On a beautiful fall day, Petronella Geertruida, a
daughter of Lourens Beuk and Johanna Berendina Dinkelman, was born. Commonly known by the name
Nellie, I was the 4th child, having 2 older sisters: Johanna Berendina (Annie), and Lourence
(Lauky); and a brother: Yzak (Jack). It was a happy time, because Mother was in better health
than ever before, and my parents were in better shape financially. There was even a brand new
babycarriage for me! I was named after 2 of my aunts: tante Nel (Petronella)-my mothers oldest
sister-and tante Geer (Geertruida), a sister just older than mother. I was born at home.
Annie, only 10 years old, had knitted a sweater for me, and Lauky was happy with a new sister,
but my brother Jack wished I was a boy. When he looked in the cradle and saw me all wrapped up,
he commented, "a child without legs!"
Each summer our
family would spend a month or so on the beach in Katwijk, on the coast of the North Sea. Often
we would trade homes with people who wanted to spend time in our wooded area, with several
lakes-(Loosdrecht)-nearby. So our time at the beach was something we really looked forward to.
It would be a fun ride on the train or, as I remember once when older, to ride our bikes to
Katwijk. Bike riding was a big thing in Holland. When we were little, we'd ride on bikes with
Mom or Dad. Dad would sometimes have one child in front, and one on the back. We'd go on
picnics, visits, or just go on long rides as a family.
My
earliest recollection was getting lost on the beach. I was about 3 when this happened. I
couldn't find our tent on the crowded beach, so the police took a sad little girl to their
station right on the beach. A flag was raised with a question mark on it, (the sign for a lost
child). I had to go to the bathroom, but the only toilet there was, was a bucket! I did not
like the bucket, but the need was great, so the bucket was used. My parents had searched all
over, and when they saw the flag, they rushed there, and were so relieved to see that it was
their little girl that had been found. What a happy moment to see my Mom and Dad again! The
only one who did not care one way or the other was my brother. He didn't even want to help
search for me! One of the things we'd love to do is look for pretty shells, and then on rainy
days we'd make jewelry boxes out of matchboxes by gluing the shells on them. There were always
fishing boats in the harbor. Mom would buy small shrimp, and after shelling and cooking them,
we'd have shrimp sandwiches. Yum! Usually, we'd make a lot of simple sandwiches for our
lunch, like "hagelslag", cheese, or fresh strawberries on bread! Often it would rain and we'd
play games like "flooien" (fleas). We'd flip little round pieces in a basket; "dominees"
(dominos); "dammen" (checkers), and "schaken" (chess). We'd play for hours. Reading was also
one of our favorite pastimes. It would be very quiet in the living room, as everyone would
curl up with their favorite book. Mother would play all kinds of games with us. Dad was
working in Hilversum, and would join us on the weekends. Then, the last week he would have his
vacation. He'd give us each a guilder and we could spend it as we'd please. I never wanted to
break the guilder because it felt so good to have a whole guilder in my pocket. I'd tell Dad
to please give me a nickel for an icecream cone, or whatever I wanted, and he'd tell me that
that is what the guilder was for. But Dad, I'd say, I want to save the guilder for something
big! There were times I'd come home after our vacation with a guilder still in my pocket! I
have such neat memories of my family. My mother was a real homemaker and an excellent manager.
Dad worshipped mother, and basked in the warm environment of family and home. Perhaps his
appreciation of these things was enhanced by what he had endured as a youth. He grew up with
an alcoholic father, and when he was about 10, his parents divorced...so he was more or less on
his own. He took care of his younger brothers. (His only sister went with her mother.) He had
a sad youth. After he married my mother, he then had the home he had never had, and she was
the center of his life.
When I was almost 4, my sister
Tiny Johanna (Tina) was born. And since she was often sick with earaches, shed get a lot of
special attention. I'd tell mother that I wanted an earache or to be sick, so that I could
stay home from school and have special treatment. My first experience with school was at a
Montesorri school. I was only 4 when I started to attend. Once I hid behind the big mailbox
wanting to ditch school, but the teacher found me and took me home, and was I punished! I
attended there for 2 years, and then another year in a another pre-school. I don't have real
pleasant memories of kindergarten. Since I am left-handed, I was kept in at recess time, and
I'd have to make little lines with my right hand so I'd eventually learn to write with my right
hand. I'm lefthanded in everything, except in writing! I had a friend there, named Tukki.
She was a rich little girl, and for her birthday she got a bike! Everyone at the party got to
ride it once around the block. When it was my turn, (and I was one of the last ones), I took
it home and hid it. Soon Tukki and her Dad came to see what had happened to me and the bike.
I told him that I thought they might forget about the bike and buy Tukki another one because
they were so rich! Tukki's father laughed and asked if I'd like to come with them when they
moved to Indonesia, since he was being transferred there. I probably would have, if my mother
had let me! After they left, my mother told me in no uncertain terms the wrong I had done. I
had to wait 3 long years before I received my first shiny black bike for my 8th birthday. I
loved it and took good care of it.
Finally I was old
enough to start gradeschool. It was a "School with the Bible," which meant that each morning
the bible would be read in each classroom. It was about a 10 min walk to school. Sometimes it
would be foggy; so foggy that you couldn't see 2 steps ahead of you, and I had to touch the
buildings to know where I was. It felt as if I were all alone in the world. In the 2nd grade I
learned to knit, along with the other things. I must have been a talker (!) because I had to
sit right next to the teacher with my back to the class so I would not lose any stitches. I've
always enjoyed knitting and have made quite a few sweaters with intricate Norwegian patterns.
When I was 9 and in the 3rd grade, World war II broke out on May 5, 1940. The principal came
in our class and told us that school would be closed because the war had started. We did not
comprehend the seriousness of it, and so we cheered: "Yeah, no school!!" Then he explained
what 'war' meant. That was sobering, and we all went home feeling pretty sad. Everyone was
solemn there, too. We went out into the streets and saw the airplanes flying overhead. It was
the first time I had heard the word "bombs." I remember wondering and asking what "bombs"
were. After 5 days of war, Rotterdam, a great seaport, was bombed flat and the Germans had
invaded our small country. Then it started to dawn on me what was happening. German soldiers
marched through our streets, singing as they went. They had conquered our country; our
precious freedom was lost.
We lived in a large home,
downtown in Hilversum. I had lots of friends in our neighborhood, and Jan Panhuis was one of
them. His parents had a curio shop. He was an only child, and spoiled rotten. But I loved to
look at all the interesting, beautiful things in the shop. Across the street was a pharmacy
where the Alders lived. They had a large family, and Tom was my big friend there. Miep van
Hemert was my favorite girlfriend. Her family were Seventh-day Adventists, and that's where I
participated for the first time in a family prayer. My first experience with death was when
Miep's only little brother died. I felt deep respect for her family and their faith. There
was also a fish store in our street. We would buy smoked eel there for special occasions;like
for Mother's Day. Jack and I had put our money together and we had just enough for the
biggest, fattest smoked "paling" (eel) there was in the store. But since we could only afford
one paling, who was to give it to mother? We both wanted to, so we had a fight. The paling
got pulled on both ends and broke in the middle. We felt terrible. Lauky fixed it up with a
big ribbon around the middle, and both Jack and I held the plate it lay on as we presented it
to mother early in the morning on that special day.
My
mother raised rabbits. We had a shed behind our home, and we always had rabbits. It was so neat
to hold the little new-born rabbits, so soft and cuddly. Mother took such good care of them.
Maybe my brother Jack was involved in that project too, but I remember being impressed with how
much mother knew about rabbits. We also had some chickens, and my sister, Tina, would save all
the feathers. Then one day, she made wings with them, climbed on the kitchen roof, and told us
she was going to fly. Well, the wings must not have been big enough because she crashed down
to the ground. She cried and cried. She wanted to fly so badly! We tried to tell her that it
wouldn't work, but she had to try.
My Dad worked in the
postoffice. Often, he worked in the evenings, and I would be the one to take his warm supper
to him. It was only about a 5 min walk from where we lived. Dad would make me feel important
when I'd get there, showing me what his job was. All those letters! It was overwhelming, and
he had to sort them all. It was a very important job! Even after we moved to our
J.P.Coenstraat home, I would be the one that would take him his supper-a hot dish wrapped in a
towel-riding my bike for about 15 min. Dad and I had a special relationship. Even as a little
girl he would take me on his bike to "oom Frans," the barber, who was not a real uncle, just a
good friend of our family. I loved sitting on the high stools he had in his shop. Close to
the shop, lived Oom Leen-Dad's brother-and tante Carla, and sometimes we'd visit them. Tante
Carla was German, and her accent intrigued me.
One summer
I was sent to a "summer camp." It was located on the seashore, and I was supposed to have a
great time. All I remember was being so homesick, I could not stand the place. My parents
came to visit once, and that was the highlight of that experience. How I longed for home! One
of the big holidays of the year was the queen's birthday. Queen Wilhelmina was born on Aug 31,
and was that day ever celebrated! Orange banners with the red, white, and blue flags to
represent the House of Orange were displayed everywhere. Lots of things were going on in the
center of town. Mother gave me a quarter and told me I could go to see the new Shirley Temple
movie. I was so excited! I think I went with a friend, and when we got to the showhouse, the
Shirley Temple movie wasn't playing, so we decided we could spend the quarter on something
else! In those days a quarter went a long way, so we bought candy and a cute walkingstick.
Oh, we had a good time! When I finally got home, Mother was so upset with me, that she took
the walking-stick and spanked me. It is the only hard spanking I ever remember getting, and it
was a good one! It really upset me, because I thought I had done no wrong. The movie wasn't
on and so we had done other things! I was gone much longer than I should have been. Mother
got really worried, and when she found out what we had done, and that I showed no remorse for
being late and for spending the money on other things, she got even more upset. I spent the
rest of the evening in my room. My cute walkingstick was broken and thrown away; I felt picked
on, and cried myself to sleep.
Birthdays were not
celebrated with a fun party...at least, not fun for the kids! We were allowed to stay up a
little later, as Aunts and Uncles would come to wish us a "happy birthday;" but then we'd be
sent off to bed while the family celebrated! Also, they did not only congratulate the birthday
person, but they'd congratulate every member of the family "with the birthday," too!
The greatest day of celebration is Sinterklaas! Sinterklaas
would arrive in Holland on Dec.5th, on a steamship from Spain. He would ride his beautiful
white horse, and his helper, Zwarte Piet (Black Pete), would know everything about you. Two
weeks before Dec.5th, we'd set out our shoes by the fireplace with a little hay in them for the
horse. In the morning we'd find a small treat! It was such an exciting time of the year.
We'd buy presents for each other, make long poems to go with them, wrap the presents-usually
just in newspaper-and put them all in a big tub. Then the doorbell would ring and Dad would
answer the door. "Yes, Sinterklaas, the Beuk family lives here. You have no time to step in?
well, we understand. Oh, all those presents for us? Thank you very much!" We'd be in the
livingroom singing all the songs like "Sinterklaasje kom maar binnen met je knecht" (Santa
Claus, come inside with your servant), then Dad would come in with the big tub with presents!
Usually it would be books, writing paper, small gifts, marsepan, chocolate letters, an "N" for
Nellie, and lots of goodies. The neatest things for me, were the poems. It was an evening of
fun and excitement. It had nothing to do with Christmas. That season would start a week or so
later. That's when we'd go to cantatas, church programs, etc. We celebrated 2 Christmas days:
the 25th and 26th. The 25th we'd celebrate the Saviors birth by attending Church; it was a
religious, solemn holiday. A delicious Christmas dinner-usually rabbit-would be prepared and
served, and it was also a family day. The second day, we'd visit our grandparents: opoe and
opa; and aunts and uncles. Then we'd go to the "Messiah" presentations in big unheated
churches; and church bells would ring out. What a difference with how it is celebrated in the
States!! New Years day was the day you wished everyone a happy new Year, and grandparents,
aunts, and uncles would give you a good luck penny. I remember once I had received 27 good luck
pennies; quite a treasure.
I loved to swim. When I was
11 years old, I was chosen to train with Jan Stender-a great coach who trained young people for
the Olympics. Jan Stender became a second father to me, and swimming was my first love.
Everyday I would train. I'd go on my bike to the indoor swimming pool in the Kapel straat,
change into my swimming suit, wrap my long pigtails around my head under my swimming cap, and
dive in. The pigtails became quite bothersome, so I asked Mom if I could please have my hair
cut. "No way" was the answer. It had taken years for my hair to grow that long, and Mom was
so proud of it. But to me it was a big pain: it would take me so long to fix my hair every
time I'd swim. So, one day I took the scissors and with a deep breath cut off my braids. How
wonderfully light it felt; buy how scared I was to show mom! But the reaction must not have
been too bad, because I don't remember being scolded. I loved my short straight hair!
I won my first medal when I was 11, and soon I had several.
Being in competitions was exciting. I felt important, and by training each day, improved
constantly. It became the most important thing in my life. I was very dedicated, and would do
anything my coach asked for: no coffee, no smoking, going to bed early, etc. At times he'd
come and check to see if I was complying with the rules. I had my parents' blessing; even
though my Dad saw me swim only once, and mother never did. Lauky was my big support! She had
contracted tuberculosis when she was 18 and for 5 years she was home in bed, sometimes in a
sanitorium. She was my confidante. She would read books about swimming, encourage me, and
would be so proud if I'd come home with a medal. She's always been my favorite sister. She
would read so much, that at one time she'd read all the books in the suburb-library and I'd go
downtown to the main library to get her new books. She always had such an interest in me, and
taught me to love reading.
I was a fairly good student in
school, but I should have applied myself more! Learning came easy to me. From the 4th grade
on, French was added to our curriculum. No school was required after 7th grade. Many children
would start work, while others would go on to the MULO, which is comparable to highschool. We
had English, German, French, and Dutch; plus math, of course. We never put on plays, nor had
sports such as soccer games with other schools; or even dances. All we did was study! It was a
sacrifice for my parents to let me attend the MULO, but I am grateful now that it was important
to them. My parents goal was that their children should have more education than they had.
"Een stepje hoger (a little step higher) dan ons," mother would say. They wanted more for their
children then they had had. They did not have the means to send my older sisters to the MULO,
and my brother only went for one year. And so, as it often happens, there was a little more
money when the younger ones came along, and they were given the opportunity. But at that age
swimming was more important to me, and often my homework was neglected because I was in the
swimming pool!
Just before turning 13, I became terribly
ill. My throat was so sore, and the fever was high. I'd play with the thermometer to see how
high it would go, and just holding it in my hand, it would shoot up. Dr. Versfelt diagnosed it
as diptheria! That meant: go to the hospital. The stress my parents were under, was terrific.
Lauky, who had spent 6 months in a sanitorium, had stubbed her toe and contracted tetanus.
There was no penicillin in those days, and only 10% of tetanus patients were given a chance to
pull through. This all happened during the summer before I became ill. Mom and Dad spent a
whole week with Lauky in the hospital. A miracle happened and Lauky survived. When she came
home, still very sick, I was upstairs, ready to leave as soon as the ambulance would arrive. I
remember standing in front of the window upstairs, waving to Lauky as she arrived. A little
while later, I left in an ambulance for a 3 month stay in the hospital. How did my mother
handle all that stress? I'd have weekly throat cultures taken and they were always positive.
After 2 weeks, I felt a lot better, but my throat stayed positive. I celebrated my 13th
birthday there, and even my aunt Jeanne came to visit me. She gave me a beautiful rhinestone
necklace. The only way we could communicate was through a double glass window! I broke all
the records for staying the longest in that hospital. It was only 1 block away from my school.
Just a big hedge-with a hole, unknown to the hospital staff-separated me from visiting with my
friends. How I longed to be well and go to school and swim again! Finally the day arrived
that my culture was negative 2 weeks in a row, and I could go home. I had learned to
appreciate many things I had taken for granted before. To be home again with the family and
sleep in my own bed! To dive into the pool, and start training all over again. It was
wonderful.
Soon English was cut out of our curriculum.
According to the Germans there was no need to learn English. We were 3 years into the war, and
times were really getting hard. At night, Dad would bring out the little radio we had-which
was an illegal thing to have-and listen to our queen, who was in England, trying to bolster our
courage and telling us to resist. There were times when Dad and I would have illegal pamphlets
to distribute, and we would sneak around after curfew hours and stick them in mailboxes of
certain homes. It made me feel important and I felt that I was helping the resistance. When
the Germans searched our milkman's home and found a radio, he was sent to a concentration camp
for punishment, leaving his wife and 5 children. He never returned! That made such a deep
impression on me. A deep dislike for the Germans grew within me as I saw how the Jews were
treated and how our freedom was taken from us.
One
morning, very early, I could hear noises outside. As I looked into the street there were lots
of German soldiers; some even on horses, and a machine gun was placed in the middle of the
street. I woke Mom and Dad and showed them what was going on. It looked like there would be a
"razzia." Dad and Jack had dug a deep hole under the kitchen floor, where they could hide if
need be. The Germans would, at times, have these "roundups" for men, so they could use them
for forced labor in Germany. As it grew lighter, Dad and Jack went under ground (literally),
and it was my job to wash the dishes, standing over them. Our home was the second one to be
searched. I do believe that was one of the most frightening moments in my life. As the
Germans searched our home for men, they found Lauky sick in bed. They wanted to know what was
wrong, and when they were told she had tuberculosis they made a quick search and left. They
were afraid of tuberculosis. What a deep relief we felt. When the search in the street was
all over, we had another scary moment. One of the soldiers came back to our home. He had lost
a ring and was wondering if we had found it. We were so afraid of the soldiers, but as we
visited with him a little, we realized that he was just a very young man, trying to do his
duty. Our neighbors were not so fortunate. About 15 men were rounded up in our street, and
soon they were on their way to Germany. These experiences left deep impressions. My sister
Annie and her husband Wim were already in Germany, where they lived through almost daily
bombings in Koblenz.
Later on, Lauky was sent to live with
farmers, Jack was "underground" close to where Lauky was; and justTina and I were home with our
parents. Food had been rationed; and even with the ration cards there often was no food. We'd
stand in long lines for a loaf of bread. Then the schools were closed. There was hunger all
around us. Dad received an "Ausweis,"(a permit to be on the street) since he worked for the
post office. He would go on his bike to the farmers to trade anything of value for food.
People would bring their valuables to see if he could trade them for food for them. Mother
would always share whatever she had. We had a whole row of small homes close by where retired,
older people lived. Mother would send me with a couple of eggs and a few potatoes to their
homes. A boy ate with us each day for a long time. Mother tried to help people as much as she
could. She would get rye, grind it in the coffee grinder, and mold it into a small loaf and
steam it for hours. It made a dark, heavy bread, "roggebrood". We had a small vegetable
garden, and that helped. After the war she told me that she never could have lasted 5 years
had she known the war would be that long. She lived from day to day. She had great faith in
Heavenly Father and trusted Him. Every Sunday she would go to church-mostly the Free
Evangelical Church-where her sister-in-law, tante Anna, taught sunday school. That's where I
received most of my early religious training. Tante Anna was Dad's only sister. She never
married, and spent a lot of time in our home. She taught us bible stories and scriptures, and
for years, was our sunday school teacher. Dad would not attend church with us, but would go to
the soccer games on Sunday afternoon. We'd go and meet him after the game and sometimes he'd
buy us an icecream cone. Dad never attended church as far as I can remember, but he believed
in God, so we were taught to pray in our home; but going to church was not his thing.
Times were getting worse; there was so little food. Through
Dad's postal job, farm homes were found where the children of postal workers could go and live.
Tina was the next one to go. She went to a farm in Friesland and spent the remainder of the
war time there. Now it was just Mom, Dad, and I at home. The winter of 1944 was an early cold
winter. Our home was cold because there was no wood or coal for the little stove we had.
Mother and I took our small sleigh, and set out to find some wood. It was forbidden to cut
down trees, but we were not the only ones who were cold and willing to break that law! We had
to go a long way, tramping through the snow. Finally we found some trees and started to saw
the wood and load it on our sleigh. It started to snow. I was cold and miserable. We had to
pull our sleigh up a fairly steep hill. The bottom of the hill was called "tranendal"
(tear-valley). Many people didn't have the strength to pull their little loads of wood up the
hill. They'd sit down and shed some tears. There was so much sadness all around. I
complained to mother that I wish I could be where Tina was, instead of in this miserable place.
Mother put her arm around me and told me I'd remember this experience the rest of my life. She
said she was glad I was with her, and that with the Lord's help, we'd make it home. It's true:
now this memory is dear to me. What faith, courage, and trust in the Lord she had! Out of a
family of 12, she and her brother Hendrik were the only ones who joined the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter Day Saints, even though their baptism occurred almost 20 years apart! (More
will be said about this later). In her own way, mother was a pioneer. We had a strong bond,
mother and I, ever since I was born and, I believe, even before that.
My turn to go and live with farmers came. About 30 children traveled together
in a garbage truck (by night) so we wouldn't be shot at during the day when the Allied planes
would raid the highways. I went to a different part of Holland than where Tina was, to a small
farming community: "Kloosterhaar," close to the German border. We were assigned to different
places, and I was sent home with a friendly farmer, Evert Wigger. There I met his wife and his
2 young children. There was also an older son from a former marriage, Jan, who was about 15, a
year or so older than I. Jan's mother had died when he was only 2, and since his Dad's 2nd
wife had joined the family, and they had 2 young sons, Jan had become more of a farmhand than a
son. Jan taught me how to milk, and we had to milk about 8 cows each morning and night. We
became good friends, and talked of many things while milking and doing other chores. Jan was
religious, and had many questions about God. He wondered where his mother was now, and what
the purpose was for his life.
I was so homesick in the
beginning! I missed my swimming (I even made a swimming suit out of a camisole, and swam in a
ditch!) I learned a lot about farming, and the family was good to me. We went to the Dutch
Reformed church in a buggy every Sunday. The bible was read after each evening meal. Jan's
grandparents lived in the same home, and it was the grandma who taught me how to peel potatoes
very, very thin, so as not to waste any potato. They always helped people that would come from
Enschede, a city about 30 miles away. People would come to the farmers, like my father had, to
find something to eat. They would come on bikes or walking, carrying children, pleading for
food. On Easter we had an egg-eating contest, a tradition in their family. Jan ate 17 eggs,
but after eating 13, I could not stand the sight of another egg. Jan was the winner!
We could tell that liberation was getting closer, because we
could hear the guns about 40 kilometers away. A terrible battle was taking place at Nijmegen
and Arnhem. The defeated German soldiers started to walk by, back to their "heimat"
(homeland). There was no triumphant marching and singing; quite different from the way they
came to Holland 5 years before! Then in April 1945 the American trucks and tanks started to
come by on our highway. We would wave and laugh and cry. The day we had waited for, for so
long, had finally come! We were free again! The soldiers would throw candy bars to us. The
first candy bar we received we took in the house and cut into small pieces so everyone could
have a taste: chocolate, how delicious!
A few weeks
later I noticed a lone bike-rider on the road. There was something familiar about him, and as
he got closer, I recognized my brother Jack! What a joyful reunion. He had been liberated
already, and decided to come and see me. North-Holland, where my parents lived, was not
liberated until May 10, 1945. Even though we in the south were liberated, I was not able to go
home yet. Then a very sad thing happened: my friend Jan became very, very ill. I would sit by
his bed and put cool cloths on his forehead, because he was burning up with fever. There was
no medication and the doctor could not help him. I felt so bad for his suffering. Three days
later, Jan died. I thought of the good times we'd had, the walks we'd taken...it was a sad
time in my life. I had never been that close to a death before, and I felt so bad for my
friend.
Soon after that, I was able to go home and be
united with my family again. We had lasted through a terrible 5 year long war. How we
appreciated freedom! No more curfews! There were street dances every night! My parents let
me take dancing lessons together with some cousins so I could enjoy the dances. The
festivities lasted for weeks. Two English soldiers stayed at our home for some time. The
schools were taken over by our liberators, and when they saw the suffering that was still
there, the soldiers had a fast and invited all the children in our neighborhood to eat their
meal. Most of them became ill because their bodies could not handle the rich food. The girls
who had gone with German soldiers were punished by having their hair shaved off. Short hair
was no longer in style! Slowly our lives went back to normal. There were still so many
shortages; still lots of suffering; but there was freedom! In June, 1945 Wim (Bill) and Annie
came back from Germany. That was a great reunion, with lots of tears and laughter! Now our
family was complete again.
