LaMar's Missionary Journal

This will be backdated to 1957

Dad/Lamar kept a journal during his missionary service. In The History of Joseph LaMar Westra, there is a short recap the mission. Chris decided to re-type the missionary journal so that it could be more easily read and saved for the future. Check out a portion below (Aug/Sept 1957), and then there are blog pages for 1957, 1958 and more will be added as Christopher transforms the printed words into digital records.

1957

Aug 20 - Elder Van Wagenen and I went down to register at the mission home at 9:00 A.M. We met Elder Fetzer and Elder Walker there. We were all assigned to return early the next morning to help the others register.

Aug 21 - Wed- Arrived at mission home - 7:00 A.M. Helped usher until 10:00. We had meetings and talks the rest of the day.

Aug 22 - We went through the temple from 6:30 to 12:30 in the morning. In the afternoon we got our train & boat tickets and had our group photograph taken. We went to meetings afterward.

Aug 23 - We attended classes all day. Some of the speakers were President. Legrande Richards and Brother T. Edgar Lyon. In the evening we had instructions in leading singing by Spencer W. Cornwall.

Aug 24- We had classes in the morning and took a tour of temple square in the afternoon. Later on we had a banquet and a talent show.

August 25- We went over to the tabernacle and watched the choir broadcast Sunday morning. We had some classes and then I went home for Sunday dinner. My Farewell lasted from 3:30 - 5:00 and we had an open house after at our house. I took Joann to the missionary testimony meeting 7:00 - 10:00. Richard and Sylvia also went and we took the girls home after.

August 26 - We had classes in the morning and in the afternoon went through the temple again 2:00 - 6:00. We had classes afterward.

August 27 - We had classes and took an excursion to welfare square in the morning. We had an open period in the afternoon and in the evening Elder Banks and I went to see Joann and Judy and practiced the lessons on them.

August 28 - We had a meeting in the morning and at 9:30 A.M. I went to get set apart. Mom+Dad+Joann were there and S. Dilworth Young gave the blessing. I went down to the station to see Richard off in the evening.

August 29 - I did some last minute shopping downtown and went to the delta-sigma conjoint in the evening.

August 30 - I painted the house and then picked Joann up from work. We played Tennis and Joann drove my car all over. I went to Joann’s house after dinner. We had a real nice dinner at home.

Sept 1 - I got up at 4:30 A.M. and went down to the train station. The train left at 5:50 A.M., without warning, and I wasn’t able to kiss anyone goodbye. Not only that but Dad and Reed Bills couldn’t get off the train. We arrived in Ogden at 6:30 and Mary Ann Drove up there with Mom, Grandma, Stevie, Diane, Jean, and Joann. I had a chance to kiss them all goodbye there. I got a huge all day sucker and a letter from Joann. We traveled all that day and night,1514 miles, and arrived at Chicago at 7:00 the next morning. We made stops at Green River, Cheyenne, North Platte, and Omaha along the way. We saw and crossed the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Others at train station: Bishop Egan, Maxwells, Gayle, Davies, Tim, Frank, Jim Morgan, Sylvia, Colette, Marilyn

September 2. - Mon - Labor Day - We arrived in Chicago about 7:00 in the morning and had to change trains and stations. We took a bus to the other station and then took a bus tour of Chicago and Lake Michigan. We loafed around the station most of the day and went to a double feature in the afternoon. We left Chicago about 11:00 P.M.

September 3 - During the night we stopped at FT. Wayne and in the morning we stopped at Cleveland. We traveled along the shore of Lake Erie and arrived in Buffalo at about 1:00 in the afternoon. (three hours ahead of Salt Lake time) We stayed in Buffalo until 11:00 PM. During that time we took a tour to Niagara Falls and went into Canada. We ate lunch at Niagara, returned to Buffalo, and took another train out.

September 4 - We arrived in Hoboken N.J. about 7:30 in the morning. We took a ferry boat across to New York and a cab from there to Hotel Wellington. We all got cleaned up there and set out to see the city. We walked over to Fifth Ave. and then we took busses up and down Fifth Ave. We went from Washington Square to the zoo in central park and then to the top of the empire state building (102 stories). We went 65 stories in the Rockefeller building and then saw a show, The Pajama Game, in Radio City Music Hall. It was Raining when we got out and we returned to our Hotel room to watch the Gene Fullmer, Chico Vejar Fight from Salt Lake on T.V., we watched the Yankees lose a ballgame in extra innings also.

