Compiled and edited by

Va l e r i e H a r t D o l l

t Fa m ily Me
ar m or
❤H ies
❤
Hart Family Memories 

Publisher: Valerie Hart Doll

Managing Editor: Valerie Hart Doll
Senior Project Manager: Valerie Hart Doll
Production and Design Director: Valerie Hart Doll
Design Manager: Valerie Hart Doll
Production Team: You’ve guessed it.

Copyright 2013 by Hart Family

All rights reserved.

Any part of this work that is produced or distributed in a way that is offensive or annoying to any
member of the Hart family will result in merciless swirlies. :

ii iii
A special thanks my Hart siblings for both contributing to this book and for
some fun growing up years

“Kids everywhere! All my siblings grew up in a pack together, so I

wasn’t used to having so many young children around. Those first years, I was
always surprised to have an instant grade school or preschool around whenever
we came to visit. It was fun and it exhausted me too. I loved the little boys and
girls coming and showing me what they made, their books, shoes, toys, projects,
and talking to me and sitting in my lap. Kait and Karen were big talkers espe-
cially. I smile when I remember Valerie’s and Spencer’s temper tantrums too! It
was fun to see you run for office, go to dances, on dates, and participate in all
kinds of high school events. I liked crocheting with Spencer, watching Yvonne
curl her amazing hair for the dance, and seeing Lisa’s art and sewing projects. I
loved watching many of you grow up and go through you different phases and
become who you are. It was a great opportunity. I don’t have a first impression,
just lots of little ones.”

-Cynthia Hart, wife of Gus

Table of Contents
Lewis and Myrna 1

Early Memories 3

Siblings 5

Fun and Games 7

A Harts’ Best Friend 9

Traveling 10

A Word from the In-Laws 12

You Might Be A Hart If . . . 16

Glossary of Hart Terms 18

 Lewis and Myrna

Lewis and Myrna

Yvonne remembers: After we moved into the “big house” I remember we all
thought the spray hose thingy on the sink was pretty cool. We had never had one of those before.
One evening, Dad said something smart-alecky to Mom. She grabbed that spray hose and gave
him a good soaking. We all laughed except Dad. He picked her up over his shoulder marched her
outside and held her under the water spigot while we all cheered him on. That is one of my favor-
ite memories from the “big house” and one of my favorite memories of Dad.

Marshall remembers: One thing I remember about Dad is he always keeps his
promises even if they're really silly promises. One day he was really mad at Mom because she was
popping her gum. He told her, in what anyone would think was a rash statement and not really a
promise, “If you don't do that, if you stop chewing gum for two years, I'll give you $2,000.” So
she didn't do it. She didn't chew gum for two years.
I remember we were driving up Poleline Road (in Rexburg) when he made that promise. And
so on Christmas two years later, Dad bought some old stale gum from the candy machines out at
the airport since the gum was always stale and nobody would ever eat it anyway. Then he pulled
out each one of the little sticks of gum and threw them away, and he rolled up hundred dollar bills
up in the gum wrappers and put them back in. Then he put it in a box that looked like a kid had
wrapped it. Before he gave it to Mom Lisa and Yvonne found the gum; they pulled it out but then
put it back in when they saw it wasn't really gum. So when Mom opened it on Christmas Day she
was like, “Oh that's nice,” and she kind of set it aside since she didn't really chew gum anymore.
And he and Yvonne were like, “No, no, you really should open it.” So eventually she opened it,
thinking the kids might like a piece. Then she saw that it was $100 bills and there was a big scene.
Carmen: And I remember she kept spending it on us kids and he said, “No. This is money for
you.” And that was one of the hardest things for Mom to do. I remember she had a red dress at
one point with lace and that was one of the things she bought with some of that money. It was
really hard for her.
Cynthia: And out of defense to Lewis, Myrna still doesn't chew gum. Sometimes over the
years, I'll forget and offer her a piece and she'll just say, “Oh no, I don't chew gum,” and it's be-
cause she felt like that was such a big deal to him.

Valerie remembers: I knew I had the coolest dad in the whole wide world because
he would land the helicopter in the backyard. I only remember Spencer and I being home when he
did, but one of us would notice that he landed and be so excited. We’d run out to see him, sit in
the helicopter, and sometimes he would even give us ride.

Kaitlyn remembers: I don’t remember why, but one day I decided to run away. I
packed all of my pajamas into a bag and headed out. But then I decided that perhaps it would be
best to wait until night time to actually leave. (I could at least eat a few more good meals.) I hid
my bag of pajamas in the outside storage room so that I could easily retrieve it when I made my
get away that evening. Over the course of the day I forgot about my plan and when bedtime came
around I could not find my pajamas anywhere. I asked Mom if she knew where they were and

