Happy 99th Birthday Grandpa!

“Although I know my dad was not perfect. As I look back and try to compare myself with him it seems like he was very close. I don't recall him ever saying anything bad about anyone or being disrespectful of anyone. Unlike his oldest son who as of late seems to have made it his life quest. Well so much for that.

Dad was a hard working, unpretensious person. He always seemed to find time to help who ever was in need of help at anytime day or night. He could do almost anything especially if it was mechanical. His building skills, although sometimes not pretty, were functional. I owe much of what I have learned in my life to him. Especially later in life if I needed to talk to someone he would always have time to listen. He seldom had a lot to say but his wisdom was profound.

He always seemed to look for the good in people and trusted them to do the same. Sometimes because of that he was taken advantage of.

With having stayed so close to home all my life I have come in contact with a lot of people who knew Dad. I have yet to meet anyone who hasn't admired and respected him.

I hope that someday I can do better at following his example.”
-Son Marvin

"Though you'll never find his name in any history books or any of his inventions in a museum, Ivan was an inventor extraordinaire. I never realized it as a child but as I got older I have marveled at some of the tasks that he accomplished with basically nothing. In order to do his farming he built a tractor using old car and truck parts and some how made it all work.

I remember a Fathers and Sons outing when it was planned to have a treat of ice cream sandwiches for everyone after lunch the second day. The concern was how to keep it cold that long. So dad made up a wooden box to put the sandwiches in with dry ice as the cooling device. I remember hearing someone ask him "are you sure they are still cold? It's been awfully hot last night and this morning." Dad very calmly assured him of the fact that they were cold. When lunch was over the box was opened up and the very top layer of sandwiches was about like you would expect them to be as you walked out of a store. Each layer below that was harder and more solidly frozen. When the man who had been so concerned got one off the bottom layer he commented that he would have to leave his in the sun to thaw before he could eat it with his dentures.

Those are just a small sampling of his inventions that still amaze me today."

-Son Richard

“Grandpa was an amazing man. He was a hard worker and had an amazing work ethic. In fact, I wonder if he ever stopped working at all. He served others without question and without being asked. He was thoughtful, kind, admirable, strong, smart, etc. Grandpa could do it all. It didn't matter what broke he could fix it. He could build anything out of anything. He was a great example to me when it came to the gospel. He was quiet so we didn't hear much from him but with a family like the Kunz's who can get a word in anyway. He was an amazing listener and would bend over backward to help anyone.

One a my most favorite memories was when I was younger. We had borrowed grandma and grandpa's truck and camper to go on a camp out. I think we made it to Spanish Fork and the truck died. It was hot out and I remember thinking we were in big trouble. But we were able to get ahold of Grandpa and within a short time he appeared to fix the truck. I remember thinking he was our knight in shining armor and I loved him dearly for coming to the rescue.

To sum it up he was a great, outstanding man, and I am so grateful to have him as my grandfather, my life is better because of him.”
-Granddaughter Kori

“My best memory of grandpa was actually my last one. I had just got home from my mission and we were down in Utah visiting the family and I could tell he was sick. I went over to talk to him in the bed he was in and we started talking about my mission and life in general. While we were talking, he asked me what my plans are and I kind of gave vague general answers and he looked at me and said something to the effect of Brian, you aren't going to get anywhere if you don't have a plan. I want you to go home tonight and start coming up with a plan for where you want your life to be. Pray about it and make sure it is the right plan and then go out and do it. You need to grow up and face the responsibilities that await you. It really put me into gear as far as my education and everything else.
- Grandson Brian

“Since you are doing this in honor of Grandpa's 99th birthday, I though I would share my feelings about his birthday. As most of you know, Tammy and I were born on the 24th of July and Grandpa's birthday being just before the 4th gave the family an excuse to really celebrate during the month of July. I remember everyone getting together and eating a lot of food and
having the best time. Grandpa didn't like a lot of attention, but he loved all the family being together. Because of the wonderful birthday celebrations we had in July, I would have to say that my birthday is my favorite holiday. I enjoy it more than Christmas. There isn't a lot of
pressure to decorate or get gifts, just time to spend with the ones you love. In fact, when I was quite young, I couldn't figure out why some people didn't get to have fireworks on their birthday like we all did.

