Oh, what a glorious day when after much thought and prayer I decided to accept the diamond ring offered to me by your father on October 10, 1943. Since Daddy had to go to the service soon we decided to marry before he left. This didn't give us much time for all the fuss and bother brides like. It was wartime and because of the demands of the army for parachutes and uniforms for the soldiers we found white material almost impossible to buy but I managed to get a few yards of white taffeta for a wedding dress. Gas was rationed so we couldn't plan a fancy honeymoon. Uncle Floyd Peterson had a new car and farming gasoline so he took us to Logan, Utah. Dad left early to be enlisted in the service on November 9, 1943 and I taught school all day. We met Dad at Pocatello, Idaho that night and we drove on to Logan where we were married the next afternoon by Joseph B. Daines in the Logan Temple. Grandma Matson went home the next day by bus but Uncle Floyd, Aunt Maurine, and Grandma Peterson stayed in Logan until Saturday and we all went to many sessions at the temple to do work for the dead. Dad and I each did work for 4 people while we were there.
I was awakened the day after our wedding to the sound of patriotic music. It was Armistice Day - Nov. 11, 1943 - now known as Veteran's Day - and a group of soldiers were leaving for duty in the services. I was so thankful for the privilege of the next 20 days before your father actually left for war. Since I had signed a contract to teach school that year we returned to Roberts, Idaho and moved into a tiny apartment where Daddy did most of the housework while I taught school. He used to leave precious little notes for me in his lunch pail when he went to work, etc. Nov. 30, 1943 he left Rigby, Idaho with a group of men to go to Fort Douglas, Utah. Johnny Moss from Ririe, Idaho was one of that group and he became a close friend. That was a lonely Christmas for me but never did my religion mean so much to me as those days of uncertainty and separation.
Dad had passed the I.Q. test high enough to be accepted in the Army Air Force and was sent to Buckley Air Force training field in Denver, Colorado.
In February the Doctor told me that I must have a major operation to remove a tumor which he felt was probably malignant. In those days cancer was a very frightening word because we had no means of fighting it. So I was really worried. The Doctor called the Red Cross and requested a leave for Dad to come home to be with me. He arrived on Sunday at 11 A.M. and took me to the hospital at 4 p.m. The operation was performed the next morning February 29, 1944. On the third day I was so very sick and Dad stayed with me until I was feeling better. The next day Von went to Mud Lake to visit his family. I couldn't understand why he didn't come back to visit me. When he finally slipped in to say "Hi" he pulled up his sleeve and showed me a beautiful case of measles. The Dr. had had to call for an extension of his leave. I'm amazed I didn't catch them from him. He came to the hospital March 9 to take me home from the hospital and left that evening to return to Denver, Colorado.
He had missed the shipment of his training group so he was held over for the next group. I always felt the hand of the Lord had been with us in my illness and also in his not being sent to catch up to his group. Johnny Moss went on with this group and was sent to England. His plane was shot down on his third mission. The casualties were extremely high at this time. I always felt if Dad had gone with that group he wouldn't have returned.
Because Dad had completed his training he wasn't on such a heavy schedule and was allowed to live off the base the last two weeks of his stay there. So April 1st I boarded a bus to go to Denver, Colorado. We found a sleeping room upstairs in Ruth Ferguson's home. What a gracious, wonderful little lady. The morning before Daddy left she called me to come down to the kitchen and she had a large round table spread with every goody you could think of. She wouldn't eat with us, but excused herself so Daddy and I could have a last meal together in the sun of her shiny old fashioned kitchen. I sometimes wonder how many meals this poor little lady had to do without to give us such a bounteous feast. Surely the Lord will bless her for her kindness and sacrifices to ease the heart ache of a lot of service men's wives. As Dad left that morning in mid April there was a beautiful fluffy white snow. I stayed at Ruth's for two more weeks hoping Dad would call and say I could come on to Laredo, Texas where he was in training. Mrs. Ferguson took me to see many beautiful old buildings and places she loved in Denver. I grew to really love Denver while I was there that month.
