Arizona Trip

Once a year we get together with George's siblings and spouses to make plans for the Walt and Orpha Lewis Foundation.  When George's Dad died, he left some money to be donated to charity so starting a Foundation seemed a wise thing to do.  Over the years the family has been very generous to several organizations, including my favorite, Kenya Keys. The IRS requires a yearly meeting of the Foundation so it's a great chance to get together.  Those meetings have taken us Provo, to Boise, and to Zion National Park several times.  During Covid, we did Zoom meetings.  This year the meeting was planned for Sedona, Arizona.  

It had been quite a few years since we had been to Phoenix.  Karen moved from downtown Phoenix to John and Katherine's neighborhood and we really wanted to see her new house.  Plus we wanted to see our niece Jennifer who is now a Instagram 'influencer'.  We chat back and forth on IG and I was anxious to spend time with her and her partner Mendell. Also hoped to see nephews David (and his family) and Brent.  And it is always a pleasure to be around John and Katherine and Richard and Tammy so it was an easy decision to fly down a few days early.

Karen took us on an LDS Temples of the area tour.   

First the Phoenix Temple

Then the Mesa Temple

Karen and George's 2nd great grandfather, Charles Crisman is a founder of Mesa.

In 1988 a bronze statue was dedicated to commemorate the Arizona Pioneers.

From the keynote speech given by Gordon B Hinckley:

"Enough praise cannot be said for those four men who stood here and began the work that led to the establishment of this community.

 I suppose that none of us today can really appreciate the labors of those who came here 110 years ago. This was the mesa, the high tableland above the river, shunned by early pioneers. It was dry and parched. The soil looked promising, but water was the key to survival. How to get it to the land was a problem.

President Hinckley felt it was inspiration that led those who came here in 1878 to turn to the long-deteriorated canal system of the Hohokam Indians.

After nine months of backbreaking toil through summer’s blistering heat, this small band of eighty-three men, women, and children carved out a twelve-mile canal to bring river water to the parched soil of the mesa"

As President Hinckley looked over the spacious park and the Arizona Temple across the street, he said he was “almost overwhelmed” by the history of the pioneers and the “length of their vision.”

Great-great Grandpa Crismon is the one with the gun, the one on the right.

To understand and reconnect with our stories, the stories of our ancestors, is to build our identities. 

Frank Delaney

I love being a part of the Lewis family.

Having dinner with our niece Jennifer and Mendell was such a treat.

Jennifer has been having some health problems and also went through a divorce recently so it was a joy to see her so happy.

Mendell is just a great man. 

Originally from Oklahoma, he has a slight southern accent that, naturally, endears him to me. He is very outgoing and has a wonderful sense of humor.  And icing on the cake, he has ties to a travel group that takes groups to Kenya to get to know the culture. 

His name for George - 'Big Homie G'.  LOL!

Of course the thing that I love most about him is that he obviously loves Jennifer and takes such good care of her. 

Our days in Phoenix flew by until Thursday when we headed to Sedona.  I had never been there before and it did not disappoint. Those red rocks are just stunning.

I adore my beautiful sister-in-laws.

Two days and two great hikes.

The photo bomber is the foundation lawyer - Joe Morton.  He and his wife Heidi fit into the family dynamics and we enjoy spending time with them. 

The 2nd day we tackled a more difficult hike to Devil's Bridge.

Steep stairs at times

And a climb with 'sort of stairs'.  I didn't take this photo.  It was from the internet. 

George and I were rather proud of ourselves for completing this hike.  I was slow on the steep 'non-stair' climbs but I made it to the top.  And it is amazing!

George wasn't happy being on the top so we didn't get a photo up there. I estimate that it would have taken 45 minutes to work my way through the line to get out on the bridge. There was a long line waiting. Every few minutes a group  would walk out to take photos.  Some were quick and some did multiple poses....a few poses that terrified us. 

Since no one else was interested in waiting for the photo op, I decided not to wait either.  Maybe next time?!?!?!

But we did get this one from below!

Sedona is spectacular!

Spending time with family was spectacular too!

Delicious food and lots of conversation!

I loved every minute.

After arriving back in Phoenix we were able to enjoy a visit with one of George's friends from his mission in Texas more than 50 years ago.  Terry Eschenroder was never George's companion but they did live in the same apartment with their respective companions.  Terry and his wife Robyn lived in our ward in west Boise before we moved to Spain.

After Karen moved to Gilbert, Terry happened to be her Bishop.

Small world!  Unfortunately he was recently released as bishop because he was diagnosed with a brain tumor.  He is having chemo and radiation but was able to visit with us.

