Chapter 31
Yesteryear Once More

 
Another one of McCall's ice sculptures
              Yes, it is interesting and joyful to step back into years by gone, and what a time in my life’s journey those yesteryears were. We were still the fairy tale Princess and Knight that we have always been, not as beautiful and handsome, but otherwise the same. Little by little our new home was becoming our castle.

              As I recall, 1994 started out with a lot of fun events, almost a carbon copy of the previous year. I made another trip to McCall to the ice sculptures, only this time instead of going with Clyde; it was with Connie, Kellie and Kyle. What fun we had! Every year the sculptures are bigger, better, and more of them. We each had our favorite. We had lunch in between running from one sculpture to another. We were all very tired and cold kids as we drove back to Boise.

              Also as last year, on February 15th we went back down to St. George, Utah to visit Lorna and Kenneth, as that was their winter home each year; Kings Row RV Park. Only this year not only Thelma and I went, Jack and Jay also went. We stayed in rooms at the club house as Thelma and I did last year. We each did our own thing the rest of the afternoon. Thelma, Jay, and Jack just sat around visiting. Kenneth went golfing but Lorna and I went shopping. Guess who had the most fun! As evening approached 13 of us, mostly Turners, went to JJ Humayns, a Chinese Restaurant for a wonderful dinner. I can almost still taste it. It was Jay’s birthday so they brought out a plate full of cookies with a candle and sang Happy Birthday to him. After we couldn’t eat any more we went to Lorna and Kenneth’s trailer and played dominoes until 12:30.

 


Butch Cassidy's old stomping grounds

 

 
              On Wednesday morning we had a famous “Lorna Breakfast” before loading into Lovell Turner’s king cab pickup and Kenneth drove us all around. We went on two loops, both north and south. We stopped to have lunch and went on another loop to a ghost town where the movie “Butch Cassidy and the Sun Dance Kid” was filmed, it was also was Butch Cassidy’s old stomping grounds. The last part of our tour was to a tiny old cemetery that had very interesting headstones. In one little plot was a whole family that had been killed by the Indians. We and Jacksons left about 5:30 and arrived in Monroe about 8:30 p.m..

              Back in Monroe on Thursday, Thelma and I went shopping in Richfield and about 3:00 we all headed out for Salt Lake, Thelma and Jay riding with us while Reneé and her boys drove Jackson’s car. Gayle had homemade soup and hot rolls waiting for us. We went to Eunice’s for the rest of the evening.

              Being very weary after all the good times we had, we had a good night's rest at Eunice’s but got up early, drove downtown to the Joseph Smith building to see “Legacy” which we enjoyed very much. We hooked back up with Jacksons and Thelma, Reneé and I went to Sandy to see Raydon, then spent the rest of the day in craft stores. We gals really knew how to have fun back in yesteryear. We went back to Gayle’s and ordered pizza and went to “Hale Theater” (this theater is in the round) and saw “The Other Side of Love”, a really fun performance. We stayed at Gayle’s that night and came back to Boise and reality the next day after doing so much in just four days.

              I received some very sad news in February after all the good times that we had had. My dear friend, Shirley Hart passed away in Rexburg after suffering from vulvian cancer for a very long time. She wrote to tell me about it, but passed away before she got my reply. Gordon called to tell me that he saw her obituary in the Rexburg newspaper but unfortunately it came out the day after her funeral. I wish that I could have attended her funeral to tell her good-by. I hope she understood. I missed her so much, just knowing that she was gone. I was so happy that her son Butch had baptized her into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day-Saints so that she was able the last few years of her life to enjoy the blessings of the gospel. She was way too young to leave us.

 
Lorna and Kenneth
              Lorna and Kenneth got their mission call to New Jersey, so we went to Burley for their missionary farewell on February 28th. They had a very nice service and we got to see a lot of our family. We went to see mother at the nursing home, she probably did not remember us being there. It was so sad to see her that way.

              As March rolled around we decided to entertain the Owens Family after all the times that they had invited us to their family doings. On the 14th we had Glen and Ada, Don and Nadene, Gladys and Carla, plus Alan and Ruth Warner all over for a good dinner of corned beef and cabbage, as it was Saint Patrick’s Day. After dinner we had a nice evening of chatting.

              Connie and her two, Kellie and Kyle, spent some time with us and also Gerald and Kelly spent a night with us. Jack took them to the airport at 5:00 a.m. for a flight to someplace that I don’t remember.

              Around the first of April we went to Connie's so Jack could work on her bathroom. Just before leaving, Gordon and Bonnie and the kids came down from Rexburg for the weekend and stopped by so we got to visit with them for a little while as well.

