Together Again!
Dad and Mom had been apart a few times in their lives – the first
time when Dad entered the mission field for two years; the second time when he
went off to war for two more years. Then there was about two years that they
had to live apart when Mom went to the care center and Dad stayed in his home and
then in assisted living. They were briefly reunited together in the same care
center for about two years. On Nov. 28, 2013 Dad was separated for a final time
from his beloved wife in this life, when she passed away. On April 2, 2014, Dad made his own journey for
a joyful reunion with his sweetheart, never to be separated again! Even though we will miss them, we rejoice in
that reunion! An end of an era for our
family, but a new era beginning for them in heavenly realms!
Dad’s Memorial
Dad’s mother and father had been married for five years and
had not had any children and they wanted children. They came to the Salt Lake Temple one day and
after the session, they sat together and had a little prayer; they prayed for
the blessing of children. Afterward,
they felt impressed to visit a new doctor and she did something that helped his
mother become pregnant. In Dad’s
Personal History it says, “Therefore, I was born in Delta, Utah on August 23,
1921. I was the first of nine children!”
Dad took the role of being the oldest of nine children very seriously. He was a dutiful son to his parents and a good big brother to his siblings. Even after the family was grown, when his father passed away, his sisters said he took upon himself the role of Patriarch and watched over his mother and looked out for the welfare of each family.
Dad was influenced in his life by his parents’ faith,
especially his mother. His family lived through the Great Depression where they
suffered the effects immensely. As a
youth, Dad was devastated when he lost his bank savings of $5 (which would be
comparable to $100 or $150 now). The family moved several times back and forth between
Delta, Provo and Salt Lake City, during his growing-up years so his father
could pursue some kind of livelihood to support the growing family. They lost money, homes and friends, and had
to move in with grandparents at times, but they were able to weather the storms
of life because of the support of their families and their faith.
Dad learned the value of honest, hard work by working on
family farms. He milked cows, butchered
pigs, pitched hay and worked in the fields. He liked playing marbles and doing leatherwork
as a boy – he had a leather wallet he made that he was very proud of and spoke of often. Many times he took his mother to town on his
bicycle with her sitting side saddle on the crossbar in a dress so she could go
shopping.
On their last move to Salt Lake City, Dad was in his last
two years of high school and attended East High School. He worked three
part-time jobs and kept very busy. He said he didn’t have a single date while
he was in school. He worked at the counter of Dunford Bakery after school, then
over to the Hobby Horse Café as a fry cook sometimes late into the evening. On Saturdays he worked for the Civil
Aeronautics Authority out at the airport.
There was a small incident that happened when he was at the
airport job that affected him deeply and he used to tell us this story: One day as he was going out to do his job on the
radio range, he found a package of cigarettes in the employee’s break room. He put one in his mouth to see how
that felt. As he walked out, he saw
his reflection in the window of a truck and didn’t like what he saw – in fact
it kind of shocked him. He immediately
took the cigarette out of his mouth, threw it on the ground and stomped on it. He never lit it and was proud to say that he
never smoked a cigarette in his life because of that image he saw.
After graduating from high school, Dad’s life was forever
changed when his cousin, Delman Erickson, introduced him to Marva Collett at a
birthday party. He couldn’t believe how beautiful she was, he said all he could
think was, “Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!” They had a rocky start because of some humorous
misunderstandings and he used to say, “It was a miracle we even got together!”
But their's was quite a love story. Dad used to tease Mom that she had at least
6 or 7 beaus on the string when he met her.
Whenever he would say this, Mom would respond with “Oh, Dean, there
weren’t that many!” (We liked to side with Dad.) Dad even had a couple of missionary companions who tried to
come home and court her before it was his time to return home. But Mom was
meant for Dad and she was truly the love of his life.
Dad went to the University of Utah for four quarters. Then
in the first quarter of his second year, he had a burst appendix and had to
quit school. He was quite ill and almost
died. He never went back to school which
must have been a disappointment to him. But he continued to court Mom up until
he left to serve an LDS mission to Southern California for two years.
Dad used to like to tell us about his mission farewell on
the fateful day of Dec. 7, 1941. He said when they came out of the church after
the meeting, people came from across the street and told them that the Japanese
had bombed Pearl Harbor. Dad thought that they wouldn’t let him go on his
mission after that. But he went and
served faithfully for two years.