My life settled down, and it
was back to school and, of course, back to swimming! I really made progress and became better
known as a swimmer. Swimming was a great national sport, and Holland produced many great
Olympic and international swimmers. Everyday I would train and swim my kilometer. We were
invited to Belgium, to an international meet with France and Belgium. I had never been across
the border of Holland, and it was an exciting trip to Antwerpen. We could not believe how many
things you were able to buy in Belgium! It seemed like paradise: beautiful clothes, shoes, and
many things that were impossible to buy in Holland. We stayed in a big hotel and ate delicious
food. The swimming-meet was a huge success. I received a medal: first place! There was a big
write-up in the paper and it felt so good to be successful! It was the first time in my life
that a young man became interested in me. His name was Ted de Gee, and was at least 5 years
older than I. I had no inkling he felt special about me. Then, around Sinterklaas, the early
part of Dec., the doorbell rang, and we found a present for me, tied to the doorknob, with a
small journal, explaining how he felt about me. I was dumbfounded. The gift was a bottle of
Coty perfume, and I had never had perfume before! What was I to do? Lauky and I read the
journal together. I was flattered. Ted went to the University of Utrecht, and he wanted me to
go to a special formal dance with him. Formal? I had no formal. I liked Ted...but love??
Lauky thought I should talk to him and explain a few things...like how I felt. Even so, she
thought he would be a good catch. Oh brother! I did not want to catch him, nor did I want to
be caught! Besides, his family would strongly disapprove of me, a daughter of a postal
worker! I did talk to him...what else could I do?...I saw him everyday in the pool! I told
him we could be friends and that I loved the perfume! We would ride home together on our
bikes, after training, but I think he realized after a while, that I was not ready for more
than a friendship. I hid the perfume, and used it sparingly. But then, my little sister,
Ansje, found it and drank it! Her breath was beautifully scented for some time; but my first
love-episode had ended. When I was making plans, 3 years later, to immigrate to the U.S., Ted
and I had another long talk. He could not understand why I wanted to leave Holland, or why a
church had become so important to me. I tried to explain but he could not understand or accept
what I told him.
Right after the war, in 1946, my friends
and I decided to go to a great big youth rally. An American evangelist, Billy Graham, was
going to speak, and we wanted to see if we could understand English. We went to an old Dutch
reformed church, and sat in the balcony so we could see what was going on. The church was
filled. Billy Graham had a good interpreter, but we could understand a lot. I was impressed
with his sincerity, and his commitment to Christ. I had never been very religious, even though
I believed in God. I prayed occasionally, but nothing had really ever touched me. Billy
Graham did. His message touched my soul, and when he called for those who were willing to
commit themselves to Christ, to come forward, I got up. I believe it was the scariest thing I
had ever done. My girlfriends sat there with their mouths open, wondering what on earth I was
doing. But my desire to commit myself to Christ was greater than peer pressure, and I went
down the stairs, through the long passage in the middle of the church. There were about 30 to
40 of us. I remember how good I felt; and how I wanted to do this. At the close of the
meeting our names were taken down, and we were asked which church we would like to attend.
That was a disappointment to me. I wanted something fulfilling, new; not the Dutch Reformed
Church. Billy Graham is an evangelist. He does not preach a certain denomination. As I walked
home alone that evening, I had such a desire to serve Jesus, but I didn't really know how to go
about it. That evening was the first time that I really prayed and told the Lord how I felt and
how I didn't want to go to the Dutch Reformed church. I felt better, and decided to be a
better person and try to live as Jesus would want me to. That whole experience was a spiritual
awakening for me.
In 1946, shortly after I had the Billy
Graham experience, 2 elderly missionaries, brother and sister Richard Mondfrans, knocked on our
door. I happened to be home from school that day, and opened the door to them. I listened to
them as they told me that they had come from America to bring a wonderful message to us. I
called mother, and after listening to them, she asked them what they thought of baptism for
children. I knew why she asked that: Sixteen years earlier, her brother Hendrik had taught
her about the principle of baptism, and that children should not be baptized until they reach
the age of accountability: (8 yrs old). She knew he had joined a church. But even without
knowing which church it was, she felt that what he taught her was true. She was expecting me
at that time, and decided not to have me baptized in her church. That was a hard decision for
her to make...all her children had been baptized. It was difficult not to take her baby to
church and offer her, so to speak, to the Lord through baptism. Hendrik and his family had
immigrated to the States before I was born, and mother lost touch with him. She had been
looking for the church that taught that same principle of baptism, and had never found it. So,
that was the first thing she asked these kind people. The same true principle was explained,
and mother invited them in. This was at about 10 a.m., and they stayed for 6 hours! The things
they told us rang true. It was as if teachings we had forgotten were brought to our
remembrance. They stayed for lunch, and we were taught the Word of Wisdom, because they drank
neither tea or coffee. I remember what a wonderful warm feeling I had. Again this feeling of
wanting to commit myself to Christ came over me, and it felt so right. Was this the answer to
my prayer? Another interesting thing was that this couple happened to know my uncle and his
family in Salt Lake City! Mother told Dad and the other family members of our experience,
expecting them to be as thrilled as we were; but they were not.
Every Tuesday evening we had the missionaries over for dinner, and then we
would be taught. Annie and Wim were married and lived away from home. Lauky was planning to
be married soon to Paul Dame in the Lutheran church. Dad would go to some communistic meeting,
and Jack was not interested. Only Mother, Tina and I would be there to be taught. There were
many things to overcome: giving up tea was a very hard thing for me. Mother had coffee to
struggle with too. But as we learned more and more about the Gospel-Heavenly Father's plan for
us-we loved it and knew it was true. Finally we were invited to attend church. When we went
to our first meeting and saw the very few people there, and met other missionaries, we thought
it all to be so very different. But we felt the Spirit, and returned each Sunday...Mother,
Tina, and I, that is. There were Sundays when I had to go to my swimming meets or training.
How well I remember coming to church with wet hair and my swimming suit rolled up in a towel
under my arm! I was not ready to give up swimming; and I thought I could do both. I would try
to attend meetings in Amsterdam if that's where I would be for a meet. I would try to get Els
Visser, my swimming buddy, to go with me. She did once, but that was it. I tried to talk to
Nelly van Vliet, another wonderful friend who, later, would take 4 gold medals home from the
Olympic Games in London in 1948. But she had decided that the Jehovah Witnesses were the right
ones to join.
We started intensive training for the
Olympic Games in 1947. I was one of the chosen ones...what an honor! Then brother and sister
Mondfrans asked if we were ready for baptism. We were baptized on Feb 8th, 1948 in Utrecht, in
an indoors swimming pool! My uncle Hendrik, who himself had come on a mission to Holland, had
just arrived. He baptized my Mother, Tin, and me. Of all mother's sisters and brothers-there
were 10 of them-my uncle and my mother were the only ones to join the church. What a wonderful
clean feeling I felt as I was baptized. All my sins were forgiven...washed away. Brother.
Mondfrans confirmed me a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and I
received the gift of the Holy Ghost. I still remember his big happy smile as he congratulated
me. What a wonderful day! Now I was able to partake of the sacrament; how I had longed for
that. I felt so grateful and blessed.
After joining the
church, my struggle in keeping the Sabbath day started. Elder Wade and Anderson were so
supportive of me: they would even attend the swimming meets on Saturdays, fully dressed in
suits with white shirts and ties. There were 2 Americans rooting for me! My friends wondered
what was going on. I tried to explain, but they thought I was weird. Then I mustered up the
courage to tell Mr. Stender that I could not train on Sunday anymore. Jan Stender was like a
father to me, but he did not believe in God. He swore at me! Didn't I understand that I was
in training for the Olympics? I had not yet been picked to represent Holland, but I was a good
candidate. He could not understand why I would pass up such an opportunity. I told him I
didn't feel right about training on Sunday, that I had joined a church, and that I needed to
keep the Sabbath day holy. He thought I was crazy. It was so hard to do this, and I was not
ready to give up the meets yet, just the training on Sundays. The missionaries were so
understanding. They knew this was a great sacrifice, and it really was! But by not giving
myself entirely to swimming anymore, I was soon able to give it up entirely. I had to make
that choice. It was my gift to the Lord. What blessings have been granted to me for that
choice! I have learned that the blessings that come after the sacrifice are much greater than
the sacrifice. I believe that each of us have to make a sacrifice sooner or later, to feel
accepted by the Lord. It was such a difficult thing to do, but it was worth it. I still kept
in touch with my friends, but it wasn't the same. I was there to congratulate Nelly van Vliet
when she returned from London with her 4 gold medals. We had a great party for her, but I
didn't really feel a part of it anymore. By then, Jack-who had joined the church about 3
months later-and I, were making arrangements to go to "Zion" (Salt Lake City, Utah). We had
asked for our immigration quota numbers at the American Consulate when I was baptized, and 2
years later it was our choice to leave Holland and immigrate to the United States or not. We
left on March 10, 1950. I was 19 years old. Brother. and Sis. Mondfrans sponsored me, and my
destination was Ogden, Utah, to live with them until I had paid my debt. I had to borrow the
money to be able to go, and with the kind help of the Mondfrans family, I paid it off in 6
months.
What was it like to leave Holland? I remember so
well the trip from Hilversum to Rotterdam-the port we were leaving from. We passed through
Woerden where Lauky and Paul lived. She had given birth to their first child-a daughter-Loeky,
that very morning. As we said our goodbyes, I felt that I might never see them again...America
was so very far away. Lauky and Paul had not shown much interest in the church at that point.
Then there were the goodbyes before going on board. I was so excited! But I was also leaving
everything that was so much a part of me. Holland is a beautiful country; I was leaving my
dear family behind, and I loved them. All I had was packed in one suitcase. Mother had given
me her watch-a true gift from the heart. I remember well the last advice she gave me: "Whenever
you are in doubt in making a decision, ask yourself if the Lord would stay at your side-be with
you-if you made that decision. If you think He would, it's the right decision to make." I
often thought of that advice later on, and it did help me make right decisions. Soon the big
ocean liner "Veendam" pulled away from the side. Jack and I waved and cried. I stayed on deck
until the last little part of "Het Hoek van Holland," (The corner of Holland) faded away...I
was on my way to Zion...to America!
Jack and I made many
friends, and there were several other LDS people aboard, from other cities. We had a good
time, and even though we saw some really rough weather, I never got seasick. Our favorite
place would be at the very end of the boat. It was like sitting in a very high swing...up and
then slam down! I shared a cabin with a little Dutch lady who insisted on speaking English to
me. She had lived in the States for many years and had been visiting Holland. It was kind of
scary to speak English, my knowledge was so limited. I would think in Dutch, then translate,
and finally the words would come out! Another LDS lady and her husband were also immigrating
and they had some friends in New York. Jack and I became friends with this couple and they
really helped us out after we arrived in New York.
The
memory of arriving in the harbor of New York is still vivid in my mind. It was about 7 pm;
dusk was falling; lights were on in the tall skyscrapers...what a beautiful view! Then I
caught sight of that beautiful Lady: the Statue of Liberty. As she stood there, lifting her
torch of freedom, she seemed to reach out to me, an immigrant from war-torn Holland, welcoming
me to this new land. She was truly like a beacon of freedom. It touched me deeply, and my eyes
filled with tears. I had come to a free land, where people were equal; where freedom
prevailed. I was not the only one touched; there were tears flowing all around me. It was
very quiet on deck as we slowly pulled into the harbor. Soon we arrived at Ellis Island where
it took a few hours to be processed, and then we were in New York! What a huge city! We
stayed with the friends of our friends for a few days. I saw television for the first time, in
that home! Soon we boarded the Greyhound bus for Ogden, Utah. I knew The United States was
big, but THAT big?! For miles and miles we traveled through mountains and hills, and later, by
farms and then the plains. Never had I seen such spaciousness before: for miles and miles no
cities, just empty land. We would stop at the Greyhound bus stations, and it was at one of
these that I had my very first hamburger and a shake! There seemed to be such an abundance of
everything; so very different from Holland. I had a hard time understanding the English
spoken. It was so different from the Oxford English taught in our school! But people were so
willing to help and were kind to us. After 2 days and nights of traveling, we arrived in
Ogden. Brother. and Sis. Mondfrands were there to welcome me, and so was their daughter Mary,
who looked like a beautiful movie star to me. They welcomed me with love, and Mary called me
her little sister. She was about 3 years older than I, and was a famous singer in Las Vegas,
singing with a band in the Flamingo hotel. I stood in awe! She was so patient with me, trying
to teach me more English, and even arranging some double-dates with her. I felt like a poor
little European immigrant next to her. My few dresses were so "Dutch," but she made me feel at
ease and so loved! Mary took me to a department store and bought me the prettiest blue gingham
dress with daisies on it. When sis. Mondfrans saw it she thought the back of the dress was too
low. She made me go to the bishop and ask his opinion. He laughed and said it looked
beautiful on me, and I could keep my pretty new dress! Mary was home for only a little while
before leaving for Las Vegas. I don't believe she was active in the church, which saddened her
parents. She had a beautiful voice, and they wished she would use it to sing in the Tabernacle
Choir! She sang once in a Dutch meeting, and I was filled with deep admiration for her. She
had such poise, and was so graceful. I could learn so much from her! .
As soon as possible, Brother. Mondfrans took me around to find a job, and my
first employment was found in a bakery, wrapping twinkies. I was willing, I needed to make
money to pay back my trip. To this day I cannot stand the thought of twinkies! The people I
worked with were so good to me; I guess they felt sorry for me, but it was just part of the big
adventure of coming to Utah! One lady gave me a skirt and blouse, which I accepted graciously;
I had so few clothes. I would walk 8 blocks to work and back, saving the money the bus ride
would cost. I was going to pay back the trip fast, and sis. Mondfrans saw to that! She would
cash my check, take my tithing out, give me about five dollars, take out a little for living
expense, and then the rest went to the debt.
I will never
forget the first time we went to Salt Lake City. I longed to see the temple. I had lots of
small name-cards from the missionaries with the picture of the temple. My Uncle Henk and Aunt
Coos lived in Salt Lake City, and Jack was staying with them. The Mondfrans' took me to visit
them, and on our way back we drove slowly around the temple block. It was evening and it was
all lit up. It was so beautiful, it filled me with deep reverence for "The House of the Lord".
I longed to go there, and promised myself that as soon as I was able and found worthy, I would
go; and I did. One year later I took out my endowments in the Salt Lake Temple; a most
spiritual and glorious experience. Brother. Mondfrans arranged a ride for me to go to Salt
Lake on Sunday, to attend General Conference. I had arranged with my "pen-pal"(of 2 years),
Roylance Spratling (Money) from Midvale, to meet by the Seagull Monument. When I got to Temple
Square my eyes could not believe what they saw: so many members of the church together! Our
district meetings in Holland could not compare with this! Soon I stood waiting by the Seagull
monument, watching all the people, hoping Roylance would recognize me from a picture she
had...and she did! It was so neat to meet her; and then to my great suprise, she had saved a
seat for me in the tabernacle. What a joy to attend the last session of conference inside the
tabernacle. It was a thrilling experience. It was all worth it to come to Zion and partake of
that beautiful spirit there. I saw and heard the heavenly music of the tabernacle Choir. I
heard the prophet, George Albert Smith speak. I could understand Elder Mark E. Peterson's
short talk on "Be ye perfect". I drank it all in and felt so at home with all these members,
and knew that heaven must be like this. I felt deep gratitude to the Mondfrans' for their
willingness to help me and make this possible.
After
living in Ogden for 6 months, I had paid my debt. Bro. and sis. Mondfrans were going on an
extensive trip to visit their married children and so I moved to Salt Lake City. Jack and I
rented an apartment on the West side of town. A Dutch friend, Carla Wenneker, moved in with
us. She had just arrived from Holland and was looking for a job. She was at least 10 years
older than I, and deeply in love with Norman Wade, a returned missionary. I worked at the
Deseret Bookstore as a typist in the office. Everyone was so kind to me and helpful. I would
take a lunch and eat each day at Temple Square. There was always such a peaceful feeling
there.
I made up for all the no-dating years in Holland!
I had lots of friends, among whom was Corey Muse, a young man in the same ward, who later
served a mission to Holland. When Jack decided to join the Air Force, and Carla Wenneker moved
to California, Corey's mother invited me to live with her. She lived alone. Her only daughter
was married, and Corey was on his mission. It was then that I took out my endowments in the
Salt Lake Temple, on March 2nd, 1951. It was because I felt the Spirit so close to me and felt
the approval of the Lord, that I returned often to the temple, sometimes together with Sis.
Muse, sometimes alone. It would renew my testimony and my determination to live the Gospel
better. It was, and is, a great blessing in my life to return to the temple often. It was
then that the thought of Jan Wigger would come to me. Like a little prick: "Remember me? Have
the work done for me in the temple!". I wondered how to go about that. I wrote to the Wigger
family, telling them a little about the church, and that I wanted certain information about
their son. They never answered my letter, and I pushed Jan Wigger to the back of my mind.
I still enjoyed swimming. Whenever I could, I would go to
the Deseret Gym, and during the summer, to the outside pools. I don't remember just how I got
involved in competitive swimming again, but I did, and won many trophies and medals. There was
a big write-up in the paper and an unflattering picture of me in the pool. Four girls were
selected to represent Utah in Detroit for the big AAU competitions and I was one of them. It
was exciting, but the competition in the United States was tough: you had to be so good to be
the best! It was great to represent Utah, and although all 4 of us lost, it was a great
experience. To this day I love to swim.
I lived with
Sis. Muse for 6 months. My parents, Tina, and Ansje were to arrive in Salt Lake City in the
fall of 1951, and to prepare for their arrival, Sis. Muse and I bottled a lot of peaches.
Jack, Oeke-Jack's future wife-and I, found a home for them in the area where I lived. Through
help in the ward, we furnished the home and filled the cupboards. It was a dream come true for
my parents to come to Zion. It was an adjustment for me to live once again with my family. I
was so used to making my own decisions, it was difficult to go back to living the way it was in
Holland.
With the help of a scholarship that BYU
professor De Jong arranged for me, I decided to attend the "Y". I lived with Roylance, who at
that time was the secretary to the studentbody! What a neat friend; so supportive and helpful.
Through her I met so many wonderful people, and I thought that college life was great, even
though I wasn't the greatest student! It was hard, studying everything in English. As I
shared my testimony in the Joseph Smith building, I met a young man who thought that I was the
one for him. Howard Ruff was very persistent and after a couple of months, he proposed to me
in the temple. I accepted his ring but gave it back the next day, not feeling right about it.
What a confusing time in my life!
At April conference
time I went home. Mom and Dad had moved to the avenues and it felt so good to be home between
quarters. They lived in Pres. McKay's ward, just a block away from his home. I admired Mother
and Dad, staying faithful, attending an English speaking ward, and not understanding what was
being said. Mother would say: "Just so we can partake of the sacrament." Mother was working 2
days a week, while Dad worked at Hillfield. Now that I am their age I have an even deeper
respect for them. It took a lot of conviction and determination to make such a tremendous
change in their lives! I can relate better now, living in Mexico and having to worship in
Spanish at times, how difficult it must have been for them to workship in English! I remember
translating her testimony in English as Mom shared hers in Dutch in testimony meeting. Later
on, a Dutch branch was organized through the help of Elder LeGrand Richards, who had served 2
missions in Holland. That's when Mom and Dad started to blossom again in the Gospel, Mother
serving as Relief Society president and Dad as High Priest quorum leader.
As I was saying: I was home visiting my parents, and attended their ward for
the first time. Tina had talked a little about a really neat guy in the ward. "You lay off,
Nellie, this one is for me!", she told me. That was fine with me, I had kind of decided that I
was not going to date anymore. I'd just wait till Corey Muse would come home and see how that
would work out. No more dating for me! As we were singing the opening hymn for sunday school,
Tina whispered to me that he was sitting a bench behind us, with an older lady-his mother, she
supposed. I stole a glance and saw the most attractive, handsome young man in a grey suit,
with dark, wavy hair; really good looking, and singing his heart out. "Well", I thought, "I
must meet him somehow!". As we went to class, I managed to sit next to him. (It just kind of
worked out that way.) We had to write down our names and I smiled at him after writing my own
name. He smiled back, and my heart did flip flops: he had the bluest eyes I had ever seen! I
leaned over and asked him if he was visiting, and yes, he was. "Well", I told him, "so am I!".
We spoke a few words and then concentrated on the lesson. Tina was in another class, and I
knew she would not be happy with me, but this guy was worth having her mad at me for. After
sunday school we walked out of the chapel together, and "Maurice" told me that he was staying
with his brother Donn and family, and was planning to work with him. He lived in Mexico.
"Mexico? Where on earth was Mexico?" I wondered quietly. He commented on my Dutch accent and
I told him he had an accent too, kind of. I noticed that he was not really tall, and made a
quiet commitment to buy some flats the next day. I had such a special feeling about this
Maurice, and I wanted to know more about him. He was kind of shy, but it was fun talking to
him. He asked if I was going to join the choir. Well, I had never sung before in my life, and
was probably a monotone like my father. But sure, I'd join! When I got home,Tina was not
happy with me. She told me she'd write Corey and tell him what a two-timer I was. I said that
I'd call him myself and tell him that I would continue to date, and that if we were meant for
each other, then I'd be there when he returned.
I was so
intrigued with this new man in my life, that after Sacrament meeting I stayed for choir.
Somehow we sat together and we did not sing a lot! He walked me home. Then we decided to go
for another walk, and we shared lots of things about each other. I felt I had known him for
eternities, we felt so at ease together. We walked and talked for a long time. When I got
home I was in love!! I talked to my Heavenly Father and asked Him about Maurice. I received a
warm feeling from my head to my toes. I knew I was to marry Maurice. We saw each other every
day. He came to the swimming meets I was involved in that week and I handed him the trophies I
won. I tried to swim my very best! Thursday evening we walked around Temple Square. The
Tabernacle Choir was practicing, we slipped inside and listened to them. Then Maurice reached
over and took my hand for the first time, and suddenly, the whole Tabernacle Choir was turned
into angels! Again that warm confirmation went through my body. I was really falling for
him.
On Saturday we went to a party, and later on Maurice
got out his guitar and sang to me, "Besame, besame mucho" and then kissed me. I had never felt
like that before. This was love! We met on April 11, 1951. For 3 weeks I walked on clouds,
and then Maurice told me he had to return to Mexico to get a student visa. He was gone for 3
weeks, and I began to think that he would never return, even though I had received some really
neat letters from him. Those were the longest 3 weeks in my life! I remembered the times that
I had not treated some of my boyfriends very nicely, taking them for granted; and now I was
afraid of getting some of my own medicine. What a wonderful day it was when he returned!
The second week of June he proposed to me and gave me a
diamond ring. It was a Sunday afternoon and we were sitting on the lawn just east of the
Capitol Building where we often went on Sunday afternoons to read the scriptures, talk, and
just be together. He'd bring his guitar and would play for me. We had had a small
misunderstanding, and as he put his arms around me I thought he said "Are you mad at me?". "Of
course not!" I answered. He looked at me and said "What?!" I asked what he had said, and he
repeated "Will you marry me?!" and then showed me the ring. "Of course I will!" I cried. "You
had me worried there for a second", he said. He then slipped the ring on my finger. We got
married on July 25, 1952, in the Salt Lake Temple, President ElRay L. Christiansen performing
the ceremony. I feel that we knew each other in the preexistence, and had finally found each
other. We have been married for 42 years now, and have been blessed with 9 wonderful children.
We have lived all over the world, and there is still that spark between us. How deep our love
and commitment is! We have faced difficult trials, have experienced great joys, and have
always been able to lean on each other and to face things together. Maurice has been such a
great blessing in my life.
Mother, Maurice, and I had
wonderful experience together. On the 18th of July, 1952, a week before our wedding date,
Maurice took us to the Logan temple so that Mother could take out her endowments. Dad did not
feel ready for that experience and mother wanted to be present at our wedding and so she got
permission to go to the temple. The people in the temple made it so special for Mom, she spoke
so little English, and so they let me translate quietly for her. After the session Mother,
Maurice, and I sat in the beautiful celestial room. A temple worker brought a book with the
temple ceremony in it, and mother could ask all the questions she had, and I could translate
for her. It was a spiritual experience, again the bond that we had felt through the years was
made stronger. A week later, Mother was with Maurice and me in the Salt Lake Temple to witness
our marriage. That is a precious memory for me. Her deep love and trust in the Lord has been
a great example in my life. Her great desire to be sealed to Dad and her children came true on
the 22nd of Aug. 1957, as they were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple. Annie, Lauky, Jack, Ansje
and I were sealed to them that day.Tinawas sealed on the 2nd of Dec. 1957 when she took out her
own endowments. What great blessings the Gospel had brought in our lives; we were now
candidates to become an eternal family!
