A Promis Kept

When I was five years old, my family lived in Ste. Maries, Idaho where the company my dad worked for had a contract. while there, my mother gave birth to a baby girl. Unfortunately, the child was stillborn. I remember my dad taking me to the morgue to see the baby. This was the second stillborn child my mother had given birth to. She named it Jane. I remember a small private burial service at the Ste. Maries Cemetary. Our family were the only LDS members in town - hence no church service. The nearest LDS missionaries were in Spokane, Washington but I don't recall them being at the grave site. We left Ste. Maries the mext year never to return as a family.

My mother died in 1965 but before she went, made my dad promise that he would visit the grave of little Jane. Every year, my dad would say "I've got to go to Idaho and tend to that grave" but year after year, he never did. In 1978, RaNae and I organized a trip to Ste. Maries and asked dad to go with us. for three weeks before we left, we talked about the trip with dad and he seemed eager to go. So on the prescribed date we went to Provo where RaNae helped dad pack his bag. I took it and put it in the car. We locked the house, went to the car, opened the door and dad hesitated and said "I'm not going" and walked back into the house. To this day I don't know why he made that decision but nothing we said or did could get him to go. So, we went alone.

We traveled up I-15 into Montana where it intersected with I-90 and took I-90 west to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and then south toi Ste. Maries. We arrived there on a Sunday and went to the cemetery but could not find little Jane's grave. We asked around and found out who the mayor was, called him and he gave us the name and phone number of the Sexton. We called him and he obliged by meeting us at the cemetery and locating the grave. We cleaned the small simple stone that lay flush with the ground and decorated it with flowers.

While in Ste Maries, we found one of the two houses we lived in, took pictures and left. Incidentally, we found out that there was an LDS ward in Ste. Maries part of the Spokane Stake. No - we didn't go to church. We traveled south to Boise, Idaho and thence east on I-84 to I-15 and then back to Salt Lake City. We had a enjoyable trip for a worthwhile cause.

Legal At Last

I have been blessed with twelve grandchildren. Half are girls and half are boys. I also have one great grandchild, a boy. All are healthy, alert, outgoing and doing well in school or their chosen profession. My third oldest grandchild is Annie who lives with her mother in Boston, MA. We see her once or twice a year when she comes to visit us and her maternal grandmother who lives in Mesquite, NV. This Christmas, New Year season, she bypassed us and went with her mother directly to Mesquite. Annie was born on December 23rd and so at midnight the 22nd, she and her mother, grandmother, etc. went to a casino to celebrate the occasion. They walked in right after midnight and Annie picked a slot machine, dropped in five quarters and on the first pull of the handle hit a $25.00 jackpot. The lights flashed and the bell rang and when the slot attendant came over, the first thing he did was "card" Annie. She proudly showed him her drivers licence proving she was 21. I'm not sure if they stayed and played the slots anymore or whatever but it was an exciting thing for Annie and her mom. I hope her luck continues throughout her life.

BYH Class of 1949

Half a load of 49ers headed for Upper Campus!

By Lynn Rogerson,
I started high school in Cedar City, Utah. About half-way through my sophomore year the Rogerson family moved to Provo, where we lived on 4th South just off University Avenue. I enrolled at Provo High and went there for a year and a half.

I wanted to play sports, but only those who were recommended by the two local junior high coaches were chosen to play Provo High varsity sports.

I really wanted to play football, so I decided to transfer to B. Y. High. I loved my senior year there, and wish that I had gone to BYH all three years.

When I was 16, my oldest sister gave me a 1935 Dodge 4-door car. I traded it in on a Ford Model A 2-door, and by my senior year, I had traded that for a Model A coupe with a rumble seat.

I enjoyed driving the car up Provo Canyon when I went skiing at Timp Haven. Sometimes I was lucky enough to be one of the few who made it up to the ski area, with the help of chains on the back wheels.

I didn’t drive my car to school every day, but on the days I did, everybody wanted a ride in it, or a chance to drive it. When the roads were bad, I left my car parked at home.

Many of us had a typing class sixth period taught by Mr. LeRoy Sparks, but the classroom was located on the Upper Campus in the Business Department. On the days I had my car at school, I saved myself a long walk by driving to the Upper Campus.

Often when I started to leave the Lower Campus, at least eight or nine other students jumped on my running boards or fenders, climbed into the rumble seat, or stood on the rear bumper, and away we’d go to typing class.

Some of the frequent riders included Norm Arbon, Gayle Curtis, Frankie Paskett, Karl Snow, Jae Ballif, and Kent Broadhead. There were others, but I can’t remember all of the names.

