Welcome Wendy!

When Wendy was at Snow College, age 18, she took a class that required the students to write up an autobiography. Here's what Wendy wrote (based on her baby book and interviews with Mom) ...

It was 8:15 on a Monday morning when a miraculous event took place on earth. I, Wendy Westra, was born on April 29, 1968. My parents were excited to have a girl after having two boys and had had my name picked out for five years simply waiting for me to arrive. At eight pounds I outweighed both my older brothers. The nurses fussed over my long dark hair and formed little curls on the top of my head. The first night home I very considerately slept the whole night through. I have loved sleeping from the day I was born! At six months I was a very active baby. I turned over and over, got around in my walker, and started crawling. At ten months I stood up for the first time. My first words were “Mama” and “Dada.” I became very attached to a pink thermal blanket and wouldn’t sleep unless I was holding on to it tightly. By the time I was 19 months old, I had been on five round trips by airplane. I haven’t been on one since, and have always wanted to. At age 1 ½ to 2 I began to take all my stuffed animals to bed with me. Luckily now I only take one stuffed animal to bed!

Mom added some memories ...  Since Chris's labor and birth was so long, I stayed home too long with Wendy and was only at the hospital a half-hour! She was my quickest birth and weighed 8 lbs. I remember being out in the sunshine planting a flower bed at our new St. Street home the day before she was born, outside the sliding glass window area of our family room. Born on a Monday. Never missed a week of church.  Regarding Wendy sleeping through that first night home ...when I woke up the next morning and realized that she had not woke me up in the night, I panicked, thinking crib death, and rushed to her room, so relieved to find her alive and peacefully sleeping! Regarding the plane trips; in 1969 we were flying to California (my first time in a plane) for the 2-3 month assignment for Dad's work, a flight to visit Nelva's family in California, and our flight home from California back to Richland. I hadn't even remembered that we flew to Nelva's and back, while we were stationed in Calif. until you girls were working on this project (it was written in Dad's history of that year). Must have been quicker and cheaper to fly and allowed us to have more time with them.

From Wendy's Baby Book ...

• Blessed on June 2, 1968. Grandma Westra came from SLC for the blessing.
• Became very attached to a pink thermal blanket and wouldn't go to sleep without it (6 months to 18 months). 
• At 18 months, wanted to take ALL dolls and stuffed animals to bed.
• Gave up the bottle at 20 months old. 
• First words:  Mama, Dada
• Had been on five round trip airplane flights in the first 19 months.
• First two teeth at 7 months old. 3rd tooth not until 13 months. First dental visit at 3½ years old. First cavity at 6½. 

Originally - I hadn't found this "on this day" report for Wendy, so I Googled to see if I could find something similar. Then I located this file, but thought I'd include some of the other interesting facts I'd found from the year.

• 1968 was the year that the first episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood aired, providing a stable, warm cultural icon for generations of children. This was also the year that Planet of the Apes, starring Charlton Heston, was released in theatres. And one of the great bands of the 20th century, Led Zeppelin, performed live for the first time in October of this year. In another more mild development, Yale University announced this year that women would be admitted to the university, making it a coeducational institution.
• This year was also an important one for space exploration. 1968 saw the United States launch Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission and an important step toward the Moon landing. Apollo 8 followed not long after, when Astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William A. Anders orbited the Moon. These men were the first human beings to see the far side of the Moon.
• 1968 will be mostly remembered, though, for the death of two major political figures in the United States: Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy. Martin Luther King, a major civil rights leader in the United States, was murdered at The Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4th. In addition to mourning across America, King’s murder sparked a great deal of civil unrest in an already tense environment. Robert F. Kennedy, brother of assassinated president John F. Kennedy, was a U.S. Senator from New York and was a presidential candidate in the Democrat Party. While campaigning for his party’s nomination in Los Angeles, California, Kennedy was shot on the evening of June 5th. He succumbed to his wounds on June 6th.

A Birthday FOUR Scotty

At the end of 1967, little Scotty turned FOUR years old. Looks like there were at least nine kids there, plus little Chris. Mom is there in the picture helping out with some craft, and it looks like there was another woman assisting also (I'm sure the extra hands were needed with that many young kids!). Lots of balloons, and probably a homemade cake (this was a little before Mom got into her Creative Cakes, although the one pictured is pretty cute!)