After a beautiful
garden reception at Uncle Thel's home we left for a reception in Mexico. We spent a couple of
days in Jacob Lake, at uncle Harold's "Jacob Lake Inn." When we got to Mesa, (which I thought
was the hottest place on earth) I talked Maurice into having a wedding picture taken. We were
not very rich. If I remember well, we had about 30 dollars. But gas was cheap in those days,
and so were motels; and what was important, was that we were together! When we got to the
border in Columbus I had my first encounter with Mexico. I was still a Dutch citizen, and
traveled on a Dutch passport. In those days a passport picture was required for a tourist
permit. Finally I was permitted to enter Mexico. Maurice had told me a little about the roads
in Mexico, but I thought he must be exaggerating. Come to find out, every thing he had said,
was true. There was no road, just a cow trail; and how he knew which cow trail to go on was
beyond me! It took us 8 hours to get from Columbus to Dublan. When we got to Ascension he
stopped in front of a very humble home and said "Well, here we are!" My heart sank into my
shoes and I thought, "Well, I'll have to make the best of this!". Then Maurice began to laugh;
but I wasn't sure I appreciated his joke. Many hours later, we arrived in Dublan at 11 p.m. It
had taken 9 hours from the border to get there, and what an oasis it was to me. Never did I
dream then, that someday this little town would be my home!. We stayed in Mexico for a month.
Maurice helped his brother Wesley a little in finishing the bathrooms in the home he was
remodeling. Everyone was so good to me and made me so welcome, and I felt part of the
family.
Maurice's uncle Harold had offered us a job at
Jacob Lake, in his motel, restaurant and curio shop. Maurice was to work in the gas-station
and I, in the curio-shop. It is beautiful in the fall there; the trees were turning golden and
soon the hunting season would be on. It was only a few miles from the Grand Canyon, a truly a
spectacular sight. If only I had not gotten so sick with my first pregnancy! Yuck, I could
not lift my head from the pillow in the mornings, and so Jacob Lake does not hold real great
memories for me. I was about the best saleslady they had, selling many Indian squashblossom
necklaces and other expensive items. I would even receive a bonus now and then! We worked
there till November and then we moved to Salt Lake City. Maurice got a job at Hillfield, a
Government establishment. We never even thought about him working as a "wetback" for the
government, or that he was in the States illegally. We rented a small basement apartment on
the avenues, and were so happy there. We invested $7.50 in a treadle-sewing-machine from the
Deseret Industries, and I learned to sew. I needed maternity clothes! It gave me such
satisfaction; it helped the budget and I loved it. We lived close to my family and life was
great. Then in March we had a knock on our door and 2 men asked for Maurice. They showed
their badges, like police, and kiddingly I told Maurice there were 2 men there to arrest him.
Well, that turned out to be true. Through his application at Hillfield they had found out that
Maurice wasn't a US citizen, and they put him in jail, so they could deport him back to Mexico.
That scared me! After talking to Dorothy, Maurice's sister, we decided to call uncle Harold.
He called his lawyer, and the next day Maurice, Uncle Harold, and the lawyer were able to
convince the judge that Maurice was really an honorable, good guy-a little dumb and naive-but
of good character, and that he was just planning to work long enough to pay off my debts. So
after arranging for a bail bond, Maurice was set free, and was allowed to leave the country on
his own. That one night and day in jail, however, was torture for Maurice, and he promised
himself to never ever have a jail experience again!
We
made arrangments with Mom and Dad Bowman to drive back with them to Mexico after their visit to
general Conference. We packed our few belongings and moved to Mexico. We lived upstairs in
the Bowman home. Mother Bowman was always so good to me; patient, never harsh or judgemental.
I came to love her like my own mother. Mom and Dad Bowman had been called to preside over the
Mexican mission, and they were to leave July 1st, 1953. Our baby was due in the last part of
May, but he decided to wait till June 5th, 1953. Donn and Maurine had moved from Salt Lake
City to Dublan. Donn was to manage Dad's flour mill. Keith was to manage the ranch and farm,
and Maurice was going to help. It was a big thing for Dad Bowman to leave everything in the
hands of his sons.
On June 5th, a Friday afternoon,
Maurice Jr was born upstairs in the Bowman home, a healthy beautiful baby. I had a terrible
time because doctor Hatch was not aware that the baby was breech. What an experience to give
birth! I had never been too interested in babies...swimming was more my thing. I had to learn
so much! But things came pretty natural and I loved being a Mom. When Maurice was about 3
months old he contracted the 3 day measles. He was so sick and had a very high fever. It was
unusual for such a young, breast fed baby to have the measles. After he got well, his eyes
went crossed, and according to the eye-specialist, Dr. Smith, in Salt Lake City, the measles
had the same effect on our baby as if I'd have had them while I was expecting him. Maurice was
a happy baby; we enjoyed him so much.
Things did not work
out as well as expected, and in November 1953, Maurice immigrated to the Sates legally, and we
went back to Utah! We had borrowed $200 from Uncle Harve Taylor, with which we bought a 1941
Chevy pick-up in El Paso, to haul our few belongings to Salt Lake City. I was so happy to go
back to Utah, I missed my family and living in the city. We arrived in Utah just after a big
snowstorm. My parents invited us to stay with them, in a big home they had rented on 11th
East. Maurice applied for work at the "Bechtel Corporation," along with about 50 other
applicants, and he got the job! We moved to 389 "G" street, in the avenues, and traded our
pick-up for a '52 Ford. The purchase was made at night, and the next day when Maurice really
got a good look at it, he decided he wanted out of the deal. Of course, we lost the pick-up to
those crooks, but by that experience we learned a few things about life and people.
We took Maurice Jr. to Dr. Van Dyck, a chiropractor, who
claimed he could straighten his eyes by adjustments. After 10 adjustments we could see that it
did not help. We moved to an unfurnished apartment, 202 "K" street. Maurice bought me an
electric sewing machine with a zig-zag and I was thrilled. My parents shared some of their old
furniture and Maurice made a couch, desk and bookcase. We didn't have many material
possessions, but the thing that brought most happiness in my life was being with the man I
loved, sharing with him all my thoughts and dreams. What was so wonderful is that he felt the
same, life was good.
Then a challenge entered our life.
Maurice was inducted into the Army, 5 days before he turned 26, they gave him 5 days to report.
Through the Bechtel Co., where he worked, we were able to get a 1 month deferment, which was a
blessing. Then another catastrophe, I had to have emergency surgery. One of my ovaries
ruptured, I was in surgery for 4 hours. Our bills were stacking up higher and higher, Mom and
Dad Bowman helped us with a generous check. Maurice's co-workers collected money at work to
help out and we were able to meet our doctor and hospital expenses. Maurice left for basic
training in Fort Ord, Calif., in August, and Maurice Jr and I moved in with Mom and Dad. We
rented 2 rooms and a bath from them for $50 a month and were quite comfortable. It was neat to
be close to my family. My sister Annie and husband Wim (Bill) and family lived in part of my
parent's home also. They had joined the church and recently arrived from Holland.
After Maurice's 3 months of basic training in Fort Ord,
Maurice Jr and I moved to Pacific Grove, California. It was so great to be together again,
even though Maurice could only get a pass for the weekends and could visit us during the week
from 5 till 11. Maurice then received his training in the clerk-typist school. We could only
be together until he would receive new orders to either go to Europe, the Far East, or stay in
the U.S. Around Thanksgiving time Maurice got sick-tonsillitis-with a very high fever (106),
and he spent a week in the hospital. There, the LDS chaplain administered to him. Our
neighbor would lend me their car so I could visit the hospital on base. His illness put him
back 2 weeks in the school. Little Maurice was sick also, with the same thing. What a long
awful week. But it all turned out to be a blessing, because the group Maurice was in before he
got sick was sent to the Far-East, and the wives were not able to join their husbands there.
The next group, now Maurice's group, was assigned to Germany, where it was possible for
families to join their husbands. They would be leaving the 28th of Dec, 1954. Again there was
a separation, but at least there was hope that in the future I could join him in Germany. The
Christmas of '54 is one we still remember. We were so broke, no money for a tree or ornaments!
We broke a limb off a pine tree in a park, bought a box of little red balls for 25 cents and
had fun making some Christmas candy. Maurice surprised me with a navy blue sweater and I gave
him a watchband. There was only one little toy for Maurice Jr., but we were so happy to be
together! Maurice Jr. and I left the day after Christmas for Salt Lake City, to go back to
our little apartment at my parents home. Maurice left for his adventure the 28th of Dec. 1954.
We had prayed so much for an assignment in the States, but it was not to be.
On Feb. 11, 1955 Maurice Jr underwent his first eye-surgery.
Dr. Smith felt that he would be able to straighten his eyes by cutting and stretching the
lateral eye muscles. When I saw my little boy lying in the hospital with his eyes bandaged and
his arms in restraining tubes so he could not tear off the bandages, my heart just burst with
love for him. He was always such a cheerful, happy little fellow, always taking his handicap
in stride. We just hoped and prayed that the operation would do it for him, and he would have
good use of his eyes. But all that was accomplished was that his eyes were somewhat
straightened; he still could not see well. On the 16th of Feb. Maurice Jr and I rode the train
to New York and then flew to Frankfurt, Germany, a big long journey. Maurice had been waiting
at the airport for 7 hours, because our flight was delayed. Somehow we knew that everything
would work out, and just being together was great. Finding an apartment was a challenge; there
was still a shortage of housing in Mannheim. Finally we found a basement room, sharing the
kitchen and bath with Donn and Nola Swenson, an LDS Army couple, just like us. Herr Schnell
charged us an outrageous price, but we were glad to get it. Mannheim was a bombed out city,
the ravages of the war were to be seen everywhere.
Never
did I dream as a young girl in Holland that I would live in Germany among the Germans I had
learned to dislike so much during the war. I discovered that the German people also had
suffered much during the war, that they too had gone without food and had lost many of their
loved-ones. It was an eye-opener to me, and this time it was I that could buy coffee and
cigarettes and trade them for some needed things. Maurice traded 3 cartons of cigarettes for a
bike, so he could ride it to the Turley barracks. I learned to use the streetcars, and the
German I had learned in school was remembered pretty fast. We were involved in the branch in
Mannheim and also the servicemen's branch in Heidelberg, just 20 km away from Mannheim. It was
fun to go for bike rides along the river Rhein, seeing the sights and visiting the little
"dorfs". The highlights of our vacations were the Berchtesgarten ones, in the Bavarian Alps,
were we would have 4 days of Church conferences. Wonderful church leaders like Elder Kimball
and his wife, and mission presidents would be the speakers and even though we were so far away
from home, we felt the love and warmth of the leaders, and it was a spiritual feast. I got up
the courage to walk to the front of that huge audience, and bear my testimony. Maurice said he
was so proud of me, and I received many compliments. Afterwards, we visited "Dachau", a
notorious concentration camp during the war. The horrors of the war came back to me vividly;
the suffering and injustices done to so many souls. The multiple graves of thousands; the
ovens used for cremation. A statue of a prisoner had this inscription: "Der toten zur ehr, der
lebenden zur manung", "To honor the dead and to warn the living". To think that our milkman,
Beunder, from Holland, died in a concentration camp like that because he had a radio in his
home!
After living for about 9 months in Herr Schnell's
basement apartment, we decided to find another place. Herr Schnell would take off on vacation
and turn off the hot water and the heat. I don't think he liked Americans, and the only reason
he tolerated us was because of the high rent we were willing to pay! Little Maurice did not
want to leave. He had made friends with Renate, a little next door neighbor, and they would
play for hours. She was his first love! He was such an outgoing little guy, always smiling,
and he looked like a regular little German boy with his lederhosen pants! But we had no choice
and so we moved in with a German family, the Waltemattes. Hollie, their only son, who was 13
years old, became our friend. Hollie was a terrific chess player, and many evenings were spent
playing chess with him or his father. Herr Waltematte would knock on our door and ask "Herr
Bowman, eine partie?". Maurice was not that good at chess, but he would play anyway, even
though he knew he would lose, and it pleased Herr Waltematte. I wept with them when they told
us of their terrible experiences they had with the Russian soldiers in East Germany. Herr
Waltematte had been a pilot. They lived in East Germany, and when the iron curtain went up,
they fled to the West. They were so afraid of the Russian soldiers who would rape the women
and hurt the children. Every day he would have to nail the door of a deep closet shut with his
wife and child inside, until he'd come home again. When I heard their story my deep dislike
for the Germans dissolved and we came to love the Waltematte's.
Visiting Holland several times, certainly was a highlight of our 18 month stay
in Germany. We stayed with my Aunt Jeanne one summer, and had fun experiences: eating paling
(eel), among other things. I do believe I enjoyed them more than Maurice! When I saw the
little stand by the train station with the "zure haring", (pickled herring), I had to have
some! Maurice could not believe his eyes as I sprinkled some chopped onions on the herring
and, lifting it up by the tail, ate it in 3 or 4 bites! "No thanks" was his reply when I told
him to try it! It was so great to go swimming in Crailoo, to meet Jan Stender again, and have
him meet Maurice. It was fun to see Holland as a tourist; those many places I had never
visited! Tante Ans let us use her sailboat, and we went sailing at the "Loosdrechtse Plassen",
some lakes near Hilversum. It was so neat to show Maurice all the places that were so dear to
me. Opa and Opoe had us over for dinner: delicious gehak balletjes met jus (meatballs with
Dutch gravy). Maurice caught on to the Dutch language amazingly fast, and could understand the
conversations. We showed slides of home and family at a family get together that everyone
enjoyed. Their hearts were softening towards us, and they could see that Mormons were happy
people, and that life in the U.S. (and especially the Church) had brought many blessings and
happiness to the family. So, when we returned again the following April for the 65th wedding
anniversary of my grandparents, we were welcomed, and my mother who had come over for the
occasion, was again accepted in the family.
Another great
thing happened in our lives. Maurice became an American Citizen in Aug. 1955. Now we had 3
nationalities in our family, American, Dutch and Mexican! (Little Maurice being the Mexican).
After we returned to the U.S., Maurice Jr and I became citizens after a wait of 2 years. What
a wonderful feeling! I am so proud to be an American citizen; and how thrilled I was to be
able to vote for the first time!
We were very active in
the little branch in Manheim. Maurice as the ward-clerk and I as a counselor in the Relief
Society. We prepared a great bazaar and invited all the German Saints to share in the fun. As
a branch activity we went down the river Rhein on a ferry-boat. Watching the castles and
beautiful sights, and keeping track of little Maurice, who wanted to explore the big boat, made
for an interesting day! He was such an active little fellow, always ready to make friends
with everyone.
Our first and only Christmas in Germany was
getting closer. We were so excited to have a little boy to get things for! We told him the
Christmas story over and over. He had such empathy for Jesus and wanted to give his bed to
him. We had a German Christmas tree with real candles. It was beautiful! But when Christmas
morning came, our son was sick with a high fever and he could barely lift his little head from
the pillow. He just looked up and checked the pretty tree and did not even want to play with
the toys Santa had brought. That Christmas, Santa gave me a beautiful Necchi sewing machine
which I enjoyed for many years.
Maurice went on a 6 week
bivouac to France, and it was a long time to be alone. While he was gone, little Maurice had a
bad fall in the bathroom that knocked him out. I called the ambulance and to the hospital in
Heidelberg we went. I was so worried, I prayed and prayed that he would be alright. When we
arrived at the hospital the doctor checked him and noticed the eye-problem. He wondered if the
fall had caused it, but then I told him Maurice's eye history. He kept him under observation
and checked his eyes thoroughly and decided that another operation would be helpful. So about
1 year after his first operation, our son had another one. It is then that we found out that
there was no way to help Maurice see better. We had hoped all along that some operation would
restore his sight, but the doctor told us that he would be practically blind the rest of his
life. We both cried, and it was a very difficult thing to accept. As we would visit our
little boy in the hospital, just 2 1/2 years old; his hands tied down part of the time; splints
on his arms so he could not pull at the bandages over his eyes, we would wonder why...why such
a great handicap for our happy little fellow? He spent 7 days in the hospital. His eyes
seemed much straighter but there was no better sight.
Time was drawing near to return to the States: our rotation date was set for
June 29th, 1956. Excitement was in the air, and we were so ready to go home to the good ole
USA! We had some farewell parties in our little branch, saying goodbye was hard; we had come
to love those people. As we looked back we could see the many blessings that had come to us.
We were grateful for this interesting chapter in our life; for the growth in many areas.
Maurice's citizenship, Maurice Jr's medical care, the trips to Holland and now the GI bill to
help Maurice get his education. When we arrived in New York we were welcomed by my
sisterTinawho lived there. We stayed a few days while Maurice was being processed. What a
luxury to sleep in a double bed! We had slept on a single bed and a couch all the time in
Germany, and this big bed felt sooo good! We saw a few of the New York sights before leaving
on the bus to Detroit Michigan. We wanted to see if there would be a chance to drive a car to
Salt Lake for a dealer. We were lucky, and traveled in a cute yellow convertible through the
U.S.A. We visited Bob and Ricky in Dixon Ill., on our way, and then, finally arrived in Salt
Lake City!
We had arranged with Art and Tina to rent a
house they had bought on 2271 West 6200 South, and so we had a place to go to. Maurice could
wear levis again and make choices the Army usually would make for him! We moved into the
Bennion ward and felt right at home, especially when we found out that Carolyn and LaRue Lunt
lived in the same ward. Maurice got a part time job painting with Bill de Birk. In the fall
Maurice registered at the "U of U", and I was preparing for our new baby that was expected
around the 17th of Nov. Patricia Gay arrived on a Saturday afternoon, Dec 1st, 1956. What a
beautiful dark haired little girl, 7 lbs 3 oz, 19 inches long! A girl...I couldn't believe it,
and the doctor had to show me! What an easy birth compared to Maurice's. I just could not
believe really having a little girl, and felt such gratitude. Maurice Jr was 3 1/2 years old,
and was thrilled with his little sister. Our Christmas that year was great! We felt so
blessed. There was not much money to spend, but to be together in a warm home, in the U.S.A.,
was wonderful. We had waited a long time for this beautiful little daughter to come, and how
we enjoyed her! Our home had lots of love in it. Maurice Jr was thrilled with his new
tricycle, but it was a bit of a trial, having him run into everything. It seems that when
everything is going so good, you can count on having some trial come up! Right after Christmas
my husband got ill with tonsillitis, and again he ran a very high temperature, in fact he had
blood stains in his garments, like sweating blood. We did not have a family doctor and I tried
all the doctors in the yellow pages to see if one would come to our home. They all suggested
for us to come to the office. There was no way I could move Maurice, he was so sick. Finally
I told a doctor that if he wouldn't come to our home it would be on his head if my husband
would die. He must have sensed the desperation in my voice because he came. When he saw how
sick Maurice actually was, he apologized and started him on huge shots of penicillin. After a
few days, Maurice felt better, but he had lost 18 lbs in 3 days, and was so weak he couldn't
even walk to the bathroom! After he got well, the same doctor took out his tonsils, which
solved the problem of recurring tonsillitis illnesses.
Maurice worked for a while for Safeway in the cold storage department, thanks
to Paul Dame who helped him get the job. The shift he worked was 4 a.m till 12 noon. After
taking a civil service test he got a job in the Post office working as a mail clerk. What a
blessing that job was to us for the next 4 years while he went full time to school. He'd leave
at 7:30 in the morning with 2 lunches, returning home at night about 10 or 11, and then study.
He did great in school, even getting on the dean's list! Even with the help of the GI bill,
which paid tuition and books, we barely made it from payday to payday. But it was a happy time
in our marriage: we had a goal to work towards, and we were both willing to sacrifice to reach
it. In the fall of 1957 we moved to Whitlock Ave, and rented Dorothy and Hugh McClellan's
home. They went to Peru with their whole family, where Hugh was to work in the mining industry
there. My Dad and Maurice went to the Railroad auction and bought some nice furniture for a
real good price; even an automatic Westinghouse washing machine! Goodbye clonker with the 2
big rinsing tubs in the basement! I am sure that machine was the first ever made. Just before
moving, the Primary workers in the Bennion ward had given me a lovely baby shower. A beautiful
blond little girl, Terry Jeanne, arrived on Friday morning, March 7th, 1958. She weighed 6 lbs
10 oz. It was a long hard labor (22 hours) but it was all worth it! The pediatrician told us
that there was a problem with Terry's hips, and she would have to be in a cast for about 6
months. We decided to have a special fast for her. Two weeks later the doctor could not find
anything wrong with her. The Lord had accepted our fast and prayers, and extended this
wonderful blessing.
Early in the morning, on May 18th
1958, the telephone rang, and uncle Thel told us of the terrible accident Mom and Dad Bowman
had been in, and that Dad had been killed. We were stunned. We lay back on the bed and cried,
it was so hard to believe; it was such a shock. Maurice Jr came in and lay between us and we
told him the sad news. The tears came again and our son asked us why we were crying. We told
him how sad we felt, and how much we would miss him. "But Grandpa is with Heavenly Father now,
and he is happy there, please don't cry, he'll be alright." We hugged him and told him that we
knew he was right. Maurice Jr was only 5, his great faith and trust in the Lord often
astounded us. My sisters took care of the children and we left for Dublan with our little
Terry to attend the funeral in Dublan. When we saw mother Bowman, our hearts and eyes just
overflowed. She looked so bad; her broken arm in a sling, and her face all bruised. Elder
Hinkley came to speak at the funeral and gave such comforting words. I was so impressed with
the inner strength of my mother in law. Dad Bowman appeared to her in the early morning,
before the funeral. He told her that he was happy, and not to worry about him. He was dressed
in white and looked so good and whole to her. He told her he would come back for her in due
time. What comfort this experience was to her! 3 months later another tragedy struck the
family. Alleen, Wesley's wife, died after an operation for a brain tumor. Wesley was left
with 4 young children. The trials that come our way are sometimes so difficult to accept, to
be able to say, "Thy will be done, oh Lord" takes lots of faith and trust. We were not able to
attend the funeral, but our hearts were there. Mother Bowman had recovered from her accident
and was able to help Wesley with his family. Her life has been a life of service and
sacrifice, a great example to all of us.
It was time for
Maurice Jr to start kindergarten. He joined a group of handicapped children at the Primary
children's hospital. He even made an appearance on T.V. with that group. He was a born leader
and was always kind and compassionate to the other children. Then when it was time to start
1st grade we were advised to have him attend the school for the Blind in Ogden. We felt that
Maurice could see more than most of the children there. Maybe it was because we tried raising
him as a unhandicapped child: he had his chores at home, got along in Primary just fine. We
doubted whether this was the right way for him. Each Monday morning Maurice would take him on
the BMW motorcycle to the Greyhound bus station, put him on the bus and then Maurice Jr., just
6 years old, would call a cab in Ogden to take him to school. He took that responsibility so
well, making friends with the bus drivers and cab drivers, and managed beautifully. How did I
have the courage to let him go? There where 10 students in first grade, and 2 teachers. Some
of the students could see a little, but most of them were completely blind. Maurice was fitted
with some glasses, they seemed to help him. He would be so excited to show us each weekend the
things he had learned, the words he could write. The highlight was to be picked up and taken
to the bus station on Dad's motorcycle. We visited the school often. To have our young son
stay all week long away from home was a trial in my life. When the following year came we had
to decide whether to continue with the Ogden experience. We decided to try the Madison Public
School nearby. It was a big change for Maurice, and the teasing that went on was so hard. Why
is it that when we are a little different than the mainstream we get picked on and teased and
not accepted? It was as hard on me as it was on my son. I felt like going to school with him,
to protect and care for him. But Maurice had to learn these things. Life is not always fair.
Soon he made some friends, and did well in school with the help of large print books. He had 2
special teachers who would tutor him, so he would keep up with the class. He was smart and
kept up easily and learned how to type when he was in the 3rd grade. Maurice stayed in the
Public School system until we moved to Mexico.
Another
wonderful addition to our family arrived on Nov. 29th, 1959. Judy Valyn was a beautiful baby,
now we had 3 little girls! She was born 2 days before Tricia turned 3, taking care of them
kept me busy! When she was just 3 weeks old she caught cold and was awfully stuffy, but no
fever. The doctor prescribed some medicine over the phone, and it seemed to help. I took her
out to my mother's birthday party, on Dec. 30th. That same afternoon she turned kind of blue.
The doctor gave her a shot and wanted to see her again in the morning. We were up all night
with a crying baby, who could not nurse. When the doctor saw her the next morning he sent us
to the hospital straight from the office. My little baby stayed in an oxygen tent, she had
bronchiolitis. It had been a close call, but as soon as she received oxygen, she turned
pinker. I stayed with her day and night, and after 3 days she could nurse again. She was
administered to, and our prayers were answered. We would have lost our little Judy without
that oxygen tent. After 5 days, she was released to go home. Tracy Reed, Maurice's younger
brother had died in Dublan at the age of 1 month in 1930 with the same thing. At that time
there were no miracle drugs and specialized care...or even a hospital where Mom and Dad lived.