When I drove alone, the Model A always made it up the hill in high gear. However, when I had a load of students aboard, I usually had to down shift to second gear.

Sometimes we made it all the way to class without being stopped, but on quite a few occasions a Provo City cop pulled me over and made everybody get off. One Provo cop in particular, named Deloy Bench, dogged me during my teen years, and even after I returned home from my mission. I never received a ticket, but got many warnings.

As soon as the cop gave his warning and left, everybody would pile back on and away we’d go to class, hanging on for dear life.Those were great days!



BYH Wildcat Football Team 1948-1949
Lynn Rogerson, sitting fourth from the left on the first row.

RaNae

I want everyone to know what a sweet, caring person my wife RaNae is. During the 53 years we have been married, she has always put her family first. We have three great sons who owe their position in life to a mother who was dedicated to availing their every need while growing to manhood. My chosen career took me away from home much of the time but when I came home, she would always bring me up to date as to the family progress. I missed being with my family and we made up for it by seeing that our boys had every opportunity to participate in school events, sports, scouting and being involved in current events when it improved them as well as making religion a major event in their lives. Largely because of her, all three boys are Eagle Scouts and filled honorable missions. It was her influence that accomplished this. I had some influence on their growing up but it was their mother who was and is always there for t hem. During my thirty first year of life, I contracted life threatening health problems that are still with me today. RaNae has stood by me during surgical operations and at times nursed me back to health. Her concern for my well being is evident in that she is always reminding me to take my medications, reminding me of doctor appointments and things we have planned. RaNae graduated from BYU before we were married. During our marriage, she has worked most of the time except when on maternity leave. She retired in the late 90’s but when it became evident that I could not work anymore, she again went to work for a company as Office Manager. I recently received an e-mail about motherhood that I’d like to insert here:

Mommy to Mom to Mother

MOTHERS

Real Mothers don't eat quiche; they don't have time to make it.

Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils are probably in
the sandbox.

Real Mothers often have sticky floors, filthy ovens and happy kids.

Real Mothers know that dried play dough doesn't come out of carpets.

Real Mothers don't want to know what the vacuum just sucked up.

Real Mothers sometimes ask "Why me?" and get their answer when
a little voice says, "Because I love you best."

Real Mothers know that a child's growth is not measured by
height or years or grade...It is marked by the progression of Mommy to
Mom to Mother...

The Images of Mother
4 YEARS OF AGE - My Mommy can do anything!

8 YEARS OF AGE - My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!

12 YEARS OF AGE - My Mother doesn't really know quite everything.

14 YEARS OF AGE - Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either.

16 YEARS OF AGE - Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned.

18 YEARS OF AGE - That old woman? She's way out of date!

25 YEARS OF AGE - Well, she might know a little bit about it.

35 YEARS OF AGE - Before we decide, let's get Mom' s opinion.

45 YEARS OF AGE - Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?

65 YEARS OF AGE - Wish I could talk it over with Mom.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she’ll wear, the
figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair ...
The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway
to her heart, the place where love resides ...
The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul ...
It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that
she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows
This e-mail is so typical of the way our sons have related to their mother. As I read it I can see the stages of their lives as it says and remember each as they made the transition from “Mommy to Mom to Mother.”

West Coast Cruise

Last month RaNae and I went on a week long cruise. It originated in Vancouver, B.C. with ports of call at Victoria, B.C., Astoria, OR, San Francisco CA and finally, Los Angeles, CA. WE were in a tour group of about 70 people. We flew to Seattle, WA and then were bussed to Vancouver. The bus trip took about 3 hours. Our first port of call was Victoria, B.C. where we went on a tour of the "Butchart Gardens." There isn't room here to tell of how the gardens originated, only to say that they were planted in and around an old lime quarry that Mr. Butchart owned and mined. His wife was the one who did the flower garden thing to cover up the quarry scars. Needless to say, it was beautiful with flowers from, I think, most countries of the world. My favorite flower collection was the rose garden. There were 1300 different varieties of roses there. Several countries were represented individually. The next day we stopped at Astoria, OR. Of course, we had to do a Customs thing on the ship before we got off in the USA. Astoria is at the mouth of the Columbia River. We were there for a whole day and toured the small city and the Mariners Museum. When we left there we were a whole day and night at sea. There were, that night, 3 foot swails in the ocean and though the ship was huge, it still rocked a little from side to side. RaNae felt a little seasick and opted to go to bed at about 9:00 PM. Our room had a balcony and so the rocking was more graphic as we sailed along. There were 9 restaurants on board and the food was all free except the drinks - all soft drinks and all mixed drinks were charged to your on board ship account. Of the 9 restaurants on board, four of the more up-class one's had a cover charge. We ate at two of those. The food was excellent and there were a couple of restaurants open 24 - 7, one of which was a buffet. There was a variety of evening shows that we enjoyed. One of the auditoriums was as big as an I Max theater. After Astoria, we were at sea again for a whole day and night, arriving at the Golden Gate bridge at 6:00 am. We were in San Francisco a day and a half. We had reserved a tour to Sausilito and Muir Woods. It was a nice tour that took about 4 hours. Muir woods is a part of the California Redwood forest and was awe inspiring with the huge redwoods. Sausilito was a typical tourist town. We also spent time at Fisherman's Wharf and Ghiridelli Square We left 'Frisco the next morning at 10:00 am and were at sea again for a day and night arriving in Los Angeles on Saturday. After de boarding and collecting our luggage, our bus took us to Long Beach where the Queen Mary is docked. We just sat around for six hours instead of sitting at LAX. We arrived home at 7;55 PM that night. It was a great trip and well worth the price.