Grandpa was always so kind and patient with me and my sisters. We spent a lot of time at Grandma & Grandpa's house when I was young. I was a little bit afraid of Grandma because she would yell at me just like she would her own kids, but Grandpa never yelled. I would follow him around the yard and the garage and ask all sorts of stupid questions and was probably very annoying, but he would patiently explain things to me and just keep on working. After I got married and lived a short distance form their house so I would take my kids over to visit or help Grandma out with some things and Ray would follow Grandpa around and help him with his little projects. He was a great example and teacher to everyone he came in contact with.

I am grateful that I was fortunate enough to have a great relationship with both Grandpa and Grandma. So many people in my neighborhood knew them and think highly of them. I can only hope that I can be as good of a Grandparent as they were.”
Granddaughter-Sandra

“I remember being at Grandpa and Grandma's one time and playing out in the irrigation water that flooded the yard. I had a watch on (back in the days before most were waterproof) and I think it was new because when I looked at it and saw a drop of water in the display rather than the time, my heart was broken. I probably went inside crying and Grandpa told me to give it to him so he could see if he could fix it. He took it all apart and dried it as best as he could and left it to finish drying. He told me that he would put it back together when it had had a while to be all dried out. When he did so it worked again! I remember that he was my hero for that!

I remember that when I was transitioning from wanting to play with the kids to wanting to be with the adults, I was sitting in their front room and the uncles and aunts were talking. Grandma was in her rocking chair and grandpa on the couch. I think that whenever I saw grandpa he was either dosing off (or downright sleeping) or he was smiling. I remember looking over at him and he was sitting there smiling. (Of course someone may have just woken him up from a little cat nap . . . who knows!) I remember him being gentle and loving, happy and kind.”
-Granddaughter Cheryl

"I don't remember a whole lot of time I spent with Grandpa, and as I get older I wish I had spent more time with him. My best memory of him was when he and Grandma came to Oregon to visit. He was so bored without work to do that he asked my mom if there were any projects she needed my dad to do. He ended up building us the best food storage shelves in the garage.

I also recall my parents telling me that he was very worried about us having enough help when we moved to Oregon and so he offered to drive out with us and told my parents he'd just hitch hike back. They made certain he knew they'd be fine because they didn't think it would be safe for him to hitch hike.

Grandpa really was a very hard worker and always willing to help others. All of the memories I can think of involve him helping our family and I am sure we are not the only ones who received his help. I recall my dad getting a lot of help from Grandpa as they finished the basement and put in our fence when we lived in Orem. I'm so proud to be among his posterity." -Granddaughter Marlies

Memories Week #4

1. Tell of a sound you know about from their childhood.
2. Did they have a bicycle? What was it like?
3. Did they have a favorite TV show as a child or youth? Describe it.
4. Describe their first crush (or any other romantic relationship). What was she/he like?
5. Describe a childhood Christmas for them.

"1. Sound? Not a clue.
2. Bicycle in their childhood? Mom in Canada. I never heard her talk about one so I doubt it. Dad as an adult before he was married bought a car and let his parents use it while he rode a bicycle. In fact he was hit by an automobile and ended up with a broken leg.
3. TV show? Come on I didn't have a favorite TV show in my youth. We didn't even get a TV until I was about in my teens. In their youth they hadn't been invented. Favorite radio broadcast maybe but I don't know what it may have been. I can remember as a youth listening to the Lone Ranger on the radio.
4. First crush. Dad? If he did he never spoke of it. Mom? I think she did but I don't remember hearing any particulars.
5. Childhood Christmas? I don't recall them ever telling me about what their Christmas was like. Based on their situations coming from large families and their families economic situation I can't imagine there were many frills as we know them."
-Marvin

"1. Favorite sound: I have no idea
2. Bicycle: I believe mom told me she never learned to ride one. They had a couple of horses or walked where they wanted to go.
3. Favorite TV show: None as a child, it wasn't invented. As adults dad didn't watch much tv (he couldn't hear it well enough to understand what was going on) Mom liked Maverick, and Gunsmoke. I don't know if she had a favorite.
4. Crush: Dad didn't talk about that sort of thing. Mom did like Mickey Taylor, I think that was his last name. She used to say that John Wayne reminded her of him. Mickey wasn't a member of the church and I don't believe he was really interested in the church. In Canada they had a lot of church dances. Mickey would go to those. Mom loved to dance.
5. Christmas: I don't recall dad ever talking about a Christmas as a child. Mom told me once that they used to pop popcorn and string it and put it on the tree. One day Grandma Gibson got after the kids for eating the popcorn off the tree. The kids claimed innocent of the charge. Come to find out Grandma's pet cat was the one that would bat at the strands of popcorn and eat it off the tree."
-Carla