September 5 - We got up about 8:00; cleaned up, checked out, took a taxi to the ferry boat, rode the ferry boat across, and took another taxi to our pier at Hoboken. We got on board about 10:00 AM and the boat sailed at 12:10. We had a good lunch and supper and saw the show for the night.

September 6 - Friday - I got up at 9:00 for breakfast and spent most of the day studying and writing letters. We ate at 1:30 and 7:45. The weather remained good but started to fog up in the evening.

September 7 - The weather is still good and the meals have all been excellent. I spent most of the day studying. I met some of the members of an L.D.S. family on the ship, the Allens, going to Turkey. I skipped the show again that night.

September 8, Sunday - We had breakfast at 9:00 and afterward attended the church services of the Episcopal and Protestant faiths. We played checkers and chess and studied the rest of the day. I retired early.

September 9, I got up late for breakfast and studied afterward. It fogged up outside so I studied and took a nap.

September 10, Tuesday - I studied in the morning and saw a show at 3:00 that afternoon (Johnny Tremain). We had turkey dinner that night.

September 11, Wednesday - Rose early for breakfast and studied and wrote letters after. The sea started getting rough and they started fastening everything on board ship. They gave the farewell dinner that night and we went to the show, the Devil’s Hairpin.

September 12 - Thursday - I studied and wrote letters most of the day. We sighted land (The Scilly Islands and then the British coast). I went to parts of the show and the talent review and then went to bed after doing my laundry. - 12:00.

September 13 - Friday - When we awoke in the morning, we were docked in Southampton, England (7:30). We left England at 9:00 and headed across the channel to Lehavre, France, arriving at 4:00 and leaving at 5:30. The channel was rough all the way but I didn’t get seasick. It was raining off and on all day so we studied the rest of the day.

September 14 - We awoke and had breakfast at 7:30 and we were inside Holland going toward Rotterdam. We got there about 10:30 and got off the boat at 12:00. We went through customs and went to the hague in President Sperry’s Car. President Sperry, Elder Russell and Elder Teerlink had met us on the boat previously. We had dinner and slept that night at the mission home. It rained all day our first day in Holland.

September 15 - Sunday - We woke up at 6:30. Ate breakfast, and went to a priesthood meeting at 9:00. We went to Sunday school and returned to the mission home for lunch. Elder Whiting and I took a walk out along the dunes to see the North Sea, and afterward we went alone on the tram to church at 5:00. We returned to the mission home, ate dinner, studied dutch, and then went to bed. It was a good day and the sun shone for a good part of the day. The wind was blowing hard however.

September 16 - In the morning after our breakfast President Sperry took Elder Whiting and I to Rotterdam to have our passports checked. We returned to the Hague for dinner and then I took a train for Amsterdam. Elder Wolthuis met me and we went to the mission home there. Elder Brague and I went to a cottage meeting (3:00-5:00) and Elder Van Stetten and I went to dinner (5:30-7:30), and to a cottage meeting (8:00-9:30).

Amsterdam

(Check out the post Amsterdam Inspired to see more mission memories brought on by Shane's Trip to Historic Holland in 2018). 

September 17 - Tuesday - I got up and Elder Van Stetten and I went shopping for a bicycle after breakfast. I bought a Gazelle model for 238.15 Guilders or about 63 dollars. I studied the language most of the rest of the day.

September 18 - I got up and got ready (7:00-8:30), after which we bicycled over to Elder Springers. We ran some errands and had lunch (9:00-1:00) We held three cottage meetings afterward (3:00-11:00) then we bicycled home to the church. Elder DeBry had missed his train and wasn’t in yet

September 19 - Thursday - (7:30-8:30) - Got ready and went over to Elder Springer’s again. (10:30-12:30) - Elder Springer and I went tracting but didn’t get in any homes. We had lunch and then held three cottage meetings. (3:30-11:30).

