Thursday, February 22, 2018
Close Encounters Colorado Style
While waiting for my husband while he was getting an x-ray of his knee in Dr. Wyman's office this past week, I read Empire Electric's magazine, Colorado Country Life, the Oct. 2017 issue. Their focus was on "Close Encounter's with the Rich and Famous. Here's the link. However, it's not one bit more interesting that the great stories that have come in regarding San Juan County Connections. Please continue to send additional stories via e-mail
Monday, February 19, 2018
More Than One Picture in a Frame
(Submitted by her sister, Cory Lyman Hugentobler:)
--- One day I (Marci) decided to go through some closets and get rid of some things that I hadn’t used for a while. I had a pile of stuff including picture frames, material, and odds and ends to take to the Goodwill. One particular picture frame had a picture of Christ in it. I debated whether to give it away, but knew I would not use it and thought someone else would really like that picture. So I kept it in my Goodwill pile. I made the trip to drop of my pile and went on with my life as normal.
In a few weeks I got a call from Mom saying that she got a call from someone here in Vancouver whose daughter had bought a picture of Christ from the Goodwill. She took it home and took the picture out of the frame and found a family picture and another picture of a girl in a dance uniform behind the picture of Christ. The daughter ended up showing the pictures to her parents and immediately her dad said, “That is Francis Lyman in that picture!"
Turns out he was Stanley Hawkins from Blanding and knew Dad well, so he got a hold of mom to let her know. She gave him my number and he called me up to explain the situation. Read the Rest of Story
Saturday, February 10, 2018
You Never Know Who You'll Be Meeting
Thread #3
Bill Boyle
On a Sabbath Day in Jerusalem, a visitor from Nigeria stood up at church and introduced himself as Eddie Bauer. I approached him after the meeting and told him that my parents had served a mission in Nigeria. When I said that their names were Dawn and Eddie Boyle, he looked shocked and said, "Eddie Boyle? Eddie Boyle? My name used to be Eddie Boyle!" My folks were serving there when he joined the church. People in Nigeria often take western last names because their given names are unpronounceable to westerners. He had been Eddie Boyle for a few years before becoming Eddie Bauer. Certainly a surreal experience halfway around the world!
On a Sabbath Day in Jerusalem, a visitor from Nigeria stood up at church and introduced himself as Eddie Bauer. I approached him after the meeting and told him that my parents had served a mission in Nigeria. When I said that their names were Dawn and Eddie Boyle, he looked shocked and said, "Eddie Boyle? Eddie Boyle? My name used to be Eddie Boyle!" My folks were serving there when he joined the church. People in Nigeria often take western last names because their given names are unpronounceable to westerners. He had been Eddie Boyle for a few years before becoming Eddie Bauer. Certainly a surreal experience halfway around the world!
in Rapid City, South Dakota. One Sunday, he and his companion attended church in one
of the wards. When they came in the chapel, there sat Leanne and Danny
Shumway!
Shumway!
George and I spent 15 years living in Blanding and enjoyed every minute of it.
Griff was with us 1 year and Devin, 6 years. It was a wonderful experience for
us and when we retired and decided to move up closer to our kids, we were
mighty sad. But life has a way of making things ok. We moved to Lehi and
became part of a great neighborhood. We soon found people there who made
us feel like we were back in Blanding! Linda Laws Sullenburger, Tara Laws
Kauffman and Heidi Adair Dole from Monticello!
Griff was with us 1 year and Devin, 6 years. It was a wonderful experience for
us and when we retired and decided to move up closer to our kids, we were
mighty sad. But life has a way of making things ok. We moved to Lehi and
became part of a great neighborhood. We soon found people there who made
us feel like we were back in Blanding! Linda Laws Sullenburger, Tara Laws
Kauffman and Heidi Adair Dole from Monticello!
Colleen R. Burningham My sister’s husband saysof Monticello, "For being such a small town, you people sure do get around! "
When Lee and I were at the Logan temple last week he was visiting with the
temple worker afterwards. They knew each other from when Lee was a temple
worker up there. Lee introduces me. We do the pleasant standard greets of "it's
nice to meet you." They visit a bit more. The man asked Lee where he was
living now. He answered Monticello. The man then said, "One of my dearest
childhood friends lives on Monticello, do you know Dean Robinson?"
It took everything I had not to burst into tears. I smiled and said, "That's my
sweet Dad. I'm his daughter Colleen." He proceeded to tell me stories of my
dad's childhood. Such a tender mercy that day. My son Cortlan Lyman says,
"The World revolves around San Juan County! It's so true!
temple worker afterwards. They knew each other from when Lee was a temple
worker up there. Lee introduces me. We do the pleasant standard greets of "it's
nice to meet you." They visit a bit more. The man asked Lee where he was
living now. He answered Monticello. The man then said, "One of my dearest
childhood friends lives on Monticello, do you know Dean Robinson?"
It took everything I had not to burst into tears. I smiled and said, "That's my
sweet Dad. I'm his daughter Colleen." He proceeded to tell me stories of my
dad's childhood. Such a tender mercy that day. My son Cortlan Lyman says,
"The World revolves around San Juan County! It's so true!
northern California. My companion was from Chicago. He and I got along great, but
he thought he was pretty hot stuff since he was from Chicago and I was from some little
podunk place called "BLAND"ing.
