CHAPTER 22 - DeVONNE
From Richard's memoirs, recovered from his original WordPerfect files
My wife, Ferris DeVonne May, was born in Richfield, Sevier County, Utah on 6 September 1920 to Ephraim Alvera Madsen May and Erma Randina Poulson in the very same house where her mother was born. DeVonne had one older brother, Harold Fred May, born on 1 January 1918, and one older sister, Erma May, born on 18 March 1919. Both were premature babies and each died within an hour or so of their birth. The doctor informed DeVonne's mother that she had a sub-infantile uterus and she would never be able to carry a child for a full nine months.
However, DeVonne's mother had five additional children after the doctor's pronouncement, in the following order:
Ferris DeVonne - 6 Sep 1920 - Richfield, Utah
Ephraim Harry - 28 Sep 1922 - Salt Lake City, Utah
Shirley - 6 Dec 1924 - Oro Grande, California
June Marie - 1 Jun 1927 - San Bernardino, Calif.
Pauline Louise - 4 Oct 1929 - San Bernardino, Calif.
Sometime between the time DeVonne was born in Richfield and Harry was born in Salt Lake City, the family lived in Rock Springs, Wyoming where her father worked in a coal mine for a short time.
From Salt Lake City they moved to Oro Grande, San Bernardino County, California where DeVonne's father worked at the cement plant. To begin with the family lived in a modified tent with wooden walls until they could move into a large two story house with an upper terrace.
Later they moved to 727 West “J” Street, Colton, California and then to a brand new home at 1024 Evans Street in north San Bernardino. DeVonne says this was before the Depression and the best house they ever lived in. It was a prosperous time for DeVonne. She had a fur coat, alligator shoes and store bought clothes while her parents sported a new car. When her Father went to work for the Riverside Cement Plant the family moved to El Ravino Drive in Ravino Orchards, Riverside County. It was like living on a ranch and they raised rabbits, goats and chickens; grew alfalfa, watermelons, peanuts, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and apricots. They drank goat's milk and everything they ate was fresh.
They moved back to 727 West “J” Street two years later and bought the house. DeVonne's Father added a living room, screened in the back porch, extended the porch for more bedrooms, added a bath, and finally the house was large enough for the family of seven. It was always crowded though because of extended family members living with them. DeVonne's Grandpa, John Henry May, lived with them for a couple of years; Grandma, Louise Avelina Hooton May, until she died in 1940; DeVonne's cousins Raylene & Delores Reid, and her Uncle Sylvan Poulson from the time he was about fourteen years old until he was killed at age twenty-seven.
The final move in Colton, while DeVonne was still living at home, was to 148 West “E” Street in 1938, just a half block off North Eighth Street, the main street of Colton, and directly behind Fleming Park that took up a half block between 7th and 8th Streets.
With all the moving around that the family did, DeVonne started school at Grant Elementary in Colton and attended the first and second grades. She attended the third and fourth grades in San Bernardino and the fifth and sixth grades in Riverside. She was back in Colton to attend Roosevelt Junior High School for the seventh and eighth grades and then went to Colton Union High School for four years.
Changing schools didn't bother DeVonne. She made new friends wherever she went. She went around with the most popular crowd in high school; was Vice-President of Girls' League and was active on the school paper as an Assistant Editor and worked on the Yearbook. She was very pretty and one of the most popular girls in high school, being elected May Queen in her Senior year by the whole student body. The May Day Festival was held on 27 April 1938 and DeVonne was crowned Queen in the Festival. Her good friend, Betty Mowers sang “Only a Rose” to her after she was crowned.
Quote from Colton Courier:
“DeVonne . . . is a graduate of Colton high school with the class of 1938 and was one of the most popular students during her high school course. Last year she was elected by popular vote as Queen of the Girls' League May Day celebration. She was vice-president of the League and was active in all scholastic affairs.”
DeVonne's birth certificate spells her name: Faris Devone May. When her grandfather worked for the Colton Cement Plant there was black man who had the name “May” and they were always getting their paychecks mixed up. The bad thing was that her grandfather's check was larger than the black man's so that didn't set too well with him. He changed the spelling of his name to Mayes. When DeVonne entered high school she used the name “Mayes” and changed the spelling of DeVone to DeVonne, capitalizing the “V.” DeVonne wasn't the only one in her family to change their name. Her sister, Shirley, changed the spelling to Shirlie and her sister, Pauline, changed her first name to April.