Dad finally called from Laredo, Texas and said there was no housing for wives and told me scary stories of the intense heat and of snakes everywhere (which I hated). I only had 25¢ left and owed a week's rent. Dad had left me with a savings bond but I couldn't cash it without his signature. Uncle Golden Peterson was stationed at another Air Force Base farther out from Denver. Dad said "Go out to Fort Lowry and borrow money from Golden, he'll get paid today." So he loaned me the money to go home. I stopped at Logan, Utah and went through the temple again before coming home. Also stayed all night with Aunt Evelyn who was living at the Bee Hive House in Salt Lake City at that time.
I worked at a cleaners in Idaho Falls as a seamstress in Idaho Falls and rode the Greyhound bus to and from La Belle, Idaho until Dad came home. It was while I was working here that Mr. Pack my boss taught me a lot about altering and tailoring men's clothes. I had a good background from my 4-H experience so the experience I got there in Idaho Falls has been very valuable the rest of my life. I shall never forget my first impression as I walked into the tiny, hot sewing room in the basement. There was a power sewing machine and an old treadle sewing machine and the largest cutting table I had ever seen in my life and it was piled with a literal mountain of clothing to repair and alter. I felt like the princess in the story of Rumplestilskin but lo, no elves came to my rescue. So I learned a lesson that has been invaluable to me all of my life since that time - that you don't think about the whole frustrating job - you pick up one item at a time and do it then go on to the next!! Soon you find you have accomplished something that seemed totally impossible at the time. Mr. Pack also taught me how to operate the presses in the dry cleaners.
Dad finally came home about July 17, 1944 and we spent 10 glorious days together - mostly fishing at Birch Creek west of Mud Lake. I wandered down the banks giving your father a kiss at every hole that was deep enough for fish. He claimed it brought him luck. You have to remember we were still newlyweds. It was a very relaxing and fun time. Most of the time Grandma Peterson would pack a big bushel fruit basket of goodies and go along with us. There were always an assorted amount of nieces, nephews, etc. All of the family enjoyed going with your Dad because he had such a lot of fun in life and made every one so happy.
When he left to go to Lincoln, Nebraska, I went too. When we arrived Dad had only 6 hours before he had to report to the base and I had no place to stay. So we hurried to the U.S.O. to get a list of housing. There were people there who had been waiting for weeks for a place to live. We walked to the desk and a woman said, "We've just had a cancellation - would you like to go to this address." A couple near us couldn't believe it because they had been in every day for 3 weeks with no luck. We now had a place to stay and again I knew that the Lord had been with us blessing us once more.
We cherished every minute we were together. The people in the L.D.S. Church were very gracious and helped the wives feel at home. I met a lovely red-headed girl named Margaret Wickham who invited me to a lunch counter to ask lots of questions about our church. By a coincidence she was baptized on our 2nd wedding anniversary - Nov. 10, 1945.
I worked in a laundry at Lincoln, Nebraska. I have often thought of that boss there who gave so many service men's wives a chance for a few weeks work - it must have been a chore when you consider training new help every few weeks.
