Missionary Farewell

When I served my mission, you were still allowed to have a missionary farewell, and their was a sacrament meeting devoted to the farewell.  In those days, sacrament meeting was generally later.  Because there were two missionaries, myself and Russell Egbert, leaving at the same time, we shared the farewell.  The missionary farewell was also an opportunity for ward members to donate money to the missionary, which was used to get you in the mission field.
My mom prepared a large meal for the farewell.  I must admit, I do not remember what I said.  But these pictures attest to the influence of my mother and relationships.  There was lots of family from my father's side.

Dad and Roger Chase

Clyde and Geneve, and me bringing sherbet from the garage

Dad and Roger's wife?

Clyde Jr. Clyde Sr., Dad and Uncle Bill?

Uncle Norval and Bobby, Clyde Roger, Reed Olsen

Sara, Mom, Dianna, Aunt Audrey, Dad, Geneve

Yours truly

With friends Raeburn Ormond and Audrey Andersen

Krista, me and Raeborn Ormond

Mom and Aunt Audrey

Mission Call 1976

I received my call early September.  I was called to serve in the Buenos Aires North Mission.  The call was signed by President Spencer Kimball. 

Because of the difficulty with getting visas, there was a period of several months between getting my call and my going to the LTM.  In face so much time that I was able to attend an extra quarter of school.  I wasn't planning on attending, but I got the call with time to enroll, and didn't leave until like a week before the end of the quarter.  I just had to arrange to take my finals a week early.  I remember taking a couple philosophy courses, and that is where I learned some visual jokes, and how to think so logically (that is satire about myself).  I also took music theory, and embarrassed myself rewriting a Beatles song. 

That bag didn't make the trip with me.  I used my brief case.

Finally I headed for the LTM in December, between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Missionary Dinner: 1976

These pictures are labeled Billy's missionary dinner.  I recognize the people in the pictures, but have no idea where we ate, or if this was on the way to Provo or a few days before.  I am not wearing a suit, which would say not on the way to Provo or after the temple.  So I am not sure.

The family with married Sara and Clyde and Connie and Kelly

you can see Krista and Geneve

Temple Endowments

When I prepared for my mission, Logan Temple was closed.  As a result we traveled over the mountain to Ogden Temple when I went through the temple for the first time.  Because of this little card, I have the date.

We would go through the Provo Temple several times while at the MTC, but I first went through Ogden.  I remember being a little overwhelmed the first time, but getting my bearings more in Provo.  I once even tried using the Spanish interpretation in Provo, but mostly just followed everyone else.

Ogden Temple

My father had become disaffected with the church.  I am pretty sure this is the last time he went to the temple.  In sitting by him, he made some negative comments, which pretty much indicated it wasn't really the right place for him.

Living on the Reservation: Roosevelt, Ut.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865585590/Ute-Indian-Tribe-announces-boycott-of-Roosevelt-businesses-citing-racial-profiling-by-police.html?

This article points out that this is not settled after 40 year, the jurisdictional and boundary issues of the reservation.  The area of the original reservation is checker boarded with reservation land, and non reservation land.  This is because of allotments being given to individuals, who then sold the property.  In like fashion there are enrolled Utes, and disenfranchised Utes.  So to know when you are on the reservation, and not can be very difficult.  When we lived there, a federal case granted the Ute Tribe legal jurisdiction over tribal members from Fort Duchesne to Strawberry Reservoir, and in essence said all that area was the reservation.  That means, where we lived, was on the reservation, although the land was not tribal land.  We lived in Ballard, a couple miles from Roosevelt and a rural road to the reservation.  We never had any problems with legal issues, but our baby sitters were scared once with someone being around the house.
This caused some concern, but the police handled this mostly by cross-deputization.  However, it appears the issue of jurisdiction is still boiling.

