Dear Hearts and Gentle People Who Live in Our Hometown

 Remembering Patsy (Glen) Shumway, 

       I’ve been on the outskirts of your part of town for a few months, and didn’t realize that your health had taken a turn in a new direction.  I’m not sure I’ll get to visit with you when I come over, but hopefully, someone can share this with you, if we can’t talk today.

      Patsy, you played a major part in my life when we first moved to Blanding.   You were the 3^rd ward Relief Society President and I’ll never forget your faith in me, nor your no nonsense strategy when dealing with various issues.  When we moved here fall of 1970, it was  Steve’s first job out of college.  Blanding really did seem like the end of the world!  We were both from “greener pastures” in Idaho.  I remember Steve’s dad said when they drove down the first time, “It’s not the end of the world, but you can see it from there!”  We initially thought we’d stay a year or two, then move back to Idaho or northern Utah. . . Well, it was good people like you, who helped us realize what a great place Blanding was and the perfect place to raise a bunch of boys!.

      When we moved here Fall of 1970, we had only Aaron, born Feb. 1970 and had another baby who would arrive in a few months.  I felt pretty isolated and alone.  You were Relief Society President at that time, and somehow felt inspired (inspiration? or desperation?) and asked me to put together a program for the combined Blanding Wards Relief Society Birthday Party.  I think there were 3 ward at the time, but I can’t remember for sure. Of course, I knew hardly anyone but you helped me come up with names of people with talent, and names of those who we might spotlight in the program.  I wish I had that script now, but it seems like we honored unique special people who didn’t normally get much recognition. 

      The next thing we worked on together was the School Community Group that Jan Miller helped us with.  We formed a committee and tackled some issues like sidewalks on school routes, teacher evaluations, and ways to upgrade the curriculum.  You were always very forthright in your opinions and recommendations, and it was wonderful to have such a good leader as you to help try to solve local school issue, that were often very controversial!  

    Once we started Blue Mountain Shadows we connected again as we were able to collect stories of all kinds from Glen, Kenny, and their brothers and learn more about the crazy Shumway line in your family which was both eye opening and charming.  In addition, Jody helped teach us about Bootlegging in San Juan County!  Since then our connection has been less formal and I’ve loved being able to drop by unannounced and visit with you about gardening, grandkids, and the challenges of growing old.

    In many ways I’m looking forward to perhaps some rest as well as great reunions on the other side.  I hope that’s the way you see it too.  Until we meet again!  With love, admiration, and appreciation for all you’ve done to make my life better,   

By Janet Wilcox, Written June 9, 2022

Remembering  EveLynn Perkins

    It didn't take long to remember this ........Many years ago when I was a very busy mom with 5 little ones to care for, I volunteered to keep my sisters 2 little girls for a month,  while she had a hip replaced and recovered 7 hours away.
Her 2 little cuties were similar ages to my 2 youngest.  Amber was 2 1/2, Michael 2 years, Monica 8 months, Felicia 4 months.  We brought them home with us Thanksgiving weekend, and looked forward to their parents coming for them just before Christmas.     It was a L O N G, fun, crazy, busy month!!     Runny noses,  inside the house weather, diapers, etc, etc.  After a few weeks,  Out of the blue, a lovely angel lady showed up to my house with a big pot of chili and hot rolls for dinner.  I am sure I just sat down and cried tears of joy!!    Her name is EveLynn Perkins.  She loved me and taught me and encouraged me to hang in there!!!  I am sure you all knew her!!    

 By Susan Flavel, March 25, 2024

Special People in our Lives

   There are so many people in Blanding that have supported my mother and me. 1) Kay Jones, who I moved in next too when I first moved to Blanding. Her love and support of me and then my mom when she moved in, was wonderful. I was included in so many family things since I lived alone. She made me feel like family. 

  2) Phil and Jodi Lyman are two more that treated my mom and me like family. We bought a house from them and Phil came by at least twice a year to either turn our sprinkler system on or to turn it off. He took care of our lawn and made sure our dogs were taken care of when we went on a long trip. They were available any time we had a problem with the house.

