The Grandparent Chronicles

TWO PROMINENT PATRIOTS      July seems to be the month in which we honor pioneers and patriots. Our family (like many) has several of both whose lives we honor and whose sacrifice we appreciate. As you view these two portraits of patriots, one will be familiar to most of you, my father, Alfred Byron Wade whose life we paid tribute to in our Grandparent Chronicles August 3, 2018- “Happy Birthday Big Al!” and June 13, 2023-“A Father’s Day Tribute to Dad”. (We commend both to your re-reading.) On August 6, 2025 we will celebrate dad’s 100 th Birthday! He passed in 2013 but his was a life worthy of celebration and remembrance. The other portrait, with obvious family features, is that of his 2 nd cousin 6 times removed. His is a story that you’ve probably never heard, but one worth telling. William Ellery was born on Dec. 22, 1727. He attended Harvard College at the age of 16 and graduated in 1774. He married Ann Remington in 1750. Together they had 7 children. Ann ...

              MORE IMPORTANT   Years ago, when I was a young counselor to a wise Bishop in Wellsville, Utah; two neighboring high priests had an ongoing feud over water rights. They both felt justified in their anger, and it began affecting the ward as sides began to form; a real “Hatfield & McCoy” scenario. Finally, our wise Bishop called them both into his office, asked to see their temple recommends and told them both that it was past time to reconcile their differences. With the Bishop’s help and prayer, neither would leave his office with their recommends until the matter was resolved. I wasn’t in their meeting but somehow, no doubt with the help of the spirit, those two stubborn high priests eventually did come from the bishop’s office, recommends in hand, tears in their eyes with smiles on their faces, having buried the hatchet, embraced each other and realized that people are more important than water. Fast forward 40 years and I...

        IT’S FUN TO STAY AT THE Y.M.C.A.?   The group Village People had a hit song in 1978 that is still popular today. Who isn’t familiar with the music, words and actions to; “It’s Fun to Stay at the Y.M.C.A.”? When I was the Marketing Manager at Tri-Miller Packing co., I was exporting loads of pork backfat into Mexico and planned a trip to visit our customer. My itinerary would have me fly from Utah to San Diego, Ca., catch a bus to Calexico, Ca. where my broker would pick me up and together drive across the border into Mexicali, Mexico. It would require a one-night stay in San Diego. I was on a tight budget, so I looked up the Y.M.C.A. and decided to stay there. “It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.” I thought. When I arrived at San Diego, I took a taxi to the Y.M.C.A. I arrived at night and could feel that it was in a bad part of town. My small room had a single cot sized bed, a metal locker for a closet, wooden floors and a community bathroom down the...

       HAS THE DAY OF MIRACLES CEASED? Hopefully, you had the opportunity to listen to recent General Conference talks. They are all inspiring, but have you ever heard a talk that you knew was a message that was meant especially for you? I have. Let me share my experience. On September 23, 2017, my sons Blake, Aaron and Curt, with son in-law Michael Thompson and two grandsons- Spencer (age 10 at the time) and Levi (age 6 back then) and I, all went to a shooting range for a father’s and Son’s activity. We all wore the same protective ear plugs. After the event, when I removed my ear plugs, my hearing was muffled, as if I had earmuffs on. Everyone was hearing normally, except me! This condition didn’t go away so I went to an audiologist who informed me that I had experienced a traumatic hearing loss of approximately 50% in both ears! Soon after, I received a priesthood blessing in which I was not promised a restoration of hearing but was promised that I wo...

          Cruising to 90 ! Annette’s mother, Naomi Stone turned 90 on Dec 20, 2024. To celebrate, her children took her on a Caribbean cruise this March. Eight of her 9 children and those with companions all joined her. (see attached pictures) Naomi’s life has been however, anything but a pleasure cruise! Naomi was born number 9 of 9 children to Francis Louis Phipps and Nellie Clark. Born on Dec. 20,1934, she was 11 years younger than her next youngest sibling, so in many ways, Naomi felt like an only child. She grew up in Ogden, Utah and attended Mound Fort Jr high school where she met Dennis Stone. They soon became sweethearts and married the fall after graduation from Ogden High school on Nov. 4,1953 in the Salt Lake Temple.  On May 26,1955, their first-born Annette joined the family, followed by- Bruce, Carolyn, Dale, Denise, Renae, Sharon, Michelle and Chad. Naomi was a very busy mother raising her 9 children but still found time to serve in th...

          A    FISH    TALE When I was about 11 years old, my family went on a camping and fishing trip to the Madison River, just west of Yellowstone Park. We spent most of our fishing time just drowning worms. One evening as the sun was setting and it was time to call it quits, I decided to make one last cast.   I put a new fat, juicy worm on my #2 hook and cast as far as I could out into the deep rapids. As my bait started floating down river, I felt my line tighten with a jerk, so I jerked back and set the hook. I had a fish on the line, and it felt like a big one! For at least 30 minutes it was a battle between boy and fish. I had to be patient and wear the fish down. Not wanting the line to snap, I slowly wound him in. When I finally got him close to shore, my uncle scooped him up in his net. I had landed a beautiful, fat, five-pound german brown trout! By my standards I had caught a huge trophy fish. By the world’s standards, ...