May 17, 2011

Where did you serve? Which areas did you serve in? How long did you serve in each area?

I was called to the Texas North Mission in Dallas Texas, and it was later named the Texas Dallas Mission after I had served about a year and the Texas San Antonio Mission was created from our mission and the Texas South Mission then renamed as the Texas Houston Mission.

I flew into the Love Field Airport going to my mission and two years later flew out of the new DFW International Airport to return home. I had also flown into and out of Love Field during my mission as I went from Midland to Dallas for a Zone Leaders conference.

I began my service in Arlington with two companions, Elder Fernelius (Missoula Montana) and Elder Astle for a week and then Elder Astle was transferred and I had one one senior companion for two weeks. Elder Fernelius was my trainer from Oct 5 thru Oct 29th.

I then transferred to Terrell Texas with my companion Elder Monte Rex Tyler (Ririe, Idaho) from Oct 30^th thru November 30^th. We had a large area and I really enjoyed it. It was there where I dedicated my first grave. I still recall instructions given prior to that use of the Priesthood to make sure I didn’t dedicate it as a FINAL resting place for the deceased member.

I was then transferred back closer to the mission home and assigned as a trainer. I served with Elder Legrand Ellison (Provo, UT) in Garland from Nov 30^th to Jan 26, 1973. Elder Mark Humphries (Summit, Ut) was then assigned to me to be trained from Jan 26^th thru March 1 and finally in Garland Elder James Wakley (Malad. Idaho) served with me as a new missionary from March 1^st thru May 15^th. We had a huge turnover in the mission with almost 130 Elders coming into the mission within four months. That required a lot of the missionaries to be trainers shortly after arriving themselves.

I was a trainer for four months and then transferred to  Stephenville and assigned as a District Leader. I served there with Elders John Ferguson (Whittier, CA) and Elder John Segesman (Rio Del, CA). We were only a trio for one week before Elder Segesman was transferred.  Elder Ferguson was with me from May 15^th to June 5 and then Elder Steven Beckstead was with me from June 5^th thru Sept 25^th.

I was then transferred to Cleburn  with Elder John Vernon Billings (Orem, Utah) for one week (Sept 25 to Oct 2) while waiting to go to Midland in west Texas.

I was called as a co-zone leader with Elder Richard Haire (Winnepeg, Canada) and we served together from Oct 2 thru Feb 25^th. He sneezed three times without fail every morning, never two or four always three.

 I was then assigned to Pampa in the Texas panhandle as a District Leader with Elder Kevin Kimball (LeGrande, Oregon) from Feb 26^th to April 24^th. Elder Leon Bright ((Lewiston, Utah) then served with me from April 25 thru June 5^th .

My final assignment was to Grand Prairie as a trainer. Elder Roger Wilson (Denver, Colorado) served with me from June 6 to July 25^th and Elder David Maughan (Tooele, Utah from July 25^th thru Oct 1, 1974.

May 16, 2011

When were you called on a mission?

After I had completed my first year of college and working for the summer following that semester I started my papers just before my 19^th birthday. We had the papers all ready and submitted to the Bishop so that all I had left was to have my Stake Presidents interview. Well before that happened there was a Bishopric change and a new Bishop called and somehow papers were lost. I started to process again and got the papers all ready but it was now after my 19^th birthday by three weeks. Apparently though the Stake President pushed things through quickly because I had my interview and two weeks later received my call on the same day as Ann Behrmann (Bagley) received hers. I them left two weeks later for the mission home. I received my call on a Saturday, went to Provo the following Saturday to get my clothing as outlined in the call and the following Saturday entered the mission home in Salt Lake City across from the Salt Lake Temple.

I went through the temple for the first time on Oct 2 while in the mission home. We were there for less than a week from Sept 30 to Oct 4 with Elder John Peterson (Logan, UT) as my companion and then flew to Dallas to start the mission.