Walt's 77th birtheday

Happy Birthday, Walt. Our traditional family b-day breakfast is donuts and chocolate milk. Then for lunch I made him his favorite: Biscuits and Gravy. Topped off the day with a heart-shaped chocolate birthday cake. Hope you've had a Happy Birthday, Walt. I will love you forever!

The photo below is Walt at age 49 in 1983, when he was called to be the stake president of the newly created Burley Idaho West Stake.

Today, April 17, is the 77th birthday for my eternal sweetheart. He was 27 when we were married on June 14, 1961.

Since "7" is our favorite family number, "77" should be a great year for Walt!

(I'm posting this at 9:57 p.m. on Sunday, April 17th.)

Second installment of the remodel...

John and Walt Monday morning, April 4, finishing the framing for converting our garage/game room into a bedroom and bathroom for Grama A. Details are explained in the post just before this one. (I actually should have done that one first...but.)

This shows some of the bare barn wood of the game room walls.

Grampa and John Friday afternoon, April 1.

So we could say the photos above are the "after," and the photos below are the "before" referring to the walls showing "O, the places we have been and the things we have done through the years with our family."

Here is Grampa Mission with John, Jacee, and Jackson as they get ready to begin the remodel of the game room Friday, April 1. (And that was no April Fool!)

Here's an idea of what was on the walls. The orange bench (which Grampa A built) is open, showing the toys or it would show more of the wall.

This continues what I blogged about the remodel...mostly with the photos above.

We are so thankful for everyone's help and for John's expertise in designing and doing the actual building. Steve also took time to estimate the cost of what it would take to do this project.

Brrr...it's cold again today, as was Sat and Sun. Friday was the warmest day we've had--high 60s. Grampa and I always love to see the grandkids playing in the backyard swings, trampoline, hammock, tree house, and just running through the yard.

Saturday the kids also had spurts outside--between all the work they did in the game room--but they had their coats on.

Time out...up to date live happenings...

The crew...

General Conference was wonderful, as always! For years we have been in SLC for this spiritual weekend, but we had to break that tradition this year.

This Conference again fulfilled what I have written in my scriptures by the Parable of the Sower-- "at General Conference

we receive top soil."

For this blog I am recording events that are happening in our life now with having my mother come live with us. We have asked her for years to please come live with us, but she has always said: "No, I would never live with either of my daughters. I don't want to be a burden on them."

After being out of her home in Gooding for two years and having lived in a retirement center where all the meals are prepared, because of her losing so much of her eyesight and not being able to remember things, she has finally consented to come live with us.

Photo below: My sister, Janice, and I with Mom on her 91st birthday in January.

Janice, Julie and Maddie met Walt, and me at Sizzler in SLC to have a birthday lunch with Grama A. Janice is taking the photo.

My sweet 91-year old mother, Verna Albertson, can no longer live alone in her nice little apartment at the Highland Cove Retirement Center in Salt Lake City.

We have all our bedrooms upstairs and one in the basement, but she is so terrified of stairs, and almost legally blind, so we are remodeling our game room as a bedroom and bathroom for her on the main floor.

John, one of our outstanding sons-in-law, has been designing plans for the layout of everything and on Saturday morning we decided on the blueprint that worked best.

John had come on Thursday night, March 31, to get started.

Friday, April 1, at high noon Walt started taking down our life's memorabilia from the walls of the game room.

It had been our garage until 7 years after we moved into this home. In 1978, when we were starting to have teenagers, we remodeled it into "the game room." So for 33 years now we have been adding items to the barn wood walls.

Walt shared my sentiments as the walls became bare: "It wasn't really as traumatic and sad as I thought it would be to take everything off the walls."

John worked so hard all day and into the evening Friday getting the building permit, a plumber and electrician to come for bids, getting the lumber for the framing, taking the barn wood off the walls--which Walt was able to help with; then pulling up the old orange carpet and scraping the glued mat from the concrete floor. (Walt had two pre-scheduled meetings to go to Friday afternoon, so he couldn't help as much as he wanted that day.)

Saturday morning, Janie & Shawn came with Katie, Heidi, Sam, Ashley, Michael and Ashley. Jacee and Jackson were excited to have cousins here! Julie and Maddie are helping take care of Jen's family this week.

All of them worked very hard throughout the day. We did have Conference on the radio but will have to read and re-listen to the talks. The men went to the Gen'l Priesthood meeting, including Sam for his first time, as he turned 12 in January!

Now the only things left in the room are the pool table, the long bench that my Dad had built for their family room in the 1970s--it held bedding for them, toys for our grandkids now.

Just one of the five tall book shelves from the north wall is left in the room. Only our family will know and appreciate all the effort it was to move everything out.

We can't thank John and kids, Janie & Shawn and kids enough for the quick progress in starting this remodeling. John got the framing done for the walk-in closet and the bathroom finished. He is staying on Monday to finish the framing.

Janice, my sister, will be happy with the great start. She has done so much for Mom during our 6 1/2 years being gone on missions since 1995, and these past two years of almost on a daily basis stopping in to see Mom and care for her in many ways.

WE ARE THANKFUL FOR FAMILY FOR ALL OF THE ABOVE!

With our grandparents by the Salt Lake Temple

Just found this photo with our grandparents by the Salt Lake Temple on our wedding day - June 14, 1961

Eileen's grandfather and grandmother, Dave & Ella Huffaker, and Walt's grandmother, Maria Prescott.

My Grama 'n Grampa Huffaker were 70 years old.

Walt's Grama Rie was 78 years old.

We are thankful for our heritage and hope we have and will bring honor to their names and legacy.

