LaVoy Talmage Christensen Family

LaVoy Talmage Christensen Family

Lavoy Christensen

LaVoy Talmage Christensen was born on June 23, 1917 at home in Spanish Fork Utah in the house on 8^th East and 2^nd North, to Einer and Rebecca Christensen.

            When he was 4 years old his mother came down with typhoid and he was sent to stay with the George Skinner Family.  He was kicked out because of a fight with the Skinners older daughter. He took his tinker toys and went home. His Dad said he could stay. While his mother was sick his Dad Einer, Floyd his older brother and LaVoy all slept in the same bed until his mother got better.

            In the spring just before he turned five he learned how to ride a horse. He remembers helping on the farm all through his youth. When he was in the 8^th grade he dropped out of school and continued working on the farm. He remembers that while working on the farm Pete and Floyd would leave after lunch so they could have a smoke.

            He met Elva Christensen on a blind date and they were married on November 29, 1938. They lived

at the farm for their first year of marriage then they lived with Elva’s parents the next summer. After the

summer they moved into their own apartment in Provo. Lavoy started working construction building Geneva

Steel. Their first daughter Lavern was born on June 12, 1942.
            On January 3, 1944 Lavoy went into the army. During basic training he was in Austin, Texas where he remembers seeing the State Capitol covered with crickets. He took a boat to England then crossed the English Channel. He spent time in Belgium, France and Germany. While he was in Germany he had special permission to visit his brother, Marvin the day before Marvin left for Berlin. They had both been just a few miles away from each other for a little while and didn’t know it until just before Marvin was to leave for Berlin.

            After the war Lavoy went to work at Geneva when it opened. They then moved to Spanish Fork in the House on 7^th East and 2^nd North. About this time he bought his 1^st piece of farm ground. He also bought a thrasher but he only did well for one year so after 2 years he sold it.

           

On September 21, 1947 he had two more daughters, Lacey and Lois.

During his lifetime he had various horses, cattle and dogs. One of the dogs, Tip would stay with the tractor up on the farm ground all night so no one would steal the gas out.

            LaVoy built a new brick home in 1954 right next to the old house. Later that year LaVoy and Elva were sealed in the Manti Temple and had their 3 daughters sealed to them.

            He also went in on the purchase of a ranch in Ruby Valley, Nevada close to Elko, Nevada with his Dad and Rulon. He spent many summers working there in hay season. He later sold his share to Rulon.

            He liked to go deer hunting, pheasant hunting and fishing.

In April 1977 he crushed his ankle in an accident at Geneva, he was 59 years old and never went back to work at Geneva. He received Workman’s Comp until he could qualify for a medical retirement. He had to wait for two years until he turned 62.

            After his retirement LaVoy and Elva bought a trailer in Quartzite, AZ in 1986. They went there every winter. He was hit by a car while riding his bicycle in Quartzite and broke his leg. A couple years later he fell off his bicycle and broke his hip. He had a hip replacement at this time and got rid of his Bicycle. He sold his trailer in 2001.

            Elva died on June 28, 1998 and just before that time LaVoy was in the hospital for congestive heart failure. Because of a test they did for his heart that caused some damage to his kidneys he had kidney failure in 2002 and was on dialysis for several months.

            He is still living at his home in Spanish Fork, Utah and doing well at this time.

By Lois Christensen Lovell

Obituary:
LaVoy Talmage Christensen, 90, of Spanish Fork, passed away Friday, May 9, 2008 of causes incident to age.

He was born June 23, 1917 to Einer and Rebecca Christensen in Spanish Fork, Utah. He married Elva Christensen November 29, 1938 in Provo, Utah. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Manti Temple on May 10, 1954. He retired from Geneva Steel after 30 years.

