Vyla and Ira on their 25th anniversary

       Now was the time to try and forget the problems and keep busy to try and erase the pain of the past war years and the loss of their son. Ira put much effort into improving the place now that they owned it. He continued to remain faithful in family prayer, setting a good example, and training the children. An experience he tells about is an example of this: "Gerald was harrowing with Prince and Bully and the first round tipped the harrow over and had a run-away, broke the harness and the harrow hitch bar. Got it fixed and harrowed till the moon hid behind the clouds to stay. Glad Gerald was-not hurt, he had been riding while turning but that time he was inspired to get off....I don't think it just happened that way, but, rather a blessing in answer to our prayers that morning for protection of the family through the day in our morning devotion." Family prayers was a blessing Ira taught to his family.

The new Unity Ward meetinghouse

       The improvements around the home, such as the cement walks and flower beds were a delight to all. Vyla grew beautiful flowers which she loved to give away to visitors. A summer outing this year with the Gooch's was spent picnicing and swimming at Indian Springs. It was great fun and Ira and Mr. Gooch joined the kids in the pool, but their white skin absorbed too much sun and they both ended up with terrible sunburns!! For a few days, Ira slept on his tummy and could not wear the straps of his bib overalls over his sore shoulders.

Ready for church

Celia and Ray 4 Dec 1945

       In September, Eunice left to go on a mission. Ira was proud as she spoke in church and was given a nice farewell by the ward. After the work and excitement of sending her off, the family again settled to the harvest. Ira was privileged to attend the dedication of the Idaho Falls Temple that fall, an occasion of which he spoke with humility. On November 11, Armistice Day, his entry in the diary was: ...."Twenty-seven years ago I was far from here and many things have come about since that day over a quarter of a century ago and I have given my oldest of two boys for the cause of liberty, freedom and justice." Before the end of the year, he gained another son with the marriage in December, 1945, of Celia to Ray Dudley. The year ended with a happy Christmas.

Ira on horse back - 1946

       Ira was to experience another milestone in his busy life during the year of 1946. He would become a grandfather! In May, Thelma and Jay became the parents of a baby girl whom they named Gayle. Before the year was over, Melody was born to Celia and Ray and this new grandfather soon learned the pleasure the grandchildren brought. At about this time, he had an offer to sell a piece of ground at the far end of the farm. That part had always been a problem because of the gully running through it and was almost impossible to irrigate. He had fought gophers all his years of farming and walked ditch banks many times in the night with his lantern. His methods of irrigating was with dirt ditches, canvas dams, and lots of muscle power plugging up gopher holes and shoveling ditches. After years of such problems, he was ready to sell when the offer came, selling it to the Sugar Company. He then bought his first tractor, a used one, from Noel Elquist. He soon learned to operate it, converting the horse-drawn equipment over. He found it to be a great help in farming. The Frosts also gained a new neighbor when a small house was moved next to the driveway for Mother Dayley to live in.

Lorna and Kenneth 16 Oct 1947
Eunice and Earl 2 Jun 1948

       It was 1947 when Eunice returned from her mission. Ira was still working with the genealogy committee, but now as the chairman. He was also faithful in his calling as a ward teacher. Lorna graduated from High School in the spring and was married that fall to Kenneth Turner. Another granddaughter, Judy Jackson, was born that fall, also.

	Irma and Don 9 Jun 1950
	Marian and Doug 28 Nov 1950

       During 1948, Ira continued some improvements on the place, and he spent lots of time with his aging, ill mother. She passed away in May and he felt the loss, even though thankful her suffering was over. His first grandson was born this year and also another granddaughter, Tim Dudley and Darla Turner. He gained another son-in-law when Eunice married Earl Read in June. The following year, 1949, Marian graduated from High School, then in 1950 Irma received a diploma as well as a husband. She married Don Lindsay in June and Marian became the wife of Doug Harper in November, giving Ira two more sons-in-law. Two grandchildren were born, Kenny Turner and Renee Jackson. That summer was a pleasure as Ira took his wife and the three children not yet married, Marian, Gerald, and Kathryn on a trip to southern Utah. Marian tells about the trip:

Mother, Daddy, Gerald, Kathryn and I took a nice trip to southern Utah. We stayed at Beaver with Uncle Ivan one night. He lived alone there in a little old house back in some trees, as I remember. He seemed glad to have us. For breakfast he cooked us some oatmeal and served it with canned milk, which we were not used to. I guess that is why I can remember it so well. He got out his dishes that hadn't been used since his wife died. We also went to Tropic, Utah, where Uncle Marian lived. That was a pretty little town and we went to church with Uncle Marian. We stopped at Aunt Vine's in Panguich. I don't remember if we stayed there all night or just for awhile, but she- cooked us a nice big meal. We went to Bryce Canyon and Zion canyon. We then went to Antimony, which used to be Coyote, where daddy used to live and where he was born. We went out to where their house used to be and it was just dry old weeds and a few old broken dishes scattered around. I feel like this trip really meant a lot to daddy to return to his old home place and community and see his uncles and aunt. I think it's the only time he had been back since leaving there years before. I'm glad we got to go. We also visited Manti and St. George and saw the temples and many other interesting places.

Ira and Shirley

       In December of 1950 Ira was called to be a stake missionary, a calling which he accepted with humility. He was ordained a seventy on September 6, 1951. This was the year Bill Read and Shirley Linsay were born to add to the growing number of grandchildren. Ira loved playing with the little ones. He made it a tradition that he put a coin in the hand of a new baby, being the first to do so.

       Gerald was a great help to him with the farming, and he was proud of him. In their everyday working together, Ira was influencing Gerald for good, but found it hard not to spoil these last two children left at home. He had good communication with these two teenagers and they had good times as a family. Ira continued to enjoy teasing, with Kathryn a good target for his humor. She saw a huge snake crossing the road and he teased her of how the snake was afraid of her. He brought a wiggly one into the house one day and she ran into the bathroom. He hung onto it's tail and let it crawl under the door just enough to give her a scare.

Gerald and Verlee 3 Jun 1953

Kathryn and Dick 3 Jun 1953

Celia and Gordon 22 Sep 1954

Ira raking hay with his Alice Chalmers tractor.

       During the year 1952 Bonnie Harper was born and Ira was keeping busy with his missionary work. He was proud to have his son, Gerald, graduate from school that year and the following year, 1953 he watched with mixed emotions seeing the last of his children, Kathryn, graduate. On top of all that, both Gerald and Kathryn were married on the same day in June 1953. Kathryn married Richard Goodfellow and Gerald married Verlee Robbins, a sweet girl whom Ira always referred to as his "favorite daughter-in-law".

Ira milking cows in his Grade A dairy

       Now this couple, Ira and Vyla, found themselves alone again but there was always family coming to visit and more grandchildren increasing the family. Ronda Read and Randy Lindsay made their appearance this year. Ira found a little time to go fishing and those were happy moments. He and Vyla went to the temple often. In 1954 Ira was pleased to send Gerald on a mission, even though he and Verlee were expecting their first baby. Ira and Vyla provided a home for Verlee such of the time Gerald was away and about six months after he left, their daughter, Verlynn, was born. Vicki Goodfrellow and Rosanne Read were also born that year. Celia and Ray were divorced and later she married Gordon Buttars in September. Their marriage took place in Ira and Vyla's home

       Ira built a new barn and went into the Grade A dairy business. This proved to be a steady job with very little free time. Vyla helped in all phases of the work, which included a thorough cleaning of the barn each day, as it had to pass inspection by the state. The dairy herd consisted of from twelve to twenty cows and Ira continued to work hard as he had always done.