We will be ages 77 and 72 when our first granddaughter, Aimee Fisher will be married to Michael Mecham on June 25, 2011 in the Rexburg Temple. We love them both, and pray they will be as in love as we are fifty years from now!

A little more about June 1961 and honeymooning on our way to St. Louis...

Here's some bits 'n pieces from a write up I'd forgotten I'd done about our courtship and marriage... I'm looking for some photos I saw of us in Yellowstone as we "honeymooned" on our way back to St. Louis. Hope to find them by next week's post.

This starts out as we leave the wedding luncheon at Aunt Tess's and Uncle Austin's in Ogden on Wednesday, June 14, 1961:

As Walt and I drove away in our blue ’57 Plymouth, (that Walt had bought in St. Louis just before driving back) the cans clanged loudly going around the corner with the white shoe polished inscriptions on the windows “JUST MARRIED.”
As we returned to Salt Lake, Walt was looking at some of the cute girls walking down the sidewalk. I poked him and said: “Hey, you’re married now!”

“Just because you’re on a diet doesn’t mean you can’t look at the menu,” was his teasing reply.

This poor medical student was happy to find a motel on the northwest side of town, several blocks north of the West High School for $5 a night. It was called “Bob’s Motel” and years later became infamous as the motel where kidnappers held John Huntsman’s son. [I think it's been torn down now.]

We drove to Provo the next day where Walt was excited to introduce his new wife to his cousins, DeLamar and Mary Jensen. They insisted we stay for supper, which helped on our strained budget. I loved them instantly and have always felt especially close to them.

Friday we drove back to Wendell, where Walt’s family had fixed up a “honeymoon suite” in Walt and Dale’s old bedroom.

Dale was on his mission in Argentina, and Walt really missed having his buddy brother there for the wedding and reception.

Saturday, June 17, was the wedding reception in Gooding, which was a full house drawing from both Wendell and Gooding.

My matron of honor was Ramona Jensen Farr, my best friend, who had moved from Wendell to Ogden after our freshman year at Wendell High School.
My bridesmaids were my sister, Janice, age 12; my high school friend, Lucile Hunsaker Campbell; my college roommate Sonja Gibbs; and my second year college roommate, Isabel Peixhoto, from Brazil.
(Yes, Sonja and I stayed friends, even though I got that “eligible Wendell bachelor.” She went on a mission and soon after her return, while teaching school in Arco, married a young engineer; they moved to PaloAlto, California, where they raised their family.)

[Walt has two sisters, and one brother.]

Janice still remembers what a stir Walt’s sister, Bonnie, (who lived in Boise) caused when she and Chuck entered the room with her short blond hair, her thin model-like figure, wearing a skimpy black sheath that showed off a lot of her tan, and her flamboyant personality. [We all loved Bonnie, and have missed her since her early passing in March 1990, just after she turned 60 on February 15, 1990. Phyllis has done her temple work.]

June 18, 1961: Sunday we were happy to honor our fathers, Ray O. Petersen and Arnold G. Albertson, on Father’s Day. They had been the witnesses at our wedding.

June 19, Monday: We spent this week in Idaho, Walt working during the days with his carpenter dad, and I would drive to Gooding, to write the thank you notes for our wedding gifts, sitting out in Mom and Dad’s hot shed where we were storing the gifts we didn’t have room to take back with us.

[My folks had just bought this little house at 917 Wyoming Street, moving from 910 Utah Street. It had a big, old honey-producing building behind it. I remember how sweltering and stuffy it was sitting there each afternoon to send thank yous to our family and friends for the wonderful wedding gifts. We found out later we were so thankful for "all duplicates" of towels, pillow cases, etc., because they all got used.]
June 23--Friday: Sometime during this week we rented a small U-haul trailer to take things back to Missouri.

All of a sudden Grama Jane decided she needed a new dinette set, so gave us their old one with the yellow Formica top and two chairs. Mom and Dad Albertson gave us their old couch and an easy chair. I had my white cedar chest from high school graduation. Walt’s folks gave us one of their old beds they had in the basement. We appreciated each item. We were ready to set up housekeeping in the big city!

The last week of June: We honeymooned through Yellowstone Park, staying one night in a little log cabin there.

We planned to stop to see one of Walt’s missionary companions in Wyoming. However, LaMar Satterfield was gone on vacation, so we stayed that night in Rawlins, Wyoming.

On the final night before we got to St. Louis, we stayed in a little town in Missouri with Linda Thomason [her Dad, Bud, was Grampa Ray's partner in Wendell with the motto: "Bud and Ray will build it your way"] in her and her husband’s 2-bedroom trailer, where they were living. She cooked us a nice supper.

Our first few days in St. Louis we stayed with Walt’s missionary friend, Dexter Davis and wife Kaye until our apartment was ready to move in to.

I spent that first week job hunting and was blessed to be hired by the Hematologist (physician over the blood bank) at the Jewish Hospital. It was directly across the street from our apartment. So for the next two years I had a 30-second commute to work….down the stairs from our 2nd story apartment, crossed the street and went in the door and down the hall to my office.

Since I knew nothing about medical terms, I typed Dr. David Miller’s dictation with the medical dictionary in my lap. Sometimes I would take the letters home at lunch, and if Walt had been able to come home from the medical school (which was just around the corner the other direction from our apartment--so he also walked there each day) he would help me figure out what the medical terms were that I couldn’t understand. The office had an IBM selectric typewriter which was the latest in technology then!

The photo above [opps, sorry it wouldn't "publish" to the post, so I'll try again next week] is the first page of a booklet I made about our "First Christmas." I'm standing by our '57 Plymouth with the U-Haul trailer the day we arrived in St. Louis.