As we would visit people they would invariably ask where we were
from. Elder Spencer would puff out his chest and say "CHICAGO."
They would say something like, "How nice. Elder Lyman where are you from?"
I would reply that I was from a small southern Utah town called Blanding. Their
face would light up and they would say something like, "Do you know so-and -so?
Or they would say that their uncle, grandfather, sister or former missionary
companion was from Blanding. This happened enough times that my companion
finally said, "What is it with Blanding, everybody knows Blanding or someone
from there?" And he quit teasing me about being from BLANDing!
I would reply that I was from a small southern Utah town called Blanding. Their
face would light up and they would say something like, "Do you know so-and -so?
Or they would say that their uncle, grandfather, sister or former missionary
companion was from Blanding. This happened enough times that my companion
finally said, "What is it with Blanding, everybody knows Blanding or someone
from there?" And he quit teasing me about being from BLANDing!
Jed E. Lyman In 1989 we were traveling in Europe after
picking up Candice's parents at the conclusion of their mission in England. One
day we were walking in downtown Bern, Switzerland when we came upon two
LDS missionaries. We talked to them for awhile and the others in our group
headed on down the road but the one elder kept talking to Candice Lyman,
Marilyn Lyman Roberts (16 years old and not a Roberts yet) and I and would
not let us continue with the rest of our group.
We kept trying to move on but he just seemed to cling to us. Finally as we were picking up Candice's parents at the conclusion of their mission in England. One
day we were walking in downtown Bern, Switzerland when we came upon two
LDS missionaries. We talked to them for awhile and the others in our group
headed on down the road but the one elder kept talking to Candice Lyman,
Marilyn Lyman Roberts (16 years old and not a Roberts yet) and I and would
not let us continue with the rest of our group.
trying to get away, he said, "Are you from Blanding? And is your name Lyman?"
I was surprised and answered that he was correct on both counts and asked how
he knew. As it turned out, before his mission, he had been a roommate of my
nephew at BYU and had come to Blanding with my nephew at Thanksgiving and
had eaten Thanksgiving dinner at our house. I did not remember him. Candice
thought he looked familiar and Marilyn knew exactly where who he was.
Apparently he made a bigger impression on a 16 year old girl than he did on her
dad. These kinds of stories are so common, I have come to believe that Blanding
is the center of the universe!
I was surprised and answered that he was correct on both counts and asked how
he knew. As it turned out, before his mission, he had been a roommate of my
nephew at BYU and had come to Blanding with my nephew at Thanksgiving and
had eaten Thanksgiving dinner at our house. I did not remember him. Candice
thought he looked familiar and Marilyn knew exactly where who he was.
Apparently he made a bigger impression on a 16 year old girl than he did on her
dad. These kinds of stories are so common, I have come to believe that Blanding
is the center of the universe!
When we arrived in Kensington, MD to serve our mission in the Washington, DC
Temple, among the first fellow missionaries we met was Don Perry. My sister
had told me to watch for Don and Kay because they were good friends from their
ward in Taylorsville. I started to tell him he knew my sister. He said, "No, you
know my sister."
We were both a little confused until he explained that, because
he knew we were from Blanding, he had come to meet us as his sister is Elaine
Johnson who had just moved from Blanding. We both knew each other's sister!
Steven Wozniak
A connection happened again tonight at the Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet 2/8/2018. A guy in my ward asked where I got my Bolo tie. Told him someone in my hometown made it for me. He said he had one like it...said he got it from a Jack. Turns out Mandy N Tyler Jack was his Young Men's President in the State of Washington. Tyler gave him a Bolo tie his dad Rayburn Jack made. Such a small world! (Oct. 2018 update: Just recently I posted about the musical Heritage Fireside held Sept. 30, and mentioned that Sister Walker had been one of the performers. Steve immediately posted on the thread that she had tended his children, when they were living in Pocatello, Idaho.)
More stories from Thread# 3
Temple, among the first fellow missionaries we met was Don Perry. My sister
had told me to watch for Don and Kay because they were good friends from their
ward in Taylorsville. I started to tell him he knew my sister. He said, "No, you
know my sister."
We were both a little confused until he explained that, because
he knew we were from Blanding, he had come to meet us as his sister is Elaine
Johnson who had just moved from Blanding. We both knew each other's sister!
Steven Wozniak
A connection happened again tonight at the Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet 2/8/2018. A guy in my ward asked where I got my Bolo tie. Told him someone in my hometown made it for me. He said he had one like it...said he got it from a Jack. Turns out Mandy N Tyler Jack was his Young Men's President in the State of Washington. Tyler gave him a Bolo tie his dad Rayburn Jack made. Such a small world! (Oct. 2018 update: Just recently I posted about the musical Heritage Fireside held Sept. 30, and mentioned that Sister Walker had been one of the performers. Steve immediately posted on the thread that she had tended his children, when they were living in Pocatello, Idaho.)
More stories from Thread# 3
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Cross Country Connections
Grant Gibbons and his family are friends with me and my family
out here in Aiken, SC. I never met him before coming here, but
we both came from Blanding.
Jodi Slade just reminded me of a couple more. Grant Gibbons was in stake YM. presidency with my financial adviser.