1
Hart Family Memories
I looked in all my drawers. Then I remembered where they were. I remember it being extremely
awkward explaining to Mom where my pajamas were.
Yvonne remembers: Once when I was deathly sick when we lived in the “little
house”, Dad came and slept in the top bunk above me so that he could be close by if I needed
anything during the night. I was so worried that he was too heavy to sleep up there and that the
bed would come crashing down on me during the night that I barely slept a wink. I said lots of
prayers that night that he wouldn't squish me to death when he fell on me.
Karen remembers: Also Dad used to tease Mom that she would always burn things.
He called her cookies hockey pucks. And I remember one time Mom was making cookies and
went downstairs to do something and Dad was downstairs with Gus cleaning the hot water heater
because the line got clogged from all the hard water. So he says to Gus, “Whenever your Mom
makes cookies they come out like hockey pucks.” Mom gasped, “The cookies!” and ran upstairs.
And sure enough they were as black as hockey pucks.
Marshall: The way I remember is that the fire alarm went off and Dad said, “Either your
mother is making cookies or starting a fire.” And she was starting a fire. And then Mom gasped,
“The cookies!” and ran upstairs. And they were burnt.
2 3
Lewis and Myrna
Valerie remembers: Mom always made birthdays special by making our cake into
any shape we wanted. I remember having a dog, heart, umbrella, hot air balloon, bobcat, and all
sorts of things
Kaitlyn remembers: I remember a specific time when Marshall got in trouble
with Mom. He thought it would be funny to come home with a nose ring. It wasn’t real. It was a
magnetic stud that he had put in his nose. I’m sure he just wanted to see how Mom would react. I
have never seen her light up so fast. She immediately started yelling at Marshall and he scrambled
to get that ring out of his nose as quickly as possible trying to show her that it was fake and just a
prank. I don’t remember Mom or Marshall thinking it was very funny by the end of it.
Kaitlyn remembers: Dad let me throw a surprise moving away party for one of
my friends at the airport. It was pretty fun to watch movies and eat food up in the pilot’s lounge.
Unfortunately the party ended with the ambulance and fire department outside the building. One
of the parents had come to pick up their kid and was trying to find a light switch in the big hanger
and pulled the fire alarm thinking it was a light switch. Dad wasn’t very happy. Valerie: At this
party I found a little prize in a bag of potato chips. Kaitlyn’s friend Celeste, who bought the chips,
said I could have whatever it was. When I opened it and found ten dollars, she quickly changed her
mind. I remember being so disappointed, and some of Kaitlyn’s friends became quite indignant
about her taking the ten dollars back. I think I started some unnecessary drama before the fireman
had a chance to.
Karen remembers: We had lived in the little house and we moved into the big
house and I turned 3. That house was so big (like 4 or 5 times bigger than our other house) and
scary. I had gone to see a movie with some of my siblings that had scared the tar out of me. It was
E.T. There's a part where there are little brown aliens running around and their hearts are glowing
red. We were at the movie theater with a big screen. Since I couldn't really look away, I was trying
to hide under my chair. But Aunt Yvonne, who was in charge of watching me, was not about to let
me misbehave and crawl around on the dirty floor, so she hauled me back onto my chair and she
Hart Family Memories
and Aunt Carmen held me down. Then Aunt Carmen noticed it was funny that I was trying not to
look at the screen so she got my eyes open.
For a whole year Dad let me sleep in their room. I wasn't allowed to sleep in their bed, but I
would sleep on the floor and Mom would hang her hand down so I could hold it--probably until
her hand fell asleep and she wanted to pull it away but she didn't. And Dad snores like a bear. It
would echo in the bathroom, so it was almost as scary to sleep in their room as it was to sleep in
my own bed!
Early Memories
Kaitlyn remembers: This could possibly be my earliest memory. I don’t know
how old I was. I think I had gone outside to play after I was told to go to bed (I can’t remem-
ber for sure), but Shannon was there visiting and playing outside too. Dad gave us all spankings
(including Shannon). I remember thinking to myself that I would pretend it hurt, but that I sure
fooled Dad because I was wearing a diaper and I could barely feel it.
Gus remembers: Dad loved slides. In the ’old’ days, pictures were taken on film, film
which became negatives when developed. The negatives could be made into prints or slides. Or
slides could be shot directly from slide film. Dad loved slides. The slides lived in round carousels.
The carousels were placed on top of the projector which would rotate them around dropping the
slides, one at a time, into the projector.
The kids loved watching slide shows. We really loved it. Dad would bring home the slide-pro-
jector (from the airport) and pull down all the carousels from the top of the closet in Mom and
Dad’s room, and we’d all gather on the floor to watch the show. Dad would project the pictures
4 5
Siblings
up onto a wall (who needs a proper screen?) and we’d all see pictures of ourselves when were little
(well, littler). We all liked to see our younger selves bigger than life on the wall.
I have a lot of memories from the time I was little, really little. But somehow, I’m not sure that
the memories are real, or if they are instead memories of the slides. Sometimes I think that some
of my early memories are actually memories I’ve unconsciously embellished after countless slide
shows, Mom and Dad narrating the details of events behind the pictures and me remembering the
narration as if they were my own memories.
Valerie remembers: When I was two I thought the bathroom scale was used to tell
you how old you were, not how much you weighed. For that matter, I don’t think it was accurate
for weight either, but one day I decided to check and see if my age had changed. When I stood
on the scale it read 30 pounds. I was young enough I didn’t understand double digits. I read it as
three plus zero, so obviously I was now three. Excitedly I ran through the house announcing my
news that I was now three years old! Not a single person in paid attention to me, but I was just too
pleased to care.
Lisa remembers: I was only about 18 months when the dam broke. The only thing
I really remember is everyone got to go to the bathroom in (if I recall correctly) a gray bucket.
There was not a toilet just a hole in the ground. Mom says I was very easy to potty train, but it was
all because of the bucket. I’m pretty sure it was the same bucket that we later always used to pick
beans in the big house. That’s pretty gross!
Siblings
Greg remembers: I remember going to Chicago in Mobes (the big blue van) to visit
Carmen. I specifically remember coming over a rise and seeing the most complicated road struc-
ture I had ever seen. There were several freeways coming together and overpasses over overpasses.
Wondering about this memory I asked mom a few years ago if we had ever gone to Chicago and
if so when. If this really is a memory of going to Chicago, opposed to some other trip, I would
have been one at the time.
Kaitlyn remembers: So much happened in Grandpa’s house. It was kind of fun
to live in it. It felt special with the blue carpets and walls and the old kitchen. The white painted
drawers reminded me of Grandma and Grandpa all the time. I associated them with the old dolls
they used to hold and ice cream cones since Grandpa always gave us ice cream cones when we
went to visit at that house. I thought it was coolest thing that we got to have such a large room
with a sink and a walk-in closet.
I remember Spencer breaking Mom’s wash basin (is that what it is called) with the pink roses
painted on it when he was playing with a soccer ball in the house. I couldn’t believe that he wasn’t
dead after she found out about it.
Hart Family Memories
Someone gave Valerie a ream of paper for her birthday one year and I’ve never seen her more
excited in my life. (I’ve also never seen a ream of paper used so fast in my life.)
Bob and Lisa gave the family a huge box full of generic brand cereal, gallons of milk, and
bowls for Christmas one year. We thought it was the coolest thing ever.
After moving to Grandpa’s house we all walked to school. This was definitely new for my
generation. I would often wear my sandals to school in the middle of winter. My toes would be so
cold when I got to school I thought they might fall off.
Valerie remembers: I loved hanging out with Karen. She never acted like I was
the annoying little sister. If her friends came over to watch a movie, I watched it with them. If a
boyfriend came over to hang out, I hang out too. Karen also took me places all the time. I remem-
ber going to the store with her, hanging out at her work in my pajamas, waiting for her outside
the testing center (and feeling like a cool college student), and even going to high school classes
with her when Mom and Dad were out of town. When I was with Karen I thought I was quite the
adult.
Siblings
Gus remembers: One of my favorite pictures in the slide show was one of my little
sis- ter, Erin, and I standing in a big, wooden crate, dousing ourselves with a sprinkler. The setting
was the neighbor’s yard across the street. Why they had a big, wooden crate in the yard, I don’t
know. But apparently Erin and I crossed the street (I was probably only three years old at the time
and Erin was a year younger), retrieved the sprinkler, which was sprinkling, and crawled into the
box with it. We were having a grand time squirting ourselves while confined to the box. Why Mom
(or Dad?) took pictures instead of blowing their tops is a mystery.
The way I remember it, the sprinkler was a small, cast-iron thing with a single hole in the
middle. It was yellow. For years after the experience, everytime I saw our yellow sprinkler I would
remember this experience. Only at this writing did it finally dawn on me that our yellow sprinkler
couldn’t have been the same one from the crate experience as that one was the neighbors’.

Yvonne remembers: I remember one night when we lived in the little house that
Gus had a brilliant idea that we should sneak out of the house after mom and dad went to bed.
We excitedly waited until they were fast asleep and then crept in a little line, Gus, Carmen, Yvonne,
Lisa, through the house and to the front door.(If I remember correctly we were all holding on to
each other's waists lest we lose our way) My heart nearly stopped when Gus quietly opened the
front door. What would happen if mom and dad caught us? What would happen if we couldn't
get back in the house? Was I going to be cold outside in my pajamas? We made it outside free and
clear and sneaked over to our old brown rambler. The four of us squished in the front seat and
sat there basking in the victory of our escape. I bet it was a whole 20 maybe even 30 feet from the
front door! I don't remember how long we sat there but eventually we all got bored and sleepy and
quietly sneaked back to our beds.

Kaitlyn remembers: Vicky tended to feel better late at night than at other times Kaitlyn remembers: I always remember my 14th birthday as my favorite. Karen
of the day. When we lived in Grandpa’s house we shared the upstairs room. Oftentimes we would
made me feel like the most special girl in the world that day. I was 8th grade and attending school
have singing conversations with one another late at night. One time we did jump on our beds and
at the junior high next to Broulim's. I wasn’t expected anything special for my birthday, but as I
another time we rearranged the furniture in our bedroom. Since we had a wood floor walking,
walked down the hallway toward the lunchroom I spotted Karen standing there waiting for me. In
jumping, and scraping of furniture was not quieted by carpet. It wasn’t until years after Vicky
her hand was a big brown paper bag. Karen had brought Chinese take-out from Fongs. She came
passed away that it occurred to me that our parents had the bedroom right below ours. I’m sure
down to the lunch room with me and ate. Our principal, an old cranky woman, came over and
we kept them from sleeping for hours on several occasions, but they never complained.
questioned Karen about the take-out. Stating that we have a closed campus and wondering where
she got that food from. She had assumed Karen was a student herself and had broken school
Valerie remembers: Late nights with Vicky were the best! It didn’t matter if rules. Karen explained that she was visiting for lunch and had brought it for me. After finishing
our Chinese Karen pulled out a birthday cake and started lighting the candles. I felt like we had to
we were already in bed and falling asleep when Vicky felt well it was time to get up and party. I be especially sneaky with the cake so the principal wouldn’t see us light the candles. I also felt like
remember the most random ideas would pop into her head. One night I was in bed ready to fall the most popular kid in the lunchroom because so many people started coming over to share the
asleep and listening to Vicky sing when she decided she wanted us to sing a round. First she had cake with us. Everyone at the table sang me happy birthday and we ate cake and shared cake. I had
to explain to me what that meant, and then she decided we would sing “Row, Row, Row, your the coolest older sister ever and I was sure everyone in that lunch room knew it.
Boat” since that was a simple song that everyone knew. Well I didn’t know it, so we had to go find
some paper and crayons and she wrote the words down so Kaitlyn and I could sing a round with
her. I also remember rearranging the furniture late in the nights. For some reason we loved rear-
ranging our future and did it all the time.

