The Personal History of Elaine Mary Scholl Gardiner
By James (June), Elaine, Kent and Sandra Gardiner
Birth
Emma: I was alone all
afternoon. As I was having pains quite
regularly, I asked Mrs. Lewis at 4:00 to phone for Dr. Abbott. He came at 5:00 p.m. I got supper for him and George who came soon
after. While they ate I took a hot bath about
6:30 p.m. Elaine was born at 7:30 p.m. in a large sleeping porch with twelve
windows on the southeast end of our house.
The nurse had not yet arrived. When
the nurse, Adelle Bailey, came they took the babe to the kitchen to oil and fix
her. I was a long way from the kitchen,
but I had the impression that the gas oven was on but not lighted, but just
escaping gas. I called them and they found it was. I could not have known it
except through inspiration. The nurse
soon brought the baby. She had lots of dark
hair and held her own head right up. She
was plump and cute and weighed eight pounds.
Before Elaine was born, sister Stewart and her Stake board came and presented
me with a bassinet, which I used for Elaine and which Elaine has used for 7 of
her babies. Elaine Mary Scholl was born
Tuesday, 7:30 p.m., April 28th, 1925
Blessing
Emma: She was blessed in the
Hollywood Ward, July 5, 1925 by Angus Elmer Peterson. I nursed Elaine eight months and she was a
very good baby. I should have nursed her
longer, as I had so much milk I had a hard time drying it up. I quit eating and lost 25 pounds in a few
months. Elaine didn't do well on the
certified milk until I gave her orange juice with each bottle. Then she did
well and was a nice plump baby. Certified
milk was 30 cents a quart (15 cents when Audrey was a baby).
Infant
Emma: She was a good baby only
she got in the habit of sucking her thumb. I tied up her hands, but failed to
break her until she was about eight years old. I found some little aluminum
rings to slip on her thumbs.
Audrey: Elaine sucked her
thumb until she was eight years old.
Elaine: When I was fourteen
months old my mother, sister and I went to Hermosa Beach to stay for three months
then we came back to L.A.
Emma: In June, 1926, Audrey,
Elaine and I spent two months in Hermosa Beach in a rented house. It was a nice
quiet beach then. Elaine could walk fast now and we had to watch her all the time. Comfort Bachman came to see us. Elaine was playing in the sand and she
screamed. We didn't know why until the
next day when we found she had swallowed a large flat rock.
Diphtheria
Elaine: When I was eighteen
months old my sister caught diphtheria, then my mother and I caught it from
her.
Emma: About November 1,
Elaine began to breathe like a man snoring. It was in the night. In the morning I phoned from the Butlers phone
for Chas B. Stewart to come and administer to her. He came at 8:00 a.m. and administered to her. His wife was with him. They said every one had sore throats. If I had only been wise after all my
experience with doctors and had known more, I would have saved myself lots of
work and money. But the Relief Society
President now urged me to take her to the doctor. He said Elaine was a lovely
baby and only had Tonsillitis, but he took a culture and the next day they
quarantined us which was fake like the doctor.
They put George out of the house, but he came back after dark and left after
daylight, so I had his meals to cook. I
almost died with all the work of sterilizing with Lysol. They sent another doctor and forced us to pay
his bill, but I had enough of doctors. I
refused the antitoxin, drugs, etc. which he recommended. I have never given my girls any drugs or
"shots," except Audrey vaccination for small pox. I used soda water
to gargle, gave Epsom Salt baths. Even
though I had the diphtheria, I took care of the girls and even fixed George's
food, though he was supposed to be staying elsewhere, he came home for his food
and slept there, also. Elaine got over the
diphtheria first, though she got it last.
Soon after Elaine got over the diphtheria I was bathing her in a little
tub in the kitchen sink. I took a kettle
of beets off the stove and poured the hot water in the sink. She jumped up and
stood on one foot and it was badly burned on the bottom.
Elaine: After I got over
diphtheria I caught chicken pox.
Emma: 1926-27 was a bad
winter for us. One day in February I took
Elaine to the store in her cart. A child
came up and kissed her, and she soon came down with chicken-pox.
Toddler
Elaine: In January 1927 my
Aunt Bertha and Uncle Will came down from Utah to visit us. They stayed for about three months. In June we went to Utah. We stayed there at my Uncle Joes home for
three months with my cousin Velva, while there almost every day my sister and I
played in Liberty Park, which was only a few houses away. When school started we came back to L.A
Lost
Emma: January 28, 1927 Will
Inglis and my sister Bertha came to visit us. They stayed until May 17. One day while they
were here and no one was watching Elaine, she ran down to Sunset Blvd., a very busy
corner where several people have been killed. The corner druggist saw her in the street and
brought her in the drug store. He kept
her there until we went to find her.
Emma: Elaine's first playmate was Bill Morkin Jr.
who was six months older than she. He
didn't talk but he could run fast and she followed.
Bell Brand Potato Chips
Elaine: On June 22, 1928 we
rented our house at 1636 Golden Gate Avenue to Max Ginsberg, owner of the Bell Potato
Chip Company and he lived in it for ten years.
Then we started for Oregon in an old 1924 touring car. We stopped at Berkeley and visited our old
neighbors the Morkins who had lived by us for seven years.
I saw Bill who was my first playmate from the time I was able to walk,
and his sister Mary Alice.
Oregon Trip
Elaine: We next stopped at
Sacramento to see one of my mother’s school-mates Alta Cooley Root. After arriving in Oregon while driving along
the highway we had an accident, my father drove the car too close to the edge
of the road and it tipped over in a ditch and he had to get some farmers who
were working near by to come with a team and pull us out.
Elaine: Our next stop was at
my Aunt Emma Hornechurch’s in Brooks, Oregon.
There I met for the first time my three cousins, Willard, Naomi and
Erma. They live on a farm and we helped
weed onions. Then we went to Portland to
my Grandfather Scholl at 679 Locus Street where we stayed the rest of the
time. He had an eight-room house and his
son Fred and granddaughter Leona lived with him. My grandfather was nearly eighty years old
and very well and happy. I’m glad I had
my picture taken with him as he died the following May. We went out in the woods and picked wild
berries and mother canned nearly a hundred quarts of berries and cherries.
Emma: We spent most of the
summer at George's father's house, 679 Locust Street,
Portland. He is the only grandparent Elaine ever saw, the others being dead before she was born. She had her picture taken with him.
Portland. He is the only grandparent Elaine ever saw, the others being dead before she was born. She had her picture taken with him.
Elaine: Uncle Fred had a
cabin at the foot of Mount Hood where we stayed two weeks. In August my Aunt Laura had a baby and we
attended her funeral. On our way back we
stopped at Aunt Emma’s and picked the largest prunes I’ve ever seen and helped
pick top onions.
Emma: We started home in
September, stopped at Emma's and enjoyed the prunes and peaches. We attended
Laura's funeral in the Evangelical Church in Portland just before we left. She died
August 27th, 1928, giving birth to her second baby, Lawrence Zinser. He first baby had died at birth.
August 27th, 1928, giving birth to her second baby, Lawrence Zinser. He first baby had died at birth.
Renting
Elaine: We arrived in
Glendale on September 17, 1928 and my mother wished to stay there so we rented
a house at 315 Burchett where Audrey attended the Columbus School but the
street was so noisy we only stayed a short time when we moved to Drew Street,
in Los Angeles. We belonged to the
Glendale Ward and now had a long distance to go, mother taught in the Sunday
School and was secretary of the Relief Society and I stayed with Mina Everett
on Tuesdays. One Tuesday she fell and
broke her hip and was a cripple the rest of her life. So that afternoon I went to the Fletcher
Drive School and stayed with Audrey.
Mother had to help take care of Miss Everett and I used to bring her
mail and stay with her a great deal. We
gave her a Book of Mormon to read and she died six years later at the
age of 82. I was baptized for her in the
St. George Temple.
Farmington
Elaine: In June 1930 we went
on the train to Utah and spent three months in Farmington where Aunt Bertha and
Charlotte lived. We rented rooms at the
home of Luella Hess, Apostle Orson Hyde’s daughter. We spend a pleasant summer and returned in
September and as Audrey had graduated from eighth grade at Fletcher we moved to
822 Fisher near the Glendale High School where we lived for four years.
Jr. High
Elaine: In February 1931, I
started to the John Muir School which I attended for five years.
Elaine: I played with Ernest
Setn the nephew of Minnie Davis our neighbor who later joined the church. Before school closed I caught the whooping cough. I was administered to by William Gough and
Frank Oliver and I had only a light case of it.
All of us except Audrey slept outdoors all the time we lived there.
Uncle Emuel
Elaine: In 1932 we went to
Utah on the bus and it broke down so many times it was eight hours late. We arrived in Salt Lake at 5 o’clock in the
morning and took a taxi to Uncle Emuel at 611 Park Street. Uncle Emuel was very ill having had a stroke
and he died on September 12 before we left Utah. We again spent the summer at Luella Hess and
mother went to the temple for the first time and received her endowments, she
stayed for the October Conference and we returned in October.
Singing
Elaine: When I was in second
grade I sang in the Glee Club. We
entertained the P.T.A. and I sang a solo and also sang with the Glee Club. In August 1933 Audrey went to work for the Hughes,
where she stayed for a year and a half.
I attended Sunday School and Primary at 220 West Broadway. My Primary teacher was Josie Halliday. My Sunday School teachers were; Vespa Gough,
Elsie Alvord. In February I had the
measles. Frank Dastrup administered to
me and I was not very sick.
Storm
Emma: January 1st, 1933, we
had a cloud - burst, 13 inches of rain in one night and day. It washed out all the bridges and many homes in
the hills above Glendale. We went to
Church in the old Ford. Most of the
people's cars wouldn't run in such deep water, so we took some of the people
home. That night we slept outside in our
inside place and we were dry. But the
roof of our house leaked badly. In
February Elaine had the measles. We
moved her in the front bed-room. Had Frank Dastrup administer to her. Gave her potassium
broth and tomato juice. She was not sick
long.
Baptized
Emma: May 6, 1933, Elaine was baptized and confirmed May 7th by Joseph E. Olson. On Mother's Day she gave a poem and Audrey gave a talk on the mother's day program in Sunday School.