As Dad was being shipped out of Lincoln, Nebraska we had heard a rumor that he would go to Casper, Wyoming for his flight and gunner training. So Dad left at 6 a.m. and a new friend and I left at 6 p.m. to go to Casper Wyoming. We arrived at 1 p.m. the next day and had to wait for a troop train to unload before we could pull in to the station. We hoped it brought our husbands but we had no way of finding out. The cab driver took me to a cheap hotel - the friend, Mary Neil, to an expensive hotel and I was so alone in a strange town. I walked to the U.S.O. and sat down to have a soda pop. Several soldiers came and tried to talk me into a cigarette or cup of coffee. I asked for information about the L.D.S. church and found they had a small branch - mostly servicemen and a few wives. Malcolm Le Seur was the manager and he invited me into his office. He was a counselor in the branch presidency and had noticed my response to the soldiers at the counter. He said there was a party that night would we like to come. I explained my plight and that the soldiers would be in quarantine for 3 days. Before I left his office he had contacted your father at the base, arranged for a pass for me to go visit him that night and had found me a good sleeping room near the church. He made me feel I had always known him. I spent the evening visiting Von at the base and because I had a rent receipt he was able to get a pass to come into town the very next day to see me. This might not be amazing to you children but remember I told you about Mary with the rich parents from Texas who had gone to the expensive hotel. She had a bad strep throat when we arrived in Casper. Her mother was an officer in the Red Cross so she telegraphed home for money and called the Red Cross to get her husband home to take care of her. I carried food, etc. to her for those three days until George had served his three days of quarantine.
Once more the Lord had watched over me and answered my prayers. We were welcomed into the ward so warmly. The M.I.A. president was a lieutenant at the base and he and his wife keep very close track of the L.D.S. service men there.
I worked first at a dry cleaners but Dad's schedule was so erratic that I found I couldn't arrange my schedule to be with Von - also my boss was anti-Mormon and since I was the first to come to work I was confronted every day by a drunken boss that was very abusive toward the Church and me. Mrs. Charles Jones had a little candy store across from Dad's bus stop. She offered me a job at 25¢ an hour with a completely flexible schedule. She was not L.D.S. and we had many interesting gospel discussions while we made fudge, carmel korn, pecan pies, taffy apples etc. She was such a kind Christian lady. I shall never forget her many kindnesses to me. The last weekend before Dad left to go to Topeka, Kansas she invited us to move into her home and I was able to buy Idaho Potatoes to bake. We had a great home cooked meal before he left. Dad had been supposed to have one more short leave before going overseas and his family had planned to meet us at the temple in Logan and I would return with them. His plans were changed and he began his long journey to fight in Italy and I went back to Idaho to await the birth of our first little girl.
I stopped at the temple at Logan as I went through. After the temple session I went to the hotel lobby to wait for the bus that was leaving about 3 a.m. I had very little money so I decided to sit in the lobby that night. The lobby was full of soldiers who tried to get me to go with them to spend the evening. I chose a big soft easy chair and sat down to wait. One persistent soldier came and sat by me - he offered me a place by him on the couch but I managed to discourage him so he opened up his heart and talked of his home and family. As our buses arrived at the same time he helped me to my bus going north before he boarded his bus to go south. As he was leaving with tears in his eyes this husky service man said to me, "I would give anything I own to have a girl like you waiting for me at home. Does your husband know how fortunate he is?" Once more my religious convictions had been a blessing to me and I felt this lonely soldier had paid me probably the highest compliment of my life.
Aunt Clara was at home in La Belle with little blonde, blue eyed Carolyn and waiting for the birth of her child and the return of her husband from the South Pacific. We rented a small house less than a mile from our folks and spent most of the coming months making baby clothes and watching for the mailman (who was my father at the time). I had been called to fill a stake mission before we were married and whenever I was home I spent much of my time doing missionary work or studying the scriptures I have always been so thankful I had such satisfying work and wonderful supportive companions to fill the lonely hours.
Our first little girl, Linda was born June 23, 1945. The war had ended in May in Europe and Dad would normally have been home for her birth. He had been sent to Cerignola, Italy and had flown 30 missions dumping bombs on the enemy in Austria. Many times he had experiences that proved to us that the Lord was truly protecting him as promised in his patriarchal blessing. One time a bullet penetrated the glass nose of his turret hitting him in the forehead but it didn't even leave a mark. Another time as they got in formation to fly over the target for some unknown reason the plane he was in was instructed to fly a different position. The plane that flew the position his plane had been in was shot down. He had been promised in his blessing that he would be protected and "at times when death seemed certain something would happen" and he would return safely and bear witness that he had been protected by the power of God.
