The Life History
Of
Donna Marie
Gilbert Stout
On July 11, 1922, in Castle Gate, Utah, a premature baby
girl weighing two pounds was born to Victor Emmanuel and Maria Gilbert. My father, Victor Emmanuel Gilbert was born
in Fayette, Fayette County, Pennsylvania on May 18, 1886. My mother, Maria Parmley Gilbert was born
August 22, 1886 in Winterquarters, Carbon County, Utah.
Dr. McDermott was the physician and Mrs. Stagg was the
practical nurse who took care of Mother.
In those days, doctors use to make house calls so I was born at
home. On one occasion I remember asking
my mother if I was cute and her reply was, "Are you kidding, you didn't
look like anything until you were six weeks old.
One night I was sick and from all outward signs I was dead. Mr. McDermott placed me on the kitchen table
and examined me. He said that I was dead
and that my stomach was as hard as a rock.
Mother and Dad were shocked and said, "She can't be-she mustn't be,
call the Elders." Mother and Daddy
had previously lost two children, Mary Helene and Thomas Andrew, and did not
want to lose another child. So Daddy
went out to get Bishop Stapley because we didn't have a telephone. Not long after that, Daddy came in the front
door and Bishop Stapley in the back door almost the same time. They administered to me and not long after
that I started to breathe and my stomach was soft again. Dr. McDermott exclaimed, "I'm not a
member of the LDS Church, I am a Catholic.
I have witnessed the power of the Priesthood bring that baby back to
life."
I was tiny and I had pneumonia many times, bronchitis,
and double pneumonia during my baby life up until I was 5 years of age. I had many other childhood diseases; measles,
whooping cough, chicken pox and mumps.
When I was a baby, my sister Jo was 11 years of age and had
diphtheria. She had to be isolated in
one room and me in another part of the house.
One day I was looking out of the window and saw the
doctor coming up to the porch. He was
talking to Mother who was sweeping the porch.
He was leaving Castle Gate and he pointed to me and said, "Mrs.
Gilbert, there stands a miracle. Donna
has a mission to perform on this earth.
She wasn't supposed to die when she was a baby."
My mother said that I learned to run before I could
walk. Mother said she put me down on
Aunt Mary's floor, by her round table in the dining room and I got up and just
started to run around that table. Mother
said she never did see me walk.
I use to play in the rocks and run all over the hills in
Castle Gate. Heavenly Father must have
been watching out for me because I never saw a rattle snake.
I attended public school at the Castle Gate Elementary
School, across the street from the Castle Gate Ward church house. I attended grades one through nine at this
school. There use to be around thirty
students attend the school and sometimes they would have to double up the
grades, like third and fourth grade, in one class room. I was lucky because I never had to attend a
double grade class, I was always in a single grade class.
I first attended kindergarten for six weeks during the
summer, before school started in September.
My teacher was Mrs. Taylor then she married Mr. Werritt. One time my mother went to Mrs. Taylor and
asked her how I was doing and she said that I was doing really good but there
is one thing we have got to break her of, she likes to sit with her feet
propped up on her desk.
I didn't live very far from the school so I would walk
home for lunch but there were times when I wanted a lunch so mother would make
a lunch for me. I can't remember what
grade I was in but Mrs. Evans would make chili and cottage pudding and sell
them each for a nickel a dish. When she
did this, mother would give me some money and I would eat at the school. It was good, Mrs. Evans was a good cook.
My first grade teacher was Miss Elsie Peters, second
grade was Miss Ida Segmiller, third grade Mrs. Indra Jensen, fourth grade Miss
Cleo Kruse, fifth grade Miss Hansen, sixth grade Miss Edna Holbrook, seventh
grade Mr. Horace H. Rose, eight grade Mr. E. Winn, Mr. Keith Engar, and Mrs.
Accord, and ninth grade Mr. Earl Accord, Mr. Winn, and Mrs. Hyatt. In school I liked to be in spelling matches
which I was very good at. I really
enjoyed them. In the tenth grade, I went
to school in Price to the old high school.
My sophomore and half of my junior year were at the old high school in
Price, Utah. The other half of my junior
year and senior year we moved to the new college (it was called Carbon College)
and I took my eleventh and twelfth grade.
I also attended two years of Junior College where I majored in
business. Now they have another college
called Eastern Utah College of Price.
Their mascot was the Eagles. Our
high school mascot was the Dinosaurs.
I liked school. I
especially liked recess. I would go
outside and jump rope, play on the bars (I would put one leg on the bar and
spin around and around and hand upside down...I was a regular acrobat), play
jacks, roller skate, and ride Earl's bike (I didn't have one of my own). I even use to have a sleigh but someone broke
it so I used Earl's. One time when I was
on Earl's bike, I couldn't turn the corner by Thacker's so I went straight and
hit a light post (so I wouldn't go over the bank and onto the train tracks) and
really hurt myself. I really hurt Earl's
bike too; I broke the spokes on the tires.
I was seven years old and in the second grade when I was
on the swings. The swing was not put
together right, it was just tied in a knot.