The couple will honeymoon on their way to St. Louis, Missouri...

nWe still love to be side by side, holding hands. Love is eternal! Our friends from Gooding will be nostalgic to see this photo in front of the beautiful fireplace that was in the Gooding LDS Cultural Hall. This building burned down in the 1960s, I think...maybe the 1970s. I'll have to look up the date in Mom's life story.

Sorry, I'm a couple days late with the blog...we've had a great experience taking care of four beautiful granddaughters while Brian and Michelle had 3 days away at the Mtn. West Conference Basketball Tournament for Brian's March birthday.

This entire article--from the March 7 blog and finished here, also appeared in the weekly Wendell Irrigationist.

Here are the last four paragraphs in the Twin Falls Times News article of June 1961:
“…The couple will honeymoon on their way to St. Louis, Missouri, where they will make their home for now. Petersen will do research work during the summer at Washington University before beginning his junior year at Washington University School of Medicine. Their address will be 4956 Parkview Place, St. Louis, Mo.

“For traveling the bride wore a lavender and white tailored suit with white accessories and the corsage from her bridal bouquet.
“The bride was graduated from Wendell High School in 1957. She has attended Brigham Young University for the past two years. Prior to that she was a secretary in the Executive Department at the First Security Bank, First South and Main Street, in Salt Lake City following her graduation from Stevens’ Henager School of Business.

“The bridegroom was graduated from Wendell High School in 1952 and the University of Idaho at Moscow in 1959. He fulfilled a 2 1/2 year LDS mission to Uruguay/Paraguay August 1954* to March 1957, before his final two years at the University of Idaho.
[*Young men had to be 20 years old before serving missions in the 1950s.]

“The home of Major and Mrs. Austin Julian, Ogden, Utah, uncle and aunt of the bridegroom, was the setting for the wedding breakfast that honored the newlyweds immediately following their marriage.” End of article...yes, they reported a lot about weddings back in those days.

Truly, this is grape punch we are toasting each other with. After all, our reception colors were lavender and white.

Now we could look at the world together through our lavender-colored glasses...

And we have lived happily ever after...of course with some normal ups and downs. Thankfully, way more UPS than downs. And we're still in love!

I'll continue on during the next 3 months with some highlights of our years, up to the 50th year commemoration we will reach on June 14, 2011. Our kids are planning an open house for us on Friday, June 17, 2011.

Our Wedding Reception - June 17, 1961 - Gooding, Idaho

(Moving right along....we're to the wedding reception.

How blessed we are to have these photos...wish they were in color...but 50 years ago colored photos were still rare.
Here Walt and I are with my Mom and Dad--Verna & Arnold Albertson--by me, and Walt's Mom and Dad--Jane & Ray Petersen by him.

Walt's father passed away at age 62 on Feb. 17, 1970 of a heart attack. His mother passed away at age 90 on Feb. 5, 2001. My father passed away at age 69 on Feb. 6, 1982 of colon cancer. (We all need to get colonoscopies!)
My Mom also lost her parents in 1982...my Grampa Huffaker in June at age 90; my Grama Huffaker in November at age 91.
I tell about my mother by her photo a little further down.

I am going to quote from my Mom's life story again this week:


"Verna - An Idaho Girl"


-- the life story of Verna Beth Huffaker Albertson


"Eileen and Walt’s wedding reception at the LDS Gooding Ward cultural hall was nice and well attended three days later on Saturday, June 17. They received many wonderful wedding gifts.
"Here’s some from the newspaper clipping I saved from the Times News, with the headline as follows:
Couple Married in LDS Temple Rites
“Eileen Albertson, Provo, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Arnold G. Albertson, Gooding, formerly of Wendell, and Walter Ray Petersen, St. Louis, Missouri, son of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond O. Petersen, Wendell, were united in marriage June 14, 1961 at the Salt Lake LDS temple with President Henry D. Moyle, officiating.



Photo: Eileen, age 22 1/2, with her sister, Janice, age 12.
“The bride selected a floor length gown of luxurious delustered satin for her wedding. The gown was designed by the bride and Cheri Hansen, a college roommate from Tempe, Arizona. It was fashioned with long pointed sleeves, a high rounded neckline and fitted bodice; the full skirt swept into a modified train. Her bridal veil was caught to a tiara of seed pearls. She carried a lavender orchid on a small white Bible.

“Mrs. Alden (Ramona Jensen) Farr, Ogden, Utah, was matron of honor. Bridesmaids were Mrs. James (Lucile Hunsaker) Campbell, Bellevue; Miss Sonya Gibbs, Wendell; Miss Izabel Peixoto, a college roommate from Porte Alegre, Brazil, and Miss Janice Albertson, sister of the bride. The bride’s attendants were gowned alike in lavender and white cotton frocks, and each carried a white basket filled with carnations.

“Telford (Ted) Gillett, Declo, Idaho was best man. Serving as ushers were Jim Prescott, Boise, and Gene Prescott, Jerome, Idaho—cousins.

2011 note: My Sweetheart Mother--then age 41--is now 91, can hardly see or hear. She has said for a long time: "Getting old is not for wimps."

“The mother of the bride wore a pink linen sheath with matching shoes and white accessories. Her corsage was of white carnations. The mother of the bridegroom wore a beige lace sheath with lavender accessories and a pink carnation corsage.

“Mrs. S.D. Huffaker, Wendell, and Mrs. Blanche Albertson, Hagerman, grandmothers of the bride, and Mrs. Maria Prescott, Wendell, and Mrs. Mary Petersen, Tremonton, grandmothers of the bridegroom, were all present for the reception, and each wore a corsage of white carnations.