When he came home from his mission, he didn’t waste any
time. He returned on Dec. 17th, gave his sweet Marva a ring on Christmas
Eve and they were married less than a month later on Jan. 5, 1944, sealed in
the Salt Lake Temple. This was done
because of the war, for all too soon Dad left for boot camp and then shipped
out overseas to fight in WWII. So from the mission field to the battle field – one
can only imagine what a drastic change that must have been for him!
Dad was proud of the pivotal battles in which he fought for
his country, most importantly, “The Battle of the Bulge.” After serving valiantly in WWII, Dad returned
and dedicated his life to his wife, family, and church. The atrocities of war took
their toll and he suffered from the effects of this horrific event for most of
his life, yet he fulfilled his role of husband and father honorably. Together, Mom
and Dad were part of that “Greatest Generation” who sacrificed everything for
the freedoms which we all now enjoy.
Dad worked for Allstate Insurance for about 40 years. He worked very hard to provide for his family and always wanted everyone to have what they needed. He manned an Allstate booth inside the Sears Roebuck store on 8th South and State St. for many years. Mom took us shopping at Sears a lot because we got an employee discount. We thought it was kind of cool when we went to Sears and stopped by Dad's booth - it made us feel like we were the most special kids in the store because our Dad was there!
Dad loved our Mom – and Mom loved Dad. Their love was
strengthened through their trials. For
special occasions, Dad always gave Mom flowers and a perfect card with loving
sentiments - like he was still courting her. He always commented on how
beautiful she was to everyone, even in their elderly years – much to Mom’s
chagrin and embarrassment. The best gift a child can have is to know that their
parents love each other regardless of flaws or circumstances.
Dad hunted big game and pheasants and also fished when he
was younger. Then he turned his attention to golfing which was a big part of his
life. Mom used to say it was his best therapy.
He was really proud of his two hole-in-ones that he achieved in his
older years as he strived to stay active. He took up skiing in his 50’s
and skied well into his 80’s before a knee operation made it difficult for him
to continue that pursuit.
Dad was pretty serious sometimes, Mom always said he wasn’t
as carefree after the war - but he wanted his family to have fun. He took us on
fun vacations and camping, but also did little things like going for rides and
getting ice cream, bringing us pheasant feathers, or putting a roast on a spit
in the backyard. He instilled in all his
children a love for nature and always had some kind of flowers growing – even when
he only had a small space.
Dad was friendly and warm to everyone he met and had many
friends and acquaintances. As children,
we were always amazed that no matter where we went, even sometimes out of town,
Dad would invariably meet someone who knew him.
We thought he must know everyone in the world! Mom and Dad had several groups of friends with
whom they met with often – and it was fun to watch their activities when we got
the chance.
With retirement behind him, Dad was delighted to serve
two more missions, this time with his lovely companion by his side – one to
Independence, MO and one to Zollikofen, Switzerland. When Dad had a heart attack while in Switzerland,
they had to cut their mission short which was a big disappointment to them
both. Dad took care of Mom in their home for about 7 years – suddenly the
tables were turned and he did all the shopping, cooking and cleaning that Mom
had been so dutiful at, until he could no longer carry on. When Mom went to live in a care center, Dad
was not content unless he could visit her multiple times a week.
Everyone knows Dad’s love and tenderness for babies. We all watched for his face to light up when a baby came to visit. He would do this
little sucking sound between his teeth and just really make over the baby and
sometimes get teary-eyed. He said the
most tender place to kiss a baby was on the back of their neck. He would always
balance the baby on his foot with his legs crossed and bounce them up and down
while reciting, “Trot little horsey, trot to town. . . “ Dad loved his 28
grandchildren and 48 great-grandchildren, and they knew it when they came
through his door and he would say with a delighted tone, “Well, look who’s
here!”
Dad gave the most heart-felt prayers and blessings. Those
were his spiritual gifts and highlighted his testimony of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. We will remember him for his eloquent expressions of gratitude. He was
very amazed that he lived through a war and several major surgeries. He always said how grateful he was to his
Heavenly Father for this blessing that he could remain with his family as long
as he did. Everyone who cared for him in
his last years said Dean was one of their favorite residents – we think it was
because of the way he expressed his gratitude for any little thing that was
done for him.
Our parents didn’t teach a lot with words and they would be
the first to admit that they weren’t perfect, but they instilled in their
children the values of sacrifice, hard work, faith, gratitude, love and loyalty
to family through examples that shined throughout their lives. Their dedication
and determination, we hope, will have a lasting effect on future generations. ‘Til
we meet again Mom and Dad!