My LTM (Now MTC) Experience 37 Years Ago

Our teachers Heidi Anderson and Ken Wagner

Our Branch President George Pace

Our district in front of Knight Magnum Hall

My companion, Elder Sedgwick and I

Room mates, Elder Tsuneishi on left

Letter from President Pinegar

When I prepared for my mission, I was at the Language Training Mission (LTM) in Provo.  This would later be renamed the Missionary training Center (MTC.)  However it was still in the process of being built, so could not hold all of the missionaries.  Max Pinegar ws the mission president.  We met him as my companion had not been set apart by his stake president, so this fell to President Pinegar.
Our district, along with several others, was housed in the Knight Magnum Hall.  We reported to the MTC, but somehow our stuff made it the Knight Magnum.  This was the same place where Young Ambassadors rehearsed.  They had their own cafeteria.  It was a large dormitory.  We also had our own ward and districts.  There were actually two wards in the building, and each ward would generally get a new district of missionaries every week.  Consequently there were about 15 districts of twelve each divided in to two wards.  Our Bishop was George Pace.  This was the group that we met with for Sunday meetings.  My companion, Elder Sedgwick, was called to be the district leader.  Although I wasn’t officially the assistant, if my companion for some reason were absent, I was called on to ask someone to pray.
Being in Knight Magnum Hall had its advantages.  We were closer to campus, the BYU barber shop and other amenities at the student center.   Our gym services were provided in the Field House, where they had a nice track for running, which is basically what we did for gym.  A couple times there was a net set up for volleyball.  Sometimes we had meetings at the LTM, and it was a good mile or more walk, but we were young and full of energy.  The meetings were always very good.
We had very good teachers.  Ken Wagner, a returned missionary later become a basketball coach.  I think he is now at BYU Hawaii.  Heidi Anderson was the daughter of a Spanish professor at BYU.
At week six, some additional buildings had been completed at the LTM, and they were closing Knight Magnum to missionaries, so we had to make the walk up the hill, and move into a new setting. We sang to the tune of Babylon, "Oh Knight Magnum Oh Knight Magnum we bid thee farewell, we're going to the prison on the hill to dwell."  We left our stuff, but had to pack it all up, and they had a van and movers but it in our rooms.  The showers were more communal at the LTM.  Everything was more institutional and sterile.  You can imagine how much larger the cafeteria was, and the lines to the cafeteria, even with staggering of lunches, could get very long. 
We attended BYU devotional, however I was at the LTM during the Winter break so they did not have it every week.  They did have some special meetings at the LTM which were very good. 

Roosevelt Neighbors

When we moved to Ballard, there was only one family that lived close to us.  They were our neighbors for about a year.  Their children were just a older than ours, as Natalia was not born until we had lived there a few months.

Leslie and Penny Reece Carl Jennifer and Leslie

Jennifer

Carl

Soda Springs and Broken Arms

The first year Weldon coached Hyrum Little League, he was only 15, and I was 13, his assistant.  The kids on the team were only a year younger than me, and three years younger than Weldon.  However we had some good players.  James Keeley pitched, and he was as fast as anyone on the other teams.  Kenny Jensen was a natural ball player.  He played shortstop and had a high batting average.  We also had Nicky Bowen at third who had a high on-base percentage.  Jay Shaver was the fastest on the team, and was often called upon to steal a base.  Our league rules did not allow a base runner to leave the base until the ball passed the batter.  This made stealing a base a difficult affair.  Sometime we would employ delayed steals--taking off when the catcher threw the ball to the pitcher.  Jay was the only would who was for successful at a strait steal.  This was before the head first dive was outlawed for little league.  That was Jay's favorite slide.
We would take our all-star team to traveling tournaments at the end of the year.  We were not part of the Official Little-League.  Soda Springs was the first tournament.  Their diamond was a dirt infield and was fairly hard.  One game, Jay was called upon to steal second.  I don't remember if he was safe.  However with his head first slide he broke his arm.  It was a pretty bad break and obviously broken.

