- My Life In A Nutshell
I was born in Port Angeles, Clallam County, Washington, September 22, 1929 _ At the beginning of the “Great Depression.”
My family moved to Port Angeles just before I was born _my Grandfather and Grandmother Sorensen were there on a mission for the Church.(L.D.S-Mormon) and my parents decided/ask to move there to help them and the branch of church.
I am from a family of 12 children _ the first 8 were born in Eastern Idaho _ Idaho Falls-Pocatello area. My sister LeOra and I were born in Port Angeles, Wash., the last two _ one, Val Dean, in Providence, and the other, DeOnne, the last, in Salt Lake City, Utah, Utah. There were 4 boys & 8 girls-I was number 9 in the ‘line up.’ My father sold Maytag Washers there, mostly.
My father sold insurance, for the most part,--and consequently, gone from home a good deal of the time. My mother managed the brood and home, and at times a small farm, as best she could; plus a job, at times. (S.L.)
She worked at the post office to help make ends meet, she also sewed for people, made chenille flowers, crocheted bedspreads and tablecloths, etc. Those were the depression years and we never had much, but always seemed to manage somehow. (Salt Lake)
My father brought home a variety of things that he took in as his share of the insurance policies he sold-both, to help the people to b e able to afford the policy and to help him make the sale. He was the top salesman or among the top most of the time. He took in anything he figured we could use or he could sell or trade. Dad also dealt in real estate on the side. We never knew what he would bring home…be it money, honey, cars, rugs, etc.-or come home ready to move his family to “Greener Pastures”. We moved many times. We covered a good share of Idaho and Utah looking for those “Greener Pastures”.
With Dad gone so much it placed a lot of responsibility on “mama’s “ shoulders; and with a brood of 12 energetic, some contrary, some self-willed children who would get out of hand at times; Life was certainly not dull at our home; for instance, LeOra and I decided to run away once, in the middle of the night. We had planned it that way-mother woke up-found us gone, woke my brother (Carlyle) up to drive the car, as she never learned to drive; drove to town and found us walking up the street; waiting for the bus which hadn’t started running yet at that early hour, so it was a short “run-a-way” trip. We had planned to go to our older sister’s apartment in Salt Lake(from the town of Murray, Utah.)
We were left with day-time baby sitters quite a bit while dad was gone selling insurance-when mother worked.
Then dad bought a small farm-so the younger boys-and us(we) girls too, would have something to do besides get into mischief, and we could raise a garden to help feed us. But I believe it was more work to get us to work (one wonders if it was all worth it.)
I spent my grade school years in Vineyard , and a little north & west of Provo), Junior high at Butlerville & Orem, and back again to Salt Lake (8th&9th). Then we moved to Southern Utah and I graduated from high school in St., George, Utah, at the close of World War II, in 1947. That fall I married my husband, Don Fluckiger, whom I had met some months earlier when he was home on leave and was now home from the army (discharged. His sister, Louise, was a good friend of mine and had introduced us. We lived in the small town of Leeds and there were only a half dozen or so of us girls who went around together. Don had come home the spring I graduated. We dated that summer and married that fall in the St. George temple-Sept. 26th 1947.
We had two children born to us while living in St. George, Utah-Kim, born July 31, 1948, a son, and Ward, another son, born Aug 17, 1949.
We then moved to Salt Lake City, UT, where Don found employment at a cabinet shop doing carpentry work, as that is what he had trained for in the Dixie College on his G I benefit program.
We had a daughter here-Alise, born Aug. 24, 1950, at the LDS Hospital, SLC, UT. When Alise was 7 or 8 months old, we moved to Letha, ID, in the spring of 1951. Don’s parents had moved there the year before, from Leeds, and had written to us that there seemed to be plenty of employment around the area-and since Don didn’t take to the “city life” very well, we moved “sight unseen”. Don’s father said he could work on their house and help on the farm till he found work_ which we did. We weren’t in Letha long, however before Don had a job working for the Boise-Payette Lumber Company(sawmill) at Emmett, Idaho-where he has been employed since 1951 (to 1987) (Boise Cascade now).
In Emmett/Letha, we had three more children born to us-Jay, a son, born March 29, 1952; Kitty Ann, a girl, born Sept. 22, 1953(born on my birthday), and Todd, a son, born October 19, 1959.
Over the years I have held many church positions-in the Primary, and Relief Society for the most part-also worked in the Church Library for several years-worked some in MIA and Sunday School also-at present I am the Homemaking/Home Management Counselor in the Emmett First Ward Relief Society.(Fall 1987).
As a family we have sort of grown up together as I was only 18 yrs old when we married and Don barely under 21.[insert: the story is told that dad had to get permission from his parents to get married, but mom did not. Utah law required a man under the age of 21 had to get parental permission & a young lady had to be 18 to get married without parental permission] Besides Church and school activities and sports; (all our boys played on school teams in the sports area-basketball & track, some baseball & football. We also spent a lot of our summers camping & fishing and going to Family reunions. And of course all the while we had to have horses. The only time Don was without a horse since early childhood, was the time he was in the service during World War II. Don has been an avid hunter and fishing fan-a hobby that has taken us to the mountains a good share of the summer and fall each year, on weekends and vacations, with family reunions sandwiched in here and there, besides being in the Scouting program.
* My hobbies have been art and just plain learning. My art abilities have been used much in the Church; road shows, Gold and Green balls, etc; some community work, and for a few friends. [Mom and Kitty both did backdrops for Cowboy Poetry events at a different time in each of their lives] [mom’s art talent began early in life, as she tells of drawing paper dolls(with clothes to dress the dolls) for many of the girls at school, when they had to stay in the classroom on rainy, cold days.] [she also did this on several occasions for her two daughters on request-best paper dolls we had!] I’ve sold very little-and then at a minimal price to cover materials used. I learned to lead singing just as a whim, although I actually know very little about music-but appreciate and love to listen to most kinds of music. I have sung in the ward choir from time to time and enjoyed it. Life is so full of opportunities just waiting to be taken advantage of-in all fields of interest, in the church and community. “Life is a fulfilling” as has been stated, but as Pres. Ezra T. Benson has said. “Position, Possession & Prestige-should never be more important than your family.” ( given at Stake Parents’ Fireside by direct wire)Feb 22, 1987.
A thought I hope to keep in mind although all our 6 children have now married and have children of their own…
March 1988 - at present we have 27 grand children
1990--30 grandchildren
2000-35 grand children/ 15 great grandchildren.
[2008 -- at Wanda's death, 17th September, she had 38 grandchildren
She served her family in any capacity she was able; had a smile and wit with anyone who cared enough to sit and visit, and loved her family.]
|
1929 - 2008 (78 år)
Har mere end 100 forfædre og en efterkommer i dette stamtræ.
[1, 2] 
Søskende