Individual Memories:
Janice:
Ralph said
this about my dad: “Dad has quietly demonstrated a deep love for the Lord, his
wife, his children and grandchildren. Of
course his love for babies is well known and most obvious. But if you watch
him, listen when he prays, and hear what he says in conversation, his deep love
and commitment to all his family is very evident. He is a very kind hearted man.”
I appreciated
how hard Dad worked to provide for our family.
He always knew how to work hard in all he did. He took such good care of his little family. I
am so appreciative of the camping trips we went on. I gained such a love of nature and even of
camping because of those wonderful times. Was it Dad who was laughing and a
grasshopper went in his mouth and he swallowed it? That is how I remember it.
I remember
how Dad would pick an apple off our tree on Oneida Street and take a bite and then
salt the apple before he took the next bite.
I tried it and it wasn’t too bad.
I was always so excited when Dad came home from work with a little white
sack. I knew there was candy inside and
that we would be getting some. I love
eating black licorice because it reminds me of Dad.
I remember
lying in bed at night and listening to Mario Lanza coming from our stereo. I gained such a love for all different kinds
of music because of the music Mom and Dad listened to.
I am
grateful for parents who loved the Lord.
I am grateful for a father who was honest and hard- working. A father who taught me through his example to
love the little things in life, like the giggle of a baby, an ice cream cone
after rides in the car, the taste of a crisp apple in the autumn time, the
beauty of nature. I love you Dad!
Lori:
Dad was very brave. He fought in WWII and helped Mom raise seven
children. I am grateful for his example and testimony of the church. He gave
many prayers and blessings that truly touched my heart. My parents' example of
willingness to serve on missions is great in the sight of their posterity.
Visiting with Mom and Dad while they were on their mission at the Independence,
Missouri Visitors Center gave me great insight into being fully immersed in
missionary service. I remember how relaxed Dad seemed to be. It was the first
time I ever remember seeing him take a sack lunch anywhere.
My children
remember being greeted with kisses and hugs and "Look who's here!"
Grandpa always wanted to make sure that everyone got a treat to take home. The
younger ones always got treated to a ride on Grandpa's foot with "Trot
Little Horsey." He truly came alive when there was a baby around.
I'm grateful
that I got to spend quiet moments on the golf course and the ski slopes with my
dad where the cares of the world seemed to float away on the breeze.
Randy:
The last and very soft spoken words that my Dad could muster
to say to me was, "Randy my boy, I love you so much". Without words,
I always knew that my Dad loved me by the example he set as a loving and caring
Father. My Dad's middle name was "Worry", with 7 children and a
loving wife to care for, I remember him working some long hard hours in my
younger years to provide for us. My parents together were such good and loving
supportive parents and our sense of family was forever strong because of their
bond and love for one another.
Dad was always so proud of everything that I did and
accomplished in my life and he ALWAYS let me know it verbally. I'm not sure why
it took me so long to figure out that when I was a 10 year old baseball
pitcher, throwing practice pitches to my Dad in Grandma Workman's back yard,
that it didn't really hurt his hand as he said it did when the ball would hit
his mitt, but it worked, because I would throw the baseball even harder when he
would scream with pain as the ball would crack into his baseball mitt. Dad
taught me simple life lessons by his own examples; I distinctly remember at the
age of 6 going to the Safeway store by our house to buy a few things. As we
walked out the door of the store and got to the car, Dad said, "oh no, she
gave me too much change". I remember him marching back in letting the
cashier know that she gave him 5 cents too much. He had so many qualities that
I will forever be grateful for. My Dad also seemed to know everyone and
everything.
He showed me how to use his tools, but with a stern command,
that all of his tools were to go back to their exact spot immediately after I
was done. He actually drew an outline of each tool on his peg board to show
where they went (I guess I didn't carry on that attribute, but if I ever do get
organized, he taught me how). I always respected my Dad so much for his love of
family, church, God and country. One of the most special times in my life was
when Mom and Dad traveled over to Sweden to pick me up at the completion of my
LDS mission. We traveled for 14 days throughout Sweden, and down though Europe
by Euro Rail. My Dad never spoke much of the experiences or atrocities of World
War II until his older years. But on this trip, as we traveled via train along
the Rhine River, he would point out land marks that he remembered, the castles
and cities in the area, and shared the stories of triumph and sometimes
retreat, I was glued to the words he spoke and the scenery we saw. My respect
and honor for my Dad was always so high, but on that trip during our time
together as Father, Mother and Son, I cherished that time as an epic point in
my life.
My parents were part of the greatest generation. I am
blessed and honored to have been part of their family and lineage. God be with
both Mom and Dad until we meet again!