--The teacher across the hall from me at the middle school was a brother-in-law of Eric Spotted Elk. Their wives are sisters.
--Teaching in Price I had several students who were children of my former students. That meant that they instantly became my "grandchildren." I am sure I will forget some but here goes.
--2 daughters of Eric Mantz
--Daughter of Stewart and Stacy Black. He was also in my high council
--Son of Grant Hickman and grandson of Jessica Lee and Ken Hickman. His name is Kenneth Hickman so that was an easy one to catch
--Son and daughter of Kerry Van Dyke
-- Two sons and daughter of Alissa Morley
--Son of Eldon Nez
--Daughter of Rochelle Romero Badback (son was in school as well)
--Also Judy Mainord who used to teach at SJH is an assistant supt in Carbon District
Lynn-Yvonne Wright -- Logan
I drive Aggie Shuttle on campus at USU. One day I was talking to a person on the bus and during our discussion learned that her Grandmother was Merle Black, one of my classmates from San Juan High.
Aminnie Laws -- Wyoming I
went to a Wright family gathering to see the pioneer sights in Wyoming in 2003
(or 04) One of the couple missionaries asked where we were from, when we
responded Blanding, UT, the Elder asked if we knew Ray Brown. He served a
portion of his mission as a companion in the Chicago area. He was surprised
when I told him that was my grandpa. It was so neat to hear some of his
memories of their time together.
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
Moons Warned About Blanding
By Cassy Moon
People told us when we moved to Blanding that we wouldn't go anywhere without running into someone from Blanding. We thought people were crazy...until we started running into people from Blanding. We were in Kirtland, Ohio . . . Read More of the Moon's experiences
People told us when we moved to Blanding that we wouldn't go anywhere without running into someone from Blanding. We thought people were crazy...until we started running into people from Blanding. We were in Kirtland, Ohio . . . Read More of the Moon's experiences
The Helsinki Connection: Claudia Orr
Jeff went on a mission to Finland and only had one baptism, The guy's wife was very apposed to him being baptized, so Jeff didn't think he would remain active. Over 25 years later Jeff's nephew, Baylen went on a mission to Finland also. He was a zone leader and had business of some sort in Helsinki. He was only there for one Sunday and was asked to speak in Sacrament Meeting. Afterward this guy goes up to him and asked if he by chance knew a Jeff Orr. He said he had baptized him. Jeff was really happy to hear that the guy and his wife are active in the church. He probably would never have known about it if Bay had not had that assignment in Helsinki that day. Read More Orr Connections
Missionary Encounters: Far and Wide
Joe B. Lyman -- Ryan's mission in Madrid:
First day in Madrid as a missionary Ryan and his trainer were approached by an LDS couple. When he told them he was from Blanding, the man, who was from Bozeman, said his good friend married a girl from Blanding. The friend's name was Steven. At which point Ryan informed them their friend married his sister Chantelle.
Jacob Smith -- Nevada
While serving as a missionary up in Sparks, NV a young couple had my companion and I over for dinner. When I told them I grew up in Blanding, they couldn't contain themselves, looked at each other then back at me and just busted into song: ♫♩♫
"Blue Mountain you're azure deep
Blue Mountain your sides so steep
Blue Mountain with a horse head on your side
My love you've won to keep"
Of course, when I joined in, my companion looked borderline scared. It was hilarious. After singing the chorus together, the husband said, "So have you ever heard of Albert R. Lyman?" I laughed. When I told them I was his great grandson I thought they were going to prostrate themselves on the floor and start worshiping me. (Thankfully, they didn't--my companion would have run out the door without me).
I wish I could remember their names, it was great. They said they had family in Monticello and had annual family reunions up on "The Blue" every summer and they always have one night where they sing Stan Bronson songs and share stories of "The Old Settler".
Follow this link for More Missionary Stories
Monday, February 5, 2018
Making Connections Around the World
Chateauroux, France: -- Virginia Jensen Blake I went to a church meeting in Paris when I was teaching in Chateauroux, France, and met Elder Clifford Mikesell, who had been on his mission for three weeks. I was getting ready to come home.
Africa, Chicago: Maureen Arthur Olsen
Mexico: Karen Nieves Griffin
My husband (from American Fork) was a missionary in Mexico. We were riding around town one day and I told him this is where Blickenstaffs live. He told me he was the missionary that gave Gene a blessing when he was in the hospital in Mexico so sick. I then told him Blanding is a phenomenon. You will always meet someone who knows someone from here.
Scottsdale, AZ: Steve Lacy
Salt Lake, Orem: Jan PodrisIn about 2000, my husband took me to my first Jazz game at the Delta center. He was cheering rather loudly for the Sacramento Kings as he’s from Sacramento. About half way through the first quarter I hear a voice say “Did someone from Blanding move to Sacramento?” I turned around and Mike Halliday and all of his sons were sitting behind us. When I was living in Orem Utah working for the Department if Workforce Services, I ran in to Blanding people all the time looking for work. One particularly fun memory I was at a training and we were doing some activity where we had to exchange papers with other people in the room. The guy I gave my paper too turned out to be Tommy Lyman. We exchanged stories about when my Dad was his Bishop and his Dad was my bishop. We had both been working in the same building in Provo.