DeVonne received her Patriarchal Blessing from Patriarch Sidney A. Hanks in San Bernardino on 7 March 1937 when she was a Junior in high school. It reads in part:
“Your shining light among the daughters of Zion will bring a blessing wherever you associate. Your counsel will be sought among the gentler sex. Your example will be followed, and through your example and good works many of the young daughters of Zion will be delivered from evil and designing persons who would seek their moral destruction.
“In your youth, you will be a leader and a teacher and these will follow you all your life. God will offer you opportunities to serve as an instructor, and as you develop and grow in faith, the Lord will bless you that your talents may improve and that you may be efficient and graceful, not only in presiding over your own home, together with your helpmate, but your talents will be of great worth to the Church.
“The charm of your voice will bring solace to the sorrowing; faith to the unbeliever; and joy to your pals and companions.”
As I have observed her life since 1936 I can testify that she has lived up to the above promises given to her in her Patriarchal Blessing. She has taught many teenage young women, both in the classroom and by example, and her charm and delightsome personality have been something that everyone appreciates and esteems in her. She has also dedicated many years of her life to the Relief Society organization of the Church and has been a counselor and adviser to hundreds of adult women as she has served as a Ward Relief Society President, in a Stake Relief Society Presidency, and has taught every subject within the curriculums offered by the Church for the Relief Society. In addition, she has done extensive teaching in the Sunday School program. She was always willing to serve and learned how to lead music from Beth Johnston who is an accomplished pianist and organist. DeVonne was a chorister for years; sang alto with Relief Society Singing Mothers, and in Ward and Stake choirs.
DeVonne served as Ward Relief Society President with Betty Rolapp and Beverly Carter as her Counselors. Joyce Coulon was her first secretary, followed by Shirlie Brown. This was back in 1963 and DeVonne, Betty, Beverly and Shirlie have maintained a very pleasant relationship to this day. For many years they met monthly for luncheon at restaurants throughout the San Fernando Valley area and extending elsewhere. I call them the “Valley Girls.” Since we have moved to Westlake Village and Shirlie to Thousand Oaks, Betty has moved to Indian Wells (near Palm Springs) and Beverly to San Clemente, they do not get together as often as they used to.
Having been born and raised in the Church, DeVonne has an excellent understanding of the Doctrines of the Church and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As I became interested, and had many questions about the Church, I found that all I had to do was ask DeVonne and she would have the right answer. She might not be able to quote chapter and verse but the truths of the Gospel were ingrained in her as she grew from childhood. I have always believed that those who are born in the Church have the advantage over converts. If I had my “druthers” I would have chosen to have been born in the Church with parents who were active and had an abiding testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, I have no regrets, I had goodly parents who raised me as well as they could and I don't think they did too bad a job of it. Some will say: “But as a convert you really had to gain a testimony of the Church while those of us born in the Church take it for granted.” I don't believe that. Everyone must gain a personal testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for himself - even those who are born in the Church.
Although we were married before DeVonne finished high school she still graduated from Colton Union High School. However, the lack of formal college education did not deter her from growing and developing in the education world. Voracious reading kept her up to date and current on religion, government & world affairs, and also homemaking, cooking, child rearing, fashion, etc.
Many things that she excels at she could have never learned at a college or university. She has been an exceptionally good mother for her children - and now her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She saw that correct principles were taught to our children in our home and she and I always backed up each other in their proper training.
She became an excellent cook and her recipes are sought after continually. What is most important is that she knows what I like and does her best to please me. If she prepares a new dish and I find it not to my liking I never see it again on the table.
However, there are certain dishes that she likes for herself and she will prepare something to my liking when she has her particular entree.
She has studied considerably on the subject of proper diet and I can rate her as good a dietician as anyone.