Jay Shaver is kneeling, facing the camera, in the middle

He ended up at the Soda Springs Hospital.  With no one over 16 in our group, we walked to the hospital.  It was a long walk.  The hospital was on the edge of town.  We made it there did did our best to cheer Jay up.
As for how the tournament went, I don't remember.  We were a win a game, maybe two before losing out of the tournament in those days.
http://whilhelmsthoughts.blogspot.com/2011/07/summer-baseball-malad-soda-springs-and.html
I had my turn at the same hospital the next year.  Soda Spring also hosted a pony league tournament on the same diamond, with the fence and bases back farther.  We were playing Pocatello, and I was called upon to bunt for a suicide squeeze.  I laid the bunt down the first base line, scoring a run from third.  However as the first baseman went to tag me in front of the base, I had a momentary idea that if I crashed into him, maybe he would drop the ball and I could make it to first.  However he tagged me from the side, and I lost my balance and did a somersault tumble, breaking my left arm.   The umpire kicked the first baseman out of the game, more because of one of the kids in the Pocatello dugout laughing than for what he had done.

Me batting at Soda Springs the day before I broke my arm

USU Social Work School: Community Organization; Geriatric Awareness

As I watched the movie "The Mailbox" today, I was reminded of my community solutions class my senior year at USU.  Being a community organization class, we had an assignment to do a community project, something that would leave things better.  We had a fairly large group.  I remember Darlene Henry and Marsha Leigh were part of the group, students who went with me to graduate school.  Darlene was pursuing a career in gerontology social work, and that may be why we decided on our particular project.  We had two goals, to increase awareness of the blight of older citizens, and to raise money for a van for the geriatric community.  I don't know how we did towards raising money, but we were able to spilt up into several groups, and attend local high schools to talk about the lives of the elderly.  We did this by showing the movie "The Mailbox."  It was very effective.  This movie gets everyone thinking, whether about their grandparents or older parents.  Our group went to Sky View, and spent the day in either a social studies or health class, and taught all the classes that day as we had a successful day increasing awareness.  I am sure the teacher appreciated a less active day.
http://billywardlefamily.blogspot.com/2013/08/mormon-movie-review-mail-box.html

Papers I Kept From My Mission to Buenos Aires

This is a favorite children's song in Argentina.  I wrote the title, but don't know who printed it for me.
Rice pudding I want to get married
With a senorita from San Nicolas
That knows how to sew
That knows how to sleep
That knows how to open the door
to go and play.

Lucy Corsi gave me this before I came home as attested by signature, With lots of caring, to Elder Wardle, from me, Lucy 1978

This are the words to a special song we sang many times with the Apata Family.  It is "Auld Lang Syne" in English.  Isabel Apata wrote down the words.
Song of goodbye
Why lose the hope of seeing you again
Why loss the hope if there is so much love
chorus:  It is nothing more than a see you later
Nothing more than a brief goodbye.
Very soon around the fire
We will reunite.
With our hands entwined
around the fireplace
We form this night
A circle of love.
chorus
That the Lord protect you
and bless you
Secure in the knowledge
That another day we will reunite
chorus

Someone drew me a clown.  I think this was later in my mission.  The clown Pimpin pinched his nose and with a sneeze made a strong achoo, made a strong achoo.

This was left to me by another Elder as he was going home, about a month into Argentina.  He was Elder Woodhouse's companion.  He was good with cartooning.  I think I have turned out more handsome than he supposed, and it has been 35 years.  I still have my hair (knock on wood).

Our First Christmas Pageant: 1985

1985 was the first year we had a baby in the annual Christmas Pageant.  Now days we usually do this with just our family and those who happen to visit.  It is true, my traditional role is that of the donkey, and Sheri's is to read.  We seem to find a baby Jesus, and Mary and Joseph.  This first year we were with family in Hyrum.  This is Christmas 1985, Sheri and I's third Christmas, but Natalia's first.  Natalia is baby Jesus.  Mary and Joseph are Geneve and Joey.  Dustin, Amber and Katherine are shepherds. 

My Life in Theater: Temple Hill Pageant

As a family, we were in Oakland Temple Pageant in 2004.  Jeremy, Natalia and I were in the chorus; Mark was a dancer, and had a duet dance, Caleb was a younger brother of Joseph Smith, Miranda and Charity were townspeople, and children in scenes with Jesus, and Sheri helped back stage.  We had a great time and made many friends.  We also came closer to the temple and to Jesus.  The favorite part I had was using the rope to climb over the hill.  It reminded me of the handcart rescuers.
I must admit, I looked at the first picture, and didn't recognize myself for a while.  Beards do that to me.