I was hanging by my legs again, like I did on the bars, when all of a
sudden, "bang," I hit the rocks under
the swing. I put my hand to my
chin and it was bleeding. Bulla Snow was
on the ladder swing and saw me fall and rushed me into the principal's
office. They took me home to my mother
and she took me down to the doctor in Castle Gate and he stitched me up. I got three stitches.
I was baptized in an old swimming pool in Castle Gate on
September 14, 1930 by Joseph William Nielsen.
I was so scared that I cried. My
mother was so discussed at me. I hadn't
been in the water very much, I think that is why I was so scared. In those days, the fathers did not do the
baptizing like they do now, they had the Priests in the ward take turns doing
all the baptisms. I was confirmed later
that day in Sacrament Meeting by my bishop, Bishop William B. Stapley.
I began taking piano lessons at the age of nine and took
them for 6 1/2 years from Mrs. Ora B. Harding until she passed away. Then I studied under Melba Hyatt and Earlene
Durrant. My piano teachers would come to
my house to give me my lessons. I also
received my piano lessons free because all the other piano students also came
to our home for their lessons. We had a
large front room so our piano recitals were also held in our home. Often my friends would come to play but had
to wait outside on the porch for an hour while I practiced my pieces. My piano lessons really helped me and I am
thankful I practiced. I played for
Earlene Durrant's dancing class and also Miss Pauline Gordon's class the next
year and it paid for my tuition for two years of junior college. I was thankful I could play for these dance
classes because I would not have been able to get my education. My dad could not afford to pay for my
tuition.
After I graduated from junior college, I went to work in
the Castle Gate Wasatch Store. I helped
with the bookkeeping up stairs by posting charges on people's accounts and
keeping track of what they drew on script (it looked like tin money). I also helped out in the store downstairs by
waiting on the customers. When I started
working, I started out at $65.00 a month.
Then next year, I asked for a raise so that moved me up to $75.00 a
month. When I quit to go on my mission,
I was making $200.00 a month. About
1944-46, I worked on the tipple while a lot of the boys had to go fight in the
World War II. The tipple was a large tin
building behind the store. After the
coal was mined, it was transported by mining cars to the tipple and dumped on
to a conveyor belt where it was cleaned and sorted.
Living so close to the railroad tracks, we would often
have tramps stop by for something to eat and Mom and Dad use to feed them. They marked our fence so that the other men
would know that the people who lived in this house would feed them. One night I answered a knock at the back door
and there stood a Negro man. I let out a
scream. That really scared me. Mother told me that should teach me not to
answer the door at night without her behind me.
As a young girl, I joined the Girl Scouts and went on
several camp outs with them.
All my life I attended Sunday School, Primary (until I
was 14 years of age...they had an extra year of Primary at that time. The classes were 1st and 2nd group, Zion's Boys and Girls, Larks,
Bluebirds, Seagulls, and MaKonowee, and MIA (Mutual Improvement
Association...they had 3 years Bee Hive, Junior Girls and Gleaners for seven
years...I was 24 when I received my Golden Gleaner Award). One year in MIA, I represented the Castle Gate
Ward in Price at our Gold and Green Ball.
Mr. Ross, who lived across from the school house, use to come to MIA and
he would do the Virginia Reel with us. I
would always have to play the piano for him...I would have rather danced. So one time, I finally told him to get
someone else to play the piano so I could dance and he did. I taught in Primary at the age of 14, was the
organist for Primary along with my Mother, a Sunday School teacher and
organist, and MIA organist.
My Grandmother Gilbert, Mary Ann Donaldson, lived with us
for several years before she passed away in the Salt Lake Hospital in May
1941. I remember her quite well.
My oldest sister, Josephine was nine months old when
Daddy left to serve a two year mission to the New Castle England Mission (now
Leeds Mission) for the LDS Church. While
Daddy was in England, he and his companion met a lady who would do some ironing
for them and while they were there, they would play with this lady's baby. About twenty years later, Earl, my youngest brother,
went to this same mission and met the woman who was the young baby that Dad had
played with and tended twenty years earlier.
The church was not very well accepted during the time my Father served
in England so he and his companion often times would require police
protection. They called them
"Bobbies." Dad told us that
one time he and Uncle Joe (my Mother's brother...Joe Parmley, he also went on a
mission with my Dad) were holding a meeting and Uncle Joe got up to give a talk
and someone hollered "Duck."
Uncle Joe ducked and someone threw a bottle that hit the wall and took
all the paint off. It contained acid.
During the time my Dad served a mission, my Mother worked
in the post office and also in the store in Winter Quarters, where they use to
live. Grandma Parmley took care of
Josephine while Mother worked.
My Dad returned home from his mission in 1914 and soon
afterwards my mother was expecting her second baby. I don't know for sure what happened but
Mother said she fell and cut a blood vessel and lost a lot of blood and that
baby was stillborn. It was a little boy
and they named him Thomas Andrew. He was
named after both grandfathers. The
doctor also told my mother that if she had any more children, she would not be
able to carry them full term but she had my little sister Mary and she was full
term. Mary did die eleven months later
from erysipelas (an acute infectious disease of the skin, accompanied by
inflammation, chills, and fever, also called St. Anthon's fire). Mary was just recovering from pneumonia and a
substitute doctor had stopped in to see how she was doing and failed to wash
his hands after visiting the last patient and transmitted this infection to
Mary.