De Ann:
I know moms and dads react to emergencies differently. I was so surprised to hear Dad’s question
when Janice was hanging on the door of the car and
went flying, still clinging, as we rounded a corner and the door came open. “What
are you doing out there?”
I loved to watch Dad when he returned from a fishing or
hunting trip with Uncle Ray. It was strange
to see his more than five-o’clock shadow. He was seldom unshaved. We always gathered to see the prize and take
pictures! I don’t remember eating any of it, but I might have. The best part
was the smile on Dad’s scraggily face.
Scott said: “I always
felt like I was Grandpa and Grandma’s favorite grandson. Even though I knew there were other grandchildren,
somehow I always felt like they loved me best.
They probably made everyone feel like that, but it made me feel special.”
When Nicole was afraid to be baptized, I questioned her as
to why. She replied that she was afraid
Grandpa would say too long of a prayer while she was holding her breath under
the water. She was relieved to hear that
the words were said BEFORE she got dunked and she would come out as soon as she
was immersed properly. I remembered this
while thinking about Dad’s wonderful prayers.
Long or short, they were always very humble.
Mardean:
When I was very small, I remember watching Dad sitting in
his chair reading the paper under the lamp, and looking at his dark wavy hair
and thinking he was a very handsome dad. I’ve always been proud that Dad was in
the war. From the time that I was
little, I remember looking at pictures of him in uniform, and as I got older I
realized, in part, what a sacrifice that must have been for Dad . . . and Mom.
How many trips did we take to Yellowstone as a family? I
first learned to appreciate nature through the eyes of my parents. Once when we
were leaving Yellowstone, Dad said we could each have something for $1 in the
gift shop. I couldn’t find anything for a dollar, but Dad let me buy a little
Indian doll in a white buckskin dress for $2.
I thought she was beautiful and Dad was my hero.
I remember the fun we had going to the drive-in theatre. We
would get so sleepy on the way home and I always wished I was a “little kid”
because Dad would carry them into the house when we got home. I would pretend to be asleep, but it never
worked for me.
I remember watching Dad do things on his work bench in the
basement on Oneida Street. I guess I have him to thank for telling me the
difference between the hot water heater and the furnace!
I’ll never forget the look on Dad’s face when I received my
endowments and the first time I entered the Celestial Room. Dad asked me, “What
are you crying for?” and gave me his hanky. It was an unspoken moment of
closeness between us.
Judy:
Without using words, my parents taught me the importance of
family togetherness through the times we spent as a family. I appreciated Dad’s
sense of duty in providing for his family – he always wanted to make sure
everyone was taken care of. Rallie was impressed that at family get-togethers,
some would be in the kitchen preparing food and Dad would come in every so
often and ask if there was anything we needed.
The thing I will probably
remember the most about Dad is feeling the power of the Priesthood and the
strength of his testimony when he prayed or gave blessings in our home.
When our brother, Paul, passed
away, we hadn’t even known where he was for about a year, or whether he was still
alive because of his illness of Schizophrenia. Two weeks after he died, it was only
through a miracle that we were able to find out what had happened, and another
miracle in getting his body home to us.
As we gathered around the casket in a private family viewing, my father,
with tears streaming down his cheeks, was so overjoyed to have all of his
family together again - he gave the most heartfelt prayer of gratitude I have
ever heard. He so beautifully expressed
our love for Heavenly Father and this particular prodigal son. This son who had given them so much anguish
and tears over the years - was now the object of praise to God; and gratitude,
for letting Paul be a part of our family; for sending him a friend who looked
after him; for the promptings of the Spirit which led this friend to find us so
that we would finally know where he was; gratitude for knowing that he was now
in heaven and knowing that he wanted
his family to find him. The power that
came from that prayer was miraculous as it gave us feelings of, not only great love
for our Heavenly Father, but also love and forgiveness for our brother - and
rejoicing that even in death, he had finally found his way home to us.
My father’s tender prayer of
gratitude and love to our Father in Heaven has stayed with me. I’m sure Dad was
not aware of how he taught me that day! I wish I could have recorded it so I
could feel the full power of that prayer of gratitude over and over.
Some people measure one’s success
through monetary gains – but true success comes from touching someone’s life to
influence for good, and striving to live honorably by fulfilling one’s missions
in life the best you can, even if not perfect. Thank you Mom and Dad, for
touching my life and fulfilling your mission as parents. Thank you for giving me the gift of Family
and the gift of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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