On 28 December 1982 DeVonne went all out and threw an Elizabethan Feast and party. Judie made the invitation, designed in an Elizabethan mode, and I hand delivered each one. Invited were: Bishop Richard & Norma Smith, Ken & Carla Sansom, Vance & Sam Kirby, Willard & Nadine Tate, and Stan & Mary Anna Rotz. It was a costumed dress up affair. Ken Sansom took it to be “formal” and wore a tux. Everyone else followed the theme quite well. Bishop Smith came dressed in an attire that looked like he was right out of Sherwood Forest. We set up our dining room table for twelve. Our Granddaughter, Sissy, dressed as a serving wench, placed the food on the table that included: Turkey Drumsticks for the men and a Chicken-Broccoli Casserole for the women, A Spinach Soufflé and Round Bread (to be broken with the hands) with Butter, a Jello Salad, hot Cranberry Punch served from our Russian Samovar, and an English Trifle for dessert. Carmel popcorn balls were available to snack on after dinner. After dinner we had fun and games in the living room. The dining room and table setting, plus the living room were decorated in a fine manner. We even had an English Castle set up on a low table in the living room that set the scene. Everything came off perfectly and DeVonne, as usual, had knocked herself out preparing for days to make it the success it was.
DeVonne has always been very interested in what is fashionable for both men and women and has made it a lifetime study since she became an adult, and continues to this day to keep abreast of who are the topnotch designers and what is fashionable in the world today. Although we have never had the money to buy designer clothes, DeVonne is always able to dress in fashion and make the very best out of what we can afford.
Besides being clothes conscious, she has always been considerate of her appearance whenever she leaves the house. For many years she would never think of going out in public without first making herself as presentable as she could be for whatever the occasion. It didn't matter whether she was just going to the grocery store or to a formal party. Now in her later years I can get her to relax a bit and enjoy just being at ease in casual dress.
DeVonne has always liked flowers and in particular roses, but also camellias, gardenias and violets. I am not sure where she acquired the love of flowers but it must have been from her mother who loved flowers and from my mother who had a green thumb and raised many beautiful flowers in her garden.
DeVonne and the boys had moved up to Colton while I continued to work at Firestone awaiting my orders to report for Basic training at Boca Raton, Florida. She started working at the San Bernardino Air Depot on 27 March 1943; two months before I left for Boca Raton, Florida. When I entered my Cadet Training for the Air Force my pay became $75.00 per month and paid once a month, which was hardly enough to support our family of four. In addition, I didn't get paid the first month because another cadet signed his name on my line of the payroll which meant I had to wait until the following month and hopefully be able to sign the payroll in the proper place. As a result, instead of me sending money home to DeVonne she was sending money to me.
She worked as an Under Clerk, CAF-1, at $1,260.00 per annum at the Air Depot. On 16 August 1943 she was reclassified as a Junior Clerk, CAF-2, at $1,440.00 per annum. In October 1943 she either resigned or took a leave of absence to go back to Yale to stay with me for about six weeks. She worked for one month at Winchester Arms in New Haven, Connecticut as a bookkeeper and timekeeper at $120.00 per month. When she returned to Colton she got her job back at the Air Depot on 13 March 1944 as a Mail File and Record Clerk, CAF-2, at the same pay she had before. Then on 14 August 1944 she resigned as I was stationed at Cal Tech and on a 2nd Lieutenant's pay with a small allotment for my family I could handle it alone again.
It was a good experience for DeVonne to work at the Air Depot and it also got us out of a “pinch” during my Cadet Training by supplementing my $75.00 per month income.
On 12 March 1962 DeVonne started working for Safeco Insurance Company in Panorama City, California as a Rater/Coder. Ten months later she was called to be the Ward Relief Society President under Bishop Zierenberg. She reluctantly accepted the call as she knew it was the right thing to do, although she would have liked to have continued working for a longer period.
For three or four years she worked at the Bank of America in Panorama City each January issuing Department of Motor Vehicle automobile registrations.
DeVonne has always been conservative when it comes to finances. This is probably due, in a large part, to her being raised in a very conservative family during the depression where many luxuries that most children receive were denied. Because of this I have never had to worry that she would go out on a spending spree and break our bank account. Even after the kids were grown and had left home and we could afford some luxuries of life she maintained her conservative outlook. Often I have gone with her to help her in buying things for herself because I knew that if she went alone she would accept things less to her liking due to the price. In today's world we buy a lot of clothing through the mail order catalogs and this gives me the chance to see the things she would like and I can give her that little extra push to see that she gets what she deserves.
