Mother's Day 2020 - Memories of Mom

Mother's Day 2020 - Quarantine Mother's Day. The usual visits wouldn't be happening, so Chris asked all the siblings to come up with some memories of Mom to share ...

Derek's Memories ~

My experience growing up (during my teenage years) was a little different than the rest of you siblings since I came later, and was almost like an "only child" since Shane left on his mission. So, I'll provide some memories from some of those years. :) I remember that Mom would put a "Thought for Today" on the fridge every day. My friends LOVED it. My friend Brian would always come over and hang out in the kitchen and out of the corner of his eye, he would try to quickly memorize the fridge quote. Then he'd suddenly say, "you know Margie - I've just been thinking..." then he'd repeat back the quote from memory as if he had just come up with it. I think Mom appreciated that her thoughts were being seen and internalized. :)

Mom would make homemade bread often (before Dad's celiac diagnosis brought that to a wheat-grinding halt). :) I remember coming home from school during High School (and often having a few friends with me), and Mom would bring out 2 loaves of homemade bread hot out of the oven. I recall that we wouldn't use a knife, but my buddies and I would just use our hands to break off big chunks (juggling them because they were hot and burning our hands) and we'd go through a whole loaf and a half and a stick of butter. My friends loved coming over to eat Mom's homemade bread! 

Another memory I have of Mom/Derek time was watching shows together growing up. Being a "nerd" is "cool" now, but when I was a teenager, it wasn't necessarily "cool" to be into Star-Trek. :) Especially if you are watching it with your Mom! Haha! But I remember being secretly really into the new Star Treks. Mom and I watched The Next Generation, Voyager, and Deep Space Nine together. I remember doing homework in my room and Mom calling up "Derek, Star Trek is starting if you want to come watch!" I remember feeling "tool cool," but then I'd hear it start and I'd wander down and watch it with Mom. Fun fact - I recall one of my first crushes being a character called "7 of 9" on Star Trek (of course I never admitted this to Mom!). 7 of 9 was a half-human, half Borg that wore a way too-tight space suit. Fast forward many years, and there is a definite resemblance between 7 of 9 (long blonde hair, blue eyes, big lips) and Danielle. :) I must have a type. :)

I remember Mom doing her exercises to her CD's of "dance music" throughout the house. I imagine these are the same songs she exercises to in her pool now. Haha. I remember a few of these songs: "Let's Hear it For the Boy," and "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." To this day I smile every time I hear these songs on the radio, as I picture Mom dancing around the house with her arms up, pumping her jams. :) 

Mom has always been a sponge of information and learning, and self-improvement. I have always been SO impressed with this. When I was in High School, she would wake me up in the mornings and I'd get ready for school, and do my morning chores (one of which was strangely to make HER bed - haha, to this day, I'm the only person I know whose chore was to make my parent's bed in the morning - but I always just assumed that was something she didn't love to do). :) While I got ready, Mom would walk on the treadmill and watch BYU devotionals. She has always loved to learn, and to be inspired and then share that information with others. Over these years I watched her assemble hundreds of these "Thought for Today" packets for missionaries, for friends and family and others - inspiring them with things that inspired her. I believe this is what led to her website (she had amassed so many resources that she started compiling them online). Her thirst for learning has never stopped. Even in her 70's, she amazingly (and surprisingly) became the family's expert in investing (even with two MBAs and a CPA/CFO). I consider myself a student of personal finance and my knowledge doesn't even approach my Mom's. I've always been inspired by her thirst for learning and her ability to learn new tricks (even at an older age). :)

Sometimes I tell people that when I was growing up, my Mom made me breakfast pretty much every day. Cocoa and Toast, Oatmeal, Spam and Eggs, Waffles, etc. This blows people's minds. I didn't know this was unusual until I went to college and learned that my Mom was the only parent on earth to spoil their kids with breakfast every day. :) 

Shane's Memories ~

Riding Bikes: We would often ride bikes as a family, and Mom's bike had a little kid-carrier that Derek would sit in. I loved spending that time together as a family. 