Emma: May 6, 1933, Elaine was baptized and confirmed May 7th by Joseph E. Olson. On Mother's Day she gave a poem and Audrey gave a talk on the mother's day program in Sunday School.
Farmington
Elaine: We spend the summer
of 1934 with Luella Hesse in Farmington.
Our old neighbor Morkins, stayed with daddy. While we were gone our house was sold and
daddy moved to 605 Lincoln where we lived for year. We spent the summer of 1935 in Farmington,
where we rented a house owned by Mary Ann Richards Van Fleet, daughter of Willard
Richards. She was eighty yards old and
this was the house where she was born.
We stayed and attended the October Conference and I attended the
Farmington School for three weeks. We
returned the 11th of October with W.D LeCheminant and Apostle John A
Widsow’s wife Lean. We then moved to 521
Milford Street where I attended Columbus School for a year. Mamma was very ill during this time and was
advised by the doctor to go to a high climate.
Emma: We got a ride back to
L.A. with William LeCheminant an undertaker. We sat in front with him. Brigham Young's grand-daughter, John A.
Widtsoe's wife, Leah Widtsoe and her sister sat in the back seat. They had lots of nuts and other good things,
which they shared with us. Brother Le Cheminant only charges $6 for Elaine and
me (for both of us). When we went through
Santa Clara, Sister Widtsoe said, "Sister Scholl, this is where you should
come." I never realized my next
trip to Utah would take me there.
St. George, Jr. High
Elaine: On November, 18, 1936
we went to St. George, Utah. We lived at
George Worth’s, the patriarch across from the tabernacle. I attended the Dixie Junior High School. I was in the sixth grade when I left
California but started in the seventh there.
Newell R. Frey was principal and while mother was working in the St.
George Temple that winter, she found that she and his father had the same
grandfather. Harold Snow who later
became president of the temple and was my Social Science teacher. During the winter on Saturdays I did
baptisms. While there I did 400
baptisms. I graduated from the primary
in May and we then went to Farmington and spent the summer at Luella
Hesses. I picked cherries and raspberries
in July and earned $7. In September we
returned to S. George and rented a room and slept in a tent at Roland
Blakes. Found that she had the same
lines on grandmothers lines. We attended
the south Ward. Margaret Little and Mary
Jarvis were my Bee Hive teachers.
Music
Audrey: We both took piano
lessons but Elaine played the piano better.
This was only for a short time
Emma: Elaine put the
landlord’s organ in one of our rooms and she enjoyed playing it.
St. George Cold
Emma: The winter of 1936-37
was the hardest winter in St. George's history, 13 degrees below zero one
night, froze our water pipes. I was very
ill during January and February. Elaine
kept quite well. She got a cold once and
Brother Worthen administered to her. She
came home at noon for lunch.
St. George
Emma: November 18th 1936, Elaine and I got round trip tickets on the bus to Salt lake good for six months. I wished to stop in St. George to see if I could find the place I saw in my dream. The Patriarch advised us to stay in St. George, said that had two room we could rent for $12 a month. She attended the Dixie Junior High School. Newell R. Frei was
Principal. She was in the 6th grade. She liked it very
much. She had Miss Nelson, Miss Mc
Arthur, Mr. Miles and Harold Snow for teachers. Miss McArthur was a wonderful gym teacher and
gave Elaine special attention. All
schools were around the Tabernacle, Dixie College included and all used the
college recreation hall, etc. Dancing was
stressed. It seemed to me Elaine
developed mentally and spiritually more the two years she spent in St. George
than in all her previous school years. She had some of the college teachers for
art, music, etc. The library was nearby
and I read many books to her besides the Doctrine and Covenants. I read to her while she ate her meals and
other times.
Accident
Elaine: One day I ran a
pencil in my leg above the knee and it broke off leaving the wood and lead
embedded deep in the flesh. Dr. Righman
removed it. I was administered to by Henry
Baker and Moroni Langford. Brother Baker
said, “As long as you live this administration will be something you will
remember, it will be a sign unto you that Satan will not have power to destroy
you if you keep the commandments of the Lord.”
I finished the eighth grade in the Dixie Junior High School and went to Zion’s National
Park on Field Day. We spent the summer
in Farmington. On the fourth of July we
went up in Farmington Canyon and there was still snow up there. I went swimming a lot down at Lagoon with
Carroll Mayfield and Mary Stelter.
Farmington
Emma: May 18, 1938, we went to Farmington and stayed with Luella Hess. While we were in Utah, George and Audrey had moved back to our house at 1636 Golden Gate Avenue., L.A., which we had rented to Ginsbergs for ten years. In September, 1938, Elaine and I went back to L.A., after being in Utah twenty-two months. We were again in Hollywood Ward, which we left in June, 1928, when we went to Oregon. (Photo: Farmington, Utah, Lagoon postcard)
Farmington
Emma: May 18, 1938, we went to Farmington and stayed with Luella Hess. While we were in Utah, George and Audrey had moved back to our house at 1636 Golden Gate Avenue., L.A., which we had rented to Ginsbergs for ten years. In September, 1938, Elaine and I went back to L.A., after being in Utah twenty-two months. We were again in Hollywood Ward, which we left in June, 1928, when we went to Oregon. (Photo: Farmington, Utah, Lagoon postcard)
Back home
Elaine: 1938 In September we came
back to our old home at 1636 Golden Gate and I attended the Thomas Starr King
Junior High School and finished the ninth grade. We attended the Hollywood Ward at 1552 N. Normandy. Mary Russon was my Bee Keeper in the second
year. We spent the summer of 1939 in
Utah. I stayed one month with Uncle
Joseph Bachman and he was very ill. I
bought a bicycle and the longest trip I took was three and one half miles and
back. When we returned in September I
started to the John Marshall High School in tenth grade. May fourth was the Bee Hive graduation at the
Stake House. I gave a talk and received
a ring and pin for being an Honor Bee Hive girl. I also received a Junior Girl pin for the
best Honey Comb.
Back Home
Elaine: We spent the summer of 1939 in Utah. I stayed one month with Uncle Joseph Bachman and he was very ill. I bought a bicycle and the longest trip I took was three and one half miles and back. When we returned in September I started to the John Marshall High School in tenth grade. May fourth was the Bee Hive graduation at the Stake House. I gave a talk and received a ring and pin for being an Honor Bee Hive girl. I also received a Junior Girl pin for the best Honey Comb.
Elaine: We spent the summer of 1939 in Utah. I stayed one month with Uncle Joseph Bachman and he was very ill. I bought a bicycle and the longest trip I took was three and one half miles and back. When we returned in September I started to the John Marshall High School in tenth grade. May fourth was the Bee Hive graduation at the Stake House. I gave a talk and received a ring and pin for being an Honor Bee Hive girl. I also received a Junior Girl pin for the best Honey Comb.
Uncle Joseph Bachman
Emma: 1939 We went to Ogden to
Joseph's house on 20th. It wasn't nice like his house and lovely orchard of 17
acres in Clearfield where we visited him in the past. He had a stroke and he couldn't talk very well
any more. That was the last time we ever
say him, as he died May 9th, 1940. Elaine bought a new bicycle, so she could
ride around town.
High School
Emma: In September 1940, Elaine started John Marshall High School. In June 1941, I went to Utah alone, as Elaine stayed with her father and Audrey. Elaine did outstanding work in the Bee Hive class in M.I.A., having a wonderful scrap book and being an Honor Bee. She had also made a very fine Book of Remembrance in the Junior genealogical class. She had special talent in making scrapbooks, also in dress making which she took in grade school and in High School.
Awards
Emma: In June 1942, Elaine
graduated from John Marshall High School.
Elaine started to City college near Vermont. She didn't like college.
She had liked school heretofore. The war that was now going on which made the
girls fear they would not find husbands, if it lasted long, as some thought it
might. So she was restless. We went to church every Sunday. She also attended M.I.A. on Tuesdays. She and Audrey both drove their father's car,
as we could go to church in it now. Elaine
did outstanding work in the Bee Hive class in M.I.A., having a wonderful scrap
book and being an Honor Bee. She had
also made a very fine book of Remembrance in the Junior genealogical class,
having a cover with the temples on it which she made. She had special talent in making scrapbooks,
also in dress making which she took in grade school and in High School. Audrey was also a good dressmaker. As I cannot
sew, I surely appreciate my girls sewing.
Audrey: Elaine graduated from
Marshall. Mother had gone to Utah and
George was working so Glen and I went to the graduation. It was out on the playing field. We were the only ones, and we had to leave
before they called her name. Glen had to
go to work. She was talented at things
like making scrap books, book of remembrance, sewing. One time in Utah she bought a bicycle and she
road a lot.
Meeting June H. Gardiner
Emma: One Sunday night at
close of sacrament meeting two boys stepped up to Elaine and asked her to stay
to fireside. They were Raphael Olson and
June H. Gardiner. She stayed and they
brought her home. One Sunday I asked June
H. Gardiner to bring his Book of Remembrance to Sunday School. He brought it the next Sunday and came to our
house for dinner. Audrey drove us home. Elaine had a rash, so she didn't go to Sunday
School. We thought it might be three-day
measles. June and Elaine looked at each other's
Books of Remembrance and read each others Patriarchal Blessings, both given by
George Wilde. June came to our house often
from that time. Elaine went to the leap
year-dance with Raphael Olson. June
worked swing shift at Lockheed's Airplane Factory and often came in the
daytime. When Elaine was eighteen years old, April 28, 1943, she quit college.
James: World War II was well
under way. Elaine was 17. We met at the Hollywood Ward at a fireside at
the end of 1942. I was 20. I guess she had her eye on me. She thought I was a pretty good looking guy. She invited me home to dinner. Grandma Scholl could really cook, that was
one of her virtues. I was working nights
then and would occasionally go to dinner or to firesides with Elaine. We were rather thick around the time the
night of the Japanese scare over L.A. happened.
There were bombers going over.
They would have a black outs and one night we were at a fireside at
Hollywood Ward, during a blackout they turned out all the lights and I got near
enough to hold her hand.