              Later in April, Gordy came over to Boise with his Teachers Quorum for some reason. We went and got him and he stayed with us for a few days. Among other things, I took him to an art museum but the staff followed us around watching us like a hawk, as if we were going to steal something. I never did go back to there.

              The following Thursday I took him home and spent two or three days in Rexburg. On Friday Gordon declared a family holiday and they all stayed home from work and school. That morning he fixed waffles for breakfast and later we went down to Idaho Falls. We walked around the green belt, went to the library, and the visitors center at the temple and watched some films. In the evening, Bonnie and I went with Livi to a Merry Miss activity. I left to go back to Boise the next day.

               Melody and Emil finally got a new house; the fire trap they were living in could not stand another winter. Melody screamed at the company that Emil worked for until they finally bought them an almost new mobile home. I was so happy for her, if any one needed a new house it was her.


One of the floats at the festival
 
               Boise holds a great “River Festival” each year in June. This year Connie, Kellie and Kyle came and Jack took us downtown and dropped us off to do our thing. This was the first year they did a land festival as it had grown too large for the river. And I really wanted to go. It had everything from the giant balloons just like New York’s holiday parades. Hot air balloons, and the parade of lights with so many mammoth floats covered completely in lights filled the streets at night. So beautiful. I was so happy to finally get to go watch it.

 
The Gilmours: Becky, Jack, Jason, Chad, George,
and me
               The last week of June 1994, we left for Minneapolis, Minneso- ta; not before calling my dear Thelma to wish her a Happy Birthday. Jack had a feeling that we should go see his Aunt Rhoda whom was now 97 years old. George and Becky now were living in Farmington near St. Paul and had a home so we were able to stay with them. (No Motel this time). Rhoda was still sharp minded and was happy to see both of us. George, Becky, Jason and Chad took us to many great places.


Split Rock Lighthouse
 
               We took a very long day trip over to Lake Superior the 3rd of July where we went to the “Split Rock Lighthouse” near Two Harbors. I really love lighthouses and that was the most awesome one I had seen. The lake was ice cold. We went from there to Gooseberry River where we hiked for miles at last reaching Shell Falls. More hiking took us to the first of the Gooseberry Falls. They were quite spectacular with water tumbling all over the place. George walked back to get the car, none of us could have made it back there on foot. We drove from there over to Duluth on the west end of Lake Superior. The big attraction that draws all the town folks out was to watch the huge freighters come in off the lake. A huge draw bridge goes up stopping traffic on a main street for over an hour. As soon as the ore freighter passes under, everyone leaves. It was very interesting. We spent the 4th of July at Becky’s parent’s farm in Waterville. The food was great and her dad took us on a tractor ride over much of his 1,500 acre farm. I couldn’t believe the size of his machinery. It was nothing like the farm machinery that I grew up with on our farm during my yesteryears. The kids showed us such a wonderful time and Becky was a wonderful cook.

               After a week’s stay we headed back towards Idaho through the Bad Lands of South Dakota and through Mount Rushmore. It was raining so hard we were unable to see what we hoped to. In Mitchell, South Dakota we saw the Corn Palace again on this trip. Driving through Wyoming we could see Devil's Tower for miles before we reached it. Boise was such a welcome site as we came home and our own bed was so appreciated.

              Looking back as I write this we were gone almost all year, no wonder we had very few visitors. Gordon and Bonnie and the kids arrived around 6:15 on the evening of July 9th, which was a Saturday. On Sunday they went to church with us. In the evening we had popcorn out on the patio. Monday included a visit to Boise’s newly remodeled airport, and to an outlet mall. On Tuesday while Gordon and Bonnie went to the temple, we took the Livi and Loren to the cheese factory in Nampa while Gordy stayed at home. Later that day I took them all to the Discovery Center where there were all kinds of hands on displays to show how scientific principles work. The highlight of their stay was the day trip to Idaho City on Wednesday. Gordy, Olivia and Loren loved having their pictures taken with their favorite wooden creatures. They left to go home on Thursday.


Jay and Thelma
 
               The next day we left for a trip to Salt Lake on July 15th. The family all went to the Jordan River Temple for the start of Thelma & Jay’s Golden Anniversary celebration. We all ate dinner in the temple cafeteria after the session. We stayed at Gayle’s that night. Their children honored them with an open house on Saturday evening the 16th at the Heritage House Fourth Ward, in West Jordon, near Judy’s. There was another open house Sunday evening at their home in Monroe. Both events were very nice and well attended. The children and grandchildren put on a marvelous program. They went all out in every detail and everything was decorated so lovely. Thelma and Jay looked radiant and couldn’t have been happier.