I made up my mind early in life that I didn't want to make a great deal of money. I have seen too many people who “made it” by taking advantage of others, being dishonest in their dealings with their fellowmen, stepping on people when they were down and, in general, not caring what method they took to make gain as long as they reached their objective. In this regard it has been my fortune to have a wife who has accepted and appreciated what we can gain by simple, honest methods.
Although DeVonne has been conservative in her desires for herself she has always gone the extra mile to see that her husband and her children have what she considers is best for them. She has always put us before herself. They say that marriage is a fifty-fifty proposition and to make it really work both husband and wife need to each give a sixty percent effort to make it a success. I believe that DeVonne has always given her sixty per cent while I, in my self-interested way, have probably only given forty per cent.
On 17 July 1950 DeVonne's brother, Harry, was killed in a logging accident in Oregon. He was living with his parents in Seaside and he and his father were cutting timber and hauling it to the mill for lumber. On this day Harry was operating a big cater-pillar tractor and pushing logs around clearing an area. He did not notice that a large log had placed itself endways against the blade of the cat and as he pushed the logs forward suddenly this log slipped up and over the top of the blade and hit Harry directly in the throat. DeVonne's mother ran to him and cradled his head in her lap. He could not talk but only moan. He died in his mother's arms shortly after that. Harry was only 27 years old when he died. He had served in the US Navy as a bomber pilot flying missions over China and Japan in World War II and had come through unscathed. His whole life was ahead of him and his death was devastating to the entire family. His father idolized him and after his death Pa was never quite the same.
In September 1961 we brought Dad down to our house from Tiberon. Mother had gone back to Ohio to visit Aunt Daisy. With my working every week day it fell to DeVonne to take care of Dad. I would shave him and give him a weekly bath but the rest of it was up to DeVonne. He found out right away that DeVonne would take no nonsense from him. He ate well and DeVonne could make him do just about anything she wanted him to do if she insisted. If he could have had his way he would have lived on candy and coffee. DeVonne would insist, after one or two cups of coffee, that Dad must eat his breakfast before he could have anymore coffee. Her big concern was that Dad was smoking a minimum of ten cigars a day and the house was drenched in cigar smoke. She was wonderful with Dad and he appreciated what she did for him even if he didn't say it very often. DeVonne told me that during the day she and Dad would talk about almost any subject from women's clothes to religion. They covered many fields. She still waited for the day when she could air the smoke out of the house permanently. Fortunately she only had to put up with it for a few months. To me this was another example of her going the “extra mile” and I have always appreciated what she did for Dad.
DeVonne has been a collector of dolls for several years. She has over fifty dolls ranging from expensive “Collectors” dolls to small expensive miniatures. My favorite happens to be “Lavinia” who stands about four and one half feet tall and can be found sitting in a chair either in a bedroom or the living room. She is big enough that when you enter the room and see her for the first time you think it is a real person sitting in the chair. Included in her collection is a Princess “Di” doll, Cinderella, dolls dressed in the styles of the 1900s through the present time, tiny porcelain miniatures, designer dolls made by several artists, etc. She probably would have more but we have no room in the house left for them. As our daughter, Kandy, stills hangs on to her “tomboy” traits and doesn't seem interested in dolls, DeVonne probably will have to leave them to one or more of our daughter-in-laws or granddaughters. As for me, I collect teddy bears, early California or Western sculptures and wooden ducks.
From May 1953 until October 1961, about eight and a half years, I served continuously in the Bishopric of the Van Nuys Second Ward either as first counselor or Bishop. This was probably the busiest time of my life as far as the Church is concerned. All day Sundays and several evenings each week were taken up by my Church duties. This left DeVonne with a great responsibility of running the household, taking care of the kids, and seeing that I was properly fed and on time, that my clothes were in order, etc., so I could be off to my Church work. In addition, she was the one in our family to get up early in the morning to drive our children to their 6:00 AM Seminary class which each of them attended before regular school time. She traded off with some other mothers but this went on for about 10 years to take care of our three children. Meanwhile, I slept in until it was time for me to get up and go to work. In all this time, DeVonne never complained about my time spent for the Church. In fact, throughout my Church association for the past forty years plus she has always supported me in all that I have been called to do. Without it I would never have have accomplish what I have done Churchwise.