Attraction
James: I was attracted to her because she was nice, gentle and sincere. I thought she was nice looking and I thought she was healthy. We just hit it off together. I don’t know why she would put up with me, I have no idea. (Interview with Sandra Gardiner Blunck, 2002)
Attraction
James: I was attracted to her because she was nice, gentle and sincere. I thought she was nice looking and I thought she was healthy. We just hit it off together. I don’t know why she would put up with me, I have no idea. (Interview with Sandra Gardiner Blunck, 2002)
James: My first car was a
Model A coupe for $90.
Box Camera
James: August 17, 1943, Tuesday, here is a picture that was taken before I was married. Elaine took it with my box camera. It was taken on April 22, 1943 according to a diary, which I fortunately kept for a couple of weeks at that time. I was born June 1, 1921 so in this picture I am 21 years old. I weighed about 155 pounds stripped. The smile (very rare) was likely intended for the taker, for the proposal came April 27, 1943. I was living at Mrs. Zimmerhans when this shot was taken. This is the most recent snapshot available. I have one of Elaine but in order not to make the page to bulky. I will leave it for another sheet. We had some prints made for our Book of Remembrance. There are some portraits taken since this shot in Book of Remembrance.
Box Camera
James: August 17, 1943, Tuesday, here is a picture that was taken before I was married. Elaine took it with my box camera. It was taken on April 22, 1943 according to a diary, which I fortunately kept for a couple of weeks at that time. I was born June 1, 1921 so in this picture I am 21 years old. I weighed about 155 pounds stripped. The smile (very rare) was likely intended for the taker, for the proposal came April 27, 1943. I was living at Mrs. Zimmerhans when this shot was taken. This is the most recent snapshot available. I have one of Elaine but in order not to make the page to bulky. I will leave it for another sheet. We had some prints made for our Book of Remembrance. There are some portraits taken since this shot in Book of Remembrance.
Marriage
Emma: Sunday, May 16, 1943, at 11:30 p.m., June, Elaine and I took the bus to Utah. We went to Rosena Blake's in St. George, stayed all night Monday night. Tuesday morning May 18th, we went to the St. George Temple. June and Elaine got their own endowments and I did an endowment for the dead. After the session closed, we went on the bus to Salt Lake. They had to get a blood test to secure a marriage license. They were married in Salt Lake Temple, May 19, 1943 by Brother David Broadbent, counselor to the temple president. Bertha went to the temple with us. They went to Idaho to see June's folks and then returned to Los Angeles. They stayed in the house with George that summer. June was drafted in the Navy and left in September for San Diego for training.
James: We went and got our
endowments in St. George and got married in the Salt Lake City Temple. I was very tired when we went to take the
blood test. We went to a doctor early in
the morning to get the test. I watched
them stick the needle in my arm and I didn’t think anything about it and then I
watched them take the blood out of Elaine and I passed out. The honeymoon was hilarious. We went up to Idaho to see my parents, I had
only a week off from work. We then lived
for a short period of time at Golden Gate before I went into the service.
Cruelty to Animals
James: August 4, 1943, I went
with Elaine and Dad Scholl to his trial for cruelty to animals, a neighbor’s
dog being the cause of the row. We went to the hall of justice at 9:30 am where
we met Audrey. Dad decided to have a jury trial. Before our case came up I had
to leave for work. Elaine and Audrey testified but the other side had a “fixed”
story. They will continue the trial tomorrow.
James: August 5, 1943, Thursday, Elaine and Dad went to the court before I got up. They reported that they lost the case. All Dad did was throw a couple of clods at the dog when he barked in our yard and kept waking him up. The neighbors claimed he threw the dog against the side of the garage, heaved a big rock at him and locked him up in the garage for 3 days – etc. Dad applied for probation. He will be sentenced or receive a judgment August 19. I feel sorry for the neighbors, they must have little conscience or else they feel inferior and are trying in this way to show people they are better than some one else. How well this experience brings out the statement made by the “First Presidency” Oct 3 1942, “in the midst of this welter of lying and deception, of woe and misery, etc - the only saving force on earth are the eternal principles of the everlasting Gospel of Christ, etc.” If principles of the gospel had been applied, no such experience would have happened.
Watch
James: August 7, 1943, Saturday, when I got up this morning I couldn’t find my pants! I did find all of my belongings out of the pockets – except my watch. Elaine was washing my pants and watch –(it cost me $1.50 (Ingersoll)). She rescued the watch from the dirty water, I pried the back from it poured the water out and sat it in the sun to dry for a couple of hours while I went to the bank and got a haircut. Now it runs as well as ever – It’s been running steady for two years.
James: August 5, 1943, Thursday, Elaine and Dad went to the court before I got up. They reported that they lost the case. All Dad did was throw a couple of clods at the dog when he barked in our yard and kept waking him up. The neighbors claimed he threw the dog against the side of the garage, heaved a big rock at him and locked him up in the garage for 3 days – etc. Dad applied for probation. He will be sentenced or receive a judgment August 19. I feel sorry for the neighbors, they must have little conscience or else they feel inferior and are trying in this way to show people they are better than some one else. How well this experience brings out the statement made by the “First Presidency” Oct 3 1942, “in the midst of this welter of lying and deception, of woe and misery, etc - the only saving force on earth are the eternal principles of the everlasting Gospel of Christ, etc.” If principles of the gospel had been applied, no such experience would have happened.
Watch
James: August 7, 1943, Saturday, when I got up this morning I couldn’t find my pants! I did find all of my belongings out of the pockets – except my watch. Elaine was washing my pants and watch –(it cost me $1.50 (Ingersoll)). She rescued the watch from the dirty water, I pried the back from it poured the water out and sat it in the sun to dry for a couple of hours while I went to the bank and got a haircut. Now it runs as well as ever – It’s been running steady for two years.
Sentenced
James: August 19, 1943
Thursday, when I got home the “Beneficial Life” man tried to sell me some
insurance. After he had gone I went out into the kitchen and found Elaine very
excited. Someone had called her and informed her that Dad had been sentenced to
30 days in jail. They had told her that Dad had said to get the car from
downtown on the Broadway Hill. He said a key was in a little box under the
running board. We dashed for a streetcar and made our way to the car. After a
little struggle we got the lid off the can and got the key out. We unlocked the
car and came home. Elaine called up and found out when we could go see Dad.
Audrey called so Elaine gave her the story. It is quite a stiff penalty for
something he didn’t do. The dog isn’t worth 30 days.
Photograph
August 20, 1943, Friday, Here
is a picture of Elaine- this shot taken April 22, ‘43. Elaine was born 28 April,
1925 so in this picture she is 17 years old, but was 18 a few days later, she
weighed 100 pounds. We were married May 19, 1942 at Salt Lake City, Utah,
height 5’ 5”.
September 6, 1943 Labor Day – I didn’t’ go to work today.
Elaine and I went down town this morning to see the lawyer, Mr. North in the
Merritt Bldg. We made some affidavits for him to the effect that we knew that
there was no dog in the garage on the Sunday of May 16, 1943.
Drafted
Drafted
James: September 15, 1943, Wednesday, No sooner had I dropped off to sleep than
Elaine was shaking me and telling me to get up “It’s 5:30,” she said. With a
great effort I got up took a bath and ate some breakfast. At a quarter after
six I caught a streetcar and went to 610 S. Main and to room 299 where a few other
fellows were waiting.
Miscarriage
Emma: On November 6th 1943 I got word form Elaine that she had miscarriage. She was pregnant about six weeks. She had gone to Audrey's the day she had it, so Audrey had her go to bed. I hurried home as soon as possible. I had better health that winter than usual, so after Elaine got strong we washed all the woodwork in our house, which was an all winter's job. June came from San Diego on his way east. His train only stopped in L.A. a couple of hours and he couldn't go far from the station, so we took a taxi and went to the station.
Emma: On November 6th 1943 I got word form Elaine that she had miscarriage. She was pregnant about six weeks. She had gone to Audrey's the day she had it, so Audrey had her go to bed. I hurried home as soon as possible. I had better health that winter than usual, so after Elaine got strong we washed all the woodwork in our house, which was an all winter's job. June came from San Diego on his way east. His train only stopped in L.A. a couple of hours and he couldn't go far from the station, so we took a taxi and went to the station.
Surprise Visit 1
Elaine: November 12, Friday, at 9:30, about a half hour after I had gone to bed, I was awakened by my mother calling and telling me that JH was here. Half awake, I stumbled to the door and let him in. After the light was burned, it was with amazement that I viewed my husband. He was very tan and the little hair he had stood straight up. He looked very nice in his tight fitting navy blue uniform. He had come up on a 14-hour pass with a fellow who lived in LA and had his car in San Diego. At about 2:30 am we drove him down to Olympic and Western where he met his friends and returned to the training station.
Elaine: November 12, Friday, at 9:30, about a half hour after I had gone to bed, I was awakened by my mother calling and telling me that JH was here. Half awake, I stumbled to the door and let him in. After the light was burned, it was with amazement that I viewed my husband. He was very tan and the little hair he had stood straight up. He looked very nice in his tight fitting navy blue uniform. He had come up on a 14-hour pass with a fellow who lived in LA and had his car in San Diego. At about 2:30 am we drove him down to Olympic and Western where he met his friends and returned to the training station.
Surprise Visit 2
Elaine: November 30 Monday At about 4:45 pm a lady called up and said that if I could be down to the Union Station before 5:30, I could see my husband. My dad had the car and so I couldn’t possibly have made it by that time. But about fifteen minutes later she called and said his train would leave at 7:30 instead of 5:30. So since I didn’t know exactly how to get to the station, Mother and I went down in a taxi. He was waiting in front of the station with a few hundred other sailors, soldiers, marines, and civilians.
Elaine: November 30 Monday At about 4:45 pm a lady called up and said that if I could be down to the Union Station before 5:30, I could see my husband. My dad had the car and so I couldn’t possibly have made it by that time. But about fifteen minutes later she called and said his train would leave at 7:30 instead of 5:30. So since I didn’t know exactly how to get to the station, Mother and I went down in a taxi. He was waiting in front of the station with a few hundred other sailors, soldiers, marines, and civilians.