You can read more about When Scott Was Small and get a peek a some live action birthday party (when he was six years old) ... back when video was just coming on the scene!

1967 - Annual Recap

 

1697 ...Major News Stories include Worlds First Heart Transplant, the first ATM,  the first Super Bowl (Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs). There were strikes by US teaching staff for pay increases. The Vietnam War continued, as did peace rallies and protesters against the war. Muhammad Ali was stripped of his boxing world championship for refusing to be inducted into the US Army.   Twiggy became a fashion sensation and mini skirts continued to get shorter and the Beatles continued to reign supreme. The movie industry produced "The Graduate" "Bonnie and Clyde" and "Cool Hand Luke" . TV shows included "The Fugitive" and "The Monkees" and color television sets become popular as the price came down and more programs were made in color.

On the Westra homefront ... the young couple (Marge, turned 25 & Lamar who turned 30) said goodbye to their little home on Rainer Street where they had lived when both Scott and Chris were born. They moved to their new St. Street home, which was only a few blocks away and was even in the same ward. 

Chris was a New Year's Baby, learned to crawl, walk, talk and he celebrated his first birthday. Little Scott started pre-school and turned four at the end of the year. In the "history" in Dropbox, it is noted that Grandma Lucille came up to visit in August, but it looks like there must have been a family trip to Utah earlier in the year as there is a picture with Margie's folks and grandparents (and Grandma Lucille) too. 

Margie was pregnant with Wendy the last half of this year ... and back in Utah, a little boy named Rick Jensen was born. Those two wouldn't meet until years later, but it was 1967 where their story began.

You can also check out the extended Westra news in Grandma Lucille's Christmas Newsletter.

When Scott Was Small ...

 

Scott squeaked into 1963 ... December baby. The next few years he got to be the center of attention for his folks. Small Scott pictures dominate the Dropbox folders for these years. Mom/Margie was good at keeping up with the baby book and recording milestones and memories. Here are a few ...

• Turned over alone at 23 days old
• Started smiling at 5-6 weeks
• Turned from back to stomach at 4 months
• Crawled at 5½ months
• First tooth at 6½ months (8 teeth by 13 months)
• Walked at 8 months
• First words (11+ months) mama, dada, ball, woof-woof, nose
• Taken off the bottle at 13 months 
• Favorite toys were balls, pop-beads, chatter-phone, push-chime
• At 21 months, could count to ten (usually leaving out 1, 5 and 8)
• At about 1 year of age you became very interested in animals. You loved to see them and point them out in books. One of your first words was woof-woof. At 13 months you began to like stuffed animals; your teddy bear, monkey and clown. At 17 months you started taking your monkey to bed with you every night. 
• When you were 16 months old, your mom and dad both got bicycles with a cute little seat on the back for you. You loved to go bike riding every day and would ask "Go bye-bye on bike?" Daddy would ride his bike to work and we would ride to meet him every day.
• You were an excellent talker, pronounced words well and had a large vocabulary. At 26 months you could recite the Pledge of Allegiance" all by yourself. 
• By age 3, you knew many songs, nursery rhymes and finger plays. You started Junior Sunday School and enjoyed it very much. Mommy was your teacher.
• Shortly before you turned four, we moved into our new home on Saint Street. You started nursery school and had your first "friend" birthday party. 13 children came. You were four when you went to the dentist for the first time. You were very good at the checkup, but had two cavities. You were so good and tried so hard to be brave. But when we went back for the second one you bawled and wouldn't let the dentist do one thing!
• Your first plane ride was December 1968 when we flew to SLC for Uncle Merrill's wedding. You had your 5th birthday while we were there. You thought the plane ride was great. After boarding the plane, you asked "When are we going to Blast Off?" We went on five round trips by airplane during that next year, and lived in Los Angeles, California for two months. Started Kindergarten at Spalding Elementary. You rode the school bus, which stopped right next door. 
• April 1970 (age 6) ... lost first two teeth. Bottom center (these are preserved in the baby book!) Started 1st grade at Sacajawea School, there was team teaching in 3-class clusters (there is a big newspaper feature about it). We bought a moving picture camera and our first pictures were taken at your 6th birthday party.