“More than 300 guests from throughout Idaho and Utah attended the wedding reception for the young couple Saturday evening at the Gooding LDS recreation hall.

“Mrs. Alan (Lucy Huffaker) Nieffenegger, Wendell, was in charge of the guest book. Mrs. John (Pearl) Robertson, Mrs. Everett (Nadine) Conrad, Mrs. Clarence ( ) Wells, and Myrna Myer, Gooding [R.S. friends of Verna] were in charge of arranging the gift table. Carrying gifts were Donald, Matthew, and Mitchell Bunn of Wendell, nephews of the groom. Carol Lee Huffaker, Mtn. Home, and Barbara, Marjorie, and Bonnie Harmon, Hammett, cousins of the bride, also carried the gifts. (Lucy is gone now, age 36 to cancer.)

“The refreshment table was covered with a white lace cloth over lavender. The five tiered wedding cake was baked and decorated by Mrs. Dan (Evelyn) Nieffenegger. (Alan's mother is gone now.) The white cake, trimmed with lavender and the sweetheart cakes were decorated with the names of the couple, and were flanked by lavender candles in crystal holders.

“Mrs. Dale (Phyllis) Bunn, Wendell, and Mrs. Charles (Bonnie) Degler, Boise, sisters of the groom, cut and served the cake. Mrs. Warren (Vida) Albertson, Pocatello, and Mrs. David (Enid) Huffaker, Mtn. Home, aunts of the bride, served the punch.

(We're sad we didn't get photos of any of these aunts...we lost Bonnie, at age 60 to colon cancer; and Enid at age __, are gone now.)

“Heber Prescott, Jerome, uncle of the groom, was master of ceremonies. David Huffaker, Mtn. Home, uncle of the bride, gave the invocation; Mr. & Mrs. Earl (Eleanor) Harmon, Hammett, uncle and aunt of the bride, gave readings, ‘What is a Wife,’ and ‘What is a Husband.’ (Just Eleanor is left. Uncle Hebe at age 60 of a heart attack; Uncle Earl at age 75 of cancer.)

“Janice Albertson, Gooding, sister of the bride, played a piano solo “Till the End of Time”; ArDell Shockley, Jerome, soloist, sang “Walk Hand in Hand With Me,” and “Always,” accompanied by Verna Lee Lott, Hagerman. After remarks and thank yous by the bride and groom, the benediction was given by Thomas Prescott, Jerome, uncle of the groom. Dancing followed with the bride and groom waltzing to ‘O How We Danced on the Night We Were Wed’,” as the first dance. (We lost Uncle Tom in 2003 at age 85, who had been in poor health for several years after a debilitating stroke.)

[If you can believe it, there is still more to the newspaper article...so it will be continued in next week's blog.

I added the ladies' first names in parentheses--which now they always put the woman's first name, which is a great improvement!]

Our Wedding Day from my Mom's Life Story...

Finally got he photo of us by our painted "Just Married" car as we were leaving the wedding luncheon. And, yes, here were a string of cans clanking out of the back of the car as we drove off. It's such a giddy, happy time to finally be married for real! The happiness of that day still permeats my soul.

Here's a description of our wedding and wedding luncheon from my Mom's Life Story.

I can't get the photo scanned and to my laptop of us standing by our car painted with "Just Married" after the wedding luncheon.

For our wedding luncheon, Aunt Tess served exotic fruits like fresh pineapple.

This is the first time I had ever had fresh pineapple. It was so delicious that we've tried to have it for many Sunday dinners since then.

I am going to quote from my Mom's Life Story "Verna -- an Idaho Girl" of what she wrote about our wedding, and then the wedding luncheon at Walt's Aunt Tess & Uncle Austin's home:

"June 14, 1961
Arnold and I are Sealed in the
Salt Lake Temple on the same day as
Eileen and Walt’s Wedding

"Eileen’s wedding was really nice. It was not only a special time for her but also for us. Arnold had talked to Bishop Verl Dixon several weeks before and the Bishop had him take the temple lessons so that we were ready to go to the temple with Eileen and Walt, receive our endowments, and get sealed as a family.

"President Henry D. Moyle, Second Counselor in The First Presidency, performed the wedding. Walt had traveled with him as his interpreter in Uruguay and Paraguay when Elder Moyle, then an Apostle had toured their mission in 1956.

"President Moyle explained that everything had to be done in the right order. First he sealed Arnold and me as husband and wife.

"Then Janice, who had just turned 12 the week before, was called into the room so she and Eileen could kneel at the altar with us as we were sealed as an eternal family.

"Following this, he had Eileen and Walt kneel at the altar to be sealed as husband and wife.

"When he finished the ceremony and asked them to kiss as husband and wife across the altar, Walt leaned over and gave Eileen a little peck on the lips.

“ 'Now, Walter, you take your new bride in your arms and give her a kiss like you mean it,' was President Moyle’s comment. Walt quickly complied.

"Walt told us later that he was nervous with someone from the First Presidency there and he didn’t want to seem over zealous. 'I was glad for an opportunity to express how I really felt about Eileen in that second kiss,' he added.

"We had taken Mother and Dad [Dave & Ella Huffaker] with us. Dad was Arnold’s escort, Mother was mine, and Walt’s mother, Jane, was Eileen’s escort.

"My brother Don came over from Vernal and drove with us to the wedding luncheon. From the temple we drove to the Hill Air Force Base in Ogden where my girlhood friend and Walt’s aunt, Tess Prescott Julian--a gourmet cook--had prepared an elaborate and delicious wedding luncheon for everyone. She had married Austin Julian when she was a WAVE in World War II, stationed in Hawaii. Austin was a bomber pilot and they were good friends with Chuck Yeager.