I remember going places in Grandpa's RV, and going fishing. Mom wouldn't ever bait a hook, or pull the fish to shore, but she liked doing the rest of it!

She was the "Fluoride Lady" at school. And I hated fluoride! But I guess I needed more of it, as I've had tons of cavities my whole life. 

Before my mission, Mom took me to get my wisdom teeth out. After the surgery, on my way out of the office, I ran into a friend who was just coming in for his appointment. We chatted for a while, and then once we left apparently I was trying to convince Mom that I was fine to drive us home. Mom wisely insisted on driving. I have no recollection of my conversation with my friend or asking to drive home. 

Once I got a "pink slip" at Woodstock (for tripping a classmate), and I was embarrassed to tell Mom and Dad. So I didn't, but I did keep the disciplinary note in that old toy metal fridge. After the school year was about up, I told her about it expecting to get into big trouble. But she just said I did the right thing by telling her, and she said that if we always do the right thing nothing else matters. 

Mom would soak her feet in bucket of hot water (and I think salt). One day, she filled the bucket, put it in front of her recliner chair, and out of habit lifted up the foot rest -- spilling the bucket and all the water. She cleaned it up (which took a lot of time), filled the bucket again, sat down, and AGAIN lifted up the foot rest the second time, spilling all the water once again. I remembered that she was still pretty calm and composed in that situation, which really impressed me. 

Conference talks: Mom collected hundreds of conference talks, books, and tons of other material for me to listen to on my way to and from the U. I still refer back to many of things I learned during those commutes. 

Mission call: On my birthday when I turned 19, I was expecting my mission call. Really, it should have taken another week, but I thought "wouldn't it be cool if it did come on my birthday?" But I thought there was very little chance of that, figured I'd have another week to invite family and friends over for the opening. But when it went to the mailbox that day, there was the white envelope! I was very excited, but I knew that if I told Mom she'd make me open it sooner than I wanted (because I wanted more people to be around when I opened it). So I shoved it up my shirt, walked back to the house, and Mom asked "Did it come???" I shrugged and said "I guess we need to wait." Then I just went about the normal activities during the day. A while later Mom said "Darn, I was really wishing it would come today, that would have been such a good birthday present". Then I broke down and admitted that it had come, and it was hidden up in my room (I was using the east bedroom while still building my room in the basement). She got so excited and ordered me to go get it and open it right away! I protested, saying at least we should wait for Dad to get home from work, but she insisted so we called Dad on the phone and then opened my call. Mom was excited, but a bit scared of me going to Brazil. 

Mom is the best! One of the things that has impressed me the most about Mom is how much she cares about us, even though we're older, married, and have families of our own. She still loves us, prays for us, and does so much to help us -- I am so amazed at how much of her daily activities are dedicated to helping her children and grandchildren.

Jen's Memories ~

Mom was CRAZY for coupons. She got a system to pick up the Sunday inserts from some neighbors who didn't want them. The neighbors would lay them out, then Shane would collect them. Then they had to be cut. And filed. "Filing coupons" was one of my jobs. I actually DID like shopping and appreciated the deals, so I think Mom connected more with me over the coupons (and rebates!) One morning I remember waking up to Mom rushing into my room and practically jumping on my bed, she was so excited and ecstatic. Skaggs Alpha Beta was going to do double coupons again! ;) 

One of my favorite meals Mom would make was ... a chicken in the pressure cooker. It would be a whole chicken (I only do chicken breasts now myself) and I'd eat just it, didn't need anything else (except salt of course). My boys actually like this too! Except I don't use a pressure cooker (I'm even intimidated by the Instapot, but those old pressure cookers ... they were a little scary!)

