Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Sewing

1960's Womens Pattern    I became enthused about sewing, now that I had three granddaughters.  I visualized making all their clothes, so Jess bought me a sewing machine.  I took two different sewing classes.  Double knit fabric was new on the market.  It was considered the ultimate in material because it didn’t wrinkle and didn’t fray, but it was expensive.   Little did I realize that twenty years later no one wanted it.    A size ten fit me perfectly.  I bought material and sewed like mad.  I had some of the most expensive dust rags in Archer.  I also had the hall way shelves, full of fabric. I had purchased on sale.  I even ordered two hundred dollars, worth of remnants and sold them from my house.  I never did that again.

      I did a lot of sewing for Berneice Neilson.  I even made her and Bessie Wilcox dresses to wear to the Temple.  I loved sewing and then one day I looked in my closet and there were many things I had sewn and never worn, I never sewed for myself again.  Randy and Tom were dancing with the M.I.A. and needed bright colored shirts, trimmed with rick-rack.    I also made Dyle Erickson’s shirt.  The next year they needed pink vests and I made several of those.  Just a few years later sewing became boring and I quit sewing.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Jeannie

 

The state had a program for unwed mothers.  They ask me to take care of a girl named Jeannie, until her baby was born.  Jess said it was OK if I wouldn’t lend her any money or drive the car.    I worried about the influence she would have on Tom, who was two years younger.  I shouldn’t have worried Tom was shocked by her language, attitude and values.  To us she seemed like a hippie.   I wanted to share our values with her but she was the boss and set in her ways.  When she complained about something then it became her job to do that chore.   Her biggest complaint was that I took care of grandkids too much.

She loved Jess.  The minute he came home she practically sat in his lap and wanted to visit with him.  After supper, Jess would take the newspaper into the bathroom, to read.  She was supposed to go to a monthly support meeting with other unwed mothers.   She only went to one meeting and didn’t stay long.  She came out and said they were a bunch of sniffling spoiled brats.  I was thankful Jess was busy with farming and taking lessons and studying for his instrument rating.    

  Jeannie read the Lamaze book about how to have a baby without pain.  She informed me it was ridiculous how women cried and carried on

during birth.  She had read the book and knew how to do it without any fuss.  I smiled when she begged for pain medicine after the first real pain.   I had never seen a baby or even an animal born so Dr. Passey thought I should have that experience.  I nearly fainted and I will never do that again. 

Jeannie wanted to continue to live with us after Eric was born but I said, no.  Now it was time for her parents to take care of her.  I drove her to her mother’s home and sat in the car for over an hour, while she talked to her mother.  Her mother finally agreed to let her come home.    Jeannie stayed in contact with us for many years.  She had a difficult life, with many heartaches  and her only baby, Eric, died at 17. 

  Later that year I had another girl come and live with us.  She was only sixteen.  She had no manners or social skills.  She wouldn’t eat with the family she ate in her bedroom.  She told me she had never eaten with a fork before.  I tried everything I could think of to help her but she was home sick and wanted to go home. 

Flight to Chicago

:leola Norm Niederer Norm and  Leola Neiderer went with us in the airplane on a trip to visit the brokerages that we sold spuds to. Before we got to Wyoming there was a black cloud that didn’t look very big. Jess started to fly through it and all at once the plane was pulled straight up in the air. We bumped our heads on the top of cab and then all at once we fell straight down. The instruments went crazy.

      We visited Garth and Jolene in Denver, then on to St. Louis Missouri, Indianapolis and Chicago. It was seven below, when we left Chicago, with a strong head wind, and the wings started to ice up, so we had to land at Rock Springs. Norman had worn a Stetson cowboy hat, the entire trip, but when he stepped off the plane, his hat was gone forever.

       When we got to Palisades , the ground visibility was limited and Jess didn’t know which canyon to fly up. We had only gone a short way up one canyon, when Jess pulled the plane straight up and said, “That canyon is not the right one.” I could see Jess’ face turn white, before we got back high in the air again.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Ricks College

I had planned on going back to school, after Kent started school but couldn’t, because of being R.S. President.  Now was my opportunity.  I knew I couldn’t start until the winter semester because we were busy digging spuds most of October.  I started by taking a night class, Composition and English, which I thoroughly enjoyed.  The next winter I registered as a full student.  I arranged all my classes on Tuesday and Thursday.  I shouldn’t have signed up for a two credit piano class.  I didn’t have time to practice an hour a day.  I was lucky to just get the studying done I needed for the other classes.  My music teacher was super depressed.  He told me his troubles and wanted advice.  Now 2013, I wish I could take piano lessons.  I know the basics but I have no techniques.   

