Although I was born in Salina my parents lived in Koosharem, Sevier, Utah and that is where I was raised from birth. I attended school at the Koosharem Elementary and Jr. High through my Sophomore year in high school, after which I went to Richfield for my Junior and Senior years. Because it is 30 miles to Richfield from Koosharem we usually lived in Richfield while going to school. My first year I boarded with an elderly lady who lived on the corner south from the city library. However this only lasted about half of the school year and then I started to ride back and forth with Jay Torgerson. This became a problem when he started working in Richfield after school so I often hitch-hiked home. Sometimes I walked 5 to 10 miles before getting a ride. In my Senior year I lived with Mrs. Luraine Burr for the full year and worked at Whitings Garage cleaning floors for $ 0.50 an hour to pay my room and board. Activities I participated in included football and wrestling-- I graduated May 22, 1958. In the fall of 1958 I attended Snow College for one quarter and then quit to join the Air Force. On April 2, 1959 I flew from Slat Lake City to Lackland Air Force Base in Texas where I started my four year hitch. I found basic training very difficult and it seemed I could never do anything to please the T.I. It was a happy day when I received orders to enter Morse Intercept school in Boloxi, Miss. After ten months of schooling I graduated and then had to wait around for orders for my assignment. At that time we didn't have a First Sgt. in the squadron so I was given the job of answering the telephone and relaying messages to the squadron commander. He was a man given to playing chess and attending the officers club and so more often than not I found myself in a position of doing his job for him. I was relieved when I received my orders to ship out to Alaska because I felt very uncomfortable as an Airman 2nd class doing the work of a Master Sargent. Before I left I received a letter of commendation from the commanding officer for my work there. I went home for Christmas and a 30 day leave before I flew to Ancorage Alaska was to be stationed at Elmendorf A.F. Base for two years. Alaska is a beautiful country and I enjoyed the few times I was able to get out into the country. unfortunately transportation was a problem and for this reason most Airmen feel trapped when stationed there. In January 1962 I flew to S.L.C. from Alaska. My family met me at the airport and you can imagine my surprise when I saw two beautiful young ladies running toward me. They were almost to me before I realized they were my twin sisters LaJune and LaJuana who I remembered as little girls. I completed my service at Malmstrom A.F. Base in Great Falls, Montana. It was here that I became very active in the church and met many wonderful friends. Among these friends were Bob and Pat Farnsworth- a young couple with whom I had many fun times. In April of 1963 I was discharged from the Air Force and for some reason Bob was going to Salt Lake City so he and I drove his Volkswagen bug.
After I had been home a few weeks my mother told me that Bishop Garth Bagley wanted to visit with me up at the church. I knew what he wanted and I went up resolved to tell him no because I had been away from home too much, but he was very persuasive and I found myself signing mission papers. In June 1963, I flew out of Salt Lake headed for New Zealand.
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