Lisa Smith Rarick -- Guatemala
Wyoming: Ivy Kropf We had only been living in Wyoming for about 2 years and were attending a stake meeting. I was standing up in the back holding my fussy baby when a lady walks over to me and says “Are you Jan?” 😳 Oh my word! No one in Green River, Wyoming knows I have a sister named Jan, much less to mistake me for her! It was Debbie Acton, who was visiting her son Eric, who had just moved there. My kids were excited to meet my kindergarten teacher.
More Stories from Maureen Arthur Olsen:
One day Jonathan was out knocking doors with his comp and lo and behold who opened the door but Glen Skinner from Blanding. He and his lovely wife, Betty who was a Palmer, Clessa Black's sister. They are Jed and Mark Lyman's uncle and aunt. They happened to be serving in the same mission doing family history research. Small world! It always amazes Stephen and myself how many times we've experienced Blanding connections coast to coast. I tell people now I live in Enoch.Where is Enoch they ask? It's on 1-15 I tell them, right next door to Cedar City! Oh, they say. I then add, "but we consider Blanding".......and that's as far as we get because 97% of the time people say, "Oh, my goodness do you know so and so. We had this cute lady missionary in the mission we live in and one Sunday I hear a member of our ward greet Steve at our door. I was quarantined with a massive abscess lodged in my throat and contagious so I could not go in living room. But I heard several voices and lots of laughter and I kept thinking,"I know that guy's laugh but could not put a name to it." Turned out to be Chris Flavell and he'd married our lady missionary!😊 r. Like Dr. Seuss, "Oh the stories I could tell." ha ha. Wonderful.And....then......Maureen tells another story!: This is for Winna Kalauli and gang. In 1999 my daughter, Natalie and I were in Hawaii. We kind of got lost as we walked around, apparently it showed. A city bus pulls up, and the bus driver, a nice Hawaiian man with a big smile says, "Are you girls lost"? Ha ha! He had the most cheeky awesome grin. We said, "Sort of." He found out what we were looking for and said, "Get in!" He told the passengers: "You are all taking a detour so I can take these lost girls to the Palace!" He then asked where we were from and we say, "Blanding Utah." He says, " Blanding. Utah! Do you know Mitch Kalauli? He's my best friend! We grew up together and I've been to Blanding and Mussi ........etc." He then offered to pick us up Sunday with his family to attend church. Only in Hawaii! If you know the Kalauli family. it put a big smile on their faces to hear this story too. Mitch senior was still in Blanding at that time and he cried when we told our connection, as he loved this man and our chance encounter. Blanding the town everyone knows about because of the incredible people!
Bountiful, Utah: Rosalie Payne:
A Blanding connection just happened today Feb. 5. I am having knee surgery in Bountiful. Before my surgery, the nurse was taking my vitals and doing the other things. She asked where I lived. I said I had moved from Price to Centerville about 7 months ago. She said she grew up in Ferron. Then I told her I had lived in Blanding before that. She said her daughter's friend married a boy from Blanding. She knew the boy was named Tim and he did social work. I am thinking it is probably Tim Chamberlain. [Comment by Maureen Olsen: His wife is Natalie if you see her again. I was Natalie's VT in Blanding before I moved.]
And at Physical Therapy Feb. 6 Rosalie writes:
1. Physical Therapist was a mission companion to Brian Hatcher.
2. There were 6 patients doing PT. Three had connections. First one was a man who said he used to work with a Shumway but he couldn't remember first name.
3. Said one of her best friends is Meredith Harris Kartchner.
4. One lived in Blanding when she was 3 and 4 years old. Then their family moved to a dry farm about 12 miles south of Monticello. 5. My bishop came to visit this afternoon. (2/11) His great aunt was Myrtle Harris (I think Myrtle is correct) He had been to Blanding one time, for a family reunion in 1977
Blanding Center of the Universe?
➽
Spokane, WA--Jan Watkins Podris:
1) Every time I speak in Sacrament meeting in my ward in Spokane Washington, someone comes up to tell me how they have a connection to Blanding. The coolest one was a guy who’s Mom grew up down the street from my Grandparents. (In further discussion, this is believed to be Denise Blickenstaff or her sister who was the mother.)
2) I also remembered that Kim Hosking’s Niece was in my ward here in Spokane and another person in my ward was a cousin to the Breedloves.
3) Not sure if this counts or not but a few years I was listening a teleconference that was connected to a FB group I was in. The speaker was great and I commented on a post how much I enjoyed it. He looked at my profile and saw I was from Blanding. He messaged me that his Mom was from Blanding and her maiden name was Harvey. We figured out that his Mom was my Grandma Irene Harvey Watkins' half sister. She was Great Grandpa Harvey’s daughter from his second marriage. We had both gone to Grandpa’s funeral as children and may have met there but neither of us remembered meeting before.
Joe's story, reminds me of an experience I had Dec. 4, 2017 headed back from Pres. Trump's big Bears Ears announcement. I was riding with Wendy Black and Joanie Seibert and we stopped at Winn Co somewhere in Salt Lake. I wanted to make sure they would take a check as I had no cash, so I spoke to an older looking clerk, and asked him if they would take a check from Blanding. He asked me if I knew Brian and Silvia Stubbs! I answered, "Probably better than anyone else there!! We're neighbors." Turns out he was Brian's brother-in-law who just happened to be filling in that week, but actually lives in Idaho. Since I knew his wife a bit, I reminded him that Silvia and I had once brought our kids and lots of boxes and pick peaches in Castle Valley one fall, when they used to live there, many years ago.