6 7
Hart Family Memories
Fun and Games
Kaitlyn Remembers: I loved playing Pickle on the front steps of the big house.
I don’t remember all of the rules, but I do know that each step had a number and it involved
advancing to different steps. If someone called pickle we had to race to the top step before being
tagged.
We would also play sand monster on the stairs. One person would be the monster and would
drag the others down to the bottom of the stairs. We also played this when we would go to the
sand dunes.
Princesses and dragons was a great game that we played in the barn room. The dragon would
hide and the princesses would skip around the room pretending to pick berries and sing “picking
berries is fun to do, fun to do, fun to do . . . “ When the dragon came out we would all scream and
run around, but I don’t remember what actually happened to us.
The line game! I loved the line game. Like the other games, I can’t remember all of the specif-
ics. We played when it was dark and turned all the lights of in the house. We followed the person
who was “it” in a single file line. At times we would sneak off and hide while the person who was
“it” tried to find all the hiders. There were rules about how often the leader could look over their
shoulder and they could only change directions by going around an object.
Yvonne remembers: Another good memory from the “big house” is playing hide-
n-seek for family home evening one Monday soon after we moved in. The entire family played and
I was in heaven. There were so many places to hide in that big house! I hid in dad's closet inside
his big hairy coat and put my feet inside of his boots. Someone checked in the closet but they
didn't notice me. No one ever found me and I was so proud of my hiding spot that I never told
8 9
Fun and Games
anyone in hopes that we would soon play again. I think about that experience almost every time
my kids want to play hide-n-seek.
Valerie remembers: The boys and I had all sorts of games. First was the lion game
where I was a lion and they were tamers. Greg and Spencer would try and trap me in blankets
while I attacked them. We loved it, but it was pretty intense and I think we always left with scratch-
es and bruises.
Another time, Greg had an idea to play and ongoing game with Monolopy money. The point
of the game was to get as much money as you could and it went on 24 hours a day, seven days
a week. The methods for collecting money from each other was left to our own devices. If we
asked someone for a favor, like getting a drink of water, we were usually charged. Our daily life
turned into a haggling process. As the game progressed, we began to make temporary treaties
between two of us and would mug third one. An hour later the partnership changed and one of
the muggers got mugged themselves. I remember going down the stairs in Grandpa’s house was
dangerous because that was a common place to get jumped. I wore Greg’s sweats and stuffed my
money in my pants hoping that would protect me. Unfortunately, getting mugged with Monopoly
money stuffed in your pants bends the bills and Mom made us stop when she saw how much we
were ruining the money. She probably would have had us stop sooner if she had any idea what
was really going on.
Greg remembers: I remember thinking that the barn room was basically a gym
without basketball hoops and it was big enough for any games we wanted to play. It seems that
most of the games we played were invented by our older siblings. I remember playing Princess-
es and Dragons in the barn room. Spencer or I would hide in the bathroom or on the stairs and
everyone else would prance around the room “picking berries” until the dragon came out. Once
the dragon came out everyone else ran back to the “castle” (the coach) before being caught by the
dragon. We would also play pickle on the steps in front of the house. It was more or less Mother
May I, but we would ask how many pickles (stairs) we could go. We had a big garden area, and one
Sunday Kaitlyn, Spencer, and I wanted to play outside. I guess we felt that whatever we did needed
to be church related, so we went out to the garden, dug a hole, and filled it will water. Then we had
Spencer march in it, like the Hebrew slaves in the Ten Commandments. We also gathered weeds
to throw in as “straw”. I do not think Mom every learned where all the scratches on Spencer’s legs
came from.
Kaitlyn remembers: The big house was the perfect place for playing lost orphans.
There was such a big yard in the back that we would wander around in. We pretended that we
were orphans wandering in the wilderness. Sometimes we would come upon a house in a clearing
and go inside. We would sit at the bar and order food, calling mom restaurant lady. We orphans
would enjoy her food so much we would decide to stay in the house forever.
Hart Family Memories
A Hart’s Best Friend
Lisa remembers: I remember when we “got” Odie. Gus, Carmen, Yvonne, and I
were all playing outside when someone drove by and dropped a dog out of a pickup. So we snuck
him in the house and down to the basement. It felt like we were being pretty sneaky. At one point,
Gus went upstairs, maybe to find some food for the dog. It seemed like hours that we were down-
stairs, hiding this dog from Mom. We’d take turns going upstairs to, I guess spy on her to see if
she’d notice. I don’t remember if Gus and Carmen went upstairs to ask Mom if we could keep the
dog, but I’m pretty sure if they did, she said no. Then what seems like hours later, I heard Mom
say to Gus, “Well, if you’re going to keep that dog, it needs food and a collar.” What celebration
we had enjoyed and we escaped from our hiding place in the basement.
One of my first memories of the big house is thinking I would get lost in it because it was
sooooo big. I think one of the earliest memories I have of it involves Odie as well we moved in
August right before school started. Then two days before Christmas we got a call from the
neighbors, the Scoresby’s, asking us if we had a black dog. He had gotten into their garbage and
choked on a bone and had died on their front porch. So mom took Gus to the pound on Christ-
mas Eve to get a new dog. (Somehow Odie belongs to Gus, even though, we all snuck him into
the house--as long as he was the one that had to clean up after him, I was fine with it). At the
pound, Gus picked out a great little dog that he promised mom was a boy. And then read in
number 16 where we learn that this dog, Ruppy, was not a boy at all!!
10
A Hart’s Best Friend
Karen remembers: And speaking of their bathroom, our Max dog used to sleep in
the bath tub. He would drink out of it too.
Marshall remembers: So have you ever seen an animal ride a motorcycle? When
Dad got our dog Max--Max was one of the funniest dogs that we had and he was after Odie.
Max really wanted to go anywhere that Dad went. So the first time that Dad went to work in
the summer time on the motorcycle, Max really wanted to go too. So Dad put him up there and
started to ride and the dog fell off. So they tried it one more time. And for as long as I can remem-
ber--I don't know if Gus can remember--one of the saddle bag lids was missing on his bike. So
Max would put his rump [there.] And Max was a big dog. Just to give you an idea; he was like 110
pounds. He was a big dog and it was super scary for people to come see us at our house because
he always barked.
So this dog Max would ride the motorcycle with Dad. And when you'd introduce yourself to
people in town they'd say, “Oh your dad's the dad that rides the bike with the dog on it.”
He got pulled over once but he didn't get a ticket. The police man wouldn't come close because
Max was leaning out. He just said, “Your light’s out.”
So Gus and I both had a chance to ride with Max on the motorcycle. I think we were the only
two. The dog loved to race the motorcycle, and as soon as the bike got below 35 miles per hour he
would jump off the bike! At that one corner . . .but it was always speed-based. Like clockwork, he
would jump off when it slowed down enough to make the corner. It's really hard to keep a bike
upright when 110 pounds jumps off of it. So he would race home and he loved it. He loved every
minute of
it.
11
Hart Family Memories
Lisa remembers: My sweetest memory of Gus is when Ruppy had her 8 puppies
and it was time to give them away. Gus, Carmen, Yvonne, and I went and stood in front of Osco
Drug to give them away. The white one, my favorite, was picked first and I thought I wouldn’t be
able to bear it. I remember crying into his fur before handing him over to the little girl and her
mother who chose him. After hours of crying as the little puppies were taken, Gus took the three
of us girls to Wendy’s and treated us all to ice cream cones to make up for the horrible thing we
just had had to do.