That winter was a time of flue and colds. I stopped
nursing Judy, because I had lost my milk during her illness. There was no time to rest, there
was always so much mending, sewing, washing and ironing to do. It felt like the stacks of
"things to do" would never go down. Maurice was hardly ever home, but when he was, he was
always willing to help. He had the patience of Job with the children and was such a good
father. He graduated with a B.A. in Education in June 1961.
Dorothy and Hugh were coming back to the States from Peru, and so we had to
find another place to live. Maurice talked to a friend and fellow postal worker, Delbert
Eddington about it, and he told him that his father in law, Bro. Evans, was planning to sell
his 4 bedroom home in Murray. When we saw the place, with all the land around it, we got all
excited and worked out a deal with Bro. Evans. It was an old home, with foundations made of
granite (leftovers of when the Salt Lake temple was built). It was located on a 1 1/2 acre
lot, with chicken coops and lots of garden space. Brother. Evans, who had his roots in the
Colonies, was thrilled to sell his place to someone who would care for it and enjoy it.
Maurice inherited one of his beautiful horses, Princess, an American Saddler. There were some
pear trees, and one apple tree! We named the place "Dublancito". It was located on 135 West
5900 South, which at that time was practically on the outskirts of Salt Lake City. There was a
lot of room for improvements, but we were so happy with it. We had a big garden, plenty of
irrigation water, and even bought a cow: Rosie, that had a calf: Blossom. Maurice did all of
the milking, except when he had to be gone someplace, then I had to take over, and was
surprised to find out I remembered how! We made butter and cottage cheese and even sold milk
to relatives. I did feel like a farmers wife! The children loved the room and freedom and the
rides on Dad's horse. One day a couple drove by and asked if we wanted a dog, and that's how
Diana, a beautiful pointer, joined the family. Maurice had a great time with her, hunting
pheasants around the neighborhood, 'cause Diana would sniff them out and then "freeze" in the
pointing position.
That summer, 1961, we went on a
camping vacation with all of my family to Lake Tahoe where we had a great time. It was fun
sailing on the "Sailfish" Maurice had made. When my dad helped Maurice lift the boat off the
car and carry it to the beach, he suddenly collapsed and passed out, which scared my husband a
bit. But he quickly got out the first aid kit, and found the ammonia, which brought Dad back
around. Lake Tahoe is a very deep, clear lake, with beautiful surroundings. The children
loved the beach. My Dad also almost burned down their tent because the lamp tipped over!
Camping was not really his thing, but he was a good sport.
Our life changed for the better. Maurice started teaching Spanish at Wasatch
Jr. High, beginning in Sept. 1961. How wonderful it was to have him home in the evenings.
There was lots of bottling of tomatoes, and fruit. I learned to make pickles since we had a
mountain of cucumbers from the garden; corn was frozen in the freezer we inherited when we
bought the house, and there was still room left for a deer Maurice was planning to kill in the
fall. We enjoyed the ward we were in, where I became a teacher and later a counselor in the
Primary again. After visiting with Dr. Hall, I found out that we were going to have another
baby next summer! The first child that would be covered by insurance! The caring, helping,
cooking, sewing, ironing, and on and on would start early in the morning till late at night.
Tricia had problems with eczema, and I took her to the doctor twice a week for shots. The poor
little girl would itch so terribly it would make her cry and get so frustrated. We tried
different diets that did not seem to make a difference. "Tricia is the brain in our family", I
wrote in a letter to mother Bowman, "she knows her A, B, C,'s, loves to learn new things,
colors beautifully, and enjoys spelling words. She is pretty dependable and mature for her
age. Next Sept. she will start kinder-garten." It was wonderful to have a little rest from
diaper washing, until the next August! I tried to help the budget by selling things. One of
the items was a big "Holy Scriptures" family bible. I was quite successful and every little
bit helped. During the summer Maurice worked for our brother in law, Bill de Birk, painting
homes, which helped a lot. We had a wonderful vegetable garden, with rows of strawberries.
Terry and her Dad would take a salt shaker and eat tomatoes right in the garden. (Terry loved
tomatoes). She also loved growing things, and was her Daddy's shadow when he'd work in the
garden. She was such a precious, easy going child; when she was happy she'd bubble all over.
She loved kitties, and cried and cried when I drove over one of her kitties. But then, I cried
too. What an awful feeling to have killed a living being. She loved to draw and had so much
natural ability. As Maurice would paint paintings, she would sit quietly and watch him. She
was such a sunshine in our home.
The summer advanced, and
on Aug. 7th, we had another son! I was so thrilled that I told doctor Hall I wanted to tell
this news to Maurice myself. It was a hard birth, but it was all worth it...a boy! We were so
happy to have another baby in our family: Gary Wesley! He brought so much joy in our life. He
learned quickly, and started walking when he was only 10 months old. He holds that record in
our family! Mother Bowman came to help, and what a tremendous help she always was. She froze
the corn that was ready, bottled pears, cooked delicious meals, loved the children, and had
such patience with them. I felt close to her, and she taught me so many good things. My
mother was with Tina in California, who had Kenny about the same time. But I never felt as
much support from my mother as I did with mother Bowman. "I want to be like you when I grow
up," I would tell her. Her testimony of the Gospel (it always surprised me, when she'd share
her testimony, how strong her voice was and with what great conviction she'd speak), and her
loving, patient example always inspired me.
We also did
lots of things with the Beuk family. Christmas eve was always spent at Mom and Dad's, where
the Christmas story would be read, and the gifts Mom had for the children would be opened. It
was a neat tradition. Most Sunday afternoons we'd go and visit them. Mother would make
sandwiches and cocoa and we'd watch Disney World on TV. The Easter-egg hunt parties were
always held in their back-yard. The kids loved them and we would have quite a tribe there.
Annie and Wim and their 4 boys, Lauky and Paul and their 6 children, and then our family. Tina
lived away from Utah and didn't move to Salt Lake till much later.
Another Christmas arrived, and this year Maurice made a big doll house. He
worked on it out in the cold barn. We had so much fun finishing it. He made some furniture,
fixed electric lights in it, and made a beautiful staircase with a hand-carved banister. The
little living room was also carpeted, and the table and chairs Maurice made were just right.
We bought small dolls, made the beds; and when it was finished, it looked really neat. As the
family gathered early Christmas morning in the living room, the doll house was lighted up, and
the girls were thrilled! Maurice Jr. got his first bike. He had wanted one so badly, and even
though it was quite a decision, wondering whether it was wise to give him one, we felt he
should have that experience. He was so happy with it. Our Christmases have always been a
joyful time each year. Besides the fun of gift-giving we've tried to have a spiritual side
also, reading of the Savior's birth from the Scriptures, and listening to the "Hey, you!"
story, which tells of a little deaf and dumb Bethlehem boy, and the gift he received at the
birth of Christ.
I felt so very blessed with my little
family. We had good friends in the ward, wonderful neighbors, a warm home and lots of bottled
fruit in the pantry; deer meat and vegetables in the freezer, and a cow in the barn! We loved
the Lord, and were thankful for his goodness to us.
1963
brought many changes in our lives. After our visit to Mexico in June 1962 we had been thinking
of perhaps moving there. It would be a more protected, wholesome area for our children to grow
up in, and there was the opportunity for Maurice to buy the little ranch from his Mother. The
option was just tucked away in the back of our minds, not really thinking about making that
decision right away. Then Maurice had a dream. The dream came to him several times. His
father would appear in a grove of trees, dressed in a white suit. He would just stand far off
and would not talk to him, but would turn to me and talk. He did not tell me about his dream
for a long time, not until I came up with the idea of moving to Mexico. It was like something
pushed me into a thing I wasn't really sure about. I did not really want to make that move.
We were doing fine; we loved our home, friends, the ward, and family close to us (a 10 min
drive to my mothers), and I felt we were really putting down our roots. Then this strong
feeling came to me that we should move to Mexico. I asked myself "Why?", and again these
feelings would come. I told Maurice about it, and that's when he told me about his dream. We
decided to fast and pray about this big decision, and we received an impression that it was
right for us. Still, it was a bit overwhelming to us.
It
was at this time that Maurice was going to Boulder Colorado for a Spanish Teacher training
seminar that would last for about 5 weeks. I was left to take care of everything at home,
including milking Rosie, our cow! There was not too much I could do about moving, or so I
thought. It was amazing how it all fell into place. Maurice got a teaching offer at the JSA,
to start in Sept. that year. (Taking a loss of $300 a month in wages). I sold the house, the
cow and the car, and started to pack. We made good money on our house which would help us to
start building in Dublan. Wesley and Mary had offered us a beautiful corner lot in Dublan, and
Maurice promised to make it the best-looking place there! When Maurice came back from his
seminar we went to visit uncle Thel. He was willing to loan us money at a rate of 7% so we
would have enough to start to build. And so the second week of August we rented a U-Haul
truck, packed everything, said goodbye to all our loved-ones, and on our way we went. All this
time we felt good about the decision. There were times when I'd remind myself how I did not
like Dublan 11 years earlier, and ask why was I doing this? I'd pray and a calm feeling would
come to me. We trusted the Lord and the inspiration we felt, and acted on that. Diana, our
dog, and Maurice Jr. drove in the U-haul truck with Dad, while I drove the little black
Volkswagen, with the rest of the children. We camped on the way, the first night in Colorado;
the second night in New Mexico. It was late and dark that night when we started to finally
look for a spot to camp. We found a pretty level place, we could see the lights of Los Lunas
in the distance. Rolling out the sleeping bags took only a minute, and everyone was so tired
that we all fell asleep in no time. The next morning we saw that we had chosen the garbage
dump as our choice spot! We had a good laugh about that and found a better place to have our
breakfast.
When we got to the border we had to store all
our furniture and appliances, because there was no permit to take it all across into Mexico.
At that time I had no idea that it would take many months before our belongings would finally
be able to cross. When we finally arrived in Dublan we were so tired and glad to be finally at
our destination, but I never felt that we made a wrong decision because I knew we were guided
by the Lord in our choice. I missed my family, but the Bowmans made us feel very welcome.
Mother Bowman let us live in her little home that Donn had fixed up for her. She was willing
to move in with her other sons so we could have a home, which was a big sacrifice for her. It
was such a change from what we had in Utah, but we made the best of it all, and started another
chapter in our life!
We lived in mother's home for 11
months, while building our new home. We had bought a set of building plans of a home we liked,
for $25, but when Donn looked at them he felt we should make it a little bigger; after all, we
had a very big lot! Typically, Donn added a few feet here and there and our home became quite
a bit larger than the plans called for. He had built several other homes in the community, and
so was quite experienced, and did a great job on ours. The Mexican workers do not believe in
working fast; so slowly but surely the home was built.
There are, of course, many disadvantages to building in Mexico, especially in
1962, when most building materials had to be smuggled in from the U.S. I told Maurice that I
would be so grateful if Donn would just bring in my washing machine. I was using Mary's old
one, and it would be so good to have the automatic one which was just sitting in El Paso. Donn
decided he'd bring it in-illegally, of course-but something happened and my washing machine
burned up along with his truck and everything else he had on it. I tried to make Mother's
little home as pleasant as possible; (5 children in a one bedroom home was a big challenge.)
We made the porch and another room into bedrooms. I remember some home evenings we had there,
and one especially sticks out in my mind. After the lesson, we shared our testimonies, and our
son Maurice impressed me so much. He had made more adjustments than any of us. School was
very difficult for him: no extra teachers to help him, no large print books, and on top of
that, a double curriculum, half a day English, the other half Spanish. But that evening he
bore a beautiful strong testimony of faith, prayer and love for the Lord. I still have tender
feelings as I remember that occasion. My first born had so many hurdles to tackle, and I was
so grateful for his faith and trust in the Savior. I knew that with that great faith he would
be able to overcome the trials in the future as well as now.
The evening before school was to start, there was a knock on the bedroom
window. Bro. Turley, the Superintendent of Schools, told Maurice that there had been a change,
and would he please teach in the Dublan grade school this year. So the next morning Maurice
welcomed all his 4th graders in the classroom, but had no inkling what or how he was to teach
these children! But he caught on real fast, and taught school for 2 years in the Dublan grade
school, before starting his teaching career at the JSA, (the highschool). In retrospect, I can
see so many good things which have come to us. Talents that would probably never have had a
chance to be developed in Utah, were developed here. Maurice started out teaching Spanish;
then the art classes and ceramics classes were added; then he was asked to take over the band;
and soon, the chorus became his responsibility also. His life went in a direction he had never
dreamed of. It was a wonderful thing to see him develop the many talents he has. He directed
the "Messiah" twice and, naturally, I was involved in the choir! I never knew I could sing.
In fact, since my Dad was a monotone, I had never dared to sing, since I was so afraid I'd
sound like my Dad. But since Maurice became the choir director, I joined, and sat in choir
next to Mary Bowman, my best friend and sister-in-law, who had a strong alto-voice. Listening
and leaning on her helped me learn how to sing. I gained a little confidence and I would sing
as I washed the dishes. Maurice heard me hit some high notes, which surprised him, since we
thought I was an alto. Glenna Call, a dear friend with a beautiful voice, was to sing a solo
in church; but she got sick, and Maurice asked me to take her place. Now that was something
different than just singing above the kitchen sink! I was so frightened, that I felt that all
that came out at that performance, was a soft squeak. I gained a deep respect for solo
singers! I started to gain a little more confidence as I had more opportunities to sing and
switched from alto to soprano, but that scared feeling was always there!
The performance I enjoyed and remembered the most is when I sang a solo from
Handel's" Messiah" at a special Christmas program. I love the music of the "Messiah." It
thrills me, and singing it gives me great satisfaction. I like to think that the Lord gave me
my singing voice to replace my love for swimming. Music fills a great part in my life now; I
enjoy being a member of the ward choir, and it's great to have this love for good music in
common with my husband.
One morning I woke up so
nauseated, I knew right away what was the matter! We were going to have another baby. I had
such mixed feelings about having a baby in Mexico again, that I pleaded with Maurice to let me
have this baby in El Paso. Well, we checked to see how much that would cost, and without
insurance there was no way. So I knew that this was going to be a Mexican baby! I prayed and
prayed so I would feel better about this situation. Dr. Hatch was serving a mission and so Dr.
Salas was to be my doctor. How I came to appreciate this kind Mexican doctor! He took his
time with me and reassured me that all was fine, he even promised me a boy! In July we moved
into our home. It wasn't all finished, but just to feel the excitement of finally moving into
our home was a great occasion! To have 3 bathrooms instead of one shower was a joy, and there
was room to spare! Our furniture had finally arrived but, by storing it so long, it was not in
very good shape. The chairs were broken, but the table was fine, and so was the buffet. Donn
made a kitchen table for us, and it felt so good to see all our own things again! Finally,
after all the children were in bed, I told Maurice we ought to celebrate! Then it dawned on us
that it was July 25th, our anniversary. We cooked some steaks and had a candle lit dinner,
just the two of us!
On Sunday Nov. 8th, 1964, a beautiful,
bright baby boy was born, just like Dr. Salas had promised! It all happened in the new green
hospital in Nuevo Casas Grandes. Maurice had given me a Priesthood blessing and I was calm and
knew that everything would be alright. As I was preparing to leave for the hospital I had a
strong contraction at the head of the stairs. Maurice Jr was right there and asked in the most
compassionate way: "Mom, does it hurt an awful lot?" He was such a sensitive young man; I gave
him a big hug and told him that it was a good hurt. At least there was a hospital to go to
now-a better situation than when my first son arrived! The baby was anxious to get here, and I
was in the hospital for only about 30 min. when he arrived. We named him after Stephen L.
Richards, a favorite general authority, and Lourens after my Dad. Maurice had made a cradle
for him, which we placed close to my bed, and I was so grateful for that healthy beautiful,
bright-eyed boy. The children were so excited to have a new baby, it created a spirit of love.
I felt such deep gratitude to my Father in Heaven for this precious baby, and for His care over
me. Having babies was quite a spiritual experience for me, because I always felt His Spirit so
close by. Now we had 3 girls and 3 boys, what a perfect family! What joy Stephen has brought
in my life: his love for music, sense of humor, his excitement about learning; his desire to
always chose the right are endearing characteristics. Maurice's brother Claudius would call
him "happy", because he was always smiling. Even Mac Bluth would take him on his lap! When he
learned to walk he would go around the kitchen, through the frontroom, and again through the
kitchen, just laughing all the time, and not knowing how to stop! The Lord has truly blessed
us with very wonderful children.
My youngest sister Ansje
attended her senior year at the JSA, and it was great having her stay with us. Ansje is 15
years younger than I, and so she had really never had brothers and sisters to grow up with.
Well, she had a family now! How well we remember the trip we took to El Paso together when I
was about 8 months along with Stephen. We tried to cross the border back into Mexico in our
little black Volkswagen, and they would not give me a permit. I should not be living in Mexico
without legal papers, so they said, and in my very limited Spanish I explained that I was
working on my papers, but that in the mean time I wanted to be where my husband was. They
ignored my pleading and let me just sit there in that little office. Ansje had visions of me
having the baby there, and I thought that that might be a good thing to tell these men! The
baby was due anytime, I told them in my half English-Spanish and probably some Dutch, that if
they wanted that little problem on their hands, then just let me sit there, because I would
just wait till they would give me my permit. Finally they decided that the easiest way to get
rid of me was to give me what I needed, and Ansje and I were on our way. How I dislike the
borders. I felt like a fugitive crossing; and like a smuggler, when I had some new things in
my suitcase! It was getting close to Christmas and getting the gifts home would always cost a
good bribe! I suppose Ansje and I had our share of Christmas things to take home, because we
started to shop early so we could get things little by little. To this day, Ansje has
nightmares about crossing the border! We enjoyed having her with us that year. It gave us a
little taste of what it would be like to have a teenager! One of the benefits was a visit of
my parents at Christmas time; the only visit in all the years we lived here. Ansje made lots
of friends, was very active in the ward and grew spiritually. She also learned what it was
like to live in a big family! She graduated in 1965 from the JSA. My parents served a mission
in Holland in 1966, and Ansje joined them there and worked in the mission home in Holland.
One of the blessings of living in Mexico was to be able to
have a work-girl, or maid. It gave me so much more freedom and time to do other things, and
also, to have a babysitter whenever one was needed, was wonderful! As the 2nd counselor in the
Relief Society at that time, with Hannah Call as president, and my sister-in-law Naoma Bowman
as 1st counselor, I learned so very much. I came to love Sis. Call as a mother. Her wisdom
and patience were a great example to me. She had raised 13 children-one of the largest
families in town-and had always fulfilled all her responsibilities. We had a close
relationship throughout the years. When Stephen was born on Sunday, she expected me back on
the job 10 days later! Relief Society was on Tuesday, and Primary on Wednesday.
Another wonderful person who influenced me a lot was my
mother-in-law, Jennie Bowman. She accepted me as her daughter and never critized or made me
feel bad. She loved having dinner with us on Sunday, enjoying the family and helping me out.
She gave us her piano, so the children could take piano lessons. She was very talented, and
her paintings were beautiful. She had a strong testimony of the Gospel and her family was her
life. I loved her very much, and I wanted to be more like her. When I complimented her on her
patience one time she told me with a twinkle in her eye: "You didn't know me when I was your
age: one time I got so upset that I slammed the cupboards in the kitchen and broke the glass in
them!" That made me chuckle. I had a hard time picturing her doing that! She loved her
youngest son, my husband. She had lost a baby when Maurice was 2 years old, little Tracy Reed,
who died when he was 1 month old. Maurice became the center of her life; she taught him how to
play the guitar, and some about art. I guess he was her baby no matter what age he was!
It was strange how at times I would think back of Jan
Wigger, the son of the farmer where I stayed during the war, who had passed away when I was
there. I felt like he was telling me that he had accepted the gospel, and for me to help him.
For years he would leave me alone, but then these feelings would return very strongly. So I
asked in a letter to his father, to please tell me the dates of Jan's birth and passing; but
never received an answer. Another long time would go by, and again I would receive the
impression that he had accepted the gospel, and needed my help. I was so busy with so many
other things, that I pushed the thought back into my mind, and he would leave me alone for
another long time.
Another beautiful baby boy joined our
family on Oct. 4th, 1967. We named him Jonathan Craig. Dr. Hatch delivered him, and Maurice,
being in school in Col. Juarez, didn't get there in time. But Mary stayed with me through the
whole thing. We have had lot of neat experiences together, Mary and I! We liked the name
Jonathan, because it represents faithfulness and goodness; and because the bible story of
Jonathan and David was dear to me. The name fits our Jonni perfectly, because he is all that
it represents, and more. He was the youngest Eagle Scout in Dublan. We always thought of him
as our thinker. When he was young his thoughts would go so much faster than his speech, that
when he was excited about something he would stutter a little. I would tell him to think
slower and then the words would come out just fine. He was a natural at baseball pitching, and
loved the sport. I also called him my Dutch boy, because I thought he looked like my side of
the family. He became the tallest one of our boys, 6 ft 4 in!! (Was it because he had a bottle
till he was 5?) I was a juice-nut in those days, and anything I put into his bottles, he
drank!
My life was a life of service, and I enjoyed giving
it. My family was the center of my life. With each baby that came to our family my love
increased. I would think that I could not love more than I did, and yet my love would
increase, over and over again. It made me have a glimpse of how much Heavenly Father must love
us. I feel that marriage and having a family, the sorrows and joys that it brought into my
life, was a preparation for the eternities. By having a family we learn and experience so many
things and feelings. We learn about sacrifice, about real love, and so we grow in preparation
for Godhood. I feel that that's why temple marriage is required to be able to gain the highest
degree in the celestial kingdom. By giving service with all my heart, I was able to draw
closer to my heavenly Father. My personal prayers became more meaningful; my relation with
Father in heaven became more real. I wanted to please Him and live more worthy of my
blessings. I could see His hand in my life, and it made me feel secure and more trusting. I
love my Heavenly Father, and I wanted to His will more than ever.
Maurice and I maintained a closeness in those very busy years. I had heard a
talk by Richard L. Evans, which said that the relationship between husband and wife should
always come first in marriage. That the eternal unit that a man and woman had formed should
always be the most important. Children bring much happiness, but they come and they go, and
they form their own units eventually. Always make your partner number 1 in your life, he said.
It impressed me, and I tried to always take time to listen to Maurice, to show my love for him,
to make him number 1 in my life. All through the years we have been able to talk to each
other, about anything and everything. We have shown interest in each other's projects and our
love and trust has grown and grown. When there are differences...we talk it out; sorrows or
joys...we share them together. We have been blessed with so much love and goodness in our
lives.
When you are having your children you think that
you will be that busy for the rest of your life. There is no end to the folding of the
diapers, the washing, the ironing, the cooking, the kissing of little hurts better, the
cleaning and all the caring. I'd be so tired at night, yet the next morning I'd have all the
energy I needed again! There was the bottling and canning each summer; making 8 loaves of
bread two or 3 times a week; but when, on Saturday evening, everyone had had their baths, and
were all clean in their pajamas, watching Lawrence Welk on TV and eating cinnamon rolls with
milk for supper, I felt so richy blessed for all that I had.
We had quite a clan of Bowmans in those days. We'd have our Thanksgiving feast
often at our home and, at times, with as many as 50 or more! Our children were really close to
Mary and Wesley's kids, and we had lots of fun times together. Lake parties in the summer,
swimming across the lake or float in tubes! Going down the canal in big tubes was always an
exciting thing to do when the canal was full, or going to the farm in uncle Wesley's truck, or
camping in the mountains with Keith and Naoma's family. Going to Utah in our little Volkswagen
with 7 children and no air conditioning, made some good and not so good memories! Staying in
Tina's home while Maurice was attending summer school in Salt Lake City, was a great adventure!
We had to buy a trailer to take everything back to Mexico, and there still was no room for
Steven's tricycle! How good it felt to be home again!
When Maurice Jr was 13 and was attending the JSA, terrible headaches would
plague him. It was such a stressful year for him, trying to keep up in a school that had no
facilities and special teachers to help him. We wondered what the solution would be, because
we could see that this was not going to work for him. I wondered why on earth we had felt
inspired to leave Utah, surely this was a trial for our son, that would not have been there if
we had stayed in Utah. During the following summer, a cousin of Maurice's, Rowene (Robinson)
Gibson and her husband Bruce, came to visit. They were delightful people, and as Bruce and I
floated across the lake on tubes, he asked me about Maurice Jr. I told him of our deep
concerns and how we just had not found a solution. Bruce was a Stake president, and also a
highschool teacher in St. David, a small community in Arizona. The next day he and Rowene had
thought of a plan for Maurice. They offered to become his legal guardians, so that Maurice
could attend the school for the Blind in Tucson, about 1 hour away from them. They would have
him come to their home on some weekends, and he would be close enough to visit home on
holidays. We felt it was an answer to our prayers, and when we suggested it to Maurice, he too
felt it to be the answer. Again we prayed about it, because we knew it would be very hard to
send such a young son away from home. Yet, what could we do? We went to Tucson and visited
the school, and were favorably impressed. Bruce talked to the judge about Maurice and became
his legal guardian. Everything worked out so smoothly, and Maurice was accepted in the school.