"Janice said the luncheon was like a grand banquet. She had never been to anything like it. Tess served fresh pineapple in the shell with exotic fruits, along with chicken and other side dishes. Bird of Paradise flowers were flown in from Hawaii for decoration.

"From there Walt and Eileen drove off for a 2-day Salt Lake honeymoon with a tail of tin cans clanking behind their painted-up “Just Married” ‘57 blue Plymouth."

"A Bride's Prayer"

June 14, 1961

A Bride’s Prayer
O, Father, my heart is filled with a happiness so wonderful that I am almost afraid. This is my wedding day, and I pray Thee that the beautiful joy of this day may never grow dim with years of regret for the new step I am about to take. Rather, may its memories become more sweet and tender with each passing anniversary.

Thou hast sent to me one who seems all-worthy of my deepest regard. May I prove indeed a helpmeet, a sweetheart, a friend, a steadfast guiding star among all the temptations that beset the impulsive hearts of men. Grant unto me the power to keep him ever true and loving as now.

Give me the skill to make home the best-loved place of all. Help me to make its glow shine further than any glare that would dim its radiance. Let me, I pray Thee, meet the little misunderstandings and cares of my new life bravely. Be with me as I start on my mission of womanhood, and keep my path from failure. Walk Thou with us, even to the end of our journey.

Father, bless my wedding day, hallow my marriage night, sanctify my motherhood—if Thou seest fit to grant me that privilege. And when all my youthful charms are faded, and the cares and lessons of life have left their touches, let physical fascination give way to the greater charm of blessed companionship. So may we walk hand in hand down the highway lighted by the sunshine that comes from living righteously, for time and for all E T E R N I T Y.

--Author unknown; one of Eileen Albertson's
handouts from her Marriage Class, BYU,
Winter semester, 1961

FROM JUNE 14, 1961 TO ETERNITY...

Walt Petersen and Eileen Albertson are married for time and for all eternity in the Salt Lake Temple on June 14, 196 1. The flags were out all over the city that day, as they have been for every anniversary since then.

(Yes, it's Flag Day...but we still consider the flags out for our anniversary. Silly us.)

"So in love, so in love, so in love with you am I!"

All I knew, when I came out of that temple for the first time, I wanted to be married to "Mr. Right, in the Right Place, at the Right Time -- AND I WAS!!!

I was now "Mrs. Walter R. Petersen" and I was estatic!

I can remember as though it were yesterday--as my Mom, Dad, and I crossed the street from our hotel to Temple Square--what joy seeing Walt walking toward me as he and his parents had just arrived.

We all entered the majestic Salt Lake Temple together--I, and my Mom and Dad for the first time.

Walt's mother Jane was my escort. My Mom's mother, Ella Huffaker, was her escort. I guess my Mom's Dad, S. David Huffaker, was my Daddy's escort (everything was so new and different to me, I wasn't aware of a lot of things). I had never heard any information about the temple in my home since my Mom and Dad had not received their endowments yet, either.

Our witnesses were Walt's Dad, Ray Petersen, and my Dad, Arnold Albertson.

BACKGROUND ABOUT WHO PERFORMED OUR TEMPLE WEDDING AND WHY:

When Walt was a counselor in his mission presidency in Uruguay/Paraguay (now known as "Assistant to the President"), Elder Henry D. Moyle, then an Apostle, toured his mission in 1956.

At that very same time, the mission president's wife had passed away and President Frank Perry had flown to Seattle to take her remains to be buried in their hometown.

Walt was asked to accompany Elder Moyle on the mission tour to Paraguay, where they met with the President of the Country,

Afredo Stroessner (president/dictator 1954-deposed in 1989), and was Elder Moyle's intrepreter there and throughout the time in Paraguay in zone conferences with the missionaries. They became good friends.

So that's why Walt asked President Henry D. Moyle, then the Second Counselor in the First Presidency, to perform our marriage ordinance.

[President Moyle became the First Counselor in October 1961. He passed away in September 1963.]

Next week...The Bride's Prayer

Then our wedding reception - Saturday, June 17, 1966, in Gooding...

Then the week after that...Honeymooning on way to St. Louis via Yellowstone Park...

Trauma getting a marriage license...

Tried to put the heart at the end of this post, after I typed the post, but I can't figure out how to do it. Anyone have a solution?

Sorry, I don't have photos from this traumatic day before our wedding.

JUNE 1961

My folks drove to Provo in early June and packed up my things from the apartment for my BYU years and we headed home to Gooding, Idaho.

Walt got home to Wendell, Idaho, about 2 or 3 days before our wedding.

June 13, bright and early, the day before our wedding, we drove to Salt Lake City to get to the City Hall in plenty of time to get our marriage license.

I had the Utah certified form with my blood test officially recorded--a requirement in those days--which I presented at the marriage license bureau when we arrived.

When Walt presented the scribbled scrap of paper of his blood test results from the Barnes Hospital in St. Louis which was affiliated with the Washington University School of Medicine, the marriage license official asked what it was.

"My blood test results," Walt said. He told me later that he knew the only reason for the blood test before marriage was to see if a person had syphilis or not.

"Well," replied the man in a huff, "the blood test has to be on our official form and the blood test here in Utah takes a few days to have the results." (or something like that...)

"We're scheduled to be married tomorrow morning in the Salt Lake Temple, and our families are on their way to Utah to be here for it," I said in a panic.