September 20 - Elder Springer and I went tracting (9:30 - 12:00). After lunch, Elder Halliday and I went tracting and we got in two homes (1:30-5:30) after supper Elder DeBry and I went to two cottage meeting appointments - one fell through. (7:00-9:30)

September 21 - Saturday - I got up, ate breakfast, and did some washing; after which Elder Halliday and I went tracting (9:30 - 12:00) - We went shopping and in the evening went to Haarlem for a party and dance. (6:00-12:00)

September 22 - Sunday - We went to priesthood meeting and sunday school (9:00-12:00) I studied that day and went to church at 5:00. Afterward Elder Springer and I went to a cottage meeting (7:30-11:00

September 23 - I went over to Elder Springers in the morning and we went shopping and to a show. After supper we went to two cottage meetings and returned home (7:00-11:30)

September 24 - Elder DeBry and I went to  Haarlem in the morning. Elder Vriends and I went tracting and held three cottage meetings. (10:00 - 12:45) We went to another family of investigators after lunch (2:15 - 5:30), and two others after dinner (7:00 - 11:00). One was an elderly man and the other was a woman member and her husband

September 25 - Wednesday - I spent the night Tuesday at Haarlem with Elders Vriens and Bradford. In the morning after breakfast, we went over to the church where Elders Giles and Van Slooten were staying. Elder Van Slooten and I went tracting (9:15 - 12:45), and got in twice. After lunch at the church, Elder Bradford and I visited five investigators and members (2:00 - 5:30). Elder De Bry and I then returned to Amsterdam and after dinner, went to the outskirts of town for another cottage meeting (7:30 - 10:00).

September 26 - I studied dutch and wrote some letters in the morning. Elder De Bry and I went out to find an apartment (10:30 - 12:30). We returned for lunch and afterward I studied and we went to Sister Myers for dinner, the four of us. After that, Elder De Bry and I went to two very nice cottage meetings (7:00 - 10:30). I studied some more and then went to bed.

September 27 - Friday - I studied in the morning and Elder Brague, two sisters, and I took the train to Beverwijk for the funeral of an elderly woman member there (10:00 - 3:00) I studied some more and after dinner Elder De Bry and I attended two cottage meetings (7:00 - 11:00). We discussed some problems and then went to bed.

September 28 - I studied in the morning and Elder De Bry and I went to Haarlem to help them paint some rooms in the church. (9:30 - 5:30) There were ten elders there. I studied, did my washing and wrote letters after.

Sunday - September 29 - Got up early, at 6:00, and got down to the train station. We took the train to Den Helder (7:00 - 10:15), and went to church at 10:30. I studied, ate lunch, and went to Sacrament meeting at 5:00. Afterward we went out to dinner at a members house way out on the point by the lighthouse. It was really a beautiful place, mostly surrounded by the North Sea. We had a real dutch dinner, and it was really “lekker.” We went back to the church and Elder McKell and I returned to the lighthouse to sleep there that night.

September 30 - Monday - We got up and went back to the church in the morning. We went tracting, Elder Smith and I, (9:00 - 12:00). We returned to the church for lunch and Elder McKell and I went tracting (1:00 - 3:00). We only got a few unpromising callbacks. Elder De Bry and I left Den Helder for Amsterdam. (3:15 - 6:00). We had dinner and I studied in the evening.

To read more, check out the rest of the journal ...

Mission Journal 1957      Mission Journal 1958      Mission Journal 1959      Mission Journal 1960    Extra Information

Also check out these Lamar Mission blog posts ...

Windmills, Polders and Dutch History

Lamar's Mission Memories ~ Scheveningen (Nude Beach)

Mission Memories - Dutch Costumes & the City of Urk

Lamar's Mission Memories ~ Dutch Canals

London Temple Dedication

First Baptism

Tiny Dancers

 Mini Margie

Mom/Margie's memories from these photos ... I was maybe around age 7–9, just a guess.  In front of our house on 4568 Boxelder St.  Nelva and I both took dance lessons for a few years.  I took tap dancing, ballet, and toe dancing (now they call it "Pointe").  

Naughty Nelva

This would have been in 1949/1950.

Dancing Sisters!

In the News ...

... and here's a picture of Margie's group. 

A little older than in first few pictures. 

Mom/Margie is on the back row, second from the left.

Here's a few of Mom/Margie's memories inspired by these photos ...

Mother didn't sew, so my Aunt Neva made all our costumes. It seems like Mother was at one of our dance recitals in an auditorium somewhere when Mother was called out and told that her sister, my aunt Neva Dye, had been accidentally shot in the leg by her young son, my cousin Kelly.

I still remember how I would take the bus alone on State Street from our Murray home to the dance studio in Midvale or Sandy, past that cement bridge thing over the road. In those days, you would drop the fare/coins into a little clear plastic thing by the driver. When I went to get off, the driver said I owed ____ cents more. I told him I had put all my money in when I got on. I guess you paid so much for a certain distance and then paid the rest if you went further (kind of like the commuter lanes now). Funny how you can remember those scary times as a child, for 60+ years!