He was only 14 years old, and oh what a difficult thing for me to let him go. We took him to
the school and we met the dormitory-parents: lovely people. I wanted to hold my son, and tell
him how difficult it was for me to let him go. I tried to be positive and told him of other
friends, the Halvan Jones family, who would also have him for weekends at their home. As we
left the campus I felt like I had abandoned my son. But it had to be.
The Lord had another great spirit waiting to come to our family. Robert Bruce
joined our family on Aug. 4, 1969. The girls were at grandma Bowman's, making a quilt for the
new baby, when Bruce made it known to me that we'd better hurry to the hospital. Maurice was
painting our home outside and thought he could finish a certain part before leaving. I told
him "Now, and right now!". We rushed to the hospital and Bruce was born at 1 p.m. in the
afternoon. It was a busy afternoon in the hospital. As they wheeled one lady out of the
delivery room, they wheeled me in! There was no room left in the hospital, so after taking a
little rest, we went home with our new little treasure. Everyone was so excited, so happy to
have another baby in our home. The girls were a great help to me. Tricia was 13 years old,
and took charge of things, arranging who could hold the baby, etc. They did not want to go to
bed that night, they wanted to just sleep on the floor in our bedroom. Mother Bowman helped me
again. I've appreciated her tender loving care so much. Thank goodness also for Licha, our
workgirl. She cooked and cleaned and ironed and was a tremendous help. Bruce was such an easy
baby, he would sleep through all the noise and as long his tummy was full, he was happy. He
had dark hair and olive skin; such a beautiful baby. He belonged in our family, and received
lots of loving care! We called him kiddingly "Brucie Caboosie" as he was our #8, and we felt
that was a good-sized family. I was not feeling too well after Bruce's birth. Dr. Hatch had
put me on birth-control pills for 6 months and they gave me splitting headaches. I also gained
15 lbs. After 3 months I gave up on those and visited with my old Doctor-Dr. Hall-in Salt
Lake, during one of our visits. He suggested to have my tubes tied, but I told him Id have to
think about that. Maurice and I decided to fast and pray about that decision. We felt it was
not right at this time, and so we decided against it.
Maurice Jr graduated from the school of the Blind as Valedictorian. We were so
very proud of him. It had been 4 hard years for him. Sometimes it is through the hard times
that we grow the most, and we do so much stretching. Maurice had become an Eagle Scout. He
even appeared on the Today show in New York where, in an interview, he explained how he got a
merit badge in photography, being legally blind. Our whole town watched the show in amazement,
and everyone gained a greater respect for Maurice. He received a scholarship for the
University of Arizona, in Tucson. How greatly he had matured, and what big hurdles he had
overcome. What an example he was to us, and to all in Dublan. He had learned to play the
string bass, and played in a small jazz group. He was blessed with a beautiful bass voice, and
he sang solos with our choir several times. But best of all, he had stayed close to his
heavenly Father, and had learned to put his trust in Him, because he loved the Lord. After one
year at the U of A, Maurice was called on a mission and served in the Arizona Holbrook mission,
and did a great job. I will never know all the challenges he coped with on his mission, but I
do know the happiness he brought into many lives by his example and great faith. We received
letters and visits from his converts, members and companions. He was a great missionary, and
touched many lives. After his mission he attended and graduated cum laude from the "Y" with a
degree in Education.
When I was 42 years old, I skipped
several periods. I thought it must be the change! When I finally went to see Dr. Salas, he
told me that I either had a tumor, or I was expecting. Well, it wasn't a tumor! What an
adjustment in my life! When Maurice came home from school, I was crying in the bedroom. I
told him of my visit with Dr. Salas, and cried some more. Maurice put his arms around me and
told me how grateful we should be that the Lord was willing to send another one of his spirits
to our home. He made me feel so good and gave me so much support, that I could face it all
with his help. The girls wondered what on earth was wrong with me, they could hear me cry in
the bedroom, and they worried that maybe I was ill. Later that evening we told the them the
news. Everyone was thrilled, and promised to help me all they could. Tricia, Terry, and Judy,
were in high school, and their attitude was so great and very supportive. That summer of '73
was a long, hot summer. My body let me know that having a baby at this age was not as easy; I
moved more slowly, and the heat bothered me so much, that even at night, I'd take my pillow and
lie out on the balcony. But time passed and Troy arrived on Monday morning, Sept. 24th 1973,
at 9:30. The whole family rejoiced! I had just turned 43, so it took me a little longer to
recuperate; but he was worth it all! And again, my dear mother-in-law helped me all she could.
She was such a support, I don't know what I would have done without her. When Maurice blessed
Troy in church, he shared his testimony, and said that this little one would be raised with
love instead of force. And so it was that we had more patience with Troy, and we knew from the
very beginning that force would never work with him: he had such a strong personality! When I
was expecting him I worried a lot, and would ask the Lord to please extend the blessing of a
healthy, normal baby; a child that would bring joy in our lives, and who would love the Lord.
I promised to teach him the gospel, and to be honest and upright. The Lord answered my prayer
and sent Troy to us and gave me all I asked for. I still thank Him for that great blessing.
Maurice served as a counselor in the bishopric with Bishop
Schill and Dennis Wagner for 5 years, from '71 till '76. It was a great experience for him,
and he added a touch of refinement in conducting the meetings, as he grew spiritually. We
tried harder to have home-evenings and family prayers. We read the scriptures faithfully. I
wished we had started that much sooner, for the sake of our older children. Little Troy would
also take a turn at reading and would more or less repeat what he heard. "And it came to
pass..." he would say and then add something he felt was important. Our family was growing up,
and music became a bigger part of their lives. The older children played in the band, and Gary
became quite the baritone player. When he was 14 he played a baritone solo in the ward music
festival, with Steve, 11, accompanying him. It sounded so good, that Gary was picked to play
in the Stake festival in Col. Juarez! He did a great job and it pleased me so much to see two
sons make beautiful music together. Gary was our cowboy, he was a great help to his Dad on the
ranch, he even won prizes at rodeos for roping calves. He was our outdoor boy. He went on a
turkey hunt with his Dad when he was very young, and they brought home 2 turkeys!
Tricia graduated in 1975. When she was a Senior, she taught
English to a Spanish speaking group in school. She scored the highest on the ACT test in the
history of the JSA! She was accepted at BYU, and after working in Jacob Lake, she moved to
Provo and attended BYU. The next year, Ter graduated. She was outstanding in art, and
received the art award from her father at the honors assembly. She had painted some beautiful
pictures; one of which is hanging in our front room. We went to El Paso together to buy a
dress for the graduation dance. She picked out a beautiful white dress, the first 'bought'
dress for her. How beautiful she looked as she left with Jeff Jones for the dance. Tricia had
come for the big occasion, and the day after graduation, on Saturday morning, we took both
girls to work in Jacob Lake. (We had to borrow Wesley's car, because our Volkswagen was
wrecked as Terry drove it to Juarez for a meeting.) Grandma Bowman came with us, she wanted to
visit her daughter Kathleen. The trip almost converted us to a Datsun! It was generous of
Wesley to loan us his car. Before returning home, Maurice gave Terry a beautiful Father's
blessing. After Jacob Lake, they planned to attend BYU, and that would be 3 of our children
attending the "Y" at the same time, and so a big part of my heart was in Provo!
I enjoyed working in the Relief Society. It scared me half
to death to take over Minnie Jo Wagner's place, the Cultural Refinement class, and follow in
her footsteps. We studied many countries and learned about their cultures. I usually made
some refreshment to represent the country we had studied. It was a challenge, but I loved it.
We met during the week, and the lessons were usually about 1 hour long.
Each summer as we picked the pears and sold them, we'd have enough money to buy
school clothes. Isn't it amazing that now when we don't need to buy school clothes, the pear
crop has fallen down to just a little bit! The Lord cared for us in so many different ways.
The Sears and Penney's catalogs would be worn out by the time we'd send in the orders! Thank
goodness for catalogs; it made the shopping so much easier. We'd stay overnight in El Paso
which was such a treat for everyone. Usually our vacation would be a trip to the mountains. I
remember well what fun we'd have going to Cave-valley. There was lots of hiking and swimming
in the (muddy) river. The mosquitos would almost eat us alive, but we survived them. There
were so many interesting caves to explore, where years ago the Indians lived. The great big
"Olla" cave was the biggest one. The Indians used to store their grain in the huge "Olla".
Cave Valley was one of our favorite places to go, we made some fun memories there!
I started baking for the Roadway Inn. At first they just wanted a few sisters
in the ward to bake a few pies, to try them out. Then they decided on my pies, and what
started as just a little job on the side, grew into quite a business. I baked for about 8
years, and the extra income helped so much. The most I baked was about 40 pies and 3 cakes in
one day. The president of Mexico came to visit Nuevo Casas Grandes, and he and his entourage
wanted my pies for desert, which was quite a compliment. My record time for making a pie was
12 minutes! People from Torreón, Chihuahua, and even Mexico City would call in orders.
I love baking and cooking, and this was a great way to make some extra money. The hardest time
was in September, when I would bottle apples, apples, apples; 400 quarts of them. John
Robinson would give me a bin full of golden delicious; (he is such a generous man). For a
couple of weeks all we'd do is bottle apples, and of course the other vegetables too, like
corn, grapes, pears, beets. The fruit room looked pretty good when all the bottles were full,
over 500 of them! I'd feel blessed.
The first devaluation
of the peso happened on Sept 1, 1976. It came as such a complete surprise that people lost a
lot of money. Our school wages took a long, long time to adjust, and then in Nov. the peso
devaluated again. I felt like moving; running away from this challenge. Everyone was in the
same boat; our lists for El Paso got shorter and shorter, and just buying peanut butter in El
Paso felt like a luxury!
It was hard to be so far away
from Tricia and Ter and of course, Maurice. After working all summer, Tricia and Terry got to
Provo and ready to go to school. With the devaluation of the peso we couldn't help them
financially. Provo is so far, and how I missed them. Their calls for birthdays and other
occasions were bright spots in my life. I missed my Dutch family, too. Mother had her
appendix removed, and I didn't find out until much later, through a letter from Lauky. I felt
so far away from my family, and longed for a visit with my parents and sisters. But my life
was so busy, and Salt Lake City so far away.
Christmas is
a wonderful time of the year. Maurice Jr, Tricia, and Ter came home this year. They had
saved money and bought their Dad a beautiful Omega watch. He was so pleased! There were
lovely gifts for all the children; what a wonderful spirit we had in our home! Foto Soto came
to take a family picture, but we didn't know then that that would be the last time that we
would be together as a family for a long time. Many changes took place the next year.
In Feb. 1977 Tricia called to tell us her great news: she
had met her prince charming, and wanted to get married. We were speechless, our Tricia,
married?! We had mixed feelings after we met Scott Smith and his family, and felt Tricia should
wait. But the date was set for June 3, 1977, in the Provo temple. We borrowed Wilbur's
station wagon and on our way we went. I had made the bridesmaid dresses and my own dress, and
had no idea about Tricia's dress. The Smith's seemed to take over completely, and I felt so
left out. Tricia looked radiant in her simple wedding dress; she was such a pretty girl.
Scott did not want a wedding reception in Dublan, but they came to visit for 2 days and met the
extended family. How different had I pictured the wedding of my oldest daughter. It was as if
a cloud hung over us, and I prayed that she would be happy. We had an accident in Wilbur's
car, and that didn't help lift our spirits! As we were driving by the Provo temple, we were
all looking at the beautiful building and, suddenly, realizing that the road was splitting, and
that we should turn left, Maurice started the turn, but hadnt seen the little sports car racing
up behind us. The damage seemed minor, but we had to have a mechanic straighten the steering
so we could drive home. When we got home we sold some cows to be able to pay for the damages.
That was the last time we ever borrowed a car!
Maurice had
taught at the JSA for 10 years, and did not feel the support of the director in his music
program, so he quit, and started teaching in the Dublan grade school. He had had it with the
JSA. Mark-Lauky and Paul's son-came to live with us. He was a terrific basketball player and
seemed to enjoy the time spent with us. He was a pleasant young man; just a little older than
Gary. He made friends easily and was in a good environment, which helped him to make the right
decisions in his future life. He graduated from the J.S.A.and spent the summer working in
Hawaii in the pineapple fields. He went on to fill a successful mission.
At Tricia's reception, Maurice Jr introduced us to a lovely young lady: Rosanne
Burton. They became engaged on July 24th, and planned their wedding for Dec. 19, 1977. It was
so great to be included in the planning of the wedding. She wrote some really neat letters to
us, and was so thoughtful of our feelings. Maurice was in love! How my prayers had been
answered; he had found the girl he would love and cherish. We had bought Harvey Longhurst's
car, a 1975 Maverick, because they were moving to the States and wanted to sell it. It was so
much roomier than the Volkswagen, which we sold to Merriner Jones. Terry, Judy, Bruce and Troy
went with us to Salt Lake, for the wedding. Mary Bowman would watch over Jonni and Gary. When
we got to Provo we stopped at Tricia's. She had a lovely dinner ready for us, but as we
visited, I could tell that not everything was right. We stayed at Mother's and Dad's, and they
made us feel so welcome. The evening before the wedding, Maurice gave Maurice Jr. a beautiful
Father's blessing. It touched mother and me deeply...the tears rolling down our cheeks. How
much we wanted happiness for him! Maurice blessed his son that hed enjoy calmness, and a deep
love for Rosanne. It gave Maurice Jr. the assurance that this was right. Maurice Jr. had
always been a favorite of Mother Beuks, and she was always there to help and encourage him. We
had a beautiful wedding in the Salt Lake Temple, a wedding breakfast at "Grandmother's Kitchen"
and then a lovely reception for Maurice and Rosanne in the Lion house. Tricia, Terry and Judy
were bridesmaids. My heart ached for Tricia; her late arrival, and the fact that Scott sat out
in the hall, refusing to come inside, made us aware that she was in an unhappy situation. We
enjoyed spending some time with all our loved ones in Salt Lake, and were able to attend the
Sinterklaas party. How I had missed all my family! Then back to Mexico we went to prepare for
the reception there. The Cultural hall was decorated in a Christmas motif, including flocked
Christmas trees in a corner. Of course, there was the traditional program, and it was lovely.
The boys sang "How to handle a woman" and Maurice and I sang "Sunrise, sunset" from the
"Fiddler on the Roof." We had a record attendance.
Mother
Bowman was growing older. Her legs bothered and hurt her a lot. She would use crutches going
to church. She was always trying to be cheerful, but with her headaches and leg-pains we could
tell things were not going as well as she would like us to believe. I would often drop in and
visit her; she had grown so dear to me; I loved her. Her grandsons, Mike and Eric Bowman,
chiropractors, invited her to come to Arizona so they could try to help her. Laughingly she
told me that if she had the assurance that she'd live to be 125, she'd go. Then, seriously,
she said she'd pray about it. On April 1st, 1978, just a few days after our conversation, the
Lord answered that prayer and her Papa came to take her home. We had a beautiful funeral;
Maurice Jr sang the 23rd Psalm, and her other grandsons performed in other ways. Tricia, who
was able to attend the funeral, read a poem her Dad had written to his mother, and Terry gave
the first part of her life. Her passing left a big hole in my life. The car would just
naturally want to turn into her driveway as I passed her home. What a great comfort it is to
know that families will be forever, and how happy she must have been to be reunited with her
many loved ones on the other side.
After the funeral, I
was deeply hurt as Tricia told me that it would be better if we would not keep in touch, and
that Scott had forbidden her to communicate with her family. Every time a letter arrived from
us, her husband would be upset, to say the least. My heart ached for her. She wasn't happy,
but wanted to try again to make her marriage successful, since she knew she was going to have a
baby in October. I wanted to shield her from hurts, and wished she could just stay with us at
home. Sadly, we said goodbye and my heart felt heavy as she left.
In April, we attended Maurice's graduation, cum laude, from the "Y; which was a
wonderful accomplishment. To see him so happy with his Rosanne, gave me such joy. Rosanne
showed her devotion and love in her actions, and was so proud of him. She prepared a lovely
dinner for us that night...a great way to end a perfect day!
Judy graduated the same year from high school. How much we were going to miss
her! She has always been such a sunshine in our home. She was the perfect baby sitter for our
boys and seemed to enjoy taking care of them. They all loved the way she would make up
stories, with music, sound effects on the piano, and all. She had a terrific imagination! Her
sense of humor could pull anyone out of a bad mood! Now it was her turn to leave the nest, and
with her went my prayers.
Gary went to Hawaii that summer,
to work in the pineapple fields-an experience that would help him grow up and mature, we hoped.
He knew how to work, and since his cousin Rhett had gone there before, he wanted to have that
experience. As we left him, he seemed so young and vulnerable. I wanted to turn around and
tell him once more that I loved him; to be good, and to remember his prayers. Gary has
traveled more than any of our children. He went several times to Hawaii and learned all about
pineapples! He was a great basketball player; so quick and fast. He played on the Jr. M Men
team; even went to Mexico City and brought back a beautiful trophy. Later, he went to Spain on
his mission. After he got married, he joined the Army. Laurinda joined him in Germany, and
they lived there for 2 years. Then after that, he went to Saudi-Arabia, to play his part in
the Gulf war. Now he is expecting to go to Korea in November; and how difficult it is to leave
his little family for a year! He loves Laurinda and is a caring husband and father. We are
proud of him.
On October the 8th, 1978, Jesse Malcolm
Smith was born to Tricia-a beautiful boy, and our first grandson. All was well, according to
her husband, and I was given permission to call her in the hospital. I wish I could have just
flown to her side to share this great experience with her. But that was not to be.
My life went on with many different callings in the ward. I
had the opportunity to speak at firesides-an awfully big responsibility. I have worked in the
Relief Society, Primary, and as Jr. Sunday school coordinator. For 2 Stake conferences in a
row we had Elder Mark E. Petersen as our visitor. He spent a few minutes in our Jr. Sunday
school, talking so sweetly to the children about prayer. It impressed Troy a lot. I wished I
had told Elder Petersen about my first impression of him: that very first general conference I
attended in April 1950. He then gave a powerful talk on "Be ye perfect," just about 3 minutes
long and I could understand every word of it! My English was still so limited then, as I had
been in the U.S. for only 2 weeks! He became my hero, and I still feel bad that I didn't tell
him the admiration and respect I had for him. When we feel inclined to give a compliment, we
should do it right then. How often do these great leaders hear compliments? Everyone expects
them to give great talks and be just about perfect, and just take it for granted that they give
their all to the building up of the Kingdom. I am sure it would warm their hearts to hear a
sincere compliment.
In Nov. 1979, Maurice and I flew to
Salt Lake to celebrate Mom and Dad's 59th wedding anniversary. The following year, Nov 3rd
1980, we were also present at the 60th wedding anniversary. It was great to be all together,
and especially, to have a family picture taken; because, as it turned out to be, it was the
last time that we were all together. Annie, my oldest sister, was very ill with cancer, and on
May 3rd, 1981, she passed away...after much suffering. In Dec. 1979, we again visited our
loved ones in Utah. Maurice and Rosanne had a little boy born on Dec. 11, 1979. He came by
C-section, as Rosanne had a difficult time. Matt was born with a soft palet problem, and had
to stay in the Primary Children's hospital for a week. It was special to be present at the
blessing of the baby at the home of Rosanne's parents. Four generations were present: my
parents, Maurice and I, Maurice Jr. and Rosanne, and little Matt. Maurice Jr. gave him a
beautiful blessing. As he spoke I got a glimpse of Maurice's spiritual stature; he is loved by
the Lord.
In May 1980, Gary graduated from high school.
Children leave home as fast as they come! It is hard to let our children leave home; and we
hope and pray that they have been taught well, and that they have a testimony of the Gospel,
and will desire to stay close to the Lord. Gary, only 17 when he graduated, was still so
young. In October 1980 we received a letter from him that he had decided to go on a mission.
It made me so happy. He left for his mission in Spain in Dec., 1981.
Stephen had the opportunity to spend a summer with Bob and Ricky, and study
piano under a concert pianist, Dr. Walker. He and Jonnie started a little business hauling
garbage for the town, and Steve started to save money for his flight ticket. He had a
wonderful vacation, visiting Washington D.C, among other things. While studying with Dr.
Walker at the University nearby, he made tremendous progress on the piano. He was invited to
stay for the year, but decided to come home...thank goodness!
The children are all growing up. Somewhere I read that marriage was instituted
by God because it will prepare us for Godhood better than anything else, and I agree. I have
learned so much. It is through experiencing the ups and downs, the heartaches and joys of
raising a family, that our love grew stronger and stronger. Maurice and I were always able to
share our deeper feelings with each other. Maurice is so steady and strong, and I have leaned
on him so often. My love for him grows stronger as the years go by. His commitment, love, and
devotion to me and the family and the church, is always there. He is a great example to our
children, not particularly through word, but always through example. I am grateful for the
gospel teachings. My Father in heaven is always there for me in prayer and I feel his love and
arms around me often. It is through trials that I have drawn close to God, and I love Him and
my Savior so much. I have been born of goodly parents, to paraphrase a great prophet. My
mother's search for the truth, helped me find it. I admire her strength, faith, and
determination to make the right choices; and she has been a great influence in my life.
Terry found her true love: Jack Bybee, and on May 1st, 1981
she and Jack were married in the Salt Lake Temple. Terry made her own wedding dress and looked
beautiful. As I watched her kneel at the altar, pledging her love to Jack, the years fell
away, and I saw her as my little blond baby who was healed from a hip problem through fasting
and prayer. I remembered her as the Little New Year in a kindergarten play, and as the
salutatorian in the 7th grade graduation. Her teenage years were not challenging for me,
because we enjoyed each other, and she was so thoughtful of others. And now she was getting
married. She loved her Jack...I could see it in her eyes; and Jack loved her. The Bybees had
a reception at their home in Salt Lake, and we had a lovely garden reception on May 8th here in
Dublan. Our 3rd child was now married.
Troy-our youngest
son-was baptized on his birthday, Sept.24 1981; which was another highlight of the year. Every
baptism I attend touches me, and I remember once again the thrill of my own baptism. Then, to
add to our joy, Terry and Jack had a beautiful baby boy, John Aaron, on Aug 19, 1982 in Provo.
He was the first grandson to carry the Bybee name.
After
much suffering, Patricia divorced Scott Smith, and came to Dublan to teach school and live with
us. We supported Tricia in this decision whole-heartedly. She taught 3rd grade and did a
wonderful job. We loved Jesse, and he brought a lot of sunshine into our home. As the peso
kept devaluating, Tricia decided to move to Mesa and find a good job there. Tricia is so
smart, and such a hard worker; I admired her for making it on her own. Jesse stayed with us
until she was able to care for him. When Roxy, Tricia's dear cousin, was willing to babysit
Jesse, things worked out to have him with her. How she had missed her little boy! He has
always been so protective of her, even when he was just 3 years old. There is a special love
between them, perhaps because they've been through a lot together.
I love the Christmas season. Going hunting for the best tree in the mountains
was always quite an undertaking. To find the best one, Dad would have to look at every tree.
Often we'd come home with 2 or 3 and then the tree was built in the garage to the desired
standards. Only once did we find a beautiful tree right by the roadside; but that was an
exception to the rule! We made candy, decorated the home, played Christmas music, and felt
love and goodwill in our hearts and home. On Christmas eve, after the Santa Claus party in the
ward, we would gather around the fireplace, read from Luke Chapter 2, and then listen to our
favorite story, "Hey you!". Hot cocoa and cinnamon rolls was usually our treat, and then each
one would unwrap one gift-the gift from one to another, as determined by the drawing of names.
Christmas morning, Maurice would get up very early, make a fire and then call out "Merry
Christmas!". Sometimes, the kids would already be waiting on the stairs! The opening of gifts
always took a long time, because most of them were wrapped and Maurice would hand them out one
at a time, and everyone would watch. That was a Dutch tradition that kind of carried over from
my home. Santa's gifts were not wrapped, of course, and there was always so much excitement
and happiness that morning. Later, we'd make the rounds to all our relatives, and visit each
home. Terry, Jack, little Aaron, Tricia, Jesse and Judy came home for that Christmas (1982).
That was the time that Terry and Jack brought us a cute yellow puppy, that was called "Romeo."
What a wonderful time of the year!
The peso devaluated
many times in 1982. Our "lists" for El Paso shrunk, and we tried to make do with what we could
get here. But what did we really know of sacrifice? Compared to 2nd world war experiences my
family went through, we lived like kings! We were not placed on the earth just to be wealthy
and have all the material blessings. We are here to be tried and tested to see if we will be
faithful. If we keep the commandments and trust in the Lord it will all work out.
