Tape 1 Side A

Autobiography of Merlin Nelson Larsen

I have several reasons for wanting to write my life’s story. I enjoy very much thinking about the past, reminiscing. I’m quite sentimental and nostalgic. I wish I knew more about my own father and mother, and their life as seen through their own eyes. I wish they had left a written account for their children, and also I’d like to know more about my ancestors. So, I think it might be of service to my grand children... my own children and grandchildren for me to make a written account of my life. I’ve had an interesting life, sometimes exciting; a very good life. I’ve had much opportunity for education and employment. I’ve always lived in a good home, and in this wonderful free land of America. I have been greatly blessed to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and want my descendants to know how grateful I am for the good life that I have lived, been privileged to live. I’m beginning this story in May of 1989, and I am writing it, or recording it, from memory, without reference to written records. I have not been a journal writer or compiler of scrapbooks, but I have a good memory at the present time of events and experiences in people, so I think I can write a fairly detailed story of my life. I plan to write the story in several parts. First I’ll compile a chronology, year by year, of the events, the main events in my life as I can recall them. This will make possible for anyone interested to read an overview of my whole life without getting in too much detail. Then I would like to recall my life in greater detail in a narrative form covering the same year by year events. A third part, in a third part, I would like to write about separate and distinct aspects of my life. You might call them chapters. One could be on childhood recollections. Another on childhood recreation, how we made our own entertainment in those olden days. I’d like to write a chapter about my recollections of my brothers and sisters, my parents, my association with them, separately, each one of the separately. I’d like to write a chapter on my school experiences. I loved school and have much to say about it and a big part of my life. I’d like to write a chapter on my dad’s farm and how it affected my life and a chapter on my employment, the different jobs I’ve held through the years. A chapter on my service in WW2. A chapter on my church activity, positions I’ve held, my testimony and its growth through the years. A chapter on my hobbies and special interests. A chapter on me and my children, comments on each of my children. A chapter on me and Roberta and our very special relationship. A chapter on my known relatives, what I know about them. Holidays and celebrations. How we celebrated them in the old days, might be of interest to my descendants. A chapter on special friends through the years. The homes that we have lived in and our life long project of remodeling them, and our yard and garden activity. A chapter on my brother Orvil’s cars would be very fun to recall. A chapter on our vacations could be of some interest.

In the chronology to follow I’ll give the date as accurately as I can recall it, and a short description of the event and some of the people that were involved.

1900, March 25th. My father Merlin Russell Larsen was born in Brigham City Utah.

1902, March 14th. My mother, Judith Viola Nelson, was born in Salt Lake City, Utah.

1918, September 11th. My parents were married at Farmington, Utah.

1919, August 26th. My brother Orvil Russell was born in Brigham City. All of the seven children to be listed later on were born in Brigham City.

1920, November 7th. Brother Harold Jay was born

1922, The family home was built at 424 South 3rd East. Grandpa died in October. My father and his brother Ira purchased from the family estate a 51 acre farm in the south east corner of Brigham City.

In September 26th, sister Viola Yvonne was born.

1924, November 24th. I was born.

1926, September 13th. Brother Raymond Nelson was born.

1927. I broke my left elbow in the fall while playing. I was attended by Doctor Coolly. The elbow mended perfectly.

1928. Fell on the jagged lid of a tin can. Nearly severed my left thumb. Doctor Coolly attended me again, and the thumb mended perfectly.

1929. Parents bought a used Victorola phonograph and a few records which had a memorable impression on my life. Buck, a black springer spaniel dog, entered our life to live for 13 years. At Christmas, Aunt Anna Cottum, Grandpa Larsen’s sister, gave Orvill and Harold a beautiful Flexible Flyer sleigh.

1930. Visited for a few days with cousin Bob Koutnik in Ogden.

1931, February 20th. Sister Barbara LaDean was born. This year a bathtub and toilet were installed in the home. I began school in the fall at the Central School.

1932. Cut a large deep wound in my right thigh with a pocket knife. Brother Raymond’s leg was broken in an accident with the Flexible Flyer sled. Brother Orvill obtained his first car, a model T Ford, given to him by Uncle Ira and Aunt Clara. My father began work for Brigham City. That employment to last for about 17 years. Concrete floor was laid in the basement where we four boys slept. Franklin D Roosevelt was elected President. My father was a very vocal republican, my introduction to politics. The little Knudson boy, about 3 age 3, was killed in front of the school, run over by a truck. A very traumatic event which I witnessed.

1933. Daddy built a new stable and barn.

1935. Uncle Will Sorenson, married to Grandpa Larsen’s sister Mary, an old man at this time, built a new back porch on the home and room partitions in the basement dividing it into two bedrooms and a store room.

1936, June 1st. Sister Shirley June was born.

1937. Completed the first grade in school and brother Orvill graduated from high school and joined the air force.

1938. Brother Harold graduated from high school and went a trip to the New York world’s fair with Charles Dredge.

1939. Had a memorable science class from Wilford Freeman that began my life long interest in astronomy. I bought a telescope with my own earnings and obtained a Salt Lake Tribune newspaper route, which I would continue about four years. The boy scout program revived in our Brigham City 6th ward. I took a scout camp trip to camp Keysal with my brother Raymond and other scouts. World War 2 began in Europe in September.