➽ Salt Lake -- Suzannah Bayles:
1) Every time I speak in Sacrament meeting in my ward in Spokane Washington, someone comes up to tell me how they have a connection to Blanding. The coolest one was a guy who’s Mom grew up down the street from my Grandparents. (In further discussion, this is believed to be Denise Blickenstaff or her sister who was the mother.)
2) I also remembered that Kim Hosking’s Niece was in my ward here in Spokane and another person in my ward was a cousin to the Breedloves.
3) Not sure if this counts or not but a few years I was listening a teleconference that was connected to a FB group I was in. The speaker was great and I commented on a post how much I enjoyed it. He looked at my profile and saw I was from Blanding. He messaged me that his Mom was from Blanding and her maiden name was Harvey. We figured out that his Mom was my Grandma Irene Harvey Watkins' half sister. She was Great Grandpa Harvey’s daughter from his second marriage. We had both gone to Grandpa’s funeral as children and may have met there but neither of us remembered meeting before.
➽
Germany, New Jersey -- Lynn Shumway:
My cousin, David Pond, who formerly lived in Grand Junction CO, met Steve and Donna Jensen in Germany while in the military. Then they both lived in New Jersey in the same place and were in the same ward. One Sunday, my Aunt Marian and Donna's mother Ruth, were visiting in New Jersey at the same time and they recognized each other from something involving Relief Society when Blanding and Grand Junction, CO were in the same region. David and his family were interested in relocating to Blanding years later, about the same time Steve and Donna moved back here. David was unaware of where in Utah, they were moving to. Lo and behold, I happened to live right here in Blanding as well!
➽
San Juan Island, WA -- Sarah Fahey Aldous:
I moved to San Juan Island, WA, and the Jerry and Nancy Wilson family in my branch lived in Blanding years before I did. Super awesome people.
➽
Feb. 4, 2018 --Joe B. Lyman:
A hundred years ago I was trying to cash a check in the Provo area. It wasn't going well until the manager saw the address on the check was Blanding. He asked if I knew Scott Meyer. I said, yes. He asked if Scott would take my check. I told him I was sure he would. The manager told the clerk that was good enough for him.
➽Salt Lake/Rexburg -- Janet Wilcox:
Joe's story, reminds me of an experience I had Dec. 4, 2017 headed back from Pres. Trump's big Bears Ears announcement. I was riding with Wendy Black and Joanie Seibert and we stopped at Winn Co somewhere in Salt Lake. I wanted to make sure they would take a check as I had no cash, so I spoke to an older looking clerk, and asked him if they would take a check from Blanding. He asked me if I knew Brian and Silvia Stubbs! I answered, "Probably better than anyone else there!! We're neighbors." Turns out he was Brian's brother-in-law who just happened to be filling in that week, but actually lives in Idaho. Since I knew his wife a bit, I reminded him that Silvia and I had once brought our kids and lots of boxes and pick peaches in Castle Valley one fall, when they used to live there, many years ago.
➽ Church History Tour -- Marilyn Lyman:
My sister Carol and I were on a church history tour twenty years ago. After a few days I found that over half of the forty people on the tour had a Blanding connection. Mission companions, aunts, uncles, lived there once, old roommates, married someone from there and one was my cousin!
It happens everywhere lol. I was getting my port removed last Friday and they gave me a gown to change into and closed the curtain. The nurses station was just on the other side of the curtain and while I'm changing the older male nurse says, "So, Bayles... Do you know a Lyle Bayles from Blanding?" Lol. I replied, "that depends..." LOL.
A few minutes later the student nurse asks, "Do you know a Michelle Shumway that works in physical therapy?" Lol. Last year I was at a soccer tournament and was sitting at my son's game. It had just started and a woman rushed over then asked if she could sit in the shade next to me. It was hot out. Of course, I made room. Then her son and husband showed up. We made more room. I had asked her what city they were from and she said Chicago. Lol. She said they had moved to Utah with in the last year. We continued to chat and I told her I was originally from a small town in Southern Utah named Blanding. She immediately says, "my husband family is from Blanding. Did you know Donald Bayles?" Lol.
Last spring I was desperate for some help to get my house clean. Between health issues, appts, kids and lack of energy I decided to hire someone to help. I had seen a few locals advertising on the city Facebook pages so I prayed and picked one. She was very nice... About my age. While cleaning she noticed my family history books, life history's of Bayles' and Harris's. Turns out she's also related, lol. Just a couple stories.
➽ Church History Tour -- Karen Gutke Painter:
My mom and sister and I went on a church history tour in 2016. Who was in our group? Brenda Dennis Cosby Munson and Tracy Black Fielding and Darlene Kolberg.
➽ China, Ohio --Eileen Mellor Davis I have to laugh because I run into people from Blanding and SJC all the time since moving to Lehi. My husband goes nuts because I run into people all the time. I have monthly encounters. I know when I was teaching in China there was a connection to someone in San Juan County, but I can't remember it sadly.
