Jeremy Lynn Kidd    18 Jan 1974  Married Heather Marie Sorensen  4 Mar 2004

            Heather Marie Sorensen, born 2/20/1976 in Lehi, Utah

Jeremy Kidd was born on January 18, 1974, in Logan, Utah. He was the third child and second son of Terry and Gloria Kidd. He graduated from Hurricane High School in 1992, having lived in many cities and towns during the intervening 18 years; Hyrum, Utah; Rexburg, Idaho; Mayfield Utah; Lehi, Utah; Rock Springs, Wyoming; Challis, Idaho; Meridian, Idaho; and Hyrum, Utah (again). After graduating from High School, Jeremy attended Utah State University in Logan, Utah for one year prior to serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He served in the Brasil Sao Palo Leste (Sao Paulo East) Mission from 1993 to 1995, afterward returning to his studies at USU. During the summer between his junior and senior years, he worked as an intern in the Washington, DC offices of Congressman James V. Hansen. After graduating from USU in May of 1998, Jeremy worked for a glass retailer in Logan, then Fidelity Investments in Salt Lake City, before receiving an offer to work in Congressman Hansen’s office as a legislative assistant. Jeremy accepted the offer and worked on Capitol Hill for 18 months, eventually returning to USU to pursue a PH.D. in economics. He graduated with a B.A from Utah State University with a dual major in economics and political science.

Near the end of his coursework for his Ph.D., his mother set him up on a blind date with Heather Sorensen. Heather Sorensen, born February 20, 1976 (to Lon and Marie Sorensen), at Lehi, Utah, lived in two houses in one city before graduating from high school. Fortunately for the two of them, one of those cities was the same, at the same time, and they even lived in the same apartment complex. Unfortunately, it was when Jeremy was 5 and Heather was 3, so no chance of starting anything romantic at that point. However, their parents became good friends, and Jeremy’s parents regularly visited Heather’s parents down through the years, although they never took Jeremy with them. In fact, after that brief connection at a tender age, the only time Jeremy and Heather saw each other was when they were in high school, and Heather’s whole family came to visit. Jeremy and his siblings were required to go into the living room to meet mom and dad’s friends and their kids, but all found a reason to excuse themselves quite rapidly.

Heather had served a mission in Santiago, Chile, and graduated from Utah Valley State College and then Brigham Young University with a degree in audiology, and then worked for her father at his insurance agency. During that time, Jeremy’s mom continually mentioned to Heather’s mom that she had “2 sons,” and that they should set Heather up with one of them. Well, Jeremy’s younger brother Tyler became of eligible age, and it was “3 sons,” then Jeremy’s older brother Brandon got married, and it was down to “2 sons.” Eventually, Tyler got married, and it was “I  have one son, but he’s in  Washington, DC  right now.” Fortunately, Jeremy chose Utah State University for graduate school, so their mothers could conspire to get them married.

Finally, in 2003, they went on their first blind date, a trip to the ballroom dance recital of Heather’s youngest sister, Kareena. The date consisted of dinner with the family, riding in the back seat of the parents’ car to the recital and back, and playing games with the family. Their second date was a few weeks later, this time a little more private dinner and mini-golf. That summer, Heather came to Logan to work on her master’s degree in Speech/Language Pathology, and over the course of that summer, all the other guys she was dating gave up, leaving only Jeremy. Heather’s coursework was only at USU during the summer, so she moved back to Lehi to continue working as a Speech Therapist. She imagined the relationship would drift away )long-distance, and all_, but Jeremy was persistent, and on October 11, 2003, Jeremy proposed. Later that week, Heather said yes, and they were married on March 4, 2004, I the Mt. Timpanogos LDS Temple.

            Not content to have that be the only change in their lives, Jeremy and Heather moved 6 months later to Falls Church, Virginia, where Jeremy would pursue a law degree at George Mason University. Heather used her Master’s degree in speech/language pathology (Associate’s degree from Utah Valley University, Bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University, Master’s degree from Utah State University) to work in the Fairfax County Public Schools while Jeremy finished law school. In 2007, Jeremy got his first real law job at the Washington, DC offices of Ballard Spahr Andrews and Ingersoll, and Heather retired from her work in the schools. One year later, they began a nomadic lifestyle that, it was hoped, would allow them to achieve a goal of Jeremy teaching at a law school. Jeremy served as a law clerk for Judge Ted Stewart on the U.S. District Court for Utah.