Fruit Leather - did any other family make fruit leather? The table on the deck in back, with the wooden frames and the netting to keep the birds and bugs out. Lift up the frame and peel some off, still hot from the sun. Peaches were a milder flavor, but apricots were more plentiful. We'd experiment with jello and punch to make different flavors. Once, Mom and I even sketched out some "dream frames" ... but they never got built.

Mom didn't have time to be too involved at the schools while we were growing up, but when Derek was the last one left in elementary school, she started to go in, volunteering as "The Library Lady". Don't quote me on the name. She would tell a story to the kids to try and get them interested in a book. As I was a voracious reader, she often had me pre-read from a long list and tell her which ones I liked best (so she only had to read the best ones). She was at the school when the library was having a book sale, and they were getting rid of (gasp) the book "Sonny Elephant". This was my FAVORITE book. After I had left Woodstock, I'd get Shane and Derek to check it out so I could still read it. It is old and out of print, not something I could just buy. Mom bought it ... and it's still in my home library today.

Wendy's Memories ~

Mom was very educationally-minded and instilled within each of us a love of knowledge and learning. Going to college was completely expected. We were encouraged to do well in school and earn scholarships to help pay for our education. This is something I feel like I have passed on to my own children. When we were young, Mom and Dad had an education fund where we could contribute money for our college education and they would match it. She was also involved in our schooling and just learning in general. Mom would often correct our grammar and spelling and she would play word games with us. One game was to see how many homonyms we could come up with. We would also have spelling tests and play around with words in different ways. I still remember having to write an autobiography for a class and Mom suggested that I start it off with "On April 29, 1968 the world was graced with my presence!" I liked it and so that was the way I started my paper! 

Recently I was reading in my journal about an experience that happened in July 1982 when I was 14 years old. Donaldsons hired me to weed their entire yard for $10.00. I hated weeding (then and now) but I accepted the job. It was difficult work and I soon realized that I wasn't getting paid enough for the amount of work. Mom must have felt sorry for me and came out to help. We wet down the dirt so that the weeds would come out more easily. It got really muddy in one place and when Mom stepped in it her foot sank about a foot. She was stuck and couldn't get her foot out and when she finally got it out her sandal broke! I was grateful that mom came and helped me when I was overwhelmed with a task. All of the "mud" reminded me of when we would play "muddy mess" in our sandbox. We would put on old swimming suits and dig huge holes in our giant sandbox and then fill them with water. Often we had elaborate sand castles, tunnels, and bridges. We would play in the holes of water and get all muddy and needed to take a bath when we were finished! I am grateful that mom let us explore our creativity in fun, messy ways! 

I love how Mom made birthdays a big deal -- but also kept the parties simple. We often had a birthday party both with friends and with family. We had lots of combined birthday parties (and other parties) with the grandparents, cousins, and aunts and uncles. When we were young and had a "friend" party mom would give each of the kids a paper sack to color and that became the party bag for the kids to bring home. I actually continued that tradition for a lot of my children's birthday parties -- cheap and easy -- and they loved it! She would often read the children a story and we would play simple games. When we went to a friend's party we always had a birthday gift covered with taped on candy, which immediately got lots of attention by all the kids there! Mom often got birthday gifts on sale and had a whole drawer full of gifts that we could choose from when we had a birthday party to go do. 

We had lots of birthday sleepovers! This is not a tradition we have continued (in this day and age we no longer feel comfortable letting our kids have sleepovers except at relatives houses) but I have fun memories from the sleepovers that Jen and I had with our friends. I also have lots of fun memories of family get-togethers. I am grateful for everything Mom has done through the years to keep our family close! Love you, Mom!

Wendy also wrote up a bunch of memories back in 2003 as well.

Chris's Memories ~

I remember Mom asking me about specifics in my life growing up. She knew what girl I was interested in, what test I was taking, and what afternoon activities I had each day. Because she knew, she could ask those specific questions about my day. I’ve tried hard to do this with my own boys, getting a schedule of their classes and knowing what book they are currently reading, for example. 

