124

PATRICIA WOOD NIELSON PART TWO

We traveled quite a bit over the years. One of the first trips was to
Newport Beach in California where Mervs sister Beverly Fowles lived. We put
the mattress from the crib in the backseat of our two door Chevrolet and put
Marilyn on the mattress. She was about five months old and could roll around
or sleep whenever she wanted to. While on the way Marilyn managed to squirm
around until she fell through the crack between the mattress and the front
seats. It took quite some maneuvering to get her out. She wasnt happy about
that.
It was quite hot going across the Mojave Desert to California. This was in
the days before car air-conditioning or radios. Coming back it was well over
100 degrees outside. We had to keep the windows closed to keep the hot air out
and I gave Marilyn a cool wet washcloth to play with. It seemed to work, but it
was a miserable trip. In Newport Beach, Beverly had a son that was about
Marilyns age and we put them outside on a blanket where they proceeded to
find each others thumbs to suck. They got along just
fine.
Another trip was to the White Mountains in
Arizona. We rented a small cabin with a wood burning
stove. Merv helped not quite 2 year old Marilyn catch
her first fish. I was pregnant with Virginia at the time
and the smell of the fish cooking made me sick. I have
never been happy eating fish since
A third trip was also to the White Mountains after
we had all three girls. We rented a small house in a very
quiet area. While there we could sit in the living room with a big fire in the
fireplace and watch deer and turkeys feeding out in a large field across the
road. We were all cold on that trip.
While we lived on Cherry Avenue, Merv bought a truck. We were driving a
two door Impala Chevolet at the time. It wasnt quite rugged enough to go out
in the terrain for Merv to collect his insectsso the truck was a must.
Eventually he traded that truck in for a newer model. It was at that time we
bought a camper to fit on the back of the truck.
The camper had a nice little kitchen area, a bed
over the cab of the truck, a bench along one side
that could be used as a bed, and a table that
could be lowered to make a small double bed. It
also had a small room at the back where we
could have a portable toilet. That was the most
important feature of the camper. The camper
gave us many happy hours of travelling. One of
the first trips we took was to Baja California with the Boy Scouts. We werent
invited but when we learned where they were going, we decided to take our own
vacation in the same spot. The girls had a ball. They borrowed inner tubes from
Camper
with
Thumper

Floating in Baja,
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some of the Scouts and spent hours floating on the bay. We also waded in the
shallow areas of the bay to collect oysters. That evening we had fresh oyster
stew. It was very good, but those of us who went, got the tops of our feet
sunburned. They remained sore for many days. Merv talked to some Seri
Indians in the area and eventually talked them into selling him a large Indian
head carved with a machete out of Ironwood. It cost him two large Hershey
bars and $35.00. For many years you could smell the shoe polish the Indians
had used to polish the wood.
There were other trips in the camper. One was
to a ghost town, Sunshine, Arizona, with the
Kerstens. The children paddled in the water and
explored around some old buildings, the men
painted their pictures, Merv also collected insects,
and Ann and I just talked and watched the children.
We drove the camper to Utah about 1967 to
attend the Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary party for
Mervs parents. We parked the camper in their
driveway and spent our nights there. It was really
nice to have a place where the girls could go to bed
when they got tired. The weather was quite warm, but the nights cooled off and
we enjoyed our stay.
There were many short trips in that camper and Merv took it on longer
trips to collect insects for his collection. The back window of the truck had the
window removed so that anyone in the camper
could climb into the cab of the truck or vice versa.
The girls were never bored on those trips. They
usually had their Barbie dolls with little cars. They
read some books and played games with each
other.
One memorable trip was to the
California coast. We drove north on
Highway 101 to a camping area right on the
beach. It was beautiful and cool. We all watched
as Virginia took a piece of driftwood shaped like a
birds head and ran around pecking at the waterline, rocks, bubbles, crabs or
anything she could peck.
The next morning we continued up the coast into Oregon and
Washington. It was such a beautiful way to see that country and we could stop
wherever we wanted. We bought some fresh crab and one night we had what I
called my crab louie. It was delicious.
We were on our way to visit our friends the OReillys at their home in
Victoria on Vancouver Island. We drove our camper onto the ferry and had an
exciting ride to the Island, then parked in the OReillys driveway for the night.
The city of Victoria was beautiful and clean. We enjoyed it very much.
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One trip to Utah we went a little bit east of our usual route. This brought
us to the four corners areaUtah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado. On the
way back from Utah we visited Chaco Canyon in northern Arizona. All of these
trips were in new territory and we enjoyed every moment of it because of the
camper. If we got hungry, we could stop on the side of the highway and eat. If
anyone got tired, they could climb on a bed and sleep. We were fortunate that
the cab of the truck had air conditioning. So we took turns in keeping cool.
In 1970 Merv heard that the International Auchenorrhyncha
(Leafhoppers) Meetings were to be held in Hawaii and wanted to go. We didnt
have anyone to take care of the children, but Merv had a graduate student,
Jerry Zaugg, who was in our ward. We knew his wife
and his beautiful little boy Jared. After talking things
over, Merv approached Jerry and asked him if they
would stay with our children for a week while we
went to Hawaii. To his surprise Jerry said that they
had been planning a trip to his former mission in
Mexico but they didnt know what to do with Jared.
The upshot of this was that Jerry and Charlotte
would stay with our children for a week if we would
keep Jared for two weeks while they went to Mexico.
We agreed and everything was set.
We had a beautiful view of the Island as we approached Oahu and our
hotel was right on Waikiki Beach. While Merv was in his meetings and working
on insects in the Bishops Museum, I walked along the beach, and around the
city and took a tour of the Island. Later the people in charge of the meetings
arranged for us to go to the Polynesian Center on the north side of the Island.
We attended a Luau (where I got my first taste of poi, made from taro root
ugh!) and watched the beautiful program that was presented at the Center. We
learned that the Polynesian Center is run by students from nearby University
of Hawaiimost of whom were LDS.
Our trip was for a week and we thoroughly enjoyed it. When we returned,
Jerry brought Jareds crib and Jared and they left for two weeks in Mexico. We
loved Jared. He was small with blond hair and big brown eyes and we spoiled
him as much as we could. Afterward, whenever his parents came to Sacrament
Meeting, Jared would leave them and come and sit on my lap so that he could
play with our girls. It was a mutual admiration society on all our parts. We
were sad when Jerry finished and left Tucson.
In the winter of 1971 Merv began to plan for work for the following
summer. For some time he had wanted to travel through Europe, visiting
museums to look at the Leafhopper types they had in their collections. Some of
the collections were in National Museums and some were in Universities. Merv
planned to visit at least 12 cities, some still behind the Iron Curtain. He was
able to get a grant to pay for his research. The biggest hurdle was that he was
willing to take me with him on the condition that we find a place for our
children to stay where they would be safe for two months. I called my sister
Maxine. At that time they were living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Ralph had
Honolulu,
Hawaii
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just received notice that he was being transferred and we were afraid that it
would be impossible for the girls to stay with them. After a couple of months
thinking about it, Maxine called and said they had been transferred to
Flagstaff, Arizona, and would be glad to take the girls for the summer.
The girls had not been around Maxine very much. We had lived so far
apart that family visits had been difficult. The girls had been out of school for
the summer barely a day when the time came to take them to Flagstaff. I kept
some notes of this trip in a small notebook.