Pat and Peter Epp moved to town. They were converts to the
Church, and wanted to live in the colonies. I feel it takes great courage to move into a small
town like Dublan and try to feel part of it. I can't help but wonder how accepted they felt.
Through Pat Epp, I became a dealer in the Bosch kitchen machines. I sold many of them, and
what a help the extra money was! Pat would bring them across the border for me in her Datsun
"Chinook". She was a very giving person, and so willing to help. The peso kept devaluating,
but with the extra income the pie making business gave and the selling of the kitchen machines,
we had sufficient. It amazes me how the Lord would open ways for us to have enough to live
comfortably. We had to pay Gary's mission in dollars. There were a couple of months that my
mother helped us, because there were no dollars in Mexico to buy. But generally speaking, we
were able to do it, because the way was opened. How many pies did I bake during my pie-baking
years? Lots and lots, until my back started to give me trouble. The sciatic nerve was
pinched, and I could not find relief with any medication. Dr. Hatch suggested back surgery,
but I felt that was not the way to go. After trying a chiropractor in Mesa, I went to
Snowflake where Mike and Eric Bowman, sons of Wesley, had a chiropractic clinic. They had
invited me to come and see if they could help me. Sister Shumway-Mary Bowman's mother-invited
me to stay with her during the treatments. The pain was so intense, I hurt all the time. What
a trial! But through Mike and Eric's tender loving care, I slowly got better. The support
that all my family showed was great. Calls from Tricia, my sisters, and mother, meant so much
to me. What a happy day when Maurice came to get me after 2 weeks of treatments. During that
time in Arizona, the peso devaluated again, the banks were nationalized, and we lost half or
our savings by having our dollar account changed into pesos. But what mattered most to me then
was to be able to be with Maurice and my family.
Temple
excursions have always been highlights in my life. With Tricia living in Mesa, we had a place
to stay, and she would make us so very welcome. It's great to go to the temple as a ward. How
great it will be in the eternities when we will all be together with friends and loved ones in
the temple! There is peace there, away from all the worldly problems and materialism. I feel
close to the Lord when I am there. Often the thought of Jan Wigger would come to me. I felt
so helpless in finding the information I needed.
In Jan.
'83, Maurice had try-outs for the musical "Oklahoma!". Steven got the part of "Will". He
learned to tap-dance and twirl a rope, to go along with his singing. He did a great job. He
wanted so much to have a part in the play instead of just accompanying on the piano. He and
Diane Wagner worked many hours to do well in the try-outs, and they both got a part!
"Oklahoma" was a great success; all the hard work, the scenery-making, and the many, many
practices, were worth it. What a neat memory for the kids who participated!
Stephen Taylor started to date Tricia. He had just gone
through a divorce, and they both knew the pain and sorrow that that brings. He was so good for
Tricia, would build her up, was always positive, and cared about Jesse.
In March, Gary came home from his mission four months early. It was not a
joyful occasion, and a most difficult time for me. But with the help of the Lord-and how I
leaned on Him!-I worked through the problem. Gary also worked through a difficult time, and as
I watch him now as a tender and loving husband to Laurinda, his best friend-who, I feel, was
prayed into his life-and as a neat Dad to his children, I have a grateful heart for the way the
Lord heard and answered my prayers.
My mother was
diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and there were times I would go to Salt Lake City to help out, so
Lauky and Paul could have a break. It was so sad to see mother lose contact with the world.
It was difficult for her too, because there for a while, she realized something was wrong, but
didn't know what. "What is wrong with my head?" she'd say. Lauky and Paul took care of both
Mom and Dad for many years. Mother did not remember who they were, or who her children were,
and she didn't even know who her husband was. She would ask me: "Who is that strange man
sitting on my couch?" After Dad passed away, on Dec. 22, 1987, Mother went into a rest home in
Salt Lake: "Joseph's Villa". She is now 93 years old, and lives in her own world. She seems
to be at peace, is cared for lovingly, and has daily visitors. We can't help but wonder why
the Lord doesn't take her home..
Steven graduated in June
1983 from the JSA . He was the valedictorian, and received a scholarship to the "Y', where he
attended for 1 semester before going on his mission. He gave a good speech, on taking
responsibility, and we were so proud of him. He has been a joy in our life. Our whole family
was together at this special event, even Gary arrived just in time! Nothing makes me happier
than to have all my children home! Just our three boys: Jonni, Bruce and Troy were now left at
home. I am grateful we had a big family! Besides attending cultural events, we now went to
football and basketball games. Both Jon and Bruce loved sports and were good at them. I tried
to learn about the rules of football-a game I still don't understand or care to understand-but
enjoy basket ball a lot more. In July we went to Utah and attended the big 4th of July
festivities in Provo! How great it is to be an American! I don't remember ever feeling such
loyalty to Holland. I love the United States and am proud to be a citizen. Then a new school
year commenced. "Do you think I can do it for another year?" my husband wondered. Only other
teachers realize what a big job teaching is-with lots of stress-and it doesn't get any easier
as we are growing older. This school year ('83-'84) Jonni is a sophomore, Bruce a freshman,
and Troy a 4th grader. My family is my life.
An important
date in 1983 was the dedication of the Mexico City temple. Maurice had been asked to prepare
several numbers with our Stake choir to sing at the dedication. We took the 3 boys and drove
to Mexico City. What a choice experience to be there and sing in the temple! A few singers
from the Mexico City ward joined us, and it was a thrill for Maurice to conduct that great
choir. As we sang the obligato on the "Spirit of God, like a fire is burning," my heart burned
also. Pres. Benson led us in the Hosannah shout; a sacred, beautiful moment. When Pres.
Hinckley spoke, he mentioned that Dad Bowman was in the unseen audience. What a great reunion
we had with all Maurice's brothers and sisters and many of their children who had come to
Mexico City for the occasion. The temple is beautiful. It took my breath away when I saw it
for the first time through the trees nearby. What a great blessing to be part of this church,
the true church of Jesus Christ!
Things were happening in
Mesa while we were in Mexico City. Tricia and Stephen decided to be married in Stephen's home
on Dec. 1st 1983. Megan Simone arrived in their family on Sept 26, 1984. Gary came to Dublan
to get me and take me to Mesa, and I was able to help Tricia for a week or so. How great her
blessings are! Stephen is so proud of her and their little family. It was great to spend some
time with her.
I taught seven 5th graders in Seminary for
1 year. It was a neat experience. Stephen received his mission call to the Hermosillo
mission. On Jan. 29th 1984, he had his farewell and left for the mission training Center in
Mexico City. In his blessing it says that through music and the spoken word he will touch
many hearts. The uncles and his Dad sang "It may not be on the mountain height" and Eric
Robinson, Troy and Sonya sang "Imagine me, a missionary". Maurice and I spoke, and Stephen
shared his feelings. It was a good meeting. When Stephen was set apart, all the aunts and
uncles and our family, even Terry and her 2 children: Aaron and little Rachel, were there!
Each expressed good wishes and appreciation for Stephen. Pres. Jerald Taylor set him apart.
Later that evening, Maurice gave Stephen a beautiful father's blessing. How deeply grateful I
feel for the Priesthood, and to see my husband exercise it, thrills me. Stephen is a fine son,
and a great example to his younger brothers. He was thrilled to embark on this exciting
adventure!
Maurice decided to put on another musical,
"Fiddler on the roof". It always amazes me how he draws talent out of those kids. He squeezes
the practices in between class-work, band performances, solo-festivals, and what ever else is
asked from him. All the scenery is made by him, and it is as beautiful as ever. He is a very
talented man, and the kids respect him and come through with flying colors. Kevin Wagner, as
Tevye, did a great job, and Joyce Brown was a terrific help with the dances. The "bottle
dance" was especially impressive, with the boys dancing while balancing half-filled bottles on
their heads. It was another feather in Maurice's cap!
I
received a new calling: the MIA maid teacher in Young Women's. It was a calling I accepted,
but with reservations: I felt very inadequate, and really wondered "Why me?". I taught for 2
years and enjoyed it more than any other calling I have had!
How grateful I am for prayer. I know that a mother's prayers have great power;
the Lord listens to mothers! I feel I have so little control or influence in my children's
lives. But prayer gives me strength and peace and draws me ever so close to the Lord.
It was an awesome experience to be present at the birth of
twins born to Charlene Bowman. It had been a long, hard 9 months for Charlene; what a
miraculous experience. I invited her to stay with us for a week or so, so she could get some
rest. The twins were number 7 and 8 for them!
For Semana
Santa, the Max Jones, Ron Jones, and Jerald Taylor families, and our family, went to Kino Bay
for a vacation. We had a great time walking on the beach, swimming, body surfing, crab
hunting, and finding pretty shells. Everyone relaxed and enjoyed themselves. Another school
year was drawing to an end. Jonni was valedictorian in the secundaria program, which only
added to our admiration of him. He is smart; especially in math and chemistry. Bro. Schill
gave Jonni the award in chemistry. Maurice was honored too, for all his outstanding work in
the music department: they gave him the only "Teacher of the month" plaque that was ever
awarded at the J.S.A. during all those years.
Steven was
doing great on his mission. He and Elder Gómez, a professional singer, put a musical
program together to tour the mission. We had permission to attend the one in Aqua Prieta. The
program had such appeal, with a variety of music, that the hall was filled with people. They
had been very successful, and received many referrals for the missionaries. Steven was
enjoying his mission, and he especially enjoyed all that work on the piano!
Gary was getting married to Laurinda Reidhead-a lovely girl
from Taylor Arizona. They had set the date for Aug.4th, Bruce's birthday. Maurice Jr. flew
down for the wedding and Terry and Jack drove down. About 3 p.m we all left from Mesa to go to
Taylor, where the wedding was taking place. We missed a cut-off and arrived barely in time for
the wedding. Tricia and Stephen had an accident, because of the rainy conditions, and never
arrived. No one was hurt, but Maurice and Judy were riding with them, so Stephen found them a
ride to Taylor, and they arrived 15 min before it was all over. We had so many problems
getting there, and I wasn't very happy with this "out-of-the-Temple" marriage. If only I had
been a little more mature and could have looked in the future and seen what a choice girl he
married, and how Gary would become a good husband and father. I learned from that experience,
and I hope my sadness didn't ruin some of it for Gary and Laurinda.
My birthday in Sept 1984 was one of the best to remember. Stephen Taylor and
Tricia were sealed in the Mesa temple for time and all eternity. It was wonderful that it
happened before little Megan was born on Sept. 26th! Stephen's parents, Carol and Denny, and
Phillip and Shannon attended with us. Tricia looked radiant and the sealing was beautiful. It
was a great occasion. We had been fasting for Terry and Jack and their ordeal in California,
and it was great to have that settled. I admired Terry's loyalty, strength, and faith in Jack.
She has certainly proven her love for him.
School
started again with Jonni as a Junior, Bruce as a Sophomore, and Troy a 5th grader. It was time
for bottling tomatoes, apples, green beans, grapes and everything else we grew. Judy started
working at Jacob Lake, and Maurice gave her a father's blessing before she left. We were
hoping it would be a good experience.
Thanksgiving was
truly a day for giving thanks. Terry, Jack, Judy, Gary and Laurinda were here to celebrate it
with us. But what brought great joy in my heart was to see how happy Gary and Laurinda were.
She is the perfect one for Gary; she was prayed into his life. Terry was expecting her 3rd
baby in April. It was so good to have her here for about 10 days with little Aaron and Rachel.
Jack drove from California and we could feel their love and devotion for each other.
Another year was drawing to an end. Christmas was
wonderful, as always, with the programs in school and church. How deeply grateful I feel for
my Savior, for His gospel, and for His church. I have been so richly blessed. As I study and
learn more, my love for Him deepens and I want so much to be worthy of His sacrifice. I love my
heavenly Father and feel deep gratitude for His plan of Salvation.
Then 1985 arrived-the year of the Centennial for the Colonies. It was a year
of celebrations, starting with a centennial ball in February. The preparations for the big
week in August started early. The whole Bowman family was present for the occasion. A
beautiful float was made with the 5 Bowman generations represented. A Bowman band represented
the 4th generation, playing on the float, and directed by Maurice. Tricia represented Mary
Gubler, her great grandmother, and Bob McClellan represented her husband, Henry Eyring Bowman.
The float was so beautiful that a picture of it was in the Church news! We had a great reunion
with many of our relatives. The fireside with Elder Fyans touched my heart. A special
Priesthood blessing was given by him to us, admonishing each one of us to draw deep from
ourselves the qualities the pioneers had; a spiritual strength. When he blessed us with
prosperity, a peace came over me. Even though we had had many trials because of the economy,
the peso devaluations, etc., I knew we would make it if we had the faith.
Another highlight of the week was going to Cd. Juarez to pick up Steven who was
released from his mission. When I saw him get off the plane, I got a huge lump in my throat.
He had served the Lord well, and we were so proud of him. There was a big banner on the
balcony to welcome him, and it was great to have him home for a few days before we had to take
him to the BYU to start that fall semester. His scholarship was activated and he started
school on my birthday, Sept 4. He hadn't been home long enough; not even enough time to report
on his mission in church! When he returned for Christmas he had that opportunity then. Again
in Utah, we watched Jonni and Jack Bybee run the triathlon: swim 1 mile, bike 42 miles, and
then run 7 miles...a grueling test of endurance. Jonnie was the youngest person to
participate. To be able to finish was a great accomplishment. I was so proud of him. Jonni
never gives up. Even when he "hits the wall," he struggles and goes on. It was a great
experience to watch him accomplish the whole thing. He worked with Jack that summer and
learned about hard work and saving money. It was to be his last year at the JSA, and Troy's
last year at the grade school. It was at the beginning of this school year, that Troy turned
12, and his Dad ordained him to the Aaronic Priesthood. In his blessing he admonished him to
be faithful, humble, and to serve Jesus.
I spent some
more time in Utah taking care of my parents. Lauky and Paul had returned from their mission in
Holland. Lauky had fallen and hurt her knee again, and was on crutches. Dad Beuk had been
ill; which added to the difficulty of taking care of them; and Lauky needed a break! It was
sad to see my parents grow old. Mother's memory was gone, and Dad didn't know what she was
talking about most of the time. They needed constant care and supervision: (Lauky caught her
seasoning the meat with "ajax"). How I admired Lauky and Paul for doing this day in and day
out, year after year. They sacrificed a lot! There were always "fringe" benefits by coming to
Utah, like visiting with the children. How I wish I could be there every time they would need
me; but they know we love and support them. Their growth comes, often, because of solving
their own problems. They also remember their dependency on the Lord more, it seems.
Mexico City had a terrible earthquake. As Mary and I were
walking that morning, Ron Jones told us that the water in the swimming pool was splashing
around, all of a sudden! We wondered why, and then heard about the earthquake. Ten thousand
people died and, as a Stake, we tried to help the victims of this terrible event, by gathering
food and clothing.
We get to see Tricia and Stephen more
often than any of our children, now that they are in El Paso. It has been wonderful to have
such a close relationship with Tricia. It warms my heart to see her happy and fulfilled. They
have a good marriage, and are the most generous and thoughtful people. We are treated so
royally whenever we visit them. Tricia is always so willing to take me around to where-ever I
need to go. Little Megan is a doll and Jesse is a little bit my boy...I love them.
Another Christmas had come, and Judy, Steven, Kenny Bowman,
Maurice and I went Christmas tree hunting, as was the tradition. Judy and Steven had come home
from Utah, and it was going to be a special time. But then, we had a traumatic experience on
Christmas 'eve. The boys had gone to the ranch with Maurice, and as he was roping a calf, the
rope wrapped around his index finger and pulled the top part of his finger off. He looked
around to see if he could find it, but to no avail. Steven and Bruce were with him, and Bruce
tried to rope the steer, but it was up to Maurice, wounded finger and all, to rope the steer
again, in order to get the first rope off it. Steven drove the truck, and they took him to the
Seguro Social emergency hospital. Needless to say the Christmas Spirit was dampened a bit.
But still he went caroling with the family that evening. He is tough. To this day he misses
his finger tip so much. It's hard to play the piano, type, and do many other little things,
without that precious finger. All in all, we had a wonderful season, with Tricia and Stephen
joining us from Tempe for New Year's 'eve. I love having my family home.
1986 arrived. Jonathan received his Patriarchal blessing on Jan 4th, and it
was a spiritual experience. Jonni was prepared, and the blessing he received contains great
promises. Brother. Turley told him afterwards that he was a great spirit. I am proud of him;
he is so stable, good, and a fine young man. I love my Dutch son!
Another trip to Utah to care for my parents and relieve Lauky and Paul for a
couple of weeks came in February. As I arrived at the Salt Lake Airport, I could see Maurice
Jr. and his little 5 year old daughter Amy waiting for me. My heart went out to him; he has so
many challenges in life. When Amy saw me she quickly told her Daddy. Rosanne, Maurice, and
Amy took me to my parent's home. Steven spent the weekend with me. He had joined the Mormon
Youth choir and would come to Salt Lake each week for the practices. It was so great to visit
with him. He has so many interests that it's hard to settle on a major! Even though I love
being in Utah, I miss my husband and children so much. When I called home tears came to my
eyes as I heard Maurice's voice. It is a sacrifice for him to let me go, and it's not easy
being a father and mother at the same time! Whenever I'm in Salt Lake, Dorothy-Maurice's
sister-and Nelle Bowman, invite me to go out for lunch with them. I don't think they knew what
a neat break it was each time, to be with them and enjoy their company. By being in Utah, I
missed the Senior Ball, Bruce's first date, Troy's camp-out, and certain problems on the ranch.
Maurice was the advisor to the Seniors, and had helped them with the decorations for the dance
and all. We have such a good life in Dublan, and are such a part of the community. Singing in
the choir, teaching the Young Women, Relief Society, and all the other activities. We need
each other, because we are like strangers in a foreign land. I believe that's one of the
reasons we pull together and are such good friends. Which ward in the church has a 90% average
attendance, 98% full tithe payers? There is here such a deep honest concern for each other,
the friends I have here are forever friends.
I always
enjoyed going to the ranch with Maurice. He is so patient with the colts we have had. What a
versatile man: a cowboy on the ranch-breaking horses even-a great gardener, a wonderful choir
director with a great love for music and with a talent to arrange music, who also translates
words of hymns and great songs into Spanish. He directs the JSA chorus and band and puts on
musicals that are the best. He draws music out of kids that can't sing and makes them love it!
Speaks Spanish perfectly, and knows how to make wistles for the kids out of willows. He tunes
pianos, and fixes the instruments for the band students. He is so very talented in so many
areas, the lists goes on and on. And the best thing of all, he loves me!
We spent the week before Easter in Mesa, and attended the beautiful pageant
"The Life of Christ" on the temple grounds. It was so impressive and beautifully done. We
attended the temple and did some shopping. Tricia gave me a beautiful Easter dress; the
prettiest dress I had ever had! Stephen took Maurice to a gun store, to see which gun he
thought was a good one. When they got home Stephen gave the "Ruger" pistol to Maurice, which
just about took his breath away! When we got home he went with the boys to try it out on the
ranch, and it was just as great as he thought it would be! That was such a generous gift. I
also feel protected to have a pistol in our home, even though I wouldn't know what to do with
it if I had to use it!
"South Pacific" was the next
musical to be presented at the JSA. Bruce was "Lt. Cable;" Jonni was "Stewpot," and they both
did a terrific job. Jonni has a beautiful bass voice, and Bruce was the tenor. It's such a
great experience for our children to perform like that. What an opportunity for the cast to
develop their talents! Maurice received so many compliments and the cast gave him a beautiful
plaque. My husband was drained, because it's so much responsibility: the scenery, directing,
lighting, etc. Joyce Brown helped a great deal with the dances, but so much of it all fell on
Maurice's shoulders. He received a special award from the "Up with people" committee from Col.
Juarez.
I love working with the MIA Maids in Young
Women's. It is neat to be involved with the youth while I have sons active in Mutual. Jonni
shared his testimony in fast meeting, and it touched my heart. Soon he will be leaving for his
mission. He is able to go right out of high school, because the Church accepts 19 year-olds
from Mexico, and because he is so mature for his age. He is a great football player, and so is
Bruce; but they love basketball best. Bruce and Jonni are such good friends. Jonni is kind of
reserved, quiet...a thinker; while Bruce loves people, dates, parties, and having a good time.
I am grateful for these great sons, and I feel they will be great leaders in the church
someday. They have learned much the last 2 summers as they worked in Park City, and lived with
Terry and Jack. Even Adrian Call spent one summer there. Jonni was ordained an elder by his
father before leaving for Utah, on May 25th, 1986. He had a chance to exercise this power when
Adrian needed a blessing. Jack has been a good influence in their lives.
Jonathan's graduation was neat. Jonni is a great son, and it will be hard to
let him go; but I know it is part of life. We should give our children roots, and then wings!
Jonni, Bruce, Troy and I flew to Utah. It was Troy's first flight, and he loved it. He loves
airplanes, and knows a lot about them. While in Utah I attended the funeral of Uncle Thel, who
was 98 years old. It was hard to leave Utah and go back to Dublan, because I love to be where
my children are; but the time is not right yet. Maurice loves Dublan, and loves to have me
there with him! And, of course, I need and want to be with him. On our way home we spent 2
days in Tempe with Tricia and Stephen. It was our Stake temple excursion. Troy and Steven had
the opportunity to be baptized for the dead in the temple, and our Steven performed 600
baptisms! Maurice and I went through sessions. It was great to be in the temple with so many
of our friends. How deeply grateful I am for the gospel! I can see the hand of the Lord in my
life. Being in the temple gives peace to my soul. I trust my Heavenly Father and all things
will work out for our best good.
When Maurice and I went
to the ranch the other day, Sapo was in the corral, we could see that he was close to dying.
Sapo has been such a good horse to Maurice for the last 20 years. It was touching to hear my
husband bid farewell to him, and I am sure Sapo understood.
Jonni received his call for the Hermosillo mission; (Steven's mission!) While
in Utah we went with Jonathan to the temple to take out his endowments. Jonni was so
attentive, it was a great experience. Then we shopped for all his clothes, and he was ready
for his mission. Adrian and Jonathan had their mission farewell together on Sept. 21. Tricia
and Stephen, and Terry and Jack were there with their families. There was a beautiful spirit
present. Jonni left Oct 11, 1986 from Chihuahua. Maurice gave his son a wonderful father's
blessing. I love and cherish those moments when I see my husband exercise his Priesthood in
behalf of one of our children.
How many special fasts and
prayers have we had for rain and wind? Innumerable! And the Lord has answered our prayers
always. Sometimes miraculously, where there would be rain only on our ranch. Living so close
to the land, makes me feel so much more dependent on the Lord, and it becomes one of the great
blessings I have. We have to trust in the Lord, and wait paitiently for Him. Sometimes
Maurice has to haul water, which is a big job. It is amazing how much water cows drink
daily!
I have taken up a new hobby: Tolepainting! It is
fun to paint and I am learning a lot of new things. I never in the world thought I could do
something like this. I have lots of projects waiting to be painted!
Beverly Call passed away on Oct 7th, 1986. She is Waldo Call's wife, and both
are friends of ours. She was only 5 months older than I am. Elders Oaks and Scott spoke at
her funeral, since Waldo is a general authority. Beverly and Waldo grew up with Maurice. It
was sobering, and yet the sweet Spirit that was present comforted all of us.
We were able to attend Jesse's baptism on his birthday, Oct.
8th, 1986. I gave a little talk, then Stephen baptized him, and Maurice had the privilege of
confirming him. It was a lovely service and so special to be there.
Bruce received a wonderful Patriarchal blessing in November. Great blessings
are in store for Bruce. He is a very spiritual person and lives close to the Lord. I'm sure
that he will be of great service in the church.
Christmas
1986 was spent in Utah, with Terry and Jack's family. Maurice had to have surgery on his knee,
and we decided to have it done in Utah. Dr. Thompson, a specialist, performed the surgery. It
was great to have Steven and Jack give Maurice a blessing. The surgery was successful, and the
knee healed quickly. Terry got her Dad a neat walking-cane! Thank goodness he only needed it
for a couple of days! Christmas was great. To be with our loved ones is the greatest gift.
We stayed with Nelle and Claudius the day of the surgery, and had a lovely dinner at Dorothy's.
Kathleen and Dale had come down from Downey to visit.
Another year has come to an end. As I look back over my life, I can see the
guidance of the Lord's hand over and over again. How grateful I am to be part of His church.
My heart is full of gratitude for those 2 great missionaries-brother. and sis. Mondfrans-who
brought the Gospel in my life. Someday I need to do for some one else, what they did for me,
and go on a mission, together with Maurice. The gospel has made all the difference in my
life.
