The Story of Our House of Many Rooms

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Our ‘House ofHouse ofH ManyManyM Rooms’
The title, “House of Many Rooms” came from a book by the same name, A House of Many Rooms,
by Rodello Hunter. This novel about a Mormon family at the turn of the century in Utah became a
family favorite that Mother read to the entire family. —Robyn
Friends & Neighbors - Marjorie
During the time that we lived in our Salt Lake City home most of our eight children were born.
Over the years we loved where we lived so much that we felt we never wanted to move. Our family
grew and so our home also grew into a house of many rooms, many children, and many happy
memories.
We lived in Salt Lake City for 23 years. I re-
member that because we moved there when
Leslie was born, and we moved away when
Leslie left home and was in college. It was a
wonderful place to live and to raise our family.
Our home was located on 2174 E. 3715 S. in
Salt Lake City, Utah. It was a rambler style and
was built of cinder block with a split block
facade on the front. Originally it had a carport
to one side and a gravel roof. Later remodeling
projects changed the look of the house
somewhat.
Behind our home was quite a bit of acreage, and
when we moved in we found large strawberry fields
and apricot orchards there. The property was owned
by the Granite School District and was held in case
a school was ever needed. The former owner was al-
lowed to continue
farming the land. We
enjoyed buying sun-
warmed strawberries
and other fresh fruits
in the spring and
summer. We appreci-
ated the wide open
space behind our
home. The school
district never built
White wisteria tree in
our front yard
The family in 1965.
Our house after the final remodel.
White wisteria tree in
our front yard
Our house after the final remodel.

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on the acreage, so it was sold to develop-
ers. It was subdivided and many homes
were built. We didn’t feel like we were out
in the country any longer.
Friends & Neighbors - Marjorie
At first we attended the Evergreen 5th
Ward while living in our home. Eventu-
ally a new building was built, and we
became part of the Valley View 7th
Ward.
We made many lasting friendships with
our neighbors and ward members, and we enjoyed living there. The ward members were the
finest people in the whole world and were good friends.
We had wonderful neighbors on either side of our home. On the west side were May and Eugene
James. They didn’t have children but had Siamese cats and Schnauzer dogs. They loved animals
and May worked as a veterinarian’s assistant. They weren’t members of the church. They were
wonderful people and good friends.
On the east side of us were Don and Dorothy Child and
their family. They built their home and moved in about the
time we did. Don Child served for many years in the ward
as the scout master. Randy’s dog, Lara, was a puppy that
came from a litter of the Child’s dog. We enjoyed our asso-
ciation with them over all of the years we lived there.
After we had lived in the area for a while, the community
formed a neighborhood swimming club. As members, we
contributed money and purchased property to build a
pool and facilities. This proved to be a real advantage and
blessing for our children. They enjoyed spending time
there. Swimming lessons were taught in the mornings
and most of our children took lessons. (We spent a good
part of almost every day during our summer break at the swimming club—Robyn).
One day when Mathew was maybe three years old, he couldn’t be found anywhere. We checked to
see if he was at his best friend’s home. His friend also seemed to be missing. After a search of the
entire neighborhood, the boys were found at the swimming club. They had apparently decided
they wanted to go swimming, and so they walked by themselves to the swimming pool and were
at the pool having a good time.
There was a group of young mothers in our neighborhood area that started a club. Every month
Mathew, Randy Gregg with the
Child’s puppies.
Leslie, Robyn, Brent & Randy (1958)

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we would meet together at a different member’s home, and they would provide the activity: either
a book review, a travel report, or something special. The club continued for many years. I made
many dear friends and enjoyed their association. Once when it was my turn to host the club, I ar-
ranged to have a fashion show after hours at LaRie’s with some of the club ladies doing the mod-
eling. It was a big hit with the women.
For many years, Richard and I belonged to a study group of
couples that met together on a regular basis. We studied the
scriptures and church books. They were quite a scholarly
group of people and some where scriptorians. These couples
became our cherished friends. (Some of these dear friends
were those who came to Castle Valley to help us add a room
onto our house for Robyn and Levi). Occasionally we’d get
together as families for an outing or party. One time we
went to Bear Lake to camp and water ski. Another time our
family, which at that time consisted of Brent, Leslie, Robyn,
Randy, Gregg, and Mathew (a baby), presented a short
Christmas play for the study group Christmas Party.
[Richard] In our Salt Lake neighborhood, we rarely had any minority families move in until the Na-
tividad family from Mexico moved into the house across the street from us. They had lived in other
neighborhoods previously and had been given a cold shoulder. We had a party to welcome them into
the neighborhood. All of the surrounding neighbors were invited, and we had dinner outside on the
lawn. That was quite a surprise to the Natividad family because of their previous experiences.
Some teenage girls in the ward particularly befriended their teenage daughter, Eva. They invited her
to all of their activities including church activities. An older daughter had been looking for work but
hadn’t been able to find a job. One day I told my associates at LaRie’s that I would like to find a job
for her (although we didn’t have an opening at the time). So we hired her.
The day came when the family needed to move. Eva was very reluc-
tant to leave. She was taken in by neighbors, the Webb family, who
already had the largest family in the ward. She was particularly good
friends with some of their daughters.
Eventually Eva joined the Church, and it wasn’t too long before she
met a nice fellow, a returned missionary, and they were married.
The last we heard, they were raising a family and were active in the
Church. This was a rewarding experience for us.
December 1961
Eva (on bottom right), Leslie, Robyn
and her friend, Jill (abt. 1968).

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House of Many Rooms - Marjorie
When we first built our house, I still felt like the poor little girl who had never had much all her
life. I didn’t have definite ideas about decorating and what I wanted in furniture. I sort of went
along not having much of an opinion.
We were trying to do things inexpensively and we thought it was a great idea to build the house
with cinder block. The block that showed on the outside was the same that showed on the inside
walls. We built in several split block planters inside the house—something that was popular in the
50’s. Those planters became a source of real frustration when we had toddlers who liked to dig in
the dirt. One day I couldn’t take it any more, so I took the plants and dirt out of one of the plant-
ers and filled the hole with cement.
Richard and I went to Southeast Furniture to pick out furniture
for our new house. We were able to get a discount since Richard’s
father worked there and his uncles’ owned and operated the
store. We bought contemporary styled furnishings including a
chartreuse green sectional sofa and light brown shag carpet. We
picked out modern styled blond wood furniture pieces.
I’m not sure I ever really liked the furnishings we chose, but after
time I tired of them. The long shag carpet got matted and worn
and was very hard to keep clean. We got the opportunity to get
some used carpet from one of the LaRie’s stores. Much of it was
like new because it had been under furniture and clothes racks.
There was so much of it from the entire store that we could pick
out the best pieces. We had our house all redone with this carpet. It was gray and of a short twist-
ed nap. (I remember the day we had the carpet laid because it
was the day President Kennedy was shot). Now we had gray
carpet, but we still had the chartreuse couch and the blond
wood furniture. Things didn’t go together and I felt it was
plain ugly.
One day I called a furniture store named Forsey’s on High-
land Drive. They had what I considered really beautiful and
quality furniture. They offered a free decorating service,
so I asked if an interior decorator could come out. When
he came, I asked if he could make a beautiful living room
with the gray carpet. I was skeptical because the gray color
seemed so depressing. He assured me that he could.
That was the only time we ever had decorating help. The
decorator steered us to buy a new couch which was in a Dad sitting on couch in newly
remodeled living room (1966).
Robyn, Leslie, & Randy on the
chartreuse green sofa (1951)

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subtle floral print of deep blue, purple and green.
We put wall paper in the adjoining dining room
in an elegant soft green metallic pattern. We got
rid of the large brass hanging light and replaced
it with a beautiful crystal chandelier that hung
over a new dining room table and chairs. We
bought a pair of green upholstered chairs for the
living room and several tables.
The room was totally transformed—gray carpet
and all—and quite elegant and beautiful. I was
happy with the change although I still had a
hard time being enthusiastic about the gray
carpet. When we did our last large remodeling
project all of the gray carpet was torn out and
replaced with thick velvet carpet of a pretty light green color. This enhanced the furniture and
decor and the room was truly beautiful.
Being a home ec. major at the university gave me pretty lofty ideas about what homemaking in-
volved. I was always reading books and looking for ways to improve my parenting, cooking, and
housecleaning skills. I enjoyed being creative and was always open to learning. It made my life in-
teresting instead of boring and full of drudgery.
The importance of making food look attractive had been ingrained in me from my university ed-
ucation. I learned that “the eye eats first,” and I truly believed it. I always set the table beautifully
and tried to make the food look nice. Even if it was just Campbell’s soup, it tasted better served in
soup mugs on an attractive table. That has been my philosophy my whole life.
We had beautiful China from our wedding and crystal
and sterling silverware. On special occasions or holi-
days, we ate in the dining room and used our special
dishes. We tried to teach our children to have good
manners. They appear to have learned that some-
where along the way.
Even when we ate at our big table in the kitchen I
always wanted the table to look nice. At one point we
used long stemmed plastic goblets for beverage glass-
es. I tried to find dishes that looked nice but were un-
breakable. (But we did tip those goblets over!—Robyn).
Thanksgiving Day (1971)
Around the kitchen table (1966).