Here's footage from that event!

1966 Recap

 

In 1966 ... Chris came. There is already a post documenting this momentous event, but there were a few other items happening with the Westras this year as well. In Dad's Dropbox history, there is only a "Trip to Seattle" noted February 4, 1966 as far as getting out and about. Based on the photos though, that wasn't the only traveling done. In March, it looks like not only the Westra family, but Rex & Zada, went out to California for a reunion with Merrill, returned home from his mission. Pictures are at Nelva and Arnold's house, with little cousins Dale and Karie. Then it looks like the crew returned to Utah, and made the rounds with more visiting to the Grandparents. The group picture includes both sets ... Zada's mom and her husband (Hannah and Arthur Bohne) and Rex's folks. No Chris in those pictures ... in March, he was still a little bun in the oven. No Dad/Lamar in those photos either, methinks he was likely the photographer.

A little later in the year, Rex and Zada made a trip to Washington to be there for the birth of Christopher ... that's when Dad/Lamar caught the big fish! It looks like the Westras must have made a trip back to Utah, or Aunt Diane made a trip up to Washington, as those two families are pictured together (cute little cousins Chris and baby Brad, and Scott and Mauri). Photos of little Scott enjoying the Thanksgiving turkey. Grandma Lucille had written a Christmas Letter in 1967 mentioning that Steve had gotten engaged Christmas of 1966, and left for service January 1967 (so that picture was probably taken one of those times). 

1966 looked like a fairly full year!

Chris Came ...

Three years after Scott came into the world, he was blessed with a little brother ~ Christopher Mark Westra. 6 pounds, 7½ ounces, 19¼ inches long. Born at 11:42 am. You might wonder why there is a picture of Dad with a fish combined in the collage of photos of baby Chris, but it's because while the grandparents were up to see the baby, Rex and LaMar went fishing on the Columbia River and caught a steelhead that weighed more than Chris did!

Here's some of Mom's memories from the big day ...

Since Scott's labor was only maybe around 4 hours, I expected Chris to be even quicker. So we went to the hospital and I was dilated only to 3 and they sent me home. I was in labor all night with the pains 5 minutes apart and scared I would wait too long, but didn't want to be sent home again.  When I was admitted, I remember being in the delivery room and the pain was so bad, they gave me gas and put me "under" for a bit. When I regained consciousness, I recall thinking "somebody is screaming," then  realizing "Oh, it is me screaming...."  Chris was born on a Monday and I never missed a week of church. September 5th was Labor Day in 1966. The Labor and Delivery dept. was very overcrowded that day and there was no room to put me in after he was born, so my bed was just out in the hallway. I was sitting up and a nurse came by and said, "You shouldn't be sitting up!" She thought I hadn't had the baby yet and was in labor. Chris's was my hardest and longest birth, which surprised me because he wasn't that big.

Some memories from the baby book ...

• Dr. Robert E Chase. Nurse Beulah Liechty. 
• Kadlec Methodist Hospital/Richland, Washington. Room 419C. Receipt for payment $208.20, another for $2.00.
• Hair was dark brown at birth, lighter later on, very sparse on top, one inch in back.
•  Blessed October 9, 1966 in Richland 1st ward. When Chris was held up after the blessing, he spit up at the congregation. Two other babies blessed that day.
• Very spitty baby (more than any of the other kids). Had to have a burp diaper on every chair around the house to grab quick when needed.
• Red birthmark on the forehead.
• Sleeping through the night at three months. Started sucking thumb, would not take pacifier.
• Swaying and dancing to music at 15 months. 
• First words: Mama, Dada, Ball, Dog-Dog, Marble, Night-night. His speech was very cute when he was a bit older (age 3) as there were several letters he couldn't pronounce (s, r). 
• First flight - to SLC Dec 1968 for Merrill's wedding. Chris got sick on the flight down. 
• Loved the water - summer of 1967 (8-12 months old) he spent more time in the wading pool than Scott. Learned to walk in the pool!
• Illnesses - Roseola at 6 months old (March1967), Mumps (June 1970). 
• Noted Events: The war in Vietnam. The popularity of the Beatles. Fashion trends - long hair on boys, miniskirts, granny dresses, the twist (dance).

