The History of Joseph Lamar Westra

Birth and growing up years, 1937-1949, Ages 0-12. 

I arrived into this wonderful world 28 May 1937, the first child of Joseph Ate Westra and Lucille Erskine. I was born in Salt Lake City, and spent most of my early childhood in the South Salt Lake area, where we attended the old Haven Ward, just a block west of State Street about 2300 South. Our family grew to include two sisters and one brother. The old Haven Ward must have been torn down after we left the area. 

 We lived at 246 East 21st South. 

 

My father’s parents were both born in the Netherlands, so my father was 100% Dutch, making me 50% Dutch, with ancestor surnames such as: de Haan, Bangma, Scheeringa, Posthumus, Snip, Ploeg, Hofstra, Wijnalda etc. My mother’s ancestry was mostly English and Scottish with ancestor surnames such as: Erskine, Cushing, Roberts, McFarlane, Peat, Bird, etc. 

One of my early memories, when I was a small boy, was when I set fire to the field behind our house. My mother had always said how she liked a nice bonfire, so I lit the fire for her. She wasn’t pleased. I think my fire almost burned up a cow that was in the field. 

I attended Madison Elementary on State Street about 2400 South: kindergarten through 6th grade. Some of my friends during my elementary school days were Boyd Parry, Fred Dalton, Gary Royce and Norman Middleton (see more about friends from Madison and the neighborhood, including a first girlfriend). There was an initiation into the 6th grade that all the lower grades would dread. It involved harassment by the outgoing 6th graders, and eating grasshoppers. 

I remember having a thriving nightcrawler business. My dad and I would go out at night and gather nightcrawlers from golf courses around the valley: Nibley, Forest Dale, and Bonneville, and Fairmount and Liberty Parks. I would store the nightcrawlers in my basement in large flat wooden boxes, spread with damp gunny sacks, and feed them Cream of Wheat until we sold them. I would take orders in advance, so often we would have to make special night excursions to fill orders of 10-12 dozen nightcrawlers. I charged 15 cents a dozen, or two dozen for 25 cents. My sister Sharon would be my helper and help customers if I wasn’t home. We even put electrical rods in our back lawn to bring the night crawlers out. It worked pretty well, but the worms became a little woozy. 

I got my dad to take me fishing. We would go down to Spring Run on 9th East about 50th South. It was the final point of one of our bike trips. One time, when I was about 10 years old, my dad and I were fishing in Mill Creek, near Granite High. The water was very deep there, and I caught a whopper. I pulled it out and it came flying out of the water up on the bank, and the hook came out. It was about to flop back into the water when my dad grabbed it and tossed it up on higher ground. It was a 21 ½ inch rainbow trout. We took it home, and somehow the newspaper got word of it, and my picture appeared in the newspaper, with this big trout hanging over my shoulder, and hanging almost down to my waist. It would be about 16 years later, after I had married, and we had moved to Richland, Washington, when Margie’s dad called us and told us that my name was on the big yellow Dees cup for being the record holder in Utah for the largest rainbow trout. It was listed on the cup as a 21 ½ pound rainbow trout, caught in Millcreek Reservoir. That record actually stood up for many years. It was the listed record until they built the Flaming Gorge reservoir, and grew rainbow trout bigger than 21 ½ pounds. 

My father was a returned missionary, having served in the Southern States Mission under President LeGrande Richards. But during my growing up years, he was not too active in the church. My mother would attend church with us children. My father was very often playing golf each Sunday. He was a pretty good amateur golfer, and had lots of golfing trophies. But when I was 12 years old, I was given the Aaronic Priesthood and ordained to the office of Deacon by my father. I was also ordained to the office of Teacher by my father, but I was ordained to the office of Priest by someone else: Melvin Brain. My father later ordained me to the office of Elder. 

Grandview Circle Years - 1949-1957 Ages 12-20

When I was 12 years old, our family moved into a new home South and East of Sugarhouse, at 2740 South Grandview Circle (about 1700 East).  See the neighborhood around Grandview Circle.  I remember working with my dad doing cleanup during the construction: sweeping, straightening nails, etc.  We lived in the Wilford Stake and attended the Grandview Ward on 20^th East, about 2900 South.  I attended Roosevelt Junior High, which is now Rowland Hall, a private school.  It was located west and down the hill from East High School.  We were bussed to Roosevelt.  I remember some of the teachers at Roosevelt: Mr. Kartchner for PE, Justin Tolman for math, Buttermilk Bertha Rappoport for type.  I wrestled for Mr. Kartchner.  Mr. Tolman would tell us how he taught the young man who invented Television, Philo Farnsworth.  He said he had long discussions up in schools in Idahowith Philo, who would explain his theories, and fill the blackboard with complex equations.  Buttermilk Bertha Rappoport gave me the only D I ever got on a report card.  Then the next semester she gave me an A.  My mom told me she had Bertha Rappoport for type when she was in Roosevelt Junior High.  Buttermilk Bertha got her knick name for sitting outside her classroom on a garbage can and drinking buttermilk. 

Then I attended SouthHigh School which is now part of the Salt Lake Community College and Grand Theatre.   Having all three of my old school buildings no longer operating as public school buildings makes me feel somewhat of an outcast.  At South High, one of my favorite teachers was Rocky Schroeder for math.  Mrs. Schroeder was a diminutive little lady, probably less than 5 feet in height.   Another favorite teacher was Mr. Armont Willardsen, for acapella choir.  I tried out for the choir as a Junior and got in as a baritone.  So I was in the choir for two years.  We would go around to different wards in the area to sing in sacrament meetings.  We put on the whole program, including speakers and 8-10 musical numbers.  One of our favorite closing numbers was Battle Hymn of the Republic.  I can still sing the baritone part today.  We sang almost every Sunday.  I remember singing also at locations in downtown SLC, the Hotel Utah and the Congregational Church, and for the big Baptist church on 13^thEast just north of East High School.  The pastor there, Fenwick Fowler, knew that most of the members of the choir were Mormons, so he always planned on a baptism as a part of the service.  The baptism was done in a font, high above the pulpit, complete with mirrors so the audience could see the baptism being performed.   The pastor always had a fiery sermon prepared for us.

Chemistry teacher got me to major in Chemistry at the U. 

I was also enrolled in early morning seminary.  We had a carpool, mainly driven by Don Phippen.  My sister Sharon and I were in the carpool together.  She was one year behind me at South High.  Others in the carpool were my sister’s friends: Joyce Keiser and Eileen.  We would be in a big hurry every morning, and would very often arrive late.    

Some of my friends from the ward were: Frank Willardsen, Tim Maxwell, Mike Dixon, and John Dunn.  Tim had lots of exotic birds: pheasants, etc.   Tim’s dad was our scoutmaster, and each year, our ward would take a trip to Moabto camp and hike n the Arches.  Some of the friends I met in High School were Jim Peterson and Dick Van Wagenen.  I would play lots of basketball with Jim, down on Ashton Avenue, and ping pong with Dick down in his basement. Dick lived on Parkway.

On Sundays, we had a big group of boys who played football, at the Stratford Park church, just south of the Crystal Heights ward building. I played on our ward young men’s teams: basketball, and softball(Libby EdwardsSchool). My sister Sharon didn’t have many friends in our Grandview ward, so she attended the Crystal Heightswardin the next Stake to the North, where she had lots of friends: Steve Stutz, her old boyfriend, JoyceKeizer, and Eileen. Don Phippen also lived in that ward. I think that Don and Joyce were cousins. When Sharon eventually married, she had her reception in the Crystal Heights ward.

I worked each summer for the Granite School District, starting about age 14.  My dad was the purchasing agent.  The main offices were in a small two story building on State Street just north of 33^rd South.  My dad knew everyone at the school district, and got me jobs, first in the Cannery at about 25 cents per hour, and then on the cleaning crew.  The crew was made up of 5-6 teachers, and 5-6 young guys like me.  We would travel from school to school and clean rest rooms and dough clean walls and ceilings with wallpaper cleaner: soft pink stuff you would wipe over the surface and it would clean the dirt off.  We would build scaffolding to get to the ceilings.  It got quite precarious in rooms like the Granite High School auditorium.  We would be way up there on the scaffold, walking a thin 2 by 8 plank, swinging our arm wildly from side to side.  Then we would throw the dough at each other.  Then I got jobs on the plumbing crew, installing and repairing sprinkler systems.  The last jobs I had were watering new lawns as they were planted.  They planted seed, which needed watering every day.  I brought up new lawns at Granger High, and several elementary schools: Eastwood, East Mill Creek, etc.  I would also catch gophers when they made mounds in my new grass, by inserting gopher trips in the holes.  My main boss for all of this work was Lee Davey. 

After my graduation from high school in 1955, I attended the University of Utah for two years, majoring in Chemistry.  I spent much of my free time at the LDS Institute of Religion.  A big group of South High graduates met there.  We played a lot of ping pong, and took institute classes, and ate our lunch, and joined Delta Chapter, one of the four men’s chapters of Lambda Delta Sigma, the LDS fraternity/sorority at the U of U.  I met lots more friends there.  Many of our girlfriends were from Sigma chapter, the woman’s chapter that met the same night we did, on Wednesday evenings.  We dated lots of different girls, but many of them were set up dates between our Delta chapter and one of the seven woman’s chapters.   

Some of the group went on a river trip down the Colorado, with the Socotwa River Rats.  We had four Deltas on our boat, and three Sigmas.  The Deltas were Steve Carr, Tim Maxwell, Don Phippen and I.  Steve was there with his girlfriend, Annette Thorpe.  We got in the Colorado near Moab, and floated down through Cataract Canyon until the convergence with the Green River, in what is now Canyonlands National Park, and then to the convergence with the Yampa River.  We met with others in our company who were floating down the other rivers.  We were on the river 10 days, clear down past the Glen Canyon Dam being built.  We could see some of the construction high up on the canyon walls.  We hiked up some of the side canyons that are now covered by Lake Powell, including Hole in the Rock and Rainbow Bridge.  In some of the side canyons, we would hike up a narrow canyon, and then encounter a section of water, where we would have to swim or wade.  We got to one canyon with a fantastic waterfall.  Some of our group actually dove from the top of the waterfall down into the deep pool in which it was falling.  We continued our floating, past the Arizonaborder. 

Some of us had a last fling before our missions.  We went on a trip to California with Jim Peterson and ….  Ray ….  ….. Marlo Gwynn

Mission Years (1957-1960)

  

I was called to the Netherlands Mission: 1957-1960.  I was pleased to receive a call to the land of half of my ancestors, and to be able to learn the Dutch language. 

I was 20 ½ when I was called.  I attended the old Missionary School in downtown SLC, 20-31 August, near where the LDS Conference Center is now.  Dick Van Wagenen and I were there together.  Dick had been called to the Northern States Mission.  We skipped out to visit our girlfriends: Joann Despain and Sylvia (Saliva) Wheelwright.

My mission is pretty much described in my Missionary journal, including the trip over to the Netherlands, with my traveling companion, Elder Ronald Whiting, of Firth, Idaho,  via train to Chicago, where we had to change trains, and train stations, and New York, where we stayed two days, and were able to visit Niagara Falls, and New York City, Central Park, Empire State Building, Radio City, show, the Pajama Game, and the boat trip on the SS Maasdam, 5-14 September.    

We made a stop in Southampton, England, and LeHavre, France, and got to Rotterdam on 14 September.  We were met by Elder Russell and Elder Teerlink, and went to The Hague in President Sperry’s car.  We stayed in The Hague for three days, and then were transferred.  I went on 17 September to Amsterdam, with a trainer, Elder Robert J. de Bry, who was the District President in Amsterdam. 

Usually, when new missionaries arrive in the Netherlands, they go straight to the mission home in The Hague to the mission school.  However, since there were just the two of us, me and Elder Whiting, they decided to have us wait for the school, until three other missionaries would be arriving. 

So I spent my first month in Amsterdam with Elder de Bry.  We made trips to Haarlem and other places. 

I got back to The Hague to attend the mission school, 19 October to 8 November.  Our school teacher was Elder Schetselaar, and the missionary presidents for the Sunday School and Mutual (OOV) were living there also, Elder Shupe and Elder Lemon.   Some of the others attending the mission school, were Elder van Boerum, Elder Whiting.     

I was transferred to my next assignment, in Arnhem, 9 November.   My companion was the Branch President in Arnhem, Elder Butler, and then Elder Sieverts, and finally, Elder Ladle.  We were in a foursome, living above the church in Arnhem.  The other two missionaries were the District President, Elder Stewart, and his companion, Elder Stuart Poelman.   

I was in Arnhem for about 7 months. 

I was transferred to my next assignment, back to The Hague, 26 May 1958.  My companion was Elder Leon de Vries.

After I was released as a missionary, I went up to the Northern two provinces of the Netherlands, Groningen and Friesland, and did family history work in Friesland the archives in Leeuwarden, and visited the villages where some of my ancestors had lived.  I stayed up there for two weeks, waiting for the release of three more missionaries. 

We toured, with five missionaries and two Volkswagons, through Germany and Austria and Italy and France and Belgium.  We had tents and camped out, or stayed in youth hostels along the way,  We went to England to do more touring, and to board the SS United States for our return to the US.  We toured New York and Washington DC and traveled west to Dayton, Ohioto meet with my uncle Harold Erskine.  We continued our trip west in our Volkswagons to SLC.  My mom was not aware of where we were until we knocked on her front door.    

Post Mission Years (1960-1963)

After my mission, I returned to the U of U, where I continued my chosen major of Chemistry.  I got into summer school when I got back home, to avoid being drafted.  I took 20 hours during summer quarter, 4 five hour classes, all relatively easy: German 1, Music 1, Statistics, Econ 1.  Our teacher in Econ 1 was a young bearded fellow, who taught with a cigarette in one hand, and a piece of chalk in the other.  He would sometimes forget which was which.  I remember one of our texts for Econ 1 was The Communist Manifesto.  I graduated in 1962, and spent an additional year of post graduate study, changing my emphasis from Chemistry to Math and Computers.

At the U, I was actively involved in Lambda Delta Sigma, the church sponsored fraternity/sorority group.  I was elected an inter-chapter officer, Treasurer.  It was there I met the love of my life, Margie Norman.  She didn’t attend the UofU.  She went to Heneger’s business college.  A group of Henegers students created another chapter of Lambda Delta Sigma, the Omicron chapter.  We would have conjoints, or parties between one men’s chapter and one women’s chapter.  The first conjoint between the Delta chapter and the Omicron chapter resulted in 5 or 6 marriages.  Margie and I were married 29 June 1962 in the Salt Lake Temple.   

We moved into our first apartment, an 8 plex on McClelland Avenuein Sugar House, and went on our honeymoon to Las Vegas, with a stop at Bryce Canyon.  Margie showed her prowess as a gambler by winning several big returns on her slot machine.  We took in a few shows in Las Vegas: PillowTalk, and

We paid $80 per month for our apartment, and it was the only one of the 8 that did not have a carport and storage unit.  The builder promised one, and when it didn’t happen quickly, we paid only $75 per month.   t ….  Address ….   We stayed in the apartment for one year, while I did a year of graduate study.  Margie had her job at the Huntsman Cancer research center, and I had an assistantship where they paid a stipend for teaching lab and research classes in Chemistry. 

In the summer of 1963, I went on two interview trips.  One was by myself, flying to Denver, Colorado to interview Marathon Oil, and then Margie and I drove to San Franciscoto interview Shell Oil Company.  Then we accepted a job offer from General Electric in Richland, Washington, one of the three cities making up the Tri Cities.

Richland, Washington Years (1963-1972)

In the summer of 1963, I went on two interview trips.  One was by myself, flying to Denver, Colorado to interview Marathon Oil, and then Margie and I drove to San Franciscoto interview Shell Oil Company.  Then we accepted a job offer from General Electric in Richland, Washington, one of the three cities making up the Tri Cities.  I was hired as a chemist, but never did any work in chemistry.  I was assigned to work in computer programming, and spent the next 40 years as a computer programmer/systems analyst.  We had planned to stay in Richland about two years, and get some work experience, and then return to Salt Lake City.  Those goals didn’t work out quite as planned.  We lived in Richland for nine years, in two homes.  Our first home was a small house in what was called Richland Village, at 2031 Raineer Street, on the corner.  We paid rent: $79 per month.  The house had a garage and a basement.  We made acquaintance with two of our neighbors.  Elwyn and Marilyn Shimoda lived in the house just west of ours, and Gil and Eileen Litchfield on the next street.  They each had one child.  Eileen served as a surrogate mother for Margie, since her own mother was so far away.  

We had our first child 16 Dec 1963.  Scottie was born in Kadlec Memorial Hospital, which had been built years before by the government.  The whole city of Richland was built by the government to support building the atom bomb.  A lot of people were hired to work in Richlandin the years before 1945.  Most of the people who worked there didn’t know they were working on a project to build the atomic bomb. 

After the first two atomic bombs were exploded in Japan, the local RichlandHigh School changed their mascot name to the Richlandbombers. 

In Richland, General Electric was a sub contractor for the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), and was operating the Hanford nuclear reactor plant on the Columbia River.  I started with GE in the tech grad program.  There they had new employees take 3-4 three month assignments with different groups.  Then when the employee and the group manager come to a mutual agreement, the employee is assigned to that group.  I had one assignment out in the labs, a 20 minute bus ride west to the lab area, and another assignment in downtown Richland.  I accepted the second assignment, working in the Richland Federal Buildingfor Glenn Otterbein, doing computer work, mostly in Fortran.  After working there for just a year or so, GE’s contract expired, and the contract was divided into 5-6 different groups.  Other subcontractors won the contract with the AEC.  I sat at the same desk, but was now working for Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC).

My father died in May 1965. We returned for his funeral.

We had our second child, Christopher, 5 Sep 1966.

Moved to a new house, 726 Saint Street.   Nov 1967 …    Richland 1^st Ward.   Richland Stake new StakeCenter …  included wards in Kennewickand Walla Walla.   Neighbors Roy and Sharon Kent on one side and Jean and Dick Turley on the other side …..   

Served in Family History, starting the Richland Family History Centerin our new stake house.   Served as a stake missionary …   adult Aaronic replacing Dick Turley …

Graduate Classes at the Richland Centerfor Graduate study …….   Classes in Math, Advanced Calculus, Advanced differential equations, linear algebra, etc.  The RichlandCenter would contract with professors from Washington State, U of Washington and Oregon State to fly in to teach the classes.    

Wendy was born 29 Apr 1968. 

 In the summer of 1969, CSC moved us to Los Angeles for three months, along with 8 or 9 other families, to develop software at the main CSCheadquarters in El Segundo.   

Back in Richland: One time I was working out in the yard and supposedly tending the kids.  I didn’t notice, but Wendy wandered off.  One of the neighbors way up the hill saw her and brought her back home, clutching an all-day sucker.  I hadn’t even missed her.  The neighbor said they knew her from church, with those beautiful blue eyes. 

Jenny was born 10 Nov 1970. 

I taught early-morning Seminary (9th grade) for a year before we moved back to Salt Lake.

 Hermitage Circle Years (1972-1994)

   

We finally returned to Salt Lake City in August 1972, along with our first four children, ages 1-8.  We moved into a new split entry home in the Jamestownsubdivision, 1677 East Hermitage Circle.  The Jamestown area was part of the home show in the year before.  We attended a number of Cottonwood Wards in the Cottonwood Stake.  We were first in the Cottonwood9^th Ward, meeting in the ward house on Highland Drive.  A few weeks later, the new Cottonwood Stake Center on 1830 East 6400 South was finished.  We were assigned to the Cottonwood 11^th Ward meeting in the Stake Center.  …Bishop Harry Peckham . 

  

In our move to Salt Lake City, I was hired as a computer programmer by the Sperry Corporation, who ran a plant out by the Salt Lake airport.  They eventually merged with other companies and became the Unisys Corporation. 

In my first assignment there, I worked with David Powell and Franci de Long.  Our boss was Wayne Slagle.  I worked as a computer programmer or analyst.  During my work there, I took many trips: many to Roseville, Minnesota and many others to Blue Bell, Pennsylvania.  I took another trip to New Orleans, and another to Miami to attend conferences of some kind or another.  Other bosses were: Wayne Ivie, Glenn Johnson, John Burns, Franci de Long.  I worked on many projects. 

Church callings – Family History, FREP, Church, FH Center …..membership clerk, teach ….  Varsity Scouts ….. 

  

3 May 1976      Birth of Shane Michael Westra

Ward split, 13^th Ward …Bishop Robin Egan, with counselors Lane Summerhays and Steve Woolston.   Margie was the first RS president.   We were a very small ward ….  After two years, Steve had to be released: working for the church, too much travel, South America.  I was called to replace him as 2^ndCounselor.

17 Apr 1979     Birth of Kellie Sue Westra.  Our little girl had a heart defect and died at the age of 8 days.

22 Jan 1980     Death of Margie’s grandmother, Louella McGee Norman

5 Nov 1980     Birth of Cory Matthew Westra.  He was a full-term stillborn little boy.

5 May 1982     Birth of Derek Alan Westra. I was almost 45 years of age.

26 Dec 1982     LaMar - called to serve in the Bishopric of the Cottonwood 13^th Ward, with Bishop Robin Egan and Lane Summerhays.  LaMar replaced Steve Woolston who was doing a lot of traveling for the church. 

Budd Ferre was later called as a counselor to Bishop Egan, and when Bishop Egan was released, Budd was called to be the new bishop.  I served as a counselor to Budd also.  I served for almost 7 years as counselor. 

26 May 1983    Scott was called as a missionary to the Tampa Floridamission.  He departed 26 May 1983.  The missionary system had been recently changed, with new missionaries called for a period of just 18 months.  Scott returned 30 Nov 1984.   After Scott’s return, the missionary system was changed back again, with new missionaries again called for a period of two years.    

• 31 Mar 1986 Death of Herbert LaVar Norman
• 13 Oct 1986 Death of Hannah Lucinda Hurst Howell Bohne
• 21 Oct 1987 Chris departed as a missionary in the Columbus, Ohio mission. Chris returned 6 Oct 1989. 
• 5 July 1989 Wendy departed as a missionary in the Atlanta, Georgia ASL, American Sign Language. Wendy returned 24 Jan 1991.
• 26 Nov 1989 Release from Bishopric after serving almost seven years in the Bishopric 
• 29 Aug 1990 Death of Lucille Erskine Westra Burgener
• 15 July 1991 Marriage of Chris and Casandra Mueller
• 20 Mar 1992 Marriage of Scott and Amy Whiting. They moved into a house in Cottonwood Heights, 2256 East 6630 South, 84121.
• 13 May 1992 Birth of our first grandchild, Conner Joseph Westra 
• 22 July 1992 Marriage of Jennifer and Grayson Blackham. 
• 23 Feb 1993 Birth of our second grandchild, McKenna Nicole Westra 
• 15 Jan 1994 Death of Victor Alma Burgener
• 12 Mar 1994 Move Chris and Sandy to Fayette
• 2 June 1994 Birth of our third grandchild, Kadan Christopher Westra 
• 28 July 1994 Marriage of Wendy and Rick Jensen. 

We lived in the Hermitage home for over 22 years, and then built a new home, just east of our old home, in a new subdivision called New Haven.  12 Nov 1994     Move to 6176 South Haven Moor Circle. We have now been in our current home for over 10 years.      

Haven Moor Circle Years 1994-Present

• 12 Nov 1994 We moved into our new home: 6176 South Haven Moor Circle
• 15 Feb 1995 Birth of our 4th grandchild, Alyssa Blair Westra
• 19 July1995 Departure of Shane for his mission in Brazil. Shane returned 25 June 1997. 
• 7 Sep 1995 Birth of our 5th grandchild, Landon Gordon Blackham
• 8 Dec 1995 Birth of our 6th grandchild, Janika Carol Jensen
• 16 Dec 1995 Move Scott and Amy, and McKenna and Alyssa, to Draper, 404 East Rosewood Park Lane. 
• 16 Oct 1996 Birth of our 7th grandchild, Kellen Scott Westra
• 12 Dec 1996 Move Jen and Gray, and Landon, to West Jordan, 3692 West 8070 South, 84088
• 6 June 1997 Birth of our 8th grandchild, Corin Benjamin Westra
• 28 June 1997 Move Rick and Wendy, and Janika, to Ivins, 582 North 300 West, 84738
• 8 July 1997 Install new computer
• 2 Dec 1997 Birth of our 9th grandchild, Jase Rick Jensen
• 5 Aug 1998 Birth of our 10th grandchild, Kemery Chase Westra
• 21 Feb 1999 Birth of our 11th grandchild, Callahan Joseph Blackham

1 Jan 2000   One of the last projects I worked on at Unisys was the Y2K project.  In Jan 2000 all the programs that relied on a two digit year would be compromised, because the year 00 was then 1900.  The Y2K project has us go through all our programs and see which ones needed to be changed, so that on 1 Jan 2000, they would not all become obsolete.

•  8 Mar 2000     Birth of our 12^th grandchild, Jared Daniel Jensen
• 31 Aug 2000     Birth of our 13^th grandchild, Keaton Glen Blackham
• 9 May 2001     Marriage of Shane and Alicia Marie Green.  
• 3 July 2001     Departure of Derek for his mission in Campinas, Brazil.  Derek returned 2 July 2003 
• 4 Oct 2001     Move Chris and Sandy, and  their three boys to Gunnison, 711 East 300 South, 84634.  Chris had purchased the property, and built the house there. 
• 1 Jan 2002     LaMar retired from Unisys, after working there for 30 years. 
• 27 Apr 2002   Birth of our 14^th grandchild, Camden Jacob Westra
• 20 June 2002   Departure of Merrill and Lorrie to be the Mission President in New Jersey.  They returned June 2005.
• 12 Aug 2002   Start of LaMar’s Family History Mission.
• 14 Oct 2002    Birth of our 15^th grandchild, Janelle Marjorie Jensen
• 27 Aug 2003    Birth of our 16^th grandchild, Taylee Grace Westra
• 28 Aug 2003    Birth of our 17^th grandchild, Cooper Grayson Blackham
• Oct 2003          Margie and LaMar called as Area Family History Advisors
• 1 Nov 2003      Move Shane and Alicia to Sandy, 9704 South 1700 East
• 3 Mar 2004      Move Rick and Wendy, and their 4 kids, to Santa Clara
• 31 May 2004    Birth of our 18^th grandchild, Jaiden Wendy Jensen
• 2 Nov 2004     Birth of our 19^th grandchild, Adria Elisabeth Westra
• 12 Feb 2005     Move Scott and Amy, and their 5 kids, to 936 East Old English Road

This was the start of a 9 month period where we had four grandchildren born.

• 20 Dec 2005     Birth of our 20^th grandchild, Colton Jensen Blackham.  
• 16 Apr 2006     Birth of our 21^st grandchild, Joshua Joseph Jensen
• 22 May 2006     Birth of our 22^nd grandchild, Cayson Michael Westra
• 23 Aug 2006     Birth of our 23^rd grandchild, Mirella Marie Westra

•  4 Nov 2006       Marriage of Derek and Danielle Taylor.  
• 13Jan 2007       Move Shane and Alicia and their two girls to Lindon, 967 East 300 North
• 17Aug 2007      Move Derek and Danielle to Hawaii, 2065 Lanihuli Drive, Honolulu
• 27Jan 2008       Death of President Gordon B. Hinckley

I have always been an avid genealogist, especially on my Dutch lineage.  After being released from my mission in the Netherlands, I spent two weeks doing research in some of the old archives in the Netherlands.  In Richland, I worked with others in starting up the Tri Cities Family History center. 

I have held a number of church callings.  I was in a Bishopric in our current ward for 7 years (serving under two Bishops), and also served as membership clerk and then in Family History work as the Stake Family Records Extraction Director.  I worked with others in our stake to establish a Family History Center, and worked as Stake FHC Director for a number of years.