I remember Mom and I sharing books, even when I was a teenager. I credit her for opening up my life to psychology and life improvement and relationship books. To this day I’m still interested in those type of books!

I remember Wonderful World of Disney on Sundays, 6:00 I think. She would be in her recliner and we would be watching from the floor around her. When a commercial break came, Mom would say, “Ok, everyone up and go brush their teeth! - hurry.” And we would have to hurry to get back before the commercials were over so we didn’t miss any of the show.

Scott's Memories ~

It has been interesting to read the responses. Mom was in different stages of parenting with all of us.

I remember mom working in the small kitchen in the first house we lived in on Ranier Street. I remember the large white appliances and I remember her taking Chris in the stroller for a walk and walking behind. I remember that I had to go to my room if I was bad or if my parents needed a break and looking under the crack below the metal bedroom door and seeing my parents walk around on the wood floor. I remember mom being so nervous when dad would have me stand on his hands up in the air or leave me hanging from the clothes line or the Catalpa tree in the front yard. The Ranier house had a window-mounted air conditioner in the front window and I loved to stand in front of the cold air and mom kept shooing me away – afraid I would freeze my brain.

I remember later after we moved into the Saint Street house than mom took up cake decorating and had all these neat things to play with – disks and tubes and heads. I remember watching the moon landing on the black and white TV while mom was ironing and having her say this was something I would always remember.

I remember going to Church as a family and that the building had green stone and a deep large window well, where I was told I would be placed if I was not reverent. I remember mom wearing wiglets and that she would style them while they sat on a Styrofoam head. I remember mom taking me to Kindergarten at Spalding Elementary and letting the teacher know he should take good care of me or he would be in trouble.

Mom was always busy with the younger kids – there were babies or young children in the house all the time I was growing up and they demanded the bulk of her attention. I figured that was fair as I had her undivided attention for the first two and a half years of my life.

I am amazed at her dedication and investment in making the lives of her kids and grandkids better. She is tireless at transferring the wisdom and knowledge to benefit her posterity. She is a great example. Always faithful.

Thanks Mom for all your continued love and support for us, and for all your grandchildren! 

We all love you!

History of Marjorie Norman Westra

1st 20 years (growing up)

I was born on Saturday, Nov. 7, 1942.  The address listed on my little newspaper birth announcement was 140 Gerard Ave. in S.L.C.   My parents didn't live here for very long. Gerard Ave. was just barely on the North side of downtown S.L. I remember my dad saying that Gerard Ave. was torn down and Social Hall Ave. replaced it. Social Hall Ave. was where Rex worked in his career a few years into their marriage and then for the rest of his working career (when we lived on Boxelder street in Murray). So Dad said he worked on the same street where they used to live when I was born! We moved to Mt. Pleasant soon after my birth, by my Dad’s parents, when he went off to serve in World War II (he never did combat, but stayed in the states). Merrill was born in Mt. Pleasanton May 3, 1944, when I was 18 months old.

I can’t remember exactly how old I was when we moved to 4568 Boxelder Street in Murray, but it was before kindergarten. When we first moved there, the trains just west of us were so loud, in the night it was scary for me as a child because it sounded like they were heading right for the house. But soon you never even noticed the noise. 

I went to the movies at Murray Theater a lot as a child (It is still there on State Street in Murray, but not used as a theater). As I remember it, I would have 20 cents. It would cost 12 cents for the movie ticket and I would buy 8 cents worth of penny candy at a little store by the theater. We also went to a theater in downtown Salt Lake (Utah Theater I think). I can't remember if we took the bus or someone's parent took us. I remember there were black and white newsreels of what was going on in the world and lots of cartoons. Later, when I was teen, my friends and I would go to Murray Theater a lot on Friday or Saturday nights----no so much for the movie, but to see friends from school, especially boys, who might be there. I remember I could often tell who was there as they walked up the aisle in the darkened theater, just by the way they walked, and size and shape etc.:-).

