The Wickmans moved to Glendale from Verona, New Jersey, in the summer of 1951. Originally both were from Utah—Alton from Emery County and Irene from Salt Lake. They met at ZCMI where Alton was selling shoes and Irene came in to buy a pair of riding boots. That’s a bit of a family joke because we can’t imagine why she needed riding boots—she wouldn’t have been caught dead on a horse. Perhaps it was just fate taking charge.
So we moved into the Glendale West Ward in 1951; Lance
was about 11, Tina was 5 and Carver about 18 months.
Mom and Dad hadn’t been too active in the Church
in the early years of their marriage, but their ward teacher in New Jersey,
Harvey Fletcher (the noted Bell Labs scientist acknowledged as the father of
stereophonic sound), convinced them the Church needed them.
Also, Lance—who had been attending Sunday School with
friends—refused to go to church one Sunday. He said he wasn’t going any more
unless he could go with his family like everyone else did. The perfect guilt
trip, and it worked. Not long after we
moved to California we were sealed as a family in the Salt Lake Temple.
Dad was a senior executive with Beneficial Finance
Company, Mom was a typical 50’s housewife, stay-at-home mom. Both of them
served in a variety of Church callings through the years. Dad served as a stake
Sunday School superintendent, stake YMMIA president, and later as a member of
the stake presidency with Presidents Dibble and Garrett. During their tenure
the Glendale Stake Center was built and Dad was in charge of the fund-raising,
quite successfully. Later he served as a High Priest group leader. His hobby
was golf, golf, golf. Mom took it up because she said otherwise she would never
see him on Saturdays.
Mom served as ward and stake YWMIA president (while Dad
served as counterpart in Young Men), ward Relief Society counselor. She also
produced the play “Promised Valley” at the Starlight Theater (think that’s the
name of the place), and served as director of regional music and dance
festivals. In the community she was president of the Red Cross, the auxiliary
women’s organization to the Glendale Symphony, and the California-Utah Women.
In 1980 Mom and Dad moved to San Diego to be closer to Lance and his family. They passed away in 1993 and are buried in the Poway, CA, cemetery.
In 1980 Mom and Dad moved to San Diego to be closer to Lance and his family. They passed away in 1993 and are buried in the Poway, CA, cemetery.
Irene's family
Alton C. Wickman, located in the Dearborn Memorial Park, Poway California:
