Thread #4
Steve and Adelle Lovell, Blanding
While serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Croatia in 2003-2004. We received a telephone call one Sunday morning from someone at the church building in Zagreb. Zagreb is the capital of Croatia, and about an hour from the city we were serving in.
The caller identified himself as Ben Lyman from Blanding Utah. It also happened to be a relative of ours, and I had taught him in the 5th grade at Blanding Elementary School. It was a pleasant surprise to hear from him and have him so close. We invited him to come to Varazdin on the bus and spend the day with us. He hopped on the next bus, and about an hour later we met him at the bus station in Varazdin. He went to church with us, after which we had him over to our place for lunch. We spent the rest of the afternoon with him. We talked a lot about Blanding. We reminisced many stories and memories.
In our visit we learned that he was in Croatia on a military assignment with the main purpose of learning the Croatian language. It was such a great experience to meet up with someone from home in a place that seemed a whole world away.
Candis and Philis Mahon
Two and a half years ago when Philis, our sister Sandy, and I were in Tennessee. we went to the Nashville Temple to a session. During the session I noticed a young man looking our way several times, but I didn't recognize him. After the session we talked to him. It was Ben Smith, son of Ned &; Linda Smith, who grew up in Blanding where I taught him in fourth grade !
Last year when we were coming out of the Cardston Canada Temple and Sandy was starting to take Philis and my picture\, when a sister came out of the visitors center and asked if we'd like someone to take the picture of the three of us. We said that would be nice. She said she'd go get her husband. He came out, took our picture and then asked where we were from. When we told him Blanding, UT. He asked if we knew Margaret Shumway. We told him she was our neighbor. He said they were good friends and grew up living across the street from each other. Then he said after we graduated from high school she went to Utah.
In 1984 I
was deployed to Korea with the 19th Special Forces on a two-week training mission with the
ROK (Republic of Korea) Special Forces. As we arrived at the compound
where we were going to set up our tents for the planning phase of the
operation, I noticed amidst the confusion, a young Korean lieutenant standing
off to the side. I approached him to see if I could help him or if he
could help me.
The first minute confirmed that he did not know much
English but a lot more than I knew Korean. He held in his hands a Book of Mormon and asked
“Utah?” I shook my head and said “Yes.” He replied “Sam
Pugh?” After I got up off the ground, I told him that I lived in the same
town as Sam and tried to make it clear that I would let Sam know that one of
his converts, when he served as a missionary, was still very much “holding to
the iron rod” with a tight grasp.
Marilyn and Joe Lyman
Just need to add one more story to Blanding connection list because of its interest and importance to so many people. We are in Quartzsite AZ and just came from Stake Conference where Mitchell Kalaule Jr was sustained as the new Stake President in the Lake Havasu Stake. His wife is Nikki Patterson my brother, Kenneth's granddaughter. Her Parents are Tierre and Kathy Patterson. Also Stephen Mosley has been and will continue to be on the High Council down here.
Just need to add one more story to Blanding connection list because of its interest and importance to so many people. We are in Quartzsite AZ and just came from Stake Conference where Mitchell Kalaule Jr was sustained as the new Stake President in the Lake Havasu Stake. His wife is Nikki Patterson my brother, Kenneth's granddaughter. Her Parents are Tierre and Kathy Patterson. Also Stephen Mosley has been and will continue to be on the High Council down here.
Nathan L Kartchner Met some Blandingites when I lived in Tooele. Some of them include: A few of them: Nathan Wilcox family, Patricia Rawlings family, JonandLisa Hughes, Malerie Redd, Todd Black, Marshall Bellm, Shayla (Wright) Richins.
Asa Bradford was asked to bear his testimony in Stake Conference a couple of months ago ( late 2017) while he was temporarily reassigned in Fresno, CA. After the meeting Misty Bayles Cameron came up and introduced herself to him. Her parents are Lyman and Jean Bayles, I think.
Tate Bennett
In Xalapa, Mexico, while on my mission, a couple from El Paso, TX stopped us to chat. Upon learning that I was from Blanding they informed me that Melanie Holden Risto’s mom (Marcia Cardon Bluth) grew up next door to them in El Paso. Also, the Area Authority/Quorum of the Seventy member in charge of Mexico (Elder Call if I remember correctly) informed me in a Mission Conference that his son was married to Randy Bayles and Geraldine’s daughter (Shanee - I think?) Anyway, no matter where you are or who you’re with, somebody knows someone from Blanding.
When we went to Portland to visit my brother, we stopped by the Portland temple and ran into Steve and Janet Wilcox. [Yes, that was in 2005 for my niece's wedding. That same trip we ran into Lloyd and Linda Bayles at Tillamook. I believe that is where Linda was from.] That is the oddest experience being in a brand new place, and running into someone you know well. 
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