When I lived in Ohio, I was friends with a lady who knew Amelia (Larson Perkins?) at USU. There is a Laws family that is friends with my in-laws in Vancouver, Washington. The father grew up in Blanding.➽ Pocatello, Burley ID -- Steve Wozniak Just a few years ago we had a guest speaker from a different stake for our 5th Sunday lesson
in church. An Elder Hurst. Turns out it was George Hurst. The late Reed Hurst's son, who lives in Pocatello. Definitely a small 
Ran into Stephen S Olsen and Tara Dawn Olsen in Burley Idaho when I was picking up my kids. It was when they lived in Idaho. They were getting ready to visit an Elder from Blanding that was serving near BurleyHappened right before Christmas. A friend of a friend asked if I knew Bufaye and Lee Reynolds. Always a frequent occurrence. (They were from Idaho, too)Addendum by Janet: I had a strange reconnection with Bufaye and Lee last August 2017, (though they are both deceased). We were staying at Autumn's in-laws home in St. George, and I was cleaning off the counter, and there were old letters in the pile, addressed to Lee and Buffaye. Turns out they had owned the place before the Jeppson's bought it. I think the letters had been there for quite a while.➽
Wash DC, Hawaii, -- Terra N David Fepuleai When we were coming back from our Close Up trip in DC in 2000 it seems like we saw someone from Blanding on the plane, (Murphy maybe?)
While living in Hawaii and working at Polynesian Cultural Center, I had a lot of Blanding encounters including you guys (Wilcoxes 2009) , Sunni and Dr. Jones. Several others I can not remember, but several times I would tell customers I was from Blanding I would get, "do you know?" I wrote a lot of them down in my journal of conversations with my Grandma. (I will have to find it.) When we attempted to move back to HI in 2015, my Mom and I were at PCC and we saw Liz McPherson and her mom there.
➽ Renton, WA -- Mary Jean Welker (Rick Howell's daughter)Bumped into a couple of missionaries serving here in Renton, Washington. I'm not the only person in my ward with ties to Blanding either. Photo shows Elder Brandon Pugh. (Debbie and Delton's son) I suddenly can't remember what his first name is. He knows Dan and Heather's kids well. One of the Jack family grandsons served here several years ago. Told me Tara and Tamera were his aunts. In another funny twist, my sister-in-law, Phyllis Welker, did her student teaching in Blanding, back in the late 60s. ➽ Feb. 4, 2018 --Tonya Kay Forster When I first met my husband, his parents said a lady in the ward was from Blanding, it was Jane Black Gill who is Shan Redd's cousin. We now serve in primary together.
➽ Hawaii --Renee Pincock Peggy Sue texted us from Hawaii tonight, saying that they went go church this morning and Shaun Blake recognized her. (Shawn is Kermit and Virginia Blake's son, and works for the Univ. of Hawaii and his family lives there.)➽ Hawaii -- Norma MaddenMy grand daughter and family were living in Hawaii and were at a stake meeting when they met a new member. As they visited they found both their grandmothers lived in Blanding, across the street from one another and had grown up across the street when they were kid's. VerDonne Blake and Norma Madden.➽
Los Angeles -- Lindsay Palmer SmithI was in Los Angeles, CA at The Phantom of the Opera about 23 or so years ago, with some friends, we were talking before the show started. I had said something about Blanding. A few min. later I felt a tap on my shoulder. I looked behind me and a lady said “Excuse me but I just happened to overhear you and your friends talking about Blanding” She then asked if we were from Blanding, Ut. I said we sure are she asked me if I knew the Pincock’s. I said yes! I can’t remember if she said she was Richard’s sister or sister in law. She said they had visited Blanding many times!➽ Woodbadge, CostCo. Nauvoo-- Patty Lyman My sister did Woodbadge training up in the Salt Lake area and one of her favorite new friends is one of Preston and Dorothy Nielson’s sons who is a lawyer up there. (Either Jens or Platt Nielson) We run into Jennifer Kurtz Jones all the time at Costco.We’ve run into Ronna and Danny. Tom and Karie Palmer and we shared our favorite date lunch/dinner the $1.50 hotdog .Yesterday it was Susanne Johnson and Davey Black. ➽ Vernal, Ut -- Michelle WheelerI was in the Vernal Temple in the baptistery getting ready to do some baptisms and a guy spots me from across the room and if I remember right it was Donny Laws. (Who lives in the Uintah Basin.)
Another time I was with my friends work place, and someone was getting a drink and he knew who I was, However, I didn't recognize him but it was Jamie Laws. Lol.David Hickman's mom lives around here; Bruce Guymon is my Pharmacist.
➽ New York -- Marcy Shumway My first trip to New York I found a red eye flight for crazy cheap because it was the anniversary of 9/11 and nobody wanted to risk flying. So, of course I bought the ticket, but made sure not to tell my family because I didn’t want them to worry. So, I'm in New York, standing in a subway car and hear someone say, “Marcy?” I ignore it because, well I’m in New York with a crowd of people and assume it’s not about me. Then a couple more times, “Marcy!” “Marcy Shumway!” My travel buddy looks at me in shock and I look around to discover I’m standing right next to Maureen Olsen, her husband and a couple of their kids!! How fun to see them! But also, I felt like I was busted; like a teenager in Blanding trying to get away with something. (News travels fast. Your parents WILL find out)
I asked them not to tell my parents I was there on the anniversary of 9/11.