My Dad use to work as a guard up by the mine in the
"Bath House." He would also
keep the lamps filled on the miner's hats with something (I can't remember what
it was) so they could see in the dark mine.
He also use to feed the horses and donkeys that they kept up there. At one time he fell on the manger, where they
fed the hay, and cracked three ribs and had to be taped up. My Dad also took care of a little playground
down there they use to have for the little kids to play on...swings and little
chutes and things that they could play on until 9:00 at night. Dad use to go down there and sit and watch
them so no one would get hurt.
On June 25, 1943, my Father got up and did not feel very
well but told mother he had to go to work anyway and so he did. I lived in the back of Mother's house and got
up early that morning and Mother was sitting by the stove and I asked her what
was wrong and she said Daddy was in the hospital. Mother said Daddy got sick at work and Johnny
(Josephine's husband) had to take him to the hospital in town (Price) because
there wasn't much of a hospital in Castle Gate.
When I went down to see Daddy in the hospital, his face was just grey,
he looked so bad. Daddy was delirious
and kept saying he had to get back and feed the horses. I just sat there and listened to him. He had black stuff coming out of him into a
gallon bottle. I guess that was the
gangrene coming out of him. Later that
day, at 9:00 p.m. he died from peritonitis.
I had gone down to get something to eat and looked down at my watch and
it had stopped at 9:00. When I returned
to the hospital, Mother told me that Daddy was gone and had died at 9:00, the
same time that my watch had stopped. I
felt so bad to lose my Dad. He was
buried in the Price City Cemetery.
My Mother was a spotless house keeper and an excellent cook. She would get down on her hands and knees and
scrub the floors with Lysol. One day a
man came in to our house and told my mother he wouldn't be afraid to eat off
her floor, it was so clean. She would
wax the floor and put newspapers down so if someone came in with dirty feet, it
wouldn't dirty up her nice clean floor.
If I didn't do my chores just right, she would make me go back and do it
again until I got it right. I also had
to chop the wood and bring the coal in until Earl was big enough to do it. Mother also made a meat pie that I really
liked that she always made in a certain pan.
In 1947, I was called on an 18 month LDS mission to the
California Mission. When I was to leave
on my mission, the Sunday School gave me a surprise farewell party at my home
and also the ward gave me a farewell party at the church. Before I left on my mission, I finished my
Golden Gleaner work and received my pin.
I entered the Mission Home in Salt Lake and was set apart
by Mark E. Petersen, Apostle of the Church of June 25, 1947. It was very inspirational. When he set me apart, a feeling came over me
that never happened before. I started to
tremble from my toes up to the top of my head-I trembled all over. There was such a wonderful feeling and not a
dry eye in the audience. The Spirit of
the lord was very powerful. I then went
to the Los Angeles Mission Home where Oscar W. McConkie, father of Bruce R.
McConkie, was the mission president.
They were wonderful people.
I arrived in Santa Maria
on June 27. My first companion assigned
to me was Betty Jane Killpack from Ferron, Utah. In Santa Maria, on June 28, I met Elder
Bernell G. Stout and his companion Elder Sylverster R. Walker at a Sunday
dinner at Branch President Ralph Adams's home.
I fell secretly in love with Bernell.
Sister Killpack said he was married and I felt bad but later on found
out he was single. Bernell carried a
picture of his sister, Donna and his niece, Kay and would tell everyone they
were his wife and daughter.
Bernell and Elder Walker labored at Pismo Beach and Aroyo
Grande. Sister White, Edith Young, Hanah
Siebach, Elder Dalton, and Elder Bateman, were in this District.
I was in Santa Maria for 3 months and we baptized Brother
Mortnesen and Brother Alexander. We use
to call the Mortnesens, Mom and Dad Mortnesen.
They were really nice people.
Then in December 1947, I was transferred to El Centro,
and had to pick up my companion at the Mission Home.
While in El Centro, we had a 3 day conference in Los
Angeles for all California Missionaries.
The first night we went to Bishop Grant's (Adam's Ward) big home. I saw Bernell in the day conference and at
Bishop Grant's home. He talked to me and
paused and wanted to put his arm around me and said, "I forgot we're
missionaries." He asked me for a
large picture and I said he had too many girl friends.
In El Centro, I had Sister Martha Schwartz from
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. We were
there 10 months. We met a Mrs. Wycoff,
who was on crutches. Each time we came
back to see her, she had one crutch, no crutch, a cane and last walked without
a cane. Later on she told us that she
felt that we were led there by the Lord.
We knew that and He helped her to get well. She had polio. Her husband was a Greyhound Bus driver who took
ill and was in the hospital for awhile.
He came home and we asked if he would like to talk to the Elders and he
said yes, so Elder James Hendrickson and Elder Max Moffitt, from Springdale,
Idaho, came there. They talked and the
Elders asked if he would like to be administered to and Mr. Wycoff said
yes. As they were giving him a blessing,
we felt an electric shock pass through us.
The Elders asked him when he was going back to the hospital and he said
never. We were very happy and he was
well within a few days and back to work.