We left City Hall and Walt called his Aunt Maureen Carlson in Woods Cross with whom he and his folks were going to stay that night. She had him call their family doctor who told Walt to go straight to the State Lab in downtown SLC and they might be able to do his blood test and give him the results the same day on the official form.

We went there, and they thought they could get it in time. It was getting late afternoon by now and I was really nervous. I remember thinking:

"This can't be happening, the day before our wedding is supposed to be a calm, peaceful day. We had everything planned so well (we thought) and now we might not get our marriage license in time to even get married tomorrow!"

I finally told Walt I was going to walk back back down to the City Hall....a few loooong blocks....to Fourth South (I think the lab was on South Temple or First South) and not let them close until Walt got there.

The minutes were flying by, the big City Hall clock approaching 5:00....and still no Walt in sight. About 4:55 here he came racing down the sidewalk, up the steps, and into the front door...with the blood test on the official form, which they accepted and issued our marriage license.

A couple had come in just before Walt got there who wanted to be married right then at the City Hall. The officials asked Walt and me to be there witnesses since they had no one with them. As we stood there I thought, how sad--no family or friends with them, and married only until death do they part.

We rendezvoused with our parents at Harmon's Cafe and had a chicken dinner together. We dramatized the harrowing day we had had...and we were all thankful for the lucky outcome.

Then Walt and his parents drove off to his aunt and uncle's and my Mom, Dad, and I went to the hotel just north of the temple next to Mormon Handicraft....which is where The Conference Center is now.

I didn't sleep much and got up early to do my hair...I think that was in the days before curling irons.

Next week we'll share June 14, 1961, about our marriage for time and eternity in the Salt Lake Temple surrounded by beloved family and friends.

Jennifer Brewer asked to be a Presenter at BYU Idaho Education Week - July 28-29-30, 2011

Here's Jen and her family when they were here at Christmastime. Husband, Jerry Brewer. Seth and Sarah, twins, age 8; Ben,5, Josh, 3, and Elizabeth 1. Hi...Just a mid-week mention that our youngest daughter, Jennifer Brewer, has been asked to be a presenter at the BYU Idaho Education Week July 28-29-30, 2011 in Rexburg. She will be doing 3 classes...each day: one on nutrition, one for youth, and... (I don't have my notes here).

Tickets go on sale March 1 via the BUY Idaho website. More later.

Congratulations, Jen, we're very proud of you!

She was asked to be interviewed on a radio station in Rochester, Minnesota, yesterday about couponing.

Love, Mom & Dad

Our Engagement via Letters...

Our Engagement via letters...miles apart.
Walt left for the second half of his sophomore year at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis on New Year's Day 1961.
It took 35-hours from Wendell, Idaho, going straight through, with a car load who took turns driving while the others could catch some sleep.

They got to St. Louis late afternoon January 2, and he wrote me two letters--one typed, as most of his letters were; one hand-written after we had talked a few minutes on the telephone (doesn't say if he called me or I called him to say he got there okay. I only remember one other time we talked on the phone during the 5 1/2 months before our wedding.) Long-distance in those days was mainly to call about a death in the family. It was considered an extreme expense to call to just "talk on the phone" long distance.

Letters from Walt to Eileen

Jan. 2, 1961 to May 25, 1961

January.....16 letters

February...14 letters

March.......13 letters

April.........13 letters

May.......... 8 letters

Then I think maybe we did call before he got home the week before our wedding on June 14.

"St. Louis, Mo., Jan. 2, 1961

Dear Eileen,

We just got in about 2 hours ago and I got all unpacked and took a shower and shaved, but I'm still not at all satisfied with being here. In fact, I'm very lonesome and I think that you are the main cause. I miss you very much and I wish that we were married and that you were here with me.

This vacation has really been one to remember! It has been the first one since I can remember that I haven't worked when I was home since I got back from my mission. But then, of course, there was something special that took place that happened with a "Miss Eileen Albertson" on Dec. 20 and 21, 1960. Do you know anything about that?

[Remember from the last blog I said we got engaged on Dec. 20. The Dec. 21 Walt refers to is that we went to Twin Falls with his mother and picked out the engagement and wedding rings. --I wasn't too comfortable having to choose with his mother there, but his Dad and Mom were paying for the rings...so it was okay. I did choose what I had always wanted: an emerald cut diamond. A very small diamond, but it was beautiful and I loved it.]

...the letter goes on for 3 paragraphs about the good weather and good roads, getting back into the routine of school the next day...

"I'd better close as I want to get this in the mail on our way to eat dinner. Good night, sleep tite, study hard and work hard, and have a good time.

Love from your fiance, /s/ Walt"

...Now you may ask about the letters I wrote to Walt. I wrote him every day but he didn't realize he was supposed to save the letters. No, not one exists today! That's why there's no photos for this blog. And I sent a lot of photos, too. Hmmmm...our kids know it's not a good subject to bring up.

Now we come to the letters after dating from July 8, 1960 to September 4, 1960...having gotten "pinned" on August 6. ("Pinned" = engaged to be engaged when the fellow is too poor to afford an engagement ring. I got his service fraternity pin.)
Walt wrote to "Miss Eileen Albertson, 901 Utah St. Gooding, Idaho until Sept. 24 when my semester started at BYU, then to 362 East 7th North, Provo, Utah:
September - 7 letters(starting with the Sept. 8 letter below)
October - 15 letters
November - 7 letters
December - 5 letters till Dec. 15 when we were heading home for Christmas.
"St. Louis, Mo. - Sept. 8, 1960

Dear Eileen,

You know what? I'm glad that you decided to spoil me a little bit as it was really nice to get your letter this morning. You don't have to worry about your giving me time to miss you in that I missed you all the way back here, especially when I was driving [and Jerry was sleeping].

