Thursday, October 28, 2010

We're Going to Need a Bigger Bed!

Lisa and Lyle's kids got together for a cousin's weekend!

Story Time

Story Time


Some Things I remember September 12, 2010



This past month I have had the privilege of having member of Dewey and Beverly’s family pay me a visit. First it was Erricka and Bruce with their children Danelle and James. Then it was Tahnee with her room mate. While Bruce and Erricka were here Bruce wanted me to tell a story on Dewey that he could, after embellishing I’m sure tell their family about Dewey. My answer to this was of course Dewey was always a good boy who never gave anyone a hard time after all I’m sure Dewey could tell better stories about me so it is better not to start some thing that one could not finish. I did however tell Erricka and the children a few things that I remembers and I would like to tell one here that I’m sure Dewey after reading my account will want to finish it or tell the same story from his point of view. After all he experienced it.



There was one time in my working career that I drove a mail truck between Salt Lake and Vernal. On that route I had to stop at all post offices along the way. There were Park City, Heber City, Duchesne City, Myton City, Roosevelt City, Fort Duchesne, Gusher and Vernal. After I finished the run at Vernal I would pick up some empty bread cartons and return to Myton which finished my trip. On this particular morning when I pulled into the Myton Post Office and took what they called the Way Pouch into the Post Office some one said to me “How is your brother”. Now I had been on the road and in Salt Lake the day before and most of the current day and so, we did not have cell phones, had no contact at all with what had been taking place at home. So needles to say I just about panicked. To see what was going on, before leaving Myton, I made a quick trip over to the Seed Plant where mother and dad were working to see what was going on.



For some years now Dad had been first working for The Globe Seed and Feed Company and now Moody Brothers Seed Company as a seed broker. One of his responsibilities was managing what we referred to as the Seed Plant. Over these years it had provided first me then Dewey, then Jerry and I’m sure Darrell a job at the plant as mill operators.

At this particular time Dewey was running the mills during the night shift. I think his friend LeRoy Tehonie was keeping him company. The elevators in the upper story where the cleaner we called the clipper was located were run with one electric motor with a main belt to a shaft that had several wheels, one for each elevator, and belts from each shaft wheel to the elevators wheel. From time to time these belts would dry out and start to slip on the wheels. When this would happen we would climb a ladder to where we could reach the belt, with the system running, and apply some belt dressing. This was done with a tube, containing a dressing, about nine inches long and had a diameter of about one and one quarter inches and in a way operated like a ladies lip stick tube. That is as one use the material in the tube they could expose more by pushing the dressing up the tube.

This night Dewey making the determination that the belt needed some dressing was in the process of applying the dressing when some how, we assume, an article of his clothing got caught between the main wheel and the belt. This as I understand whipped Dewey up over the top of the wheel between the ceiling and the wheel and the slammed him to the floor below and this was not a short distance. This was what the people at the Post Office were referring to when they asked “How is your brother”. We were happy that LeRoy was with Dewey that night and was able to summon help. Over this event Dewey spent a few days in the hospital. He was probably very fortunate as I do not think there were any broken bones. Following this event all of us were much more careful when applying dressing to the belts.

From Anna and Wilmer Murray’s Journal September 2010

From Anna and Wilmer Murray’s Journal September 2010




Friday, September 14, 1979

LaVora was up first this morning. Dad made a fire in the fireplace again. We all pitched in to the peaches and got one batch processed before it was time for LaVora to go on the bus. We waited for about half hour for it to come. All to soon she was on her way home. We really enjoyed having her home. We also enjoyed Shawna. Whe is a very sweet granddaughter

We finished the peaches and sorted the pears, rested for a while then went up to the workshop at the ward. Brother and Sister Alexander were the guest speakers. There were a lot of survival displays out. My part was Home Made Soap. LaVora made a master copy for me before she left and Dad took me up to LaRae Murphey’s this afternoon to get copies make to give out to night. They had sandwiches made with sprouts for greens. They were good. We were home in time to hear the news before going to bed

Saturday September 15, 1979

It is still cool, we took our fruit down stairs and sorted out our storage down there. We are short on caned milk. About ten A M we decided to get a load of wood. That is too late in the day as it got too hot. We got tired too soon. We ate our lunch , traveled and were home at four P.M. I had to hurry to be ready to go to the all Women’s fireside. Sadie came at about six. The meeting was wonderful. I told Sadie to keep me awake but she didn’t do a very good job as I fell asleep and didn’t hear all of President Kimballs message. Guess we worked too hard today.