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When LaRie’s began increasing their
stores, Richard and I went on an antique
buying trip. They wanted to use antique
furniture as décor in the stores. We flew
to New York City and visited some large
antique furniture warehouses, and we
also shopped in Pennsylvania. We bought
trunks, hall trees, armoires, piano stools,
tables, benches, desks, and the large side-
board. We bought things for LaRie’s and
a few items for ourselves that we couldn’t
pass up. Another time we went to a ware-
house in Phoenix, Arizona where we
bought the French bedroom set.
This was the beginning of my fondness for antiques. I could just kick myself, because early in
our married life when Grandma Amott died, her house was sold and all the wonderful old things
were gone. I know if I had been interested at the time, I could have been given some of Grandma’s
things or had the chance to buy them. Nobody thought much of them except that they were just
Grandma’s old furniture. Now I’ve been trying to recoup Grandma’s old furniture all of my life:
her clock, rocking chair, buffet, and her big black cook stove.
Our Growing Family - Marjorie
Our third child, Robyn Lenore Stucki, was born on a hot summer day on August 21, 1955. I was
excited to have a little girl again, and she was such a cute baby. Because she was small like a little
bird we thought the name “Robyn” was perfect for her.
Early on we chose what we considered were unusual and
modern names for our children. If we were naming them now
I’d choose more traditional names. But that’s what we wanted
back then. Once we wrote some friends in Nova Scotia about
our family (consisting of Brent, Leslie, and Robyn), and they
wrote us back congratulating us on our three little boys.
I remember an incident when Robyn was very young. One
evening I went into the bathroom and found the remains of
pills on the counter. Robyn had climbed up on the bathroom
counter and had eaten pills she found in the medicine cabinet.
We didn’t know how much she had swallowed, but it was a
medication that could be dangerous. We called our doctor and
he said to bring Robyn and meet him right away at his office.
Someone had to stay with the other children, so I rushed Robyn at 6 months.
In front of Grandma Amott’s home on the day of her funeral (1958).

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Richard and Robyn out the door. As soon as they drove away, I began to regret that I hadn’t gone.
I paced the floor and waited. After a while the doctor called from his office and asked where they
were. I was very alarmed and told the doctor when they had left. I couldn’t imagine why they
weren’t there. Finally they did arrive at the doctor’s office where they had to pump Robyn’s stom-
ach. Later I learned they were late because the car ran out of gas on the way. Fortunately every-
thing turned out alright and Robyn was fine.
The next child, Randall Curtis Stucki, was born on November
21, 1956. His delivery was a memorable one for me. At one
point during the delivery the doctor, Dr. Coombs, told me not
to bear down or push anymore. Then I think they put me out.
Later we learned that the doctor could see that the cord was
wrapped around the baby’s neck, so they had to take hime
with forceps.
So many times when the cord is around the baby’s neck, it
dies. But Randy was okay. I always felt he was a special bless-
ing to our family because he lived. I’ve read in our family ge-
nealogies and histories of the heartbreaking number of times
babies were stillborn. We felt very blessed to have Randy with
us and to have a doctor who could deliver him properly in
those circumstances.
Gregg William Stucki came into our family on November 9,
1959. Gregg was a really good baby, and he was my baby for
the longest time of all the children. That was because there
were more years between him and Mathew than with any of
those who proceeded him.
When I didn’t have a baby any longer, I would always get
‘baby hungry.’ I wanted to have a baby I could hold in my
arms, rock in the rocking chair, and love. Until I had my next
baby, I was overprotective of the last one.
Gregg had it hard because he was my baby for so long. I
was always nervous about him and wouldn’t let him out
of my sight or out of the yard. The yard was fenced all the
way around, and we had a lock on the gate. It wasn’t until
Mathew was born and Gregg was four years old that he fi-
nally got a chance to grow up.
On May 2, 1963, Mathew John Stucki was born. Now I had
Mom & Randy (abt. 1957)
Gregg at 1 year.

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a new baby to dote on. He was a happy baby and little
boy, always full of sunshine and fun.
Mathew also seemed to be our most accident prone
child. When he was only two years old he had an acci-
dent with a knife.
It started out with my being sick in bed (which didn’t
happen very often). I was so sick that Richard had
to stay home to take care of the kids. He had to keep
asking me what to do about various things. At one
point, I told him to go into the garage to get some po-
tatoes and onions to make soup for supper. Mathew
followed Richard into the garage and came back into
the kitchen carrying an onion. Unbeknown to Rich-
ard, Mathew got a knife from the drawer (which wasn’t
easy for the toddler he was). He proceeded to cut the
onion but in doing so he cut his finger. The cut was deep
enough to sever the tendon. From my bedroom I realized something was wrong and went to the
kitchen to see what was happening. There was Mathew on the kitchen floor sitting in what ap-
peared to be a pool of blood. I almost had a heart attack!
That was the beginning of some serious problems for Mathew and his finger. We spent what
seemed like a lot of money back then to repair the damage. He had surgery to fix the tendon so
that his finger would bend and work properly. We also had a plastic surgeon work on him. For a
long time, we worked every day with Mathew to exercise his
finger and keep it limber. But in spite of all that, his finger
has never been quite normal.
Jeff was the 7th child in our family. My pregnancy with him
was a difficult one. I didn’t feel good and was tired all of the
time. I felt like I needed to lie in bed all day, so it was hard
to take care of the rest of the family. I did the best I could,
but I was having a difficult time.
Dr. Coombs had delivered most of the children, but this
time I had Doctor Woods. When I told him about my prob-
lems he was sympathetic, and he prescribed sleeping pills
so that I could sleep at night. It got to the point where every
day I could hardly wait for the evening. Then I could take
a sleeping pill and be out of my misery. I knew the sleeping
pills were strong because when I took one I felt like I was
Jeffrey at 1 year.
Mathew at 1 year.

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floating on a cloud. That seemed to be my only relief from a difficult day. Now I realize I was ac-
tually addicted to the sleeping pills.
At my doctor appointments I would ask Dr. Woods if he was sure it was okay for me to keep
taking the sleeping pills and whether they would be harmful to the baby. He always assured me
that it was fine, but I was still uneasy.
At about eight months or so I was feeling awful. I told Richard that I felt that I didn’t have any-
thing to look forward to. I was worried about the sleeping pills and anxious about their effect on
the baby. I thought they must certainly be harming the baby in spite of the doctor’s reassurances.
I felt hopeless and was certain everything would go wrong.
At that point Richard decided he would give me something to look forward to. So every evening
for the rest of my pregnancy he stopped at a florist shop on his way home from work and brought
me home a flower. Sometimes he’d bring a daisy and other times a carnation or a rose. He did this
day after day until Jeffrey was born.
Towards the end, I went for my usual check up with the doctor. Because I was still so miserable
and tired, the doctor ordered a blood test which hadn’t been done for quite some time. The nurse
Leslie, Robyn, Brent, Randy, Gregg, Jeffrey, Mathew (1967)

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took a blood sample and soon came hurrying back. She said,“Oh, Mrs. Stucki, you had better sit
down. I don’t know how you can even get out of bed in the morning!” My hemoglobin was so low
the nurse didn’t see how I was able to stand or walk. Now I understood why I had been feeling so
poorly. Finally they were able to correct the problem, and I soon began to feel better.
Jeffrey James Stucki was born on April 22, 1967, and much to my relief everything was fine with
him. Once again we were blessed in the birth of a child.
I thought I was too old to have more children when I became
pregnant with number eight. I was 40 years old when
Kimberly was born.
Dr. Ariel Gudmundson (married to Richard’s sister, Bonnie)
was an obstetrician by then. I chose him to be my doctor with
this pregnancy. He was a good doctor and I saw him at the
usual intervals for check ups.
I had gone over my due date again this time as I had with my
last several babies. At my doctor visit one day Ariel told me
he thought I was close and that the baby might even be born
that night. I reminded him to be sure to give me plenty of
gas (which is what I had always been given in all of my pre-
vious deliveries.) He informed me he didn’t use gas. I was
dumbfounded and told him I wouldn’t be able to bear it without. He reassured me by telling me
I would do fine and that he would take care of me. I was skeptical and as I drove home from the
appointment I considered finding another doctor. I wondered who I could get at this late date. I
was upset and told Richard my concerns when I got home.
That night I began having labor pains, so we ended up back
at the hospital. The baby was posterior as usual, but Ariel
knew exactly what to do. He knew how to turn the baby
which spared me the usual long, painful labor.
I never understood how, but Ariel delivered the baby with-
out the use of gas. Every time I began to have a hard con-
traction it would start out painful, but when I would bear
down, as Ariel told me to do, the pain subsided. The baby
was born in a relatively short time compared to my other
deliveries.
Kimberly Marjorie Stucki was born on December 12, 1969.
What a blessing she has been to our family.
Mom & Kimberly (1970)
Newborn Kimberly with Robyn & Jeff (1969)

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Of all our children, this was the only delivery where I was
completely aware of what was going on and not in a ter-
rible fog from the gas. When the baby was born, for once I
was clear headed and awake. I felt so good after the delivery
that I felt like I could walk out to the car and go home. Ariel
wouldn’t allow that but he did wheel me over to the phone
in order to call the family. That was a special experience for
me; not only because I was clear headed enough to call the
family, but I was elated to give them the happy news. We
had a little girl (after four boys in a row) and we couldn’t
have been happier.
There was a line of suits that were sold at LaRie’s called
“Kimberly Knits.” I liked that name and so we chose it for
our new daughter. Richard and I talked about middle names but hadn’t decided on one. The
Sunday came when Richard was to give her a name and a blessing. He chose the name Marjorie as
her middle name. I had no idea that was the name he was planning to choose.
This poem was the
favorite lullaby
Mother sang to her
babies as she rocked
them to sleep.
Kimberly at 2 years.