Traveling
Marshall remembers: So this next one is a solidly middle generation story:
We started having exchange students from France come in the summer for a month. (“When we
would pick raspberries,” a sister adds.) It was 11 years I think we did this. So this isn't really like
one memory: it's like a collection of memories. It was really funny because all these students put
that they wanted to go to a city in the east or west coast with one or no kids that were their age
or older. And all of them came to this crazy house in Rexburg, Idaho with this sea of kids and I
don't know for sure but it seemed like every single one of them had a huge blast. At the beginning
of their visit we would make up this list that would sit on the fridge of all the fun things we want-
ed to do or go see. And it was insane! When I think about how many of those things we got done
in 30 days . . .Like I don't think my family does that much stuff in a whole year! Go to Yellow-
stone Park, go to the Ice Caves, go to Pack Saddle Lake, go to the flood museum, go to Craters of
the moon, and the sand dunes. We hit like all the national parks within 2 or 300 miles. And so we
super intense summers of play.
One specific memory that I have was the very first time that we went to Pack Saddle Lake.
It was just something that Dad had seen from the airplane and he wanted to go. We didn't even
really know how to get there for sure. So we drove out there with the truck and the van and then
we parked the van when we got close and took the truck. And it was this really rough, bad road
and we were in the back of pick up (I think it was in Grandpa's white pick-up). There were several
parts where Mom would just get out and walk because she didn't like the rough riding. The truck
had a fiber glass shell on the back of it and we were driving up and the road was so bad we were
flexing and so the fiber glass camper shell broke. It tore apart, actually came out of its mounts.
And we were flying around in the back of the truck and bouncing on the inner tubes. It was crazy.
I don't know if I've ever seen Dad have more fun in his whole life. And it's like one my favorite
places of all time: there's a rope swing that swings you out into water so cold it hurts to even
touch it. And it was just one of our favorite places to go; I think we went every year.
Karen remembers: We use to rent out the little house, but one night when it was
empty Dad said we could go camp out in the little house. He even borrowed a TV. from the air-
port because I don't think we had a TV. at home yet. (The first TV I think we had at the big house
was given to us by Charlie the dentist.) He bought a package of Oreos and we went and camped
out on the floor. And it was a blast. And I think that is Dad's form of camping. Gus says there's
always Oreos when you're camping with Dad.
12
Traveling
Yvonne remembers: I remember taking the road trip back east. One night there
was a huge thunder and lightning storm. Everyone was impressed except for me; I am terrified
of thunder and lightning. The person who was the most impressed must have been Lisa because
it was at that time she uttered her famous phrase “This is one hellavu storm!” On that same trip
us four older kids also re-enacted “Chariots of Fire” as we ran alongside the sandy shore of Lake
Michigan (I think it was Lake Michigan anyway)
Kaitlyn remembers: It’s really hard to pick a favorite vacation. I love taking road
trips. One that stands out is the Christmas trip we took to Phoenix, AZ. Dad borrowed a mo-
tor home from a friend and we had the thing decked out with music, movies, and games to keep
ourselves entertained. Together we wrote a travel log each day. We would laugh and laugh as we
thought of inside jokes to include in the log.
Dad really wanted to go to Mexico, but Mom wouldn’t hear of it. She was worried that we
wouldn’t be able to make it pass border patrol with the oxygen we had. Dad kept telling her it
wouldn’t matter. While mom was sleeping, Dad drove past border patrol. When she woke up, he
said, well we’re past border patrol now, so we might as well go. We parked the motor home and
walked across the border. Greg and Spencer kept jumping back and forth across the border so
they could say that they had been to Mexico the most times. We walked to a little park, which was
all concrete, no grass, and then we walked backed.
After we had been on the road for a couple hours, Mom thought she had left her purse at the
last stop and kept telling Dad we needed to go back. I think she ended up finding it in the closet.
Dad hit a road sign and broke it. It just so happened that a police officer was right there to wit-
ness it. He told us that we needed to wait there for someone to come back and talk to us. I’m not
sure exactly why. We waited and waited in the gas station parking lot. We watched an entire movie
while we waited. Finally, Dad concluded no one was coming back and we left. We teased him that
knew he was “on the run”. Months later Mom and Dad were back in that same town and they said
that broken sign was still in the gutter.
I forgot the Groovy 60s Hit CD and I didn’t think anyone would ever forgive me.
Karen remembers: On another fun trip we were in Grandpa Chief's white truck,
which had a camper shell on it and beds in the back, and we were going all the way to South
Carolina. And it was wintertime and we were going to pick up Rex's glider. Well the cab of the
pickup was kind of too small for the number of kids we had. And Vicky always got to sit up front
because they had hooked it up so she could do her breathing treatments and Mom could clap her
and we didn't want her getting cold in the back. So those of us in the back figured out quickly that
it would get cold in the back because we didn't have a heater. So we would turn on the propane
gas stove and cuddle up close in our sleeping bags until it started to smell really bad and we were
feeling dizzy and then we'd turn it off.
Dad went on a lot of fun trips. One time we had to get an airplane part in Washington State
and we had taken Grandpa Chief's white truck. And we left early, early, early in the morning. And
we started driving, and we were listening to a book on tape. It was The Hounds of Baskerville or
something. And we stopped and ate at a McDonald's which was like the coolest thing ever. And
then Kaitlyn threw up in the back seat. And we got to see Grand Cooley dam.
And at some point there was a scary movie on and Dad turned the TV. away so he could watch
it from his bed and told the kids to go to sleep. Marshall was so mad, but turns out we could
watch it because it reflected on the mirrors on the closet doors or something and it was scary. And
apparently I sleep walk. It was a good thing that Dad had locked the door because I was terrified
and trying to get out but he saved my life because I would've gone out into the busy street.
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Hart Family Memories
Valerie remembers: One special opportunity I got, was to go with Mom to help
with the newborn babies. (Or at least I thought I was going to help, not because I couldn’t be left
home alone.) I remember going to California when Sam was born, Utah for Emmett, and Arizona
for Julia. I felt so important going with Mom to help save the day.
Kaitlyn remembers: And on the same trip we had Ritz cracker which never hap-
pened but Dad had bought them. And Marshall was holding them but they wouldn't share with
her. (“Probably because you had just thrown up,” Karen says.) And he said, “You can after one
after you say, “I'm obnoxious.”
And I had no idea what that meant so I said, “Sure. I'm obnoxious.” But I got a Ritz cracker so
I was happy.
A Word from the In-Laws
Robert remembers: Dad always greeted Bob with an “I’d rather be dead than Red
on the Head”, but when he came to visit us right after he got home from his Mission. There was
Dad standing under a big sign that said I’m a Convert with a “Red” sandwiched in there between
the “a” and “convert” with his head dyed red.
Danielle remembers: The November we got engaged, Greg invited me on be-
half of his Dad to join them on a family vacation to Las Vegas. I should mention that when I tried
to pay for any of it Myrna said something like, “Oh it’s our gift to you! You just marry this one
here,” patting Greg’s shoulder. Valerie, Greg, Myrna, Lewis, and I drove down for a few days of
warmth and fun. We saw Hoover Dam, took lots pictures, and best of all we surprised Myrna with
tickets to see “Phantom of the Opera” in the Venetian! I also enjoyed sharing a room with Valerie
and getting filled in on some key family history. We also decided for some reason that it’d be fun
to jump on our beds while holding cups of water; it was.
Cynthia remembers: Myrna is kind, unselfish, meek, intelligent, has an impecca-
