11 May 1918 in Palmyra, Utah, Utah. She was the daughter of Joseph Finch Jarvis and Sarah Jane Evans.
LeRoy and Clara met and were married in the Salt Lake City Utah Temple on 19 January 1939. Together they had 5 children and adopted Amanda’s mother, Jill in 1963.
LeRoy developed cancer and passed away 25 December 1995 in Provo. He was buried 29 Decembber 1995 in Payson City Cemetery.
Clara met and married Jay LeGrande Barlow on 20 December 1996 in Provo. He was born 7 July 1918 in Enterprise, Washington, Utah.
Clara passed away 22 April 2009 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah. She was buried 25 April 2009 in Payson City Cemetery.
Jay passed away a short time later on 23 September 2009 in Draper, Salt Lake, Utah. He was buried 28 September 2009 in Payson City Cemetery next to his wife Dorothy Emett (1920-1993).
Sagacity 