Adobe House
James: February 29, 1944, I have just returned from a trip to Farmington. I hitched-hiked down and back. To start with the most interesting part first I’ll tell you I was delighted with our place. I wish I could go there tomorrow and start fixing it up. When I got the door unlocked and went in I was almost thrown back by surprise. I expected to see a dingy interior but to my surprise the front room was quite colorful with the new linoleum on the floor and nice paper on the wall. The front room and bedroom which are original adobe are quite substantial and certainly good enough that with some fixing up – they will be a permanent part of our house.
James: The granary, which I looked into, will make an ideal little workroom. Its quite substantial and even painted. The ground is nice. You’ll be surprised how big an acre is. It will be very easy to irrigate with some changes in the present system.
James: February 29, 1944, I have just returned from a trip to Farmington. I hitched-hiked down and back. To start with the most interesting part first I’ll tell you I was delighted with our place. I wish I could go there tomorrow and start fixing it up. When I got the door unlocked and went in I was almost thrown back by surprise. I expected to see a dingy interior but to my surprise the front room was quite colorful with the new linoleum on the floor and nice paper on the wall. The front room and bedroom which are original adobe are quite substantial and certainly good enough that with some fixing up – they will be a permanent part of our house.
James: The granary, which I looked into, will make an ideal little workroom. Its quite substantial and even painted. The ground is nice. You’ll be surprised how big an acre is. It will be very easy to irrigate with some changes in the present system.
Farmington Adobe
Emma: May 23, 1944, Elaine
and I went on the bus to Utah. We stopped at Rosena Blake's in St. George a
couple of days and went to the temple. Elaine
had not seen the place she now owned in Farmington. I doubt if she would have
liked to live in the house as it was in winter. She loved the orchard and in July she and I
picked the cherries. We sold the Royal
Annes to Smith Cannery Co., 50 lugs at 10 cents a lb. Brother Earl Spencer sold the dark cherries
for us. July 19th, we had a three-day
east wind which put all our Lamberts on the ground but we picked them up and
Brother Spencer got 10 cents a pound for them. Elaine could climb the trees and was surely a good
picker. We also picked strawberries and
raspberries for Mr. Engstrom. Elaine got
$300 for the cherries and had no expenses to pay out of it. She put screens on the windows, tar paper on the
kitchen roof and shingles on the other roof where it leaked. But the greatest
thing she did was to go to the temple. She
looked beautiful in her wedding dress and my robe which Rosena Blake made. I wore Bertha's old robe. I did 25 endowments and some sealings. This was the happiest summer of my life to
have Elaine to go to the temple with me. Bertha went with us.
Job search
James: November 1, 1944
received two letters from Elaine to make up for none yesterday. She is looking
for a job.
James: November 4, 1944 Elaine says she has a job with an insurance firm doing typing. More money than I make. RT 2/6 $96 per month. She will be making $110 plus Saturday overtime.
New Radio
James: November 11, 1944 I
didn’t know it but the radio Elaine sent has been downstairs since the 9th,
waiting in Carpenters’ office. I picked it up this morning. At first it didn’t
want to supply enough power, which could be caused by the electrolytic
condenser not in shape due to long un-use. It is now working in top shape, by
far the best sounding radio in the dorm
Joy
James: December 23, 1944 Kinnard, Thompson and I met Kinnard’s wife and sister in law at the main gate. They had Kindnard’s 41 Ford Club Coupe. We left Treasure Island at 12:10. The trip was quite long but with only one event, a tack in a tire, which we fortunately found and mended at a service station. We were just checking the time when Kinard noticed a leak. We got to 1636 Golden Gate at about 10:30 this evening. Dad was still up but Elaine and Mom had gone to bed. It is certainly thrilling to go home and see Elaine after so long a time. I’ll always remember just how wonderful she is but this joy is always inexpressible to see her again whether the separation is a few hours or months.
James: December 24, 1944 went to church with Elaine and Mom this morning.
James: December 23, 1944 Kinnard, Thompson and I met Kinnard’s wife and sister in law at the main gate. They had Kindnard’s 41 Ford Club Coupe. We left Treasure Island at 12:10. The trip was quite long but with only one event, a tack in a tire, which we fortunately found and mended at a service station. We were just checking the time when Kinard noticed a leak. We got to 1636 Golden Gate at about 10:30 this evening. Dad was still up but Elaine and Mom had gone to bed. It is certainly thrilling to go home and see Elaine after so long a time. I’ll always remember just how wonderful she is but this joy is always inexpressible to see her again whether the separation is a few hours or months.
James: December 24, 1944 went to church with Elaine and Mom this morning.
James: December 25, 1944 Christmas Day and I’m enjoying the greatest Christmas gift I could ever hope for, the privilege of being with Elaine. The day slipped by entirely too fast. Elaine and I sat out in back on the bench and talked. We ate dinner and then it wasn't long until I had to be on my way. Elaine drove me over to the Sanders place where we spent about 15 minutes then we went to Los Feliz and San Fernando just across the tracks into Glendale. We had a few minutes of talking there before Kinnard, Thompson and Hartley all finally got there. Then it was that things inside me started tearing me up. It’s terrible hard to come away again but even so I’m thankful for the privilege of seeing her again.
James: March 26, 1945 got a
couple of very sweet letters from Elaine. She is the choicest of all women in
the world and as faithful as life itself in writing letters to me.
Hungry
James: April 21, 1945 I went
over to Berkley this afternoon and secured a place for us to live when Elaine
comes.
May 3, 1945 I called up Elaine this evening. She will be here tomorrow…tomorrow is the biggest day in a year for me. I’m mighty hungry for just a glimpse of Elaine. Her voice sounded very good even over the phone.
May 5, 1945 Big Day – tonight at just about 6:00 I had Elaine with me. I met her at the Santa Fe Station at 40th and San Pablo. She is just as brown as a little Indian from sunbathing. I’ve been waiting for a long time of this chance to see her and man it is certainly a full realization of all my dreams at this time. We went out to the Cummings and had supper. Then we went to get the luggage from the Berkley SF Station. Just visited and got acquainted all over again.
May 19, 1945 tonight we hear that President Grant just died. He was 88 years old.
May 20, 1945 Sunday. Yesterday was our 2nd anniversary. That is a long time to be married and spend so little time together. We spent a very enjoyable day.
May 3, 1945 I called up Elaine this evening. She will be here tomorrow…tomorrow is the biggest day in a year for me. I’m mighty hungry for just a glimpse of Elaine. Her voice sounded very good even over the phone.
May 5, 1945 Big Day – tonight at just about 6:00 I had Elaine with me. I met her at the Santa Fe Station at 40th and San Pablo. She is just as brown as a little Indian from sunbathing. I’ve been waiting for a long time of this chance to see her and man it is certainly a full realization of all my dreams at this time. We went out to the Cummings and had supper. Then we went to get the luggage from the Berkley SF Station. Just visited and got acquainted all over again.
May 19, 1945 tonight we hear that President Grant just died. He was 88 years old.
May 20, 1945 Sunday. Yesterday was our 2nd anniversary. That is a long time to be married and spend so little time together. We spent a very enjoyable day.
July 19, 1945 Thursday, today Elaine went over to Oakland
and got a ticket for the trip to Salt Lake City. She figures she can take
better care of herself there than here. Even if it is mighty hard to part with
the little gal, I realize it’s likely the best place for her.
I heard about an apartment available in May in Berkeley
in the basement of a ward member. I
wrote Elaine and she came on the train.
I was surprised to find her and as brown as an East Indian. She probably did this to please me. She would sun bathe on the top of the roof at
Golden Gate. It was nice, I contrasted
her skin to the white people we traveled with in the train. That was a delightful honeymoon for us. We were alone, we had a good allowance, and
it was a comfortable place to live. It
was pure delight. That was our real
honeymoon. It was also where Kent was
conceived. In the service they were
talking about people who had taught for a year were to be shipped out for
active duty. I had taught for a year so
we thought my time might be up. Also we
had extra duty at that time to supervise guard duty a couple of nights a
week. Then Elaine went up to Utah for
the summer. I got out of the service
January 1946.
Office job in L.A.
Emma: 1945 Elaine went to Los
Angeles on September 12. I stayed and
canned the plums. I went back October 12th to Los Angeles. My health was poor
that winter. Elaine was restless, so she got a job at an office in L.A. She
didn't seem to be very happy at her job. June was at Treasure Island in San
Francisco. He was a Radio Technician. In
May Elaine went there and they rented an apartment.
We returned to L.A. in October. Elaine didn't feel well
that winter. She took lots of walks and we read several books. Audrey came
every Sunday. They both drove George's car. We went to Church every Sunday. Elaine seemed so happy that winter. I am sorry to say I never saw her happy any
more as she was then. June was released from the Navy and went to Logan and started
to the Agricultural College in January 1946, where he had gone a year before.
Gabfest
James: January 11,
1946 Friday Today we, Pop, Elaine and I, went down to Glen’s and Audrey’s place
for a good visit. We really had a gabfest and a good meal. We played the
records continuously but didn’t get them all played all day long. Got home at a
few minutes to five just in time to eat again!
Kent born
Emma: Kent was born about
7:00 a.m. March 18 in the same room where Elaine was born 21 years before. He
weighed 7 lbs. 4 oz. She had a very easy
birth, no pains until about 5:00 a.m., when I had her take a hot bath. I took care of her and the baby; had her stay
in bed a couple of weeks and not do any hard work for six weeks. She nursed the baby. (His parents called him
"bub".)
James: April 28, 1946 Sunday
today is Elaine’s birthday. She is 21 years old. I would like to be 21 years
old again yet I’m not too ancient for some good (I hope
Delighted
James: May 17, 1946, I found mom, Elaine the boy at
home. They had just arrived as they had been unable to take the desired bus in
St. George and had waited over until the next one came along. …Naturally I was
delighted to see my family after such a separation, especially the boy after
separation. At first he seemed just a little unreal to me but now he seems to
be more real and actually to be an entity in this world with real force and
meaning behind his existence. He is thin now but not skinny. Elaine is thin too
June 21, 1946 Friday I put a hundred dollars down on the
place today and hoped that Elaine would approve. When I got home to her, after
an arduous hitchhike, she seemed to like the idea and description well enough
to buy the place.