DeVonne's father (I always called him “Pa.”) lived a life of many hardships. At the age of 27, when DeVonne was about 5 years old, he was in a serious automobile accident that left him unconscious for about three weeks. A carload of drunken Mexicans hit him, leaving him with a cracked skull and most of his ribs broken on his right side and a few on his left side. This was only the first of several accidents Pa was in and they all took their toll. However, he was a strong man, with hugh arm muscles, and he delighted in showing them off to his grandchildren. His heart finally failed him and he died on 11 September 1968 in San Bernardino, Caliifornia. In his later years Pa was a great scriptorian. He constantly read the scriptures at night in bed before going to sleep and he could quote more scripture than most people. He served as the District President of the Northwestern States Mission for twelve years while living in Seaside and Astoria, Oregon. Pa blessed all three of our children at the time of their birth to put their names on the Church records. I was not active nor an Elder then to be authorized to do it.
Pa's funeral was held Sunday, 14 September 1968 in the Colton Ward Chapel in Colton, California. Bishop Lawrence Madsen officiated and spoke. Also, Richard A. Wright, an old friend of DeVonne's parents and came down from Portland, Oregon, and I spoke. Vicki Dee, Shirlie and Lloyd's daughter, was the soloist, and Lloyd dedicated the grave. My brother Bob and his wife, Dura, attended the funeral.
DeVonne's mother (I always called her “Ma.”) was sick for a most of her life. She had always expected to die before her husband. Still, she outlived him by 14 years. She kept their house in Colton and would not give it up to live permanently with any of her daughters although each of them suggested it to her. As she grew older her daughters worried more and more about her living alone and would have her come and spend some time with each of them. They would kind of pass her around from one place to another and care for her. Still she always liked to get “home” again whenever she could. As she got into her 80's she became quite frail and they kept her with them as much as possible.
Saturday, 4 December 1982, DeVonne went up to her sister Shirlie's home in Colton for Shirlie's birthday. Ma was staying with June. She had been sick with the flu and wasn't well but insisted on going with June because she was going home with DeVonne. She went to bed that night and was up a few times during the night but about 6:00 AM DeVonne went into the bedroom to check on her and found that she had died. I was pleased that she could be in our home when she died and that she had not been in her home alone at the time.
Ma's funeral was held on 7 December 1982 at the LDS Chapel in Fontana, California. Bishop Duan E. Findling of the Colton Second Ward conducted the services. Mel Pierson gave the Invocation, Yvonne Roe sang: “More Holiness Give Me,” accompanied on the organ by Lois Pierson. I gave the Eulogy and Lloyd Jones and Jim Beal, both Son-In-Laws of Ma spoke. Spencer Hatch, another Son-In-Law, gave the Benediction. At the graveside services at Hermosa Cemetery in Colton, Vicki Yzaguirre, Shirlie's daughter, and our son, Dicky, sang a duet of: “Oh My Father” acappella. Dicky dedicated the grave.
Lloyd composed a poem that he read during his talk at the services that I record here.
“Heavy the pale that hangs upon my heart this day
For Mama dear received her call to go away.
Life's clock for her did stop, and with it came the beckon
Come, Erma, come away with me, and let us go where time no longer reckons,
Where from past efforts fair fruits you'll be winning.
Where life's sorrows give up their reasons
Why that veil was hung for earth's short season.
Come, My Love, come away with me
Such beauty, such love will ever be
Where family and friends all waiting there
To greet you, and our earthly trials compare.
Where children, mothers, fathers, sisters, all
Have waited long for your recall.
Come Erma, come away with me. I'll show you. You'll see
The love we shared through all our life will only be
The bare beginning at eternity's open gate,
Where we and family will live in that sweet blissful state.”
Ma had served many, many years in the Church in various capacities including Stake Relief Society President, Stake Primary President, Stake Young Women's President, and many others. She made many trips to Salt Lake City to attend the annual and semi-annual Conferences of the Church. She and Pa are buried side by side in Hermosa Cemetery in Colton, the same cemetery where my brother, Arthur, was interred.