We lived at the Boxelder house through my sophomore year in high school. I attended Arlington Elementary, Murray Jr. High and Murray High School. In 8th grade, my friend DeAnne Webb and I were cheerleaders, song leaders, and would lead the school in the school song after each assembly. We did a lot of lip sync acts on assemblies. I was elected Sophomore Secretary in 10th grade and was one of the nominees for prom queen, but didn't get chosen. 

My first job was as a carhop at the A & W Rootbeer Drive-in at 4500 South and State Street. We moved to 2665 E. Spring Hollow Drive, in East Millcreek, in the Fall of 1959, after Nelva got married on March 20, 1959, on her 20th birthday. My mom’s brother, Berthell Howell, built our house. Merrill and I started school at Olympus my Junior year and I had to drive from Murray for awhile. We were in the new house before my birthday in Nov. I went from being “a big fish in a little pond” to being “a little fish in a big pond.” Olympus was a very big school, with 720 in my graduating class in 1961, so I didn’t get well acquainted in my two years there. I was #20 academically. Skyline started the following year, so Olympus was divided. Nelva worked as a secretary at a law office in the Sentinal Insurance Co. building about 21st South state Street and got me a job there. She was married and had a baby and worked mornings and I worked after school. I received a full-tuition scholarship to Henager’s Business College, so I went there and graduated in 1962, shortly before we got married. I was voted by my classmates at graduation as “The Secretary most likely to Succeed.” LaMar graduated from the University of Utah in Chemistry 1962 also.

While at Henager’s, a chapter of Lamda Delta Sigma (the Church fraternity/sorority at the U.) was started—Omicron. I joined. As part of joining, you had to memorize the names of the Inter-chapter officers, of which LaMar was one. I thought Westra was a nice name. I met LaMar at the first “conjoint” party between Omicron and Delta chapter (which LaMar was in). It was a Halloween party. The day before meeting LaMar, I sent off the missionary I was planning on marrying. We were “pinned” for Valentine’s Day and became engaged at the U. of U.’s Junior Prom at the UnionBuilding in April.

First 20 years of marriage~

We were married in the Salt Lake Temple on June 29, 1962. I was 19 and LaMar was 25. We had our wedding breakfast at the Maxfield Lodge up the canyon. Our reception was held at our Church bySkyline High. Our first apartment was in a new 8-plex in Sugarhouse on McClelland Street. LaMar did a year of post-graduate work at the U. to avoid the draft, which ended at age 26. I worked as a secretary in the Radiobiology Dept. at the Cancer Research Center at the U. 

Around the time of our first wedding anniversary, we moved to Richland, Washington. LaMar had 3 job offers, one in California, one in Denver, and the one in Richland. He visited Denver to interview, we both made the trip to California to interview----then accepted the Richland job offer from General Electric without even visiting there. I was 3 months pregnant with Scott. It was difficult to find a place to rent. Apartment complexes didn’t want people with children or expecting one. We finally found an old house to rent on Rainier Street. LaMar had to start work, so I had to spend the days in the empty house, waiting for the moving truck to arrive. I had morning sickness and ate barbecue-flavor potato chips while waiting at the house----I haven’t been able to stand them for the next 50 years! 

We had some nice young couples as neighbors and enjoyed life there. LaMar was a stake missionary and took classes a couple times a week, so I got tired of being alone a lot. Scott was born on Monday, Dec. 16, 1963, just before midnight, at the Kadlec Methodist Hospital. It was a fast labor and delivery. My parents came up for a visit after he was born. After they returned to Salt Lake, I developed a fever and weakness on my left side and was re-hospitalized. They did a spinal tap, etc. to check for meningitis, etc. Our pediatrician arranged for baby Scott to be admitted also, so I could nurse him, and so LaMar didn’t have to care for him. The doctor put the bump on Scott’s ear as the reason for the hospital admittance.