The next summer I went and bought that house in
Providence for $5500. It is two or three
miles south of Logan. We didn’t have a
dime left. We borrowed a little bit of
money and paid cash for the house. Elaine
had a little bit of money she had saved while working at an insurance company
while I was in the service. I had earned
$90 a month in the service and a small allowance for her. We saved nearly all of that. When I first began working for Lockheed I was
paid fifty cents an hour which was good money compared to fifteen cents an hour
in Malta. We had almost zero in the way
of furniture because we had spent all our money on the house itself. We went to Deseret Industries and bought a
stove.
Sad day
Emma: July 28, 1946, was the
saddest day of my life up to that time, although I have had sadder ones since
then. On that day, June's father, Fred
Gardiner, came from Malta, Idaho, in a little truck and took Elaine and Kent to
Providence.
I went to Providence to Elaine's Oct. 31st. I am sorry I ever went there. I felt sad to see her living in such poverty. I had some money, so I went to Logan and
bought springs and a mattress for the twin beds June had made. I also bought food and coal. June got an old cook stove at Deseret
Industries. It was no good and we almost
froze. There was a heater in the front
room but he wouldn't let us use it even if I did buy coal. He has a very stubborn disposition. Elaine got
an awful cold. She was nursing Kent. It was below zero that winter. Kent was 7 1/2 months old when I went up
there. He was a very strong baby. His crib was in the kitchen and he stood up in
it most of the day. He slept in the
bassinet the Relief Society gave me before Elaine was born at night in a crib
sheet we bought from Virginia Young. I
had John Wallace send Elaine a hundred pounds of carrots. She grated 8 to 12 ounces of carrot juice for
Kent a day, straining it through a thin sack.
Elaine sent to Ward's for a washer.
December 27, 1946 Put the second coat on the floor while
Elaine went to town. She got a playpen and some animals for the boy.
Providence, UT
James: When we moved into our first house, we were
ill prepared for any sort of comfortable living. I have a vivid memory of Elaine sitting in
the twilight the first evening, on a mattress, on the floor, nursing Kent,
looking like “What have I got myself into?”
However, she rose to the challenge and became a wonderful wife and
mother, a great manager, a skillful teacher and child trainer, a master of
keeping the kids healthy and presentable. She was not a complainer. She patiently waited for things to get done.
She was always ready and willing to get up at all hours of the night for sick
kids or to nurse the baby or to warm a baby's bottle. (She would have the job done before I had
completed walking into furniture or the walls or a half-open door.)
James: In the Summer of 1947
Audrey, Glen and Grandpa came to visit us.
We all went up to Logan canyon in Grandpa Scholl’s Packard with Kent,
Elaine and I in thee rumble seat. We
took pictures of me and Grandpa holding Kent.
In the winter of 1947 we had a 35 Chevy that Grandpa had
given us last summer, that Glen and Audrey had brought up from California. We didn’t drive it much because of the expense,
but one time Elaine and I went down to Logan on the ice and I turned it around scaring
Elaine half to death. The time in
Providence was pleasant but I don’t know how we were able to accomplish so
much. I was full time in school, elder’s
Quorum President and I worked a lot trying to keep the wolf from the door. But it was a happy time for us.
Emma: 1948 Elaine and Kent came down in May. I was so glad to see them once more. Elaine was pregnant so she couldn't pick cherries. June decided to buy a place in Providence. I asked him to sell his place (Farmington) to me. Audrey had given me $300 to buy a lot several years before, which I still had, also money I received for cherries the past two summers. Audrey gave me $400 more and I paid Jim the same as he paid for the place.
Emma: 1948 Elaine and Kent came down in May. I was so glad to see them once more. Elaine was pregnant so she couldn't pick cherries. June decided to buy a place in Providence. I asked him to sell his place (Farmington) to me. Audrey had given me $300 to buy a lot several years before, which I still had, also money I received for cherries the past two summers. Audrey gave me $400 more and I paid Jim the same as he paid for the place.
Sandra Born
Emma: June was getting his
masters degree in Sept. at the Agricultural College, so they sold the place
back to Fuhriman's for $6000. He rented
an apartment at the college. But Elaine and
Kent moved down to Farmington with me July 17th, 1948. We went to Bountiful to
see Dr. Stocks. He had delivered 3,800 babies.
He came up the Sunday before the baby
was born. Elaine was at Sunday School. August 24th in the afternoon she had slight
pains. She took a bath in the tub. I wrapped towels around her. The pains got hard. I called the Doctor and got her to bed. Bertha was here. The baby was already arriving, when the Doctor
came. He was disturbed. Elaine was glad the baby was a brown-eyed
girl. She was born in the front room. Kent and I slept in the bedroom. We put the babies to bed in the kitchen at
night. They went to Los Angeles and
lived with George, Audrey and Glen. June
got a job at Lockheeds, where he worked before the war.
From Utah to L.A.
Emma: Fall 1948, June came down to Farmington when he got his masters degree at the A.C. He was planning to go to Wisconsin to the University. It was 54 degrees below zero there the previous winter. Elaine did not feel able to go there with two babies, so June went to L.A. in the car George gave Elaine. Audrey and Glen had been living with George since June 1946. June stayed with them a while and looked for jobs. He came back in Audrey's car with George's trailer in October. I packed Elaine's things in the trailer, also my clothes and some canned fruit. I stopped in St. George and rented Charlotte Atkins basement for $10 a month. They went to Los Angeles and lived with George, Audrey and Glen. June got a job at Lockheed, where be worked before the war.
From Utah to L.A.
Emma: Fall 1948, June came down to Farmington when he got his masters degree at the A.C. He was planning to go to Wisconsin to the University. It was 54 degrees below zero there the previous winter. Elaine did not feel able to go there with two babies, so June went to L.A. in the car George gave Elaine. Audrey and Glen had been living with George since June 1946. June stayed with them a while and looked for jobs. He came back in Audrey's car with George's trailer in October. I packed Elaine's things in the trailer, also my clothes and some canned fruit. I stopped in St. George and rented Charlotte Atkins basement for $10 a month. They went to Los Angeles and lived with George, Audrey and Glen. June got a job at Lockheed, where be worked before the war.
Slim
Sandra: I remember Elaine was
always very skinny and Dad used to call her “Slim.” She permed her own hair and liked perming her
children’s hair. She had rough hands with no fingerprints – Adermatoglyphia. It is an extremely
rare genetic disorder, which causes a person to have no fingerprints. There are only four known extended families
world-wide which are affected by this condition. She also had psoriasis, a skin disease marked by red, itchy, scaly patches. She
sunned and ate healthy food to try and control it.
James: I remember going to
church in the Hollywood Ward on Normandy and taking Sandy into the
nursery. She would scream so loud you
could hear her for blocks. Elaine and I
would stand outside and we could hear her cry above everyone else.
Living with Grandparents
Emma: 1949 - 1950 June and George gave Sandra food I didn't approve of feeding a two year old. Raising children around five grown ups was...a sad mistake. Kent was suffering with catarrh from the mucus clogging his organs. Elaine had grown very nervous in the two years since she left Utah. She and June looked for houses a great deal of the time. They made a deposit on one in East Glendale Ward on Wing Street, but backed out. They later bought one at 914 N. Isabel in Glendale West Ward. I don't know which was best buy as I didn't see the one on Wing. They moved just before Christmas, but Kent stayed with us for several weeks. He loved to have me read to him.
Movies
Audrey: While we were living in L.A., we would go to the show quite often. Grandpa Scholl would watch the children and we would enjoy seeing a good show. Elaine liked musicals. We would just walk in. Glen worked there.
Living with Grandparents
Emma: 1949 - 1950 June and George gave Sandra food I didn't approve of feeding a two year old. Raising children around five grown ups was...a sad mistake. Kent was suffering with catarrh from the mucus clogging his organs. Elaine had grown very nervous in the two years since she left Utah. She and June looked for houses a great deal of the time. They made a deposit on one in East Glendale Ward on Wing Street, but backed out. They later bought one at 914 N. Isabel in Glendale West Ward. I don't know which was best buy as I didn't see the one on Wing. They moved just before Christmas, but Kent stayed with us for several weeks. He loved to have me read to him.
Movies
Audrey: While we were living in L.A., we would go to the show quite often. Grandpa Scholl would watch the children and we would enjoy seeing a good show. Elaine liked musicals. We would just walk in. Glen worked there.
Mark Born
Emma: At 4:00 a.m. on July
22nd, Elaine went to a hospital and Mark was born that morning. I didn't like
to see her go to a hospital, the first one she was ever in. In two days she came home. Mark was a lovely baby. I took care of him. I had Elaine stay in bed for 10 or 12 days. Sandra slept in George's porch, Kent in my room
and Mark in the dining room, later in the middle bedroom. George had built a
nice little sunny house in the back yard and he slept there. Mark was a little yellow. Elaine said he was white when he was born. I gave him catnip tea. Elaine nursed him and he soon got white. He was her largest baby and easiest to care
for. I rubbed him
several times a day.
several times a day.
James: Mark was born in the
summer of 1950 in a hospital on La Brea.
There was a woman in labor who was screaming. Elaine came in and had Mark and they put the
first woman’s tag on Mark and Elaine’s tag on her baby. Elaine saw the other child and said, “That is
not my baby!” So Mark is really an
adopted child.
Isabel was $12,500.
Elaine thought that was a horrible amount of money. That was late fall of 1950. When we moved into the Isabel house the guy
who sold it to us was there removing the light bulbs. I told him, “really!” So he left part of them in. That took real nerve.
914 North Isabel
Sandra: In 1951, when Elaine
was 26 years old, our family included Mother, Dad and three children. That was
the year we moved to 914 N. Isabel in Glendale, California. The home was a
wonderful 3-bedroom house with hardwood floors, a large fenced backyard and a
detached garage in the back. It was located on a quiet street with a small
grocery store on the corner. It was a great location and climate in which to
raise children.
Ice Cream
James: The ward went from
Glendale Blvd to Burbank to the LA. River.