Here's a little look at what else was going on in the world in September 1966 ...

 I just paid $1.09 for a dozen eggs in 2020 ... no inflation for eggs?

Check out the blog post "Baby Books and a Chris Questionnaire" for more memories of baby Chris!

The Life of Joseph Ate Westra

The Westra kids never knew their Grandpa Joe. Scott was just a baby when he passed away. The original history written by Grandma Lucille (I believe) is on family search, as are all these pictures and more. I've included the history here, but rearranged a couple of items and wanted to include a few bullet points of items of interest at the top ...

• Joseph was 6th of 10 children. Only four survived to adulthood (in the picture in the top left, older brother John is not in the photograph).
• Joseph and Lucille were born only two days apart, both at LDS hospital.  They likely "met" at the nursery there, and would re-acquaint 19 years later and be married for almost 30 years.
• Joseph and Lucille were engaged while he went on his mission to the Southern States.
• While he was a marble champion when young, golf was his passion, followed by fishing. He liked all sports though. Football in the fall, basketball in the winter. Baseball in the summer.

LIFE OF JOSEPH A. WESTRA Joseph Ate Westra was born October 23, 1911 in Salt Lake City, Utah, and died May 24, 1965 at the age of 53 of a Coronary Heart Attack. 

His mother was Geeske DeHaan, born February 23, 1878 and died August 16, 1955 at the age of 77 (see her history). His father was Ate Obe Westra, born December 5, 1868 and died December 11, 1946 at the age of 78.  There were 10 children born ...

• Wilhelmina was born in 1904 and died in 1908
• Obe was born in 1905 and died in 1907
• Egbert was born in 1906 and died in 1907
• John was born Dec. 31, 1908 and died in 1998.
• George was born in 1909 and died in 1910 
• Joseph was born in 1911 and died in 1965
• Allen was born in 1913 and died in 1914
• Alice was born Jan. 28, 1914
• Alma was born in 1915 and died in 1916
• Edward Paul was born July 23, 1923.

Of Joseph's seven brothers and two sisters, only two brothers (John and Edward Paul) and one sister (Alice Louise Heller) survived to adulthood.

Joe's father was called on a mission to Holland and his mother took a job at the Forest Annex to help support her family. She kept the school clean and Joe had to help bring in the coal for the stoves. His mother was real strict and they were never allowed to go in the front rooms unless they had company. She kept a spotless home. They always had a nice garden and planted lots of vegetables. They had chickens and a cow. At a picnic at Lagoon Joe’s mother was badly burned when coffee was spilt in her lap. She was in bed for weeks, and Joe had to come home from school each day and scrub the kitchen floor. They had a nice bungalow type home at 2256 South 8th East. It had a long front porch and the family enjoyed sitting out there and visiting friends and relatives. The Westras had lots of friends from Holland, and they would always talk Dutch. Joe never learned the language, but could distinguish some of the words. His brother John went to Holland on his mission.

Joe had Rheumatic fever as a child and was sickly. He had to stay out of school one year. He was a marble champion and won a Hubbard Denn Medal in 1924. He liked scouting and went on lots of scout trips in the summers, along with his brother John and friends George and Seig Springer. While growing up, Joe's friends were Boyd Ostler, Laird Snelgrove, Frank Howard, Clyde Furner, Seig and George Springer and Clyde Campbell.  

Joseph went to Salt Lake City Schools: Forest, Irving Jr., LDS High School, L.D.S. Business College and then took the LaSalle Extension Course in Accounting. His business acquaintances were Cal Rasmussen, George Weidner, George Webb, Jack Lake, Adam Jacobs.

Joseph and Lucille were 19 years old when they met on the 9th East Street Car which both of them rode to work each day.  It was 1930. Lucille and Joe would double date with Clyde and Audrey Campbell. He had a roadster and Joe and Lucille always sat in the rumble seat. They would go to the Old Mill in Big Cottonwood on Saturday nights and dance, go on picnics, play tennis, and go hiking. They were engaged December 24, 1931, and he was called on a mission to the Southern States from June 1932 to June 1934. Lucille waited for him to return to her and enjoyed writing to her missionary. They were both just shy of 24 on their wedding day.