I had a couple more episodes of the fever and weakness over the next few months and my doctor had me go to a neurologist in Seattle. I was never really diagnosed—just “an inflammation of the brain.” It hasn't reoccurred but has left me with a slight weakness on my left side.

LaMar had appendicitis and had it removed (I think while I was pregnant with Chris). Chris was born on Sept. 5, 1966. Chris was a long labor and was born on Labor Day. We purchased a new home at 726 Saint Street before Wendy’s birth on April 29, 1968. Since I was sent home from the hospital when I first went in for Chris’s birth, I almost waited too long when in labor with wendy and was only at the hospital a half-hour before she was born. Jeni was born Nov. 10,1970. We moved back to Salt Lake in August 1972 and bought a newly built home at 1677 Hermitage Circle. We lived there for 23 years. Shane was born on May 3, 1976. Kellie Sue was born April 17, 1979, and died of a congenital heart defect at Primary Children’s hospital on April 25, when she was 8 days old. Cory Matthew died in utero two weeks before his due date, and was born on Nov. 5, 1980. Derek was born May 5, 1982. Scott was 18 ½ and graduating from Cottonwood High School. After one year at BYU, Scott left for his mission to Tampa, Florida, May 1983.

Musicbox and other Mom Memories

I am starting a new project. I will take a photo of certain items in our house that could be considered "heirlooms" or things to keep and pass on to your children.  I want them to go to people who will value them and save them and pass them on and not just DI them. Let me know if you are one that would treasure these things.

This attached photo is of a little music box that we bought in Germany or Switzerland when Shane was not quite 2 years old and Scott 16, I think. We also bought two beer steins, one for us and one for my parents (we now have both). I will send a photo of them. Other things from that trip or his first trip were 2 cute little dresses for Wendy and Jeni. A German comic book you kids took for "show and tell" at school, and a fun puzzle box with square blocks that created several different puzzles, using different sides of the blocks (all of these things have been lost or given away and I have no clue where they are---too bad. It would be nice to still have them.

The elephant tusk was purchased--I think on his first Germany trip. So I will take photos of the tusk and the 2 beer steins, which would also go with this little story, so you will know their history. I did write a journal of my time there, if I can ever come across it again.

Dad had been sent to Germany on two trips of 2-3 weeks duration for his job--installing his work product and teaching them to use it at the University of Freiberg/Freiburg? I think the 2nd trip was in the Spring of 1978. My parents came to stay at our house with our 5 children--the only time they ever tended all of our kids. 2 men from Dad's work were headed over there also and I flew to Zurich, Switzerland with them.  Then they took a train, while I flew from Zurich to Basel (which is actually in 3 different countries--France, Germany, and Switzerland).  Dad met me there and we took a train to Freiberg. There were two different Freibergs, one in East Germany/Communist and one in West Germany where we went.

While Dad was at work there each day, I would walk around the little village and shop and hope the people were honest when I handed them the money, not knowing what the money was worth. I remember one little sorbet shop where they were delighted to show off their English skills. Dad knew enough German to get us by at restaurants, etc. when he was with me--since German is similar to Dutch.

I remember walking by a little park where little toddlers and young children were playing and speaking their German. I automatically thought "wow, those smart little kids speaking German!:-)

I remember the little clothing shops, when they closed for the evening, would spread some garments on the floor, etc. for "window shoppers" to walk by and see. I had forgotten that until years ago I came across my journal of the trip. It taught me the value of writing things down and not trusting your memory. Now if I could just find it--plus my letters I used to type from our 9 years in Richland. They would be of such value. I remember finding one letter, years later, that I wrote when Pres. Kennedy was assassinated 2-3 weeks before Scottie was born.

I bought this little music box as a gift for my parents, and chose one that played the theme from Dr. Zivago "Somewhere my Love," which was one of my favorite songs. I see my mother wrote Z.N., her initials, on the bottom of it.