  3) Nancy Martineau was my mom’s best friend. They traveled San Juan County all the time. They were the “trouble” that was fun. One would call the other and tell them that they were bored and they needed a trip somewhere. They would take side roads, never once wondering if their car would make it, never leaving word that they had gone. But, oh, they had so much fun. Nancy was my “lets go to the movie” girl. Mom doesn’t like going to the movies because she can’t sit that long without crocheting or getting up and walking around. Nancy and I would go to the movies every once in a while and we really had fun. When I ran the “Community Thanksgiving Dinner” there were so many people who volunteered to help with that. I had people who did the music, cut up turkeys, brought salads, served, picked up the trash, set up the tables and take them down, decorated, took extra food to the detention center and the women’s shelter, and delivered meals to shut-ins. The whole town was kind to us. Blanding has kind people all over and we love them so.            by Carol Harris 

4) Story about Ed Galbraith, home teacher to Dave and Freeda Guymon                                      (written by Bishop Bret Rowley)

"I want to share a story about my maternal Grandparents. Freeda Perkins was born in 1914 in Monticello, San Juan County, Utah. She was the oldest of 4 children born to Richard Perkins and Ada Hunt. She was Born in the Covenant as her parents were sealed in the Salt Lake temple. When she was 7 years old, her 29-year-old mother died during child birth along with her unborn baby brother. Two years later, when Freeda was 9 years old, her father died from Kidney failure at age 33. Freeda, her 2 sisters and 1 brother were now orphans. Her relatives were unable to keep the 4 kids together and she was raised apart from her siblings living in: Bluff, UT, Snowflake, AZ and finally Blanding, Utah.

At age 17, my grandma married one of kindest men to ever live on the earth, David L. Guymon. No one to my knowledge can ever recall my grandpa saying an unkind word about another person.
Two years later, they had their first child, a son named Leonard. Leonard only weighed 3 lbs at birth and was sickly his whole life. Shortly after the birth of their second son, Keith, Leonard died of pneumonia at 20 months of age. After Leonard’s death, they felt a void at the loss of their son and knew they wanted him with them forever. They had no money and no vehicle capable of getting them to a temple.

At this point, the Lord intervened in Blanding and they were assigned Ed Galbraith as their ward teacher, or what we would now call their minister. According to my grandma’s life story, Brother Galbraith talked them into going to Mesa and being sealed. They decided to go to the Mesa Temple because they had no money for a hotel room and my grandpa’s brother Rawl Guymon lived nearby. Ed took them in his car over 400 miles to Mesa and took a small trailer to haul the luggage and to bring back a load of grapefruit.

The trip back was difficult, the roads were in poor condition and they were covered in snow and ice. They had to push the car up several hills and it took 3 days to make the 400-mile journey home. Because of the cold, all of the grapefruit were ruined, but my grandparents gained something much greater. I can’t express enough thanks to Brother Galbraith for his service as a minister and for helping my grandparents get to the temple so they could be sealed together and to their sons and my mother could be born into the covenant.

CELEBRATING FRIENDSHIP AND KINDNESS

RELVA SONDREGGER BOWRING

   I first met Relva at a Frontier Days program, “Echoes of San Juan.” We

were both performing on the program, but we didn’t get well acquainted until I

moved from Montezuma Creek to Blanding a few months later.

We were asked to sing in a women’s ensemble for the Relief Society

Birthday Party. It was called “Let Your Light So Shine,” and was written and

produced by Janet Wilcox. As we rehearsed our music, we sang next to each other

and discovered that our voices blended well and we made a good sound singing

together. And the rest is history! We formed a wonderful musical partnership and

a lifelong friendship.

   Soon Relva and Virginia were invited to sing at church and community

events and programs. Through practices and performances, we became the best of

friends. Renee Pincock accompanied us on the piano much of the time, with Janet

Wilcox filling that role sometimes, and the friendships grew. We loved singing on

any program for any occasion, but we especially loved Christmas music. I didn’t

feel like Christmas unless we got to sing together many times!

We had fun singing with the Francis Lyman orchestra and with Ray

Swanson’s groups. Sometimes our husband provided special accompaniments,

Bob on the clarinet or flute and Kermit on guitar.

We raised our children together and our families became friends. Later,

when I went back to teaching, I got to know and become friends with her husband,

Bob, as he was the Band Director and I was the Choral Director at San Juan High

School.

   I will always remember the years of Relva and Virginia singing together,

and the love, joy, and friendship it brought.

With love from Virginia Jensen Blake

CELEBRATING FRIENDSHIP AND KINDNESS

JANET KEELER WILCOX

   Janet tracked us down when we were living in Montezuma Creek and asked

Kermit and me to sing “Song of White Mesa” (written by Kermit’s mother, Susan

Butt), on a program called “Echoes of San Juan” for Blanding’s Frontier Days

celebration, which she had written. This was my first encounter with this force of

nature!

   When we moved to Blanding, her family sat by us in church and she introduced us

to Steve and their children. We were neighbors and became close friends for

years, raising our children together and becoming family friends.

Janet was an expert at bringing people together. We were invited to many parties

and cookouts hosted by the Wilcoxes, and we met a wide range of people. She

was especially good at inviting people who were new to the community. I have

called her the Perle Mesta of Blanding, she was such a good hostess.

   She was an outstanding teacher, and was always active in church and community,

and continues to be a shining example to others. I will be forever grateful for our

long friendship and for her influence in my life.

With love from Virginia Jensen Blake