He enjoyed farming, gardening, and snowbirding in Quartzsite, Arizona. He especially enjoyed being able to raise his first grandson, Tracy Dutson. He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

He survived by his 3 daughters, LaVern (Allen-deceased) Black, Provo, Lacey (Mark) Reynolds, Orem, and Lois (Brent) Lovell, Grantsville. 7 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, and 1 brother, Marvin (Maxine) Christensen, Lake Shore. He was preceded in death by his wife, parents, and brothers, Laurel Peter Christensen, Floyd Christensen, Mikel Christensen, and Rulon Christensen.

His family would like to express a special thanks to Hospice and Alpine Home Care, especially his nurse Jane and his bath girl Stacy.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. in the Spanish Fork 8th Ward Chapel, 1006 East 200 South. A viewing will be held before the service at the church from 9:45-10:45. There will also be a viewing Monday, May 12, 2008 from 6-8 p.m. at the Walker Mortuary in Spanish Fork.

 

LaVoy's Family:

LaVoy Talmage Christensen

Birth: June 23, 1917  Spanish Fork, Utah, Utah
Died: may 8, 2008 Spanish Fork, Utah, Utah

Spouse: Elva Christensen

Birth December 3, 1919  Heber, Wasatch, Utah

Marriage: November 29, 1938  Provo, Utah, Utah

Death: June 28, 1998  Springville, Utah, Utah

Lavern Christensen

Spouse: June L. Dutson

           

1.      Tracey Lance Dutson

Spouse: Sheryl Jean McGrain

a.       Hailey Erin Dutson

b.      Colin Lance Dutson

c.       Tavia Lauren Dutson

d.      Hannah Grace Dutson

           

            Lavern Christensen 2^nd Spouse

Spouse: Allen Rulon Black

Lacey Christensen

Spouse: Ralph John Peay

Lacey 2^nd Spouse

Spouse: Mark Albert Reynolds Jr.

1.      Derek Mark Reynolds

2.      E’Lyse Christine Reynolds

Lois Christensen

Spouse: Brent Clisbee Lovell

1.      Tonya Lovell

2.      Dawn Marie Lovell

Spouse: Robert Troy Eccles

a.       Chylee Marie Eccles

b.      Riley Eccles

3.      Travis Wayne Lovell

Spouse: Christy Dawn Thompson

           

a.       Taylor Jay Bartunek

b.      Chase Daniel Bartunek

Father to above Children: Brad Jay Bartunek

c.       Hunter Wayne Lovell

4.      Jacob Talmage Lovell

Spouse: Tiffany Heilman

            a. Michael Damun Lovell

            Spouse: Carrie Dawn Golightly

a.       Dusten Tyler Lovell

b.      Austen Ryan Lovell

c.       Rebecca Marie Lovell

If anyone has anything else on LaVoy or his family please e-mail me and I will add it to this blog.

History of Laurel Peter Christensen

History of Laurel Peter (Pete) Christensen

Laurel Peter (Pete) & Thelma Christensen

            Laurel Peter Christensen was born on December 31, 1912 in Spanish Fork, Utah to Einer and Rebecca Christensen. Pete as he later liked to be called help his father on the family farm along with his older brother Floyd.  Growing up, Pete attended Thurber Elementary School on

Main Street

and would attend the Central school for Junior and Senior High School in Spanish Fork, Utah. His favorite teacher during this time was Mimie Hales.

            When Pete was eight years old his mother came down with Typhoid Fever and was in bed for a very long time. Pete helped his mother during this time doing her housework.

            As Pete got older he wanted to play sports but his father would not let him, as he was needed to help on the farm. Pete wanted to play football and did play for a short time but claimed he broke a young mans leg and felt so bad he never played sports again. Pete also enjoyed riding his horse and would often ride his horse as fast as he could down the road often scaring his neighbors. He was very careful not to let his mother see him ride his horse.

            Pete worked for Lou Miller for two winters in a logging camp up Indian Canyon and was snowed in once for ten days. They were forced to eat oatmeal for most of the time since they were short on food. Pete refused to eat oatmeal from then on and even when he was older he would prefer cereal to oatmeal.

            Pete met Thelma Larrabee of Springville in November of 1932. He and his friends would often have parties at Thelma's house as it was the depression and money was scarce. Pete and his friends Willis Mattinson and Tom Rees would eat all of the food they could find in the cupboards often eating the food Thelma’s mother had prepared for dinner.

   Pete and Thelma were married in the Salt lake Temple on December 21, 1933. Pete and Thelma lived with Pete’s parents in their home in town. Later Pete and Thelma moved into the farmhouse on the road between Springville and Spanish Fork.

            Pete and Thelma had two daughters. Joan their first child and Karen their second child. Karen at 18 months old passed away from pneumonia and devastated both Pete and Thelma. Their son Larry was born shortly after Karen’s death.

            Pete worked at any job he could find during the depression. When World War Two began he worked for Geneva Steele on the railroad. He later went to work for the Rio Grand Railroad in Salt Lake City. Pete worked during the busy times and then would be laid off so he had to find other work until the railroad picked him up again. Pete later came on full time and moved his family to Murray, Utah were he lived until his death.

            Pete had smoked most of his life stopping for a brief time when Thelma and he were married in the Salt Lake Temple.  This changed when he had a heart attack on May 2, 1978. Pete never smoked again but he had to undergo surgery and had a pig valve put in place of his damaged valve. He loved to tease about being part pig with his pig valve.

            Pete loved to tease and often teased his grandchildren. He gave the boys nicknames which most of us will never reveal. He also nicknamed the girls as well and teased all of us every chance he saw us. He was a hard worker and even though the heart problems forced his retirement he still worked for a local farmer who had a farm in Pete's back yard. The Mcmillan's were very happy to have Pete assist them with their farm and Pete loved it, as he had never given up his farm boy ways.

            Pete passed away on March 4, 1988 from Pneumonia. He had suffered since 1985 from Alzheimer’s, which caused Pete to forget every one of his family members including Thelma. This is a devastating disease and was difficult for his family to watch his slow deterioration from this disease.

This History is a condensed version of a History written by Thelma Larrabee Christensen

Laurel Peter Christensen

Birth: December 31, 1912   Spanish Fork, Utah, Utah

Marriage:  December 21, 1933  Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Died: March 4, 1988  Murray, Salt Lake, Utah

Spouse: Thelma Larrabee

Birth: December 14, 1916  Springville, Utah, Utah

Died: April 24, 2006 Murray, Salt lake,  Utah

Children:

Thelma Joan Christensen

Spouse: Jackie Junior Jones

1.      Susan Jones

Spouse: Randy Gene Tyson

a.       Randon Cole Tyson

Spouse: Heidi Lyn Van Zweden

1.      Hunter Brennon Tyson

2.      Keslee McKell Tyson

           

b.      Auston Tyson

Born July 3, 1977  Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Died July 3, 1977  Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

c.       Tristyn Skye Tyson

Spouse: Taylor Rick Lambert

1.      Taylor Skye Lambert

2.      Cannon Jace Lambert

3.      Bailey McKale Lambert

           

d.      Brennon Jones Tyson

e.       Talisia Kay Tyson

Spouse: Brandon Cluff

2. Diane Jones

Spouse: Jeffery Maughan         

a.       Melissa Maughan

Spouse: Ren Wade Steele

            1.Bridger Todd Steele

           

            2.Savanna (Annie ) Oakley Steele

           

3.Wyatt Jeffrey Steele

b.      Nathan Scott Maughan

Spouse: Natalie Albrecht

1.      Brinley Grace Maughan

2.      Austin Scott Maughan

c.       Nicole Diane Maughan

Spouse: Allen Richard Wright

1.      Brayden Flint Wright

3.  Glen Roy Jones

Spouse: Debby Jean Linnarz

a.       Justin Glen Jones

Spouse: Janeil Louise O’Donnell

1.      Tyson Daniel Jones

2.      Emma May Jones

                       

b.      Jered Roy Jones

Spouse: ShaRee Denae Kummer

1.      Cayden Austen Jones

2.      Kamree Lynn Jones

                       

c.       Joshua Jack Jones

Spouse: Marishia Dawn Butler

1.Peyton Joshua Jones

2.Kasen James Jones

3.      Kylie Camille Jones

d.      Jason Richard Jones

Spouse: Amanada Leigh Warner

           

