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On March 31, 1923, my mother's oldest brother, Cordon, was going to work in the mines. He was riding with several men. On the way he felt a strong impression that my mother needed him badly. As they neared the mine it became extremely strong. He told the miners he could not go to work. He took his lunch pail and walked in the cold midnight air in the snow for about an hour and a half until he reached Chloe's home. He knocked on the door until he woke her up and asked her if everything was all right. She said it was. She fixed him a hot drink and told him to stay there for the rest of the night. It was now April 1, 1923. He had not been to sleep long when Chloe ran to where he was sleeping. Shaking him, she told him something was wrong with Francis as her husband was known by. They hurried back into the bedroom. My father was having a heart attack and died . Mom was hysterical. Cordon tried to calm her. He was trying to sustain her. Had he not followed the prompting of the Holy Ghost, mom would have totally fallen apart. I was just a year old at the time.
After the funeral, my mom and I went to live with Grandpa and Grandma Sessions. Mother was able to get a job and Grandma took care of me.
My Grandma Cunningham tried to take me away from my mom, saying she was unfit to raise me but my mom won the case and I stayed with her.
The Cunninghams were Irish Catholics. My father joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and he and my mom were scheduled to be sealed in the Salt Lake temple, but he passed away before this was accomplished. However, my mother had this sealing done so that we are an eternal family.
My mom met Edward Louis Bohns, a former pilot in World War I who flew with Jimmy Doolittle. He worked in a garage in Heber City and had a fancy sports car convertible. They were married September 26, 1923. They left for California to find work and an apartment and left me with Grandma Sessions. While they were gone, I fell through the back of a chair and broke three vertebrates in my back. The doctor said I would never walk again. Grandma would not let them put me into a cast because she felt if they did I would never walk again. She notified my mom and "Pete", as everyone called my stepfather, and they hurried back. Grandma Sessions had a dream and in it she saw a doctors face. They took me to see this doctor. He couldn't help me but felt an osteopath in Provo could help me. They took me to him. Mom said he twisted me around like a dishrag. And told mom to put a doll on the other side of the room and when I asked for the doll to leave the room and watch through a window. I screamed for someone to give me the doll, but no one did. I climbed off the couch and walked to get the doll and have walked ever since.
My brother, Raymond, was born August 11, 1924. When I was in the 2nd grade, I got St. Vitus's Dance and couldn't go to school. I was getting better when my mother told me my primary class from church was coming to visit me and they were bringing me, (I thought a casket of goodies). I didn't like that. She had said 'basket'.
After I got well, the four of us moved to California. Mom could not live in San Francisco because of her asthma. However, while we lived there Melba was born. Mom's sister, Lorna, was there to help her give birth. Mom was screaming and crying so loud, Lorna put a sheet on the wall between where Raymond and I was. Finally they took us to a neighbor's house. Mom had a breech birth and a difficult time. However, Melba was born healthy. Because of mom's health, my dad, as I called Pete, moved us to the mountains and we lived in Calaveras County until I graduated from the eighth grade,. At that time dad decided I should go to high school in a larger city so we moved to Oakland where he bought a lovely home on 1817 Durant Avenue.
I met my husband, Halmar John Rose at church. He was very good in sports, had a beautiful singing voice and crooned and sounded like Bing Crosby. He was tall and very handsome. I was exceptionally shy and was tiny. My waist was only 18 ˝ inches. He was the only member of his family that was a Mormon. His father was head of the unemployment office in Oakland. Hal was from a nice family. He would wait at the bottom of the church steps on his way to Sunday School class until I caught up with him. He would say, "I want to walk to class with the prettiest girl in church." I would rush ahead and set way off in the row where he could not set by me. A little later, when I wasn't quite so shy, he would drive me and another girl home from church. He let me off and then took Helen home. Sometimes she would ask him to stay for dinner. Then he came back to my house. We would set in the living room and look at magazines—Better Homes and Gardens. He would look at the floor plans of some of the homes in the magazines and he would say, "This is the front room, this is the kid's room and this is our room." Then he would say, "the master bedroom." I would say, "What do you mean, our room?" Just before Helen's folk's dinner time, he would leave and go to dinner. Helen's folks really tried to snag Hal for their daughter. He would drive Helen to my house and pick me up for Sacrament meeting. We would go to fireside together. After fireside, he would drive Grant Hawkins, Helen and me home he took Grant to the base first and parked in the parking lot and talk for awhile. The subject came up about getting married. Helen was hinting to Hal she would love to get married soon. Hal came back with, "I don't have anyone in mind for you but I do for the one in the back seat.' Grant looked at me and said, "You want to get married? I'll marry you." Hal never went to Helens any more nor did her folks invite him over again. Some time later, Hal asked me to marry him. I told him he had to ask dad's permission, which he did. Hal picked me up for a church dance a week later. He asked me when I would let him kiss me. He bet me he could put his hands around my waist and put his fingers together. If he could would I kiss him. I didn't believe he could so I said 'yes'. He overlapped his fingers. I always said the man I kissed would be my husband and he was and I love him very much. We were married at my home on May 3, 1941. We were sealed for eternity in the Oakland Temple in 1992.
We were married 13 months before our daughter, Winifred was born. She was beautiful and still is.