1940. Bought a book shell and a set of Britannica Junior Encyclopedias. Sister Shirley had an unexplained very serious illness, nearly fatal. Sister Yvonne graduated and was peach queen in the fall. I attended a stake Sunday school teacher training class. I was called to teach a Sunday school class of my own age group.

1941. A peace time draft and other aspects of WW2 encroaching on our lives. December 7th Pearl Harbor was bombed.

1942. The Federal Governments built Buschnel Army General Hospital on the land which had been my father’s farm. In June and July Orvil, Harold, and Yvonne were all married, and Orvil, and Harold and Yvonne’s husband Gordon all drafted into the service. I graduated from LDS Seminary and was Valedictorian of the class. During the summer I took flying lessons in a program sponsored by the Civil Air Patrol and obtained my private pilot’s license. The family home was remodeled and enlarged. I was elected to be junior class president in school.

1943. I served as student body secretary, graduated from high school, and was valedictorian of the graduating class. I volunteered into the army aircorp in a program to become a pilot. My brother Harold’s wife, Alda, who was living with him in Texas died suddenly. They had been married less than a year. I began active duty at a basic training camp at Kearns, Utah.

1944. I continued aviation cadet training begun in 1943 and completed pilot training in August. Received my pilot’s wings and was commissioned second lieutenant in the army air force. Was trained to be a B17 bomber pilot and became part of a combat crew preparing for overseas duty.

1945. Flew a new B17 bomber to Europe with a combat crew for service with the 100th heavy bombardment group in England. Flew 24 combat missions over Europe prior to the end of the war, World War 2 in May of 1945. Returned home, returned to the United States in August, was discharged from the air force in October and enrolled at the University of Utah in December. I bought a 1941 Plymouth with some of the money I had saved during my service years.

1946. I’m going to school, working part time. Lived with Aunt Barbara and Uncle Lester Hubbord for six months. On December 26th I arranged to take room and board at 563 E 3rd South, Salt Lake, where I met a beautiful red headed girl, Roberta Carpenter. My friend Clinton Holmes helped get a job, part time job parking cars at the , Roberta Carpenter. My friend Clinton Holmes helped get a job, part time job parking cars at the Hotel Utah garage, which I would have during my four years at college.

1947. In the fall I bought an accordion and began taking a few lessons. In July Raymond married Kerma Snow in the Logan temple.

1948. A year of school and part time work. I had drifted quite far from the church by this time. No longer going to church. Quite critical of it. On the wrong track.

1949. June 9th. Graduated from the University of Utah with a BA degree in mathematics, with high honors. Elected to Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi, honorary scholastic fraternities. My plans for the future were quite indefinite. I had met a woman named Mary Kanolama and in November had become engaged to her. In September I took a teaching job in Blanding Utah to teach grades 8 through 12. In Blanding I lived in the home of Mary and Ed Stevens. In November my father had a terrible election day experience. He was fired from his job with Brigham City, by the city council, who later invited him back with apologies, but he refused to take the job back again.

1950. My experience in Blanding was very beneficial to me. I broke my engagement with Mary Kanolama and began going to church again. Began paying tithing. My parents moved from Brigham City on July the 5th to North Hollywood, California, where they bought a six unit apartment. They were very unhappy. My mother particularly. They sold the apartment and moved back to Utah to... and rented in Ogden, a home in Ogden, about November 1st. I enrolled in Stevens Henniger business school in an accounting course in November. About November 5th I called Roberta Carpenter to see if she would go out with me on a date. She had just returned from a mission to California. She accepted my invitation.

1951. In school at Hennigers. I proposed to Roberta and she accepted. We were married in the Salt Lake Temple May 11th. In September I took a job as office manager, credit manager, with Utility Trailer Sales and Equipment Company. Roberta was working for Zelerbach paper company. We lived for a year in an upstairs apartment 563 E 3rd South.

1952. May 1st. We moved into our home on 59 East Miller Street, which we had bought from James and Lucy Stacy. In March my father informed the family that he was going to divorce my mother. The divorce became official in September. October 9th our first son, Douglas, was born. Born at home. Delivered by Doctor Loretta Foote at about 3pm.

1953. From January through March I worked as an auditors assistant for a CPA firm, Goddard Sunnyvale and Griffin. From April through August I worked for the Utah State Tax Commission as an auditor. In September I began work as a full time teacher, in day school and night school, for Stevens Henniger Business School. In April I became the 2nd counselor in the bishopric in the Murray 8th Ward. In November a new ward house was completed and dedicated. In the summer we bought the vacant lot east of our home from the Stacys. This was a very wise move as it turned out years later. This year we began what would be a 20 year remodeling project.