1.      Trenton Richard Jones

4.  Janet Lynne Jones           

Spouse: Christian Glenn Sadler

a. Sara Lynne Sadler

                        Spouse: Daniel Lloyd Evans

                       

b. Parker Christian Sadler

c. Chansler Hayes Sadler

5. Jeffery Peter Jones

Spouse: Lisa Marie Smith

a.       Peter Jefferson Jones

Karen Sarah Christensen

Birth: December 19, 1936  Springville, Utah, Utah

Died: February 23, 1938   Springville, Utah, Utah

Larry B. Christensen

Spouse: Jackie Turner

Larry Christensen Family
Back Row Standing l to r: Camille, Holli, David, Larry. Jackie, Alan, Laura Lee, Julia
Front Row Sitting: Cassie, Christy, Zach, Carolina, James and Kyler

Larry and Jackie are both retired. Larry is retired from Granite School District in Salt Lake City where he worked as a Custodian for many years. The last years were at Bonneville Jr. High School in Salt Lake City. Jackie retired as a teacher from Jordan School District and worked most of her teaching career at Bingham High School in South Jordan. She worked at Midvale Middle school the last few years before she retired. Both Larry and Jackie work at the Jordan River Temple on Friday and Saturday mornings. They have also served two volunteer missions one in their Stake helping families in need and currently they work on Wednesday night at the Institute assisting students. In their spare time they travel to Arizona and Nevada to visit with their grandchildren. They still live in the house they bought back in 1960 in Sandy, Utah.

1. David Larry Christensen

Wife: Holli Murphy

1.      Zachary David Christensen 

Spouse:Christy Pearce

2.      Camille Noel Christensen

Spouse: Erik Mikkelsen

3.      Cassie Dee Christensen   

2. Alan Bret Christensen

Wife: Laura Lee Lattin

            Julia Minchenko

            Kyler Eli Christensen    

Laura Lee, Alan Kyler, & Julia

3. James Christensen            

Wife: Carolina Janet Godoy

If you have pictures or other information you would like me to add. Please e-mail me.

Floyd Christensen

Floyd with neice Melinda Christensen

The History of Floyd Ephriam Christensen

Floyd Ephriam Christensen born July 11,1911 in Spanish Fork, Utah, to Einer and Rebecca

Christensen. He worked with his father on the family farm and attended Thurber Elementary School

on oin Street, He attended Central Junior High and Spanish Fork High School.

When he was nine years old his mother contracted Typhoid Fever and was in bed for a long time. Floyd worked on the farm, because he was the oldest and could do more than his brother who was helping his mother.

Floyd was born with only one lung and so he could not participate in school sports.

Rebecca's illness took all the money they made on the farm and all of their savings went to paying for doctors, nurses and medication. As a result the payments were not made on the land and the bank was going to for close. Einer wrote to President Franklin D Roosevelt and he interceded with the bank and they were able to keep the farm. Floyd quit school and went to work on the railroad to make the payments to the bank. Grandpa told this story many times and made it plain that because of Floyd's sacrifice the house was his at the death of his parents.

After working on the section for a lot of years he moved back home to Spanish Fork. He purchased a farm and started farming. Einer always said he was the best farmer of all of them. Floyd loved farming and it showed in his craft.

In the 40's Floyd developed pneumonia and was hospitalized and given massive doses of sulfa. It turned out he was allergic to sulfa and ended up in the state mental hospital to overcome the problems he developed.

As a small boy I worked with Floyd and Grandpa putting up hay, and the peas, and working with the animals. Floyd had kind and caring ways and showed his love for all of us in many ways.

Floyd was a good man and was very gentle with children. He used to love to tend Kenneth's two youngest as their mother went to work and they would go to his home after school. Melinda remembers him playing Barbie’s with her.

On February 4, 1988, Floyd suffered and aneurysm and died while tending Melissa and her brother.