Linda had been born in Rigby - a beautiful dark-haired blue eyed little girl. I shall never forget the torrential rains that pounded noisily on the metal roof out of my window that night as I waited for them to bring my baby for the first time. Clara's baby boy, De Virl Davenport had been born 9 days earlier on June 14th - a husky healthy boy with powerful lungs and an unending appetite. Von arrived home August 1 traveling on orders to go to Japanese Theater when his 30 day leave was up.
Von had been kept in Italy to stock-pile ammunition and help close down operations in Italy and now we stood around the radio on August 14 in wonderment and relief as they announced that Japan had surrendered and the war was over. Dad had arrived the day before we took Linda to Mud Lake where Grandpa John H. Peterson gave her a name and blessing. He returned to Fort Douglas in Salt Lake City where he was officially discharged to return home Sept. 13, 1945.
It was a glorious time for us. Now for the problems of food, shelter, etc. So many soldiers were released at this time that work was very hard to find. Daddy worked on a crew sorting potatoes and we fixed and apartment in his sister, Rose Crystal's, home in Garfield, Idaho.
In March Daddy got a job in Chinook, Montana. So we moved there to work for a man named Eldon Seamons. Our second baby girl, Janice was born in Havre, Montana Oct. 3, 1946. It was a stormy, cold night and Dad drove back to Chinook to begin teaching a group of Boy Scouts. He managed to fill his assignment and drive the 25 miles back to Havre to be with me when Janice was born.
Dad was assistant Sunday School Superintendent (now known as president) and I taught a Primary Class - the 11 year old girls called Seagirl Girls then and a Sunday School Class in Courtship and Marriage. Also I had a job as Teacher Trainer for the district - instead of Stakes we had districts since we were living in the Northwestern States mission. We made lots of wonderful friends there. We especially enjoyed having the full time missionaries to come into our home often - to make fudge when they were homesick - go fishing on a day off - or borrow our old car to go to a distant town.
1948 we rented a farm in Chinook - no capital made the project difficult to begin with - broken down machinery wasted precious time for repair - a bad landlord situation - and finally a flash flood in June that destroyed our entire sugar beet crop - doomed this venture almost from the beginning to failure. We had had some real fun times and made a lot of friends we would never forget - we had had a chance to begin our marriage on our own but we were discouraged and homesick and with a third baby on its way so we decided to move back to Idaho and work for his brother Floyd. Dec. 10, 1948 we left Montana - very much in debt.
We moved to Mud Lake to a basement apartment. We were almost penniless and my sister Clara who lived near us bought us a Christmas tree. We received a check two days before Christmas so we could eat again. On January 20, 1949 Dad took me to Rigby to the Maternity Hospital and drove on to Idaho Falls to sign up for mechanic's apprenticeship training being offered to veterans. He called me just after noon to find that he had a third daughter - blonde blue eyed Sherie. That day Janice who was staying with my mother broke out with chicken pox. When I went to her home 4 days later I found LInda with a temperature. Expecting her to have chicken pox we drove to Mud Lake that night. She had German measles and 3 weeks later she and Sherie had chicken pox. Linda was so very very ill that she had me worried. It seemed like that year there was never a time free of crying. My three little girls would cry and then the 3 little boys the same age as ours would cry. This was the winter of the record breaking snow storm of 1949. There was a Reader's Digest story about it. The basement windows were buried in snow all winter so that we couldn't see out.
We lived in 4 different tiny homes in Mud Lake in the next 3 years.
We were so poor but we had some real fun times. We'd put quilts in the back of the car to make a bed for the girls - some toys and some food and off we'd go fishing or camping. Our first three girls literally grew up on a creek bank. Daddy was put in as Scout master and I Primary teacher then Primary president. I became very ill a few months later however so had to be released. In January we discovered Janice had to have special shoes and braces on her feet and I began a long stay - months of bed rest waiting for our fourth little girl to be born. She was born May 21, 1950. I'm sure it was only through priesthood power that she was privileged to come to us. She was so quiet and peaceful after our first 3 stormy girls that we were amazed. The day she was six weeks old Daddy rushed me to the hospital in Idaho Falls for emergency surgery which further depleted our meager supply of cash. Dad made a little extra cash playing a bass fiddle in a dance orchestra with Stuart Tyler, Tommy and Warren Mitchell and Louis Anderson.