They joined the church, not at the same time, a little while after we
were transferred to Williams, Arizona.
In Williams, Arizona, Sister Donna Facer was my companion
and we had the Muirhead family baptized: Jack, the father; Alice, the mother;
Roberta, the oldest daughter; John Jr. and baby Alice Jr. were blessed.
We also baptized a little Gonzales girl and I also had Sister Ruth
Hunter from Odgen, Utah as a companion.
While I was in Williams, Arizona, I wrote to Bernell but
he never answered my card. I sent him a
birthday card.
In September, I was transferred to Prescott, Arizona and
had Sister Peffers for my companion. She
was an elderly lady about 60 years old.
I was then transferred to Bakersfield, California and had
Sister Verna Carico from Huntington, West Virginia. We stayed at Sister Painter's place.
While living at Sister Painter's place, we gave Elder
Richards a farewell dinner and Bernell came.
I was jittery and fluttery. He
talked to me in the kitchen after dinner while the rest played Chinese
Checkers. We went to the show and
Bernell and I sat together and we held hands.
I saw Bernell once again at West Bakersfield Branch and went to Arvin to
help Bernell and Elder Clark.
I then received a phone call from my mother that I needed
to return home to take my job in the store.
I was not anxious to leave my mission at that time, but wanted to stay
and attend a missionary conference in Los Angeles but was encouraged to return
home to my job. I saw Bernell for the
last time before I was released at a Field Conference in November.
I was released on November 22, 1948 to go home. President McConkie gave me a blessing before
I left. I also went to see Matthew
Cowley to be interviewed before I went home and he too gave me a special
blessing. Brother Cowley even asked me
if I had found someone in the mission that I liked and I told him yes I
did. He said maybe you will get married
and I told him I hoped so. One time while
I was in Prescott, Arizona, Bernell's face kept coming into my mind and I had a
feeling at that time he was the one I was to marry.
During my mission, we were not allowed to have dates but
I sat by Bernell in church and he use to walk with me to the store and to the
mail box. At San Luis Obispo one night,
he sat by me in the show and in Santa Maria he paid my show ticket. Bernell wrote to me back in Castle Gate after
I had been released. For Christmas,
December 1948, Bernell sent me a gold heart necklace.
Bernell was released from the California Mission on March
1, 1949.
Bernell called me and said he was coming to see me and on
March 3, 1949 he came to Castle Gate and stayed for 5 days. After that he made it to see me about every
Sunday.
We went to April 1949 LDS General Conference in Salt Lake
City and on Saturday night, April 3 we went to a Missionary Reunion. On Sunday, April 4, we were invited to Elder
and Sister S.R. Walker's for dinner.
Melvia Donahue let us take her car.
We couldn't find the house so we went back to Salt Lake and rode part
way to Ogden. We parked in front of the
Salt Lake Temple and talked and talked.
I was hoping and praying he would ask me to marry him.
He said, "Wouldn't you look funny with two
children?"
And I said, "Not two but a dozen."
He said finally, "Would you care to marry me?"
I asked him if he was sure he loved me and not anyone
else. He said yes. It made me so happy I cried. I wanted to break the news to Melvia. We told her that we were engaged. She was so happy.
Bernell stayed at Melvia's and slept on the kitchen
floor. The next day, we went to Craner
Jewelers and picked out the rings. The
style of ring was a "Fish Tail" design. It has a 1/2 carat diamond with 2 small ones
on each side. The wedding band has 5
small diamonds.
We didn't go to conference on Monday (Conference use to
be held Saturday, Sunday and Monday--six sessions), we went shopping and spied
Wallace and Arvilla's car in front of ZCMI so I sat in it. I met Arvilla, Wallace, Lois, Lorna Banner
and Sherma Stranger.
They drove to Auerbachs so Bernell and I went to the
jewelers store to get a watch fixed (my crystal had fallen off my watch) and my
rings. He gave it to me in Wallace's car
and kissed me. Wallace and family went
to Ogden and then home.
That night, Bernell left on the bus for Burley and I left
for my home in Castle Gate on another bus.
Bernell got off to say good-bye and almost missed his bus.
Arrived home at 12:00 midnight and I woke Mother to show
her the rings. The next day I went to
work and showed my fine rings to the store force and other people. I was very happy.
Bernell came down for Easter. I gave him a Sunbeam Electric Razor. Josephine gave him a tie.
In May, he came down to get my furniture and shower gifts
to take to Burley. Mother and Jo gave me
the shower May 18 (Dad's birthday). I
did not want a full reception. I dressed
up in a long green dress and Bernell was there with me. Mrs. Evans made ribbon sandwiches with cream
cheese. Received some beautiful gifts.
Bernell's grandfather, John Hryum Koyle had passed away
the day before, May 17, so I met his Mother, Uncle Ross, Uncle Roy and Aunt
Lillian who were down for the funeral.
On May 19, 1949, we went to Grandpa Koyle's funeral and
met Bernell's Dad, Leon and once again saw Arvilla and Wallace. I also met a lot of other relatives.
Josephine wrote up an announcement of our engagement for
the Sun Advocate in April. In July, I
went to Salt Lake to the Deseret News and Tribune to place the announcement of
our forth coming marriage. It was put in
July 10th along with my picture.