June 8: Packed the kids and all their equipment in the camper and drove
them to Flagstaff. Left home about 7:30 a.m. Arrived Flagstaff about 1 p.m.
Spent the day visiting and looking around.
June 9: Left Flagstaff about 7 a.m. with kids weeping at the window. Had
a little difficulty with the truck getting home. Probably vapor lock. Arrived home
about noon. Thumper (our dog) very happy to see us. Finished all our
preparations for travel. Gave Norman Emke key to house.
June 10: Clyde and Ann Kersten took us to the airport at 7 a.m. Boarded
American Air Lines at 7:45. Didnt get a window seat but could see fairly well.
Served an omelet for breakfast. Very good. We lost one hour here and arrived in
Chicago at 1 p.m. Walked around the air port for an hour and left at 2 p.m. for
New York.
From another notebook: (On the plane) They served only small
sandwiches and drinks. In fact they served liquor all the time. We arrived at
LaGuardia at 4:30 p.m. having lost another hour. We caught a bus into down
town New York and then hired a cab for the rest of the way. What a wild ride
fast and furious through the traffic. We registered at the Taft Hotel and had a
room on the 11
th
floor. We walked all around the area near the hotel. It turned
out to be very near Broadway and Times Square in the theater district. We
decided to go to a show and found A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to The
Forum starring Phil Silvers and Larry Blyden. It was a light musical and sort of
funny but nothing deep. It wasnt long and we were in bed by 10:30. The taxis
then honked at each other most of the rest of the night and we didnt get much
sleep. The next morning we had a beautiful clear view of New York City,
buildings, surrounding water and the Statue of Liberty.
June 11: We had an early breakfast and caught the hotel limosine for the
airport. The limosine was a large Volksvagen bus without springs. It stopped at
about 3 or 4 more hotels to pick up people. One was a female lib on her way to
a yoga course in Canada. One was a man who worked with natural gas and
chain smoked. Between that and the rough ride Merv felt kind of sick when we
finally got to Kennedy (Air Port). We caught the Pan Am 747 at 10 a.m. The air
port was noisy and seemed very confusing. We had to line up to board the plane
where they had several men who thoroughly searched our carry-on luggage.
They went through my small shoulder bag and also my purse. They also went
through Mervs microscope case and insect case. As we stepped away from that
table there were two men and a girl. The girl searched me and the men searched
Merv for anything hidden on our bodies. We finally got on board the 747. It was
the biggest plane I have ever seen. It had 9 seats across with two aisles. There
were about 7 planes ahead of us in a line waiting to take off. We waited 19 to 20
minutes for our turn. Then we took off and were over the water almost
immediately. We followed the shoreline until we reached Newfoundland and then
crossed the ocean. It took 6 hours. We were served a very good lunch including a
small steak. Then they showed a movie called The Hot Rock. It was about a
diamond theft. They had Mary, Queen of Scots, in another part (of the plane).