The next spring we moved into a larger house - had a fabulous garden and things started looking good for us when a terrible hail storm came. It destroyed crops, roofs, windows, the canvas top on our car - and our garden was so completely pounded into the ground that it was impossible to tell anything had been planted.
We patched the roof of our car with a large piece of plastic upholstering material and moved Sept. 1951 to St. Anthony, Idaho where Dad got a job as mechanic working for Claude Fry at Economy Chevrolet garage.
June 5, 1952 we bought a 4 room log house for $2,000.00 from Melvin Lords. It was on 4 lots so we were able to have a big garden. In 1955 we borrowed money to finish paying the debt from our flood in Montana, finish paying for our house and pay our many doctor bills that had accumulated.
The spring of 1953 we discovered that Janice had a serious kidney infection - the Doctor called it Bright's disease and told us that he would try to save her life but gave us very little hope. Brother Grover Garrett who was the Elder's Quorum president came to our home and helped Von give her a blessing. She was healed immediately. We had been preparing to take her to Salt Lake City for surgery. Two other children in the area afflicted with the same disease passed away that spring. The Doctor had us come in for a check preparatory to leaving for Salt Lake City. He said, "you have made an error in preparing this urine sample" so asked us to prepare another under very detailed instructions. He came back shaking his head and said "I can't believe it but this child is completely well." I asked about future checkups etc. He said, "Lady, you don't understand this child is completely well. She doesn't need anything." He was not L.D.S. and couldn't understand what had happened. We knew that the power of the Priesthood had healed her.
In 1954 Linda became very ill with rheumatic fever. The Doctor said, "Why did you bring me a child that is half dead and expect me to make her well." After 7 long months of complete bed rest she was finally able to resume a normal life. Since she had missed her entire 4th grade the teachers insisted that she repeat her 4th grade. Being a school teacher before marriage I knew the skills a 4th grader should learn so I had encouraged her to read extensively and taught her many skills at home. She entered school as a 5th grade student on a trial basis and was an "A" student. She continued as an A student all through elementary and high school graduating as valedictorian. We had called in the priesthood for help and had her name put in the Idaho Falls temple. By this time penicillin became used extensively and she was put on a preventative program where she received a daily dose of penicillin until her 18th birthday. She lived with Grandma Matson the senior year - my father was working nights and Mother's health was bad. So Linda graduated from Rigby high school.
April 22, 1959 a boy - our first - was born to us. I had spent the last 3 months in bed - through the intervention of the priesthood and the help from my husband and girls we were able to have this bright eyed little boy in our home. Daddy was so proud.
Of course now we were bursting the seams of the tiny 4 room house so Daddy and Uncle Golden and Don Rasmussen built us two rooms on the south of our home and put a bathroom in our house. We had many disagreements about how it should be built. It was the best we could afford at the time and was strong and sturdy.
In September 1968 Paulette came into the world. I was so thankful for the extra room in our house. Paulette had a problem with her lungs not inflating properly. Once again the priesthood was called. And once again we saw immediate healing and watched as she grew into a beautiful healthy, happy little girl.
That fall Daddy started to work in Rexburg, Idaho for the Rambler Agency owned by Owen Johnson. He received a good raise in pay.
May 23, 1960 our last little girl was born. She was such a happy smiling girl that we named her Dawna Gaye. She smiled much earlier than our other babies had. She had 4 teeth at 4 months of age and walked at 8 months of age. Dad moved his tools back to St. Anthony the day Dawna was born and began to work as shop foreman there for Jack Stone and Albert Parker.