Written By Larry Christensen.

November 7, 2005

Uncle Floyd

Floyd was born one hot

July day

To Einer and Rebecca Christensen

How happy were they

They were delighted and

Filled with joy

At the birth of this_

Their first baby boy,

Floyd grew up in Spanish Fork

And Attended school there.

His folks being farmers_

Taught him to do his share

He was a good boy.

As he grew to adulthood

Pitching in_ doing his part_

As he knew he should.

His road in life was rocky

And full of bumps.

He had many sick spells

T'was hard for him

To take the lumps.

After graduation from high school

He worked on the farm

Until the depression hit

Everyone with alarm.

To save his family's home

Floyd went to work on the railroad.

He was happy to ease

His parents heavy load.

After a few years back to the

Farm he came.

Through out his life_

This was his claim to farm.

For he believed _ a good farmer

Was he.

And the fact is_ we all agree.

Came the time , Floyd was left alone

With no family to call his own.

Kenneth and June came on the scene.

They adopted each other

As it should have been

Their children became the

Grandchildren he never had

And he took the place of

their own granddad.

T'was a beautiful relationship

Of love, service and caring.

For each one, it filled a void_

A rich reward of sharing.

Now Floyd has gone to the

Other side.

And we are left to review

His life with pride.

By Thlema Christensen

If anyone has any more information on floyd please send it to me and I will add it to this post.

The War Years

The Christensen Farm in Spanish Fork

World War II

On Sunday December 7, 1941 the news on the radio was blaring with something terrible. The Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Hitler and Germany was at war with Britain and France on their western front and was now battling Russia on the Eastern Front after Germany attacked Russia on June 22, 1941. America had been neutral up to this point at least in words but had been providing support to England in the past two years since the war began. [1]

The Christensen family was like any other family at this time shocked and horrified. Rebecca had six sons and her biggest worry was which sons will go to fight in this war. Floyd and Pete were exempt because of their jobs working for the Railroad. Rulon had heart problems and because of surgery he had for an ulcer he was consider  

4-F, this meant that Rulon was physically unable to be drafted in the Army. With the war, work began to open up and Geneva Steel a new steel plant in Orem, Utah was under construction. LaVoy and Marvin both helped in the construction of this plant.

The United States Government during World War II built Geneva Steel at the cost of 200 million dollars. It was built to keep the production of steel moving forward during the War. Over 10,000 workers were involved in the construction of Geneva Steel, which began on November of 1941 and was completed in December of 1944. The Government later sold this company to US Steel Corporation and Columbia Steel. Geneva as of the writing of this history is closed down and is being sold for scrap metal. Geneva was a major employer for Utah County and was an economic power when it was operating at full capacity.[2]

LaVoy was the first son in the family to be drafted. He was inducted into the Army and completed his basic training in Austin, Texas. Marvin was working at Geneva Steel when he received his call to the Army. He was only 19 years old and Rebecca thought he would not pass the health test, as she never considered him healthy enough to pass. Marvin passed with no problem and did his basic training in Louisiana. While in basic training the Mississippi River was flooding and Marvin assisted with sandbagging the river. He was soon sent oversees to England to prepare for the coming invasion of France.

Rulon was ineligible for military service. However, he was able to obtain work at different jobs and eventually was able to obtain work at Geneva Steel. After a while his parents encouraged him to come back and help on the farm, Rulon agreed. Rulon met Leona Moon who was from Payson, Utah. They were later married on March 29, 1943.