Joseph was married to Lucille Erskine in the Salt Lake Temple, September 5, 1935, by Elder Charles A. Callis of the Council of the Twelve. They had a wedding breakfast at Aunt Ivy McAuliffe's, and a beautiful Reception at the Belvedere Lounge. They didn't own a car, so didn't go on a honeymoon, but had a lovely apartment at 1258 Emerson Avenue. Seven months before they were married they started buying furniture, and by the time September came, all their lovely furniture was paid for. 

In 1936 Joe and Lucille bought their first car. It was a Grey Chevrolet Coupe. They were so thrilled to own a car. Now they didn't have to take the streetcar or walk. He was working for Snelgrove Ice Cream Company in Sugarhouse at the time, and Lucille was working for the Government WPA at the building that houses Deseret Industries now.

They were married for 29 years and had four children, two boys and two girls.

• Joseph LaMar, born May 28, 1937
• Sharon Lucille born September 16, 1938
• Diane born March 10, 1943
• Steven Arthur born June 22, 1946.

Golf was Joseph's first love in sports - he lived close to Forest Dale golf course and caddied there for many years while growing up. He really didn't take up fishing until his son LaMar was 10 years old and was selling nightcrawlers. They didn't even own a fishing rod, but decided to go to Mill Creek Stream and try their luck. Joe fixed two willows with line, hook and bait. LaMar pulled in a 21 inch German Brown. He had his picture taken with the fish, as one of the largest caught on opening day. That did it. They went out and bought fishing tackle and have enjoyed the sport ever since.

Joe went on some wonderful fishing trips. Each opening of fishing season they would go to Fish Lake and camp out. His brother Ed loved fishing too. While on a vacation to the northwest, he went to Westport on the Ocean and fished for salmon with his brother John. He went on lots of fishing trips to Strawberry, Yellowstone, Wyoming and Montana. Now he enjoyed fishing as much as he did golf. He loved all sporting events, and would work the High School Basketball Tournament each year, as an usher.

As a child, Joe suffered from a broken arm, and rheumatic fever. This may have been the cause of his heart problems later in life. In 1933, while traveling through the Everglades in Florida he was bitten by mosquitos and got Malaria. He was very sick for two weeks, and they gave him quinine and milk of magnesia with ice. When he got overly tired each summer the Malaria would come back again and he would be down for 2 weeks again. This lasted for 7 years. In 1945 he got a blood clot following an emergency appendectomy for a ruptured appendix and was in St. Marks Hospital for one month under oxygen. The doctors only gave him a 50-50 chance to pull through. President Richards came and administered to him and he recovered, showing the power of the Priesthood and faith that he would get better.

In 1957 Joe had Hypertension and was hospitalized for 2 weeks. His blood pressure was 230 over 130 on May 30th. In 1959 he had Bleeding Ulcers on Thanksgiving Day. In 1961 he had a heart attack in February. In March 1962 he had Bleeding Ulcers,  and in July of that year, he was hospitalized with wrenched shoulder and a broken hand following a roll-over car accident. In March 1964 he had another heart attack. In 1965 he had his third heart attack and passed away May 24, 1965. For his last stay in the hospital he went in on May 17, and died May 24. He said he would only stay one week.

Back in 1964 after his big heart attack, Joe was unable to work full time. He would come to the office when he was able, and they were very good to him. They continued his paychecks coming in each month. They finally had to bring in an assistant, Dale Curtis, to take over in purchasing. After Joe came home from the hospital in 1964, his good neighbor Coke Willardson would come over each day and give him a shot. She continued this all summer. Joe was beginning to fill up with water, and he had a geographic tongue. He had a hard time sleeping and he was taking a lot of medication every day for his heart. His appetite was poor and he was miserable. His cardiograms showed a lot of heart damage.