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For some reason our flight home was a day later than planned. I was to be home to take Scott to the doctor to have his ingrown toenail surgery to fix all 4 corners of his two big toes. But since we were delayed, my dad took Scott for his appointment.

------

A little funny thing my mom told me: My mom baked homemade bread while I was gone. When she took the hot bread out of the oven, Scott told her that I always put butter on the top of the hot bread to taste better and to soften the crust and make it shiny. My mom told him that wasn't really necessary. Then she turned around and there was Scott, putting butter on top of the loaves!

-----------------------------------------

I started out just going to write a brief description of the music box------------and look what happened! Chris, maybe you could add all this to dropbox, under the year 1978, in the Histories Project. If not, I will try to have Dad do it (but it is hard to make that happen)---he is the one that I finally got to set up the Histories project. I've been after him for months to add the weekly letters you kids write (they will be of great value years from now as a history of your lives). But it is hard to get him to help me with all of my projects, so if you save them yourself and put them there, it would be great.:-) All of these projects count as your family history commandment and will bring you great promised blessings!

EMAIL ANSWERS ......................

From Jen: I think I remember the music box. I definitely have a memory of the theme from Dr. Zivago! I wonder if that is where it is from ... I absolutely remember my little dress from Germany! I loved it! It's in many pictures, including my school picture (3rd grade?). I also loved that cube puzzle, so much so that I found one similar to buy as an adult. We have it around somewhere (my newer purchase, not the original). I remember the elephant tusk sitting on top of the piano, so intricately carved. A little non-politically correct in today's world ...




From Wendy: Fun memories and cool music box! Mom, the Germany dresses are at our house-- you must have given them to me years ago. I don't think I have the aprons though, I am not sure what happened to those. I will check though. Janelle wore one of the dresses for Mother's Day Tea the year she was in Sound of Music. Here is a picture then and now! I also have the red sparkly dresses we wore for baton lessons and have pictures of my kids wearing them.I think I remember trying to get Grandma to give us Cheetos during that trip by saying how healthy there were (they have cheese in them!) 








From Chris: I remember when you left to Germany, and returned, and the dresses and the Blue T shirt in the pic. But I don't remember any day to day happenings with Grandma and Grandpa during the week. I think Scott has an emotional attachment to the beer steins. If you ask Scott if he knows German... he does, but it's only "Das Beer" and "Der Wine".


From Scott: Nein, Nein on the stein.


We'll get to a Germany post at some point. 

Until then, check out the pictures in Dropbox. Germany 1978.

Golden Anniversary

50th Wedding Anniversary!!

Mom and Dad's 50th Wedding Anniversary is on June 29th. We decided months ago to celebrate this special occasion a couple of weeks early since the Jensens in town this weekend. It also worked out well for Chris's wedding this weekend too. Mom suggested a simple dinner out with the family. So mom and dad and all of us kids and mom's brother and sister all came to celebrate this wonderful occasion. Jen made up a slide show video of pictures through the years and Wendy had prepared a Photo History Book she been working on for the past year.

 

 

The book turned out really nice. 

It is 12X12 and came to 313 pages. 

Here are some sample pages:

 

 

Here's the letter from Wendy ~

Dear Mom and Dad:
A year ago I felt impressed to begin work on a photo book that would include pictures and memorabilia from your life and our family. I wanted to put this together as a gift for your 50th Wedding Anniversary. That is what started the big project of gathering photos, slides, negatives, and other memorabilia to be digitally scanned as well as researching dates and names and editing pictures! I wanted to include as many pictures as I could find from these past fifty years so that they could all be preserved in one place. I realized halfway through this project, however, that I had too many pictures for just one book (and not enough time) to give justice to all 50 years.