D-Day occurred on June 6^th 1944 and within a few months the Americans had a foothold in Europe. Marvin and LaVoy found themselves both in the European theatre battling their way to Germany.  LaVoy crossed the English Channel and was in Belgium, France and Germany. Marvin was in France and was in the Battle of the Bulge where Germany had a major offensive, which started on December 16^th and went to January 25, 1945. Marvin was lucky to survive this terrible battle where many men lost their lives.   Here is a little insight into how terrible this offensive was or the “Offensive in the Ardennes” as the Americans first called it. Casualties came in at over 81,000 for the Allies most of the injured or killed were Americans, 19,000 Americans lost their lives during this one battle. The German’s had over 100,000 killed, injured or captured. It started as the German offensive in the Ardenne forest where the Germans thought the allied forces were weakest. The Germans goal was to make it to the port City of Antwerp. Here they thought they could slow down the allied push and hopefully push the allies into a truce or treaty. However, the German push was short lived when the Americans and other allied forces were able to hold off the push most famously in the small Belgium town of Bastonge. When the Germans asked for the Americans surrender they were surprised when American Brigadier General McCailiff replied “Nuts”. The Germans were told this meant no surrender. Within a few days the skies cleared and air support came in and began to steadily drive the German forces back to where they were before the Offensive started. The Battle of the Bulge was over on January 25, 1945 when the German army collapsed back to their original lines. Marvin was an engineer and normally was not involved in much fighting. However, when the bulge began every man was handed a gun and told to fight.[3]

In Germany LaVoy got permission to see Marvin from his superiors. He found out that both of them had been very close to each other for some time. The next day Marvin was called to Berlin and neither saw each other until the end of the war.

Joan Christensen Jones, Thelma Christensen, Rebecca, Elva and Maxine Christensen.
Rebecca;s Daughter-in laws and oldest grandaughter Joan.

Rebecca worried about both of her sons and did not know where either of them were. Einer and Rebecca would often sit by the radio and listened to the news from the front. They especially enjoyed listing to Gabriel Heater on the radio. They would also read the newspapers carefully to keep up with what was happening. Our modern day coverage was very different from what they had in 1944. It took days for news to reach family. Rebecca did not know that Marvin was in the Battle of the Bulge but Christmas Day 1944 she could not eat dinner and she sensed that Marvin was in trouble.[4]

During this time families who had sons or daughters in Europe or the Pacific had flags that they hung in their window with stars representing each member of the family in the service. Einer and Rebecca had such a flag in their window with two stars on it. When the war finally came to an end Einer and Rebecca like the rest of the country was very happy and could not wait for their sons to come home.

---

     [1] The

History Place

, World War II in Europe,  www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/timeline/ww2time.htm. Thelma Christensen, History of Rebecca Christensen, p. 15.

     [2] Roger Roper, History of Geneva Steel, Online history .Com www.onlineutah.com/steelhistory.shtml.

     [3] Les Nichols, Tenth Armored “Tiger” Divisions, Turner Publishing Company, 1988 pg. 23-26, The Battle of the Bulge, http://www.mm.com/user/jpk/battle.htm. Battle of the Bulge the Ardennes Offensive, http://members.aol.com/dadswar/bulge/.

     [4]History Place.com,  The History place, World War Two in Europe, www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/timeline/ww2time.htm. Thelma Christensen, History of Rebecca Christensen, p.15.

Family Grows up

Thelma Christensen tells of a story that occurred around 1930. Rebecca had just been called as the Work and Business Director for the Palmyra Stake Relief Society and she and the other board members made a trip to Logan, Utah to attend a seminar. Logan is well over 132 miles from Spanish Fork one way. The fog on this day was horrible and Rebecca agreed to sit on the hood of the car and direct the driver. They made it to Logan safely and attended the seminar. On the trip back the President, Mrs. Hughes, was going to sit in the front seat. Rebecca said, “no you don’t, I sat in the cold all the way there I get the front seat on the way back”. Thelma claims that President Hughes not only lets Rebecca have the front seat but she had much more respect for her in the future.

Olena Olsen, Rebecca’s mother had been very sick for some time. Rebecca had cared for her mother throughout her life especially when her sister Serena passed away from Typhoid fever. Olena passed away on September 22, 1933 in Spanish Fork, Utah. She was buried in the Spanish Fork Cemetery on September 25, 1933.