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Life At Our House - Marjorie
I was eight months pregnant (and very big) when we had
our house fire. It happened the same day Dad came home
from a trip to the LA market. I cleaned house, made bread
and even washed some windows. Then I decided to make
scones for lunch with some of the bread dough. I wanted to
melt some grease to fry the scones, so I put a can of strained
fat in a pan of water and placed it on the small back burner
of the stove. I stepped outside momentarily and saw our
neighbor Dorothy. We began talking and I forgot all about
the pan I left on the stove.
One of the children went into the house (maybe it was Brent)
and saw something going on in the kitchen, but instead of tell-
ing me they went outside to ride their bike. Finally I was alerted to what was happening. I ran into
house and found the cupboards above the stove on fire and also the wood wall beside the stove. I
ran frantically outside, turned on the hose, and shot water in through the window over the kitch-
en sink. Of course, grease and water don’t mix. I managed to put out the fire but spread soot all
throughout the house. Someone had called the fire department so the fire truck came. The fire-
men discovered the fire had been hot enough to burn the beam in the ceiling above the stove. The
kitchen was a blackened, dirty, wet mess, and the rest of the house was covered with soot.
Later that afternoon the children and I went to the airport to pick up Richard. I couldn’t bring
myself to tell him about the fire until we were almost home. As we drove down our street, I finally
pulled the car over and burst into tears as I told him what happened. What a sight that was to
come home to—the house all black and ugly! Fortunately we had insurance that helped cover the
cleaning and repairs.
I believe there have been many times in my life when
I and our family were protected by guardian angels
who watch out for us. I don’t think we would ever
make it to a ripe old age without their help. The fol-
lowing two incidents are examples of divine inter-
vention.
Early on we bought a Studebaker from Grandma
Sorenson. She had never learned to drive but had
a car so people could drive her where she needed
to go. The car didn’t have mnay miles on it, so it
was a good buy. One day I was driving the car (and
very pregnant) with several little kids in the back
seat. It was late in the afternoon as we headed westGregg, Kim, Jeff & Mat in the backyard.
Robyn, Gregg & Randy (1960)

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on 21st South. As we approached 9th East, I put my foot on the brake and there were no brakes!!!
Cars were in front of us and cars were crossing through the intersection ahead. I quickly moved
over into the eastbound lane, plowed through the intersection just missing the oncoming cars,
turned into a service station on the corner, and finally came to a stop a foot or two from a chain
link fence between the service station and another business. It was truly a miracle; I wasn’t smart
enough to maneuver the car that well. No one was hurt which was a great blessing, too. Later we
learned the car had previously had brake trouble before we bought it.
Frequently we tossed leaves and clippings over our back fence and into a pile in the field behind
our house. When the pile got large enough we would light it on fire and get rid of it. One day
I decided to burn a large pile that had accumulated. I tried several times to start a fire but was
unable to. I found a can of gasoline and sprinkled it all over the pile of debris. I was going to
stoop down to light the fire as I had done in my previous attempts when a voice in my mind said,
(or someone whispered to me),“DON’T!” So instead I stood back, struck the match, and threw it
at the pile. It exploded into a huge burst of flame. I’m
confident that if I had stooped to light the match I
would have been burned. I don’t believe it was by luck
or chance that I wasn’t.
Birthdays were a big deal at our house. Dad would
wake everyone up first thing in the morning so we
could all sing “Happy Birthday” to the birthday
person who was still asleep in bed. We frequently had
big, beautiful cakes from Glaus Pastry Shop. My fa-
vorite was a chocolate cake with raspberry filling. The
children got to pick their favorite meal for their birth-
day dinner and grandparents were usually invited.
We had an 8 mm movie camera that made an ordeal of film-
ing events such as birthdays, vacations, and other family
activities. We all had to wait while Dad set up the camera,
tripod, and the blindingly bright light bar. But I suppose it
was worth it for all of the home movies we now have. (Leslie
seemed to be particularly sensitive to those bright lights. That’s
why she often looked teary and red-eyed in home movies.—
Robyn)
Christmas was a time for many family traditions. We did
lots of cookie baking and often made my Uncle Fred’s
white fruit cake recipe. At some point we started making
the caramel popcorn balls that many in the family still
make to this day. We always had a big dinner on Christmas
Jeff’s 2nd Birthday (1969)
Jeff, Mat & Kim (December 1973)

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Eve (a tradition from my childhood).
That evening Dad would read the
Christmas story from the scriptures
while the youngest children in the
family acted it out. When Leslie and
Robyn got older, we didn’t have a
girl to play the part of Mary so that
role fell to the youngest boy. On
Christmas morning the children had
to wait until everyone was up before
they could look at their presents.
They would line up from the young-
est to the oldest and march one after
another into the living room.
In order to feed our large family we did a lot of canning. One day in late summer I was canning in
the kitchen. The children were always going in and out of the house and frequently leaving doors
open. On this day the door was left open and flies by the hundreds were
attracted by the aroma of what I was canning. At some point I noticed
flies covering the entire ceiling of the living room. I didn’t know how I
would ever get rid of them until I got the idea to use the tank vacuum
and suction them up.
Another time I made homemade root beer (I think) and filled several
large glass jugs which I left in the kitchen. Later I needed to go to the
grocery store, so I left the children home to play. As they played, sud-
denly they heard several loud bangs coming from the direction of the
kitchen. Thinking someone was shooting at the house the terrified
kids ran to tell May James next store. Come to find out, the jugs of
root beer had build up enough pressure to violently blow off the lids.
We all got a laugh out of that and a sticky mess to clean up.
A notable experience occurred when Mathew was young: The incident is told in his own words...
[Mathew] I was playing in our neighborhood up by the Brewsters and Greenfields. Paige Greenfield
was my age, but her older brother, Kent, began to show interest in me that particular day. He nor-
mally didn’t pay me any attention, so I thought “This is cool,” or whatever term a 6-8 year-old boy
would use. He convinced me to hide with him in the Rukavina’s bushes when his dad began calling
for him. He was pretty persuasive, or I thought it was fun to ‘hang out’ with someone in the older
crowd—I don’t exactly remember—but I stayed put when he pleaded with me to keep hidden. At last,
when I did leave the bushes, I hadn’t yet walked but a few steps when someone stopped their car and
beckoned to me “Mathew, Mathew Stucki? Where have you been son? You’re family is frantic. Your
Santa (Mathew 1968)
Jeff & Mat waiting in the hall on
Christmas morning (1968).
Eve (a tradition from my childhood).
That evening Dad would read the
Christmas story from the scriptures
while the youngest children in the
Gregg & Mat (and doll)
acting out the nativity (1969)

15
parent’s are looking all over for you.” It didn’t occur to me that I hadn’t told anyone where I was going
and that the family was searching all over for me. I was just up the street at the Rukavina’s.
We had searched all over the neighborhood for
Mathew with the help of many of our neighbors.
We were frantic and had just decided we’d
better go into the house to call the police
when Mathew came walking down the
street.
Most of our children attended grade school at Sherman Elementary. Eventually it was closed,
and Jeff and Kim went to Crestview Elementary briefly before we moved. (Across the street from
Sherman was Paul’s Palace where ice-cream cones, soda
fountain drinks, hand dipped chocolates, and other special
candies were sold. After school we could, and frequently did,
buy ice-cream cones for ten cents or a bag of candy for a
nickel—Robyn).
The children also attended Evergreen Jr. High and then
Olympus High School. Brent, Leslie, Robyn and Randy
all attended Olympus. Randy was the last one to graduate
before the family moved to Castle Valley.
Sherman Elementary
A pirate (Gregg) and a hobo (Randy),
Halloween 1966.
Robyn in flapper
costume (1966).
Fishing catch (1967) with
Dad, Brent, Gregg, Kit (a friend), & Randy.

