Chapter 5:  San Pedro, California (1958-1962)

"Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities."  The Family--A Proclamation to the World

Did you know that Grandpa was in the Space Program?  Grandpa was transferred to the Space Systems Division of the Air Force to do research and development.  The family was transferred to the West Coast after living in Ohio and Alabama.  This job required Grandpa Halvorsen to be gone from the family a lot.  To make up for this the family planned a lot of vacations to camp, ski, and visit grandparents.  

The family discovered some favorite camping spots during this time.  They camped, hiked, and fished in Yosemite, Mammoth, Kings Canyon, CA, and Zion National Park.  They traveled to Carson City to visit Grandparents and even lived there for a few months after leaving San Pedro before moving to Germany. They took time out of their busy lives to build the relationships that mattered most.  How can you become a better friend to your brother or sister?  When was the last time you told your grandparents that you love them?

Grandma Alta had a lot of responsibility with being the Primary President, raising 4 kids (Uncle Mike wasn't born yet), and helping friends and neighbors.  Yet she always found time to be a support for each child.  Uncle Brad called her his "best friend" and commented about how she gave him "tremendous encouragement and support".  She encouraged her kids to try new things, lovingly drove them from activity to activity, and even let her kids choose for themselves whether they would attend church activities.  This helped them commit and gain testimonies for themselves.  

Grandma was a courageous woman as we have been learning.  She had to place herself in new and unfamiliar experiences often as she moved the family around the world.  In California she even learned some plumbing when the pipes needed to be drained and Grandpa was away.  How do you feel when you have to try something new?  It is scary but you can learn and grow from that experience.

Some Discussion Ideas:

What makes our family relationships so important?  What can we do to strengthen our own family?  What are some activities you like to do with your family?  Is there a day this week that you can do one of those activities as a family?  Here are some fun things we like to do:  Caleb learning a new skill:), Attending a dance and award assembly with Grandpa Halvorsen, playing at home with Nana's blocks, going to the beach, here we are with Aunt Lucy in San Clemente.

Grandma Alta Chapter 4--wife, mother, Air Force life

Setting up house after their marriage, Grandma expressed excitement with simple things.  Like her washing machine and toaster.  She even offered to do her family's laundry for them if they would send it to her!
She did a lot of typing to help Grandpa get through two degrees in record time.  He said she earned the degrees with him, and that he could never have done it without her help.  Even though they were very busy, they took time for fun (golfing, deep sea fishing together, having visits with friends).  They made do with very few things.  She told a funny story about having friends over and it was really dark in the living room because they didn't have any lamps in there.  She said that would be their next project.
She wrote a cute letter to her family announcing her first pregnancy.  She told her parents she couldn't wait to give them their Christmas present, and they could choose boy or girl, it might be either.  15 lb weight gain was all the doctor wanted her to gain!!!  She was sorry to not be able to eat fruit--especially the watermelons in Florida.  
Military moving--Grandma said moving was hard as the kids got older and had to move away from their friends, but that it really brought the family closer together.  They made lots of friends, and saw a lot of the world.
She did talk a bit about the stress of inviting important people over, but she got over it when she realized that people are people no matter how rich and important, and she soon found her groove with all the hostessing she had to do.
Tired mother story--the same things happening in 1950s as now--Aunt Marilyn drawing on walls, getting a bad burn, climbing up on everything, being picky eater, too busy to spend enough time with everyone.
It was very sweet to read the story in Grandma's words of the traumatic burn experience.  She felt so sorry because she felt she had been too busy doing too many things--trying to iron while feed people lunch and look after the kids.  She also expressed during this time that she felt Brad didn't get the attention he needed during grade 1.  She said that they did their best but it seemed that they didn't do enough.  Sometimes as parents we just can't be everywhere and do everything we need/want to, but all we can do is our best!  It was interesting to read Brad's comment that he felt his mom was always there for him when he needed her and that she helped him with moving transitions and new schools.  So it seems that our efforts are noticed and felt by our children even if they don't have the ability to express that to us.

To Discuss:  At different stages of their lives Grandma had to get by with very little money.  She always expressed gratitude for what she had, and she was very inventive in meeting the needs of their family.  She also had a great sense of humor in describing her changing situation.  In what ways can a sense of gratitude and humor be a blessing in our lives?  Grandma also found that she just needed to be herself when in the company of rich and important people.  How can that lesson she learned help us to do the things we will be asked to do in our lives?

Grandma Alta's Childhood (as seen earlier in the WW)

Grandma Alta’s Childhood

We all know that Alta Jolley Halvorsen was born right outside of Zion National Park in a little town called Springdale, UT.  She was born on September 16, 1923.  That was just a few years before the country, and most of the world went into what is called The Great Depression.  That was a time when many people were out of work, families lost their homes, fathers lost jobs, and kids went without a lot of the comforts that we have today.

Grandma remembered some of the effects of the Depression.  Their family felt lucky that her dad still had a job working for Zion National Park.  He was generous with helping others who struggled during that time.  She also remembered her mother giving rides to people who didn’t have cars of their own.  They had one bicycle for Grandma and her two sisters to share.  Do you think you could share your bicycle with your family?