Matilda

RaNae and I got married in 1955. At the time, I had a 1950 Ford convertible that I had nicknamed "Matilda." It was a great car. The previous owner had split the V8 engine exhaust manifold so the exhaust was twin pipes that had a deep resonant tone. That was in the days before catalytic converters so the engine sound could be heard through the mufflers and exhaust pipes. On the day we were married, (a Tuesday,) we rode to Manti, Utah with RaNae's Mom & Dad. My parents came in their car. RaNae's best friend and Bridesmaid and her husband drove my car to Manti. They came home with RaNae's parents. When we arrived in Salt Lake City, we went to an apartment that had been rented by another of RaNae's girlfriends who was to be married the next week. We had our wedding reception that night and spent our wedding night at the apartment. The next morning, we discovered that the car was gone. Before we even called the police, RaNae's Dad called and said the car was parked in front of their house in Midvale. We took a bus to Midvale but when we arrived at RaNae's home, the car was gone. We didn't go on a honeymoon as I was scheduled to go in the army in eight days. So, I went to my job (A Civil
Engineering firm) and RaNae went to hers. Later that day, RaNae called me and said that her Mom had received an anonymous phone call saying the car was parked on a Salt Lake east side street called Wasatch Boulevard. I got one of the guys at work to take me to the car but when we got there, it was gone. On Friday of that week, another fellow from work and I went to our bosses garage to get some survey stakes and when we opened the garage door, there was my car. It was stolen originally by an old boy friend of Ranae's who was in cahoots with her Mom & Dad and the guys where I worked. I was glad to get my car back. The caper had been done in good fun and we have reminisced about it many times over the past 53 years. We kept the car until 1957 and then traded it for a newer one when I got discharged from the Army.

Eagle Project

When I was twelve years old in 1942, I joined he Boy Scouts of America. It was an exciting program and I enjoyed the meetings, scout camps and jamborees. The ranks of Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class Scout weren't too difficult to attain and I did so as the time lapse between each rank was attained. I had an ideal to look up to in the person of my older sister's husband. He was an Army Air Corp Officer but was also an avid scouter. He had earned all of the Merit Badges available at that time and wherever he and my sister went, he was involved in the scouting program. Earning Merit Badges for rank advancement is strictly a product of ambition and there were those who advanced in rank from Star Scout to Life and Eagle Scout as quickly as possible. I was sixteen (1947) by the time I had attained the rank of Life Scout. As all know, Merit Badges are not the only thing necessary to attain the rank of Eagle Scout. A Service Project is also necessary. You must plan and organize the project having other scouts help at your direction if necessary. The project I chose was to organize an Assistant Project with the U.S. Forest Service who was planning a reforestization project of Provo Peak located east of Provo behind the "Y" mountain. This required going with the rangers to the base of Provo Peak and then hiking up to the area where the planting would be performed. As I recall, there were six rangers and six of us scouts. We all had back packs filled with pine tree seedlings that we carried up the mountain in addition to shovels and our lunches. We had left Provo at six in the morning and by the time we reached the planting area it was about eight o'clock. I had planned that each scout would work with a ranger and by five o'clock in the afternoon, we had completed our task for the day. The twelve of us planted over five hundred trees. The project was accepted by the Great Salt Lake Council of the BSA and I received my Eagle Award in July of that year. I didn't check up as to the success of the reforestization project until 2007. I learned that the project had been a success in preventing erosion of that area that had been hit hard the previous winter wherein a lot of trees were lost due to the harsh winter conditions. During my scouting career, I didn't earn all the Merit Badges but enough to earn the Eagle Award with two Silver Leafs. I would be amiss if I didn't thank my Mom for the prodding she did to inspire me to accomplish my goal.