Mother worked in the Primary a little.
We started family home evening way back then in the early 50s. We read Bible stories on Sunday and went out
for ice cream after church if everyone was good. We eventually phased that out. Elaine really liked ice cream.
Elaine had hay fever and during the part of the year the
olive trees were in blossom. They would
literally rain down yellow blossoms. We
ended up taking out two trees. One was
next to the garage and the other at the back of the house.
Vacation
Emma: Elaine and her family
came next week but went right on to Malta, Idaho. They
came back a week later and stayed two nights. I put Mark in Kent's buggy, Kent on a cot in the front rooms, Sandra in the playpen in front room and I slept by them on the day bed. June
and Elaine slept in the bedroom. Elaine went to the dentist and took Kent to Lagoon. I had her things that she left here in 1948 packed. June put them and one of the twin beds, spring and
mattress, and all the canned fruit he could get in the trailer. It was raining the morning they left. I picked cherries and apricots in the rain for them. (This appears to be our first trip to Malta)
came back a week later and stayed two nights. I put Mark in Kent's buggy, Kent on a cot in the front rooms, Sandra in the playpen in front room and I slept by them on the day bed. June
and Elaine slept in the bedroom. Elaine went to the dentist and took Kent to Lagoon. I had her things that she left here in 1948 packed. June put them and one of the twin beds, spring and
mattress, and all the canned fruit he could get in the trailer. It was raining the morning they left. I picked cherries and apricots in the rain for them. (This appears to be our first trip to Malta)
Janice Born
Emma: Janice was a born Mar.
31st in a hospital. I offered to care for Elaine and the baby, but they
refused, so she had no care after she came to her home from the hospital. Her health was not good any more as it had
been the past 27 years. She had the best
health of any girl I ever knew intimately the first 21 years of her life. June brought Kent and Sandra over April 1st.
Sandra's crib was in the front bedroom and I borrowed a crib from Agnes Beitler
and put it in the back bedroom and put Mark in it and Kent slept in the crib in
my room. I surely enjoyed Kent. I had purchased Emma Marr Peterson's Bible Stories
and Book of Mormon Stories I read them all to Kent and some over several times.
I was sad when Kent went home.
Audrey
Kent: Elaine’s sister Audrey was nine years older than Elaine. She graduated from John Marshall High. After High School she got a well paying job and moved out of the home because she wanted to be independent. Audrey attended the Hollywood Ward where she met and married Glen Kroksh. Unfortunately Glenn was unable have children so they adopted a son named him Gerry. They went to the Elysian Park Ward and Glen worked as a projectionist at the Roxy Theater in downtown Los Angeles. They lived at 2821 Shadowlawn Avenue, L.A., CA.
Audrey
Kent: Elaine’s sister Audrey was nine years older than Elaine. She graduated from John Marshall High. After High School she got a well paying job and moved out of the home because she wanted to be independent. Audrey attended the Hollywood Ward where she met and married Glen Kroksh. Unfortunately Glenn was unable have children so they adopted a son named him Gerry. They went to the Elysian Park Ward and Glen worked as a projectionist at the Roxy Theater in downtown Los Angeles. They lived at 2821 Shadowlawn Avenue, L.A., CA.
Picnics
Sandra: Mother loved family picnics, and trips to the
park or zoo. These were family events, which often included Aunt Audrey and her
family. With plenty of food, and
Mother’s picnic tablecloth, we were off to Verdugo Park, Griffith Park, the
beach, or the zoo (all free). When we
went to the beach, Dad would get out the umbrella and mother would make tuna
fish sandwiches. One time when I was
around ten, she carefully showed me how to cut the celery for the tuna so there
wouldn't be any strings.
Beach
Kent: Mother loved
the beach. Partly I think it was because she had psoriasis and partly it
was because she enjoyed seeing her children play in the sand and surf. We
certainly went a lot. Her sister Audrey was often with us. She made
sandwiches and brought Kool-Aid and water and off we went. The 1954 Ford
was excellent transportation for such a trip. Back then we didn’t wear seat
belts. We just all piled into the station wagon with our food and a large
umbrella and headed for Santa Monica beach. Nobody loved the beach more
than mother. She had a broad smile on her face as we dug in the sand and chased the waves.
T.V.
Kent: I remember one time mom and dad were watching TV on an old blonde wood, black and white TV in the family room. The other kids were all in bed and my parents were watching a show in which a Tyrannosaurus Rex was holding people captive in a cave. Dad wanted me to go to bed but I was hanging out in a doorway that led to the hall holding on to every precious moment. Mom intervened, “Honey he wants to see what happens. Just give him a few minutes.” With that intervention, Dad let me stay up until the fate of the people inside the cave was decided.
T.V.
Kent: I remember one time mom and dad were watching TV on an old blonde wood, black and white TV in the family room. The other kids were all in bed and my parents were watching a show in which a Tyrannosaurus Rex was holding people captive in a cave. Dad wanted me to go to bed but I was hanging out in a doorway that led to the hall holding on to every precious moment. Mom intervened, “Honey he wants to see what happens. Just give him a few minutes.” With that intervention, Dad let me stay up until the fate of the people inside the cave was decided.
Gayle Born
Gayle Born
James: With Elaine in labor, I drove down Central toward the hospital with Elaine in the backseat of our 47 Chevy sedan. There was a banana peel on the floor but before I could get to the hospital Gayle was born. Dr. Slight met us in the parking lot of Glendale Memorial and held her up in the air with her screaming. Because she was delivered on the dirty floor Gayle couldn’t be with the rest of the newborns and was kept in the contamination ward. I remembered this experience when I bought the brand new 1954 Ford Station Wagon the next year.
Malta Vacation
Kent: Dad bought a brand new 1954 Ford Station Wagon. It was green with a six cylinder engine. That car was the perfect car for a road trip. Dad felt it was important to get to know his parents. So in the summertime we drove 800 miles to Malta. It was a long boring trip but when we got there we dashed out of the car to the open arms of Hope, and Fred. This year we went exploring with Grandpa, Grandma and Golden’s family into the hills surrounding Malta. It was a most enjoyable time. In Malta Grandpa Fred took us for a rides on the tractor or we hopped into his pick up truck as he took milk to the creamery. Hope made homemade rolls and her famous fried chicken. These trips were the highlight of the year. (Photos: top Elaine, children, L, Kent, Elaine, Janice, R, Elaine, Gayle, The hills around Malta, ID,1954)
Chicken Pox
Sandra: When I came down with the chicken pox, I was put to bed and given a tin lid with a water-baking soda paste to dab on the itchy spots. It kept me from itching them. Besides chicken pox, we had measles, mumps, whooping cough (after Elaine), colds, coughs and the stomach flu (gastroenteritis). Mother put us to bed when we were sick and we often got a cup of pineapple juice.
Errand
Kent: 1954 There was always a lot of activity around the birth of each child. Grandma Scholl would come over and take care of us or we were sent to 1636 Golden Gate Avenue. There we stayed for a while until Elaine was ready to handle all of us again. One time Mom was nursing Gayle and needed something from the store. I had never gone by myself. She asked me to come into her room and she handed me a list: Karo syrup, baby bottles, some cream and a nursing bra. What? This was not something I volunteered for. She told me how much she appreciated my help and what this meant to her. Of course when she put it that way I was ready to go. She handed me some money in an envelope and the list and I walked over to Glendale Avenue, which was over a mile away, to pick up her items. When I got back she said, “Kent I really appreciate having a son like you. Elaine was always very complimentary.
Kent: According to Elaine’s
1958 drivers license Elaine weighed 100 pounds, had brown hair, had hazel eyes
and was 5 five foot 5 inches tall.
Education
Sandra: The education of her children was important
to Mother. She would quiz us on our
spelling words before school, while she fed the baby in the high chair. After
breakfast we took our lunch boxes in hand and walked to R. D. White Elementary
School. When I was in the second grade I
remember having an arithmetic assignment that I needed help with. Mother collected a few magazines and we sat
together and to cut out pictures and glue them into a booklet, and then I wrote
in what measurement each illustrated.
Church
Sandra: Elaine loved the gospel of Jesus Christ and was
a woman of faith. When she and Dad decided to get married they were living in
Los Angeles. They took the bus to Salt
Lake City to be married in the Salt Lake Temple – a distance of almost 700
miles. Elaine made sure that her family attended Sunday school each Sunday
morning and sacrament meeting in the evening. When we were assigned to give a
talk in church, we would memorize the talk and then practiced giving it to her
until she was satisfied we were thoroughly prepared.
Sundays often included roast beef with carrots and potatoes, a green salad and cake for dessert after church. Sunday was a day for quiet play in the house (it was rarely quiet). I remember liking Sundays because it was a time that both our parents were home. We often had Sunday dinner at Aunt Audrey’s home or they came to our home and I enjoyed listening to the adults talk after the dishes were done.
Talents
Sandra: Mother loved flowers and grew calendulas at
our Isabel house between the driveway and the fence (The Duffey side). They have a bright orange flower and produce
moon-shaped seeds, which she collected for planting the next season.
She learned to sew in high school and made many of her
own clothes including her temple dress, dresses for her girls and Halloween
costumes.
Tripping
James: When Elaine was pregnant with Jeff in the summer of 1956, we had just enjoyed an outing with Audrey, Glen & Gerry at Verdugo Park. The sun had gone down and cool evening breezes had begun. We packed up our blankets, food (and the famous tablecloth), and headed across the grass to the cars. I was carrying a basket and blankets and Elaine had a basket and some of the kid's things. We were proceeding smoothly until Elaine stepped into a sprinkler hole and pitched forward onto the grass. She was not hurt but was upset for weeks worrying that she might have hurt the little one she was carrying. Jeff turned out fine.
L.A. Temple
Elaine was pregnant two months and had a cold, so could not go. President McKay offered the
dedicatory prayer and it was wonderful. Tuesday afternoon was the Glendale Stake day. June and Kent and Glen and Audrey went. The temple opened for ordinance work 16 April, 1956. Glen and Audrey went to the temple April 24, at 6:00 pm to have Gerald sealed to them. June and Elaine went with them. They all four went thru the 7:00 pm session. I stayed with Elaine's children.