" I remember mom telling of the sound of the chinook winds as they would come off the mountains and blow across the prairie and seem to go right through you. I also remember mom saying her dad always said, “You can call me anything you’d like, just don’t call me too late for dinner!” That’s kind of a sound. I just remember dad commenting how quiet everything went the day his brother David died. I’m sure it was because he was so focused on getting him to help that everything else was out of his consciousness, as he carried his brothers lifeless body down the hill.

As for bicycle I don’t think that mom ever learned to ride a bike. I remember her saying that she couldn’t ride one. I know dad was the one who helped us when we learn to ride, well at least me. He’d run alongside the bike and I remember when I got the balance thing and he let go and I couldn’t hear his work boots running alongside me, I lost my balance cause I knew it was solo and I got scared and stopped. He came running over wanting to know why I didn’t keep going, I was riding the bike. I told him and he said that’s how it was supposed to work. So he got me going again for the last time.

You younger ones are the only ones that this question would work with, as it has always been a part of your lives. As Marv stated, that wasn’t something we had as children. I was probably in school before we got our first TV, so I could answer for me, but there is no way mom and dad would have had a favorite TV show. They were adults and had at least 6 kids before they ever owned one.

As for crushes, moms would have to be Mickey Taylor in Canada. She said he wasn’t related to any of the Canada Taylors, but was from down in the states and had gone up there for work I believe. He was probably the first boy up there that paid her any attention and from the way she talked of him, she was smitten. In fact, being the new comer I believe all the girls were smitten, and mom was excited because he was interested in her and not her friend Laura that always got the boys up there’s attention. I remember mom telling of a girl in Sandy that really had a crush on dad. She was getting ready to go on a mission, so she asked dad if he would write to her. Mom and dad had just started dating at that point, so dad said he’d have to ask his girlfriend. She then slipped him a note saying, “If you have to ask the blonde, forget it!”

The only thing I remember mom telling of Christmas as a girl was a year that someone up there had brought them a whole load of cucumbers in the fall and so Grandma Gibson put them in a barrel in the cellar and made them into dill pickles. They all loved pickles and would just go down in the cellar and pull one out and eat it. She was so excited since she loved dill pickles, because they were able to enjoy them on Christmas that year. I remember mom telling of one year when money was really tight Grandma Gibson hadn’t been able to save a pumpkin for pie that year and so I believe she made it out of sweet potatoes, which they had on hand. I don’t think grandpa and grandma Kunz did much for Christmas, that’s another thing that has gained popularity in our time. In fact, I don’t remember grandpa and grandma Kunz hardly ever having a Christmas tree, so I’m pretty sure they didn’t do much while their children were growing up. Mom and dad I know worked hard though to provide us with a Christmas every year. Probably because it was something they didn’t get to enjoy as children. They probably only got simple gifts like clothing, socks, or something they needed."
-Eileen

Memories Week #3

1. Do you know of a favorite ride at the amusement park they has as a child?
2. What did they do as a child that got them into the most trouble? How did their parents handle it?
3. Do you know of any childhood birthday's.
4. Did they meet or work with any famous people? Where, who, when…?
5. Tell about any pets they had as a child.

"As far as I know the only time they went to an amusement park was when they provided dinner for the old folks @ Lagoon before I was born. In that condition I doubt she would have gone on a ride. But if she did I’m sure my siblings and children would agree that could account for some of my craziness. So that’s Eileen’s/mom’s problem!!! I could see dad fixing rides, but I don’t see him going on to many of them, but I’m sure he did. I’m sure they both rode amusement park rides at sometime in their life but they wouldn’t have been high on their priority list.

I’m sure dad got in a little trouble taking the wheels off the buggy while the baby was in it, but that was one thing I always admired about dad was he was obedient and always treated his parents with respect. You could especially see it when he was willing to take so many days taking care of his folks, after grandpa Kunz had his stroke; ‘til he had his heart attack and they had to put them in the rest home. Whenever I was over their helping with grandma, he was always so patient and respectful.