While Wendy and Jeni were heavily involved in singing and musical theater, neither was really a "dancer" per se. The girls would choreograph some numbers to Xanadu which they would roller-skate to in the unfinished basement. The Wonderful Westra Sisters! Both girls would be part of a baton brigade, marching in parades (Twirly Girls). Jen would be in a little song and dance group called Carousel Kids, and both Wendy and Jen would be in song/dance groups in college (Jen - LD Singers). There were roadshows and other performances too - but no "just dance" (although Jen would learn to tap for her senior year production of 42nd Street ... even though she was the ONE character in the show that didn't dance.)

... a second set of sisters!

There are some dancers among the grandgirls ...

Aniston in 2013 and 2016. Rella in 2016 and 2020. 

Jenna in 2016 and 2018. Jaiden in 2016 and 2018.

... and Janika in 2003.

I'd already created the grandgirl collage above when I did a "dance" search in Dropbox and found these additional photos of little Janny.  

Little girls in dance costumes ...

The years may change, but the costumes are always cute.

... and today (2021).

 

Mission Memories - Dutch Costumes & the City of Urk

I was working in the town of Zwolle, with my companion, Elder Dalebout, and we rode our bikes to the city of Kampen, and from there, we took a bus to the little town of Urk. Here is the excerpt from my journal: 

Okt 15, 1959: We headed for Kampen on the fietzen (bicycles), tracting along the way. We took a bus from Kampen to the city of Urk. It used to be an island (in the middle of the Ijsselmeer, big inland lake in the Netherlands) but two dikes made a peninsula out of it. They build up the dijks, and pump the water out of it and call it a polder. (That is where they used a lot of the windmills, to pump the water out of one side of the Dijk, and move it to the other side). Holland's land area is growing polder by polder.  The polders are excellent farming country, very fertile and completely flat. We went to Urk to have some pictures taken of us in Dutch costumes. All the people of Urk wore a funny looking Dutch costume, and my companion and I dressed up in them and had our pictures taken. (Urk must have been a tourist town, with the picture taking). In other towns in the vicinity, the people wear the funny clothes all the time as a religious expression of their faith. In those towns, they don't cater to tourists, and if people try to take their pictures, they will hide their faces. They may even take you into custody and destroy your camera. But back to Urk, we walked around the quaint little fishing city and saw the people in their costumes. The streets were only about 10 feet wide and they went every which way. No cars were allowed in the city. We tracted one street and got in one house, lady all dressed up - 14 children, man and five sons, fishing. We caught the bus back to Kampen, tracted in Kampen, and and headed back home, against the wind, 14 km. It's possible we were the first missionaries to visit Kampen or Urk, probably forever.

 

Lamar's Mission Memories ~ Scheveningen (Nude Beach)

Scheveningen is a beach on the North Sea, close to Den Haag. 

The beach part must be to the right or left of this pier.

Part of the beach there is a nude beach, so that part was off-limits to us missionaries. The Germans would use that beach, since they have no beach of their own in that area. The Germans know that many of the Dutch people still have bad feelings about the war, World War II, and the Nazis, so the Germans try to speak Dutch so they would be more accepted.  However, the Dutch people know all about this, and this beach, Scheveningen, is a word that the Germans cannot pronounce. It is a very gutteral word that the Dutch love, pronounced something like Sggaveningen, with the gg sound coming from down deep in your throat, but the Germans pronounce it like Sheveningen.

The Dutch then know that these tourists are really German.

Dad/Lamar served his mission 1957-1960

1950-ish Family Fun

Embarking on this Family History journey, some new photos have been discovered and scanned. Chris was able to get an album and other items from Aunt Sharon (Dad/LaMar's sister). Adding those to some already in our Dropbox folders, it seems the young Westra family did some traveling, having family fun back in the 1950s!

In addition to the priceless pictures, having Grandma Lucille's handwriting on the back of the photos is a treasure too. The top left (family fishing) had been marked as Davis's Ranch at Uintah River. Top left is labeled in Dropbox as LaMar at Fishlake. The "Navahoe Lake" goes with the picture at the bottom left, and "Zion's Park" matches the photo above it.  1950s family fun!

Not in 1950, but in the surrounding years (before and after) there were additional adventures ...