My wedding gown was made by my girlfriend, Mrs. Peggy Lou
James. It was made out of white faille
bought from Auerbachs. It had a bustle
back effect, long sleeves and buttoned on the side. She also made me two house dresses and only
charged me $20.00 to make them.
I bought a navy blue dress, blue shoes, gloves, hat and
bag to wear over to the Temple. In Salt
Lake I bought two dresses, brown shoes, also white shoes. I had my Temple outfit made by Relief Society
General Board in Salt Lake City. Bernell
bought my white ballerina shoes in Burley, Idaho. I also bought other clothes for my
trousseau; a brown suit and matching
shorty coat.
I bought towels, sheets, pillow cases, table cloths, wash
cloths from 1942-1949. I also had
different items given to me by friends.
I also bought an electric iron, steam iron, toaster, sandwich toaster,
waffle iron, deep well cooker, iron holder, Westinhouse roaster, stand and
timer clock, mix master, dishes, I also embroidered items for my hope
chest. I bought electric clocks,
laundromat (washer) and dryer and clothes hamper. I also bought a pair of rose colored drapes for
bedroom, doilies were made and give to me by friends and relatives. For Christmas I had blankets and pillow cases
given to me and I bought more blankets.
I bought my own Lane Cedar Chest in 1944 during the
war. I had a choice of blonde or walnut
colored. I chose the walnut wood chest
from D.T.R. in Price, Utah. I also
bought a blonde bedroom set December 1943 from Mutual Merc Furniture Co.
On July 11, 1949, my 27th birthday, Bernell
and I were married in the Manti Temple by President Lewis R. Anderson. Mother, Jo, Johnny, and Melvia Hunt Donahue
went with us. We went on our short
honeymoon to the Utah Parks. It was so
hot that I told Bernell that I wanted to go home.
We came to Burley, Idaho to make our home. We first lived in a small two room house
behind Bernell's parents, then moved into our new home in 1951 that Bernell
built.
On June 11, 1950, Donnell was born in Burley Cottage
Hospital and weighed 6 pounds 12 1/2
ounces and was delivered by Dr. Sutton.
May 17, 1951, Jean was born at the Christensen Maternity Home in Rupert
and weighed 7 pounds and was delivered by Dr. Dalley. October 28, 1952, Barbara was born also at
the Christensen Maternity Home in Rupert, weighed 9 pounds and Dr. Moellmer
delivered her. April 11, 1956, Brent Bernell
was born at the Christensen Maternity Home, he weighed 8 pounds and was
delivered by Dr. Moellmer. January 21,
1959, Vicky Marie was born at Rupert Hospital.
Mrs. Christensen had sold her Maternity Home. Vicky weighed 9 pounds 4 ounces. I do not remember who delivered her. December 24, 1962, Christmas Eve, Jerry
Golden was born at the Cassia Memorial Hospital at Burley and was delivered by
Dr. Annest. He weighed 9 pounds 13 1/2
ounces.
During the time I was pregnant with Jerry, I developed diabetes
and have been on medication to control it ever since that time.
Bernell was 1st Counselor to Brother James
Miller with Gail Richens as 2nd Counselor in the Stake Sunday
School. Filled two Stake Missions, one
was with the Japanese Branch in the Burley Stake. He has worked in Sunday School as a teacher,
MIA Mmen teacher and at this writing (about 1969) is one of the Seven
Presidents of Seventies of the Cassia Stake.
We own a 67 acre farm where Bernell was born and raised
on. We own our home that Bernell built
and he is now remodeling it (about 1969).
He built his garage, barn and camper.
He has worked in a bean warehouse, carpentry, construction and now Sugar
Factory for the last 10 years. He also
has sorted spuds after farm crops were all done.
My Mother passed away on June 25, 1965 from gangrene in
her leg in Price, Utah and is also buried next to Daddy in The Price Cemetery.
I have served as a Sunday School teacher and also a
visiting teacher. My partners have been
Ada Knight, Dorthy Loveland, Vyla Frost, and now Sister Minnie Stoker.
In 1969, Donnell and Jean graduated from Burley High
School. Jean went to Ricks College where
she majored in Elementary Education and Donnell went to work at the Declo
School in the lunch room. At this time,
Barbara was attending school in Burley and since Donnell did not drive, Barbara
was asked to attend school in Declo so she could take Donnell to work each
day. Barbara did not like this at first
but soon had friends at her new school and liked it at Declo.
On March 26, 1971, Jean married Layne S. Porter from
Grover, Wyoming in the Idaho Falls Temple.
Jean and Layne had two children: Darin Layne born September 9, 1972 in
Afton, Wyoming and Brenda Jean born May 7, 1974 in Afton, Wyoming. Darin married Amy Lynn Willis from Hyder,
Arizona on June 20, 1998 in the Mt. Timpanogas Temple and Brenda married James
Brian Snow from Provo, Utah on October 29, 1993 in the Manti Temple. Brenda and Brian have two children; Kassidy
Jean born March 29, 1995 in Provo, Utah and Austin James Born May 16, 1998 in
Orem, Utah.