16
Family Vacations and Activities - Marjorie
In our community there was an annual 24th
of July celebra-
tion and parade. Several times our family entered floats, or
the children walked or road their bikes in the parade. Ear-
lier when our family was small, we made a float depicting
the pioneers, seagulls and crickets. Brent, Leslie and Robyn
were dressed as pioneers and rode on the float which was
pulled by Dad. We won the 1st
place trophy that year.
Some years later when Jeff and Kim were young, we en-
tered a float portraying the nursery rhyme Jack & Jill.
The float was decorated with a wishing well and arti-
ficial grass. Large crepe paper flowers of orange and
yellow were placed around. Jeff was ‘Jack’ and Kim was ‘Jill.’ They were
dressed up to fit the roles. It was fun and made a cute float.
Part of the annual celebration was
a king and queen contest for chil-
dren. The winners were crowned
king and queen of the parade.
One year Mathew competed
in the contest. The contestants
were interviewed in front of an audience at Sherman
Elementary consisting mainly of their families. Because
of Mathew’s engaging smile and charming personality
the judges couldn’t resist him and he was selected as the
king. (When Mathew was asked what his favorite televi-
sion show was, he said, “The Fugitive”—Robyn).sion show was, he said, “The Fugitive”—Robyn).sion show was, he said, “The Fugitive”
As king, Mathew rode on a special float at the front of
the parade with ‘Queen,’ Kimberly Ball—and what a
beauty she was! They made a cute king and queen in
their crowns and long flowing robes. That was a big
event for Mathew and for us.
Once we had a backyard fair where we invited all of the
neighborhood children. We spent many days in prepa-
ration. There were treats at the Sweet Shop (playhouse)
manned by Robyn and Leslie. Brent operated a shooting
gallery and Randy, a fish pond. The youngest children
provided the clowns. It was a great hit with the neighbor
children and fun for our family.
“Jack & Jill” (1971)
Gregg, a clown, Robyn,Gregg, a clown, Robyn,
& Mathew& Mathew
King & Queen of the parade. (1968)

17
A favorite family activity we did more than once was what we
called our “Foreign Nights.” One time we had an oriental
dinner where we sat on pillows on the floor to eat. We dressed
in Chinese costumes and ate Chinese food with chopsticks.
After dinner we had a shadow puppet theater.
Another time we had an Italian restaurant and invited
Grandpa and Grandma Curtis as our guests. Leslie and
Robyn were waitresses and Brent was the Italian chef (with
a mustache). We ate lasagna surrounded by posters of Italy.
In the background we listened to Mario Lanza on the record
player. (I remember how we dripped wax all over old wine
bottles to make candle holders—Robyn).
A fun activity was a program we performed of Alvin & the
Chipmunks. We made a puppet stage and chipmunk pup-
pets out of brown stockings. The children operated the
puppets while the Chipmunks record played one of their
songs. This was when Robyn, Randy and Gregg were small.
Later on, Mathew, Jeff, and Kimberly revisited the Chip-
munks’ roles as Alvin, Simon and Theodore, only not with
puppets this time. They wore Chipmunk costumes and lip-
synced to the words of the music. I think they performed this
for a LaRie’s party.
“Dave” (Randy) and the Chipmunks
Mathew performing at our
Hungarian Night.
Mathew performing at our
synced to the words of the music. I think they performed this
Backyard Fair (1971),
Brent, Randy, Mathew & Robyn

18
As a family we went on many fun vacations. Twice we
went to the Northwest and points in between and trav-
eled down the coast on the return trip. Numerous times we
went to Bear Lake. On one of the Bear Lake trips we went
with Grandma and Grandpa Curtis and stayed in a Utah
Power & Light cabin near the lake (Grandpa Curtis worked
for UP&L). Another trip we took was with Grandpa and
Grandma Stucki to Lake Powell. We were supposed to get a
houseboat but there was some kind of mix-up, so we were
given a smaller boat called a Cabin Cruiser instead. In New
Mexico we visited the Lehman Caves and played at the sand
dunes. When the children were young we went to Disney-
land. Once we went to Willard Bay near Brigham City. A
couple of times we visited Yellowstone National Park. At
some point we bought a large tent trailer. One of our trips
to the Northwest and at least one trip to Bear Lake we took
our tent trailer.
Crater Lake
Bear Lake (1971)Bear Lake (1971)
Lehman Caves (1968)Lehman Caves (1968)
Mesa, Arizona (1970)
Lake Powell (1969)

19
Growing Pains - Richard
The first remodeling project on our home was
when we widened the covered walkway along
the side of the garage making it into a carport.
That was a welcome improvement especially in
the winter. This allowed us to use the garage for
other needs such as a shop and storage.
Our family grew to where we couldn’t all fit
around the kitchen table. This necessitated an-
other remodel. We expanded the dining area of
the kitchen to allow a round table large enough
to seat ten people. We added extra storage and a
large picture window.
Later on we needed an additional bedroom and a sewing room for Margie. We decided to widen
the house at the back adding two more rooms.
With a large family, we needed a place where we could adequately store food and other supplies.
I needed a shop which was separate from the garage. We also needed a place other than the living
room for the family to congregate, watch television, and more. We got bold on this project and
hired some men to excavate under the garage floor. Then we had a shop and a large food storage
room constructed beneath it. The garage was remodeled into a wonderful family room. In the end
wall, where the garage door had once
been, we had a large fireplace and wall built of used bricks.
There was an indoor grill built in and even a small com-
partment where the milkman could deposit the milk. The
milk compartment looked something like a built in oven
with a black iron door.
We were very glad for
this much needed and
welcome addition to our
home.
Finally all of the avail-
able rooms were occu-
pied by family members,
yet we felt we could still
use additional room. So
our last addition was to
add a master bedroom,
bath, and front entry
been, we had a large fireplace and wall built of used bricks.
partment where the milkman could deposit the milk. The
milk compartment looked something like a built in oven
Christmas in the new familyChristmas in the new family
room. (1970)
Father’s Day (1970)

20
onto the front of the house. Beneath these new rooms we added a spacious game room. This was
where Marjorie held her Relief Society nursery for a while. It was a place where the family could
play games such as table tennis and hold other activities.
As we made this last addition to our house, it came to our attention that the zoning requirements
only permitted us to be as close to our neighbors on one side of the house as we now were on two
sides of our house. That was going to present a serious problem with what we were attempting to
do. I spoke to our neighbors to the east, Don and Dorothy Child. So that we would have the nec-
essary footage, they agreed to sell us two few feet of their property. They were wonderful neigh-
bors as were so many people where we lived.
As this last project was completed, we did a clean up of the pieces of concrete, boards, and other
trash that had accumulated. I rented an open trailer to haul the trash away and hitched it to the
back of our vehicle. As I loaded the trailer, I put things in pretty much as I came to them. At the
very last, I had some trash cans weighted down heavily with rocks, building blocks, and chunks of
cement. I put a rope around the back of the trailer and headed off toward the dump.
Driving along 2300 East I entered the freeway
heading into town. As I drove I began to pick up
speed, and I could feel a little shakiness in the
back of the trailer. I tried changing my speed and
other things but couldn’t seem to stop the shak-
ing. It continued to get worse and worse until the
trailer actually began flipping almost sideways,
and at the same time, the car would be pulled in
the opposite direction until it was almost sideways
as well. Then the trailer would flip back again in
the opposite direction and so would the car. That
was a very frightening moment. I didn’t know if
there was traffic behind me or whether someone
might hit into me. In this desperate situation I
began to pray. Right at that moment the violent
jack-knifing stopped abruptly, and I found myself
with the trailer and car sitting crossways on the
freeway. I looked back and there wasn’t anybody
immediately behind me. The garbage cans had
been thrown out and their contents were littered
over the freeway.
To my amazement a group of National Guards-
men doing a clean up project in a nearby park
came rushing up to help. They assisted me in
1966 (top) & 1975
trailer actually began flipping almost sideways,
and at the same time, the car would be pulled in
the opposite direction until it was almost sideways
as well. Then the trailer would flip back again in
the opposite direction and so would the car. That

21
gathering up all of the junk that had been thrown out of the
trailer and trash cans. We got everything loaded back into the
trailer with the weight toward the front this time. I was most
grateful for their timely help. Everything seemed to be okay
with the vehicle and trailer, and I was able to proceed with
my load to the dump. I learned an important lesson that day
about not putting too much weight in the rear of a vehicle,
especially a trailer. Put the weight in first, at the front.
In our backyard we had several nice fruit trees which we en-
joyed. We decided we would like to build a little wall around
the lawn in the backyard. We were quite serious about it but
never seemed to have the money to get it done. Every month
as we paid our tithing, it seemed like it was just enough that we could have built the wall instead.
But, we never wanted to fail to pay our tithing, no matter
what we had to do without. We never built the wall and we
never complained about it, but we got used to the thought
that it was our ‘tithing wall.’ It is a good feeling to do without
something in order to help somebody and especially to do
without something in order to help the Lord with his cause.
In that case, what seems to be a sacrifice turns into a joy. The
Lord, through Malichi, promised that if we pay our tithing he
would open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings
wherein there shall not be room enough to receive them. I
can certainly verify that in many ways and at different times,
I have received the promised blessings.
Working at LaRie’s - Richard
After my first year of medical studies and while working the
summer at Romney Motor Lodge, a major decision was made
about my career. It was obvious to all concerned that pursuing
medicine was not what I really wanted to do. After much contem-
plation and prayer, the counsel of Elder Kimball at my mission
interview came forcibly to my mind.
I consulted with my parents and made the decision to come into
the business founded by my mother, LaRie’s. I began working in
the business immediately and, at the same time, took some ac-
counting classes at the University of Utah.
My sister Margaret’s husband, Lynn Christensen, soon became a
partner with us and all of the responsibilities were divided
Richard & Marjorie (1970)
The Backyard
Richard (1952)