The top left is little LaMar and his cousin Jerry (son of Grandpa Joe's older brother John) in Seattle in 1948.  The top left is a trip to Idaho in 1949. Then Seattle again in 1952 ... cousins again (and fish) and a windmill! Perhaps foreshadowing the future for Dad/Lamar's mission just a few years down the road (Windmills, Polders and Dutch History). The bottom right was labeled "Princess Margaret" the ship that ferried the family to Victoria, Canada in 1954. When emailing and asking for memories, Aunt Diane wrote "I remember getting gum on my dress. Mom wasn’t happy."

This one was labeled Brighton ~ July 1949

Dad/LaMar isn't in this picture ... but Grandpa Joe is. Maybe 12-year old LaMar was taking the picture? That would foreshadow the future for sure! We weren't able to find out who the other people in the picture are. Family or friends. Label your photos for the future!

Living in Las Vegas

 Hannah Hurst Howell Bohne is Margie/Mom's Grandmother (Zada's mother)

Hannah's husband Sylvanus passed away in 1939. The children had grown and married and Hannah was alone attempting to keep up the house and the bees, and working for the school. That's when Arthur Bohne came on the scene. Here's a little excerpt from Hannah's condensed history ...

In December 1952, Arthur Bohne came to see me. His wife had died almost two years before. He had been a construction worker, and the last few years he had been a farmer. He had three sons, but they were grown and on their own. After he made a few trips to see me, we decided that we both needed each other. We were married December 30, 1952, in Salt Lake City. My children gave us a wedding supper in Berthell’s new home. A week later we moved to Las Vegas where we spent two years. Arthur had a good job working for Reynolds construction Company. Reynolds were working for the Atomic Energy Commission and the wages were very attractive. We lived in a trailer in the Atomic Energy Trailer Court. This was indeed a new experience for me. I believe this was the first time in my life I had ever had leisure time. It took me a little while to adjust to my new condition. Arthur would leave at 7:30 in the morning, and I would be alone all day. I did a lot of reading and writing. We lived there for two years.

Chris found this "historical site" information about the area ...

Read Hannah's full history HERE and pictures/condensed history HERE.

 

Grandview Neighborhood/Ward and Friends

Here’s a note about the neighborhood around Grandview Circle ( to augment Dad's History).
These additional memories were written up by Dad/Lamar in July 2020.

We moved into the Grandview Circle house in 1949, when I was 12. We had the house built. I remember my dad and I going up there quite often to pick up nails and straighten them, and to clean up after the builders. 

There are photos in our collection that show the house, with not much landscaping (see above). The neighborhood around Grandview Circle was an established neighborhood that had been there for many years before Grandview Circle was built. It was south and east of Sugarhouse. The area between Parkway Avenue, about 2450 South, to 33rd South, and between 13th East and 20th East, was a very large subdivision that probably had a name, perhaps Highland Park, and a timeframe. All the North-South streets, starting at 13th East and going east, were alphabetically named, Alden, Beverly, Chadwick, Dearborn, 15th East, Filmore, Glenmare, Hartford, Imperial, 17th East, Kenwood, Melbourne, Preston. Grandview Circle was just east of Imperial. 

Growing up in that neighborhood, I had friends on most of those streets. I had more friends south of 27th South, than North of 27th South. South of 27th South was our stake, Wilford Stake, and our ward, Grandview Ward. North of 27th South was another stake, Highland Stake. 

The schools were also a bit divided. In our neighborhood, we were bussed to Roosevelt Junior High, which was located pretty close to, and below, East High School. Some of the kids North of 27th South went to Irving Junior, which was located on the North side of 21st South, above 13th East. Our bus to Roosevelt went right past Irving, on our commute to our school. Most of the kids in our neighborhood went to South High School. We weren’t bussed to South High, but used a carpool. 

A lot of the kids in our neighborhood, who lived a bit south of where we lived, went to Olympus High, in the Granite School District. The district boundary was just a block south of our neighborhood. 

Some of my friends in our ward went to Olympus, Frank Willardsen, the Egans, etc. 

Grandview Ward building ... Then and Now

Our ward, the Grandview Ward, was an older funny looking white building, with a big rounded look. You can look it up in Google, Grandview Ward, Salt Lake City, and see a picture of the old ward. There it said the ward was built in 1937, and remodeled in 1975. The article is titled Historic LDS Architecture.  (Pictures located and included). 