        I took a class on current affairs.  The teacher wasted a lot of time.  He told us to subscribe to the U.S. News magazine.  Then he was going to wait for our magazine to come and study it.  It was two months before the magazine came.  I had spent good money for that class and I didn’t want to waste my money.   My best class was vocabulary building.  I have always read a lot so I knew the words but now I knew their deeper meaning.  I still find that fascinating today. 

       My English class was the only one, I didn’t get a straight A.  There were only seven of us in the class and competition stiff but I enjoyed the class.  My history class was perfect.  David Crowder was the finest teacher.  When I took my first test, I was heartbroken. I only scored 65.  I later learned I had the second highest score in a class of fifty.     My Religion class tests were hard.  I soon realized that every question could be answered from my class notes, so I memorized them.  After scoring a hundred on several tests,  Mr. Stucki ask how I prepared for the tests.  The best lecture he gave was on polygamy.  There were more women than men who had joined the church and many men killed during the persecution.  How much better for one man to care for two women, than a woman to struggle on her own.   Since Jess died, I realize how lonely it is, to live alone.  Polygamy failed because many involved were not living with Christian love for each other. Reply Forward

Toastmistress

head   I joined the Toastmistress Club in Rigby.  We practiced our talks on each other and then had one chosen to represent our club at the State Meet.  My talk was,” What are the three top priorities in your life?  Every place I went I ask this question.  Most LDS gave the same answer.  Church, family and the third thing was where their heart truly was.  Jeannette Sharp said, “If it wasn’t for my wheelchair wouldn’t be able to get out of bed.  A young student, who was a convert to the church, said, “Jesus”.   A non-LDS said, “Work, sports, family”   I didn’t win.  Each talk had a time limit.  Mine was too short.  I talk too fast when I am nervous.    

  .    Jess was having trouble breathing and he went to about six different doctors.  They all said his heart was bad and gave him heart medicine.  He was getting worse.  He found some relief when he went to Dr. Woodland who suggested that part of Jess’s problem was that his thyroid wasn’t functioning properly.   He couldn’t prescribe medicine but he made him an appointment with Dr. Krantz.  Dr. Krantz was fantastic.  He was our family doctor from that day on.  He treated Jess like a personal friend and always had time to sit and visit about the farm.  Several times Dr. Krantz phoned Jess for advice on a farm he had just bought.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Newspaper Article about Gwen

NEWDALE WOMAN HAS A ZEST FOR LIFE  

Published in Rexburg, Standard journal in 2000. pink feathers

  Gwen Sutton Robison of Newdale is not a typical senior.  At 76, Gwen is the picture of health.  She eats lots of fruits and vegetables and whole wheat bread, gets lot of exercise and is bursting at the seams with energy.  She rides her bike to the Post Office, claiming it’s easier and a lot faster than getting in the car, to go just one mile.  She loves to run and loves being outdoors working in the garden.  When she’s inside she likes to play the piano, read and work on her computer.  She hates shopping.   

       Her family is the most important thing in her life.  She is devoted to them and has family get-togethers at her home about every three months.  “When we are all together there are about 85 of us.” Gwen says.  “It’s a lot of fun.  Everybody brings a potluck dish.  We all help out and just enjoy being together.     Gwen has always been a busy lady.  Her pet peeve is “people who waste time”   Gwen took college classes at night for many years.  “You are never too old to learn and grow.”  She says.    In 1994, Gwen’s children gave her a computer for Christmas.  “At first I didn’t want it.  I told them I would never use it.  I had my typewriter and I like it just fine. “Gwen says.  But curiosity got the best of her and soon she was working on her computer and liking it.  Now she doesn’t know what she would do without it.  She uses her computer daily, updating her journal, sending letters to her missionary grandsons and writing family histories.  Now she says, “You can have the kitchen sink but you can’t have my computer.”   

      She has four computers in her home.  There is a computer down stairs that is used primarily to play games by grandchildren and neighbor kids.  Her husband Clair Robison uses his to record patriarchal blessings.   Gwen wrote a book about her mother and is writing a journal about her family which is now in the fourth volume.   All the journals are spiral bound.     Each Sunday she writes a letter about what is going on in the family during the week and e-mails it to about 18 different people, including her six sons, married grandchildren, missionary grandsons and close friends.  Her family motto is “Make every decision in the light of all eternity.”  “We are going to be held accountable for what we do here”, Gwen says, “There is a lot to do.”        “The greatest people are those who get up every morning and do the best they can regardless of their circumstances.”   