1954. Taught school at Hennigers until June. From June to November worked for the JC Penny company western accounting division. In October went back to work for Utility Trailer Sales. In the summer my mother sold her home in Clearfield Utah and moved into an apartment in Salt Lake City. In November my sister Shirley went to Texas where she married Hilton Mose. This was very disturbing to my mother. These recent events in Mom’s life made her very unstable emotionally. She began a series of about twelve moves that lasted for eleven years. I was very much involved in her frequent moves and her troubles.

1955. In April Bishop Murray moved resulting in the release of the Bishopric. I became the assistant ward clerk for finances. Roberta was called to teach relief society, a spiritual living lesson, which she would teach for six years. Then she taught literature and cultural refinement for twelve years after that.

1956. March 24th. Our second child, John, was born at home. Delivered by Doctor Foote. All of our children were born at home. John’s umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck and he was a blue baby. We don’t know how lucky we were that all of our children were born normally. I was still working for Utility Trailer Sales this year and we continued our work on remodeling building bedrooms in the upstairs.

1957. I was called to be assistant stake clerk for finance. I changed jobs about the first of July. Took a job at Transport Equipment Center. WE bought a 1952 Pontiac and took our first vacation.

1958. Started work on April 10th for Refrigeration Distributors Corporation owned by Ted Brown and Warren Brown. A job which I would continue until 1986. My mother had a nervous breakdown in April. Came to live with us from March until September. Mom received some medical care and in September was well enough to go to California to live with her mother for a few months. In the summer we bought a used piano from Heubert Wholer which we still have. It’s still a good piano. Doug started school this year, in Kindergarten. His teacher was young and inexperienced. It was a poor start for him in school.

1959. February 5th. Our third son, Lincoln Mark, was born.

1960. We built the new kitchen with new birch cabinets and a big picture window. I was called to be Ward Sunday School Superintendent. Arty and Marge Bronson went on a mission in July. We sent them ten dollars per month. Since then we’ve almost continually helped some missionary or supported our own until this very day.

1961. Our tenth wedding anniversary. Busy the whole year with our home, our job, our children, church jobs. Life was good.

1962. John started school. He got off to a better start than Doug. Doug’s 3rd grade teacher, Miss Nielson, helped him quite a lot. He had three bad years in a row. I was called to be High Priest Group Leader in the ward.

1963. I built the tree house in this summer and a big sand box. In September I had a hernia operation. I was one of the first patients in the new Cottonwood Hospital. Kay and Don let us take their little trailer for a trip to Bear Lake and tended our boys. What a wonderful gift. WE enjoyed it so much that we wanted a trailer too.

1964. May 26th. Lori was born. We were so happy to have a girl. All our neighbors rejoiced with us. We named her Loretta after Doctor Loretta Foote. In September we bought a trailer and went camping at Granite Flats during the UEA institute in October. We’ve done this each year since then when the weather allowed. This is a tradition that has fostered love and closeness in our family. I continued to enjoy my employment with Restribco. Changes took place in 1964 which developed increasing tension and division between Warren and Ted Brown, which continued to increase in intensity through all my remaining years with them. I was called to be the gospel doctrine in the ward this year. A job which I had for three years, a most enjoyable and rewarding experience. My mom moved to 3008 9th east where she would live for ten years. She became much more stable and settled in her life, much happier. Reached a milestone in November. We finished paying for our house, a birthday gift to me for my 40th birthday.

1965. We bought a 1962 Chevrolet Belair which proved to be a fine car. With it we pulled our trailer on a trip to California, taking the three boys with us, but Lori was left with Jeneal Dawes, a baby sitter. In February Lori had Pneumonia. She was in the hospital briefly, but recovered fully.

1966. WE began our annual campouts at Redmond Campground in August. Christmas was memorable. I bought Roberta a gas clothes dryer and we bought a TV for the family. Santa bought the boys a slot car race track. I finished the west bedroom upstairs which became the neighborhood slot car center. This lasted until the summer of 1971 before Doug went on his mission. Then the track went to Doug’s friend Rocky and the bedroom became Lori’s.

1967. I was called in the Fall to serve a 2 year stake mission which was mostly a pleasant experience. For the last year I served as a counselor in the mission presidency. The Nebekers moved to Clearfield, Utah to be closer to Don’s teaching job. Raymond and Kerma moved to Tempee, Arizona. We missed these families very much. They were our closest visiting relatives. On the street in Sugar House I met Cyril Beecher, my 9th grade algebra teacher, and began an association with him that lasted until his death in May of 1974.

1968. Roberta and I became restless about the house and considered moving to another home. But as we carefully and prayerfully considered all that was involved financially and socially, and its affect on our children we decided to stay where we are. Doug is 16 and I am reluctantly the father of a teenage driver. In the summer we took a fun trip to Yellowstone Park. Roberta’s mother is beginning to decline in health and mental alertness.

1969. We borrowed 6,300 dollars to further improve our home. That money bought a lot exciting improvements. A new Magnavox stereo, we finished the upstairs rooms and carpeted them, new walls and drapes in the front room, built a new family room, complete except for the lights. We finished all of this just before Christmas. In the summer we took an interesting vacation trip to South Dakota by way of Yellowstone Park and the Devils tower.