How do you think it would be to grow up with a beautiful national park as your backyard?  When Grandma was five years old her family moved into the park.  Grandma Alta loved to hike and explore those beautiful red cliffs and wandered through those canyons.  One day as a young woman, she went hiking with a friend.  They climbed to the top of a high peak with a beautiful overlook of the park.  The two girls thought it would be neat to have a seat and enjoy the view.  The two girls were so used to the heights and the park that they sat with their feet dangling over the edge of a tall cliff.  Her dad, Grandpa Jolley, knew where the girls were and knew they were too close to danger.  He was careful to quietly walk behind her so he could grab her collar and pull her back to safety.  Grandma got so used to those mountains that she forgot that she needed to be careful while exploring.

For Discussion

When hearing this story it’s amazing to think about how aware Grandpa Jolley was of his daughter’s whereabouts. Maybe this can remind us about how aware Heavenly Father is of His children—us—and how much He loves and cares for us. He knows exactly where we are at all times and will watch over and protect us from temptation and evil if we will listen to Him. Also, we can learn a lot from how Grandma’s parents helped those in need during the great depression, both financially and physically. We could talk about how we help people out financially today through tithes and offerings, or other extra things we do for people we know in our neighborhoods or local areas. Additionally, during the depression toys and other niceties were very scarce. Grandma and her siblings had to share things, like the bicycle mentioned above. How can you follow Grandma’s example of sharing? Aren’t we grateful for these great examples we have to follow?

Pictures of G&G's courtship

Grandpa proposing at the ski hill--Elsie 

I decided to draw my picture on when they were split up and Grandpa was in the Air Force and Grandma was in NYC working in the restaurant--Caleb

Grandpa's marriage--Elsie

Grandma Alta: Post Graduation and Courtship with Grandpa

Grandma Alta: Post Graduation and Courtship with Grandpa

      Grandma Alta and Grandpa wrote many letters during college and longed to be together. Grandpa was serving in the Army Air Corps and was uncertain about how long and where he would be serving in the military. Despite the many uncertainties (the war, Grandpa’s deployment, Grandma’s education and early career) Grandpa was resolute in his interest in Grandma Alta. While in training camp in Michigan (1944) Grandpa wrote that Grandma Alta was “the only girl he wanted to marry” and the only one to whom he’d ever expressed his love. While Grandpa and Grandma shared mutual interest, there would be many months and years of waiting before this dream was realized.

      In February 1945 Grandpa wrote from Belem, Brazil and asked Grandma Alta if she wanted a gold or a white ring band. They wrote many more letters to each other as Grandma Alta finished up college. Grandpa longed to be at her graduation but the war with Germany had just ended (May 1945), meaning his future was again uncertain. He sent her a gift from India and wondered if she was going to be headed East to look for a job—he admitted to having selfish reasons for asking her to head East as he wanted to see her more when he flew into Florida.

      After Graduation, Grandma went home to Boulder City for a couple months and then with a friend (Mary White), decided to fulfill their childhood dream of living in New York City. They both found work as waitresses at a restaurant and enjoyed exploring the city as well as attending concerts and programs during their time off. Grandpa flew into New York City at Christmas time (1945) and was able to see Grandma Alta for a couple of days. Yet this brief encounter was again followed by ongoing separation.

While Grandma enjoyed New York, her friend Mary had returned home due to complications with Bells Palsy (February, 1946). Missing her friend and family, Grandma decided to return back to Boulder City. As she planned her return home, she detoured to see Grandpa, determined to put Grandpa’s feelings “to the test.” She wrote to her friend Mary that she was so excited to see him, and that now she would finally know: “does he or doesn’t he love me.” However, during the visit Grandpa explained he was still unsure of his future and therefore their relationship. Grandma was heart broken after this visit; she had longed to be with him for so long and now their relationship had cooled. Grandpa did have the opportunity to get out of the Air Force but by “chance”, spontaneously decided to take an Air Force career test and was offered regular commission.

      Grandma Alta went back to Boulder and tried to keep herself busy. While she was working for the Park service in Boulder her boss told her of a job in San Francisco. She decided to take the job and move to San Francisco in Nov 1947. In San Francisco Grandma lived with her Aunt Ivie. San Francisco exposed Grandma to many activities. She loved to dance. She was crowned queen of the Gold and Green Ball. She joined the committee to write a program for the May festival where they played Pit and Bingo. She dated a lot and loved to go skiing with her friends. She liked her job and joined the National Secretaries Association but she didn’t see how she could progress in the job. She took a speech giving class. A few times Great Grandma and Grandpa Halvorsen (Grandpa Gail’s parents) would invite Grandma Alta down to visit them. They seemed to hope Grandma and Grandpa would get married eventually. Grandma Alta enjoyed her visits with Great Grandma and Grandpa Halvorsen but was unsure if her and Grandpa would get married. She saw Grandpa a couple of times when he was on leave but their relationship was not serious, she continued to date other boys. In May 1948 Grandma decided to move back to Boulder City to be by her family.