Einer was made a Seventy in the Spanish Fork Fourth Ward around the time that he and Rebecca were married. He was ordained a Seventy by Chas H. Hart on August 28, 1910. He was made a High Priest on March 15, 1936 by David B. Bowen. Einer was active in church and he and Rebecca lived like any Latter-day Saint during this time with their religion being the centerpiece of their family’s lives. [1]

Einer and Rebecca took in a young girl in the 1930s who was just 11 years old. Her name was Ruth Hansen and she was a cousin to Rebecca. Her parents had both died and she and her siblings had been farmed out to other family members. Rebecca had no daughters and I am sure she was happy, like most women, to have a girl to raise around all of those boys. Einer and Rebecca cared for this little girl raised her and educated her. Ruth at the age of 18 left the Christensens and never came back except, years later she came to see Rebecca and asked her to watch her son while she went to California with another man who was not her husband. Rebecca refused and Ruth never went to California. Rebecca felt that she in some way had saved her marriage.

Einer and Rebecca also had a chance to adopt a young girl, but after a while the mother came and took the baby back. Rebecca and Einer were heart broken as they had fallen in love with this baby as their own and hoped to have a chance to raise a girl in the family.

The 1930s were tough times as the whole country was suffering through the Great Depression. Einer and Rebecca’s family was hit as hard as most families of that time. However, they were lucky to have five strong boys who had been taught by their parents to work. They raised most of their own food and did not have to rely on paying for food or other needs. Rebecca was a great seamstress and sewed most of their clothes. What items they did not have they traded with others in their community.

During the Depression, Einer and Rebecca were about to lose their home because they could not make payments. Rebecca wrote to the President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt who had just been elected. She asked him to help her save her house and he was able to intervene and save her home. Floyd was able to get a job with the Railroad and worked on the section and was able to help with the house payments. [2]They never lost their home, however others in Utah were not as lucky.

While most people in Utah may believe that Utah was least effected by the Depression, this is far from the truth. In 1933 Utah’s unemployment rate was 35.8%. Utah had the fourth highest unemployment rate in the United States and for the decade it averaged 26%. By 1933 government relief programs were helping 32% of the people in Utah and business failure had increased by 20%.

Unemployment which began in Utah in 1938 and for those eligible for unemployment benefits 60% of them ran out of their benefits before they could find employment.  Many people believed that farms and farmers were safe during the depression but this is wrong as well. Between 1929 and 1933 Utah’s gross farm income fell by 60%. Most farmers found more success in trading their produce from their farms with other people for what they needed. This was how many people survived the Depression by moving to a barter system until jobs opened up and things began to get better for the average person.[3] The Depression for the Christensens was hard but may not have been as difficult for them as for others. Pete and Floyd were both old enough to date girls but could not find jobs to earn money to go on a date. Einer would give them both 50 cents so they could go out. Having spare change up to a whole dollar was a lot of money during these times. For example $12.63 today has as much buying power as $1.00 in 1932.[4] In other words 50 cents then is comparable to the cost of a movie ticket at today’s prices.

Einer was able to get enough money together to purchase his first car. He bought a Model T which, started by using a hand crank. Before that time they had used a horse and buggy and they must have thought they were in the big time with a Model T which could go up to speeds of 45 miles an hour or more.[5] These early cars were very different from the cars we have today. Model Ts did not have ignitions inside the car and as mentioned it needed to be cranked in the front of the car. Often times these cranks could be very difficult to use and sometimes would jerk away from the person starting the car and could break an arm if a person was not extremely careful. These cars usually had only a top over the car seat and could be very cold in bad weather. Rebecca used this car to get around but may not have been as knowledgeable about upkeep on this vehicle as the following story illustrates. Rebecca, who was still a trail builders leader, took a group of boys in the new Model T down to Arrowhead swimming. On the way back she had a flat tire. She had the tire changed but when she got home Einer was very upset with her. So she decided to fix the tire herself. She did what she knew best and took out her sewing kit and began sewing the inner tube of the tire back together. According to Thelma Christensen this made Einer more upset but he was so busy laughing that he had to step in and show her how to repair a flat tire.