My Arizona friends had an ongoing joke about how I was from this tiny town but every time we left Arizona we ran into someone I knew.Maureen's response: Ha ha remember I reassured you I no longer lived in Blanding so your secret was safe lol!
➽ New York -- Lana Arthur In September of 2007 I went to New York City on a girl's trip with my old college roomies. It was my first time ever visiting New York. Late one evening we got on an incredibly crowded subway, standing room only, and as I start people watching and looking around me I see another family from Blanding sitting in the seats right behind me, hahahahaha... Seriously there's several million people in New York and I get on the subway with Blanding people.Maureen Arthur Olsen Happened to us in NYC as well. With Marcy Shumway!Carol Brewer And to in Disneyland with the Kent Adair family!Lana Arthur I have also found that if you enter a Wal Mart within a 500 mile radius of Blanding you will run into your neighbor 
Jared Kilgrow Walmart, the mall and Sam's club is where I bump into most people from Blanding or Monticello. Maureen Arthur Olsen Our son Kris and his wife Emily were on the Subway In NYC, on a Saturday with millions of people and who gets on the train, Marcy Shumway- She now lives with her husband in Thailand but was living in Arizona at the time of the surprise meeting! 
Kristian and our daughter in law lived in Connecticut as did our eldest, Tammy so we made lots of trips out there and lo and behold we picked that day to be down in NYC. And out of the blue here is the beautiful Marcy Lela! 😊 Except Stephen and I recall it different ha ha. We were on the train, it stopped at a station and you got in and said, "Brother or Mr Olsen!" And I started yelling, really yelling, "Marcy Shumway, Marcy Shumway, what the heck are you doing in NYC?! "Then you told the way it happened above to get you there and swore me to secrecy NOT to tell your parents. Even after l assured you I would not and we didn't !
➽ Chicago, Il -- Joy Howell Back in the 70's (?) Clint was at O'Hara airport in Chicago when a Navajo man said, "Hey...I know you! Your dad has the trading post in Bluff!"➽
Nauvoo, IL -- Norman Lyman Margie and I, along with my sister, Yvonne, and brother in law, Lynn, went on a church tour and were constantly meeting up with some one that knew some one from Blanding or San Juan County. The best experience we had with this phenomenon took place as we pulled in to our camp site in Nauvoo. We noticed that there was only one other camper there. As we began setting up, a man came over and asked where in Utah we were from (he had noticed our license plates). When we said that we were from Blanding, he said that his family lived in Blanding when he was a very young boy. We started looking into the connection between the Lake family and the Lyman’s or Wright‘s and found that we were closely related. Some of his family is buried in Blanding . His aunt was married to Lee Shumway’s (first wife), and when we figured it all out his Great Grandmother (Charlotte Molten) is my Great Grandmother, Yvonne’s as well. His father’s best friend in Blanding was my Uncle Clisbee Lyman. The Lake family later moved to Oakley Utah where he and his family still live.➽ Chicago -- Jason Homedew When I first moved to Chicago. the wife of one of the councilors in my bishopric was from Monticello. When I had to give my wife a blessing I asked him for advice. He told me a story about his first blessing. His son was in the hospital. I asked him when and what hospital? It was May 8, 1982 at the Monticello. I told him I was born May 3rd 1982 in the Monticello hospital! Also one of the long time librarians in our ward had a mission companion from Blanding. A guy I was in the young men's presidency with also had a brother who served his mission in Blanding. If anyone knows/knew Elder Grisham, let me know.
➽ Europe, Paris --Jody Shumway Lyman When I was in college my roommates thought it was uncanny how everywhere we would go someone knew someone from Blanding or we would run into someone from Blanding. It became kind of a running joke, with Blanding being referred to as the "Hub of the West" and the "Center of the Universe' etc. I was spreading Blanding pride for sure! After nursing graduation one of my roommates and I got Eurail passes and went backpacking through Europe. One Sunday we were in Paris and went to the Versailles Ward with some members we knew. The Bishopric was greeting people at the door of the church and asked where we were from. My roommate said Payson, Utah with no results. I said I was from Blanding, Utah and oh, the was great excitement then! With a thick French accent one of the men asked, "Do you know Pete Black? I have been to Blanding and ridden a plane with Scenic Aviation!!!" One of the Bishopric members had known Pete Black on his mission (he may have baptized him) and had actually been to Blanding. My roommate just shook her head, even across the ocean and in a foreign country I was running into people with Blanding connections. 😊
➽ China, Ohio --Eileen Mellor Davis I have to laugh because I run into people from Blanding and SJC all the time since moving to Lehi. My husband goes nuts because I run into people all the time. I have monthly encounters. I know when I was teaching in China there was a connection to someone in San Juan County, but I can't remember it sadly.