LaVora called to tell us they had a good trip home and made it in time for the fireside. She said Neil and Ella saw them off on the plane. She also said she enjoyed our trip to Bluebell through the cedars and Clay Basin.

Darrell called to tell us they wouldn’t be here until Sunday. We love to have them come but wish they could come on Saturday.

Dad and Mother in the Corn Field – Myton - 1963

Pictures from Neil

 Dewey – Arizona  Feb 04

Marylyn, LaVora and Neil – Arizona - Feb. 04

Our sister  Arizona   Feb. 04
Jerry and Dewey - Arizona   Feb. 04

Neil Update

Dear Family September 24, 2010




It once again is that time of the month when I should be thinking newsletter. The month has gone by so fast that I really have to think to remember if I did or accomplished anything worth while. Lets see now, there was a work day at Myton, not much rain in September, trying to be a ward mission leader, Jerry and Marylyn are back in Utah, Tahnee and her room mate spent a night with me and Deward, with may others received the silver Beaver Award.



I think Charlene has reported on the activities at Myton. We did a lot of cleaning, blind hanging and tree and shrub trimming so that now we have a lot of stuff to haul away. I have been trying to find out from Myton City when they are planning City clean up day. So far all I got from them is “we have not discussed it”. I did find out, however, that the period when it is legal to burn ends October 15.

My, this has been a dry summer. We did get a fair rain, maybe two tenths of an inch, Wednesday, I think. It was welcome to us and I’m sure the people in the Harriman area, where they had the big bush fire, appreciated it. For those who do not know this fire started at camp Williams due to machine gun practice. They were fortunate that only two or three homes were lost, but that fact does not help those who lost homes.

I’m still trying to figure out what a Ward Mission Leader is supposed to do. I have been doing a lot of visiting and just about have a handle on where people live and rather or not they are members. I kind of decided that part of the job was to growl at people. I tried this in Ward Council meeting last month. I’m not sure it did any good but then it may be a good way to get released.

Jerry and Marylyn stopped in, I guess, a week ago. They were on their way to CostCo’s. Then last Thursday they stopped by and took me to the Temple with them. It was a good session and I think for once I was able to stay awake.

I also had house guests a week or so ago. Anneli’s daughter, Tahnee and her room mate were here for a night. They told me they were lending moral support to one of their friends who was getting married in the Timpunogos Temple.

On the seventeenth we were able to spend most of the afternoon at the Provo Tabernacle as we attended the B S A Silver Beaver awards program. The speaker was Coach LaVell Edwards and we were pleased to witness Deward’s receiving the Silver Beaver Award. It was a long but rewarding experience.



All in all it has been a good month.

Love, Neil

A MEMORY OF CHRISTMAS

A MEMORY OF CHRISTMAS
LOCATION WAS MYTON UTAH
YEAR WAS ABOUT 1943
BY NEIL R. MURRAY

MARCH 27, 1994

Some times we, in our family setting like to ask our grandchildren questions concerning a current activity. There was such a time this last Christmas, Dec. 25, 1994 as Ella and I visited with our grandchildren. I asked the grand children if they could think of a Christmas that was outstanding to them. The grandchildren were coming up with times like the Christmas that we spent at the Aspen Grove Lodge. This was a Christmas where we rented one of the lodges at Aspen Grove and spent Christmas eve and Christmas day there. Along with Christmas we spent some fun time in the snow. At any rate as I listened to their most remembered Christmases I could not help but think back to my own younger years. This is not as easy as one may think.

{(Note to neil from neil) This event was a post LasVegas item. After returning from Vegas Dad went to work for the Renyolds Constution Company based in Springville Utah. Dad was having an operation to repair a hernia . Two as I recall. My mother gives an account of this in her history of Dad.}

There did not seem to be one that I remembered as outstanding but there was one that did stand out. This one was a Christmas that we children were home alone. It seems like it was the year that dad was operated on for double hernias. For some reason the took place in Springville, Utah. I'm not sure but I think this was also the time when Jerry was quite ill. LaVora became quite concerned when Jerry started to talk out of his head. He was saying something like this, "it's under the bed in the basket". LaVora soon dispatched me to sister Giles for help. This good sister accompanied me back to the house to see if she could see what Jerry's problem might be. She must have put our minds as ease. At any rate we retired for the evening.

This Christmas morning found our house without power. This meant that there was no heat as well as no lights. You know the big thing on Christmas morning is to get up early, before daylight to see what Santa brought. Well since our folks were not at home what Santa left was what ever the folks had left for LaVora to put out for the younger children. None-the-less this is the only Christmas that I can remember trying to open the gifts from our uncles, aunts and grandparents while in bed and with no lights. One of the gifts that I remember receiving was form Aunt Grace. it was a boy scout first aid kit.