On June 18, 1992, Layne and Jean adopted Donnell and
James Allred's five children: Eric James born September 27, 1983 in Provo, Utah; Rebecca Jean born February 25,
1985 in Provo, Utah; Shawn Bernell born March 24, 1987 in Provo, Utah; Ramona
Marie born February 9, 1989 in Payson, Utah and Brian John born January 22,
1991 in Payson, Utah.
When Jean lived in Grover, Wyoming we would often go see
her. We also liked to visit with Layne's
mother and father, Melvin and VaLoy Porter.
In 1974, Donnell served a mission in the Kansas Missouri
Mission. Then in 1975, Brent left for
Ecuador to serve a mission in the Quito Ecuador Mission. Donnell arrived home from her mission after
Brent left for his. Donnell did not see
Brent for two years after that.
On May 2, 1975, Dorthy Koyle, a nurse from the Rupert
hospital called about Bernell being in the hospital. I did not know what she was talking
about. No one had called me to tell me
that Bernell had been severely burned when he had unplugged a welder at the
Paul Sugar Factory. Brent was asleep
upstairs so I hollered at him to come down stairs, Dad had been burned and we
needed to go to the hospital. I wish now
we would have stopped at the school to pick up Vicky and Jerry to go to the
hospital with us. Vicky had stayed after
school to try out for the school marching team and had walked over to the
Burley Sugar Factory to catch a ride home with Dad. Don Adams was there and, of course, knew all
about Dad's accident and even had his burned cover-alls there and showed them
to Vicky. Vicky knew nothing about Dad
getting burned so she was quite shocked.
Dad was really mad at Don Adams for doing that to Vicky. Bernell had a good doctor, Dr. Dalley, who
was a doctor during the war in the burn division. Bernell fully recovered from his burns and
has no scares from this accident.
Bernell likes to tease me about a book that I took in to him to read
while he was recovering...."The Refiner's Fire."
On September 29, 1978, Brent married Nancy Ann Hooker
from Hickman, California in Modesto, California. They were sealed a year later, September 29,
1979, in the Logan Temple. Brent and
Nancy have five children: Amy Ann born November 5, 1979 in Pocatello, Idaho;
Carina Rose born August 19, 1983 in Modesto, California; Jacen Brent born April
12, 1986 in Modesto California; Eliza Hope born March 9, 1989 and died March 9,
1989 in Modesto, California and Kelsey Mabella born September 26, 1993 in
Modesto California.
On September 28, 1989, Barbara married Michael Russell
Jones in Ely, Nevada. Mike and Barbara
have two children; Jaeson Michael (a son with Mike's first wife) born March 4,
1971 and recently married Trina Horstmanshoff on June 12, 1999 in Salt Lake City,
Utah and Michele Lee born February 25, 1981 in Provo, Utah.
Vicky entered the MTC on November 5, 1981 to begin
serving a mission for the Guatemala City Guatemala Mission and returned in May
of 1983.
Vicky reported her mission on Sunday then Monday night we
went to bed but Bernell got up and laid back down about four times. Finally I said, "That does it, we're
taking you to the hospital." I went
upstairs and told Vicky that we needed to take Dad to the hospital. Bernell had had a heart attack. In the spring of 1984, Bernell had three
bypasses in Salt Lake at the LDS Hospital.
Donnell married James Richard Allred from Orem, Utah on
February 19, 1982 in the Jordan River Temple.
Together they had five children: Eric James born September 27, 1983 in
Provo, Utah; Rebecca Jean born February 25, 1985 in Provo, Utah; Shawn Bernell
born March 24, 1987 in Provo, Utah; Ramona Marie born February 9, 1989 in
Payson, Utah and Brian John born January 22, 1991 in Payson, Utah.
Jerry married Debra Lynn Thomas on Burley, Idaho on
September 3, 1983 in Elko, Nevada. They
have two sons; Tyson Bernell born April 18, 1984 in Burley, Idaho and Ryan
Thomas born March 17, 1987 in Burley, Idaho.
In 1984, my sister Jo died suddenly of a heart
attack. The hard part was that I had not
seen her for about three years. We went
to Castle Gate for her funeral.
While attending BYU in Provo, Utah, Vicky met Scott Tyler
Johnson from Milpedes California. On
October 11, 1985 Vicky married Scott Tyler Johnson in the Jordon River
Temple. Vicky and Scott have five
children: Nichole Marie born August 1, 1986 in American Fork, Utah; Britney
Cheree born June 24, 1988 in Orem, Utah; Tyler Scott born January 12, 1990 in
Riverside, California; Tiffany Jean born October 22, 1991 in Modesto,
California and Ashley Kate born July 3, 1997 in Modesto California.
Around the first of August, 1986 some funny things began
to happen. I had my shower that day and
my hair was dry but all of a sudden I broke out in a heavy sweat and my hair
was all wet again just like it was the morning.