You can see a map of the old neighborhood, by going to lds.org, and clicking up on My Account and Ward in the upper right corner of the screen, and then clicking on Meetinghouse Locator, and entering the address, 2740 Grandview Circle, Salt Lake. 

The neighborhood has changed a lot since I lived there. We used to be able to walk, or ride our bicycles up east on 27th South, and there was a mom and pop grocery store on the southeast corner of Melbourne and 27th South, where we often purchased goodies. If we went further east on 27th South, past 20th East, there was a shopping center and a theater a bit East of the Northeast corner of 27th South and 20th East. We would often go to that theater. I remember it had a stage, and they also had contests there. I remember winning a baseball bat for spelling, Hippopotamus. 

The houses between Grandview Circle and Melbourne on the south side of 27th South had large lots that went way back. I remember one of the ward families who lived in one of those houses, the Tischners. I think when I was a deacon and a teacher, I was assigned as a ward teacher with an older companion to visit there. 

A new street has been built east of Grandview Circle, Sonnet Drive, and a school has been built just east of Sonnet Drive, Highland Park Elementary. When I was living there, most of that area was just a big field. I think my younger siblings attended the elementary school that was a couple of blocks west of Grandview Circle on the south side of 27th South. I think that school was also named Highland Park Elementary. That school is now a private school, Carden Memorial School. 

Four families in our ward lived on Melbourne, south of White Avenue, the Egans, and two Whites, Arnold and Verdi, and the Wimmers. They were all related, and working together in a catering business, Distinctive Catering. When I went on my mission, the Bishop of the Grandview Ward was Merritt Egan. His son, Robin Egan, was younger than I. Robin’s mother was a White, and his grandfather was MM White, where the MM stood for Mahonri Moriancumer, the old name for the Book of Mormon prophet, the brother of Jared. No wonder the Book of Mormon referred to him only as the brother of Jared, and not by his full name. 

I remember MM White bearing testimony a few times in our old Grandview Ward. 

One of the streets, going east from Melbourne is Mary Dott Way. Mary Dott was the wife of MM White. One of the sons of MM White was Kenneth, and he was a prominent builder, and likely built the homes along Melbourne and perhaps White Circle, just above our Grandview Ward building. He was connected to White City, and White Water, up in Neff’s Canyon. Ruth White, daughter of Arnold, lived next door to the Egans. Ruth married Norman Egan, who was a cousin to Robin. Norm also lived in the ward, down on Imperial. 

When we first moved into the house on Grandview Circle, we were in the Grandview Ward, which was then part of the Grant Stake. In 1951, the Wilford Stake was organized. 

At first, we attended Stake Conferences in the Grant Stake Tabernacle, on the Northeast corner of 33rd South and State Street. That was a big multi story building with a domed roof and a higher tower. It was also at other times known as the old Granite Stake Tabernacle. That building was razed in 1956. 

Sometime after 1951, the Wilford Stake built a new Stake House, within the current stake boundaries, near Kenwood Avenue. I played a lot of basketball in that new building. 

I have searched Google to try to find a date for when the Wilford Stake Center was built. There is a book listed on Google, written by Merritt Egan, who was at one time in the Wilford Stake Presidency, named something like: History of the Wilford Stake, but that book is apparently not online. 

That book would surely have the dates I am looking for. 

There were 18 houses on Grandview Circle. I have family names for 11 of those houses, mostly where there were kids near the same age as I. On the west side of Grandview Circle, on the corner by 27th South, and heading south, were families Ray Chard, Fred Schwendiman, Martindale, and our house. We were the 6th house on the west side of the circle, with a magnificent view of the North face of Mt. Olympus. Next to us going south, and around the circle were families: Kelm, Newbold, Gerome, Sargent, Borup, and Gustaveson. Further north, on the east side of the circle, was the

Willardsen family. 

Kids near my age were Gary Chard, Mary Gerome, Paul Sargent, DeAnn Borup, Ron Gustaveson, and Dewayne Willardsen. 

Ray Newbold was in our ward bishopric for a time. Linda Kelm was an aspiring opera singer, and many times we could hear her practicing. The Gustavesons had two daughters, Lani Kay and Lorreen, who were good friends to my sisters. 