The Kid's Card for My Birthday

Happy 56th Birthday Dad!
Here are 56 reasons we love having you as our dad!
1. Whistling
2. Singing in sacrament meeting
3. Stamp collecting
4. Your Heart Will Burn
5. Lemon Icies
6. Driving to seminary
7. Rides to the deep end of the pool
8. Blogging
9. Foster care
10. Rolling down the hill at John Mise Park
11. Scouts
12. "Don't break your toe"
13. Hop on Pop
14. Teaching Sunday School
15. Baseball umpire, Moreland Little League
16. Dollar Store Trips
17. Tator tots, Dad's breakfast cooking
18. Head locks and noogies
19. Indian chant and babies sleeping on your chest
20. Soccer and baseball coaching
21. Family history and trips to historical sites
22. Priesthood blessings
23. "Dame la mano"
24. Christmas talent show
25. Laying under the stars
26. Driving at night, family vacations
27. Dad acting like Santa Claus
28. Dry shaves
29. Our crafts in your office at work
30. Temple pageant
31. Letters-your handwriting
32. Newspaper swords
33. Sitting in the front at movie theaters
34. No bears are out tonight
35. Donkey at Christmas
36. Learning to ride a bike
37. Books-reading-presents
38. Snuggling in the crook of your arm
39. Church choir
40. Wood projects-barbie house, Noah's ark, desks
41. Laying on the floor-falling asleep anywhere
42. Hiking
43. "Mental health crisis line" hard working
44. Musicals
45. Driving on your lap in the parking lot
46. Dressing as pumpkin patch-Halloween
47. Chewing on grass
48. Belting out songs
49. Jane Austen obsession
50. Throwing us in the air at the pool
51. Temple trips
52. Drumming on your belly
53. Outdoor sports
54. Dates with Daddy
55. Take your kid to work days
56. "Bridge Over Troubled Water"
Lots of Love
Charity, Miranda, Jeremy, Caleb, Tony

Poetry I like: "To Our Dear Children"

At this stage in my life, I am looking at this in terms of my mother and I; not as a note to my children.  I am not that old, but my mother is.  [However if you judge by how often I call the kids by the wrong name maybe I am.] 
 To Our Dear Children
Anonymous
On the day when you see us old, weak, and weary,
Have patience and try to understand us.
If we get dirty when eating,
If we can not dress on our own,
Please bear with us and remember the times,
We spent feeding you and dressing you up.
If, when we speak to you,
We repeat the same things over and over again,
Do not interrupt us.  Listen to us.
When you were small,
We had to read to you the same story
A thousand and one times until you went to sleep.
When we do not want to have a shower,
Neither shame nor scold us.
Remember when we had to chase you
With your thousand excuses to get you to the shower?
When you see our ignorance of new technologies,
Help us navigate our way through those world wide webs.
We taught you how to do so many things,
To eat the right foods, to dress appropriately,
To fight for you rights.
When at some moment we lose the memory
Or the thread of our conversation,
Let us have the necessary time to remember.
And if we can not, do not become nervous,
As the most important thing is not our conversation,
But surely to be with you and to have you listening to us.
If ever we do not feel like eating, do not force us.
We know well when we need to and when not to eat.
When our tired legs give way
And do not allow us to walk without a cane,
Lend us you hand.  The same way we did
When you tried your first faltering steps.
And when someday we say to you,
That we do not want to live any more, that we want to die,
Do not get angry.  Some day you will understand.
Try to understand that our age is not just lived but survived.
Some day you will realize that, despite our mistakes,
We always wanted the best for you
And we tried to prepare the way for you.
You must not feel sad, angry nor ashamed
For having us near you.
Instead, try to understand us and help us
Like we did when you were young.
Help us to walk.
Help us to live the rest of our life with love and dignity.
We will pay you with a smile and be the immense love
We have always had for you in our hearts.
We love you, child.

MOM AND DAD