I love my home: it is spacious and open. One of my
most favorite places is the front room with a nice warm fire in the fireplace. When I curl up
in front of it, with a book and some hot cocoa and cookies, I feel so good. Sometimes we play
games or write in our journals or just visit. I am grateful to have the TV downstairs and not
in the center of the home. When Steven is home, he plays the piano, and plays it so
beautifully. I have a great love for classical music, it feeds my soul. Christmas time fills
our home with music, and we seem to feel much closer to the Lord during that time. Our hearts
are full of gratitude for the birth of our Savior, his exemplary life, and His great love for
all of us. It makes us want to be more like Him. We should have that spirit in our hearts all
the time!
I had another opportunity to take care of my
parents in March. Mother is now 87, and she is in her own world. Dad appreciates all you do.
I used to think that when you get older, life gets easier; but watching my parents, makes me
realize that enduring to the end is the hardest part of life. Like sister Nilus Memmott says:
"Old age is not for sissies!" She is mother's age: 88. While in Salt Lake, I missed a lot of
activities in Dublan. The solo-festival was a great success and Bruce was picked to play his
french horn solo in the band concert. It was hard on me when I realized that this would be
Bruce's last year in high school.
I flew with Ron and
Lanny Jones to El Paso in their small airplane. It was a first for me in a small plane, but it
was great! Tricia was very close to her due-date and she had a very complicated birth which
turned into a C-section after being in labor for 6 hours. We almost lost Tricia. Thank
goodness for a very observant nurse! She stayed in the hospital for 5 days and we were so
happy to have her come home with a beautiful baby boy: Stephen Patrick.
What a blessing to be able to listen to conference every 6 months. It gives me
such a lift, I don't want to miss one talk! A few thoughts from the April 1987 conference are:
"Our God will always be with him who places his trust in Him." And: "The Ride through
mortality can be smooth if we are in balance. Live with joy in your hearts and do the very
best you can, every day". How these talks give me the incentive to be and do better! I am
grateful for the church leaders.
In April we went to Kino
bay with Steven, Terry and her 3 children, who had come down from Utah in Steve's "K-car." We
stayed there for 3 days, and it was fun for Steven especially, since this was part of his
mission. Terry is such a sweet, patient mother. We had a good time, but it would have been
even more fun if our Dad would have taken off his boots and long sleeved shirt and hat, and
joined in the fun!
Bruce gave me the most beautiful
tribute in our Mother's Day program. I have often said that we receive our greatest joys and
sorrows through our children. The beautiful thoughts he shared from his heart brought tears to
my eyes. How I will miss him after he graduates. At the honors assembly Bruce received the
directors award, which is a great honor. He missed being salutatorian by 3/100 of a point! It
was a great tribute to him to receive this special award. He is so well-liked and has so many
friends. He is the most out-going child we have, and loves to be around people. I feel there
are still many great things in store for Bruce.
Aunt
Lucille Taylor, grandma Bowman's sister, had a great 100 year birthday party. All of the Bowman
brothers and sisters were here to honor her, along with many, many other relatives. When you
put the Taylor and Bowman family together it amounts to many! There was a lovely program with
songs and tributes. We had a supper for the descendants of grandpa Robinson in the evening at
our home, we served about 45 people.
Bruce's graduation
was beautiful. Since Maurice has to direct the whole graduation, I get to sit right by him on
the front row. The song: "Like an Eagle" was very touching. Many of our family were there to
share in the festivities. Bruce has been such a joy to have at home. Always willing to help
with any chore; he is tenderhearted and kind; just so good all the way around. He will be
missed.
I was released from my MIA Maid class. It had
been over 3 years, and I had mixed emotions. It was such a great calling; all the girls have a
special place in my heart. My new calling is to be the work-director in Relief Society.
Tante Jeanne-my mother's sister-sent each of her nieces a
check of about $500. She had her 80th birthday on April 6th, and each of us received a present
from her! I bought beautiful sheer curtains with Belgian lace for in our front room. They
look so nice; dank je wel, tante Jeanne!
Another temple
excursion in Mesa was held in June. To go to the same session with all my dear friends: Mary
Bowman, Christine Jones, Carolyn Spencer, Jewel Bluth, Glenna Call, Renee Baum, Kelly Robinson,
Lanny Jones, etc., etc., was such a joy. Surely these friendships will last through
eternities. As Carolyn walked into the chapel the spirit whispered to me that she was my
special sister in the preexistence. Tears swelled up in my eyes, and in hers as I shared this
impression. We were the only 2 converts in the group. I truly felt His Spirit as we attended
many sessions. Troy enjoyed doing baptisms, and Maurice was with them also, helping for hours
with the different ordinances. Greg and Cathy Bowman make us so welcome in their home during
the excursions; they are great people. Greg reminds me a lot of our son Maurice.
August was filled with visits. Maurice, Rosanne, Matt, Amy,
and Tricia and Stephen and children visited. It was our 35th wedding anniversary and it was
neat to have then here with us. One of the neat moments, I thought, was when Maurice taught
Maurice Jr. how to throw a pot on the potters-wheel. Maurice put his hands over his son's and
helped him pull up a pot. Maurice Jr. just chuckled; there was a special feeling and, I
believe, Maurice came to realize how deeply his Dad cared for him. Tricia never ceases to
amaze me. Her thoughtfulness, patience, and kindness to all of us showed us that she has
become the person we knew she would be, some day. It's such a joy to see our children live the
gospel, have integrity, and develop a love for their fellowmen. No one has as big a heart as
Tricia. I've always known that she was a very special spirit, probably thousands of eons older
than I! And I admire Maurice Jr. for the great obstacles he has overcome. What a drive that
young man possesses, and how dedicated he is to his family and the Lord. The Lord has blessed
us with choice children! All the children got together, and gave us a beautiful barbecue grill
for our anniversary. We had a delicious steak cook-out!
On Aug. 21st Bruce was ordained to the office of an elder by his Dad, and
received a special blessing from him, which will help him to stay close to the Lord. We took
Steven and Bruce to Provo; back to the "Y." It will be Steven's senior year, and Bruce's first
experience in college. Bruce will go for 2 semesters and then leave for a mission. We enjoyed
staying with Terry and Jack, as always. They have a special feeling in their home, and they
teach their children in such a loving, positive way. Terry was expecting again on Dec. 1st.
Ter has pioneer blood in her veins, and can tackle any problem and come out the victor. I was
able to be with her when little Amber Danielle was born on Dec. 1st, 1987, her aunt Patricia's
birthday! What a special spiritual moment when eternities touch and a new baby is born. I
sensed Mother Bowman's presence...was it she who brought this spirit? The sacredness of it all
touched me. Judy brought the other children to see the new baby, and I was able to spend a few
hours with her. How I pray for direction in Judy's life, so that she will have more
fulfillment; more purpose. She is such a neat person with so much love and compassion.
Troy was ordained to be a teacher on Sept. 27th, by his Dad,
with the bishop-his uncle Keith-and Fletcher Memmott assisting. A great blessing was given to
him by his father, admonishing him to be faithful, humble, and willing to shoulder
responsibilities; to be honest, and keep the commandments. What a privilege to have your
father ordain and bless you by the power of the Priesthood. As members we have so many
positive helps in our lives to stay close to the Lord and keep his commandments.
Jonathan was doing great on his mission. Maurice compared
him to Paul in his Sunday school class. He shared part of Jonni's letter. We are proud of our
missionary sons. As we would go to temple excursions and drive through the town where our
Elder Bowman was working-Agua Prieta-we would leave a package for him. Once, we had the
experience of running into him! I think he felt a little guilty about it.
Late September and October is no-wind-time. The trees turn golden, the weather
is beautiful, the nights get cooler, but no-wind means no-water at the ranch. We had another
special fast asking for wind, and as we drove out to see how low the water was on the ranch, we
noticed a light, but steady breeze, that seemed to be just at the height of the windmill. The
windmill was pumping, and we offered a prayer of thanks.
Tante Coos and Oom Henk came to visit us. For 20 years it had been Oom Henk's
dream to come and see where we lived in Mexico. At the age of almost 90, they came, and I got
to know my uncle a little better. He was the man who touched my mothers heart with the
principle of baptism. He has had such an interesting life; so many different experiences,
including many heartbreaks and joys. At that time he was a temple worker in the Salt Lake
Temple. His testimony, as borne in our Sacrament Meeting, thrilled my soul. It was a great
visit. He loved the ranch, and even rode a horse! (Something he'd never done).
Oom Henk passed away on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 1988, when he was
90 years old. They had been married 65 years; and now, how lonely her life must be!
The peso devaluated again, and Maurice's wages were cut in
two again. If only the school would adjust the wages a little faster! By the time we get the
increase, there is another devaluation! How grateful we are for the calf sales in November.
Without that extra money we could not afford to live in Dublan.
Thanksgiving was a family time. Steven, Bruce, Tricia and Stephen and their
family came. Mary, Wesley; their daughters Marcia, Lisa, and Priscilla and Dave and their
family joined ours, and we had 25 people celebrating! It was truly a time of Thanksgiving to
have so many of our family here. After the festivities, I left with Bruce and Steven for Utah
so I could be with Terry when she had Amber. It was then that I had a good visit with Judy,
who had spent Thanksgiving with Ter and Jack. Judy was working with the Chamberlains in
Sacramento, California and seemed happy. While in Utah my Dad became ill. He could not
swallow anymore. He was getting so thin. Paul and Maurice Jr gave him a blessing: a blessing
of peace and that he might be able to swallow. Dad seemed to get a little better after that.
I felt that he knew the end was getting close and he was struggling to accept it. I would rub
his legs and feet with lotion, since he was retaining water and his skin was as tight as a
drum. I am grateful for the few days I spent with my Dad, because he passed away on Dec. 22nd,
1987. The funeral was on the 24th, Christmas eve. Maurice and I made a fast trip by air and
were able to be there. While traveling I wrote Dad's history which we had read at the funeral
services. I sang "In the garden", one of Dad's favorite songs. It was a closing of a door, but
I felt that he was at peace, and happy. What a comfort it is to know the plan of Salvation!
Dad often wondered if there was really a here-after. Now he knows. The work for many of his
ancestors has been done and there must have been a great rejoicing on the other side. What a
blessing it would be if mother could join him soon.
Another new year, 1988. Maurice's other knee has really been hurting him, and
so we went to see a specialist in el Paso, Dr. Heydeman. Jan. 13th was set for another knee
operation. The surgery was successful, thank goodness!
I
pondered and prayed about my calling as home-making director because I felt that we should do
more than paint pictures and make knick-knacks. I was impressed by an article in the Church
News. Each month this certain ward had a service project. With the approval of our Relief
Society president, I divided the Relief Society into 12 committees. Each committee was
responsible for a Christmas project with the poor and needy in mind. We have many poor and
needy in our Stake, and the hospitals could also use anything we'd like to share. It really
worked out well; we made many quilts. A clothing drive was sponsored by our Young Women, and
we sorted all the clothes for the different units in our Stake. The last home making meeting
we made about 10 baby quilts. Everyone felt good about accomplishing something worthwhile, and
many people were helped. It was a good project.
A big
highlight of 1989 happened in March: on March 1st, Gary and Laurinda met with us, and 5 of our
children and spouses, in the Mesa temple for their sealing. Little Ashley was 6 months old.
When she was brought into the sealing room, all dressed in white, she looked like a little
angel! When she put her little hand on Gary's and Laurinda's, it seemed like she knew what was
going on. It was a beautiful moment when they were all sealed together. Many of us shed
tears, the spirit was felt so strongly. Bruce took out his endowments that same day, and it
was special for him to be able to be there. The only ones of our family missing was Jonni-who
was on his mission-Judy, and Troy. We felt so very blessed to have so many of our children
make the effort to be there. Laurinda's parents, grandparents and 2 aunts were there also. It
was a wonderful day.
We made history this year as we were
able to watch every session of General Conference right in the comforts of our home! Brother.
Marvin Longhurst went through the big expense of buying a satellite dish and all the equipment
for the benefit of the town. Now everyone could watch conference in their homes! It always
lifts and encourages me to listen to the Authorities in the church. Their testimonies
strengthen mine, and again I feel privileged to be a member of His church.
Bruce received his mission call: our 3rd son to go to the
Hermosillo mission! He was excited, and his departure date was May 12th. We hoped that Jonni
and Bruce would be able to be companions since their missions would overlap about 4 months.
Bruce's farewell was on Mother's Day. Maurice, Bruce and I spoke. Clayton Nielsen, who was
leaving for his mission the same day, sang with Bruce, and the choir sang "Oh, that I were an
angel". What a great missionary he would make! I had been praying that he and Jonni would be
companions, and it was thrilling to receive a telegram from Jonni: "Prayers answered, faith
rewarded: Bruce will be my companion in Cd. Obregon." These two brothers have been such great
friends their whole life, and now they would have this wonderful experience together. Bruce
claims that no one had ever had a better senior companion that he did, and that he learned so
much from his brother in that one month that they were together. It was a faith promoting
experience for all of us. The Hermosillo mission is a "Bowman" mission; not just because
Steven, Jonni, and Bruce were there, but also many of their cousins served there also-at least
4 of them. The Bowman name is a powerful name in that mission; and much is expected of one who
carries that name.
Judy was still working in Sacramento
with the Chamberlain family. She enjoyed the family, and she loved living in California. For
her good work they gave her a bonus so she could buy a car! Judy was thrilled and bought a
Volkswagen rabbit. We were grateful to this good LDS family, for helping Judy so much.
This has been a summer of beautiful rains and lots of new
little calves! Maurice works hard on the ranch, putting in new posts and working with his
horses. His 15 month old colt got bit by a rattlesnake and died. It made him sad, he had such
high hopes for that colt.
We visited in Utah, and were
saddened by Claudius' condition. Claudius had Lou Gehrig disease, and it was so sad to see his
suffering. He was such a great man, and his example has influenced each of us, because he was
always so very Christlike. It was hard on Nelle, and she wished she could do more for him, and
make him more comfortable.
Troy had expressed a desire to
receive his Patriarchal blessing, and in Sept. he did receive a beautiful blessing by our Stake
Patriarch, George Turley. It will be a guide and "map" for him throughout his life. Many
wonderful promises were given, depending on his faithfulness. My blessing has helped me many
times in my life. It truly has been a guide and inspiration to me, and there are yet things to
be fulfilled.
Jonni returned from a successful mission in
the last part of September. When the plane landed in Cd. Juarez, and we saw this handsome,
tall young man come off the plane, I again felt a deep gratitude to my Heavenly Father. Jonni
had grown on his mission, in stature and spirit! His homecoming talk was inspiring and he
radiated such a beautiful spirit. Well done, thou good and faithful servant!
Terry and Jack went on a trip to Hawaii, and I took care of
the children. Terry thinks it's neat for me to be an "active" grandma, and I do enjoy taking
care of my grandchildren. It was great to have Steven and Jonni up for the weekend in Park
City. They are doing great in college. I enjoy my kids; they all have such righteous
desires, and I'm proud of them.
Judy, Steven, and Jonni
came home for Christmas; which makes Christmas joyful! We did the usual family activities,
including going caroling! Jonni was "Santa" and visited many different homes. Everyone in
Dublan thought he was the best Santa there had ever been! I love having Christmas on Sunday.
I guess it reminds me of the Dutch Christmases when we would always go to church no matter what
day Christmas fell on! It helps putting "Christ" into Christmas more, and to be able to
worship Him on His very birthday with our beautiful Dublan choir, is really special! I also
sang a solo: "The birthday of a King;" which was a scary, but neat experience! Tricia and
Stephen joined us for New Year's eve. We had a great time playing games and waiting for the
New Year to arrive. It was this Christmas that we received a wonderful gift from some of our
children: a garage door opener. Everytime I push the button to open the garage door I say
quietly "Thank you!." That door was so heavy to pull open everytime, and now I don't even have
to get out of the car!
On Jan. 10th, 1989, we received the
sad news of Claudius' passing. Even though we were somewhat prepared for it, it came as a
shock. Mary, Wesley, Troy, Maurice, and I left for the funeral the next morning. It was a
beautiful and inspiring service. He had lived an exemplary life; had served the Lord in many
capacities; and now he was called home. All his brothers and sisters were there and so were
all of our children living in Utah. All his brothers formed a quartet and sang "Oh Home
Beloved."
Another musical was getting ready to be
presented, "The Sound of Music!". I admire Maurice for having the vision and talents to make
such a presentation so successful. I sang in the nuns chorus, which was wonderful! Troy took
the part of Friedrich-one of the Von Trapp children. Ron and Lanny Jones bravely loaned
Maurice their beautiful crystal chandelier, and Ron helped to hang it on the stage, so it could
be raised and lowered at the right time. No one knows what Maurice goes through to make these
musicals a thing to be remembered! His patience is unbelievable and so is his dedication. He
is such an artist. Nelle, Dorothy, Kathleen and 2 of her daughters also came down for this
event. I had back-problems again, it must have been the stress. The many hours of work and
practice were all worth it in the end, because it turned out to be one of the best musicals
ever put on by the JSA. The cast came through with flying colors! It thrilled me to see their
appreciation for Maurice, and again they presented him with a beautiful plaque.
Tricia and Stephen presented us with a very special gift: 2
tickets to fly to Germany so we could be there when Gary and Laurinda had their second baby in
July. It about blew us over! What an exciting thing, to be with Gary, and to travel to
Europe! We would be leaving the 3rd of July and come back the 29th. I was SO excited!
On April 13th, 1989, the ranch burned up, again. We had had
many fires before; in fact, it was a standing joke at choir practice, that all were invited to
a "fire-side" at the Maurice Bowman ranch. But this time it was really bad. As Naoma and I
drove to the ranch to see what damage there was, it was devastating, and I just cried. All
that beautiful tall grass...gone! Maurice, Jonni, Troy, and Keith, worked like Trojans to put
it out, but the wind would just pick up, and it would start the fire up again. Everything was
so dry, that in about 30 min, 3/4 of the ranch was burned up...all because of a carelessly
thrown cigarette butt. When Maurice and the boys came home, all black and so discouraged, I
asked: "Now what?" If only the rains would come..
To
attend Steve's graduation from BYU was a great experience. What zeal for learning these young
people have! Steven was accepted at BYU Law school, which would be his next goal. We were so
proud of him! The whole family went out to eat and celebrate. It was a thrill to have so many
of our children and their spouses there. On the way back to Mexico we stopped in Snowflake, so
Mike Bowman could work on my back. That sciatic nerve problem hurts, and I wanted to feel good
so I would be able to enjoy our trip to Europe!
Maurice
received many honors and ovations at the honors assembly at the JSA , since Maurice had
announced his retirement. The words of the song: "More than music", were written beautifully
by Michelle Call and were presented to him. They even called me up and gave me a bouquet of
roses! This time we received a standing ovation! People really showed their appreciation for
Maurice. His last year of teaching was filled with concerts and plays, with lots of neat
opportunities for the kids to develop their talents. Now we were going to start a new era in
our life, it would be a big change!
Aunt Lucille passed
away June 7th, 1989. She was 102 years old. Mary and I had visited her just the day before,
and we could tell her time was close. It was a blessing for her to go. Her life was a life of
service, great service. She taught school till her 80th birthday! She taught my husband in
first grade, and our Judy was her student in her last year of teaching!
The long awaited date arrived, and Maurice and I left on the big trip to
Europe. This trip would never have happened if it werent for Stephen and Tricia's generosity.
I believe that they were also an instrument in the hand of the Lord, because as soon as I knew
about this wonderful trip, Jan Wigger came to my mind. It had been a long time since I had
thought of him, but now the feeling to find his grave and the information needed, came in full
force to me. Jan had been waiting for so long. The flight was an experience in itself! After
spending time with Gary and Laurinda, and welcoming the beautiful baby boy- Casey Brent-into
the world on July 7th, we took off for a trip to Holland. We had rented a little red
Volkswagen Golf, and driving on those autobahns was great fun: no speed limit...just move over
for the big Mercedes Benz's and other cars which would zoom by, going 120 miles an hour! I
enjoyed the other roads more, because we were better able see the small villages, and the
beautiful countryside. We'd look for "Zimmer frei" signs each late afternoon, and find a "bed
and breakfast" place to stay. We met people from different countries, and had a great time
remembering our German. We loved Austria the most, but Switzerland ran a close second. We
went through the temple in Frankfurt, Germany, and also in Zolikofen, Switzerland. We were
awed by the Alps and the many castles. But our trip to Holland was the highlight for me. I
felt my roots, and was proud to be Dutch. We visited with my only living aunt, Tante Jeanne,
in Hilversum.
Looking for the information we needed for
Jan was the best part. I even had a hard time remembering the name of the little town where
the Wiggers lived! As I looked at a big map of Holland with the thousands of little towns, I
said a little prayer, and "Kloosterhaar" just seemed to jump out at me on the map. I knew I
had received divine help. Finally, we arrived in the little town, and many memories flooded
over me. After asking around we found the cemetery. Another sincere prayer was offered, and
Maurice and I went down different lanes to find the grave. We knew Jan had died in 1945 and
was born in 1929. "I found him!" I heard my husband exclaim. There was his grave, a small
wooden marker, barely legible, right next to his mother's. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I
knew this was the one. We sensed Jan's presence as we took down the information on his and his
mother's grave. In January 1990, Maurice and I did the work for Jan, his mother, his
stepmother, and his grandparents, in the Mesa temple. It was a spiritual occasion, and Jan's
long wait was over.
We came home from Europe to a robbed
and violated home. Many precious things had been stolen, and the odor in the house was
terrible. Luckily, Judy had arrived a day or two earlier, found the mess and, with help from
Aunt Mary and others, had cleaned up a great part of it all. The worst part was the dark, ugly
feeling we felt in our home. It wasn't so much the many things that were stolen or destroyed
that bothered me, as much as the evil feeling I felt. I couldn't sleep, and I felt violated.
At 3 in the morning I asked Maurice to give me a priesthood blessing, and it was then that
peace entered into my heart. I felt as if there was now a protection around me, and bad things
could not hurt me anymore. How thankful I am for the priesthood my husband honors so he could
extend that blessing to me. I was able to put the whole thing behind me and forgive the young
girl that came to our home with the make-up she had stolen. (The police had told her to take
it back!) She was the only one of the 20 or so people and kids that had been in the house over
a period of a couple of weeks. A video was made of what our house looked like, but we never
wanted to see it. We had to buy new carpet in the bedroom, and we threw away the furniture in
the playroom, it smelled so bad. (Apparently they had used it as a bathroom). Tricia and
Stephen again showed their love and concern by showering us with the things we needed. Jonni
came home to help, everyone called, and we could feel the strength of the prayers of all our
friends. It was a trial, but out of each trial comes forth a blessing. I felt Heavenly
Fathers arms around me again, sustaining me through this ordeal. I realized that material
things are only "mortal," and life can go on without a lot of the so-called necessary things!
When we would find things we thought were lost, it would feel like a gift...like finding the
Christmas ornaments I had painted! How I valued the sincere friendship and concern of my
friends. It's the eternal things that matter: the love Maurice and I share, and the love we
feel within the family; and the power of prayer. My testimony grew stronger through this awful
experience, and I know that the Lord loves me. After it was all over and the hurt was gone, I
felt a little like Job. So much was taken away, but we received more than that which was lost!
I stayed at Tricia and Stephen's for a few days while
they took a trip and I really enjoyed the children. They are such good kids, and Jesse and I
just have a special bond. He has a place in my heart... my oldest grandson.
Since Maurice was retired we were able to go to Utah when
Terry's little Natessa Rene arrived. A precious, good natured baby to bring more love into
their family. Terry is so patient, and takes time for her children. There is a great spirit of
love in their home, and a deep caring for each other. Troy managed at home alone. We didn't
do this very often, but he was a good sport. We have been blessed with very special spirits!
Steven was loving Law school, even though it was very challenging. I am always touched by
Steven's thoughtfulness: He remembers occasions in a special way, and I really appreciate
that. I knew the Lord would bless him to find that special girl he was looking for!
Jonathan, too, is very sensitive and so unselfish; always
ready to help everyone. The Lord must be pleased with him. He started at the "Y" on block.
Bruce was now a zone-leader. He loves people, enjoys being around them, and that's why he is
so dedicated to the missionary work. Just 6 1/2 months and he would be home. It's hard for me
to realize that these wonderful children of mine are now adults. I remember the song that
tells us that our children are "just a loan" from Heavenly Father. I have learned so much from
them, and they are a joy to me, especially seeing them as parents. They are teaching their
children what we tried to instill in them. What wonderful knowledge we have that families can
be eternal! Being a mother is such a great responsibility, and it has taught me so much, and
made my life meaningful. It is the greatest blessing to be a mother in Zion!