Other friends in the neighborhood lived on Melbourne. Tim Maxwell lived about 7-8 houses south of 27th South. The two streets heading east from Melbourne, and up to 20th East, were Claybourne, and Atkin. Many of the ward members lived in that area. Mike Dixon lived across from Tim, on the corner of Claybourne. Mike was really smart, and got a scholarship to Yale. I used to go home teaching on Atkin, to the Keiser family. Bob Keiser was near my age, and later worked for the FBI. Claude Kresser, and Mel Newbold, lived on Melbourne, south of the Maxwells. Mel was in our ward bishopric for a time. A friend, John Dunn, lived up on Atkin. My uncle Ed Westra, and my aunt Doreen lived for a time on Melbourne. 

I played lots of basketball on the ward young men’s team, with Gary and Dewayne. Dewayne was our center, but our team didn’t have a lot of height. 

We also played lots of basketball in our neighborhood, with Paul and Dewayne. We had a good hoop on our detached garage, between the garage and what we called our breezeway. We had a good 10 foot hoop, and a wide driveway at that point, but there were two electrical wires running from the corner of the breezeway to our house. They were about eight inches apart, and were about 8 feet up, so you had to be tricky to shoot from certain areas of the driveway. There was another electrical wire up higher running from a pole in back of our garage, to our house. 

I developed a great hook shot, over the two wires, and could bank in shots with pretty good consistency. We could also slam dunk, if we got a good run, and placed our foot against the garage wall, and propelled ourselves up. Of course, landing safely after that attempt was somewhat difficult. 

I remember our garage was a single car garage, but it had a big attic that extended over the breezeway, and we stashed a lot of stuff up there. 

Paul and Gary Sargent also had a nice basketball hoop. We would also walk between the Gerome and Sargent yards where there was a path connecting to the next neighborhood to the South, Atkin Avenue, and Kenwood. We played a lot of basketball on a court there, where Keith Davies lived. Another member of our ward team lived close by there also, John Dwan. He wasn’t a member, but he did play on our ward young men team. Paul and Gary Sargent were also very likely non-members. Gary Sargent later became Student Body President of Highland High. Highland was built on 21st South and 17th East and my younger siblings, Diane and Steve both went to Highland. From our house on Grandview Circle, we could walk to 27th, and then the next street going North was 17th East, and it was just 5 blocks North to Highland High. 

Gary Chard and Dewayne and Mary and DeAnn and I were in the same graduating class at South High. 

I had a good friend who lived North of 27th South, just east of 17th East, Jerry Steele. 

The Gerome family must have moved out, and the Clark family moved into that house. Bob Clark was a year older than I, and was also in Lambda Delta Sigma at the same time I was. 

We also played a lot of softball for our ward young men team. We would ride our bikes out to 27th, and then down to Imperial, and ride all the way south to the nice ball diamond behind the Libbie Edward School, near the corner of Imperial and 33rd South. I remember Frank Willardsen’s father was principal there. 

I remember playing a lot of tackle football on Sunday afternoons, after church. We played at Stratford Park, just behind the Crystal Heights ward house, North of 27th South, and near 20th East. We would also go play football on the fairway of the Salt Lake Country Club. The houses along Parkway and Hillcrest were on the top of the gulley, looking North and down into where Parley’s Creek ran, and where it ran through the golf course. We could descend the hillside to the creek below. There were railroad tracks, and on the other side of the tracks was the golf course. There was no I-80 back then. 

We would also play golf on the golf course. We would go to my friend’s house, Don Phippen, who lived on Hillcrest. We would hit golf balls off his back lawn, and down into the gully. Then we would descend the hill, and find our balls, and then cross the tracks, and play three holes round and round. We dared take only one club, usually a 5 iron, for all our shots. We didn’t want to take a bag, because if we could hear the Country Club guy coming in his golf court, we would have to take our one club and run back across the tracks. 

The road that went down into the gully from our side, was 20th East. It crossed the tracks and the creek, and went through the golf course, and up the other side, into the Parleys neighborhood. 

Back to the stories of some of my friends. 

Gary Chard went on a mission to France, and later married and was later killed, at age 36, in a plane accident in Paris. His parents later moved into our current neighborhood, on Rodeo, south of 64th South. DeWayne moved to Colorado. Ron Gustaveson was a horse person. He and his wife later served as Family Search missionaries at the Family History Library, and I worked with them there. The Gustaveson parents also moved into our current neighborhood, up on Jeremy. Robin Egan also moved into our current neighborhood, and became the first bishop of our new ward, the Cottonwood 13th Ward. 

Other friends from the ward were Gaylon Symes, who lived up on 20th East, and Gaylen Schofield. 

... in progress, additional updates may still be coming.