....7 paragraphs about driving back, moving back into his apartment, the 90-degree, humid weather in St. Louis, drawing blood at the hospital each morning which earned him a meal ticket for the hospital cafeteria, and ready to start classes...then closing with:

I'll just say that I miss you very much and wish that we were together...Love, Walt"

Engagement - Dec. 20, 1960 to June 14, 1961

Eileen Albertson Engaged to Walter Petersen

-- Times News

"Arnold and Verna Albertson of Gooding, Idaho, announce the engagement of their daughter, Eileen, to Walter Ray Petersen, the son of Ray and Jane Petersen of Wendell, Idaho.

Eileen graduated from Wendell High School in 1957 as the salutatorian and from a 12-month advanced Executive Business Course at Stevens Heneger Business College in June 1958. She worked for one year at First Security Bank in Salt Lake City for the Eccles brothers in the presidential/vice presidential wing, and is currently attending Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.

Walter graduated from Wendell High School in 1952, and attended the University of Idaho, receiving a 4.0 the first semester, and 3.9 the second semester, while also being on the freshman basketball team. Boise Jr. College recruited him for the 1953-1954 basketball year, where he graduated as valedictorian from the 2-year Jr. College in the Spring of 1954.

At age 20, (which was the required age for missionaries then) he was called as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the Uruguay/Paraguay Mission. He served from August 1954 to March 1957. He was an Assistant to the President for the final 9 months of his mission.

When he returned, he attended BYU in Provo for 1 quarter, then transferred back to the University of Idaho in Moscow where he was majoring in Civil Engineering. However, during that first semester back, he changed to Pre-med, graduating in 1959. He was accepted to the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri.

Their wedding date has not been decided at this time."

Here's Walt on New Year's Day 1960, looking at my photo, as we were about to be separated as he left for St. Louis to finish his second year of medical school.

I can't get these black and white photos to lighten up, no matter what I try....sorry. This is New Year's Day of 1961 when we would soon be parting till he finished his second year of medical school in St. Louis, and I finished my semester at BYU.

I'm looking at his photo.

We put our engagement announcement in the Times News, (paraphrased at the beginning of this blog) which then the custom was to just put the girl's photo in, then the photo of the couple was put in for the wedding announcement--after the wedding. I like today's custom of having the couple's photo to announce the engagement and forthcoming wedding.

We hadn't decided on the exact date.

I had always had the notion that after you were engaged, you chose some romantic date....but oh no, I soon learned that you had to check out both families' schedules and then fit in a wedding date that worked for both families.

Engaged Dec. 20, 1960

We're engaged - December 20, 1960.

"Have yourself a merry little Christmas, let your cares be light.

"From now on your troubles will be out of sight..." was a happy echo in our hears that magical Christmas of 1960...

Below is that conversation continued on that Sunday in October 1960 when Walt called and said: "Eileen, I want to marry you."

"When?" is what I asked.

"How about Christmastime," Walt said.

"Oh, I don't think I could plan a wedding by Christmas," I said. (Wish I'd realized it could have been done. But that's called hindsight.)

So we got officially engaged when we both got home for Christmas break--he from his 2nd year of med school in St. Louis, and I from BYU...as explained above--on Dec. 20.

Dec. 20 was Walt's Dad's birthday, so we went to his home to tell them the exciting news.

How did we meet?

For our Jubilee Year--photos from the past--above: August 1960 - day we became pinned after dating almost 4 weeks - but we had grown up in Wendell, Idaho together. When he was a senior at WHS, I was a 7th grader. He called me "Snicklefritz" when he worked on my grandfather's farm with the other h.s.boys during hay season...he about a sophomore, I in 5th grade. After his mission to Uruguay/Paraguay I had grown up! Summer of 1960 he was working with his carpenter dad between his 1st/2nd year at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. I was home between semesters at BYU.

Then he went back to St. Louis in September and I went back to Provo. The fast Sunday of October he telephoned from St. Louis (that's when a long-distance call was mainly to inform family members that someone had died...or in other words, not for simple chit chat).

"Eileen, I want to marry you," Walt said.

"When?" was my response.

Hope to add a little each Sunday...

A new year has dawned . . .

It's true: "Use it or lose it." I haven't posted a blog for so long, I can barely remember how to do it. I have borrowed this darling New Yeare's clip art from a friend whom I consider to be a master blogger! Janiece Burgess and our joint friend Sayda Call have been an inspiration to me in many things, including the blogging world. I look up to them and admire them very much.

Our family's New Year's Eve and New Year tradition has been hosted the past few years by our oldest daughter, Janie, and her husband Shawn. They have dubbed it the:

ROCKIN' REXBURG NEW YEAR'S RENDEZVOUS

All 7 siblings, spouses, and kids, plus Grama 'n Grampa

are invited to arrive December 31 for the gathering supper of stew and cornbread.

Each family who can come volunteers to do a meal, and all bring treats. We had four families this year--29 in all.

This event actually started Christmas Eve when the Brewers...

Jen, the youngest sister, her husband Jerry, and their 5 kids drove from Rochester, Minnesota (earlier than planned to surprise Grama 'n Grampa as we opened the door on Christmas Eve and there they were carolling on our doorstep!)

So Fri, Sat, Sun morning we were blessed to have them with us, (plus Christmas day we had Janie's & Julie's families here)

Sun and Mon Brewers spent with Jerry's parents in Vernal.

then Tuesday, Wed, Thur they had the great adventure of teaching their 4 oldest kids to ski at Targhee (ages 8 down to 3) with the help of the Fisher Family--Janie & Shawn and kids.