      As things were low key back in Boulder, Grandma reconnected with her friend Mary who was a missionary. After exchanging letters about missionary work, Grandma went to visit Mary White in Mexico (October of 1948) where she was serving her mission. This experience left quite an impression on Grandma and motivated her to serve. This feeling was further accelerated as the mission president invited her to come serve a mission there (with Mary). The Mission President was very confident in her and said she would make a wonderful missionary especially with all her leadership skills. At Christmas time (1948) Grandma was really considering a mission and wrote to Grandpa to tell him she was thinking of leaving to serve. Meanwhile Grandpa had been doing the Berlin Airlift and was becoming famous as “The Candy Bomber”. However, upon receiving her letter he immediately wrote back, telling her he needed to see her before she left. He said that he couldn’t imagine her going away for such a long time! Grandpa flew back to the states in January (1949) and had many welcome home parties and interviews to attend. He finally was able to make it to Boulder City to see Grandma in early March. They knew from the moment they saw each other after nearly three years that any talk of leaving on a mission was now over. Grandpa took Grandma skiing and proposed to her with the diamond he had purchased for her earlier while in Brazil. She said yes right away. After nearly 5 years of waiting, they were married the following a month after the proposal (April 1949), beginning a legacy of family that continues to expand today.

Topics for Discussion 
      
      Sometimes we really want something to work out for us right away. Grandma and Grandpa wanted to get married all the way back in 1944. How would their life have been different if Grandpa would have gotten out of the military in 1946? Would he have become the Candy Bomber and impacted so many lives? How did Grandma’s experiences such as living in different parts of the country, hosting various activities, attending formal Ball’s, and taking a speech classes prepare her to be married to a famous military officer and to live in different parts of the world? Grandma always stayed close to the Lord, even during times of uncertainty about her path in life. The Lord had perfect timing and prepared both Grandma and Grandpa for an even greater life than they imagined for themselves. If we put our trust in the Lord and His timing, He will mold us into something greater than we thought possible.

Grandma Alta's College Years--July, 2013

Grandma Alta's College Years

Grandma Alta was an excellent student and she got a scholarship to go to Utah State University (in Logan Utah). She went to school for 4 years—and they just happened to be the same four years as World War II! Have you ever met anyone who was everyone's friend? Popular and fun and interested in lots of different things? That's how Grandma was. She was busy while she was at school—she always had a job to support herself, she belonged to a special club called the Spurs that did fun things as well as service, she went to dances with friends, went on dates, went skiing, and always did all the sports at the school that women were allowed to do. She was very involved with different committees at school, and she was even voted in to be the secretary for student government! Grandma's best friend Mary said that Grandma was always friendly to everyone and had a great way of “sharing” herself—she was kind to all. Even though she was popular, Grandma still had times of feeling homesick. She loved her family and wrote wonderful letters to them, always thanking them and expressing love for “the most wonderful family in all the world!” She really wanted her sister Lorna to come to school with her so she could help her and show her all the things that she had had to figure out on her own.

She really encouraged others to stick with school, and she wanted to graduate before she left school, which she did—she got a Bachelor of Science degree in Secretarial Science.

Being at school during the war was kind of interesting. At one point, Grandma said it was practically an all-girls school, because almost all the men were away fighting in the war. There were some men training for the army (cadets) that were on campus as well. That would make school dances interesting, wouldn't it? Grandma did meet Grandpa while he was at school for a short time before he left too, and they wrote many letters to each other. Once he sent her a Christmas package at the beginning of December—do you think she could wait until Christmas? She put it in the closet for 7 minutes, and then she couldn't wait any longer! He sent her a purse and 3 pairs of silk stockings and she was very happy and thankful! She wrote to thank him and said, “I can live like a queen, only better! Even a queen couldn't get silk hose here.” This was because things like bobby pins, silk stockings, and tin cans were used to make weapons, and people didn't have them. Each person got a Ration Book with stamps to buy food like sugar, butter, meat, and gasoline with because those things were also in short supply. Grandma said that there were many sacrifices everyone in the country had to make, but they didn't mind because they had great pride in their country and military forces and knew they could win the War. Another way she saved money was by making all her clothes! She was very good at sewing, and she always looked for good deals when she did spend money.

For Discussion:

Grandma was a friend to everyone—do you think she knew that everyone liked her? Sometimes we aren't aware of all the people we can influence with our examples.

Grandma was homesick and far from home, but she kept herself busy doing all sorts of things which helped her not to fret about the war or miss home too much. She looked for ways to be involved with school and in develop her own talents, instead of sitting around feeling sorry for herself.

Grandma knew other girls who quit school to get high-paying jobs working for the military, or who quit and went into the service. It was important for her to finish school first before she did anything else. Why is it important to gain a good education?

Grandma said that the sacrifices people in America made during the war years gave them a great feeling of togetherness and working for a common cause. How can sacrificing help us grow closer to others?