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In fact I think they had at least four screens. The flight was reasonably
uneventful, although they did ask for a doctor once. We never did find out why.
We landed at Londons Heathrow Air Port at 9:30 p.m. It was not dark but just
dusk. We had to walk a long way through many corridors to a place where we
had our passports and visa stamped. Then we went to another place to collect
our luggage. They had carts like grocery carts for us to use and then we went
into the other part of the airport where relatives and taxi drivers were We were
tired and kind of confused so took a taxi which cost us about $15. We could
have made it with much less if we had investigated more but were too tired. The
taxi driver was very informative and told us a lot about London. By this time it
was quite dark and we couldnt see much. We checked into the Norfolk Hotel
and went directly to bed.
June 12. We ate in the Hotel dining room for breakfast. Then I went with
Merv to the British Museum of Natural History. We found that Dr. Knight was
away but that we could get in by following people. When we got to the
laboratories one of the entomologists said, Well youve broken our security. It
seems it is very difficult to get to the laboratories. Merv got set up to work and I
left him to walk around. I walked about a mile down Brompton (Road) looking at
the shops. I walked through Harrods (Department Store) which is one of the
most famous department stores in London and brags of Royal patronage. We
lunched at a tea shop. In the afternoon I bought a street map of London and
made arrangements to make a tour the next day. I washed a few things and
rested and studied the map.
June 13. We ate at 7:30 and at 8:30 during the rush hour I caught the
tube (subway) to Russell Square. It was a
crowded smoky ride. I looked around and
found the bus garage. We had a girl guide who
gave many side lights in English and German.
We visited the Tower of London and
Westminster Abbey and drove around parts of
Westminster, Parliament, Big Ben, St. Thomas
Hospital (where Florence Nightingale nursed),
No. 10 Downing St. where the Prime Minister
lives, Horse Guards, Palace, Trafalgar Square,
Oxford St., Picadilly. We re-arranged the tour
to watch the Queen meet the Archduke of
Luxembourg but they were delayed too long.
The afternoon tour took in The Old Curiosity Shop and St. Pauls
Cathedral, also banks and lawyers places of
work (their Wall Street), Somerset House. I
went back to the hotel at 5:30 which was also
the rush hour. When I arrived back we
immediately left for dinner with Dr. and Mrs.
John Evans (a colleague of Mervs) which was
very enjoyable.
June 14. I walked all over the Victoria
and Albert Museum on Brompton Road. Most
interesting to me were the dresses they used
and some of their furnishings and decorations. I
rested and wrote letters in the afternoon and
that night Merv and I took the tube to Picadilly, found an inexpensive
restaurant, ate and began walking. We walked all around the theater district
and then to Trafalgar Square and all around there. Then we walked back to
Picadilly which by this time was dark and the neon signs were on which made it
very picturesque. We came back to the hotel by tube and to bed.
Buckingham
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June 15. After breakfast and clothes washing I walked to Harrods in
Knightsbridge. There I bought one souvenir spoon for Maxine and three
beefeater charms for the kids. Then I walked through The Scotch Shop and
saw many lovely sweaters, blankets, and clothes made from Scotch woolens.
Back for lunch with Merv at the Victoria and Albert (Museum) cafeteria. Then I
took the tube to Westminster and walked to St. James Park. I walked all
through the center of the Park to the front of (Buckingham) Palace. There I
watched the red coated guards march back and forth and stand still for their
term. I took pictures of them and the statue of Victoria and the front of the
Palace. I located the Queens Gallery then walked back through the Park and
back to the tube with many rests on the way. In the evening we went back to
Trafalgar Square. Found a small cafeteria for supper and then went to the
National Art Gallery and walked through as much as we could in about two
hours. We saw so many beautiful paintings that our brains became numb and
we left.
June 16. I wrapped and mailed souvenirs to the kids and wrote
letters. In the afternoon I walked to the Kensington Gardens and the Palace
where Victoria lived as a child. The grounds are beautiful, but the museum was
small and about half of it was closed for renovation. It was disappointing. That
evening we ate at a very nice expensive French restaurant called Kettners. Then
we walked to the Soho area and found a movie called The Revengers starring
William Holden. After the movie we took the tube home.
June 17. Merv and I took the tube to Tower Hill. We walked all around
the Tower taking pictures. Then we went inside and walked around the square.
Looked at the scaffold site (hangings and beheadings) and ruined wall. Then we
went in the jewel house to see the crown jewels and the state robes and maces.
They are indescribable. They are kept in a very thick vault in the basement of
the jewel house. Then we walked through the building called The Keep. This
houses all the armor and weapons for many years. Much of the armor was from
Henry 8
th
s personal supply. The steps between floors in this building are in the
corners and are winding and very steep. Then we went to the building called
The Bloody Tower. It is by the gate next to the river. In this building they have
the block and one of the axes used for executions. Also some of their
instruments of torture. They only had a few on display. This was where Sir
Walter Raleigh was imprisoned and when he wrote his book. There were some
names scratched into the rock of people who had been in (that) prison,
preserved under glass. One of the rooms was very small and led to a walkway
which is called Raleighs walk. The next building which we were not allowed in
was the Queens House where Anne Boleyn and Mary Queen of Scots were held.
It is also the place where Kings and Queens spend the night before they are
crowned. I understand Elizabeth stayed there in 1959.
We then had lunch and took the tube to Westminster. We walked to the
statue of Queen Boadecea and the Bridge of Westminster to take pictures of Big
Ben and Parliament. Then we walked to the Abbey and walked through. We
looked at the many statues and memorials to famous people. Prayers were being
said in the main cathedral when we arrived so we waited until they finished.
Most impressive in this building is its tremendous size. It seems to be mainly a
mausoleum dedicated to the dead, although coronations are still held here. Also
impressive is the very ancient Coronation Chair made of roughened wood with
the Stone of Scone underneath. Kings and Queens must be crowned over it to
prevent bad luck. It was stolen by Scotch people in the 1950s and not returned
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I forgot to mention that at the Tower six ravens are kept and fed at the
expense of the Queen. If they lose one, they always have a replacement ready. If
the ravens leave, the tower will fall according to legend.
After leaving Westminster Abby we went in search of rest rooms. We
ended up in St. James Park where we finally found some. Public
accommodations in Parks and
Undergrounds are remarkably good for
such a large city. We then walked to
the refreshment center where we had a
lemon-lime drink which tasted exactly
like antiseptic. We walked on up to
Buckingham Palace and looked around
there. Then we went to the Queens Art
Gallery on the side of the Palace. They
charged 15p (pence) each to get in,
another 4p for a program and more for
anything else you want to buy. We
walked through the pictures and
enjoyed them but not as much as the
National Art Gallery. It was disappointing. We then walked to the underground
and back to the hotel.
June 18. This was Sunday. We had our usual breakfast in the hotel of
eggs, cornflakes and toast. Merv went to priesthood meeting at 9 a.m. While I
wrote letters. Then I joined him for Sunday School. We went to the Hyde Park
Chapel which is only four or five blocks from here on Exhibition Road. The
Chapel is very modern looking among the old buildings surrounding it. It is
constructed of grey mortar or cement. It has long thin windows along the Chapel
and the spire is very thin, tall and gold colored. The Chapel is paneled in dark
wood. They have a pipe organ with 128 pipes. It sounded very impressive when
played. The seats were also dark and upholstered with dark leather. This is the
missionary head quarters and probably had 25 to 30 missionaries there. It was
drizzling and cold so we had dinner at the hotel and spent the afternoon reading
the newspapers.
We went to Sacrament Meeting. We found it very difficult to understand
the speakers, but enjoyed what we could. We noticed the organist played only
hymns for prelude and postlude and that she played softly to begin on the
hymns and by the last verse really opened it up and the people followed her.
Their singing was tremendous and their reverence very markedvery much
quieter than any of our meetings. We hurried back after meeting and shopped
for snacks at a small shop and ate at home.
June 19. I spent the morning as usual washing and writing letters. I
also borrowed the hotel iron and ironed all our clothes. In the afternoon I took
the tube to the British Museum near Russell Square. When I got there it was
pouring rain and by the time I got to the Museum I was soaked.
I walked through as much of the Museum as I could in about two hours.
They have a fine collection of antiquities, i.e. pottery, jewelry, figurines,
mummies, statuary and carvings from ancient Greece. They also had a display
from the tomb of King Tutankhamen but the lines were so long that I didnt try
to get in. I looked at the other Egyptian displays. Their displays were from all
English possessions and former possessions. I came home. Ate and rested.
June 20. After my usual morning work, I went after lunch to Holborn
Station. From there I walked down New Oxford Street. I found a shop which sold
only umbrellas so I went inside and after my soaking of the day before I bought
a black collapsible one. I offered to pay them with a credit card or a personal
check. They took the check without even as much identification as is required in
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the States. After this I walked on down the street to a China store called
Wedgewood at Oxford Circus. This is at the corner of Oxford and Regent Streets.
There I bought a small blue Wedgewood bud vase and had it shipped home.
From there I walked down Regent Street and saw many interesting
shops. I also found Libertys which is a department store selling every
conceivable item. I tried on sweaters there and found them very expensive. From
there I walked on down Regent Street to the Picadilly Square Station and back to
the hotel. That evening we ate Chinese food in
Picadilly Square with the intention of visiting the
National Art Galleries. It was very cold though so
instead we found a movie called Hospital with
George C. Scott and enjoyed it very much.
June 21. Spent the morning in the usual
way. In the afternoon I rode to Knightsbridge,
walked through Harrods again. Priced sweaters
again very expensive, bought the kids an
inexpensive present of necklaces. Then walked on
down to Hyde Park, took pictures of Wellington
Monument. Walked in the Gardens to the
Serpentine and across to Knightsbridge and rode home. We ate Italian food that
night.
June 22. Spent the day reading, resting and crocheting beads. Went to
the National Art Gallery in the evening. (Note: For this trip I crocheted bead
necklaces to give to some of the women we visited. They were long ropes with
decorative beads along the ropes. They were very beautiful.)
June 23. Washed and wrote letters and rested in the afternoon. In the
morning I took the tube to Picadilly Circus and then walked along Regent Street
to Oxford Circus. From there along Oxford Street to the Marble Arch. There are
many beautiful shops and stores along here. I took pictures of the Marble Arch
and then followed Park Lane which runs along
the side of St. James Park to Upper Brooks
Street. There I detoured a little and walked to
Grovesenor Square where there is a bronze
memorial statue to Franklin D. Roosevelt. The
face of the statue looked like Roosevelt but his
body was so straight and tall, it didnt look at all
as I remember him. I took pictures of him and
then went back to Park Lane. I followed Park
Lane to Hyde Park Corner. This goes past the
London Hilton which is very modern and full of
glass and which faces St. James Park. This is
where many of the elite visitors stay. I took pictures of the Hyde Park Gate and
the Wellington Monument. Then as I was cold and tired I took the tube to the
hotel. We went to a movie called Decameron that night which reminded me of
some bad Italian printings. I didnt like it.
June 24. In the morning I went to the Laundromat. The machines looked
the same as ours but have a much shorter wash cycle. Also the dryer only took
about 15 min. to dry our clothes. Then I waited for Merv to come back from his
errands. We bought sandwiches and milk from a delicatessen and in the
afternoon took the tube to Charing Cross. This was by the Embankment of the
River Thames. We walked along the Embankment to the ship Discovery which is
permanently anchored there. Then since it was free we walked through it. This
was the ship that sailed to Antarctica and tried to find the South Pole. It was
frozen in the ice for two years after which, with the help of another ship was able
to break out and come home. Later on another similar expedition, Scott and his
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co-workers died when only 11 miles from their base camp. The ship is now used
by the Royal Navy for training purposes and for a museum. We walked back
along the Embankment which is really a series of gardens and memorials, to
Waterloo Bridge. From here you can see the City of London and its skyscrapers
on one side and on the other the City of Westminster where Parliament and all
the government offices are. We turned back here and looked at the Cleopatra
Needle which was given to England by Egypt and was dug out of the sands
there. It has hieroglyphics on it from about 1500 BC to about 10 BC. We saw the
golden Eagle Memorial to the RAF. Many of these memorials have shrapnel
marks on themsome from 1917-18 bombs and some from 1940 bombs. We
walked on down until we came to Downing St., then to #10 where the Prime
Minister lives, where we took a picture. It is a very narrow street and the house
is very plain and unimpressive. You wouldnt know it was important if there
werent two bobbies (policemen) in front. From there we walked to Trafalgar
Square through all the Government Buildings and then to Picadilly Circus where
we caught the tube.
June 25. After an early breakfast we checked out of the hotel and caught
a bus to the terminal in London. There we checked our bags through to Cologne-
Bonn Airport. The bus took us to Heathrow Airport. We were amazed at the lack
of help we found to tell us the proper place to wait for our plane to be called. We
just had to look around until we found the Departure Lounge for Lufthansa Air
Lines where we waited for our plane to be called. The plane was smallonly two
jetsand I was very nervous because of the crash only a week before of a large
Trident. But the flight was very uneventful. We couldnt see anything because of
the cloud cover. They served us drinks and cake and the flight lasted just one
hour. Upon arrival we had no difficulty about customs or in finding our bags.
Then we had a porter take us to the bus stop where we waited 25 minutes for
the Bonn bus. We rode through some of the most beautiful country-side I have
ever seenwooded areas which had pine and some quaking aspen and some
oak or other hardwood; then beautiful fields raising grain or some other crop
and everything very green. In spots along the road were wild roses bright red
poppies and some blue flower I didnt recognize. We saw people camping out in
tents, fishing and swimming in a small stream along the way. We also saw 5-8
gliders soaring around over the fields. Some were
pulled by cars to start and some by plane. We crossed
a very modern bridge over the Rhine (River) into the
main part of town. The first thing we saw was a large
old Gothic church which was very impressive. Then we
got off the bus and after asking around found a taxi
stand close by. One of the drivers knew where the
Museum was and brought us to it. (From another
notebook: Took a taxi to Zoologisches
Forschunginstitut und Museum Alexander Koenig.
Arrived at 12:30.) There was no one around but Merv
finally found a note on the front door which told him
where to go. We dismissed the taxi and walked around
to the back. There we found a door with many names
on it and a bell. A lady called to us from a window
above the door but we couldnt make ourselves
understood. She finally pressed the button to unlock
the door and we stepped inside. There Merv made her understand he was Herr
Nielson and a man came downstairs probably from his dinner and helped us. He
spoke no English and we very little German, but he gave us a very good hand
shake and led us around to the guest room. The room is at the back of the
Museum and is just about square with very high ceilings. There is a kitchen,
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toilet and showerboth across the hall. It is quite cool but warms a little in the
afternoons when the sun comes around to that side. I must say a word about
the toilet paper. The paper in London was a tissue paper like you use to write air
mail letters on. It was slippery and not very absorbent. It was kind of yellowish
in color. In Bonn it is light grayish and very rough to the touch but is absorbent.
We settled in. The room has two hide-a-bedsvery hard and two
blankets with the largest pillows I have ever seen. It has a small wash basin and
an apparatus underneath which, if adjusted right, will give hot water or very
cold water. There is a cabinet which holds our clothes and a large desk.
We walked two blocks east to the Rhine River banks and along the
sidewalk until we found a hotel with a restaurant. We had a very good dinner
with some kind of stew that had sausages, beef, ham, bacon and gravy with
potatoes and a mixture of vegetables. We had grape juice to drink. The desert
was a very rich cream pudding. Oh, and to start we had tomato soup with
macaroni in it and cream on the top.
We walked along the Rhine (Pathway). It (the Rhine) is as wide as the
Thames here and had many excursion boats, yachts, barges and smaller motor
boats on it. We rested for an hour and then took the tram into the down town
area. The first thing we saw was an old Gothic Church built in the Middle ages
about 1000 or 1100 A.D. We went inside. It is used now for worship and there
were people praying there and lighting candles. It was sort of dim inside but very
beautiful. The town area seems to be made up of many different streets running
every which way. They are bricked and on Sunday there were no cars in that
area. Their shops were beautiful and modern. It did not appear that any were
very large. The fronts are straight with little carving although the cornices and
tops have some ornamentation. There was one building that had some emblems
on the front which could have been a royal crest but we didnt know. (Note:
Bonn was bombed a lot during World War II and most of the town had to be
rebuilt.)
On another street nearby was the old gate and part of the tower which
surrounded the old original city of Bonn. It was built around 1200 A.D. The gate
was raised and was very heavy with sharp teeth at the bottom. It was probably
made of iron. We found the house where Beethoven was born and hope to be
able to see the inside. We sat on some chairs outside the hotel in one of the
plazas and had a cool drink. It was very pleasant. There were many people
strolling around making it a lazy Sunday. The town probably isnt more than
50,000 but is a nice, though expensive, place. It is very green and has many
trees. There is evidence of the extensive bombing in 1944 and 1945 because of
the number of new buildings. The Presidents house is white and is very near
where we are staying. There are policemen on guard duty in front of the
building. We stopped at an open air caf and had a pizza and drink and then
walked back to the Museum. On the way we saw some trains that go through
town. They move extremely fastpossibly 90 mph but dont make too much
noise. We thought we might be cold but were very comfortable.
June 26. Spent most of the day writing and reading until Merv was
finished with his work. We walked to the river Rhine at 4:30 almost to Kennedy
Bridge and took pictures. Walked along the river to the town. Many beautiful
houses face the river and there is a narrow road plus a wide sidewalk which is
fenced along the river banks. The road is blocked off most of the way so that
only bicycles, motor bikes and pedestrians are allowed. The houses have many
trees and flowers on the river side. The river is wide and appears to be deep.
Many barges and touring boats are on the water. We walked up into the town.
By that time we were very warm and looked for a drink. We couldnt find any
vacant tables in the plaza so walked for a while longer. The plaza, which had
been fairly quiet the day before, was jammed full of fresh fruit and vegetables