22
between my mother, Lynn, and me. My father, who still worked for Southeast Furniture Com-
pany, supported us in this business arrangement. Eventually my areas of responsibility became
advertising and promotion, customer relations and complaints, purchasing budgets and unit con-
trol, and buying for the sportswear department. The sportswear department did forty percent of
the total sales. From time to time I attended classes in New York City where I received training for
my areas of responsibility.
Often when friends or relatives go into
business together, it results in hard feel-
ings and trouble between them. Many
people caution against this practice.
However, with Mother, Lynn, and I,
things seemed to go along very well. I
suppose it is because each had a conge-
nial nature and we were willing to work
together harmoniously as obstacles
arose.
We closed our original store in Sug-
arhouse and opened a much larger
store in the newly built Cottonwood Mall, which was the first mall built in the Salt Lake valley.
The owner, Mr. Horman, conceived the idea of the first mall built in the United States, among his
many accomplishments.
I learned a great lesson from Mr. Horman which is worth telling. When he was a young man in
need of a job, he joined a crew that did cement jobs out of town. He didn’t have any previous
experience, but he began to gain a considerable amount of knowledge about cement work. Each
day on the job as lunch time came around, the other men
went to their favorite restaurants for a meal. At night they
took a motel room, played some cards, and did whatever
they felt like doing. However, Mr. Horman bought food at
the grocery store and
slept in his car. He
began saving his earn-
ings. Pretty soon he had
enough money to buy a
wheelbarrow of his own
and he purchased other
equipment. He cut out
any frivolous pleasure
or unnecessary expense.
Soon he bought his
Sportswear Dept at LaRie’s
Richard in front of LaRies’s store.
ings. Pretty soon he had
enough money to buy a
wheelbarrow of his own
and he purchased other
or unnecessary expense.
Newspaper article for University Mall store.Newspaper article for University Mall store.

23
own pick up truck and
started his own concrete
business. His cement
business grew and ex-
panded into construc-
tion. He went on to
build many large proj-
ects throughout the Salt
Lake area and beyond.
LaRie’s continued
to grow and prosper
and eventually we ex-
panded to five stores:
Cottonwood Mall,
Valley Fair Mall, University Mall in Provo, and the original Midvale and Rose Park stores.
Over the years, we had many very dedicated and capable employees. We sought ways to benefit
them by providing insurance, bonuses, and a profit sharing plan to reward long time employees.
We also had an annual Christmas breakfast or dinner for them at an especially fine restaurant
where we gave each employee a nice present.
Several times a year I would attend one the major apparel markets, usually Los Angeles. At these
markets I selected new merchandise and placed orders for the sportswear department. There were
also quarterly markets in Salt Lake City where a hundred or more salesmen for the various cloth-
ing lines would come to show their merchandise. This was usually held in the Hotel Utah (now
the Joseph Smith Memorial Building).
An interesting incident occurred once when I was at the
Salt Lake market. It was almost time for the salesmen
to pack up and leave, and I was trying to get to the last
couple lines I needed to see. As I was hurrying down the
hall to catch the elevator, I noticed an elderly gentleman
who was shuffling slowly along. He reached the eleva-
tor a little ahead of me. He could see I was in a hurry,
so he smiled, stepped back graciously, and motioned for me to
enter the elevator before him. At that very moment I realized I was
looking at President David O. McKay. (In his declining years, he
and his wife lived in the Hotel Utah). I caught myself and said,“No
President, you go in first.” I’ve always found the general authorities
to be devoid of pride and very much interested in the welfare of
other people as evidenced by my experience with President McKay.
Interiors of stores.
so he smiled, stepped back graciously, and motioned for me to
LaRie’s Employee Dinner

24
It was customary for salesmen to offer customers a drink of wine or a cup of coffee. My mother
was well known by many of the salesmen and had been an excellent example of a true Latter-day
Saint. So I hardly ever had a salesman even offer me a drink.
In my association with salesmen showing their lines in Salt Lake, sometimes an opportunity
would arise for me to talk to them about the Church. On a number of occasions, I invited a sales-
man to join me in visiting Temple Square and the visitor’s center where we watched the film
Man’s Search for Happiness. I usually gave them a Book of Mormon as well.
Church Callings - Marjorie
During the years we lived in Salt Lake I had many church
callings in different organizations. I worked with the Young
Women, Sunday School, and in Primary. Mary Jane Davis,
a neighbor and very close friend, and I worked together to
produce road shows. She was musically inclined and a tal-
ented writer. Mary Jane wrote the scripts and I designed the
costumes, back drops and props. She and I, along with the
help of many others, carried out some large productions.
One time we did a road show about Noah’s Ark. I made many
animal costumes out of colored flannel—giraffes, elephants,
and every kind of animal. It was pretty sensational and we
loved doing it. Sometimes we won awards for the road shows.
I had the calling of nursery leader for the Relief Society in our ward at one time. This was an op-
portunity to have my own little nursery school which I had always wanted to do. When I attended
the university I had participated in a nursery school there and enjoyed it very much. Rather than
meeting at the church for the nursery, I told the mothers to drop their children off at my home.
This was before the consolidated Sunday schedule and Relief Society was on a weekday. I cut the
legs shorter on card tables to make them the right height for children and found small chairs to
use. I prepared lunch for the children of small, finger size sandwiches and foods. The children did
crafts, painting, finger painting, etc. We read stories and the children played. Once I planned a
backyard circus for the nursery children with booths, games and treats. For three years I had the
weekly Relief Society nursery at our home.
I was very much involved in organizing ward libraries and I served as a ward and stake librarian.
I belonged to a librarian’s round table that was formed to promote church libraries (before they
existed). We didn’t have any resources back then or Distribution Center. We had to find pictures
in magazines, books, or wherever we could locate them.
When I was called as Sunday School librarian, I was determined to get a functioning library
as quickly as possible. People donated books and I spent hours and hours getting the pictures
mounted and organized. I soaked all of the pictures in paint thinner to remove the rubber cement
Family in 1961

25
glue, and then I remounted them correctly. I even pur-
chased a dry mount press and paper on my own.
Once a ward member made a comment to Richard when
she noticed him week after week in Sunday School with a
baby and small children. She thought he must have a very
inactive wife. Actually, I was toiling away in the library.
The Church studied a number of libraries to determine
what worked best, and they used many of our ideas
when they modeled the church library program. Ours
was a good example of how it could be. I worked very
hard to get it to that point and felt that I pioneered in
developing a church library.
It was a rarity to ever have Richard sit with the family during
church. In fact, it never happened for most of our married life. I
was usually left alone to manage our large family. More than once
though ward members complimented us on how well behaved the
children were. (I seem to recall a pinch from Mom now and again if
we ever got too much out of hand—Robyn).
Church Callings - Richard
Probably the most important thing that occurred to prepare me for
a life of church service did so because of a wise bishop. I was assigned to teach one youth class,
and then another, prior to my mission. He also asked me to take a teacher development class. I
learned many great principles that if followed would result in quality teaching. There was a par-
ticular principle I learned that has stuck in my mind and burned itself in my heart. It has guided
my actions through the fifty years since.
The teacher told a story of an older gentleman who, over the years, had acquired a reputation
for his wise advice, great teaching ability, wonderful oratory, and use of interesting illustrations.
A student who wished to gain such talents for himself took occasion to visit this gentleman. He
asked the distinguished gentleman if he could tell him the secret of why he was always so interest-
ing. The gentleman invited his guest to follow him and took him to the window where he asked,
“Do you see the peach tree in blossom there?” The guest replied that he did indeed see the tree
and that where each blossom was now, there would soon be delicious fruit. The gentleman then
asked his guest if he knew how the blossoms grew. The guest responded that he didn’t know. The
gentleman explained,“Blossoms always grow on new wood.”“So, are you saying I should continu-
ally be preparing myself by being inquisitive and availing myself of every opportunity to learn
things of worth?” asked the guest.“Exactly,” replied the teacher.“If you want to produce fruit,
you’ve got to keep growing new wood.” I’ve tried to remember to do that over these many years.
Relief Society nursery circus (1971).