When I lived in Ohio, I was friends with a lady who knew Amelia (Larson Perkins?) at USU. There is a Laws family that is friends with my in-laws in Vancouver, Washington. The father grew up in Blanding.➽ Pocatello, Burley ID -- Steve Wozniak Just a few years ago we had a guest speaker from a different stake for our 5th Sunday lesson
Ran into Stephen S Olsen and Tara Dawn Olsen in Burley Idaho when I was picking up my kids. It was when they lived in Idaho. They were getting ready to visit an Elder from Blanding that was serving near BurleyHappened right before Christmas. A friend of a friend asked if I knew Bufaye and Lee Reynolds. Always a frequent occurrence. (They were from Idaho, too)Addendum by Janet: I had a strange reconnection with Bufaye and Lee last August 2017, (though they are both deceased). We were staying at Autumn's in-laws home in St. George, and I was cleaning off the counter, and there were old letters in the pile, addressed to Lee and Buffaye. Turns out they had owned the place before the Jeppson's bought it. I think the letters had been there for quite a while.➽ 
While living in Hawaii and working at Polynesian Cultural Center, I had a lot of Blanding encounters including you guys (Wilcoxes 2009) , Sunni and Dr. Jones. Several others I can not remember, but several times I would tell customers I was from Blanding I would get, "do you know?" I wrote a lot of them down in my journal of conversations with my Grandma. (I will have to find it.) When we attempted to move back to HI in 2015, my Mom and I were at PCC and we saw Liz McPherson and her mom there.
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| Elder Pugh and Elder Neville? in Renton, Washington |
➽ Renton, WA -- Mary Jean Welker (Rick Howell's daughter)Bumped into a couple of missionaries serving here in Renton, Washington. I'm not the only person in my ward with ties to Blanding either. Photo shows Elder Brandon Pugh. (Debbie and Delton's son) I suddenly can't remember what his first name is. He knows Dan and Heather's kids well. One of the Jack family grandsons served here several years ago. Told me Tara and Tamera were his aunts. In another funny twist, my sister-in-law, Phyllis Welker, did her student teaching in Blanding, back in the late 60s. ➽ Feb. 4, 2018 --Tonya Kay Forster When I first met my husband, his parents said a lady in the ward was from Blanding, it was Jane Black Gill who is Shan Redd's cousin. We now serve in primary together.
➽ Hawaii --Renee Pincock Peggy Sue texted us from Hawaii tonight, saying that they went go church this morning and Shaun Blake recognized her. (Shawn is Kermit and Virginia Blake's son, and works for the Univ. of Hawaii and his family lives there.)➽ Hawaii -- Norma MaddenMy grand daughter and family were living in Hawaii and were at a stake meeting when they met a new member. As they visited they found both their grandmothers lived in Blanding, across the street from one another and had grown up across the street when they were kid's. VerDonne Blake and Norma Madden.➽
Los Angeles -- Lindsay Palmer SmithI was in Los Angeles, CA at The Phantom of the Opera about 23 or so years ago, with some friends, we were talking before the show started. I had said something about Blanding. A few min. later I felt a tap on my shoulder. I looked behind me and a lady said “Excuse me but I just happened to overhear you and your friends talking about Blanding” She then asked if we were from Blanding, Ut. I said we sure are she asked me if I knew the Pincock’s. I said yes! I can’t remember if she said she was Richard’s sister or sister in law. She said they had visited Blanding many times!➽ Woodbadge, CostCo. Nauvoo-- Patty Lyman My sister did Woodbadge training up in the Salt Lake area and one of her favorite new friends is one of Preston and Dorothy Nielson’s sons who is a lawyer up there. (Either Jens or Platt Nielson) We run into Jennifer Kurtz Jones all the time at Costco.We’ve run into Ronna and Danny. Tom and Karie Palmer and we shared our favorite date lunch/dinner the $1.50 hotdog .Yesterday it was Susanne Johnson and Davey Black. ➽ Vernal, Ut -- Michelle WheelerI was in the Vernal Temple in the baptistery getting ready to do some baptisms and a guy spots me from across the room and if I remember right it was Donny Laws. (Who lives in the Uintah Basin.)Another time I was with my friends work place, and someone was getting a drink and he knew who I was, However, I didn't recognize him but it was Jamie Laws. Lol.David Hickman's mom lives around here; Bruce Guymon is my Pharmacist.
I asked them not to tell my parents I was there on the anniversary of 9/11.
My Arizona friends had an ongoing joke about how I was from this tiny town but every time we left Arizona we ran into someone I knew.Maureen's response: Ha ha remember I reassured you I no longer lived in Blanding so your secret was safe lol!
Jared Kilgrow Walmart, the mall and Sam's club is where I bump into most people from Blanding or Monticello. Maureen Arthur Olsen Our son Kris and his wife Emily were on the Subway In NYC, on a Saturday with millions of people and who gets on the train, Marcy Shumway- She now lives with her husband in Thailand but was living in Arizona at the time of the surprise meeting! Kristian and our daughter in law lived in Connecticut as did our eldest, Tammy so we made lots of trips out there and lo and behold we picked that day to be down in NYC. And out of the blue here is the beautiful Marcy Lela! 😊 Except Stephen and I recall it different ha ha. We were on the train, it stopped at a station and you got in and said, "Brother or Mr Olsen!" And I started yelling, really yelling, "Marcy Shumway, Marcy Shumway, what the heck are you doing in NYC?! "Then you told the way it happened above to get you there and swore me to secrecy NOT to tell your parents. Even after l assured you I would not and we didn't !
(I love the name Blanding. It's different and quirky and hard for people to forget. Go Blanding!!)
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