Jeff Born
Emma: 1956 Glen and Audrey
went to the temple 24th April at 6:00 pm to have Gerald sealed to them. June and Elaine went with them. They all four went thru the 7:00 pm session. I stayed with Elaine's children. On October 12, 1956 Elaine's sixth baby,
Jeffrey Lynn was born. I stayed at her
home 914 No. Isabel in Glendale for three weeks and slept in the playhouse, a
nice quiet place on a new bed. Then I went
home and took Janice and Gayle and Mark came on Friday night and stayed until
he had to go home for school. We went to
Sunday School in Hollywood Ward.
Kent: At 914 N Isabel, the bedrooms were all in the back of
the house. I remember Mom sitting on the floor next to my bed talking to
me. Her voice was like honey in lemon water. She took the time to
explain about why Dad had built a playhouse in the backyard and why Emma was
sleeping inside the playhouse and how long she would be staying. She wasn’t in a hurry and the conversation
went on for some time.
James: Grandma Scholl was over helping. Jeffrey was six weeks. Elaine was just home from the hospital after
having the cyst removed. I was giving
Jeff a bath on the sink in the kitchen.
I had a washing in the Blackstone automatic washer next to the 5 gallon
bottle of Sparkletts water, and as I am bathing Jeffrey, the washer gets out of
balance and it starts to shake around and it began to knock the bottle of water
over. Here I am busy bathing Jeffrey and
as I try to save the bottle of water Jeff falls to the floor with a thud. Elaine was there two seconds later berating
me for my negligence. She was shaking
with anger.
Knott’s Berry Farm
Sandra: One year when Jeff was a toddler we went to
Knott’s Berry Farm. At the Haunted
Shack, where water ran uphill and chairs balanced precariously on walls, the
guide asked mother to come forward to demonstrate something. As she stood up, Jeff held tightly to her and
because she did not want to upset him, she declined the man’s invitation and
someone else was chosen.
Developing Photographs
Sandra: On a Friday evening, Dad and Mother sometimes
enjoyed developing their own photos.
They would put all the children to bed, put a red sheet of plastic over
the light in the kitchen and get out their enlarger, chemical trays and photo
developing supplies. I remember seeing
all this interesting activity when I was being put to bed and wishing I could
stay up and watch. The next morning they
would show us the pictures they had printed.
Mother kept a photo album for each child with the photos they
printed. The album had black pages. Each photo was held in place with sticky
corners. Elaine carefully wrote name and
place labels for each photograph. Her handwriting
was very readable.
Ovary removed
Emma: 1957 Audrey phoned that Elaine had been ill the
day before and all night. If she had
told me the day before I could have taken care of her and saved her much
suffering. Elaine had great faith the
first twenty-one years of her life. If
Elaine had continued to have that faith, she could have been healed instead of
paying Dr. Harold K. Marshall and the hospital he owned in Glendale eleven
hundred dollars. She was operated on by
him and had her left ovary and a cyst removed 22 April, 1957. As I do not like surgery and know the Creator
has power to heal the bodies he was the Creator of, I was very sad over this.
But faith seems to be weak at present, not strong like it was in Pioneer days.
Emma: Elaine and family came July 23, 1957, stayed
two days and nights (Farmington), then went to Malta, Idaho, came back 6 August
and left for home 7 August.
Countertop
Kent: JHG and Elaine were in the kitchen at 914 N
Isabel. The room is long and narrow with cupboards on both sides and a
counter with a sink on that faces the driveway. My parents were having a
rather heated discussion about what to do about the counter top. Elaine
was on one side of the kitchen and JH on the other. They were talking in
an intense tone and leaning towards each other. I think they were
deciding about how to upgrade the counter. They both had their ideas and
it seemed to me that neither was going to back down. I remember thinking,
“What is this all about?” I had never seen them disagree. It
was an interesting moment because Elaine just hung in there with her opinion
and even though JH seemed angry, she just insisted. In the end they went
with Elaine’s idea.
Vacuum
Sandra: Saturday was the time for house cleaning. I
remember the first time I was asked to vacuum the carpet. When done I reported
to Mother. She patiently pointed out the
lint I had left and demonstrated the proper way to vacuum, by going over the
rug many times until you could no longer see any dirt or lint. Saturdays were also the time when she baked a
cake or made cookies.
Julie Born
Emma: December 26, 1958
Elaine gave birth to her seventh child, Julie. On the December 27, I went to Glendale to help
them. I slept in their playhouse at 914
No. Isabel three weeks. I rented a room
from Mary Johnson at 630 No. Jackson for five months. I only stayed there nights, as I helped Elaine
every day of the five months from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. I read religious books to Mark every night. They had purchased a home at 1366 Cleveland
Drive and were painting and fixing the house to get it ready to sell. Elaine painted and worked hard. They moved to
the house Cleveland Drive when school closed in June, but did not sell the house
on Isabel until later.
Julie Cries
Beth Frost: The scouts from
the ward’s troop had gone on an overnight camp up in the Angeles Crest National
Forest. Parents of the scouts were
invited to attend a campfire with the boys before they headed home. Dad and Mother invited Beth to go with them
because her husband, who was the scoutmaster, and son were already up at the
camp. Beth had never learned to drive a
car so she gratefully accepted their invitation. Jim and Elaine brought baby Julie on the trip.
On the way home the baby began to cry. Elaine tried to comfort her and distract
her with a rattle or some other toy but the crying continued. She changed her diaper and tried to feed her
but the crying only increased. She tried to burp baby Julie, thinking that
perhaps the crying was caused by gas. Still Julie cried and Elaine became more
and more frustrated. She had just run out of things to try to still the
crying. Beth said, “I remember her
turning to Jim and said, “What I’m I going to do with her?” Jim’s reply was, “Just love her.” He pulled the car over to the side of the road
and got out. He went around to the other
side, opened the door and took his crying daughter in his arms. Jim walked around beside the car gently
bouncing her up and down as he rubbed her back. In a short time the intense
crying turned into whimpers and finally their baby daughter was still. Jim then returned Julie to Elaine’s arms and
we made it all the way home without even another whimper.”
Food
Kent: On Saturdays Mom would
often make a cake. That would go with
the roast and vegetables we had for a Sunday meal. Mom had little plastic popsicle forms and
liked freezing fruit juice to make healthy popsicles. Another treat we liked was her custard. She mixed it up the pudding custard and put
it into metal ice cube forms and placed it into the freezer. One hot days she would pull out the treat and
let us eat them to take the edge off of the hot California summer days. When
she made cookies we pulled a chair up next to the kitchen counter and watched
her placing the ingredients in the bowl.
The smell whiffed throughout the house as we waited in anticipation.
Stroller
Kent: To keep the younger children entertained and
give them some fresh air Elaine often took them for a ride in the
stroller. She learned this from Emma. When we stayed on Golden Gate Avenue with our
grandparents, Emma would often put the youngest child in the stroller and walk
them up and down the steep city streets surrounding her home. In Glendale, Elaine often took her youngest
on stroller rides. We liked following
along or walking beside her seeing what the neighbors were doing.
Toys
Kent: At 914 Isabel St. there
were always lots of younger kids underfoot and we had piles of toys with small
pieces. Lincoln Logs and Tinker Toys were two favorites with everyone and
once they got dumped out, there was a huge clutter of toys all over the
house. One day I remember Elaine was particularly stressed out and she
came right up close and said, “Kent I really need your help, could you go
around and collect all of the toys for me so the room looks perfect.” I thought to myself, ‘I probably could but it doesn’t
seem fair when everyone else made the mess.’ But for some reason the kind
tone she took I said, “Sure mom.” I set about to clean and organize all
of the toys and put everything in the right place. When I was done, she said, “Kent you are my best helper.” I loved praise from my mother.
Tractor
Mark: I remember little about
mother. I was 10 when she died. I do remember an experience in Idaho. I was
playing on Grandpa's tractor and somehow released the mower, which fell to the
ground. If someone would have been under it, it could have caused considerable
damage. Anyway, Dad was a little upset with me. He wanted to impress the danger
of dropping the mower when other children were playing in the area. But mother
came to the rescue and protected me. Because of mother I would live another
day, to set other farm implements free. I remember watching mother paint the bricks on the
fireplace. She was so careful to paint them just right. After she was finished
she had used very little paint and the bricks were all painted red.
Living on Cleveland Road
James: Elaine said we have too many kids for this little house on Isabel. She said it won't hurt to look, which is
always fatal. She would go out and look
once or twice a week for houses. She
found the Cleveland House and asked me to go look at it. I said yea, it is a pretty good house, a big
house. They wanted $27,500, and we made
the offer and they wouldn't take it. So
that was it. Quite a few months later
Elaine saw the real estate woman who showed us the house before, and Elaine
told her that house must be gone by now.
The real estate woman said no, they are renting it out because they
couldn't sell it and asked if we wanted to make another offer. So we offered $25,000 again and they took
it. That was June of 1959. We did a lot
of painting. When we first came in
everything leaked. We bought the house from the Deppie family who lived over on
Virginia Street. They rented the home to
a couple. She was in an iron lung. Before we formally moved into the house the
lady called and told me that the furnace was not working, could I come over and
fix it. I did, but I found that there
were two very old gravity furnaces that barely worked in the home. Mark liked
the sprinkler system because the Isabel home didn't have one.
Sandra: As our family grew, we needed more space. In
the bedroom where I slept there were three single beds and a crib. In the
summer of 1959, before my sixth grade year, we moved to 1366 Cleveland Road in
Glendale, California. I soon was
registered at Keppel Elementary School.
Mother didn't think the teacher I was assigned would be the best for me
so she called the school and changed my teacher. I attended Mrs. Thompson’s class that year –
she was a demanding teacher.
Elaine was excited to decorate this home. She painted
the kitchen cupboards, put prints of children by the seashore in the ‘blue
room, and had the black wallpaper in the bathroom removed and the walls painted
white. She bought a used dining room set and reupholstered the
chairs. Her father built a redwood fence around the back yard and the
children have many fond memories of this home.