26
On occasion people have been kind enough to compliment me
on a talk given or a class I taught. I had learned the secret years
before that class. You have to continually feed your mind worth-
while things if you want to draw from your mind things worth
listening to. Perhaps that class had a more profound effect on
my teaching and speaking ability than anything else.
While attending the Evergreen Ward I was called to teach the
elder’s quorum. For a full year we studied Hugh Nibley’s book
on Book of Mormon evidences. I learned a lot and gained a
great interest in expanding my knowledge of those things. I
have had many opportunities since then to continue to study
Book of Mormon evidences.
For three years we studied the three volume work entitled The
Divine Church, by James L. Barker. He was a scholar and very
knowledgeable about the church following the apostles in the
first and second centuries. Through this course of study we
learned what happened to the doctrines, practices, and the church down through the centuries
until it wasn’t any longer like that which Jesus organized. Today we call this the apostasy. It was
most interesting for me, because I found the things that the restored Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints practices and teaches were very much the same as during the apostles’ lives and
the years immediately after them. Often as a teacher, when we intently study and properly pre-
pare, we get more out of the class than any others present. We don’t serve with that in mind but it
is a blessing that comes from being a dedicated teacher.
Joseph Fielding Smith was president of the Council of the Twelve at that time, and he had written
the introduction to The Divine Church. This reminds me of a meeting where President Smith and
his wife both spoke, and she also sang. She had a very beautiful voice and was a member of the
Tabernacle Choir. I remember that she sang,“If Christ Should Come Tomorrow.” The words of
the song with her beautiful voice touched me on that occasion in a way that I’ll never forget.
To this day, I still remember an illustration President Smith used in his talk. He said he always
drove a little Volkswagen to conferences and sometimes people would ask him why he didn’t drive
a nicer, larger car. He responded by telling them that the difference in what it cost to run the little
car compared to driving a larger car was money that could do much good, and he didn’t want to
waste it on a fancy car.
I have often thought about this over the years when I’ve seen great sums of money being spent on
worldly pleasures, trips to mars, and many other things. Throughout the world we see countless
people who are starving, afflicted with terrible diseases, and children without schooling. It seems
to me that we could channel our wealth to much more useful purposes.
Richard (1958)

27
While attending the Evergreen Ward, I was assigned to home teach about three or four black fam-
ilies that lived on the same street. They were members of the ward although we rarely saw them at
meetings. When I was asked to home teach these families, I felt it was a compliment in that I was
being trusted to see that they were loved and taken care of. I didn’t find it hard to love them, talk
to them, or visit them. The scriptures tell us that having Christlike love or charity is a spiritual gift
that we should seek. I am grateful I had that assignment as it helped me develop the kind of love
I’d need over the years in many church assignments.
In time I was made elder’s quorum president. While quorum president, we planned a dinner and
social for the elders and their wives. We had heard about a minister who had joined the church,
and we invited him and his wife to speak at the social. Their story was very interesting. One of the
things that had made them open to the missionaries was the association they had with a Latter-
day Saint family that moved into their area. The family couldn’t attend an LDS church because
there wasn’t a chapel for many miles. They asked the
minister if they could worship with his congregation.
He told them they were welcome to. The minister’s
children became friends with the children in the LDS
family, and the wife became active in the women’s orga-
nization.
The time came when the women’s organization was
planning a special event and the LDS woman was as-
signed to do the table decorations. Another lady who
had a beautiful flower garden invited the LDS woman
to use flowers from her garden. The day arrived when
the flowers were needed and she called to make ar-
rangements to get them. The woman didn’t answer
her phone. She went to the
woman’s home, but she didn’t appear to be there. The LDS woman
assumed that since she wasn’t there, the lady meant for her to help
herself to the flowers. So she cut some flowers to decorate the tables.
When the woman who had offered the flowers found the LDS lady
had helped herself, she became very angry. In front of everyone
she told off the LDS woman. The minister who had been standing
nearby noted how kind and apologetic the LDS woman was. She
took the scolding humbly and without malice. He thought he had
never seen such genuine Christlike love before, and he was very im-
pressed by her actions. It would be wonderful if we could all be that
kind of an example to others.
After a while a new church building was built not far from our
home. We were assigned to a new ward that met in that building,
Richard with Brent, Gregg & Randy (1962).
Richard (1966)

28
the Valley View 7th
Ward. That was our ward until we
moved to Castle Valley.
I was called to serve as ward clerk under the new
bishop, Howard Fotheringham. I had an associate
who shared in responsibilities with me. His name was
Keith Woodruff, and he and his wife, Lavonne, had a
family of young children. We spent quite a bit of time
working in the clerk’s office together. Later on he and
Lavonne were called as stake missionaries. I didn’t see
him as often, but occasionally he would stop by the
clerk’s office to talk to me.
On one particular day, I was working feverishly at the clerk’s office to finish things up. I had to
catch a plane that evening to fly to a merchandise market in Los Angeles. Keith came in and asked
if I had a few minutes to talk to him. I told him that I did. He said that he had a dream that had
been troubling him, and he wanted to know what I thought about it. He and his wife had been
planning a family vacation, and the time was approaching when they were to leave. Because of the
dream he was worried about whether they should go. In the dream he and his whole family were
washed away in a terrible flood. He wondered if I thought there was something to the dream. We
talked back and forth about it. I told him I thought a flood was rather unlikely in our area. We
talked some more and he left without saying what he intended to do.
I made my flight that evening and worked several days at the market. When I called home one
evening Margie told me that people in the ward were worried because Keith and Lavonne and
their family hadn’t returned as expected, and it wasn’t known where they were. By the time I ar-
rived home from my trip we learned what had happened. Several groups had been camping in a
popular campsite in the mountains. When it started to
rain the rest of the people left, but Keith, Lavonne, and
family decided to stay. All through the night it continued
to rain until a huge wall of water from the hills above the
campground crashed down on them. They were all swept
away, drowned, and buried in the sand and debris.
A memorial service was held for Keith, Lavonne and
their children. I spoke at the service and told of Keith’s
dream. He had not mentioned it to anyone else.
Lavonne’s mother in particular seemed to be terribly
grieving. I was later told about an experience she had. As
she was grieving the loss of her loved ones, it was like a
window opened in front of her. She saw Lavonne teach-
ing some people and she appeared so very happy in what
Richard in his study (1971).
Richard & Marjorie (1970)

29
she was doing. Lavonne’s mother then knew that her daughter was doing missionary work on the
other side, and she was comforted.
There was a man in our ward by the name of Harry Russell who seemed to be a walking encyclo-
pedia of the scriptures. He could quote the scripture and reference of almost any scripture. I never
knew anyone quite like him. He taught Sunday School, and I loved to be in his class and listen to
him teach. He also served for a time as stake mission president.
One day I received a call from the stake president’s office and was informed that he wanted to
meet with me. I didn’t know what to expect but I went to see him. He called me to be the new
stake mission president replacing Brother Russell who was to be released. He told me a conference
was coming up and that Elder Spencer W. Kimball (then president of the Council of the Twelve)
was going to be attending, and he would like to interview the person being considered for the new
stake mission president. So an appointment was made for me to meet with Elder Kimball.
On the day of the interview I arrived a little early. I watched Elder Kimball as he conducted busi-
ness, and I admired his ability to deal with so many things. He appeared very much in charge.
When it came my turn I went in to meet with him. The interview was very much like a temple
worthiness interview that is done thoroughly, as it ought to be done. When we finished the inter-
view Elder Kimball said,“Now, Brother Stucki, I’ve met you some place before. Where is it that
we’ve met before?” I replied that he had interviewed me prior to my mission many years earlier.
“Yes, I remember.” He said.“You impressed me then, and you impress me now.”
Elder Kimball had the ability to lift people by seeing the good in them. I’ve worked with people
who seemed to be more critical than complimentary. Criticism deflates a person’s spirit. When
you’re told something good you resolve to live up to it and that makes you do better. This prin-
ciple is especially important to apply in family relationships.
After being set apart as mission president, I felt so inadequate following someone like Harry
Russell. I had none of the remarkable capabilities
that he manifested. I called my father and asked if
he would give me a blessing before I tackled this as-
signment.
Church leaders had given us the program of how
stake missions were to operate. I set about to follow
that program just as the brethren had outlined. We
had top notch men in each ward as ward mission-
aries. Everyone worked together and after a year or
two we were having better success and more con-
verts than before. We didn’t have unusual skills, but
we were following the
Grandpa Stucki with Jeff, Mat & Gregg (1970).