Pete had been dating Thelma Larabee from Springville during this time and they decided to marry. Thelma, following Rebecca’s example told Pete that if he wanted to get married to her that he would have to marry here in the Salt Lake Temple. Pete had been smoking for sometime and agreed to quit. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on December 21, 1933. Pete unlike his father was unable to give up this habit and was a chain smoker most of his life. He finally gave it up in the late seventies when he was told to quit by his doctor for health reasons.

Pete was able to obtain work on the section for the Rio Grande Railroad. This was hard work as most of their work was preparing track bed and laying tracks for new railroad lines or repairing old rails. Pete loved to tell his grandchildren how he did this type of work for $1 a day. While I don’t know if that is what he was really paid the story’s message has always been the same. “You don’t know how good you have it now days”. [6]

Thelma and Pete lived with his parents for 8 months and then they moved into the old farmhouse. Thelma was so happy to finally have a home of her own.  She spent several days cleaning her home and then they finally moved in. She loved this home and felt proud of the fact that she finally had a place of her own.

Thelma tells of a time when LaVoy crept up behind her to scare her. When he did scare her she turned around and hit him not knowing it was him. It really hurt him but either because of pride or the fact that it really hurt, LaVoy walked away but he hit a table on the way out. Thelma was surprised at her own strength but did not mean to make LaVoy mad.

Pete and Thelma had three children. Joan was born first and Thelma claims that Einer and Rebecca were so happy to have a grandchild. Rebecca was even more excited to have a granddaughter, as she had always wanted a daughter.  Karen was Pete and Thelma’s second child who passed away from pneumonia at 18 months on February 23, 1938 in Spanish Fork Utah. Einer claimed that he knew that she would pass away as a personage had come to their home and he knew this was a sign that Karen was not going to live.  Thelma and Pete were to have a third child, a son, Larry who was born the following June. Pete had moved his family up Spanish Fork Canyon to be closer to his work. Because they were away from town and especially church, Rebecca would often have Einer drive her up the canyon to pick up the grandchildren to bring them down to Spanish Fork.[7] Joan lived with them while she attended Kindergarten and first grade. Larry and Joan spent almost every summer with them for many years.

Einer added to his farm around 1935 when farmland he had been renting from Nels Anthon on the Mapleton bench was purchased to raise peas, grain and hay. Floyd who never married, helped his father out on the farm along with his other brothers and from time to time Floyd would get a job when the farm work had slowed down.

Lavoy was the second son to get married. He married Elva Christensen in Provo, Utah on November 29, 1938. LaVoy and Elva lived with his parents for about two weeks and then moved into the Farmhouse. Lavoy and Elva had 3 girls, Lavern the oldest and twins Lois and Lacy.

In 1939, Rebecca was about to get the church calling that she would have for the rest of her life until she died. In January of 1939 the bishopric of the Spanish Fork Forth ward came to meet with her. They came to call her to be the Primary President of the ward. A Primary President was to oversee the spiritual training of all children from 18 months old all the way to 12 years old. She was still suffering from the effects of Typhoid Fever, which nearly took her life. Her bishop gave her a promise, that if she accepted this calling that she would never miss a Primary meeting because of her health. She never did miss a meeting because of her health. When she was sick it was always in between her meetings.

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     [1] Spanish Fork Forth Ward Records, film #0027315, LDS Family History Library Archives.

     [2] Thelma Christensen, History of Rebecca Christensen, pg. 11.

     [3] John S. McCormick, The Great Depression, www.media.utah.edu/UHE/d/DEPPRESSION%2CGREAT.html.

     [4] William G. Hartley, Trinity Calculations relative Value of $1 in 2000 vs. $1 in given year, Writing Family Histories, Brigham Young University, 2001 pg. 233.

     [5]  Wikipedia.org, “Model T” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Model_T.

     [6] Thelma Christensen, Oral History Interview,  December 28, 2005, In Authors possession., Thelma Christensen, History of Rebecca Christensen, P. 12.

     [7] Thelma Christensen, History of Rebecca Christensen,  P. 12.