None-the-less after what seemed like a long wait the sun came up so that we could see our way around. I dressed and found my way down stairs and outside to the fuse box. After a little checking I found that for some reason one of the fuses had blown. I soon found another and it was not too long before the house began to get warm and we could really enjoy the things we got for Christmas.
I remember when dad and mother came home they brought LaVora and I each a pair of ice skits. I remember trying them out on the canal that runs past the farm that used to belong to W. E. Broom. These are the ice skates that Reed had hanging over his mantle.

One thing that I remember most was that after Mother and Dad got home all of out trials were soon forgotten.

I met some other boys. S

Pictures from Neil


August 2010  Nauvoo Ill  Stacy and LaVora
Aug  2010   Dish washers  Nauvoo Ill

Our bell ringer  Bridger  Nauvoo Ill Aug 2010

Carthage Ill   Aug 2010

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

From Anna and Wilmer Murray’s Journal

From Anna and Wilmer Murray’s Journal




Monday, August 4 1980

Everyone survived the night. Jerry and the youngsters prepared the truck and loaded for the fishing trip. They left about 10:30. After they had gone we discovered they hadn’t taken the spare tire. So we put it in the car and thought we might catch them at Bud’s. We went up thee Ioka lane as far as the old Benson place and gave up and came back to Bud’s and ask if they had stopped there. We weren’t sure where they were going. We were just ready to come home to worry, when they drove up. They had discovered they didn’t have the tire. We tried to get them to have some lunch but they decided to go on. I worked on my Visiting Teaching lesson for tomorrow night and ask Marylyn to help me. It was surely quiet around there with just little Jennifer. I made pies. Something went wrong with my crust. It isn’t so good. I worried about Jerry trying to fish and take care of five youngsters. But I ask Heavenly Father to protect then and calm me down. He answered.



Tuesday, August 5, 1980

About all we did was prepare meals and work on the lesson. We fixed supper and were about ready to go to Relief Society when our fisherman returned. The lesson went over fine. Then Marylyn and I excused ourselves and came home to feed our family. Della Kynaston brought us some corn. Bless her heart. So we had corn with our supper. Jerry enjoyed it. Soon everyone was in bed. It was too hot upstairs and the girls found a worm in the quilts they had in the hills. So we fixed them a bed in our room on the floor. Lisa wanted to hear about Deward’s death. So I got my Honor Badge book out and read to them about the family that I had written about each member. It was nearly mid night before we finished. So we had our prayer and went to bed. Jerry came down to see what was going on.

Darrell Kay  - Yellowstone River  - Utah  1959

Dear Family July 2010

Dear Family July 2010




Three cheers for Travis and Steve and all others who had a part in arranging and carrying out our Family Reunion at Nauvoo. I guess when I stop and think about it that would include everyone. Anyhow I thought it was a huge success and I was so happy that my family and I were able to be a part of it. Thanks again to everyone. Our trip home was a good one and at home we essentially found everything as we had left it. So it was not long after we got home that we were back to taking care of our family and home responsibilities.

I guess all of the children and school teachers in our family are preparing for the 2010 – 2011 School year. At least I note that Charlene is, so I expect to soon lose my borders as she will be taking them back to school as well. I guess the proper term, however, is roomers since Charlene is taking care of their meals which amounts to a half dozen crickets or so a week. I just provide the space.

I’m still trying to figure out how to be a Ward Mission Leader as the lessons just seem to just keep passing over my head. I guess this next week I get to help present the ward mission plan. This should be interesting.

Bruce and Erricka and their two children, Danielle and James, stayed with me for a day or so. They were here to enroll Danielle into B Y U. They spent a day in Salt Lake visiting the many places of interest there. While they were here I got them to help me with some family history information concerning their families. This did not seem to be difficult for them as they have these i- pod things, that I don’t understand, that has everything in the world on them. The one Bruce has is also a global positioning device, interesting.

Again thanks for everything, Love, Neil

Thursday, August 19, 2010

John and LaVora’s home – Price, Utah

From Anna and Wilmer Murray’s Journal

Friday, July 4 1980


LaVora called this morning. John talked to us too. I awakened Kerstin. – We picked peas and dug some new potatoes. We shelled one bucket of peas and called Ruth to come get some for their dinner. So she came here and shelled her. We had a nice visit. We shared the potatoes too. We cooked a chicken and Ruth brought us ½ of her angel food cake. We had a good dinner. Mark went to Price to the golf tournament. Spent the rest of the day resting. We went to see how Virginia Smith is. She looked very ill, but said she was better. – We called the Deweys to see if Dewey Wilmer made it home OK. Beverly, Merrissa and Anneli were the only ones home. He arrived home yesterday.