30
program and that’s what accounted for our success. I learned a lesson from that. There have been
other times, in other callings, when we’ve had to push to get the programs followed because
people seemed to want to do things their own way.
The stake missionaries were ordained as seventies then. They went as home teachers to part
member and inactive families. There was one family we taught who had a 10 or 11 year old boy.
We taught the family and encouraged them to have the boy baptized. We didn’t seem to be able to
achieve this goal because they were rather indifferent about it. One day later on, we learned that
the boy was planning to be baptized. We were pleased and surprised. We learned that the boy had
a friend who was going to be ordained a deacon and going into the scouting program. The friend
wanted the boy to be involved in these activities with him. So the boy responded and got prepared
to be baptized. It goes to show the influence of a good friend. I hope that we can all be as good an
influence on our friends and always encourage those around us to do the right thing.
While I was mission president, we had occasion to speak in different wards to encourage partici-
pation in the member missionary program. After giving a talk one Sunday a woman came up and
spoke to me. She was a professional public speaking
teacher. I had taken a class on that subject when I at-
tended the university and had always been interested
in what made effective speakers. The woman told me
how impressed she was with my voice and the way I
spoke. I had never before felt that I had any special
ability in public speaking. When she complimented
me, it gave me confidence that I could do it success-
fully. It’s amazing to me how many times in my life
someone has said something that motivated me to be
better. This was one of those times. I was grateful for
her words because they took away some of my fear
and gave me more confidence.
Another meeting that I attended comes to mind; I believe it was a stake conference. A man spoke
who had the most perfect speaking skills that I had ever seen: the right gestures, voice inflec-
tions, etc. I had never seen anyone with more talent in that regard. I was very impressed with
him. I contrasted that with another meeting I had attended where a very different man spoke.
He seemed rather uneducated, poor, and unskilled in public speaking. His English and gram-
mar were weak. This man had spoken from his heart and had born his testimony. As he finished
speaking I found myself crying. He had such conviction and sincerity that I was touched. The first
man had amazed me with his skill but he hadn’t moved me as the latter man did. I have always
remembered these two different speakers and what I learned from them. I learned that speaking
or teaching with the spirit is much more important that the skill with which it’s done.
During my stake mission an amazing thing happened. Clive Grant, who was over all the ZCMI
Richard with Leslie & Robyn (1967).

31
bakeries, lived in our ward. He knew an older couple, the Horton’s, who he thought would listen
to our message. They lived in humble circumstances near Temple Square. We visited them a
number of times and taught them. They liked us, were anxious to have us come, and served us
a treat at the end of each visit. However, they weren’t converted to the restoration message. We
thought it best to just keep in touch occasionally.
One evening, I was thinking about them and thought I should give them a call. I learned they had
both been very sick for some time with the flu. By now they had run out of food to eat and were
desperate. I called my companion and we headed for town, stopping on the way for groceries.
When we knocked at the Horton’s door, they called,“Come in.” We brought the groceries in and
visited with them in their sick room. They asked us for a blessing which we gave them. We told
them we’d keep in touch and left.
About a week later Mr. Horton called to tell me they were well, and then he said,“We want to be
baptized.” We asked him what had happened. He said,“A couple days before you came, the min-
ister from the little local church where we’d been going came to the door. When he learned we
were sick he wouldn’t come in and said he’d see us when we got better. When you learned of our
trouble, you drove miles to come. You brought a lot of groceries, and you came in and prayed for
us. We want to be members of that kind of a church.”
We began preparation for the baptism and in time Mr. Horton was baptized. However, his wife
became very ill. He called my work asking me to come at once as she was dying. I was there before
the ambulance arrived. He wanted me to go with her in the ambulance to the hospital, which I
did. He drove his car to the hospital so he’d have it there. In a couple of hours she was gone. He
wanted us to arrange the funeral service for her, so we did. Showing our friends the kind of love
the Savior exemplified made us feel very close to Him.
After a time we had a reorganization of our ward. A man I knew very well, Harold West, became
the new bishop. He chose me as his counselor. In the stake president interview he had said to
Harold,“We don’t think we want you to take Brother Stucki because he’s mission president.”
Harold responded by saying,“Well, if you’ll give him to me as a counselor, I’ll be your bishop.”
They asked me what I wanted to do. I said I didn’t want to choose, but if they had promised to
make me Harold’s counselor if he was bishop, then I would be his counselor. So I worked with
Bishop West, and I learned a great deal from his gentle nature and patience.
After a couple years as counselor to Bishop West, there arose some problems requiring my help at
home. For a long time Margie had to handle the eight children mostly alone. My callings required
me to be out some nights of the week, and my work at LaRie’s took much of my time. Although
I felt I would do anything for the Lord, I knew without a doubt that what the Lord wanted me
to do right now was to take care of my wife and family. I discussed the situation with the bishop
and he agreed that I should be released. A week later a new counselor was called. This allowed me
needed time to spend with the family and to help more with the children and their problems.

32
After about a year things seemed to be going better.
One day the bishop called me in to talk with him
and his counselors. He told me they had something
they wanted to ask me to do. He explained that they
had been aware of the family’s needs and the prob-
lems we had been dealing with. Therefore they felt
they had better not consider me for a calling they
needed to fill—that of scout master. Several times
they had fasted and prayed, and every time they
did they felt impressed that I should be the scout
master. So they asked me if I would accept the call
and I told them I would.
The calling of scout master worked out well for me although I didn’t feel as robust as I might have
felt a few years earlier. It was a very interesting calling and I worked with some good boys. When
we went on hikes, before long the boys would all be up ahead of me. They would reach the top
while I was still coming along behind. It seems a funny place for the leader to be, but I couldn’t
keep up with them.
The highlight of our scouting adventures was a hike across the Grand
Canyon. Much to our joy, Mathew, who was soon scout age, was able
to go with us. We drove to the North Rim and camped for the night.
The next day we hiked to the bottom of the canyon. That night as we
slept we were much too warm even without anything covering us.
In the morning we crossed the river on a foot bridge and hiked up
to the South Rim. That was a real test of endurance. That night we
slept on the South Rim and we were very cold under the light cov-
erings we had packed. In the morning we flew, a few at a time, in a
small airplane back to the North Rim.
Mathew as a Cub Scout.
Easter (1975)

33
Beloved Children - Richard
Margie and I have had many good things to enjoy in life. But there is nothing as important to us
or that has blessed our lives as much as the wonderful children we have been blessed with. Wel-
coming a new baby into the world is an experience only a new parent can explain or understand.
How excited we were to welcome each child that we had waited and sacrificed for and were so
anxious to have come into our home. We are grateful for each of our children and love each one
very much.
Family Portrait (1963)

34

35
Family Memories - Brent
Brent’s big fish.
Brent, 3 years.

36
Family Memories - Leslie
As I started thinking about favorite memories these were the ones
I remembered first: I remember our gardening experiences and
food harvesting. We went over to Bro. Gygi’s (I think) and picked
raspberries in the little boxes that we tied around our waists. I
remember climbing up the 3-legged ladder and picking Queen
Anne cherries. The ground seemed so far away! That memory
led to remembering how we saved the food we gathered. It seems
like we were each given tasks of washing, peeling, pitting or
doing whatever was needed to get the food ready for canning. I
remember many days spent in the kitchen with Mom processing
the food we gathered. It was so awesome to see the jars of home-
canned food on our shelves in the food storage room. In my later
life I was and am grateful for the skills learned, but mostly for the
time spent being with Mom.
I also remember the garden plot that we borrowed that was over by the neighborhood swimming
pool. I am sure it was a family endeavor to plan for and plant the seeds and plants that we wanted
to have. But my favorite part was going over to irrigate the garden in the middle of the night. I
remember how quiet and peaceful it was and the beauty of the stars and the night-time sky. Best
of all was the time spent being with Dad and the others that came and the closeness that was felt
as we worked together.
I also remember the old Relief Society Bazaars that
the wards used to have. I would go to some of them
with Mom, and I remember all the lovely things
that had been made. I bought some things from the
bazaars that went into my hope chest—which was
lovingly made for me by Mom and Dad.
I remember cold winter mornings or evenings and
being in my nightgown and trying to be first or
second to get a place sitting on the heater vents with
my knees up and my nightgown pulled down around
my ankles to keep the heat in. I remember several
of us sitting that way along the big windows off the
living room.
I love my memories of our family sharing and doing
together and the wonderful parents we have that
encouraged the togetherness of work and play.
Leslie at 5 years.
Leslie, a senior in high school (1971).