134

all under colorful umbrellas or tents. The sellers called their wares out. We
walked through (the plaza) and the produce looked fresh and very good. Much of
the produce looked familiarstrawberries,bananas, cauliflower, but others were
strange. Then we went to an apotheke and bought a bottle of sunburn lotion for
Gerta Kerns for 2 marks (German money).
Then we found a table available so asked
for Fanta, a lemonade type drink. The
waiter misunderstood and brought hot tea
after a 10 minute wait. We asked again for
what we wanted and after another 10
minute wait were served. We then decided
to go again and view the birth place of
Beethoven again. We found it without any
trouble but then found that we were 5
minutes too late to get in. We were very
disappointed. Then we walked around to a
shop where they sold crystal and after
much discussion bought a small cut glass vase in preference to a Dresden Doll.
By that time we were very hungry but it took another 45 minutes of
walking to find a place where we could east. Bonn is a very expensive town to
visit. We looked at Drindl dresses for our kids which were $40-$50. After eating
we bought a strange mixture of ice cream and walked back along the river to the
museum.
June 27. We walked to the hotel on the river for breakfast at 7 a.m. It
was closed so on to the other hotel. After breakfast we had one of the Museum
people call a taxi and went to the place where we
caught the airport bus near the terminal. We got
on the 8:40 bus. It took us about 45 minutes to
get to the Cologne-Bonn Air Port. Then we had to
wait until 11 a.m. for our plane to be called. We
had no difficulties about leaving Germany.
After we were on the plane, the steps
stuck and it took them 15 minutes to get them
working so that our plane could move. The flight
was uneventful. We had to pick up our snacks in
a package as we boarded. They were two bun
sandwiches and some kind of cream pudding
with a sort of orange flavor. We landed in Hamburg, Germany at 12 a.m. and
found our next flight delayed by 50 minutes. Merv had a sandwich and I had a
drink. We then found our flight was delayed another 10 minutes so it was past
2:30 when we finally boarded. This flight lasted between 30-45 minutes. Both
flights had fairly good visibility and we saw much farming land and less forested
areas as around Bonn.
We arrived in Copenhagen (Denmark) at about 3:15 p.m. Went through
the usual of passports, customs, luggage, etc. changed our money and caught
the bus into Copenhagen. This seems to be a much larger city than Bonn. The
area is quite flat and it was very warm when we arrived. We got a taxi to take us
to our hotel. The hotel Cecil smelled extremely strong of fish on the ground floor.
It is only a half block from the Strget (pedestrian walkway) and is convenient to
most everything. We found our room facing West and it was very hot. We rested
and changed clothes. Then walked along the Strget for about 3 hours. Had our
dinner there.
June 28. Had breakfast in a tiny breakfast room of the hotel. Then I had
a lot of washing which I did and hung on hangers on the balcony and also wrote
letters. We found that our hotel was just across the street from a church with a

