Special Olympics: Roosevelt, Utah 1983

In 1983 I found myself in Roosevelt, Utah doing a field placement at Utah State Social Services.  In addition to completing my field placement, I would also complete a research project on rural social work.  It would be an incredible time.  During this time I would fall out of love with a girl, and into love with Sheri, my wife of 31 years.  I would participate in a musical, Men of La Mancha.  I would also work with Rose Miller.  Rose was involved in the community, and one of the things she did was the local chairperson for Special Olympics.  One of my work assignments was to rewrite the procedural book for the local Special Olympics.  When the Special Olympics event was actually held I worked as a volunteer.  Rose Miller was able to get Pace Mannion to come and be the master of ceremonies.  This was after his Senior year of basketball at the University of Utah.  Special Olympics was very impressive with all the hugs that each of the athletes was given at the end of every event.  It was a different experience.

University of Utah Graduate School of Social Work Basketball Team

I 

I am lower left.  Some of those old guys could really play.  Dean Schatz in in the center, back row next to Bill Farley.  The trophy I am sure has gone the way of the D.I.

Sheri and I Dating

Sheri and I had a really fast courtship.  There are only a few dates before we were engaged; and after we were engaged not very many because I was in Roosevelt for my field placement where I met Sheri.  When the placement was done, I moved back to Hyrum, and we were separated by a four hour drive. 
However a few I remember.  I took Sheri to see the movie "Ghandi."  It was playing in Vernal.  My friend Cliff went with us.  This was the first time he met Sheri.  His comment was "She will make small babies" referring to Sheri's height.
Another date was to Ute Lanes for bowling.  Sheri brought out the competitive juices in me, and I never bowled so well.  My normal bowling score is just over 100.

As for other dates, there were few formal dates.  Mostly we did things around the Pohlsander farm, swam in the ponds, hiked in the canyon, and than type of an activity.  We visted Muhlman's, a restaurant in Altamont, a few times.

Lion House Restaurant, Salt Lake City

Dad took us to Lion House in Salt Lake, I don't know if when I was living with him or just going through.  Lion House is attached to the Beehive house, the old residence of Brigham Young, on the Church property by Temple Square.  We went to the restaurant. It was very crowded.  It had a different type of set up as it was cafeteria style. It also had a theme of old time cooking with soups, breads and candies.  You went through the line and picked what you wanted.  The line went very quickly; but then every seat was taken.  There were a lot of downtown customers, including employees of the Church.
Dad said it as a family tradition to go to the Lion House when we went to Salt Lake for conference.  I didn't remember ever being there before however.  

Meeting Sheri, my Wife of Almost 30 Years and Our First Date

When I was attending graduate school, I did a field placement in  Roosevelt, Utah.  I was 25 at the time.  I lived in a community with no friends.  The first week I attended church, Roosevelt First Ward, Bishop Gale invited to his home for dinner.  He had two children, his son Brad, who was about my age and also unmarried, and also a daughter.  His daughter had a bandage on her leg due to a bad knee, which if my memory is good was a skiing accident. The Gales owned an office supply store.
I decided to pursue a friendship with Brad, and visited him at their store.  There was a woman their behind the counter.  I assumed it was Brad's younger sister, so I asked her, "How is your leg?"  As it was not Brad's sister, but Sheri, who worked there, she had no idea what I was talking about.  I survived my embarrassment and got her name.  I also discovered that she lived in Roosevelt, where my placement supervisor lived.  That next week, I discovered what I could about her family, and Monte Bolton, my supervisor thought she was waiting for a missionary.  I mustered up my courage, and when I called her again asked an awkward question, "Do you date?"  I was lucky enough that she accepted my invitation for a date, a picnic.
I prepared lunch for the picnic.  Sheri says one of the items I had was government cheese.  I also made sandwiches.  Sheri, who is good with dates says it was April 9, 1983.  I didn't know the area very well, but was confident there would be a place for a good picnic.  We drove from her house to Altamont.  We couldn't find any picnic tables.  I had brought a blanket which we spread on a patch of grass by the rodeo grounds.  The air was nippy, and there was a pretty good breeze blowing.  We got through our lunch, but couldn't really get comfortable with the wind so didn't stay long.
We went back to Sheri's house, and she tried to recapture the dignity of our date by inviting me to go horse riding with her.  She caught the horse and we rode double on it, me behind her as I was not a horseman.  I had  an irrational fear of horses, based on a man we met in Argentina, whose hand and arm were deformed.  We were told it was because he had been bitten by a horse.  Sheri's horse wasn't big enough to do such damage, but it was a bit nippy and a bit feisty.  Sheri could tell I was incompetent around a horse. 

Cliff Elmore: Friend; Graduate School Days

Cliff and I met my first year of graduate school.  We both did field placements at Children's Service Society.  While there Cliff met Judy.  They would later become husband and wife.  Cliff and I ran a first time adoption group at Children's Service Society, focused on older child adoption.  We had considerable material to use with regards to adoption of older children.  The Society also helped put a larger conference and Cliff and I helped with logistics, chairs etc. and were able to attend. 
Cliff and I were very motivated by adoption, and that we would form an adoption agency after finishing school.  We moved into an apartment together.  Not the nicest place, but adequate.  I had moved out of living with my father.  At the time I was caught between my folks and their divorce and didn't like it.  Cliff was leaving his wife. 
Our second year we did rural placements in Roosevelt, Utah at separte times, and wrote a research paper together on our experience.  While I was doing my visit, Cliff visited and went on a date with Sheri and I.  We saw the movie "Ghandi."
 During the summer between our two years of graduate school, Cliff and I went on a trip to New York together.

Cliff and Judy in New York

After we graduated, Cliff and I kept in contact for a while.  Cliff came to the Basin and we went camping together, Cliff bringing the canoe.  Cliff now lives in Saint George, and I haven't seen him for many years.

Utah Boys Ranch 1981-82

While I was going to school for my Masters in Social Work at the University of Utah I worked at the Utah Boys Ranch in Kearns.  I was called a counselor, which basically meant I helped the house parents.  My second year they opened up a third home and I actually moved up in the world and became like and assistant house parent.  They also gave me a room to live in.
I started in cottage 2 with Nancy and Bob Burtron as the house parents.  It was fun, but could be hard work.  We supervised work hours, drove the van and transported the kids, had a level system we administered.  This included scoring their chores and rooms.  

t-shirt Nancy got me when I coached briefly the boys ranch team

Some things from school spilled over into work at the boy's ranch.  Some with success and some not. I brought someone from Planned Parenthood for sex education.  A big flop.  However I also brought other speakers and presentations. We tried playing basketball with YMCA but when one of the kids broke into a locker that ended that.  They had their own chapel on site.  The social worker was into motor bikes.  There was a course on site and we had some good times.  We even took a trip to the sand dunes.  We also went on other local trips, to go swimming, ice skating, and just for a drive.  Once I took the kids to Logan to meet my mom.  For Christmas we did a fireside and I sang a song with my mom on piano.  We went camping and fishing for a few days in the Uintahs.
These pictures are from a group shot, but to preserve confidentiality I am showing myself, with a mustache and Patsy and Charlie, Bob and Nancy's children.
There were lots of facilities as well.   Bob liked to lift weights and had lots of equipment.  I could never lift as much as Bob, but I got to where I could bench over 200.  There was also ping pong, and I perfected my spins and smashes.  I could beat all the kids.