Gwen was born in Rexburg in 1924, a daughter of Millie Lake and Thomas “Att” Atkinson, of Lyman.  The family moved to California, then returned to Rexburg in 1935 pulling a four wheel trailer with everything they owned behind an old Dodge car.  Gwen was 11 at the time and remembers vividly what a horrible trip it was.  It is engraved on my soul.     She attended grade school in Lyman and graduated from Madison High school in 1942.  She married Jesse Sutton, of Archer, right out of high school and they moved to Portland to work in the shipyards for one year to save up enough money to put a down payment on a farm.    They both worked full time as welders for Commercial Ironworks of Portland.  The company sent them to school to learn to weld and Gwen was among one of the first woman welders for the company.  Their welding jobs were on merchant ships and aircraft carriers.  Gwen liked to weld on the stainless steel flight decks best of all.  She got the chance to christen a merchant ship, the SS Victor C.Vaughn.  Gwen and Jess both worked part time jobs.  Jess worked in a cannery and Gwen worked in a laundry.  It was the first time income tax was taken out of their wages.  “We all thought we were special, to donate to the ward effort with our income taxes.”    During that time Gwen and Jess lived on $5.00 a week in a trailer house back of a friend’s home.  They ate a lot of vegetables that Gwen would pick up as discards from the neighborhood grocery.  At that time gas was 10 cents a gallon.  They saved the rest of their wages for a down payment on a farm.  They achieved that goal in one year and bought a farm in Archer.  They came home in March of 1944, in time to plant the crops.   

        They lived in Archer for 48 years and raised six sons, Steve, Lee, Garth, Tom, Randy and Kent.  They raised potatoes and grain on the farm and were among the first to install a sprinkler system on the dry farm.  The whole family helped out on the farm.  Gwen moved sprinkler pipe right along with the boys.    The boys are all grown now.  Steve farms in Lyman, Lee and Garth live on the family farm in Archer.  Tom is a physical therapist in Pocatello, Randy lives in Archer and is a certified public accountant.  Kent farms in Archer.   Jess died in 1980.   She married Rex Jensen from Burton and lived there for two years before he died.    

       Gwen married Clair Robison of Newdale in 1993.  She met him, when they were both serving on the Madison Memorial Hospital Board.  Clair had a handicapped son, J. Wendell, who is 51 and Gwen had a foster daughter, Barbara Baty, who came to live with Gwen in 1989.  “Clair and I were meant to be together, I had Barbara to care for and he had J.Wendell,  We made a good family.”  Says Gwen.     Gwen has served as Relief Society President four times and she has served in stake Relief Society Presidencies twice.  She served a mission in Arcadia, California in 1985.   

       Clair started to keep a journal, when he was in high school and kept it up except, during the time he was Bishop and in the Stake Presidency.   Gwen filled in the missing years and compiled a hard bound book for him.  “He read it over and over again,” Gwen says      Gwen sys she loves living in Newdale, “There are good people here.  There is no class distinction.  It’s a wonderful place to live.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Scouting

   Gwen 205    Relief Society didn’t meet for lessons during the summer months I knew I needed to be released to be with Jess and I was released May 1967.  If I had just waited a few more months, Jess was a different person when he started taking thyroid pills.  I didn’t quit serving my special widows.  I was always responsible for them.  I was immediately called to teach the eleven year old scouts in Prtrailblazerimary.  This is still my favorite church calling.  (2013) I was well versed in the scouting program.  All five of my sons earned their Eagle Award.  I had two meetings a week with these boys.  On Sunday mornings we had a spiritual lesson at the same time Priesthood meeting was held.  Wednesday, after school, we would work on scouting.  I started many boys on the path to Eagle  The scouting program was completely changed the six years I served there. 

        One of our requirements was to take a five mile hike.  I told the boys to wear hiking clothes to school.  I had our lunch ready and picked up the boys and headed for the river bottoms.  I drove as far as the old store and the voice said, “Don’t take the boys hiking” I stopped the car and told the boys how impressed I felt that we shouldn’t go hiking that day.  I could tell they weren’t very happy but we ate our lunch and talked about requirements we were working on, and then took them home.  Several times I had been told by that small voice something I should do or not do while scouting.

DSC_0057 

Gwen continues to love Scouting.  She also served in the Cub Scouts in Newdale, when she was married to Clair. J She was the Den Chief and they let J Wendell be her assistant.  It was the first time he had been in scouting.  You can tell by the look on his face that he was pretty happy about it

.At age 88 she is still serving in cub scouts in the Archer Ward.  She currently serves as the Troop Committee Chairman, and is in charge of all Board of Reviews, and Court of Honors.

She has been awarded the Trial Blazer Award, and the Lifetime Service Award.  She has helped shape many boys lives because of her dedicated service.

She has five sons who are Eagle Scouts, 15 grandsons, and to date 5 great grandson who are also Eagle Scouts.

 

This picture taken when she received the Life Time Service Award.  Steve was her escort, with Lee, Randy, Wyatt, Zach, and Jeff attending.  All of who are Eagle Scouts.eagle scouts