Copenhagen,
Denmark
Copenhagen, Denmark


135

bell tower. All day and during the evening this bell and other bells would strike.
One struck every 15 minutes. At 6 p.m. you could hear bells all over the city. At
11 p.m. they turned them off and on again at 7 a.m.
After lunch I went to check on our Bankamericard and personal checks.
They were not recognized in Denmark and the
bank people told me they would not be in any
Scandinavian country. After that I just
walked up and down the Strget looking in
windows. In the evening we had dinner and
then went to some outdoor tables where I had
ice cream and we both had Fanta to drink.
We sat at the table with a young man from
Copenhagen with whom we had an
interesting talk. The sun didnt go down until
about 9:30 or 10 and it never did get totally
dark.
June 29. I visited shops and department stores and bought charms,
pewter pitcher, vase, a book of John Constable. In the evening we went to the
Tivoli Garden Concert Hall to hear Phillipe ntremont play in a concert with the
Danish Symphony Orchestra. The Gardens have many beautiful restaurants.
They have several outdoor stages. When we arrived an orchestra was playing on
one. There is an amusement park in one area with many rides available as in
Lagoon. The colored lights are beautiful and unusual. One tree looked like it had
4
th
of July sparklers going all the time. There were also several fountainsone
with bubbles going up glass tubes, another with different sprays going all the
time. As we came in there was a gymnastic team performing. We watched for a
while and then walked around the Gardens until time to hear the concert. It was
very wonderful with two concertosone by Mozart and one by Prokoviev. After
the concert we stopped to watch part of a modern ballet. It apparently was
symbolic of the history of the world. Walked home to bed.
June 30. Awoke at 7 a.m. and realized we had to catch the train at 9:15.
We hurried very fast and made it in plenty of time. We found a compartment
with a very nice couple called Barnoum and a young man named Koontz. We
enjoyed the day very much visiting with them and looking at the beautiful
countryside. We crossed the water on a train ferry and just as we were leaving
Denmark we saw Fredricksborg Castle (shown in Hamlet). We arrived in
Stockholm about 6:15 and rode the bus to town after which we got a taxi to the
Hotel Jarlos. We had difficulty getting in the
hotel and accidentally pushed the door release
button which let us in. Then after several
minutes the hostess arrived and we registered.
Because it was after 6 p.m. we had great
difficulty in finding a place open near us where
we could find something to eat. Finally ate a
hamburger at a snack bar.
July 1. We had a small kitchen so we
bought groceries and had breakfast. Then we
wrote letters and walked to the National Art
Museum. In the afternoon we walked around
part of the Kings Park and had dinner in a restaurant that looked like a
converted home. In the evening I washed my hair and Merv went to a movie.
July 2. After breakfast we caught the tube and the bus to find the
Naturhistoriska Riksmuset. Later we wrote letters. Then we walked to the
museum of the Wasavarset, the 1628 (Viking) warship which was raised from
Stockholm harbor in 1961. We went through all the exhibits and then home.

Fredricksborg
Castle
Viking Ship Wasa


136

July 3. Brought groceries from a small socialist grocery store and washed
clothes. In the afternoon I walked to the bus
terminal for city tours and took one. We went first
to the Royal Palace. They said there are 600 rooms
of which 40 are used. We werent allowed in. they
then took us downstairs to the Treasury to see the
Royal jewels. They werent as well organized as in
London and the crush was so great it was difficult
to see the crowns. They also werent as impressive
as Britains crown jewels. They havent had a
formal coronation for many years because it is too
expensive. Although they have a king, about his
only function is to present the Nobel Prizes. Then we drove to Millesgartan where
we walked through the home and studio of the famous sculptor Carl Milles. This
was very beautiful and had a lovely location overlooking the bay. We also drove
through the down town area and main shopping centers. In the evening Merv
and I walked back through part of the shopping area.
July 4. I met with Mrs. Barnoum and her daughter Karen in the NK
department store. We spent the rest of the morning looking at cloth and I finally
bought a small piece of linen for a runner. I left them at noon. In the afternoon I
took the tube to Old Town and walked through the old part of Stockholm. It was
made up of narrow streets and very small shops. I walked along one street until
I found I was practically next to Ablens Department store so I walked on home.
July 5. Washed clothes and bought groceries including some fish, I
thought was fresh salmon. Then I walked to the National Art Gallery and bought
a book on John Constable. In the afternoon my foot was very painful so I stayed
quiet. That evening I cooked the fish. It smelled good but when we ate it, it was
so salty we could hardly swallow it. We also had some kind of margarine that
wouldnt melt even in hot temperatures.
July 6. I walked back to the National Art Gallery to take pictures of the
Royal Palace and of Parliament. Then back thru Old Town and took a few
pictures. On the way home I went to NK (large department store) and bought
some heavy canvas to patch Mervs suitcase which had begun to tear along the
seam and necklaces for the kids. In the afternoon I walked to the Nordiska
Museat. I got there just as it began to pour rain. I spent about 1 - 2 hours
going through the exhibits. Then I went back home to put one patch on the
suitcase.
July 7. I wrapped the necklaces and tried to mail them but the P.O. said
the package was too small and wouldnt accept it. I
finished mending Mervs suitcase and did all the rest of
the washing and then began packing. After Merv came
home we walked through Old Town and bought a vase
with a bluish tinge to it. In the evening we met Mr.
Kronstadt who took us to his home 10-15 miles out of
Stockholm for dinner. They served us potatoes, peas, a
meat dish that tasted something like our Stroganoff
and salad. For dessert they had some kind of cookie
crumbled up and served with whipped cream. After
dinner he drove us back to town and around some of
the high spots. We finished packing.
July 8. We went to the ferry in Stockholm harbor very early. There was a
great crush of people. We were unable to find a seat and so Merv had to book a
cabin. After this we found a deck chair and watched as the islands went by. It
was very beautiful. The water was a strange greenish grey color. The wake from
the boat was bright green. It was very warm where the sun hit but cold
Millesgarten,
Stockholm
Ferry to
Finland
Pat on
Ferry to
Finland


137

otherwise. Many people were sun bathing. Also many people were drinking. In
fact we found out later that many people take a weekend trip just to get stone
drunk because the liquor is so cheapduty free on
the ferry. The ferry took us from Stockholm harbor
through the archipelago (chain of islands) to Turku
(Abo) Finland.
We stood in line in the cafeteria for lunch
and had a reasonably good mealafter about a 15
minute wait. We rested in our cabin in the
afternoon for a while on the open water and later
when islands began to appear again we took more
pictures. In the evening we went into the main
dining room for dinner. It was a Smorgasbord and
was one of the best meals we had the whole trip.
The mineral water was terrible.
After we landed we were met by Mrs. Linnavouri. She took us to their
home in Somersojas outside of Raisio. There she had prepared hors douvers
and a drink. We inadvertently drank some alcohol because she insisted on it
and we didnt know what it was. It tasted like detergent.
July 9. We visited part of Turku that is 150 years old and we looked at all
the displays. (The houses had grass growing on the roofs. I tried my hand at
using a spinning wheelnot so good.) Had dinner. In the afternoon we went to
the summer home of Maila Juusela near one of the bays. Merv had a sauna with
their guests. Then they cooked smoked perch for us to eat. We took pictures
there and on the way home. (We had to wade in about four inches of water to get
to where the car was parked. I guess the tide had come in.) We took pictures
there and on the way home. There were many
windmills in operation on that day. We saw
colored slides of Africa of a trip by Dr.
Linnavouri in the evening.
July 10. We visited Turku and shopped
for presents in the store. After dinner we drove
to Naantalium, drove through the town and
visited the church that is about 400 years old.
Then drove into Raisio to see the church there,
the oldest in the area which has been
renovated. We had bread, cheese, and hot
cocoa and then watched colored slides of Africa again in the evening. (I
purchased small amounts of beautifully woven linen in Turku.)
July 11. We caught the 8:50 train for Helsinki. A check arrived for us
from Arizona about 15 minutes before departure. We had sent an s.o.s. to Ann
Kersten to get more money for us and she acted
promptly enough for us to get the money in
Turku.
We arrived in Helsinki at 11:30 a.m. and
checked into Helka Hospis and ate lunch at the
Smorgasbord of the Hotel. Then I walked to the
American Express office by the harbor to cash the
check. They sent me to a bank where I changed
the cash into travelers checks. I walked to
Stockmans and looked for souvenirs. In the
evening we had dinner with the Jannsens, whom
Merv was working with in Helsinki. After dinner they took us to see Tapiolaa
new shopping center and drove around some of the bays near the city.
Merv and Dr.
Linnavouri
Helsinki,
Finland
Ferry to
Finland