37
Family Memories - Robyn
A very early memory I have is when the whole family—Dad, Mom,
and all the kids—would stay up late on Friday or Saturday night to
watch wrestling matches on the TV.“Crusher Kowalsky” was our fa-
vorite and the one we rooted for. Wrestling came on quite late and I
always tried so hard to stay awake. I didn’t want to miss the fun, butso hard to stay awake. I didn’t want to miss the fun, butso hard
more often than not I fell asleep. Later I would find myself tucked in
my own bed with my pajamas on. I always marveled about that.
Thanks to Mom we always had fun, creative things to do and play at
home: a backyard carnival, foreign nights, birthday and holiday tradi-
tions, fun family outings and vacations. Mom, always one to tackle a
new skill, built us our own playhouse to play in. I remember many
happy days spent playing there.
Mom taught me to sew when I was quite young and helped me make
doll clothes and things. I received a miniature electric Singer sewing
machine that actually sewed. I also learned on Mom’s sewing ma-
chine, turning by hand the wheel that moved the needle. When I was
in high school I made many of my own clothes, and when Kim came
along, I had fun making dresses for her. Mom also saw that all of us
children knew how to cook and clean. We each had an assigned night of the week when it was our turn to fix
dinner for the family. We planned the entire meal including a shopping list of ingredients.
I remember how Dad always brought unusual gifts home to share with us after attending a market in Los
Angeles. That was where I was first introduced to marzipan candy and caviar. Once I think he brought home
a tin of frog legs, but I didn’t try those. I always liked the little tiny bars of motel soap he brought home. They
seemed very novel to me.
A favorite memory I have is one year when it was my birthday and I had a slumber party with my girlfriends.
My birthday is in August so we were sleeping outside on the lawn. Actually, we weren’t sleeping, we were
probably talking. Suddenly a large, white ghost loomed before our eyes and eerily OOOOoooooed. The ghost,
flapping and wailing, proceeded to chase us all over the backyard. We were both terrified and captivated, and
of course we screamed at the top of our lungs. Well, I can tell you that was a big hit with my girlfriends. The
next time I had a slumber party, they begged to have the ghost (Dad, of course) return.
A funny memory is when Randy and I were very young. One day we were
looking in the fridge for something to eat and found a miniature bottle of
milk (or so we thought). It was exactly like the larger bottles of milk the
milkman always delivered. We thought it was pretty cool of thim to deliver
such a small bottle. We drank it, only it wasn’t milk at all, it was a bottle of
cream. I don’t recall that we where able to tell the difference.
As a child, home was always my favorite place to be. (I must have learned
that in my early years because it’s still my favorite place). It was comfort-
able, inviting, warm, homey and fun, and I felt safe, happy, and loved there.
What could possibly be better than that? How blessed we were!
Robyn at her desk (1970).
Robyn at 4 years.

38
Family Memories - Randy
Cub Scout cake contest(1968).
Mathew, Richard, Gregg, & Randy
Randy, 2 years

39
Family Memories - Gregg
We sure had some great vacations over the years. Our trip to the
Northwest was the best. Riding the ferries across the water, trav-
eling down the coast through Washington, Oregon and northern
California, eating clam chowder and fish n’ chips at quaint cafes
along the way and especially hunting for clams on the beach.
We watched some other people hunting for razor-back clams
and soon learned how to look for the bubbles coming up from
the sand as the tide receded. At another location we waded in
shallow water poking our fingers into the small holes in the
mud. If a clam was there you would feel the clam’s arm just
before it would retract it. Digging down into the mud about
12” there would be a big clam about 5 inches in diameter. A
couple of times we found crabs down in the holes.
Yellowstone was another great trip. Other than the geysers that
were mysterious and beautiful, the thing I remember most was
the bear that showed up at our campsite one morning to disrupt breakfast. Dad grabbed a flare
from the car and lit it, chasing the bear off. That was pretty exciting.
Our trips to the Tetons where always adventurous. I loved exploring in the pond and along the
edge of the dense forest. I must have been pretty young because I was scared to travel into the forest
by myself. Also memorable were our frequent trips to Bear Lake and of course, fishing along the
Weber River with Grandpa and Grandma Curtis’ cabin as our base camp. There are lots of great
memories relating to these excursions.
The increased health and satisfaction that has come to me through my enjoyment of running has
been most rewarding, especially over the past few years. As I see this interest sprout and grow in the
lives of my children, I often reflect back on that time when the seed was first planted in my life. Dad
and Mom had just returned from BYU Education Week. Dad had attended a class that outlined a
plan of walking and jogging to improve ones health. I became Dad’s partner and we followed the
plan for several months. It started modestly with lots of walking, but eventually we were doing
some significant amounts of running. I remember the first time we ran a mile, that was a big mile-
stone. I’m sure I was not always enthusiastic about getting up for our early morning workouts. I’m
glad Dad was gently persistent. What if I had given up and missed this opportunity? I’m not sure I
would have picked up the interest at a later time, what a shame this would have been. Eventually I
discovered that the improved endurance I was gaining helped me to do better in the other activities
I enjoyed; basketball, football and baseball. I wasn’t as fast or strong as some of the other boys, but
I had a secret weapon. Whether that weapon was more mental than physical didn’t matter, I felt I
could outlast anyone in any activity that required endurance. How thankful I am to Dad, who at-
tended that class and encouraged me to come along with him. The fruit that has come from that
little seed planted so long ago has blessed my life in so many ways over the years.
Gregg, Christmas 1968

40
Family Memories - Mathew
Though I was young during the time we lived in Salt Lake City, my recollections of our home life on the
Wasatch Front are poignant.
As I set to the task of recalling a specific memory to relate, I struggled with the dilemma of selecting just
one meaningful encounter. There are so many. Which account should I choose? I realized that my life has
been blessed with an abundance of good family experiences that I could share. Mom and Dad have been
essential in helping create them.
Mom was always involved in helping us have fun and do good things; happiness was key. I remember a
lot of the enjoyable things we did were initiated by Mom: family vacations (Bear Lake, Yellowstone, and
the West Coast are among my favorite), signing me up for baseball games in the summer, swimming club
membership, Fourth of July parades and celebrations; neighborhood carnival at our home (imagine that);
delicious home-cooked meals; and participation in scouts and the Pinewood Derby. Family vacations
(singing songs, going off on excursions along the way, and daily surprise gifts to be opened by the young-
est of us); exploring old farms while considering the possibility of moving to the country; homemade
Halloween costumes and chili dinner before going to trick-or-treat are just a few. While other couples left
their families to party with friends on holidays, Mom and Dad stayed with their children and made sure
their celebrations involved us— I remember playing games on New Year’s Eve and honking the car horn
and banging pans together at midnight to welcome in the new year; acting out the Three Chipmunks with
homespun, stocking puppets; and savoring eggnog and oysters each Christmas morning.
I also have many fond memories of Dad during my childhood in Salt Lake: ice cream cones at Fernwoods
across the street from Sherman elementary on Dad’s night out (a night set aside for each one of us chil-
dren to go out with Dad on an individual basis and do something fun); building my pinewood derby car
in the shop downstairs and his taking time to teach me the physics of a fast car (ours took first place);
going to Father’s and Son’s outing each year and stopping to pick berries along the way. I remember hiking
with Dad from the North rim to the South rim of the Grand Canyon as a young Scout. I was actually only
an 11-year-old but granted permission to go on this Super Summer Activity with the older scouts (since
Dad was scoutmaster). I longed to tag along each month on
an overnighter. So Dad promised I could go on this Super
Activity if I earned enough money along with the rest of the
boys by cutting grass around headstones at a local cemetery
for Memorial Day.
And admittedly, I wasn’t always the most pleasant person
to be with as a young man, but at these times, Dad would
cheer me up by threatening to “rough me up” and begin to
pull some punches and wrestle … before I knew it, I was
hunched over in laughter. Dad always knew how to bring a
smile to your face and warmth to your heart.
I am grateful to have a plethora of cherished memories of
childhood experiences with my mother and father. How
proud I am to be numbered one of their sons.
Mathew on birthday (1967)

41
Family Memories - Jeffrey
Santa (Jeff), Christmas 1973.
Jeffrey

42
Family Memories - Kimberly
I have very few memories of our life and home in
Salt Lake City due to my young age while we lived
there. They center mostly around myself, and
I apologize for that. I must have been a typical
child—me, me, me. Here are some that I can share.
My dislike for the dentist started in Salt Lake City.
I remember hiding from Mom numerous times
before I was supposed to go to the dentist. One
time I packed a bag full of canned mandarin
oranges and was getting ready to run away rather
than go to the dentist.
I remember going to the mall—probably to
LaRie’s—and getting long ropes of licorice. I
loved those! I hid them in my room and ate them
until I was sick.
I remember the Christmas that Mathew, Jeff, and I dressed up as the Chipmunks for a LaRie’s
party. I don’t recall very much about the party, but I do remember having a reoccurring
nightmare about that LaRie’s building. It had something to do with a large room full of
equipment and dark hallways. The dream was terrifying—glad I grew out of that one!
When Brent’s wedding was at our house, I recall playing “barber” with Jeff. I distinctly remember
telling him that I would play with him only if he pretended to cut my hair. Anyway, that’s how Ipretended to cut my hair. Anyway, that’s how Ipretended
remember it!
I also remember our neighbors with the Siamese cats and those little grey dogs.
I learned to ride a bike in Salt Lake. I didn’t have my own
bike, and I got tired of the older kids being able to ride bikes.
So one day I hopped up on Jeff’s bike and rode off down the
street.
I thought we had the biggest, nicest house in the world. I
thought I was a princess and would dance around the house
in dresses—always dresses—that would go out when I twirled.
I loved those dresses!
I felt that we had a lot of friends and I was happy there.
Kim, Jeff, & Mat as The Chipmunks (1971).
Kimberly, 5 years.

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