I know they had a birthday every year, but other than that I don’t think much attention was paid to birthday’s for either of them. I do remember dad saying that Aunt Iris always remembered his birthday, because she had to miss out on the 4th of July celebrations that year because dad was born at house in Bern, Idaho, so no one could get her to Montpelier. In fact, it might have been Aunt Iris that said it.

The only one I can think of was I remember mom talking about going to a political meeting or something and meeting the then Senator Lyndon B. Johnson, and of course he became the President of the United States when John Kennedy was assassinated. I don’t know if dad ever meet President Hinckley, but they sure did resemble each other when you looked at them.

When they grew up it was all their families could do to feed their families and putting money out on pets would have been taking food from their children. The animals they had were for their survival, so wouldn’t have been pets. I’m sure they probably had cats and dogs around the farmyard, but I don’t recall any particular ones they talked about. Hopefully some of the others will remember hearing them talk of pets. I do remember dad talking of a dog they had that kept the rats under control and was a better mouser than any cat. The horse ‘Old Floss’ was the only animal I remember mom talking about.

Sorry, not recalling a lot on these at the moment."
-Eileen

"I don't think there were any amusements parks any place they lived.

Trouble when they were growing up?
Probably for dad it would be not getting enough work done. But trouble of a different sort reminds me of the story grandma Vilda told about dad. Dad was as I recall the story about 2 years old or less but he still had a bottle. Grandma had put him down outside and dad has wandered a ways away from her. Grandpa Ezra was moving some cattle and a feisty steer broke away from the herd and ran toward dad. It ran right up to him and stopped and put it's head down to his level and looked at him. There was nothing grandpa or grandma could do. Dad just raised his bottle and smacked the steer on the nose. The steer jumped back giving grandpa time to get between it and dad and pick dad up.

The other story was when dad was old enough that he was doing work for neighbors. But I think he was about 10 or so. Which would mean it probably happened in Wabuska Nevada. Anyway dad had done some work for a neighbor and when he finished the job the neighbor told him his pay would be one of the little piglets he had in the pen with their mother. He told dad that he was to hop in the pen and catch one and take it home with him when he left. As dad was leaving he hoped over the fence and picked out a piglet and caught it. Once he had hold of the piglet it started squealing and the mother sow charged across the pen with it's mouth open. Now for those of you who aren't aware a mad pit is a very formidable adversary and wouldn't be averse to stomping you into the mud and then eating you. Anyway dad saw the sow coming but didn't have time to get to the fence. So he just faced the sow. When she came at him with her big mouth open he would stick the piglet into her mouth. Not wanting to hurt her progeny she would back off. When she backed off dad inched his way toward the fence. Then she would come at him again. Again he would stick the piglet in her mouth. This continued to happen until dad was close enough to the fence that when she backed away the last time he hopped over the fence with the piglet and went home.

Childhood birthdays? They had them obviously but I don't believe they were celebrated like birthdays are today. For dad as soon as the first crop of hay was ready in the spring they started cutting and hauling and stacking hay. They would finish the first crop about July 3, dad's birthday. They would celebrate the 4th of July the next day and then start cutting the next crop of hay on the 5th of July and continue putting up hay until it was to cold to grow. This of course was in addition to there other chores which would be feeding the stock and milking the cows.

I don't know of them meeting any famous people but when dad worked at the temple many of other workers thought he and Gordon B. Hinckley looked a lot alike. So when dad would go to the temple people would tell him they had seen his brother in the temple the other day or last week what ever the case may have been. I don't know that dad ever did meet him face to face.

I think mom may have had some pets but I don't think dad did. But I couldn't tell you anything about them.

As I think about it I don't think I ever paid much attention to mother unless she was telling something about dad. I know very little about mother. Apparently the thing between mother and I started at a very early age and continued the rest of her life."
-Marvin

Memories Week #2

1. Do you know of a favorite stuffed animal or toy as a child they had? (I'd be amazed if you do know about this)
2. Tell about some of your neighbors in different stages of your life & their life.
3. What is a special smell you remember from your childhood or your parents?
4. Tell of when they did something special for someone else.
5. What was their greatest joy? What was their greatest sorrow?