138

July 12. I tried to find Finnish hand woven material in several places but
only found finished products. I found two vases in Renlunds which I bought and
shipped. In the afternoon we walked around
the main parts of the city taking pictures, and
bought some gold picture frames and some
posters. I repacked and washed my hair.
July 13. We caught the 7:55 plane to
Copenhagen. Took the bus back to the City and
bought a charm, pewter, sweaters. Took the
bus back to the airport and caught the 11:55
plane to Budapest. We stopped for 45 minutes
in Prague where we bought two small vases and
arrived in Budapest at 2:45. We had rainy
weather there. We had no difficulty at the
airport and reached the Hotel at 3:30 in taxies
July 13. Caught the 7:55 a.m. plane to Copenhagen. Took a bus back to
the City and bought a charm, pewter, and sweaters. Then we took a bus back to
the airport and caught the 11:55 plane to Budapest, Hungary. We stopped for
45 minutes in Prague where we bought two small vases. We were not allowed to
go out of the airport buildings. There were many guards.
We arrived in Budapest at 2:45 in rainy weather. We had no difficulty at
the airport and reached the Hotel at 3:30 in a taxi. (There were armed men at
the airport and we were searched as we arrived.) We walked around to find the
Museum. The Museum still had bullet marks from the uprising in the 1960s
which took place in front of it. We ate dinner and
went to bed early.
July 14. We went to the American Embassy
early to straighten out our Visas. Merv went to work
and I washed. I walked a little in the afternoon and
we went to the Embassy at 4:30. The Visa was ok
but we were advised to leave exactly when it said.
We walked back to the Hotel, ate our dinner and
went to bed.
(My over-all impression which has remained
is one of dirt, depressed people and lack of color in
the whole city. We were behind the Iron Curtain that
covered most of Eastern Europe at that time and the
Soviet Union was in charge.)
July 15. Washed and wrote letters. In the
afternoon we walked across Erzibet Bridge and up the
hill to the Citadel. (The Citadel was a fortress. In olden
times when Buda or Pest were attacked by another
tribe or country, the people holed up in their fortress
for protection, and it still exists. On the hill behind the
Citadel is a statue of the winged victory, put there by
the Soviets. When we were there the Soviets were still
in charge and it was a dark and dismal place.) We took
many pictures of the panorama of the city of Budapest
across the river. It was very beautiful. We looked
around the Citadel and bought two woven scarfs as
souveniers. Then we walked back to the hotel, had
supper and went to bed.
July 16. Walked across Erzibet Bridge to Castle
Hill. Found the Mathias Church. Took many pictures and bought a vase. Again
looked at the panoramic view of the City. Took many pictures across the Danube
Fisherman's
Bastion
Budapest,
Hungary
Hungarian
Parliament


139

River to the Parliament Building. We walked down and back across Szechenyi
Bridge and back to the Hotel. The weather was extremely warm. We got
sunburned. In the evening we walked to Kapatria Hotel for dinner. Had our first
taste of Hungarian Goulash. (I also had my first taste of a violinist playing
around the tables in our hotel. It took two hours to eat our dinner. Merv did not
want to ask for the bill so I finally went to our room and left him to it.)
July 17. Walked down Kossuth to Vaci (streets) and visited as many of
the stores as possible. Didnt buy anything because it was too difficult to cash
checks. Stayed home in the afternoon. Walked to find a new place to eattwo
hotels closed down. No other restaurants except espresso places. Walked a long
way and back to our hotel to eat. It was very hot.
July 18. We packed our suitcases.
Bought some pictures of a famous Hungarian
artist. Paid our hotel bill, ate lunch. Took a
taxi to bus station and bus to air port. We
waited 2 hours for our plane. Had no
difficulty in customs. We arrived in Vienna at
5:35 p.m. Took Hotel shuttle into town to
Hospiz Hotel.
July 18. Packed suitcase. Bought some
pictures of a famous Hungarian artist. Paid
bill, ate lunch. Took taxi to bus station and
bus to air port. Waited 2 hours for plane.
Had no difficulty in customs. Arrived in Vienna at 5:35 p.m. Took Hotel shuttle
into town to Hospiz Hotel. It took an hour and also took some time to register
after which we ate.
July 19. I walked into Karnstner Strasse (street). The streets in this area
were cobblestones. I turned my ankle and hurt my ankle and foot, which swelled
and bled inside, so I went back to the Hotel. I rested in the afternoon and walked
(painfully) out to dinner. Vienna is a very beautiful city.
July 20. Washed some clothes, bought groceries and paper for
packagesate lunch in our room and wrapped packages. I walked into town and
bought 2 blouses and 4 handkerchiefs. Then bought groceries for supper. Dr.
Linnavouri and his family came to our hotel for a picnic. Later we walked to the
Rathaus (City Hall) and a Cathedral and took pictures.
July 21. I went to a Laundromat and
postoffice. Met Merv for lunch and went through
the National Art Museum. I waited for Merv and in
the afternoon we walked all through town and
bought an etching and a coat of arms at an
antique shop. Ate dinner at a hotel and had to
wait to walk home because it was raining. My foot
was well wrapped in an elastic bandage but was
still very painful.
July 22. We went to Shubert Park and saw
the statue of Shubert there and also met some
missionaries out tracting through the park. We
walked to a canal and then took the Tram around
most of the Ring Strasse. Walked to the Belvedere (Castle) and walked through
the grounds and gallerys. Took tram back to town and Merv went to a movie
while I walked home. In the evening we walked to a hotel nearby to eat.
July 23. We packed up and rented an Avis car and drove to Brno,
Czechoslovakia. We were stopped at the border for about an hour while they
checked our credentials. Arrived in Brno about 12:30. Registered and ate
dinner. Met Dr. Lauterer who took us to see Pernstejn Castle about 50 km out of
Belevedere Castle,
Vienna
Mormon
Missionaries,
Vienna