One always hears many derogatory Mother-In-Law stories but I want to say that I had the finest Mother-In-Law that anyone could ever have. She and I got along extremely well. She had a great sense of humor and I could tease her, laugh with her and, in general, enjoy being in her presence. She never criticized me or tried to meddle in DeVonne's and my affairs. She was kind and gentle and extremely fond of her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
I have known DeVonne's three sisters since our courting days. I have enjoyed a good relationship with each of them. The four Mayes sisters are, a little, “look-a-likes.” More than once someone has come up to DeVonne and said: “Are you Shirlie Jones's sister?” The same question has been put to her in relation to June and April. One thing for certain is that they are all beautiful sisters, and they each have many of the same features and mannerisms.
Shirlie married Lloyd Jones on 20 February 1942 and they have nine children including Vicki, David Alan, Lloyd Alan, Steven, Harry, Michael, Rebecca, Ross and Susan. David died in infancy. Shirlie also had one miscarriage. Shirlie and Lloyd were sealed in the Arizona Temple on 23 February 1951. Raising eight children did not leave much time for Church work for Shirlie but once her children were raised she became a very active and effective Church worker. She taught Relief Society lessons for years and became the Ward Relief Society President. She lead the singing in Sunday School and was the Ward Chorister. She also taught Seminary for five years and is now teaching the Gospel Doctrine Class in Sunday School. She has written some fine poetry, including some that has been accepted for Church publications. Shirlie also worked in a dental technician's office to help provide income for the family when Lloyd was incapacitated. Shirlie and Lloyd continue to make their home in Colton.
Lloyd has been a plasterer all his adult life and a very hard working man. He built the home in Colton they are now living in, back in 1956. I know because I went out and worked with him on it for a couple of days when he was putting up the ridgepole. I think that was the only time he needed a hand. The rest of the entire house he built all by himself. Lloyd, too, has been active in Church. He served in the Colton Ward Bishopric for nine years with four of those years as Bishop.
Because of many years of plastering and carrying hod Lloyd had a hip joint degenerate to a degree that it was necessary for him to have a total hip replacement. The doctors at Kaiser Hospital in Fontana that performed the operation botched the job and Lloyd has not been able to work since. He received a pittance amount of money from Kaiser for the damages and he is now retired. Lloyd has become interested in music and has a large Organ with an Electronic Keyboard that he has learned to play and it gives him hours of relaxation and enjoyment.
June Marie married Les Brower on 28 June 1946 and they have four sons, Lee, Sam, Brad and Jon. June has always been very active in the Church, serving in the Relief Society, Young Women's Mutual, and Primary organizations. She held the position of both Stake and Ward President in all three of these organizations, and in some of them for twice or more. Now she is serving on a mission for the Church in the San Bernardino Stake working with the mentally retarded members of the Church in that area as part of the Church Welfare Services Program.
Les worked in the produce business from the time he was a young man and had a flourishing business of his own for several years. He was never too interested in the Church, although he joined it after he and June were married. In 1966 Les finally got himself ready to go to the Temple with June. They were sealed on 19 June 1966 in the Los Angeles Temple with their four sons. Not long afterward Les lost interest in the Church and he and June were divorced. His business went downhill and he eventually lost it. He has since remarried.
June married James Beal on 19 Jun 1974 and later, after June received her cancellation of sealing from Les, they were sealed in the Temple on 27 April 1982 and had their adopted daughter, Dawna, also sealed to them.
Jim has been active in the Church, serving as Bishop, High Councilor, and several positions in the Boy Scout work. He is an administrator in the school district in the Banning area and is due to retire in a few years. June and Jim make their home in Banning, California.
April graduated from Colton Union High School in 1947. She went to Brigham Young University in 1947-48 for one year and loved it. She was a Cougarette cheer leader the first year BYU had them and ran for Banyan Queen and was the Green and Gold Ball Queen. When her parents moved to Oregon, April went with them, with her brother, Harry. She worked in a bus stop restaurant, then at the Clatsop County Bank as a bookkeeper - taking her paycheck home to her folks to help get them started in the logging business.
Harry was on a bowling team and April kept score. They went to Saturday night dances for recreation. She moved to Salt Lake City and belonged to the Garden Park Ward, and worked as a bookkeeper at Walker Bank. After Harry died she went back to Portland and worked at Shell Oil Company.
April went on a Full Time Mission for the Church in December 1950. Her father was her District President (McMinnville District) when she received her call. She is in Astoria's (Oregon) History as the first Missionary to leave from there. Her's was the Spanish American Mission in the Texas and New Mexico area. She learned to speak Spanish and was grateful to be able to do so.