"Don’t know about stuffed animals or toys, but I do remember mom talking a lot about their horse Old Floss. I don’t recall dad ever talking about pets or anything like that. I know he didn’t like hearing me bawl all night after a pet was killed on 7th east. He would vow I could never have another pet, but it wasn’t long ‘til I did. I do remember mom telling that dad’s first car he called ‘Shasta’, cause she-asta have gas and she-hasta have oil.

With having Uncles and Aunts on both sides of us and since Ivan Frandsen was such a good neighbor and a good friend of dad’s I thought he was an uncle too, and I used to call him Uncle Frandsen, cause I didn’t know his first name. I think they used to get a kick out of it, because they never corrected me. Now I think of the odds having two Ivan’s living so close to each other. The Frandsen’s and Setterberg’s were always the names you heard the most around home of the neighbors, except of course the aunts and uncles. Of course down the street were the Favatella’s (not sure how to spell that one) and of course Stevens. The Olivaries were the ones who owned Cy’s produce and they were good friends of moms. Mom went there for produce and other items all the time. I think she liked it because it was close enough she could send us to just pick up a few things for her. In those days 7th east wasn’t the busy street it is now.

Bread cooking in the oven or cinnamon rolls…..yum!!! Those were the nice one. We also smelled a lot of barnyard. Sometimes the coral could be pretty ripe. One smell I always loved was the smell right after a summer rain. With all the bare dirt all around it just smelled so good after it rained. I don’t get to smell it much now days.

I know they did a lot of helping others, but I can’t recall a specific incidence. I know when the chapel was built dad donated a lot of time to the building of it. They also were the kind of people that would do things to be known of men. They would serve not wanting recognition. Especially dad.

I think we kids were their greatest joys. I remember dad always saying we were an improvement on the old stock. Their greatest sorrows would go along that line; when we weren’t living up to our potential. Things could come and go but family was of the greatest importance to them."
-Eileen

Memories Week #1

1. What was their favorite childhood activity?
2. Did they have a nickname as a child? Did any of their family members have nicknames?
3. Did they have any exciting experiences camping or hunting that you know of.
4. Recall and write about a special party that they had given or been to that you know of.
5. Do you know of any special feelings they had as a child regarding fears, fantasies, etc?

"I’m sure that reading would have been a part of mom favorite activities. I also remember her talking about playing ball (softball) a lot growing up in Canada. She also liked attending the dances they would have regularly in the community. I can’t remember if they were at the church or the school, but they would have dances a lot on Saturday nights. My dad didn’t talk much about childhood activities, since he worked a lot, but to him that was his play and I’m sure since he was always trying to find out how things worked that would have played a large part in what he would do. He would have checked out why equipment worked the way it did.

I don’t recall nicknames but I do recall that dad didn’t like the song, “Ivan was a Russian boy who looked so very sad. Ivan didn’t play a bit because he was so sad. Ivan, Ivan you are so funny. Ivan, Ivan what a name you have”. I’m sure growing up he heard that a lot, so he wouldn’t care for the song and it wasn’t because he was sad he didn’t play a bit but because he was always working to help provide for their family. With dad being the oldest grandpa Kunz I believe expected a lot more of him than the others. I don’t recall mom having a nickname either. I do remember her saying that since she was the fourth child and when her dad did the list of names trying to come up with the kid he was needing to get after he would start the list; Vera, Leah, Vern, damnit Wilma. So she didn’t like always being ‘damnit Wilma’.

I remember mom always talking about how much she enjoyed the time they had when they lived for I believe the summer at what they called ‘Little Chicago’. I believe it was around Mirror Lake in the Uintah’s and she enjoyed the hiking around and the interaction with the people that lived up there. I always wondered through the years with as much as she enjoyed it there, that they never took us to show us where it was that they were talking about. I know my dad loved to go up to girls camp as the priesthood adviser when I was a teenager. In fact he loved it so much I believe he continued to do it for years after, until he started having heart problems and the higher altitude made it harder on him. He would take his vacation, so he could go to camp and serve the young women in our stake. That was my dad, always giving service.

I know my mom was elated with the 50th wedding anniversary party that we gave them. Since they didn’t have a big shindig when they were married, she enjoyed her moment in the limelight. Dad of course wasn’t happy that we were going to all the hassle, but I know he enjoyed visiting with everyone who came to wish them well.