140

Brno. It is in a very beautiful setting and in very
good condition. Came back to Brno and ate in a
restaurant called Muzeum Restaurace. Merv went to
the Museum and I went to bed. Dr. Lauterer did not
introduce us to his family. He was afraid for his
safety and theirs. The Soviets were still very much
in control in this country.
July 24. Walked through town and bought
crystal beads. Ate lunch at the hotel and rested. At
4 p.m. Merv came and Dr. Lauterer took us back
through town and showed us the town hall, Petrov
Church and Brno Castle on Spelbech hill. Ate at
another Hotel and went to bed.
July 25. Drove to see Dr. Lauterer in his
laboratory. He took us to see the Gregor Mendle
Museum. We left town for Vienna about 9 a.m. No
trouble this time at the borderonly about a 5
minute wait. Ate lunch in suburb of Vienna. Drove
directly to the airport and turned in the car. Had to
pay an extra day. We caught the plane to Milan. We were held up by customs
officers between planes and had difficulty getting a boarding pass. (There were
many Japanese tourists and much laughter over the pronunciation of names.)
Flew to Turin in hour and caught the bus to
town and taxi to hotel. Arrived about 9:45
p.m. (This City is the one where many of my
Cardon relatives lived in olden times. I was
very interested in this area of the country.)
July 26. In the morning I washed,
wrote letters and rested. At 12:30 went to
restaurant (with Merv and Carlos Vidano,
Mervs colleague). We had a 2 hour lunch. In
the afternoon I walked to Valentino Park and
took pictures. In the evening we walked down
Via Romas and had dinner.
July 27. Went to see Spinola Castle 185 km from Turin. There is an
insect collection there which had to be checked out. We were shown over part of
the Castle by the Marquis of Spinola and allowed to see some of his (ancient)
books. We went to lunch in a small restaurant in a nearby town and then went
back to Turin to the laboratory. We went back to our hotel and after dinner
walked through part of the town again.
July 28. We left for Paris at 8 a.m. where we gained an hour due to the
time change. We registered at the Hotel and rested
until noon. Had lunch at a small snack bar. Walked
through streets for a while. We bought china and
crystal from Cristal Lalique and had them shipped
home. Also bought perfume, aftershave, and charms.
Walked around streets and took some pictures. Ate
dinner and went to bed.
July 29. We walked down the Champs
Elyses to the Louvre, walking mostly on the bank of
the Seine River. We saw famous paintings and
sculptures, had lunch in the Louve, then walked to art
buildings in the Tuileries to see more famous paintings. Then back along
Champs Elyses to our hotel. Ate dinner.

Pernstejn
Castle,
Brno
Spinola Castle,
Italy

Arc De
Triomphe


141

July 29. Walked down Champs Elysees to the Louvremostly on the
banks of the Seine River . Saw many famous paintings and
sculptures, had lunch in the Louvre. Walked to art
buildings in the Tuileries to see famous paints. Then back
along champs Elysees to the hotel. Ate dinner in self help
cafeteria and walked to Arc de Triomphe. Then back to the
hotel.
July 30. Took the Metro to the Eiffel Tower. Took
pictures, then took Metro to Montmart Church. (Sacred
Heart). We had to look for 2 hours to find the flea market
(didnt find it). Walked through and watched artists for a
while then back to the hotel. Rested the rest of the day.
July 31. Walked to Printemps Department Store and
went through part of it while Merv went to the Museum.
Rained part of the morning. Rode on Metro. Went back to
Louvre and walked through rooms with furniture and dishes
on display. (Many were from before Napoleons rule). Took
the Metro back to the hotel. There was much rain. Had supper in Cafeteria.
August 1. Had breakfast and packed. Paid hotel bill and took taxi to bus
terminal. Then took another bus to Le Boulet airport. Plane was 45 minutes late
leaving. Took Iberia Air Line to Madrid.
Caught bus to center of Madrid and
taxi to hotel. Taxi was unmarked and
charged very high price. Walked up and
down streets near hotel and bought
souveniers. Had supper and tried to go
to bed. The room was very cold
because of air conditioner. John called
about 10:45 p.m. (John Griffin Wood
was on a mission at the time in
Madrid).
August 2. Took a taxi to Prado
and spent 2 hours looking at paintings
and statues. Back to hotel. Started lunch when John and Elder Beaumong
came. Spent afternoon with them. They helped us pack and ship some
souveniers. At 6 they left and we shopped some more. They came back to the
hotel with us for supper.
August 3. Walked as far as we could taking pictures. Checked out of
hotel. Took taxi to bus terminal and another bus to the airport. Ate a sandwich
and found gate for plane. There was a long wait while each one was searched.
Plane was over 30 minutes late for take off. Arrived in Lisbon, Portugal at about
2:15. Long wait for luggage. No bus to town. Caught taxi to the hotel. Registered
and walked around buying souveniers and taking
pictures. Walked to the Tagus River and took a
taxi back. Ate dinner and went to bed.
August 4. Took a bus tour to Sintra. First
visited Queling or the National Palace. It was in
poor condition but had beautiful gardens. Then
to Montsarrat Botanical Gardens containing over
500 varieties of flowers. Then to the Sintra Palace
or Royal Palace. Then to the top of the mountain
to the Pena Castle or Chateau which is the most
Eiffel
Tower
Elders Baumong, Wood &
Pat - Madrid
Madrid, Spain


142

beautiful we have seen. Then for a very short visit to the Caiseais Museum. Then
to the Casino at Estoril and then back to Lisbon at 6:30. They gave us lunch
across the road from the Sintra Palace.
August 5. Walked to shopping center and bought a copper tea pot and
other souveniers. Back to Hotel. Checked out and caught a taxi to the Air Port.
Boarded plane at 2 p.m. for New York and didnt take off until
2:45 p.m. Uneventful flight. Figured out prices on gifts for
customs. Landed at 5 p.m.. It took about an hour for passport
and customs and baggage and to find a hotel room. Reached
hotel at 7 p.m.
August 6. Caught plane at 11 a.m. at La Guardia
Airport. Uneventful flight. We had a 25 minute wait in Chicago.
Landed about 2:05 p.m. in Tucson.

Ann Kersten met us at the Airport and took us home.
We were very grateful for her help while we were on this
trip. She took us to our planes and picked us up and was
instrumental in getting a check to us when we were short of
money.
On August 7 I drove alone to Flagstaff to pick up our
girls. Merv had to go right to work that morning. This was a
24 hour trip. It was too far to drive up and back in
one day. As I came to the door and rang the bell, I
heard the scrape of chairs and the door flew open to
show three weeping girls. They were so glad to see
me. I guess they thought I would never come back.
Maxine had been serving supper to them and they
made a place for me to eat with them. Of course we
all talked at once and I gave them some souveniers.
We slept there that night and early the next
morning the girls and I left for Tucson. Maxine was
another person for whom we were very grateful. She
took good care of our girls despite their tears and homesickness. She kept
them safe during the whole summer. I can never thank her enough for her
goodness. That was the Campbells first summer in Flagstaff and had only
moved in a couple of weeks before our girls landed
on their doorstep.
The next two weeks were spent rushing to
get the girls ready for school. The next trip of note
was in the summer of 1974. Merv got permission
from his superiors to have a two-month visit to the
Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. He was to
work with the entomologists there to see if he
could help with the virus that was infecting the
cherry crop in that valley. Growing and selling fruit
was the main occupation of the whole valley of
Lake Okanagan. The fruit was very large and very delicious. Merv worked with
the experts from the University to teach them how to check for the leafhopper
Pena
Castle,
Portugal
a
Picking Cherries
Picking Cherries


143

carrier of the virus that was killing the fruit. We rented a house in Penticton,
British Columbia. I was hired to make net coverings for some of the cherries so
that the experts could make their diagnoses. The girls got to pick cherries in
the area. We took home about 24 bottles of the fruit. They didnt last long. We
all loved them. I also came home with a case of Giardia Lamblia, an intestinal
parasite. We went to a party that included all the members on the Station
where I was probably infected.
As we returned home we
went through part of Glacier
National Park. The Canadian
Rockies were beautiful with
high mountains that still had
snow on the tops at the end of
July. We went through the
resort town of Banff in the
middle of the Rockies and then
south to beautiful Lake Louise.
The water was a milky blue that
that had drained directly off the
glacier on the side of the
mountain into the lake itself.
It was almost time for the children to start school when we got back to
Tucson and it was a rush to get them ready. Marilyn was in High School. Both
Virginia and Louise were in Junior High School and were anxious to get back to
their friends and other activities.