To be continued....Walt's telling me it's time for us to do our morning exercises....and I would never want to miss that?

[If you believe I love to exercise, you will believe the moon is made of green cheese...or whatever they used to say.]

"...to this end was I born."

John 18:37

Hi...Hope you are all having a nice Christmas season. Just seeing if I remember how to blog.

THANKSGIVING WEEK COMING UP...

We are thankful for our family and friends...
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!
Love, Los Petersen - Walt & Eileen

OUR PRECIOUS TIME WITH JEN & JERRY AND FAMILY

THE BREWER FAMILY
Just moved into a new home.
Jerry - Dermatologist at Mayo Clinic. Gospel Doctrine teacher in new ward--Rochester 5th Ward.
Jen - Wife, busy mother of 5; loves new calling as leader for Activity Days in primary; teaches nutrition and aerobic classes for the YMCA.
Seth and Sarah just turned 8 in June and were baptised at our Walt & Eileen Family Reunion in Wyoming.
Benjamin is 5 and will go to kindergarten soon.
Joshua will be 3 on July 31 and is all boy!
Baby Elizabeth is 8 months old. We call her "Bizzy Lizzy" because she crawls all over and is about to walk!
We've loved being able to be here with them.


HAVING A GREAT TIME WITH THE BREWERS IN ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA.
THE 8 DAYS HAVE ZOOMED BY WAY TOO FAST. WE HAVE TO LEAVE TOMORROW--JULY 20.

We arrived at midnight in Minneapolis on Tuesday, July 13 (plane delayed 4 hours in Boise, so we missed our first connection in SLC). Jen was there with her baby to drive us the 85 miles to Rochester.

Early the next morning we drove 5 1/2 hours to Nauvoo and went to the visitors' center, the family center where Elder Neal Anderson from Burley was teaching families how to make rope and then at the log Calvin Pendleton home and school where Sister Donna Anderson--also from Burley--taught us about the Pendleton family and showed us how the kids in Nauvoo wrote on their individual slates at school. We also went to the bakery, print shop, blacksmith shop, John Taylor home, then over to Carthage Jail (30-min drive) for the sobering tour and narration about the Prophet Joseph's and his brother Hyrum's last 2 days living on earth before they were martyred on June 27, 1844.

That evening we went to the spectacular Nauvoo Pageant with cast of 170...only 20 of whom were professionals.

Thursday we went on a carriage ride pulled by two handsome matched work horses. The hour ride for the carriage full of 25 tourists was interestingly narrated by President Jack Hill, a senior missionary from Burley, Idaho, who has been called as a counselor in the Nauvoo Mission Presidency. He has recruited about 10 couples from Mini-Cassia to be teamsters, etc. at Nauvoo.

Then Grampa and I did a session in the beautiful, beautiful Nauvoo Temple while Jen & Jerry and kids went to Joseph Smith's Mansion Home, saw their graves, went to the Red Brick store, and then to the home of Wilford Woodruff who is Jerry's 4th-great grandfather. (Grampa and I had seen these sites in June 2001 on a family trip to Nauvoo for our 40th wedding anniversary. Jen & Jerry had not been able to go.)

Then we kept the kids so Jen & Jerry could do a temple session. Every temple has a beauty of its own, and this temple has been made of the finest materials available also.

When we reunited, we drove where statues of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young have the inscription "Eyes Westward" where Parley Street or "Trail of Hope" ends at the river. This is where most of the 12,000 residents crossed the Mississippi River to escape the persecution of the Mormons in 1846. Most of them made the thousand mile plus trek to the barren valley of the Salt Lake which they soon had blossoming as a rose.

Friday Grampa built steps for the trampoline. Jerry was at the Clinic for his research day. Jerry mowed their big lawn in the muggy heat when he got home from work.
Saturday Jerry and Grampa built a ski rack for the garage. The adults had a gourmet dinner at Pescara's.
Sabbath morning was relaxed, then church 1-4pm, followed by a yummy Mormon Sunday roast beef dinner, complete with hot, homemade rolls.
Monday--today, July 19, Jen and Grampa are building shelves for one of the finished basement's storage rooms.
Seth is assigned to teach about baptism, and Sarah about the Holy Ghost for family home evening tonight.

We'll share photos when we get back home and I download them into my laptop. And put new songs on since Jen has taught me how to use iTunes. YaHoo!!

Hope everyone is having a patriotic July...God Bless the USA!

Sorry I've been negligent in keeping up my blog since we came home in March from our mission. We've been hither and yon so much that we feel like yoyos. But we've loved visiting our kids and grandkids in Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, and now with Jen & Jerry and kids in Minnesota. We've also enjoyed having some time with Grama A and Jen in Salt Lake City; Dale & Connie in Twin; and Phyllis & Dale in Wendell.

We're looking forward to the Jane & Ray Petersen Family Reunion this Saturday, July 24th. We haven't had one since 1988, which was our 8th one after these began in 1974. Dale got the ball rolling for this one which is at Riverfront Park in Burley.

Help...how do I downsize this photo for my heading?

Today we are commemorating our 49th wedding anniversary quietly at home. We stopped in at our friends' home to ask Ruth Melling to take a photo of us together. She invited us to stay for supper, which she was just putting the finishing touches on. That was a nice serendipity.

So here's our photo that she took and one of her and Don and John who is visiting from New York.

I'm looking for our "professional" Cruise photo to blog about our 2-week Mediterranean Cruise we got home from on June 11. It was fabulous.
We are so thankful to our children for helping us go on this cruise by donating to "the cruise fund" for each holiday and birthday this year.