Mom had a fear of water and when their house burned as a young girl she had a fear of it happening again. If she smelled smoke she would always have to get up and look around until she found where it was coming from. I’m not sure if dad had any fears, I don’t recall any but his last year or so of life might have shown what it might have been. He hated not being useful and not being able to take care of himself. I remember many times hearing him lament, “I never thought I would have to sit and watch someone else doing my work.” As for fantasies I’m sure my mom had them with the way she liked to read, she lived them as she read, but I don’t recall her talking about them. She did however really want to be an author and write books for children. Dad’s life was always reality….I don’t think he ever got the chance to fantasize.

Hopefully some of the others can recall somemore."
-Eileen

"Eileen,
You did a good job. I couldn't really come up with anything. Just for your information based on some information mom described in one of the histories she wrote I got on Google Earth and plotted approximately where Little Chicago was. I printed out the map and took it to Uncle Herb to look at and he said it looked correct.Also years before dad and I were bow hunting in the Uinta's.We had started out in the Wolf Creek area and had been taking various roads which finally brought us out on the Mirror Lake highway. One of the areas we had gone through dad had called the Soapstone area. Anyway just before we reached the Mirror Lake highway dad made the comment that Little Chicago was near where we were. It was late and I should have asked him to show it to me but I didn't. I have since regretted the fact on several occasions.

The place where we would have been on that road is near the place I identified as Little Chicago.

If you are interested I'll show you where it is because I marked it on Google Earth.

Another place I wish they would have taken us was to Pescadero up by Bern and to point out the places they lived before they built our house."
-Marvin

"Little Chicago was a timber cutting area in the Uintahs near Mirror Lake. Mom & Dad usually referred to that time as "when we lived up in the timber." There were several little shanties (cabins) where the lumberjacks lived during cutting season. I was only a few months old and there wasn't much room so Dad built a lean-to on the back of one cabin and that was the bedroom for them. I was in the main part in the crib that Dad built for me. (I'll take a picture of it and send it to you Marlies) Anyway that was the kitchen, livingroom etc.
The only camping trip I remember our family ever taking was near Mirror Lake. There was grandpa and grandma (Ezra & Vilda), Eddie and Thelma, Herb and Velta (I think) and Everett and Nellie and their kids. I don't know how old I was but it wasn't very long after Eddie and Thelma were married. (Mom may have been pregnant with Richard.) We had two big army-surplus tents that we going to sleep in. When we got there, the women started clearing the ground of as many rocks as we could and the men went cutting pine boughs to put on the ground for us to sleep on. I thought that was very strange and for my small body I couldn't wiggle into the boughs enough to be comfortable. Actually one of my memories was how uncomfortable I was--because there was a pointy part of a big rock right under where my bed was. It was not an enjoyable night. I can't remember what we ate or if anyone went fishing.
I do remember that they all decided to go up to Little Chicago. So away went the caravan of cars. We got there okay and it was fun for me to see where I had lived even though at that time all the shanties were at various degrees of falling down. The one that Mom, Dad and I lived in was in the best shape. Dad said it was because he fixed it up while we lived there.
Along the little dirt road, which was quite a way from the main road to Little Chicago, there was a small stream which we had to drive through. The depth was about the height of the car running boards (just below the bottom of the door). Our family was in Dad's little Terraplane truck. Marv and I sat on a little board bench Dad had made and the back of the truck cab was the back of our seat. As Dad drove through the stream, he hit something and the truck stopped. Everyone else was ahead of us and kept right on going. Dad was finally able to get the truck off the rock it was on and get out of the stream--after we watched a heavy stream of oil flow downstream. The rock had torn a hole in the oil pan and the oil was gone. Ever the entrepreneur, Dad was able to run an oil line from the engine to the back of the truck cab where he was able to attach it to a gallon sized can that he put oil into. By this time Uncle Ev and Uncle Eddie had come back to find out what happened to us. They had some extra oil with them which was added so we would have enough oil to get us back to civilization. Grandpa Ezra, who always led our travel caravans, just kept on going home--oblivious to what was going on.
I wonder if that's why I don't remember taking more camping trips--except for when we went to the Kunz reunions in Cedron, Idaho."
-Jeanette