Edmund Crowley and Edna Lyon were both born in Idaho and
grew up just around the corner from each other in Idaho Falls. Ed put cadavers
in and out of the formaldehyde tanks to earn money to get through medical
school. 1923 - Edna graduated from Sacred Heart Academy in Ogden, Utah. 1928 - Ed
graduated from Rush Medical in Chicago. On 13 Jan 1931 Idaho Falls - Edna was
on the stand testifying to the court in behalf of her mother. Ed's father and
brother were the lawyers. On his lunch hour, Ed entered the courtroom to watch.
He said to his brother Ariel, "Who is that beautiful woman? I am going to
marry her." And so he did, six months later, after courting her through
the mail because she lived in Santa Maria, California.
Oct 1931 - Ed opened his general practice medical office in
Santa Maria. In the next ten years, Ed delivered 244 babies, including his own six
children - two sons, four daughters - which included two sets of boy/girl twins.
In 1933, Edna became a member of the Church when she was baptized in the
Pacific Ocean. One month later, with their 13 month old daughter Pearlyne, they
were sealed for eternity in the Salt Lake Temple. In 1935 Ed was called as the
first Santa Maria Branch President.
Dec 1938 - Edna was driving a car with five children in it from
Santa Maria to St. George to do baptisms for the dead. Ed was following in his
car with two women and two more children. A car accident resulted. Three
children in Edna's car died, and Edna's legs were broken, her right ankle
crushed. May1939 Edna was given a blessing in St. George Temple by President
Harold Snow. Miracle resulted. She was able to walk the rest of the days of her
life.
1939 - Ed was inspired to write and direct the play Could It Happy to You? For the next three
decades, this genealogy play inspired many all over the world to do their
genealogy research and complete their own and their ancestors' temple work.
June 1945 - Ed recognized the day of medical specialties was
beginning. He accepted fellowship at Northwestern Medical School in Chicago for
1 1/2 years without his family.
Summer 1946 - Edna moved lock, stock, and six children to
1440 Royal Blvd., Glendale, California. Ed joined the family Jan 1947 and began
his urology practice in Los Angeles, along with much family activity in the
Glendale Ward, San Fernando Stake. Many Sunday night firesides were held in our
home.
24 July 1948 - Crowley family participated in the ground
breaking ceremony for the Glendale West Ward chapel on corner of Central &
Dryden. Harry V. Brooks was the bishop. Future bishops: A. James Martin,
Wilford Edling, Reed E. Callister. The entire ward helped raise the Crowley
children.
Crowley Family Activities
Ed -
M-Men instructor. Genealogy researcher. For Glendale Stake fun, instigated Hobo
Hops and look-a-like contests of Orrin Porter Rockwell. Served on Glendale High
Council. 1951 - Performed as Nephi in Them
Also I Must Bring, original play by Ruth & Nathan Hale. 1955 - age 53,
took up water skiing to ski in back bay of Balboa with his children before they
were all married.
Ed is
noted for starting the Whole Wheat Project for Southern California. When the
Church said store wheat for your food storage, Ed, being a urologist said,
" People have to learn to eat wheat BEFORE an emergency or they will not
be able to handle its cleansing effects." So the Whole Wheat Warehouse with
a giant mill was built in Burbank, and the public came every Saturday to
purchase the Montana Hard Winter Wheat, cracked wheat, flour, honey, and nuts. The
Crowley children all took turns sacking and weighing those items. For 2 1/2
years our home wheat grinder ground wheat during the night, and Edna went the
next day all over Southern California teaching women in Relief Societies how to
make whole wheat bread and other items such as: whole wheat pie crust, whole
wheat angel food cake, whole wheat carob chip cookies, cracked wheat cereal.
The Crowley family was the 'most regular' family in Southern California. June
1970 - Ed died in Honolulu, Hawaii from complications of a Lipo-Granuloma - a
rare, non‑malignant
growth from tissue left behind from a hernia operation seven years earlier. Age 67 1/2. Buried in
Forest Lawn Glendale.
Edna - Gleaner instructor. Chairman of ward dinners for 13
years. Bazaar helper. Glendale High School PTA president. Cancer campaigner for
years. Outlived three husbands. Died age 91 1/2 in daughter Claire's home,
Provo, Utah. Her body just plain wore out. Buried in Forest Lawn Glendale.
Posterity now numbers: 6 children, 31 grandchildren, 113
great-grandchildren, 18 great-great-grandchildren and counting.
Pearlyne - organist for sacrament meetings. 1951 Prelude to Love, play written by Ruth
and Nathan Hale especially for Pearlyne to perform piano pieces on stage at
their first Hale Center Theatre on Colorado Blvd. Married John Goddard, world
renown explorer. Parents of 2 sons, 2 daughters. Married Rudger G. Smith.
Parents of 1 daughter. Died age 48, in Provo, Utah, cardiac arrest after rupture
of perforated bowel.