My father's people were very musical. None of them read music. It was all hear and play. I was the first one to read music. When I was small, I asked for a piano, but my stepfather couldn't get me one so he bought me a saxophone after I played a tune on a mouth organ. Winnie (my daughter) inherited that ability. She has written many songs including one on each new bishop's favorite scripture, also for stake meeting themes and also won honorable mention in a church-wide contest and went to Salt Lake City for the award. My father was also a good artist. Winnie inherited that talent as well.
I have made dozens of bride's gowns and their outfits including suits for my sons, knitted sweaters, crocheted doilies, animals. When anyone wanted something made they would bring me what they wanted and I would copy it and make it for them. I have made many glass bead angels, knitted Christmas socks, porcelain dolls, but my real love is making quilts. My Grandmother Sessions started me doing this early and now I attend quilting classes in my old age, making many beautiful ones. I quilt them too.
World War II broke out when Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was bombed by Japan December 7, 1941. Hal worked in the shipyards as a sheet metal worker until he was called to be in the navy. He was a perfectionist and his work was never off more than 1/16th of an inch. He served in the navy a little over a year and went back to the shipyards until he retired. In the navy, he hurt his back and it caused him a lot of pain throughout his life. He had to retire early due to his back after three surgeries did not help.
We had four children, Winifred Rae born June 13, 1942, Halmar John II born March 25, 1946; Thomas Edward born February 19, 1953; Bryan Stewart born October 12, 1957.
Hal was very artistic. Every holiday we made a display in front of our house. It was a family affair. Christmas was the most important. We went all out and won many awards. He loved to paint pictures, took lessons and was very good at it. How we treasure his paintings now that he is gone.
I wrote in my journal June 23, 1985: This has been a trying time for me. Hal had a stroke in church from the choir seat and I didn't know what he wanted so I waited until church was over. Brother Star came rushing down the isle and told me. Hal couldn't get his balance. Winnie was having a hard time. She was thinking about the Sunday school lesson on the three degrees of glory and she was concerned about it because of her family straying some right now so I went rushing out of church alone. When I reached Hal, he was standing there like a zombie, afraid to move. We got him seated on a couch in the foyer. Winnie was in tears, not knowing what had happened, the bishop came and they administered to him. We got him in the car and drove him to Kaiser emergency. We waited 3 ˝ hours before they saw him. Asked how he felt, Hal told them like a shot of Novocain at the dentist. It seemed like a sack of sand was on his left leg and arm. The doctors decided because the numbness was starting to go away, he could go home. June 14: Hal did well this morning so I went to the store. When I got home he had had another stroke. I called emergency, the nurse noticed I was crying so they sent an ambulance but Hal refused to go in it so the paramedics helped him into the car. Again the same thing happened in emergency and we headed home, but he got worse. Back he went again the next day and they kept him at the hospital. June 28: My transmission quit working so Harold got me 5 cans of transmission oil and it seemed to work.
Our ward has the greatest ward family. Everyone called and wanted to help. They offered transportation, brought food and several gave me money. The Lord really looked out for us.
Hal spent the last ten years of his life in nursing homes, Veterans nursing home in Livermore, then a nursing home in Castro Valley. Our family loved to sing together. Winnie would play the piano and all of us would sing. When Hal was in the nursing home, we would try to bring him home on special occasions and if we couldn't we would go there and sing and have our little programs. He was so thrilled, even though unable to talk clear.
On my 75th birthday, my grand daughter, Bonnie, had the family over for a special party. All who attended told me why I was so special in their lives. It made me feel like all the struggles and things I had been through were all worthwhile. I only wished Hal could have been with us. He died July 13, 1994. He had just turned 76 on July 8th. I served in many capacities in the church such as primary teacher 26 years, den mother 5 years, nursery leader in the stake, work director in Relief Society for many years, and am still teaching classes in sewing and art, was in charge of the church canning along with Hal for a couple of years. I taught Jr. Sunday School, was 2nd counselor in Relief Society. ABOVE ALL, I'M A MOM, A GRANDMA AND A GREAT GRANDMA AND I LOVE THAT THE MOST. I cared for my mom and step dad for 20 years in their old age, driving 65 miles each way at every beck and call. I took care of Aunt Gladis for a year, volunteer in the arts and crafts department at the nursing homes the 10 years that Hal was in them. I still take people shopping and to the doctors when they need to go, or shop for then when they can't. My sister, Sharon, was born during World War II.
My daughter Winifred married Robert Kevin and had two daughters, Coleen Rinne and Laurene Monet after which they divorced. She then married Harold Cameron and had Jeffery Owen, Michell, Bonnie Jean, Harold Thomas. Harold adopted her two previous girls.
Halmar John III married Carol Jean. Children: Halmar; John IV, Suzzann Monet. He divorced. Has not remarried.
Thomas Edward served in the army and later married Nancy. Have Joshua Thomas Nevada, a son long awaited for.
Bryan Stewart married Debra Ann Salor. Children: James Arthur, Amanda Marie.
I want my posterity to know that I believe in God, that I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is His true church upon the earth, that living the gospel will bring eternal families, joy and happiness beyond measure. I have a great love for my family and I know we will be together again.