Bernell and I went to Bryce Greener's reception that evening and I was
quite confused. I knew I was at a
reception but it felt like I wasn't really there. I thought if I got something sweet to eat it
might help me so I had some refreshments and it kind of brought me out of
it. Bernell and I had to go into town
after the reception to get some things because we were going to the temple the
next day. During the temple session I
had a spell where it felt like a blind went down in front of me. I couldn't see anything. I wasn't there. After a short time, the blind went up and I
looked around and I was standing up all by myself. I was quite embarrassed. The next day was Sunday so Bernell and I went
to church and I was really happy, I had had a good night rest. Then Monday, Dad came in and asked me if I was
going to get up for breakfast and I thought, "What's breakfast?" I went in to the kitchen table and saw this
big box of cereal on the table and thought, "Boy, that's a big box, I
wonder what's in it." That evening
I stood at the cupboard trying to decide what to fix for supper. I got out a pan and wondered what to do with
it. I was confused. Dad was taking care of the parks at that time
and I was afraid to stay by myself so I would visit with Mrs. Gooch's while he
was gone.
This went on until about November when one evening we
went over to Chet Christiansen's to see their new motor home. I don't even remember getting into bed that
night. The next morning Bernell got up
and saw that I was still asleep and decided to let me sleep and went outside to
feed two steers that we had. He came
back in and I was still asleep so he took the garbage out to the land-fill and
when he came back I was still asleep so he tickled my feet and no
response. It was 11:00 a.m. when he
called an ambulance to take me to the hospital.
When I woke up, I did not know where I was. I looked around and saw the IV hanging and
that I was in the hospital. My first
thought was that we had had an accident but a nurse soon came in and told me I
had been in a diabetic coma. Dr. Walter
Peterson, who was my doctor at the time, told me I was taking too many pills. I reminded that I was taking the amount that
he had prescribed for me when I last visited him in August of 1985. He had failed to cut back my medicine and
this caused me to go into the diabetic
coma.
The first recreation vehicle we bought was a motor home
and we went to California for the winter and stayed with Brent and Nancy. I did not like it because we could not go
anywhere without asking someone to take us so when we came home that spring, we
sold the motor home and bought a brand new 1988 Prowler Regeal 5th
wheel trailer. It was really a nice
place to live in...just like home.
For the next several years, we would travel to California
and park our trailer at Brent and Nancy's and Scott and Vicky's. One winter, Dad helped Scott and Vicky build
their new home. He really enjoyed
that. We also enjoyed being with our
grandchildren (Brent and Nancy's and Scott and Vicky's children) and being so
close to them. We really got to know
them during those years that we spent the winter with them. We also joined the Good Sam's Club, our group
was called "The Saringa Sams."
We went to such places as Hell's Canyon, Thousand Springs, Craters of
the Moon and Indian Hot Springs. We did
this from about 1988-1992 and we really had a lot of fun. We also liked to go on trips with our friends
here in Burley, the Tilley's and Tarvel and Gwenna Rasmassen. In July of 1988, we traveled to Manti, Utah
and attended a session at the Manti Temple and that evening watched the Manti Pageant. This was the first time we had been back to
the Manti Temple since we were married there in 1949.
In 1990 I had two separate carpel tunnel surgeries, one
on each hand and Bernell also had his second prostate surgery in Twin
Falls. It was Thanksgiving time and
Layne and Jean came from Provo to bring Dad home from the hospital. Jean cooked Thanksgiving dinner for us.
The last time we stayed in California for the winter was
in 1992.
Bernell had his second heart surgery in 1993. Jerry had taken me to dinner for Mother's Day
and when we returned to the hospital, Bernell was not there. They had sent him to Salt Lake just before I
returned so Mr. and Mrs. Neal Thomas (Debbie's Mom and Dad) took me as far as
the weigh station where I met Barbara and Mike to take me on in to Salt Lake.
On October 29, 1993, we attended Brenda's wedding to
Brian Snow. She was married in the Manti
Temple, the same temple Dad and I were married in. I was so happy. Brenda and Brian now have two children:
Kassidy Jean born March 29, 1995 in Provo, Utah and Austin James born May 16,
1998 in Orem, Utah. They are my first
great-grandchildren and they are so cute.
For Thanksgiving in 1996, Brent and Nancy bought Bernell
and I a plane ticket and flew us down to California. I asked Brent if he wasn't tired of having us
down and he said, "no." We
really enjoyed our visit.
Bernell had his third prostate surgery May 5, 1998 and
also had his arm repaired. He was in his
shop a couple of months earlier and had pulled a nail out of the cinder block
wall and tore something in his arm. It
never did heal and so the doctors repaired it at the same time. Jean came from Provo to be with me while I
was alone at home and to help me get back and forth to the hospital to visit
with Bernell. I was happy to have her
here with me. Brenda was expecting her
second baby and Jean was afraid Brenda would have her baby while she was in
Burley with me but Brenda waited until Jean got back home. I was so glad.
Darin Layne Porter and Amy Lynn Willis were married on
June 20, 1998 in the Mt. Timpanogas Temple in American Fork, Utah. Brent and Nancy drove from California and
picked Bernell and I up here in Burley then drove us to Provo so that we could
attend the wedding. The traffic is so
bad through Salt Lake with all the construction that is going on that Bernell
does not want to drive through there. We
probably would not have been able to attend Darin's wedding if they had not
taken us down with them.