Edmund Drew - 1955: Mission
to France after interviews by Bishop Reed E. Callister, Stake President Edwin
S. Dibble and Elder LeGrand Richards; set apart by Elder Bruce R. McConkie. Married
Cheryl Ann Evans. Parents of 1 daughter and 3 sons. Ordained
High Priest 1960 by Elder Harold B. Lee; ordained Bishop1969 of the Boise 18th
Ward, West Boise Stake by Elder LeGrand Richards. Counselor in two Stake
Presidencies: Meridian East Stake, ID; and Farmington UT North
Stake. Ordinance Worker in Salt Lake Temple 1995-96; and since
2004. Married Marjorie Bone 2000. CES Mission to Atlanta, GA, 2002;
Executive Secretary to North America South East Area Presidency 2003.
Living in Cottonwood Heights, UT.
May - Glendale High School oratorical and graduation
speaker; excelled in ballet and playing the oboe. 1952 - BYU Delta Phi Dream
Girl. Married William Robert McConkie in Salt Lake Temple; lived 1 1/2 years in
Nuremberg, Germany during William's Army tour of duty. Parents of 1 son 2 daughters,
20 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren. Helped build Father's Kingdom by
serving stake missions with husband, Bountiful South Stake Relief Society
President, Coordinator of 1600 volunteer missionaries on Temple Square, Young
Women's General Board, ward music director. Great joy in temple service for
more than six decades in Salt Lake, Bountiful, Provo Temples. She looks forward
to finishing her earth journey and being reunited with her dearly beloved,
covenant companion William who passed in 2010.
Nellissa - Activities:
youth firesides at the Callister home when LeGrand
Richards was in the area; Halfway
to Heaven cast at Hale Center Theatre; Road Shows in Glendale West Ward;
ushering at the Los Angeles Philharmonic
Auditorium; first girl yell-leader at GHS with John Hales and Sander Larson;
1953: first all Southern California MIA event of dance, speech, music in
Hollywood Bowl; 1953-55 began Brighamettes at BYU Program Bureau under Janie
Thompson; 1956 married Jerry Hyde, transferred to Everett, WA in 1962; 2002-4
teacher of English in Jinan, China where I was called by real name of Nellissa
(rather than Nellie/Nell); 2004 married Jay Ferrell; ordinance worker in
Seattle, Jordan River, Oquirrh Mountain Temples; Jan 2006-Dec 2007 SLC Family
and Church History Mission with husband; 2008 moved to Bluffdale, UT; avid
family researcher/genealogist, mother and “Nana.”
 |
| Glendale High Yell Leaders for the year 1952-53. About 1951-52 Dick Oliver was the head yell leader at UCLA. He taught Nellissa Crowley some yells. She got John Hales and Sander Larson to learn some yells - and together the three of them tried out for Yell Leaders. They were chosen to be the Yell Leaders for 1952-53, their senior year at Glendale High School. Nellissa was the first girl yell leader, and the first time all the yell leaders were LDS. |
Clay - Glendale High School Senior Class Yell Leader, tennis
team. BYU: Brigham Youngster Novelty dancer with Claire in Program Bureau,
member of Ballroom Dance Team, and ran track. Graduated 1966 and 1967. Served
mission to France and Switzerland, served 14 years in Army reserves, Married
Doris Christensen in 1966. Parents of 8 children, 37 grandchildren and 1 great
so far. Worked for LDS Church from 1974-2003. Served missions at the Polynesian
Cultural Center, Nauvoo, and Temple Square. Served Boy Scouts for over 47
years. Received Silver Beaver award. Have lived in Bountiful from 1974 to
present. Have served in the Bountiful Temple for 9 years.
Claire - Twice was a
twin ring bearer with Clay at Wee Kirk of the Heather Chapel, Forest Lawn. 1951
- age 9 1/2 Performed with Sally Hale in Prelude
to Love at Hale Center Theatre. Loved dance instruction with Florence and
Doug Hansen. Performed in Road Shows that Ruth and Nathan Hale wrote - and we
won! Greatly inspired by Mutual teacher Bee Van and her lesson on genealogy.
Avid researcher, family archivist, & writer of life histories. Brigham
Youngster novelty dancer for BYU Program Bureau, partner Clay. Married Bob
Field. Parents of 3 sons, 3 daughters, 18 grandchildren. Professional author,
lecturer, teacher of mile-a-minute quilt techniques. Caregiver for mother,
mother-in-law for 6 1/2 years, and husband Bob for 6 1/2 months before they
passed. Married Parley Petersen, who was the best man at my wedding to Bob 55
years ago. Living in Provo, Utah. Since 2011 serve in Provo Utah Temple.
1951 photo of Crowley family on front lawn of our home - and
1960 photo.
Forest Lawn Cemetery, Glendale, CA
