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.