His father was Custodian at L.D.S. Business College. He and his brother John worked as Deseret Newspaper boys while growing up, and helped support the family. His father passed away December 11, 1946. His mother worked in the Temple after that. In 1950 she had a bad stroke, which left her unable to speak, and for 5 years she was this way. It was heartbreaking seeing her try to let you know what she wanted. She couldn't write either and was partially paralyzed. The family put her in a rest home, but she was not happy there. Joe would bring her up on Sundays in her wheelchair and have dinner, then take her to church and then back to the rest home. She died Aug. 16, 1955.

• Residences - Born in a home on 9th East, grew up at 2256 South 8th East, 1258 Emerson Avenue, 837 Sherman Avenue, 1261 Malvern Avenue, 246 East 21st South, 2740 Grandview Circle.
• Places of Work - Lauren W. Gibbs as a typist, Snelgrove Ice Cream as Ice Cream Dispenser and Manager, Garden Gate Ice Cream as Ice Cream Dispenser and Manager, Presiding Bishop’s Office, L.D.S. Church as Bookkeeper, Kennecott Copper, shift work during 2nd World War, Bingham-Garfield Railroad as Bookkeeper, Granite School District as Purchasing Agent, and was with Granite for 17 years until he passed away.
• Church positions - Elder, Seventy, High Priest, and Ward Clerk for 3 Bishoprics - Bishop H. D. Lowry, Bishop O. E. Aylett, and Bishop Feron Olson. He was also Sunday School Superintendent. His Wards - Forest Dale, Emerson, Wasatch, Hawthorne, Highland Park, Burton, Columbus, Grandview and Grandview II.

Joseph really enjoyed his mission and the wonderful people he met. He had a faith-promoting experience when he blessed a tiny baby with a growth on his head and he was healed. President Charles A. Callis headed the Mission. He got to love him and his wonderful family. Then President Callis was released and President Le Grand Richards headed the Mission. Joe lived right in their home. It was a wonderful experience. He was Mission Secretary. President Richard’s first mission to Holland made him acquainted with Joe's folks. He stayed right at their home and got to love them. They ran a laundry in Holland, and saved their money so they could come to Salt Lake City for their religion. They were converts to the church.

Joe and Lucille had a wonderful marriage and enjoyed their four lovely children.

• LaMar married Marjorie Norman June 29, 1962 in the Salt Lake Temple. They have four children, Scott, Christopher, Wendy and Jenny. 
• Sharon married Kent Amann June 27, 1957 in the Salt Lake Temple. They have three children, Randy, Ricky and Alyson. 
• Diane married Jon Mauss October 17, 1962. They have two children. Mauri and Brad. They lost one baby (2 days old), Leslie Ann, their second baby. 
• Steven married Diana Wathen June 28, 1967 in Frankfurt, Germany. They were divorced in July 1970. No children. He married Jan Thompson February 1, 1972. She has a boy Mike. As of August 15, 1973 this brings his grandchildren to (11). 

Joe was the first to leave this existence. What a wonderful homecoming with his mother, father, 5 brothers and 1 sister and his in-laws to greet him. He is working hard and making a place for his posterity.

Joe's siblings stories ...

• John married Melva Saunders in the Salt Lake Temple, and they had three children, Dorene, Jerry and Janet. John died in 1998.
• Alice married Paul Heller in October 1935, and they had two sons, Ronald and Bruce. Alica died in 1989.
• Edward Paul married Doreen Cobb in the Salt Lake Temple and they had four children, Kathy, Kenneth, Karen and Kyle. Edward died in 2011.

Sharon wrote a tribute too ...

Daddy loved fishing. He would go fishing practically every weekend during the summer when he was in better health. Quite often he would take the family along. And as most fishermen do, he would say he would be back at 6:00 but would really mean 8:00.  Lamar used to sell nightcrawlers when we lived on 21st South. Daddy would take Lamar to the golf course at night and help him catch worms.

Daddy was good at arithmetic. He would always help us with our homework. We probably never would have passed Algebra without him. 

 Daddy enjoyed doing things with the family. Every holiday he would take us all, and usually our friends too, to some resort for swimming and having fun. He would also take us, the whole family, on drives every Sunday; and we would always talk him into buying us an ice cream cone.

Although Daddy would take the boys fishing, he didn't neglect us girls. He was always willing to go with us to the daddy-daughter parties held in school and the ward. This meant a lot to us. He was always interested in the things we were doing.