Sunday, January 23, 2011


It seems today that my mind is going back 43 years to the days before Tom and I were married. More about the engagement etc. can be seen on the January 2010 post of this blog.
But today I'm thinking of the preparations for the wedding.
Our families financial circumstances were "precarious" to say the least. There was really NO money to help with the wedding.
I decided to buy some fabric and make a dress during that "finals" time at BYU. Grandma Maysel must have known our situation and I remember that 25.00 came in the mail.
I walked to downtown Provo and bought some white velvet to make my dress - a floor length, A-line dress with round neck and long sleeves.
It was easy to make and I loved it - so beautiful!
I also wrote invitations on white simple stationary to our friends inviting them to the Open House at the "Hyatt" House on University Avenue where I lived with 11 other girls. They would all be my "bridesmaids" wearing their formal dresses and would make sure that we had a wedding cake.
After finals were over at the end of January I went home to Shoshone and waited for Tom to arrive. I'm sure that I was quite a disruption to the family lifestyle - my sisters both busy working; Momma nursing and Daddy teaching.
Momma did take me shopping to Hansens Dept. store in Shoshone and bought me a beautiful yellow coat with gloves to match. We also had a trip to Twin Falls to buy some other "bride" kind of stuff. I treasure that trip!!
Uncle Larry and Aunt Veldonna came on Feb. 1st to escort us to the Idaho Falls Temple - the only people who would be going with us.
Veldonna sewed wedding dresses as an occupation and she took one look at my dress and went right to work putting pearls on the neckline and made a veil with a velvet bow and white chiffon attached. It looked much better.
I don't know that my Mom, Veldonna or I went to sleep that night.
We left at 4:30 in the morning of Feb. 2, 1968 for the Idaho Falls Temple - Tom and I in our little
Rambler and Larry and Veldonna in their car. Danny and Julie stayed with my family that day.
I remember as we kissed Momma goodbye on the steps on our lava house in Shoshone that she looked at Tom and said "I hope you love her enough". I don't know if that were a warning to Tom or if that were a wish for me!
I was sad that we couldn't have our parents with us at the Temple that morning as none of them were prepared to go. But, I am thankful that since that time I have been in the Temple with each of them (except Dad Gill) and that we have both been sealed to our parents!

Sunday, January 9, 2011

This picture of Leora Ruth Rollins was taken probably around 1909 when she was 9 or 10. Her hair was red. I can't help but notice the beautiful lace work on her dress - and how nicely starched it was. "Ruth" was born and raised on her parents ranch in Rye Valley, Oregon. She was my grandmother, my mentor and a dear friend.
During my growing up years I got to spend many weeks on the ranch she and Grandpa Rex had in Union and in La Grande, Or. freshman year in college (Eastern Oregon College) I lived with them. Grandma would often show me pictures and talk lovingly of her growing up years in Rye Valley - especially of the riding of horses.
Margaret Horne Richards, Arthur Horne, Emily Horne Lowell