Nielson Family - 1974


Lake Louise


144

II

After we returned home and everything was reasonably back in order,
Merv and I made the decision to build a house. Some years before we had
purchased a lot in the foothills above where our house was on Cherry Avenue
1100 Soledad Avenue. With all the travelling we had, there had never been time
or money to think about it. We began looking for a contractor to do the job for
us. It wasnt until the late summer
of 1975 that we found someone
that could do the job. We watched
as the houses went up in our area
and soon found a man that built a
house we really liked. His company
was Almli Construction Company.
In order to build a house and
not have to borrow too much
money, we had to sell our house on
Cherry Avenue. So in the fall of
1974 we put a For Sale sign in
front of the house. To our
amazement the house did not take
long to sell. The problem was that we would have to move to a rental house for
some months. We wanted to stay in the same School District but could not find
a house. We eventually found a house on Cardi Boulevard just off Ft. Lowell
Boulevard some blocks to the east of our Cherry Ave. house. This was not in
our School District and we had to get special permission for our girls to go to
their regular schools. This was provided since we would soon be back in the
District and we did have to change our Ward affiliation. We went to the First
Ward which was originally known as the Binghampton Ward, the first Mormon
Ward in Tucson. We enjoyed our friendships there. We found that in order to
have enough money to complete our house, we would have to sell the truck and
the camper that we had enjoyed so much. We bought a small two-door Datsun
to drive around town. Marilyn had learned to drive a car before we went to
Canada, but Virginia and Louise both learned to drive in that car.
One evening Marilyn and Virginia went to a Stake dance for the youth of
our Stake. The weather was not too pleasant that night, but they wanted to go
anyway. Louise was uneasy about going with them that night and so stayed at
home with us. We went to bed at our usual time and about 11:30 the phone
rang. When I answered, one of our Ward friends, Mitzi Fillerup, called to say
our girls had been in an accident and were being taken by ambulance to
University Hospital. Her son Ed had seen the accident and had rushed home to
report to his parents. We were devastated! We had no car for transportation,
but Joe Fillerups brother was visiting and lent us his rental car. We left Louise
at home in bed while Merv and I tore to the hospital. We managed to get there
while Marilyn was still in the driveway in an ambulance and Virginia had just
1100 Soledad Avenue


145

been taken inside. Marilyn saw us and pointed to her jaw. We hurriedly went
inside and found Virginia in the Emergency Department with a broken collar
bone. She saw us and broke into tears and tried to tell us what happened. They
then brought Marilyn
and we could see the
great bruise on her face
and she let us know that
her jaw was broken. The
emergency personnel
wanted to work on them
and so we had to wait
until we could find
exactly what was wrong.
We found later
that it had been raining
hard when the girls left
the dance and they were
driving slowly down 1
st

Avenue when a car
coming toward them
swerved across the
center line and hit the
drivers side where
Marilyn was sitting. She
hit her head hard on the
metal side of the car
window, knocking her
out for a bit. Apparently her head had also bounced against the steering wheel
hard enough to break her jaw (this was before air bags were in car. Virginia
had been wearing a seat belt and it caused enough pressure to break her collar
bone. The other driver was very young and had been drinking. He broke both
his legs. Marilyn was not cited. Finally seeing that this would be an all night
vigil, I got Merv to go home to be with Louise and I stayed at the hospital. Later,
in the morning, Virginia was able to go home, but Marilyn had to stay. That
day was Sunday and there were no doctors around to do what had to be done.
On Monday morning, the doctors finally got back to work. University
Hospital was a teaching hospital and the doctor that was on call, had to set
and wire Marilyns jaw. Apparently new advances had shown better techniques
to repair broken jaws, but the doctor we had wasnt up on the new techniques.
He cut through the skin under her jaw, wired up the broken bones and wired
her jaw shut, leaving a massive scar. When she woke up, she was panic
stricken. I spent a long time with her to keep her calm, helping her to drink
water and rest. I was upset when I went to see her later that afternoon to find
that there had been a dinner delivered to her of mashed potatoes, meat and
vegetables with no instructions on how to eat the food. We never saw a
Accident Report


146

dietician while she was there. I helped her suck some food around her teeth
and that was all she got to eat.
By the time I got her home I found a large syringe that was used to feed
babies their cereal. I took the end off, got some plastic tubing and put all her
food through the blender. This way she was getting balanced meals in any way
that we could get them in her body. She very rapidly improved, but had to miss
about a week of school. After that the wires made no difference and she did
everything she could do beforeincluding bearing her testimony in Sacrament
Meeting. I have always felt the people in the hospital should have been more
aware of the problems of feeding a patient in her condition and doing more to
instruct her.
Virginia rapidly improved. Her collar bone didnt
cause her too much trouble and she missed very little
school. While she was in Junior High Virginia played the
clarinet and marched in the Amphi Band in the Rodeo
Parade for a couple of years. When she entered High
School, Virginias feelings about playing a clarinet and
marching in the school band changed. She tried out for
the cheering leading squad and made it. She had two
fun years of cheerleading.
Louise hadnt gone to the Stake Dance with the
other two girls. She said she had a bad feeling about it
and wanted to stay home. We were glad because if she
had been in the backseat she may have been more badly
hurt than the other two.
Louise decided in grade school that she wanted to
play the violin. She had always been good at the piano,
but wanted to try something else.
She played in some quartets
during Junior High and High
School, but eventually decided to
stay with the piano and the organ.
She played for Sacrament
Meetings, Primary and many other
events.
Marilyn wanted to play the
flute and did so until she was out
of Junior High, but in High School
she didnt want to play any more.
She wanted to be a cheer leader
also but didnt make it the first year. She did make it the second year and she
and Virginia were in it together for a year.
Marilyn continued going to the Stake dances in spite of her jaw and loved
it. She met Kim Butler there in 1973 and for several months was really
interested in him. That summer he went on a mission and Marilyn
corresponded with him faithfully.
Cheer
Leader
Virginia
Marilyn's Graduation


147

Construction on our new house began
before the wires were removed from Marilyns jaw.
We watched it grow from the first clearing to the
finished house. We moved into our completed
house about October of 1975.
In the summer of 1975 Marilyn went to a
Young Adults activity that included people from a
wide area. While working with the others, she met
a young man from Safford, Arizona. His name
was Terry Larsen and I guess it was love at first
sight. Terry spent many hours travelling back and forth between Mesa and
Safford. At this time, Marilyn was still seventeen. She approached us one day
about marrying Terry soon. Merv and I talked with her many hours about this.
We wanted her to go to go to College, but Marilyn was determined and we
finally consented with the proviso that she
wait until she had turned 18. That made it
a little tough on Terry, but in January of
1976 they were married in the Mesa
Temple. They lived in a small house near
the pig farm that Terry and his father
operated in Safford, Arizona.
About a week after Marilyns
wedding, I had to go to a Relief Society
function. While I was gone someone broke
into our house and stole some items. We
had not put a garage door on the house because of dwindling funds and the
thief kicked open the back door. He must have been very strong because it only
took a couple of kicks to break it in even with the dead bolt locked. He took my
diamond wedding and engagement rings, Mervs government camera (with
pictures of Marilyns wedding on it), some coins that Grandpa William Nielson
had given our kids and a few other small things. I called the police, but this
was so common in our area that they didnt really do much about it. There
were still a lot of Marilyns wedding gifts scattered around, but the thief didnt
want them. It was a traumatic event and made us feel dirty. I scrubbed the
house the next day.
After that we had the back door repaired and a heavy garage door added.
We had no more robberys there.









Marilyns wedding reception
Our finished house
on Soledad


148

III

The area where the house was located had a great view of the valley and
the city of Tucson. There were desert plants all through the lot except where a
small patch of grass grew by the back patio. There were several saguaro cacti,
prickly pear, yucca and pincushion cacti. All of these plants had blooms on
them in the spring in varying colorsfrom white to pink to flaming red. While
living in this house we had one snow storm that gave a look of frosting to these
desert plants. The area was in the foothills and was very quiet. Eventually we
enclosed the side patio for an art studio for Merv.
Virginia completed her junior and senior years at Amphitheater High
School and graduated in 1977.