Lots of prayers for him and his family.

Yeah for family and friends, good food, good times and our beautiful world!

From Kenya to Zion

 Just 2 weeks after we returned from Kenya, George and I headed down to Utah.  First we spent a night in Orem with George's former BYU roommate, Eric and his wife Joanne.  I didn't get a single photo of that fun night.  I suppose we were having so much fun that we just forgot to take a picture.  They treated us to a 48th Anniversary dinner at Outback Steak house.  That was really our only celebration!

Next day we stopped in St. George for a fun lunch with Gary and Sharlene Bronson.  He had been our Bishop in Eagle. I served as RS President and YW President when he was bishop.  They moved from Eagle to Memphis and got a taste of the southern life!  When they drove from Memphis to Little Rock for a soccer tournament, Gary even thought to take a photo of the Lonoke exit!  It was wonderful to spend time with them.

Next a tour of the very beautiful St. George Temple after extensive restoration work.    This is the oldest of the Utah temples, first dedicated in 1877.  The furniture, carpets and woodwork reflected the pioneer styles.  

As we were going down one of the staircases, we happened to pass George's siblings John & Katherine and Karen going up the stairs so we turned around and went through the temple again.

Then it was on to Zion National Park to stay at the beautiful lodge for a couple of nights.  

George's siblings meet annually to discuss their family foundation and decide on donations for the next year.

John and Katherine reported on their medical mission to Mexico, which the foundation has supported. We gave an overview of our trip to Kenya and once again they decided to be extremely generous to Kenya Keys.

After the meeting there was plenty of time for hiking.

Matt and Cady decided several months ago to join us.

We all love Cady!  

When Scott found out that we were going to go to Zion again, he quickly made a reservation and added to the fun!

I feel so happy that our adult kids like to hang out with us!

We hiked to Upper Emerald Pool.

Beautiful spot with great views of Zion Canyon all the way up the trail.

On our hike down I struck up a conversation with a young man from Africa.  When I asked him which country and he said, "Rwanda", I surprised him by telling him that we had been there the year before.  His comment, "NO WAY!"

He came to study at Ensign College in Salt Lake City and was now at BYU.  I asked if he were LDS and he isn't.  He just likes the atmosphere and way of life.  I love that answer!

Zion is a spectacular place.

Easy to see why it is a Lewis Family favorite.

This quote by President Gordon B Hinckley seems appropriate when I think of Zion Canyon.

"All of the beauty in the Earth bears the fingerprint of the Master Creator."

 

Orpha Lewis's 100th!

 On Sunday March 20th,  George's siblings organized a Zoom meeting tribute to their Mom on her 100th birthday.  Karen wrote a biography and Tammy put together a slide show of photos of her through the years.  It was a wonderful occasion.

The grandchildren shared their memories of Grandma. I love the tender thoughts that our children expressed.  Although her mobility was severely limited through all their lives because of rheumatoid arthritis, she taught them life lessons through her interactions with them, as well as her cheerful acceptance of her limitations.   Each of them was touched by Grandpa's tender devotion to her throughout her life.

Here are some of the family photos through the years.  I wish I had a copy of the family photo on the bottom so that you could see clearly that we were all wearing 'ugly sweaters' and didn't know it!

Tammy didn't marry until several years after her death so Mom didn't know the wonderful additions to the family of Richard's kids, our 'Bonus Family' as I call them! It meant a lot to me, and I am sure to Tammy, that they wanted to know more about Grandma Lewis.  And it is a tribute to the love they have for Tammy.

I learned a few things that I didn't know before.  In the years just before her marriage, she earned a Masters of Fine Arts with an emphasis in Retailing from NYU. I knew that. What I didn't know was that she was in the top 10% of students in her program.  The photo on the left shows the members of the honor society of her program.  Notice anything?  Yes she was the only woman, groundbreaking for 1949-50! The other photo is a newspaper clipping from her hometown of Spanish Fork, Utah.  A sort of 'small town girl makes good in the big city' story.

When are kids were little I asked her what she did to have such smart children and she quickly replied, "marry their Dad".  I don't think that is the entire story.  She gets equal credit in the 'brains' department.

George uses different word to describe his parents. The word that describes his Dad is 'doing' and the word that describes his Mom is 'being'.  One cousin described them this way.  Dad was providing and Mom was nurturing. 

Together they created a wonderful family!

After the meeting we enjoyed several of Mom's recipes

Lemon Pepper Chicken

GreenBean Casserole

Waldorf Salad

canned Peas

Rolls 

Toffee Torte 

All served on her stoneware that Matt inherited.