Saturday, July 5 1980

I received my check from the census. It is $391.02. We picked two dishpans full of peas. Kerstin came to help us shell them. We had some for dinner then froze the rest. It made a nice bag full.

We went to Roosevelt to get Dad a hair cut. Went to see Alice and Ada. Visited a little then went to visit Lia while we waited for the Baptismal. Several days ago Glade Perry ask us to go see him baptized. It was nice. The Ivies were there. One of Ralph Ivies grandsons was baptized too. We received a card from Kim Murray. He said they were having fun. I thought the card was from Kim Kessler.

Arizona in February

Dear Family July 2010

It seems that July is about spent and before we know it we will be complaining about it being too cold, so for now let us enjoy the heat, all 103 degrees of it. Now let me see, what have I accomplished this month. Actually the month of July had been a stay at home month. This gave me the time I need to take care of my small garden, fruit trees and family and church responsibilities.



The peas and cherries are harvested and I just picked the last black current for this year this morning. I had a good crop of peas, a fair crop of currents but not many cherries. I think it was too cold for the bees to do their job this spring when the trees were in bloom. Deward, however, had a good crop so we concentrated on saving then from the little worms. I think we did a fair job. We could have probably bought a lot of cherries for what the bait cost. The next thing I’m concentrating on is the apples. I have been spraying them diligently every seven days. Come October we will see if it did any good.



This past Sunday I had the opportunity of being a speaking companion to the High Councilor. The High councilor was my former Stake President. I was his executive Secretary for several years. The Assigned talk was “building on our Ancestral Heritage”. For sentimental person like me it was a challenging assignment. But I got through it. It was nice to have Van and Charlene in the audience to give me moral support. There follows a line from my talk, “When I told my son the subject of my talk he suggested that I wear a Kilt.” I think this may have been interesting to some of the people at least I think I heard someone laugh. They were probably visualizing what I would look like.

Now that assignment is finished maybe I can relax just a little and start thinking about the trip to Nauvoo. Hope to see many of you there.

Hello Murray Family!

Here it is August already...can't believe how fast time flies by! Here is a brief rundown on our family: Lisa, Bob, Kyra and Austin have made the move from S. CA to the SF Bay Area. They are living in a Marriott Residence Inn while waiting to buy or build a home in Morgan Hill. Lyle is still looking for a job in Information Technology, so if any of you hear of any job openings, please keep him in mind. We just enjoyed an early birthday party for Michael, turning 8, and Andrew, turning 2. Baby #5 will join our family in November. Susannah and Kevin are anxiously awaiting a baby to become available to adopt. If any of you know of a young woman who is planning to give her baby up for adoption, please contact our family. Jennifer's next class, Physiology, started this week. We had such fun spending Wednesday afternoons with her and her dog, Nikki, this summer. We did a lot of walking and visiting dog parks. Allison is holding down the fort in Provo, but has done a lot of traveling this summer to China, S. CA and Nauvoo. We are looking forward to being her "roommates" again when we are in Utah for the months of September and October.


The Murray Family Reunion in Nauvoo was terrific! Many thanks to Travis and all of LaVora's family for putting it all together for us to enjoy and remember for the rest of our lives. Many memories were made that we will cherish. We missed all those of you who couldn't attend this year and just have to tell you that you missed a VERY Special and unique family event. It was just wonderful being in Nauvoo where so much early Church history took place. You could really feel the faith and sacrifice of the Prophet Joseph Smith and those early Saints. Our ancestor, Stephen Markham, a bodyguard to the Prophet, was very much a part of the history of that place. I can't explain to you how wonderful it was to be in the Nauvoo Temple with so many of our Murray family. The feeling was overwhelming! That temple is so beautiful! The Nauvoo Pageant was amazing, as well as our time at Carthage and all the other Church history sites. We loved seeing the Mississippi River flowing by and know it was a big part of the Saints' lives back then. I wish that more of our family could have been there to experience what Susannah, Kevin, Allison, Kyra, Jerry and I saw and felt. We were even able to endure the heat and humidity because of the experience we were having.



It is so much fun having our family reunions in different places. How about Oregon next time...??? Thank you, Neil, for being so faithful about keeping us all informed on the Murray Family Blog. You are wonderful!



Love you all,

Marylyn and Jerry

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Kerosene Range

(The picture below is a Kerosene Range – Mother (Anna) cooked on one similar to this one when we lived in Las Vegas – Of course ours was a later model – note the removable oven on top)