It was Christmas time again, and Judy drove straight through
from Sacramento to be with us. Steven and Jonni did the same from Provo, and having them home,
made Christmas. The ward had a special "Night in Bethlehem" program. Maurice made stalls, an
inn, and a well in the "plaza," (the cultural hall). Everyone came costumed as Bethlehem
people, to be taxed. Mary and Joseph arrived on a real donkey, traveling to the inn, only to
find it full. The stage was the stable, and the beautiful Christmas story was read from the
bible. There were shepherds, angels, wise men, all singing the beautiful Christmas songs, what
a wonderful touching program!
On Jan. 25th 1990, Tricia
had a beautiful baby boy, Jordan Alexander. It was so neat to be there and hold that brand-new
baby. Since it was a C-section, Tricia stayed for 5 days in the hospital. I had fun with the
kids, and they were so excited to have a new baby in their home. On Feb. 2nd, Maurice and Troy
came to get me. I wished I could have stayed longer, but I was also needed at home. Thank
goodness for Tricia's maid, Luz!
On Feb. 25th, the
Colonia Juarez Stake was divided, and the Colonia Dublan Stake was created with Pres. Carl Call
as Stake President. Maurice was called to be the Exec. Secretary. Our Dublan ward choir sang
the stirring song "Oh, Divine Redeemer" which Maurice had translated into Spanish. Elder Scott
was our visitor. History was made!
My sciatic nerve
started to bother me again, and after spending some time in El Paso, visiting a
chiropractor-who did not help me-I went with Pam and Chris to see Mike in Snowflake again.
While there, I had some exciting calls from Jonni! The first call was to tell me that he had
met THE girl of his dreams, and the second call was to tell me the wedding date! He planned to
bring her home so we could meet Donna Andersen, and also so he could be there to welcome Bruce
home from his mission!! My back was really troubling me. Maurice and Steven gave me a
Priesthood blessing and strange things happened in my back. It would pop in different places
and each day I felt better. I was able to sit and sew my dress, and make preparations for the
wedding. I had received a heavenly adjustment; praise to the Lord! Bruce gave a wonderful
home-coming talk, and his enthusiasm touched the audience. The choir sang: "Well Done, Thou
Good and Faithful Servant," and I felt the Lord's approval for Bruce.
Jonathan and Donna's wedding was beautiful. Brother Smith, the sealer, gave
wonderful advice; Fern Andersen and I were asked to offer prayers; and the fathers were asked
to express their love for their children. I felt that loved ones from the other side were
present. To see a couple, so wholesome and clean, kneel at the altar and be sealed for all
time and eternity is always a powerful ceremony. After a wedding breakfast, we got ready for
the reception in Mesa, at which, Dad and the boys sanga quartet. Then, the rush home to have
another in Dublan! It was a beautiful evening, with no wind. Our front yard looked so pretty,
with the lights in the pyracantha heart, and the Joshua tree in full bloom. Jonni wanted
banana-splits for refreshments, and they went over big. We had a lovely time!
Steven spent the summer in Mexico City, taking classes in
Mexican law; Troy went to Mesa to work, and Judy was in Houston, attending a flight-attendant
school for Continental Airlines. She was excited about the prospect of flying-a dream she'd
had for years. When she graduated, we flew to Houston to attend the graduation. She looked so
beautiful in her uniform, we were proud of her, and of her great accomplishment! Her first
assignment was to be based in Cleveland. There was a great benefit for us as parents: we could
fly on stand-by anywhere in the U.S. for $10 each! We took great advantage of that and flew
many times to Salt Lake City, and even to Hawaii for a week vacation! I attended "Education
Week" for the first time, and loved it, attending lots of classes together with Lauky, my
sister. She has such a thirst for learning, and it was great to share thoughts on what we
learned. I love my Dutch family, but unfortunately, have not been able to spend much time with
them through the years. Lauky kiddingly told me that I was 75% Bowman and 25% Beuk. Well, I
enjoyed being a "Beuk" for a few days. The four days were uplifting and I felt stimulated.
Steven, Bruce, and I went to "The Fiddler on the Roof" at Sundance! I really enjoyed my stay
with Steven. We have great kids.
I visited mother again,
and saw how her body is so old and feeble. I am sure the veil is thin for her, because she
seems to be at peace. Her mind is lost somewhere, not remembering anyone or anything; just
waiting for the time she will join her loved ones on the other side. I thought of her life:
how she lived for her family, her children, and her husband. She loved the Lord, and made
great sacrifices in her life. I still feel a bond with her, because that bond is eternal. I
hope I can pattern my life after hers, and give and serve as she has. I love her.
Sept. 4, 1990: I turned 60 today. That sounds old, but I
don't feel old. Lauky's favorite saying is that old is 15 years older than you are! I like
that! It's proof that our life here on earth, measured in the Lord's time, is only a drop in
the bucket, because our spirit doesn't age that much in 60 years. I have been abundantly
blessed. I feel so grateful for the Lord's guidance in my life.
To be able to fly for so little was something we took advantage of! Ansje's
son Michael had his missionary farewell on Sept. 23rd, and it meant a lot to Ansje to have us
there, along with the family members. Maurice, Steven, Bruce, and I sang together at the
farewell. Michael will make a good missionary.
We had
another big fire on the ranch. As Naoma and I got closer we could see the big black cloud
above the ranch. The fire had started a 1 p.m., and for 3 hours, Keith, Maurice, and others
had been fighting the fires. As the wind would shift, sparks would fly into the beautiful tall
dry grass and the fire would take off again. At least 70% of the ranch was black. The poor
cattle didn't know where to go. Keith offered to move them to his ranch, and so did Jerald
Taylor. I have never seen Maurice so tired. He was sick to his stomach with tiredness and
hopelessness. As we prayed together that night we still had blessings to be grateful for, and
we even slept well. We would have to sell a lot of the cattle.
After an enjoyable Christmas, with Steven and Judy flying in for 2 days, we
wondered what the new year of 1991 would bring. Maurice was enjoying being retired, and always
had so many things to do on the ranch and with his Church responsibilities. Gary left Germany
for Saudi-Arabia, leaving his little family there, hoping it wouldn't be for long.
Tricia and Stephen gave us a satellite dish! At first we
didn't think we wanted one, but oh, what a neat thing to have! Maurice, Troy, and Marvin
Longhurst put it up. Maurice loves to watch golf and tennis, and there is such an opportunity
to enjoy many channels! We would now be able to watch all the programs the church puts
on...and think of conference! I believe we will enjoy this great generous gift beyond
description!
Maurice applied to be the director of the
Dublan Grade school, and was promptly hired. It was to be an awesome responsibility, and so
different of just teaching! But, he thought, if I could just work a year or two more, we would
be in a more favorable condition, financially. Also, he was a little intrigued with the
challenge. We also needed a new car, and the interest in the bank had been dropping, so we
weren't making as much to live on. We were praying for rain on the burned out ranch, and
trusted in the Lord to help us, knowing that He knows our needs.
Boyd and Della Fenn came to visit Dublan. They are life-long friends of
Maurice's, and we have kept in touch through all the years. Boyd's sister Beula McNeil had her
80th birthday and it turned into quite a celebration. We had an open house for her here at our
home. Boyd and Della had been on 2 missions and were ready to go on another, (although they
couldn't tell us at the time), to be the president of the MTC in Guatemala. It was great to
have them in our home for a week. They got us all excited about going on a mission!
We did have a good rainy season that year, and never had the
ranch looked any prettier. Where it was burned the grass came up thicker and healthier. The
cattle looked great, and we felt blessed, once again. Troy graduated from the J.S.A. Our
youngest son was now ready to leave home. It was hard for me to let him go-our last one-but
he was excited. He got accepted at UVCC in Provo, and was looking forward to that new
experience! He was planning to live with Bruce in the "Elms," and with Steven in Provo too, I
should not worry too much. He is a neat young man who has his head on straight.
Maurice started his big job at the grade school . It is
interesting to note that of the children that were attending the school, around 250, quite a
few were the children of the parents whom Maurice taught at the JSA. They respect Maurice and
know of all his accomplishments at the JSA. There was a lot to learn in this new job! It was
not only being the director, but also keeping up the furnace, and all the other things that
make a school tick! He also started a chorus of the 5th and 6th graders, which performed on
several occasions, very successfully. He changed to school colors to navy blue and gold; chose
"Eagles" as the school logo, started the "Honor-Eagle" program, installed a new sewer line,
installed 2 new gas furnaces, and had many other accomplishments. The second year he took over
the advanced Band, and people have said it was the best, ever!
Again, for about 6 months, I had suffered with the sciatic pain in my back and
leg. We decided to see a neuro-surgeon, Dr. White, in El Paso. He thought that if the
situation did not get better with bed rest and lots of ibuprofen, an operation would be the
answer, (to remove a spur that might be floating around the nerve). Well, with no insurance, I
decided to give the bed rest a very good try. I stayed at Tricia's for a week, and when I felt
a slight improvement, Maurice came and got me. It is such a penetrating pain that cannot be
relieved by just any pain reliever. Slowly my condition improved.
Another trip to Utah was coming up: for Steven's graduation from Law school.
Tricia and Stephen let us use the Grand Marquis car, so I could be more comfortable. And what
a "floaty" car it was! We were so proud of Steven for this great accomplishment. He had a job
waiting for him with a firm in El Paso where he clerked the summer of '90. He planned to come
home and study for the Texas bar exam to be taken during the summer. Stevens future looked
very bright.
Another very traumatic thing happened on the
2nd of May. Maurice was trying to take Max Jones' stallion to our ranch so Blaze, his mare,
could be bred. The stallion was mean and smart and while Manuel and Maurice were driving him
toward the corral he charged Maurice and bit him in the thigh, pulling him off his horse. He
came home, his pants all bloody and torn, and calmly asked me to take him to the emergency room
at the Seguro Social hospital. I gasped when I saw the bite, with the flesh torn open; it was
a huge wound. They took him in right away, and he was in surgery for 1 1/2 hours, because a
vein was torn and a muscle had to be repaired. When under the anesthesia-a spinal block-he
felt a warm feeling coming from his neck up to his head, soon he could not see anymore, but he
did hear the heart monitor going into high speed...he felt he was dying, as the darkness
started to envelop him. He then prayed, a shot was given, oxygen administered, and he came to
again. That was even scarier than the surgery! Steven gave his Dad a Priesthood blessing. It
would take a long time to heal, and there were many stitches in his leg; but the worst part was
that he was given excessive doses of antibiotics-to ward off any infection-and he got a
terrible case of diarrhea which lasted for weeks. Dr. Verdeja came and checked on him each
day. The wound was healing nicely, but Maurice was losing weight and had no energy. I
pictured my life without Maurice and I was not ready for that! I needed him, his love, his
calming influence and steadiness. The doctor changed to a more powerful medicine and slowly he
began to improve. All this while he had 12 student teachers from BYU in his grade school
doing their student teaching!
On May 29th, Steven,
Troy, and I went to El Paso. Steven had to get his tapes and books at Tricia's to study for
the bar exam. We were hurrying home to go to Mary Ann Wagner's wedding reception; it had
rained and, while passing a big bus, we hit water on the road and hydro-planed. Steven lost
control of the car, and we rolled over 5 times...a terrible car accident. We had our seatbelts
on, and that saved our lives. About 5 min. after the accident, our neighbors, Margie and Jesus
Que,vedo, drove up and found us. Steven's BMW was totaled; Troy's hand was cut badly, and my
arm and back were hurt. I was very bruised, and had a cut on my head. The Quevedo's took us
to the border and from there we went in an ambulance on to Deming. After many X-rays, we found
that nothing was broken, but that I had a bad whiplash and no feeling in my left hand. Steven
was fine, except for a cut of two. As soon as Maurice received the news, he rushed out to
Deming; and Tricia and Steven arrivved the following morning. It was a blessing that all this
happened within 50 miles of the border, so that the insurance would cover the expenses. I felt
so bad for Steven: his pretty BMW was no more. There was an outpouring of love in Dublan, and
delicious meals were brought in. There was so much support and love from our friends: I had
foot rubs, massages, visits and more visits. Our town is like a big family, and the interest
and caring healed not only the physical aches but the emotional feelings as well!
On June 9th, Terry gave birth to a beautiful baby
boy-Michael Bowman Bybee-after a very long and hard labor. We wanted so much to be with her,
but it just was not possible. Now they have 2 boys and 4 girls, and I am so happy for them.
The first of our two trips to Utah that summer was to attend
the Bowman family reunion, in July. Wesley, Mary, Maurice, and I flew to Salt Lake for that
ocassion. We had a lovely time, because all of us were there; even Bob and Ricky had changed
their minds, and had come from Illinois. On Saturday we had a meeting for all the descendants
of Henry Eyring Bowman, Maurice's grandfather. It was fun seeing the cousins we had not seen
for a long time, and meeting others we had never met.
We
also celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary with our children in Salt Lake. All of us went
out to a lovely dinner. Maurice surprised me with a beautiful ring. Also, during the day we
went car shopping, (cars in Mexico are so expensive) and to make a long story short, after
sleeping on it and thinking about it, we bought a '91 Chrysler, brand new, for $15000, to be
picked up when we'd come for Steven's wedding, two or three weeks later. It was at this time
that we were privileged to attend the blessing of Ter and Jack's new baby boy, our newest
grandson, that we all called Bo. It was held in their home; the Bybees were present also, and
there was a beautiful spirit present. We are so impressed with the love that radiates in their
family. These grandchildren will probably be here when the second coming of our Savior will
take place. They are very special spirits, and we sense their greatness. We try to go to the
temple when we are close to one, and this time we attended the temple with most of our Bowman
relatives. Shelley-Wesley and Mary's daughter-was getting married, and it was great to be
together in the temple with so many of our loved ones. As we were waiting for the session to
start, I read in 3rd Nephi about how the people came forth and touched the Saviors hands and
feet, one by one. It touched me deeply. These people had been through a lot, but because they
were the more righteous, they had been spared. How righteous am I? Will I be worthy to be
there when He returns again? I have not seen or touched Him, but I know that He is my Savior
and Redeemer. The Spirit has testified this to me, and this testimony is a priceless
possession.
I love this time of the year. The crepe
myrtle tree is like a great purple bouquet of flowers. The summer rains have come and
everything is fresh and green. I thank my Father in Heaven for the beauties of nature. I
sometimes feel his love as a warm blanket around me. So much has been given to me, and truly
His gospel is a message of peace. If only the world would accept His truths, peace would
reign, and there would be trust and understanding. I long for the Millennium to come.
Amy Trent, a girl Steven had been dating in Provo, decided
against going on a mission, as was planned. She had been sorting out her feelings concerning
Steven and knew of his love for her. When she called to tell him how much she had been
thinking about him, he sent her 2 dozen red roses, and soon after, Steven hopped on a plane
and visited with her and her parents in Milwaukee. When we picked him up at the airport in El
Paso, he had a big grin on his face, and he just glowed. Amy and Steven had set the date for
their wedding to be Aug. 21; and I had never seen my Steven happier!
On Aug. 21st Stephen and Amy were married for all time and eternity. Steven
had been nervous, but Maurice gave him a fathers blessing early in the morning and that seemed
to help. The sealing room was filled with loved ones and friends. Amy looked radiant, and
Steven happy. As I looked around and saw all my children (but Gary and Laurinda) there,
gratitude filled my heart for them and their faithfulness. A lovely luncheon was served in the
Carriage house, across from Temple Square, and our four boys: Steve, Jonni, Bruce, and Troy
sang a couple of beautiful male quartet numbers, as the guests were having their dessert. Amy
accompanied them on the piano. Later, Amy sang "Evergreen" to Steven. She has the clearest,
most beautiful soprano voice; and what a beautiful couple they make! On the 29th we had a very
successful reception in Dublan. On my birthday, Sept 4th, we flew to Milwaukee to meet Amys
relatives, and attend the beautiful reception there. That was the end of a very event-filled,
expensive summer!
Troy received his mission call to
Monterrey, Mexico, and was really pleased. He'd be leaving the 1st of Oct., 1992. He took out
his endowments on Aug 20th, the day before Steve and Amy's wedding.
Troy's farewell was on Sept. 20th. Steven and Amy, and Tricia and Stephen,
came to Dublan for the occasion. Troy had asked Tricia, his favorite sister, to speak, and Amy
to sing. Tricia and Troy really get along, and seem to have a lot in common. The choir
performed, and Troy sang the solo part in the song "Here am I". Dad and I spoke, of course,
and Amy sang "Called to serve the Master." It was a beautiful meeting. On the 27th, Troy was
set apart by Pres. Carl Call, and was ready to start this new adventure in his life. As we
watched him walk to the airplane, Maurice and I both got teary-eyed; he looked so young and
vulnerable. Troy told us that this was 10 times harder than leaving for Provo! We prayed that
the Lord would keep him in the hollow of His hand.
Oct 5,
1992 was a Red-letter-day in our lives. Maurice had applied for American citizenship, claiming
the right (after all these years) through his parents...and it was granted to him. He had
never thought it possible, since Dad Bowman had naturalized as a Mexican citizen just before
Maurice was born. But since Keith had gotten the necessary records together: birth, marriage,
death, etc., and had been granted a certificate of citizenship himself, Maurice thought it was
worth a try; and the miracle occured! Our next thought was: now if we could somehow get U.S.
Social Security with Medicare, that would be the icing on the cake!
I received a new calling in the Relief Society: as chorister. The Lord expects
all of us to stretch, and this is stretching for me. Leading the music in Primary is quite
different from having the music in Relief Society. I will do my best.
Bruce, Steve and Amy, Jonni and Donna, Gary and Laurinda, and Judy came home
for Christmas. And, as was our tradition, we went caroling. As we left the Taylors front
porch, I missed my step and had an awful fall, which messed up both my ankles. It was very,
very painful. For 2 weeks I was in bed, the only way I got around is by crawling. It kind of
put a damper on the Christmas season. Everyone helped, and we still managed to have a good
time.
Our dear cousin and friend, Marion Robinson, passed
away. He died after family members prayed that he might be released from the terrible pain
caused by cancer. He was our Patriarch, and was loved and admired in the community, so it was
a very large, nice funeral. Maurice had arranged some music for the choir: one song had been a
favorite of Marion and Marenes: Goin Home. It was beautiful and just what the family wanted.
I have a very talented husband. It's kind of sobering when people our age pass on to the other
side. We never know when our time will come..
1993: the
year of changes in our life. The biggest, drastic one is that we sold the ranch in March.
After much deliberation and prayer we felt that we should join in with Donn and Keith, who
wanted to sell, and sell our part, too. We felt good about selling to Isidro Payan, who is an
honest man, and a good neighbor in our town. We sold everything: cows, horses, and even the
new solar pump Maurice was going to install to pump the water. Isidro would be making payments
(in dollars) over the next 5 years...a long time! Then, Maurice turned in his resignation in
July to the school board. He did not agree with the many changes the board wanted to make. It
was another big decision.
Bruce also made a big decision
in his life: he and Lastenia Berrío decided to be married. Lastenia is such a lovely
girl; it will be great to have her in our family. They got engaged on her birthday: April 9th,
and set the date for June 2nd in the Jordan temple. Bruce had brought Lastenia down to Mexico
to meet us in Feb., and spent Valentine's day here. I liked Lastenia from the very first time
I met her, and I know shes just the right girl for Bruce! In April, Bruce graduated from the
"Y" and received a scholarship from the U of U for his MBA studies for the next 2 years. Many
of the family were present for that occasion. We enjoyed visiting and making plans for our
next trip to Utah in June for the wedding. Lastenia made her beautiful wedding dress herself,
at her home in Bellevue, Washington, while Bruce helped his Dad paint the kitchen and put up
wallpaper in our home in Mexico. The wedding was beautiful, and we had a lovely wedding
breakfast with many friends and family; then off to Dublan for the reception there. The
Berrío's rented a car and traveled along with us. Tricia and Stephen had a lovely
cook-out for us all, when we arrived in El Paso, where we spent the night before going on to
Dublan. The reception was great: so many people came and celebrated with us. The
guitarristas did a wonderful job singing, and Hugo-Lastenia's father-especially enjoyed them.
After that, we traveled to Seattle and attended the beautiful garden reception there. Everyone
was so friendly, and made us feel at home. What a gorgeous place; so green and pretty. It was
great becoming acquainted with that area, and especially getting to know Lastenias family. We
even had a chance to visit the Portland temple on the way home, and go through a session there.
It was a busy, wonderful summer.
It's fun to be retired!
To be free to go when we want to go anywhere! So when Jonni and Donna had a beautiful daughter
on Oct. 1st 1993, we were off to Utah again! Donna's labor was difficult, and the baby had to
be taken C-section. Little Johanna looks just like her Daddy! It was so nice to spend a week
in their home, trying to be of help. And it was great to attend the blessing of the baby, and
hear Jonni give her a wonderful blessing. He is a spiritual giant. Jonni is so smart; he does
well in school and it is miraculous what he did to the old home they bought! The fixing,
painting, putting in of bathrooms, etc., are all skills he has acquired; and I think hes of
pioneer stock!
Since no one was coming home for
Christmas this 93, we decided to go where the action would be, Salt Lake City! We stayed with
Terry and Jack, and there was Christmas all around! Christmas morning with children is always
great fun! It was so wonderful to be with everyone: Bruce and Lastenia had stayed overnight,
and Jonni and Donna came Christmas day. Maurice and Rosanne had Christmas dinner with us all,
and it was a wonderful day. Temple Square was all lit up, and beautifully decorated. We also
attended Michael Blanchards wedding on the 27th, and had a lovely dinner at Lauky and Paul's,
so all the family could meet Ralph Telford, Tina's future husband! On the 28th we started
proceedings to buy Mother's home from Lauky and Paul. It makes me feel so good, and I feel
that the hand of the Lord was in that decision! Bruce and Lastenia were to live there as long
as Bruce would still be in school, or working there in Salt Lake. The deal was all finalized in
April 1994.
Gary came to visit and told us of his
transfer to Ft. Hood, Texas. He had signed up for 4 more years, and would be stationed there.
He and Laurinda bought a brand new home in Copperas Cove-a town near the base. Gary also told
us of his assignment to go to Korea for 14 months, on what they call a hardship tour. He would
leave Nov 4th, 1994. Copperas Cove is about a 3 hour drive from Dallas, where Steven and Amy
are now living.
On March 1st, 1994 little Lauren Michelle
was born to Steve and Amy. We took a flight to Dallas and shared in this wonderful event. Amy
is such a sweet little Mom: so caring and loving. It made us so happy to see how in love Steve
and Amy are, and what great joy this little one brought into their lives! We also attended the
blessing of Lauren by Steven in the ward. Amy's parents came also for the event, and we had a
lovely dinner at the home of some relatives of the Trents.
On May 18th another grandchild joined our family-little Daniel Lourens-Bruce
and Lastenia's son. Lastenia's mother would be helping her for a week or so, so we planned to
go for the blessing. Mary and Wesley drove up with us, because their Sonya was getting married
the 10th, in the Jordan temple. We decided to stay for that, and spend a few days in the
temple, doing names for our Beuk relatives. It is so neat to see our children in action as
parents! Bruce gave little Daniel a beautiful blessing. Jonni, Jack, Maurice Jr., Maurice,
Bruce, and Paul stood in the circle. Testimonies were shared that special day, including mine,
and our hearts were filled once more, with gratitude for our many blessings.
On Sept 6th, 1994 Troy returned from a very successful
mission in the Monterrey mission, and we picked him up at the Cd. Juarez airport. Tricia and
Stephen and little Jordan, were there with us to welcome him, too. What a thrill to see our
youngest son walk off the plane with a big smile on his face! We are so proud of him, and so
is the Lord, Im sure. Troy gave us a very special plaque, on which he had engraved the most
beautiful tribute to his parents. Just 5 days later, we took him to Utah to start a new phase
in his life. We met his mission president-Pres. Flake-who could only tell us good things about
Troy. He is now attending the U of U. in Salt Lake City.
And so life goes on...hopefully I will have another 30 years to add onto this
story! I feel the Lord has directed my paths throughout all of these first 64 years. How
wonderful is His perfect love for his children; and it is so very personal! I have a great
testimony of the Lord's goodness to me. I have felt forgiveness for sins; I know He is there
to dry our tears, and that He will heal us if we are willing to repent. I have felt his
approval when right choices were made, and joy would fill my soul. I love my heavenly Father
and His Son. I feel that the gift of the Holy Ghost is the greatest gift extended to each of
us. Through Him we will know without a doubt that the Gospel is true and that Jesus Christ
stands at the head of this, His church. My testimony is like a pearl of great price to me,
priceless above all. It is more precious than anything else I could share with you. It is the
very best gift I could give to each of you. I love you.