ble integrity, is fiery, fun, enthusiastic, and a great listener. She is always unselfishly giving to those
around her. I don’t have a most prominent memory. I just know that Myrna is my friend. She has
been a great confidant. She listens and she has been there for me during some difficult experienc-
es. I have never felt judged by her. She has helped me get through some difficult recoveries after
having babies, particularly Rebekkah’s (when I had postpartum depression) and then Julia’s birth
(when I had several days of spinal headaches). Myrna is enthusiastic. She helps me reupholster the
couch and chair like it was a party! She did most of it too. She is fun to travel with, cook with, eat
with, watch movies with, go to the lake with or any other outing, or just to sit and talk too. She is a
great friend and role model to me.
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A Word from the In-Laws
Robert remembers: Myrna has a great way of using the microwave. She always
does double or triple numbers. She’s so efficient that she can’t be bothered to move her fingers. 22
33 111 66 etc.
Danielle remembers: Lewis likes giving airplane rides for Christmas. In 2010 and
we were waiting for people to show up for their turns. Greg suggested seeing if anyone at my par-
ent’s house would be interested. My Dad and Jonathan came and joined me for a ride. Lewis was a
great tour guide and my dad was especially excited to film as we flew over the Rexburg temple and
other awesome sites we hadn’t even known about. I was touched by Lewis’ generosity and got a
kick out of seeing my dad and father in-law sitting together in the front of the plane and chatting.
Cynthia remembers: Here are some random memories:
We went to the sand dunes and roasted hot dogs a few times. This was always fun.
I love Myrna’s Christmas tree. My kids often got to help put in the tinsel and the candy canes
and always begged for us to have candy canes like Grandma. We eat them all before Christmas, so
I said, “No. That is for Grandma’s house.” Grandma always lets the grandkids have a candy cane
at Christmas too.
Ice cream (even for breakfast). I love the ice cream tradition. Gus always says, “There’s always
room for ice cream. It just fills in the cracks.” I have often been surprised at the ability to consume
so much ice cream. One funny memory was the time we were up visiting and I slept in. I came out
around breakfast and saw the kids eating pancakes with ice cream on them. The kids said Grand-
ma said it was okay. I think we often had it 2-3 times a day there.
Here are some other random food traditions that don’t fit anywhere, but that all of the Hart
kids probably remember because you lived at home when I was a young married. Favorite meals
that Myrna made that I really liked: Porcupine meatballs, sweet and sour chicken, tacos, homemade
noodles in turkey soup, Chateau Briand, and orange Julius’. She always makes the best breakfasts. I
don’t make white pancakes because it would be impossible to make them as good as Myrna. They
are always big and fluffy! She makes wonderful hash browns with day old grated potatoes, bacon
bits, and eggs. She told me a few times that she didn’t really like to cook, but I think that she did a
great job. She also makes the best pickled beans. I am addicted to them!
Robert remembers: My biggest let down was watching the “Kill the Duck”slides.
The Harts will watch hours of slides just to get to those few slides. And then it’s not really that
great or impressive. It’s kind of a letdown after feeling all the anticipation building up.
Cynthia remembers: I remember playing card games with Vicky all of the time.
That last year before she passed away, I remember sitting at the dining room table with her and
she was too exhausted and sick to move much, but we were playing cards and she’d lay her head
on the table and every few minutes her head would pop up and she would crack a joke or say
something funny and we’d all laugh. She was really good and fast at Taboo.
Vicky always played Pretty, Pretty Princess with Rebekkah and dress up with her. Rebekkah
loved to spend time with Vicky. Vicky was an expert pill swallower. She could swallow huge and
multiple pills without water.Vicky had an outrageous and hilarious imagination and sense of
humor. She kept us smiling and laughing all of the time. It’s hard to pick a specific memory here
because it was more the way she was.
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Hart Family Memories
Danielle remembers: I also remember Myrna’s scrapbooking and sewing proj-
ects. She had--or has--boxes and boxes of pictures half sorted by child and date. I thought it was
great how Lewis was so kind and handy as I watched him fixing her sewing machine pedal so
she could finish a blessing outfit for one of Yvonne’s kids. He also taught Greg and me tongue
twisters in French and German that visit. German Tongue Twister: Wenn Fliegen hinter Fliegen
fliegen, fliegen Fliegen Fliegen nach? When flies fly behind flies, then flies fly after flies. French
tongue twister: Si ton tonton tond ton tonton, ton tonton tondu sera. If your uncle shaves your
uncle, your uncle will be shaved.
Cynthia remembers: I have a lot! Favorite moments are almost always playing
games with the family. I love to play Taboo because Myrna just switches teams and plays with
everyone. She can’t help herself. Dominoes are also a favorite game with this crew. Harts are great
game players.
Jeremy remembers: I met Carmen Hart (Valerie’s oldest living sister) in Chicago
during the fall of 1999. Carmen was 28 at the time and she had some great things going in her life
before I came along. For example, she had recently finished her second Chicago Marathon and
was excitedly working on her Masters Degree in Curriculum Design and Instruction at the Uni-
versity of Illinois-Chicago. She was a busy woman, and quite happy with her life, her world travels,
and her circle of friends.
In the months before we met, she came to the realization that she was truly happy with her life,
despite the fact that she was an aging spinster in her Mormon society. To the world at-large she
was a beautiful and engaging 20-something who was years away from marriage and kids.
In the summer of 1999, she ended a long-distance-relationship with Martin (best said with a
British accent—‘Maaar-tin’). He was a rugby loving lad from South Africa, living in London. On
paper, he was just the catch that Carmen—and her family back in Idaho—thought she would
live happily-ever- after with. Not only was he Mormon and a return missionary (both musts, of
course), but he was also exotic—a handsome, rugby lover. In the end, the busyness of their sep-
arate lives across the pond killed the relationship. Yet, it wasn’t just the distance. They could have
made it work out, yet for some unknown reason at the time, Carmen didn’t feel right about it and
ended it.
Carmen determined to give up on the active pursuit for a man. Besides, she had too many
good things going on in her life to be focused on the uncontrollable. She focused on her school
work, her volunteer responsibilities with immigrants learning English, and simply being her good
self. Maybe a man would come along, maybe not.
Ironically, just after she had made this refocus of sorts, she found something she wasn’t look-
ing for. Me—a tall, boyish, Scandinavian-looking MBA student at The University of Chicago from
Utah. We met at my church congregation, where Carmen and her dear friend Saskia Arts from
The Netherlands visited on this fall Sunday. They had just visited Saskia’s then boyfriend (now
husband) John Kovac who was a student at the U of C as well.
Carmen and my meeting was cinematic—in an awkward romantic comedy kind of way. Car-
men and Saskia entered a bit late into an intensely intellectual Sunday school class where I was
seated on the second row engaged in a spirited gospel discussion. I saw them enter and at take
the last remaining seats directly in front of me on the front row. Out of natural impulse for these
beautiful ladies, I straightened-up out of my typical six-foot-four-slouch. Carmen assumed that I
was interested in Saskia’s European grace.
After class, I hunted down these two visitors for some awkward small talk. The best I could do
is learn their names and the place of Saskia’s employment—AT Kearney boutique management
16
A Word from the In-Laws
consulting firm well known by MBA students who aspired to work there upon graduation.
Weeks passed. Carmen went back to her life 30 miles away in the genteel Northern Suburbs.
She barely gave me a second thought. One time, while planning one of her parties, Saskia suggest-
ed she invite me. Carmen decided against this idea. Meanwhile, I was plotting how to (re)connect
with Carmen Hart.