So in order to break it down into a more manageable project, I decided that this book would focus on the first 20 years of our family with pictures and details as well as pictures and histories from your growing up years. (Getting you to start on your personal histories was an added benefit!) I figured I could do another book (or two) later focusing on the rest of the years. But I didn't like the idea of ending this book in 1982 and so I decided to add one or two pages of pictures from each year after that to bring it up to the present year, so that it does still cover all 50 years. I hope to make another book later on focusing on the next twenty years and then another which will bring us up to the current date.

I have to admit that this project has been extremely overwhelming and time-consuming but I have learned so much about our family and have been filled with incredible gratitude as I have developed a deeper understanding of how truly blessed I am to have been born into such a wonderful family! I have recalled so many experiences and blessings that I had not thought about for years!  

I would just like to express my gratitude for our wonderful upbringing! You have been amazing parents to all of us and continue to be wonderful parents and grandparents. We are privileged to have been born into such a home as this! I just hope we can live up to our privileges and continue to pass on these wonderful blessings to our own children. I hope you enjoy this keepsake of our family! All of the kids also went in on this book with me, so it is from ALL of us! 

 We love you! 

Wendy

Creative Cakes ala Margie

I (Jen) have some memories of mom having cake decorating supplies. Of her making royal icing, and teaching me to make roses. When we'd go to the store, I'd love to stop at the bakery department and watch the ladies there decorate the cakes. I'm fairly certain I said that was what I wanted to be when I grew up ... a cake decorator. Mom had taken a class before I was born. Here are her memories ...

Several of us in our Saint Street neighborhood took the class. So the teacher came to the Kosorok's home, so it would be handier for all of us. One evening a week, we would go there (2 doors down from us) and bring our cake, with the base frosting on, on a turntable, for ease in decorating, along with our Wilton tips and bags and little jars of paste colors, and buttercream frosting to decorate with. We were taught to color frosting by dipping a toothpick in the jars of paste coloring and then use the toothpick to add the color to the frosting, adding more with a clean toothpick if needed. The color was more concentrated and you needed less, using the paste colors. The teacher said using the liquid coloring would make your frosting too runny. Then I got pregnant with Jeni and with morning sickness, I had trouble working with food/cakes :-) .

For many years, I made gingerbread houses with you kids each Christmas, that we decorated with Royal icing, and all sorts of candies. Not sure if we still have any photos of them. Then you would each get to eat yours after Christmas.

We also made sugar-mold eggs with you kids, with little "scenes" inside, and decorated on the outside. We made all different sizes. One year, your Grandma Westra/Burgener made sugar mold eggs for all of you and mailed them to Richland to you for Easter. They are a lot of work, but very fragile. They arrived all broken. I felt bad since she had gone to so much work and effort. I can't remember if I told her they broke in transit. Probably not, as that is not my nature.

I don't have specific memories of making and eating gingerbread houses, but I remember there was one (the same one? different ones?) on a white pedestal plate on the piano for many years. I definitely remember the sugar-mold eggs. I LOVED those. Loved peeking inside and seeing the little scenes set up there. Later when I married, I bought some molds and little figures and such to make some ... but then I never did.

Mom/Margie ... Model or Scientist?

Scanning old documents, this newspaper article featuring Marjorie Westra was discovered. After high school, Mom/Margie received a full-tuition scholarship to Henager’s Business College. She was voted by her classmates at graduation as “The Secretary most likely to Succeed.”  She graduated, got married, and started working as a secretary for the doctors (about eight of them) at the Cancer Research Department at the University of Utah. This article would have been published in the last half of 1962 or first half of 1963. Mom remembers ...

Since the doctors were doing research with radioactive things, one of my duties was to go around and collect their film badges each week and give them new ones---to track if the doctors and workers got accidentally exposed to radiation. One of the doctors tested me in this whole-body counter, seen in the background of the photo. It was like going into an MRI testing tube, but without open ends. Locked in. Scary! That's when I realized I was claustrophobic!