After finishing her mission she returned to Astoria and went to work for United Air Lines as a stewardess. She trained in Cheyenne, Wyoming and then flew out of New York City as far west as Denver. She flew for just six months and then married Winn.
April married Winston Mitchell on 20 August 1953 in the Idaho Falls Temple. They had five children including: Marc, Mila, Paul, Timothy and Shawn. Winn was going to school and after four years at Stanford, including one year of Law School, he decided to become a Doctor instead. He did his pre-med work in Portland, Oregon at Reed College and his advanced work in Radiology at Stanford University, California. During their marriage Winn was not very active in the Church. After their fifth child was born they divorced and April married Spencer Hatch on 25 October 1966 in the Los Angeles Temple.
Spence has a B.S. Degree in Business and a Doctor of Laws Degree in Law from the University of Utah. He is licensed to practice law in the State of Utah. Since April and Spence married he has managed the Calif. Pre-School in Westminster, California. They have made their home in nearby Huntington Beach. April and Spence have had three children including Rand, Michael and James. Michael died in infancy.
April has had a total of eight children and nine miscarriages. She has always been active in the Church and has taught in all the Auxiliaries, been Relief Society President twice, MIA President and Primary President, and taught Seminary for four years. She has also worked in the Pre-School Center. Spence has been Bishop, a High Councilor and is now serving as Patriarch in his Stake.
When our first grandchildren began to arrive, DeVonne found herself (and me to a slight degree) baby sitting quite often. This kept up until DeVonne reached the age of sixty-five and she decided she was too old to continue to baby sit. Since then she discourages it every chance she gets, but on occasion she will still do it.
One nice thing that I have always appreciated is the fine relationship DeVonne has with our daughter, Kandy. They confide in each other, talk over problems, discuss our grandchildren and, in general, enjoy their association whether it be face to face or over the telephone. It is good for both of them. I am only glad that we lived close enough that the phone calls are toll free.
As I have grown older and am now retired I like to wear very casual clothes and am not too concerned about my appearance. Except on Sundays I like to put on a pair of blue jeans or a jumpsuit for lounging around the house or running errands. DeVonne has other ideas for me. She is constantly looking after my appearance and reminding me to comb my hair, wear matching clothes, put in my hearing aid, and in general strives to keep me in a presentable state when I am going to be seen by anyone we know. I should be grateful to her for this because I have the feeling that if I were left to my own devices I would deteriorate to a state that would be highly unorthodox. In a like manner she makes certain that I eat enough of the proper foods to keep me in reasonably good health. If left to my choosing I would probably live on ice cream, candy and all forms of chocolate. So, to paraphrase the old cliché: “It's nice to have a wife around the house!”
In over fifty years of marriage I have grown accustomed to DeVonne. Much as the song says in “My Fair Lady” I have grown accustomed to her face, her smiles, her frowns, her ups, her downs. But more than that, I've grown accustomed to being in her presence. Whenever I am in the house I am comfortable knowing that she is here with me. She doesn't have to be in the same room with me, but knowing she is in the house is comforting. If I wake up at night I like to just reach over and touch her to be assured that she is there beside me. Sometimes when I come home from running some errand or other I search the house for her to be certain she is there. If she is out in the yard I may look in every room for her before checking the yard.
DeVonne has made it a habit of spending a week or so each summer with her sisters at the beach or the mountains so they can talk to their hearts content just among themselves. I don't resent her doing it but I don't like her not being at home with me. I don't sleep well and in particular if I don't have something to keep me busy I while away the hours wishing and waiting for her to return. To her, and perhaps to some who may read this, it is ridiculous but that is the way I feel about her. They say that time is a great healer but I know that life for me would be difficult to endure without DeVonne. She has become such a great part of me that an enduring separation would be hard for me to tolerate.
I am forever grateful for the understanding I have of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that has taught me that families can be forever and that DeVonne and I are married for Time and Eternity and that death will not bring about the separation spoken of in the sectarian marriage ceremonies where the minister says: “ -- until death do you part.” Families are Forever - Eternal! The Lord didn't put us here on earth to form the relationships we have. Especially family relations - husbands and wives, parents and children - and let them end with death.