I tried the phonebook. I was psyched to find a listing. I used my yellow highlighter over “CAR-
MEN HART—3900 South State Street, Chicago.” I didn’t know much about Chicago, but I was
smart enough to know this address is right in the middle of The Southside Projects. Hmmmm,
this seemed like a seedy address for classy Carmen. What the heck—I had to at least try to give
her a call. I dialed the listed number and the phone started to ring. An older, heavily accented,
black woman answered the phone…”HELL-OH.”
I thought to myself ‘OK, Carmen lives in adventurous part of town with some interesting
roommates.’ Then I cleared my throat and spoke up, “Yes, ummmm, I’d like to speak to Carmen
please.”
Dumbfounded, she replied, “This IS CARMEN.”
This phone call wasn’t going as I had hoped. I quickly muttered “sorry-I-must-have-the-wrong-
number” and hung up the phone.
Within seconds my phone rang back. I answered—it was the other Carmen Hart—caller ID
was a newish thing at the time and she’d used it to return my errant call. 3900 South State Street
Carmen immediately started in on me “BUT YOU AXKED FOR CARMEN!!”
I tried to explain that there is another Carmen Hart and that I was trying to reach her instead.
She didn’t seem to buy that excuse. Besides, how many Carmen Hart’s could there be in the
world—let alone, Chicago?
Next I looked up the phone number for AT Kearney. I’d have to go through Saskia. I dialed
the main number and asked the phone assistant if I could be transferred to “Saski-anna”, she
corrected me “Oh, you mean Saskia. Let me connect you…”
Saskia answered the phone. We made some casual small talk, and then asked for Carmen’s
phone number, but she refused to give it. Apparently, a good friend doesn’t give out her friend’s
number to slouchy guys. She consented to give her bizarrely seductive email address…hartmur-
mr@aol.com.
Over the next week, I composed what I considered to be a witty email introduction that I
hoped was destined to win Carmen’s attention. A day or so later Carmen provided a terse reply.
Again I labored over a faux-laid-back email response in which I suggested we talk on the phone . .
.sometime? Eventually, Carmen responded with her number.
Our ensuing phone-call was nice, yet Carmen was rightly preoccupied with her ensuing three-
week trip home to Idaho for the holidays. Her immediately younger sister Yvonne was getting
married in a few days and she was going to stay with family through the new millennium celebra-
tion.
I spent the holiday break in Colorado with my brother, his family, and my mom. We had a nice
time…yet Carmen remained in the back of my mind. We continued to email. Carmen didn’t seem
too bothered about me—besides she had just decided to play it cool when it comes to men.
Then an email from me entitled “JELL-O JUMP 2000” got her attention. I recounted the
jetted-tub that I filled with Jell-O and prizes for my 3 nephews on the big millennial night. Carmen
finally thought, “Hmmm, he sounds fun after all. Maybe, I could at least date a guy who would do
that kind of thing for his young nephews.”
After the holiday break, we met again in person and hit it off. In the next few weeks, we had
some memorable dates and some great talks about our past, present, and future…but we didn’t tell
anyone of our secret plan to get married the next December.
Carmen and I found a perfect vintage 1930’s platinum and diamond engagement ring. I told
her it was too expensive and would have one made to look like it. Meanwhile, I secretly bought the
17
Hart Family Memories
original ring.
Early in the summer of 2000, we made a trip to Rexburg, Idaho to meet Carmen’s parents for
the first time. Upon arrival, I met her saintly mother (my future mother-in-law), Myrna. I took a
liking to her instantly. She even gave me a needed haircut. After the haircut, we went down to the
small-town airport to meet Carmen’s dad, Lewis.
I’d heard about Lewis—a blue-collar, no-nonsense aviation man. At this first meeting, he only
had time to walk-and-talk around the hangar while he attended to projects on the planes and
helicopters that he and his crew worked on. He was cordial, but didn’t seem convinced that I was
good enough for Carmen. Who knows? I could go the way of “Maar-tin.” Besides, I didn’t seem
like the kind of guy who could hit a target with one of his prized guns down at “The Butte”, Rex-
burg’s gunslinger hangout.
Carmen and I mentioned our intentions to get married to Lewis, but as I recall, I didn’t explic-
itly ask for his permission to marry his daughter. The initial conversation was a bit too awkward
for that, but I assumed that the message got across well enough.
After meeting Lewis, I moved ahead with surprising Carmen with the original antique ring that
she hoped for. She was thrilled and we settled on a wedding date and location. December 9, 2000
in Salt Lake City Temple. Carmen had served there as a “Temple Square Missionary” and had
always dreamed of getting married in the same room as her parents and grandparents.
The wedding day arrived with excitement and unexpected balmy December weather. The
mid-morning wedding ceremony was simply beautiful—so was the bride with her beaded-bodice
gown with boxed pleats. Even her clear orthodontics supported the graceful beauty of this bride.
The tiny room, adjacent to the Celestial Room—the Pioneer version of the Sistine Chapel—
only had space for family and a few guests. Everyone had to be in white, because entry to the
room required a walk across the Celestial Room.
Our sealer, Brother Fetzer, looked like Mark Twain—artistic moustache, dressed in a white suit
with a shoe-string white tie. In the ceremony, he even quoted literature—Shakespeare in his advice
to us as a newly married couple. The wedding ceremony was just perfect.
After the ceremony, wedding guests are allowed to offer the newly married couple an embrace
and some simple, reverent words of congratulations. Beaming, Carmen and I hugged each guest
while individual words of congratulations were shared.
Eventually, most of the guests had left the room. Carmen’s parents, my mom (Ann), my oldest
brother, Chris—who served as the other witness with Lewis—remained in the room. Lewis gave
me a manly hug complete with the requisite strong pat on the back. Then, with his face close to
mine, he casually told me in a normal—non-whispering—voice, “If you’re not good to her (point-
ing to my new bride), I’ve got a 357 Magnum with your name on it.”
Still giddy from the wedding, I laughed it off. I took it as some kind of joke. Chris—knowing
Lewis about as well as I did…not much—didn’t think it was a joke at all. Yet, Carmen thought
her dad’s comment was endearing. It was his way of expressing love and concern for his beloved
daughter.
Here we are, more than 12 years into our marriage and I have yet to see Lewis’ 357. Hopefully,
I never will.
- Jeremy 2/3/2013
18
You Might Be A Hart If . . .
You Might Be A Hart If . . .
❤❤ You don’t think anything is wrong with eating ice cream for breakfast
❤❤ You enjoy eating a lean mean pickled green bean
❤❤ You have camped out on a helicopter trailer
❤❤ You have been mistakenly called the dog’s name more than your own
❤❤ You get excited over having another sibling because it means that dad will bring home
store bought pizza
❤❤ You like to eat purple cows
❤❤ You think peanut butter balls are one of the four food groups
❤❤ You ate rice for breakfast every morning of your formative years
❤❤ You think discussing the periodic table of elements is appropriate dinner conversation
❤❤ You get asked which country your dad is from due to the color of your skin
❤❤ You think driving a car with tape over taillights is the norm
❤❤ You call fingernail polish remover acetone and dad brings it home in bulk
❤❤ Your siblings don’t even know that what your real name is
❤❤ You think words like greasy, icky, and scary are terms of endearment
❤❤ You call going number 2 going “big-one”
❤❤ You have been a ticket-taker for helicopter rides in a mall parking lot
❤❤ You have played “ha-ha” for family home evening
❤❤ You have seen every episode of M*A*S*H as a family
❤❤ When you don’t close the door then you were “born in a barn”
❤❤ You have ever answered the phone, “Hart’s pool hall who in the hall do you want?”
❤❤ You have whole-rolled your brand-new baby
❤❤ You know what it means to “clap” somebody
❤❤ You’ve driven a riding lawnmower from the airport to your house
❤❤ You eat tacos every night for dinner
❤❤ You didn’t want to come on this dumb trip anyway
❤❤ You undid your belly button and your bum fell off
❤❤ You slept on the floor with all your siblings for months on end to be safe from the “The
Thing”
❤❤ You can identify your family members in a crowd by the matching shirts they are wearing
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Hart Family Memories Glossary of Hart Terms

