Whispers From The Past/Tales Told: Shortest day of the year 76 Years ago

Whispers From The Past/Tales Told: Shortest day of the year 76 Years ago: "Albion Campus, Wintertime (Just across the street from the Perrins Home) Fall of 1934 Mother is going to Albion State Normal Schoo..."

Shortest day of the year 76 Years ago

Albion Campus, Wintertime  (Just across the street from the Perrins Home)

Fall of 1934

• Mother is going to Albion State Normal School .

• Dad is in his second year of teaching at Almo.

December 1934, Verona had decided to give it one more try at becoming a teacher and enrolled in the Albion State Normal  School.  She was living in her parents home just across the street from the campus.
Vern, had received his "Life Certificate" in June of 1933 from Albion State Normal School  which qualified him to teach  in Idaho, grades one thru nine.  He was twenty years old when he got a teaching job in Almo, Idaho, thirty miles south of Albion earning $75.00 a month.  

School where Vern's first teaching job in Almo, Idaho.  Burned to the ground in 1945

Vern and Verona decided to get married during Christmas vacation.
But, there was a problem - Vern's mother, Ethel was not happy about 
Vern marrying Verona and went to Verona's house to talk her out of it. Verona told Ethel  that they were getting married in the Temple and since Ethel had never 'gone through the Temple' she  was invited to go with them to get her own endowments.  Then Verona told her if she disapproved with that plan then they would go to Twin Falls, a town about seventy miles away and be married by the judge.  Verona reminded her how they had gone together for several years and were ready to be married.  Ethel changed her mind and said she would go along with what Verona  and Vern had planned. 

They were to be married in the Logan Temple on Friday the 21st so the plan was to  pick up Vern on Thursday afternoon and drive to Logan that same day.   Verona, Ethel and Louise (Vern's sister, age 16) left Albion on Wednesday for Almo, Verona writes, " the  road to Almo was not very good in the summer, so in the winter the road was terrible, and there was lots of snow on the road."  Verona didn't know how to drive, and Ethel who's right leg was permanently stiff (another story to be told) Verona writes,  "Because of Ethel's stiff leg she wasn't the best driver, it was very hard for her to manage the  gas pedal, clutch, and brake.   (I just can't imagine!)    Verona really thought a few times they would not make it to Almo but, with a lot of praying and much encouragement from Louise and Verona, Ethel kept going.  They arrived in Almo safely, Vern was ready to go, so they continued their journey to Logan arriving there late but, in time for a late dinner with Vern's Uncle Fred and Aunt Lilly Kidgell, the relatives they were going to stay with.
After dinner, Uncle Fred and Aunt Lilly started gathering up  temple clothes for Vern.  Verona writes  "We could rent clothes at the Temple but, we had to save money where we could."  They couldn't find pants large enough for Vern so on Thursday, Ethel and Lilly put a V shaped piece of white  cloth in the back to make them large enough for him.
Verona's wedding dress was made from material of her mother's wedding dress.  Verona's sister Gladys and sister Kerma  and sister-in-law Ida all wore this dress when they were married.

Logan Temple in Winter

21 December 1934, 76 Years ago today

Verona and Vern entered the Logan Temple at seven  in the morning.  That V that was put in Vern's pants, Verona writes," Seems like that was all I could see all the way through the Temple when I would see Vern climb up the stairs going from room to room." 

(Oh my!  This is so typical of Mom.)

Verona writes "There was only one other couple married that day and they were an Indian couple.  I must say the sisters in the Temple were so kind and sweet to me.  One sister gave me a pink ribbon to tie around the marriage license.  She said she had picked Vern out as my husband because he was so handsome and she could just see what beautiful couple we would make."

Now husband and wife, they went back to Uncle Fred's house to get their  luggage for their 'honeymoon' to Salt Lake City.   While they were saying  their good byes to Ethel and  Louise, Ethel had a request, would they take Louise with them!  NO!

This would be Verona's first trip to a big city like Salt Lake.   It was raining hard and they had a flat tire!  Vern fixed it, and was completely soaked when he got back in the car. 

They stayed at the Temple Square Hotel, room 242 at $3.00 a night for the next three nights.    Saturday night they went dancing at the Rainbow Gardens.

Twice they were invited to dinner, once at Vern's cousin home, Pauline and husband Gorton Matson  and Vern's Aunt Mary's home.  

Vern & Verona 1935

Verona writes, "The three days went by very fast.  We left Salt Lake Monday morning, picked up Vern's mother and Louise in Logan then onto Albion to spend the rest of the Christmas Holidays with our families before taking up house keeping in Almo in a one room apartment."

Mother was 20 years old and Dad was 21.