Right now we are anticipating our Golden Wedding in July
and we are excited to have all of our family here with us. We have a big family and we love them all,
their husbands, wives, our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren. They are my pride and joy. I feel that Heavenly Father sent me his
choices spirits. All my children are so
beautiful.
The highlight of my day is when I receive a letter or
some pictures from one of my children or grandchildren. I love pictures. I love to surround myself with the pictures
of my family.
My family is
my life!
-written by Donna Marie Gilbert Stout about 1969
updated and revised July 1999
(The following is the article that was written for Mother for the
Stout Family Newsletter in 1999)
Mom-(Great)Grandma
Mom thoroughly
enjoyed the Golden Wedding Celebration this past July and I know it meant a lot
to her to have each and every one of us there.
As she stated in her family history, her family is her life. This became very evident as I searched
through boxes of saved photos, cards and letters. I also came upon a paper that was written by
Barbara when she was about 15 years old that she had written for an honor badge
she was earning in mutual (MIA-Mutual Improvement Association, now Young
Womens). When I found this paper, I
showed it to Mom and she immediately knew what it was and what it
contained. As I read this paper Barbara
had written so many years ago, I knew why this still meant so much to our
mother. Barbara, I hope you don’t mind
but I have chosen to include your report in this years newsletter. As you read it, I think each one of you will
know, too, why this was one of Mom’s “priceless possessions”:
I have
filled the requirements for Honor Badge No. 3 in the Field of “Honor
Womanhood”.
I chose this
Honor Badge because I love my family and enjoy living with them.
My Dad is a
hard worker. He is the head of the
family, good looking, very nice and stands 5 ft. 11 ½ in. He is a crane operator at the sugar factory,
he is a carpenter. He built our camper
and is now building a new front room and two bedrooms. For his description he has black hair, 5 ft.
11 ½ in. His individual traits are; he
likes to build, go camping, likes to make new friends, he likes to go on trips,
he likes fishing, likes to play games with us, likes to play baseball with us,
likes to play games. His special
talents are building, raising cattle, and he likes the gospel. I admire him because his is my father, he
likes to take us almost every place we want to go. He likes to do things for me and I admire him
at all times.
My mother is
the cook, house cleaner (when we aren’t there), she is the head of the family
when dad is not there. Her descriptions
are: she is 5 ft. 6 in., dark brown hair, very pretty. Individual traits are: she is nice, always
friendly, very helpful, always willing to do something. Her special talents are: she likes to play
the piano, to cook, cleaning, she likes fixing pretty things, she likes to try
new recipes, do some yard work. I admire
her because she is always there when I need her, always helps me with things I
can’t understand or things I can’t do, she is very nice, friendly, and likes to
meet my new friends that she hasn’t met, she is always willing to do things for
me, she is a very good cook, and I admire her in everything. She always likes to go on trips.
My sister
Donnell. Her description: she is 5 ft. 5
in., light brown hair, and she is not fat.
Individual traits: she likes to look neat and clean, always friendly,
always likes to meet new friends, always likes to go on trips, likes to go to
camp, sometimes is helpful, she is always polite, and is very nice. Special talents: she likes to baby sit,
embroidery, textile paints on dish towels, she likes to paint by numbers, she
likes to read, she likes music, she likes to sew. I admire her when she helps me, is nice, she
likes to sometimes do the things I do and I admire her and love her always.
My sister
Jean. Description: She is 5 ft. 2 2/3
in., has light brown hair, isn’t fat.
Individual traits: She is friendly, always likes to make new friends,
likes music, she is dependable, she likes to be neat and clean, and she always
likes to do things and go on trips. Her
talents: She likes to drive the car and Yamaha motor bike, she likes to sew,
likes to play the piano, accordion, melodica, knitting, crocheting, she likes
to play baseball, she likes to cook, baby sitting. I admire her because she is always close to
me, always is willing to do things with me, always helping me with things I can
not do or understand, and I admire her and love her always.
My brother
Brent. Description: He is 4 ft. 9 in.,
has dark blond hair, and he is cute. His
traits: he likes to make friends, he is very helpful, he helps dad with chores,
sometimes fights with my little sister and little brother, he likes to play
with animals, he likes animals. Talents:
He plays piano, trombone, he likes to go fishing, likes to do experiments with
his chemistry set, likes bike riding, Yamaha riding, and reading. I admire him because he lets me ride his
bike, he is always nice, he likes to go places with me.
My sister
Vicky. Description: She is 4 ft. 3 in.,
blonde hair, and not fat. Traits: She
likes to make new friends, always nice, she is kind, sweet, helpful, and fights
with Jerry (not always). She is loving
towards animals. Talents: Bike riding,
reading, go on trips, likes drawing, painting, sewing Barbie dresses. I admire her and love her because she is
always nice, she likes to go places with me.
My brother
Jerry. Description: He is 3 ft. 6 in.,
Has blonde hair. Traits: He likes to
meet new people, he makes new friends, he is sweet, nice, and loves animals, he
likes to play with his puppy. Talents:
He likes to ride his trike. He doesn’t
have very many talents because he is four years old. I admire him and love him because he is very
sweet and is always nice.
Written by Barbara
Stout 7/16/67
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