               We stayed with the Jacksons for a couple of more days. On Monday we went to Cove Fort just off I-15 and I-70, which is a church historical place. We
 
Cove Fort
had been there before but each time we go new things have been added and we learn more of the history each time. On Tuesday morning we went to the Fremont Indian Park and Museum, after tiring ourselves out we went back to Monroe and had lunch. Jay and Jack just did stuff while Thelma and I went to Richfield to shop. Through my stories do you get the idea that Thelma and I love to shop? We don’t always buy, but it is fun looking. On this shopping trip I did buy a dress and a blouse, on sale of course! On Wednesday morning it was time for us to leave the good time we had the last five days and see what our Garden of Weeden had waiting for us back home. Weeds and more weeds!


Goodfellow's pioneer handcart
 
               As the summer rolled on, it was Frost Family Reunion time again. That year it was held at Elba Park in Malta on August 13th. The Harpers were in charge so we knew we were in for a good time and it was. It was an overnighter so us non campers stayed in an old motel in Malta.
 
Ma and Pa Gilmour out on
the old homestead
It was planned around way back to yesteryear. The History of Christena Brown and Martimer Warner, our great grandparents was performed by Kathryn and Dick, even in yesteryear dress. They also had their handcart there. Another great part was that Patty had put together a lot of yesteryear duds for us all to pick out and dress up in for photos that Jack took of each family. Besides the good food and family togetherness, it just could not have been any better. The Cassia County Fair and Rodeo was also going on that we always enjoy going to. Also my 68th birthday greeted me.


Jack's
Aunt Rhoda
 
               After getting her degree the year before, Deelyn got her first job as a school teacher. After graduating from high school, Melynda was now a freshman at Ricks in Rexburg.

               In September we went to Seattle to see Pat and other members of Jack’s family. While there we went to the Boeing Field Flight Museum. Jack really enjoyed all the retired aircraft. And I liked the retired Blue Angles plane. We went to Victoria, Canada and spent time in one of our very favorite places. On the way home we stopped at the Interpretative Center above Baker, Oregon. The displays were so life like I caught myself talking to some of the people. I thought them rude because they wouldn’t answer me.

              Jack’s Aunt Rhoda died on September 22nd, two days before be 98th birthday in Minnesota. Of course it was impossible for us to be there, but we did bid her our final farewell before leaving Minnesota, knowing she would be leaving this earth soon.

 
Christmas bears and Santas
              We had our 16th wedding anniversary on the November 25th and Jack had his 68th Birthday December the 19th.

               Went to Burley on the 3rd of December for our Frost Christmas Party, that Kathryn and Dick hosted. I don’t remember but it had to be just as much fun as all of our parties. We stayed at their place that night. We went to see Mother at the nursing home before the party and again as we left town for Boise.

               I got busy getting our Christmas home ready; putting up the trees and my entire Santa and bear collection. We went to our ward party and dinner and an Owens party. Then just settled back and had a good old yesteryear Christmas and enjoyed dinner and our gift exchange.


Our backyard snowman

 

 
              We had a wonderful December snow fall. At last after all these years I was able to make my great snowman. He lasted maybe a week before he slowly bid us his farewell and slipped away to never, never land never to return.

              On Monday December 26th, 1994 the day after Christmas shortly after 8:00 a.m. our dear sweet Mother passed away to join our Father, Myron, and her loved ones who went before her. What a great Christmas Party they must have had. We knew it was her time and she was released from all earthly pain.

               Even though we shed tears we knew she was now happy. We met at themortuary Thursday night and again at 10 a.m. on Friday morning. Her funeral service was held at 11 a.m. at the Burley LDS Stake
 
Cindee, Kellie, Kyle, me, and Connie at Mother's
funeral. You can tell how cold it was.
Center on Friday December 30th, a bitterly cold day. Lorna and Kenneth were able to leave their mission and flew into Salt Lake and rode to Burley with Jacksons.

               We each paid tribute to her by prayers, talks and song. I talked about how she loved to share her genealogy with any one that asked. It was the first time I had given a talk without fear. Lorna honored her with a lovely poem that she wrote. There were an abundance of beautiful flowers, plants and friends to honor her. I think she wasthere in spirit and was well pleased to see the love that filled the chapel.


Mother's casket
 
              After a bitter cold journey to the cemetery it was a relief to come back to the church where the Relief Society sisters had prepared a hot meal to warm us. It was gratifying to see so many people that loved our Mother. She left behind 8 children, 48 grandchildren, 135 great grandchildren and 7 great, great grandchildren, 2 sisters and 5 sister-in-laws. I am sure that all that could possibly be there were. Thus ends the earth life of a great loving lady, as thus ends a very great and lovely year.