Then we sang "Happy Birthday" and her Great-Granddaughter blew out the candles!

Happiest of birthdays Orpha, Mom, Grandma!

Father's Day - Walt Lewis

A salute on Father's Day to Walt Lewis from an article in the Salt Lake Tribune in 1999.

Walt Lewis has spent most of his 82 years providing sight and insight.  The slender white haired man recounts a remarkable life sitting in his Provo home surrounded by memories.  A stuffed pheasant takes him back to a memorable hunt.  A painting of a favorite mountain, given him by a now deceased hunting friend, adorns a wall.  The large house is quiet since Walt's wife Orpha died last year.

Lewis is a reticent hero whose inventions play roles in our everyday lives.  Anyone who has taken an eye examination at school or while getting a driver's license has used a machine like the one he perfected while working for the Chicago-based Stereo Optical Company.  He also invented a retina scope and a device that tests children for lazy-eye syndrome.  

After retiring in 1979, Lewis and his nephew Greg Wilson developed a plastic mold that helped transform Utah county based Mity Lite into one of the world's most successful table manufacturers.

Lewis never expected to be an inventor.  He followed his brother Ben into the banking business, getting a degree in accounting and business administration.  When inducted into the army in World War II, he spent two days taking an aptitude test.  It was his first clue that banking wasn't for him.  The results suggested he consider engineering.  After a stint in the Pacific, he gave it a try.  A lack of math education frustrated him.  He eventually gave up and tried optometry.  He worked for his brother Chris at the Stereo Optical company, a place filled with sophisticated machinery.

"My world changed", says Lewis,. "I learned how to make things."  The self-taught optical engineer had found his calling.  He loved his work.  "The pleasures of life come in creating, not spending," he says.

His daughter Tamara calls her father a workaholic who labored from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. six days a week.  Still, she says, Walt made time for his four children, three of whom have medical degrees and one who is an engineer.

"He was always there, sitting and reading." says Tamara, a medical administrator in Salt Lake City.  "He was interested in what you wanted to talk about.  It is hard not to excel when your parents tell you how wonderful you are.  They expected the best.  We felt that appreciation."

Many times, Lewis would quote poetry as a way of answering a complex question.  He once wrote a single spaced 8-page poem about his 1938 ocean voyage to South Africa where he served an LDS mission.

One silent night in southern Utah, Walt suddenly began reciting Wordsworth's 'Daffodils' to explain his feeling to his fellow campers.  He treasures Kipling and recites Harris Merrill's "Christmas Eve on the Desert' each holiday season.

Nowadays, Lewis rises six days a week at 5:10 a.m. to play tennis and racquetball, often adding a swim.

"Psychologically, that leaves me feeling that I have my whole life ahead of me and not behind me." 

One fun memory - the first time he met his 1st grandchild Mary in August 1978.  It was a great day!

We all miss him since his death on June 3, 2002. Love this great photo of Grandpa hiking into the light!

Happy Father's Day - Dad & Grandpa!

I am thankful for....

For the last 30 years one of our family traditions has been to ask each person at our Thanksgiving table to think of things for which they are thankful and then to write their list on a paper turkey feather.   We skipped a few years when we were traveling but still have an impressive number.  Some are written in Spanish, some in a small child's printing. From family and friends, short or long, all are  precious.

We have some fun ones from our little kids.  Like the year that little Johnny was thankful that '3+3=6'.  Or Scott's gratitude that Daddy was fat!  Matt was pretty consistent with being thankful for snow and snowboards and skateboards.  Mary was very eloquent in her gratitude for her family and their unconditional love.  Scott always expressed his love for horses and soccer.  John knew that he loved Monica 7 years before they were married.  

Among the most treasured are 3 from our parents.
 Grandpa Lewis, "I am thankful for the quiet calm of old age that gives me the chance to reflect on the undulations of life without the threat of recurring seasickness" 2001

 From my mother, "I am thankful for my wonderful family, my daughter, son-in-law and four 'great' grandchildren, for our happy times together, and our love for each other and our love for our God." 1993 

From George's Mom, "I am thankful for the gift of life, my testimony of Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, for loving parents, for my righteous husband, Walt, and four children and our daughters-in-law, lovely grandchildren, a good home, my kind neighbors and friends."

I love that this year we added Isabella who was thankful for her Mommy and Daddy, Grandma and Grandma, Uncles Matt and Scott, Mary and Baby Jackson, and for Isabella!

Now that I too am in the 'quiet calm of old age', I realize more than ever the things for which I am most grateful.  And I know that they are not 'things' but people!