Dawna was always on the move and early in May 1962 she fell from the piano, landing on her forehead. She didn't seem to be hurt too seriously but one week later she went into convulsions - only one side was affected. We found that she had a brain hemorrhage. At St. Anthony's hospital Dr. Barrott - who was also our bishop, helped Dad administer to her and her body became quiet. We rushed her to Idaho Falls for emergency surgery but when we reached there her condition had improved so much that they didn't operate. The Dr. was L.D.S. and said that priesthood power was so great that they didn't want to interfere but would stand by to operate if she worsened. She slowly regained her strength but still had some problems so we took her to Salt Lake City for brain wave tests etc. We found her completely well but getting a reaction to her medication.
It wasn't long before she was climbing on everything again. Linda had received a scholarship to attend Ricks College and had an apartment at Rexburg. That fall I started to work as seamstress for Darrell Briggs at Spee Dee Cleaners in Rexburg. I started out on a part time basis to help with Dr. bills and family finances. The next year I went to work full time. I found that it was costing me as much as I was getting paid so I finally quit. I had felt like it was too much of a burden for Sherie. In March 1965 Sherie became very ill and we spent long weeks of anxious, prayerful days helping her recover her health.
I always felt that had I not been so preoccupied with my work and a busy church job that her problems would not have become so severe.
In 1965 we began to build another room on the house - this time a large room to the North. And in August 1966 we began to do janitor work at the first Ward L.D.S. Church house where we attended meetings. Your father kept his full time job and we all worked together as a family to help the older girls to attend Ricks College and to pay for our home improvements.
The spring of 1967 was a busy one for us - Janice and Linda graduated from Ricks College and Sherie from high school.
February 1966 Linda was living in Syracuse, New York where she worked for Dr. Terry and his wife. We had a chance to fly back to see her. We only spent 3 days with her but it was so exciting to see her. She borrowed a car from Jim Downing and drove us around Syracuse. He took off the 2nd day and took us to visit the Hill Cumorah, Joseph Smith's home, the Sacred Grove and Martin Harris home. Some day I hope to return there and spend a little more time. I hope to go in the spring or summer when the leaves are on the trees at the sacred grove.
June 1966 - Linda returned from New York and in August Glenn came home from a mission to California. That fall Janice, Linda, and Glenn Young all entered Ricks College. At Christmas time Janice still had one more semester of a scholarship so she went back for some extra credits and was able to travel with the debate team.
Dec. 8, 1966 Linda and Glenn young were married in the Idaho Falls temple and they moved to Trego, Montana to teach school. Linda teaching 2nd and Glenn teaching 4th grade. They returned to Ricks College for summer school. Linda graduated but Glenn still had some classwork to finish. When fall came they went back to Trego, Montana to teach. This time Glenn 4th grade and Linda to teach early morning seminary in Eureka, Montana.
Matthew was born Sept. 11, 1967. Just before his birth Paulette fell and broke her leg. This delayed a trip we had planned to go to Montana to see the new baby. It was Easter before we were finally able to make the trip.
Janice enrolled at Utah State University in Logan in fall 1967. She decided to major in speech pathology. While attending school there she met Douglas Doolittle from Trenton, New Jersey. They became engaged in April 1968 and were married in the Idaho Falls Temple September 18, 1968. we finally finished the interior of our home except for the living room in time to have her wedding reception there.
May 9, 1969 Sherie graduated from Ricks College and went to Utah State University to attend school. She had met and gone with a lot of fine fellows but now began to make plans to marry Herbert Hammons from Mississippi.
Nov. 10, 1968 was our 25th Wedding Anniversary. We were too poor and too busy to celebrate the event like most folks do but Bus and Lila Love came from Idaho Falls and we all went to the Del Rio Inn for dinner. It was a neat cafe along side the Snake River north of St. Anthony. We always enjoyed being with the Love's. They have been life long friends and our times spent with them have always been so happy.