Doing our best
Sandra: Wednesday afternoons we attended Primary at
the Glendale West Ward building. The boys did scouting activities and I
remember going to Top Pilot, Lark, Buebird, and Seagull classes. We were expected to do our best in all the
activities they provided.
Laundry
Sandra: Mother always made sure we were dressed
neatly and had clean clothes. To keep
the laundry under control, we wore the same outfit each day to school for one
week, and changed each day after school into play clothes. On washday, Mother washed the clothes, hung
them out to dry, brought them in and sprinkled them with water, then put them
in a bag in the refrigerator to wait for ironing day (there was no permanent
press in those days). Sometimes I helped
her hang clothing on the outside clothesline to dry in the sun. She was fast as she attached the clothing to
the line. I was my mother’s faithful helper, folding mounds of diapers,
strolling the babies, and helping my siblings get dressed. Diapers in those
days were not formed into the self-fitting diapers of today, but rectangle in
shape. They had to be folded just so in order for the proper fit on the child’s
bottom.
Halloween
Kent: Each year Halloween was
looked to with great anticipation. When
I was about 12, she asked me what I wanted to be and I said, “Robin Hood.” She purchased some green material. I sat and watched as she made the shirt,
pants and put some cardboard in the hat to keep the form just right. I was very proud to wear my homemade Robin
Hood outfit to school and trick or treating that year.
Letter
Kent: On August 1959, I was camping with
Scout Troop 26. We had just completed the Silver Moccasin, a 65-mile hike. Mother wrote me the following words. " Dear Kent, We arrived home at
6:30. Nobody got carsick but David. I wanted to send up your jacket, but Reeders
and Petites had left. Wear two or three
shirts and two pair of pants mornings and evenings plus your sweatshirt. It is hot here. I do hope your blister is better. Have it taken care of if not. Glenn and Audrey got back Friday night. Haven't talked to them yet. Granddad will start the fence at end of
week. We miss you. Try to get lots of sleep. Love. Mother"
Grandma Helps
Emma: I went to Elaine's home
at 1366 Cleveland Drive and slept in Marks bedroom. It is a beautiful home, a
large living room, living room, kitchen, breakfast noon, service porch, five
bed-rooms and fruit room in basement with a large lovely yard. George build a six foot redwood fence to
enclose the back yard. I was not able to
do anything for Elaine. She was examined
by many doctors and they experimented on her with their shots, drugs, etc,
things which I do not approve of. She
was administered to by the Patriarch, Wilford Edling, Bishop Reed Callister and
others.
Malta
Malta
Sandra: I loved going to Utah and Idaho to visit grandparents every summer. The drives were long and usually very hot (no air conditioning). One year, we were driving at night and I was in the back of the ’54 Ford station wagon trying to sleep (no seat belts). Mother asked if I was cold, but I wasn’t so I declined the offer of a small blanket. I did not fall asleep and it got colder and colder and pretty soon I wished I had the blanket. Everyone was asleep except for Dad and I, so I didn’t say anything. Mother always looked after our comfort. If we were lucky we would go to the amusement park at Lagoon. In Malta, Grandma Hope fed us the best canned peaches ever, and we loved exploring the farm.
Hike
James: This particular summer we
decided to take a hike with Grandpa Gardiner.
It was to be our last outing with him, he died the next year. Kent, Sandy, Elaine, Grandpa and I got into
the old pickup and drove up toward the largest mountain around; Black
Pine. Grandpa Gardiner had seen an ore
deposit from the valley floor as he drove past Black Pine over the last 30
years and we thought we would go exploring.
We drove the truck as far as possible and got out and began hiking
toward the far side of the mountain.
When we had gone a fair distance we decided that we needed the food,
shovel and water, which were back in the pickup. I volunteered to go back. It was a long hike. On the way back with the supplies I got
really tired. I would walk a few paces
and have to sit down. It took a long
time to get up the mountain. When I finally got to the others, Grandpa said,
"What took you?" When we got
to the ore deposit we found that someone had beaten us to it and had dynamited
it and there was nothing left. We then
hiked to the top of Black Pine. From
there you could see forever. It was a beautiful sight. The Great Salt Lake was
clearly visible. I found myself so tired that even though we were going
downhill I had nothing left to give. My
muscles were completely spent. My heart was just pounding. I would take three
or four steps and have to sit down, panting like a puppy. It was the most tired
I have ever been in my life. Grandpa, Sandy and Kent went on about a half mile
ahead. Elaine stayed behind with me. She
was worried that I might faint or pass out. One of the nice things about
marriage is that kind of caring.
Helping Elaine
Emma: 1960 Seeing Elaine so sick was one of the worst experiences of my life. I think it is the after effects of the surgery. She spent most of her time in bed. The sisters from the Ward were very kind, bringing food and gifts. Alice Williams Reeder, Homer Reeder's wife did all the ironing. A neighbor, Mrs. Briggs, did the mending on a machine. Robert Briggs is Mark's playmate. I feel so sorry for Elaine's poor children.
Emma: 1960 Seeing Elaine so sick was one of the worst experiences of my life. I think it is the after effects of the surgery. She spent most of her time in bed. The sisters from the Ward were very kind, bringing food and gifts. Alice Williams Reeder, Homer Reeder's wife did all the ironing. A neighbor, Mrs. Briggs, did the mending on a machine. Robert Briggs is Mark's playmate. I feel so sorry for Elaine's poor children.
James:
Elaine had suffered a lot of pain despite the painkillers she had
taken. This was in the summer of
1960. We had recently bought a portable
lounge and a special mattress for her, to see if we could make her more
comfortable. Nothing seemed to help. She
preferred to lie in our double bed. One bright summer morning she was resting
quite easily and I was on a chair, next to the window, talking to her about
what she needed for the day. Jeff, 3 years
+ at the time, came and knelt by the bed on the opposite side from me. He rested his chin in both hands and looked
carefully at what was going on. Then
Jeff shifted and stirred the bed at which his mother yelled out in pain at the
movement and told him to stop. Jeff had
a look of surprise and dismay and retreated.
I knew Jeff had been hurt and tried to tell him his mother had reacted
to a pain. He was shocked because it was not like Elaine to shout. Elaine would never insult her
children, knowingly and went to great lengths to protect their feelings
Death
James: On the morning of Aug 29,
1960, I helped Elaine to the bathroom and then she insisted on going to the
children's rooms and inventorying the clothes for the upcoming school
year. She found the stock of clothes
satisfactory and then went back to bed.
A group of women from the ward came to help that day. I took the older kids for a day at
Disneyland. Elaine died about sunup the
next morning. Her passing was a shock to all of us, even though we had been
warned that it was going to happen. I
have been wrongly accused of taking her passing lightly. My attitude has always been that I would have
been grateful for her to continue but let's get on with current problems. (Like
what are we going to have for dinner.)
Emma: Tuesday morning August
30, 1960 Audrey phoned to Charlotte to tell her my darling Elaine had just
died. I talked to Audrey Wednesday 31 August
and told her to excuse me from attending the funeral. I could not stand to see her seven dear
children's sorrow at her passing. I
prayed for my lovely Elaine, taught her the gospel, and worked for her 35
years. I thank the Lord for sparing me
the awful ordeal of seeing her die and seeing her poor sick body lowered in the
grave. She has fulfilled her mission of
motherhood and I pray her work in the spirit world will bring her happiness.
Children
James: About 35 years ago, my wife died after a relatively short illness. While she was ill I tried to explain to the children what was going on. And after she passed on I tried to explain what had happened and the finality of the event to all of them.
James: I took the children to see their mother after she was prepared in the mortuary. Upon seeing their mother in that shocking setting our 6 year old daughter simply crumpled to the floor and would not get up. No amount of explaining had prepared her for what she saw. Years later, a son who had been 4 at the time of her passing, reported that, after her death and for several years, he had watched for his mother to come home from shopping. He did not want to accept the fact she was gone out his life and hoped she was simply on an errand.
Then there are the reminders. Clothing, shoes, a whiff of perfume or some food the person liked or a picture or an unfinished project, a high chair or toy. And we may miss the service of the departed. The ways we miss people who pass away is as wide as life itself. But it takes a while for the size and permanence of the loss to sink in.
James: About 35 years ago, my wife died after a relatively short illness. While she was ill I tried to explain to the children what was going on. And after she passed on I tried to explain what had happened and the finality of the event to all of them.
James: I took the children to see their mother after she was prepared in the mortuary. Upon seeing their mother in that shocking setting our 6 year old daughter simply crumpled to the floor and would not get up. No amount of explaining had prepared her for what she saw. Years later, a son who had been 4 at the time of her passing, reported that, after her death and for several years, he had watched for his mother to come home from shopping. He did not want to accept the fact she was gone out his life and hoped she was simply on an errand.
Then there are the reminders. Clothing, shoes, a whiff of perfume or some food the person liked or a picture or an unfinished project, a high chair or toy. And we may miss the service of the departed. The ways we miss people who pass away is as wide as life itself. But it takes a while for the size and permanence of the loss to sink in.
Final Thoughts
Kent: Elaine’s life was cut short with
cancer when she died at 35, but her example of faith, cheerfulness and love of
family will always be remembered.
Sandra: A mother’s heart has many feelings. Mother Elaine’s was gentle and soft, and always touched by the dandelions and school drawings and pictures her children brought her. It was cool and calm even with all the children’s demands. And for those things that mattered most to her, it was sturdy and strong. I remember Mother Elaine as a person who loved being a mother. In spite of health issues, she kept her standards high in how she took care of our home and us. I don’t remember her ever getting angry or upset. I am thankful she was my mother.
Dream
James: November 11, 2001 had a vivid dream this morn. Saw a vivid radiant image of Elaine who was very beautiful and radiated and full of love and acceptance of me. I don’t usually see people’s faces in dreams but this was very clean, good detail, sharp and in natural colors. An impressive treat for me to see her so lovely.
James: November 11, 2001 had a vivid dream this morn. Saw a vivid radiant image of Elaine who was very beautiful and radiated and full of love and acceptance of me. I don’t usually see people’s faces in dreams but this was very clean, good detail, sharp and in natural colors. An impressive treat for me to see her so lovely.