Glossary of Hart Terms

❤❤ You spent every Saturday night as a girl sleeping in pink sponge curlers
❤❤ You ate your very last fluffernutter sandwich somewhere on a freeway between Maine
and Idaho
❤❤ You don’t think a road trip is complete without playing the alphabet game
❤❤ You’ve held family meetings in the bathroom
❤❤ Your dad has dropped by for lunch via helicopter Little House
❤❤ You think the real name for duct tape is “100-mile-an-hour-tape” The Hart’s first house in Rexburg. Gus through Karen lived here.
❤❤ You’ve said “Did the bar stool buck you off?”
❤❤ You’ve taken water to K-Mart so you could put it in the radiator for the ride home.
❤❤ You’ve lost your glasses at 2 of the last 3 reunions. Big House
❤❤ There’s no need to invite anyone over when you want to play baseball in the backyard. The Hart’s second house in Rexburg that every Hart member lived in.
❤❤ Drove a vehicle with a hole in the floor and a parts bucket.
❤❤ Enjoyed a movie on the brown couch.
❤❤ You’d rather be dead than red on the head.
Spider House
❤❤ When dad came home your friends were accosted with a bellowing “Who are you?” The Hart’s temporary rental home.
❤❤ Your mom uses the phrase, “Poop stain.”
❤❤ You’ve O.D.ed on raspberry jam.
❤❤ You’ve been chased by the water tower.
❤❤ You have “fed” the chickens after snapping beans.
Grandpa’s House
A house built by Lewis’ Dad where the Hart’s lived after the spider-
❤❤ You’ve slept 4 to a “Hud” bed house
❤❤ You’ve been a prisoner in the “toe-hold” game
❤❤ You’ve really hurt your toe…
❤❤ When you’re bored your father suggests, “Take off all your clothes & lie in a pile” or
“choose up sides & smell each other’s armpits”
Old generation
The first section of the Hart kids: Gus through Lisa
❤❤ You listened to “Man from Snowy River” on the reel to reel every Sunday
❤❤ You know what “Kill the duck” means
❤❤ If you’ve heard, “Don’t scream, just calmly tell me that we’re gonna die.”
❤❤ You’ve memorized Star Wars from the reel to reel. Middle generation
❤❤ You get called Mr. Man or Miss Moo The second section of the Hart kids: Lisa through Karen
❤❤ You think sleeping with the deck door open constitutes camping
❤❤ Growing up you thought turkey was a curse word
Young generation
Last section of teh Hart kids: Karen through Valerie

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