He worked for four months at the Salt Lake law firm of Strong & Hanni; served as a law clerk for Chief judge Alice Batchelder on the U.S. Sixth Circuit in Medina, Ohio; and finally worked as an adjunct professor of economics and law at Weber State in Ogden, Utah, before obtaining his first legal teaching job. That job was as a visiting professor at George Mason University, Jeremy’s alma mater. After one year at  GMU, Jeremy and Heather finally achieved their goal, as Jeremy received an offer for a tenure track position at Mercer Law School in Macon, expecting their first child, Logan Wickham Kidd, who was born on January 22, 2013. Twenty months later, their second child, Braden Soren Kidd, joined their family on September 26, 2014. On July 31, 2016, they were blessed with their final child, Finnegan William Kidd. They had dreamed of having more children, and even had a little girl’s name picked out –Lilian Aggie Kidd—but the Lord had other plans. And, keeping up with and herding their three boys promised to keep Jeremy and Heather more than busy enough in the coming years.  Their lives would become even busier when, on March 29, 2015, a new chapter in their lives began as Jeremy was called to serve as the Bishop of the Macon Ward in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

They felt the Lord’s hand in guiding them in their journeys around the country, seeking for what they felt was God’s will for them—a legal teaching job. His hand was in their being blessed with three energetic, Liberty-loving, and strong-willed boys. In many ways, though their boys came to their family later than initially planned, the timing coincided perfectly with the new phase of their lives. Jeremy and Heather saw this as yet another evidence of God’s love and care for them and their family.  They feel blessed, every day, to be members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, including the opportunities to serve (yes even as Bishop). Heather has retired from being a speech therapist (having worked in Alpine School District in Utah and Fairfax County School District in Virginia) and enjoys raising her boys, reading, and developing her many talents, including gardening and cooking. Jeremy, when not being Bishop, enjoys home improvement projects, reading, doing his research (mostly public choice economics and business law), and discussing all things politics and policy (though not always politics). They drive to Utah every summer, enjoying the time spent with family out of the hot, humid Georgia summers, and hope to be able to eventually return somewhere cooler and drier.

Austin Fern Kidd

Married:  Mary Elizabeth Davidson 15 Dec 1939

Children:

Ilona Dianne Kidd

Donna Colleen Kidd

James Terry Kidd

Cyrus Calvin Kidd

George Lynn Kidd

Scott Cee Kidd

Dennis Jackson Kidd

Twin Girl Kidd

Twin Girl Kidd

David John Kidd

Blaine Kevin Kidd

Wendy Marie Kidd

This history is written by their children and his wife Elizabeth Davidson Kidd *note-Dad was a pretty quiet man and didn’t talk much about himself or his life experiences.  So, there is a lot missing in his life story and unfortunately, now that that mom is older, there is a lot that she can’t remember.  So, I have depended a lot on my brothers and sisters for their memories and experiences, this needs to be edited as I have switched “person” a lot throughout it.

Austin Fern Kidd was born in Avon, Utah April 13, 1913, to George Clement Kidd and Minnie Obray Jackson Kidd.  They were living in the rock house near Drummond, Idaho at the time, but it was decided that Minnie should travel back to Avon to be near her parents when her firstborn was delivered.

Fern attended grade school in Drummond, then, when they moved to Farnum, he attended high school in Ashton, where he and his brother Earl stayed at the Neifert apartments during the winter.

Fern had a lot of responsibilities when he was very young. * His dad was gone a lot working, and Fern had to do a lot of the work around the house and farm.

He always wanted to be as close to his dad, as his dad was with the neighborhood kids, but because of his shy nature, felt like he was not. (I can relate to this).  They were very poor when he was 16/17 as the depression had hit.

He dropped out of school for a few years to help with the sheep.  He was staying in a trailer at the sheep camp when he was struck by lightning. I understand he was near a barb wire fence when the lightning hit up the line and came down the fence and jumped to where he was standing, He was burned some and knocked down but recovered okay.  He also worked at a CC camp at Heise Hot Springs and saved enough money to buy his first car, a 1936 Ford and he was proud of it. Fern then went back to high school and graduated the year Elizabeth Davidson was a freshman.

Elizabeth was born June 15, 1921, at Yates Center, Kansas to Cyrus Calvin Davidson and Mary Orebaugh Booth Davidson. *  Her father played professional baseball for the Kansas City Athletics, (a team that later moved to California) as well as attending college.  At the age of one, her father graduated from college as an engineer and they moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana where Calvin

(C.C.) got a job with General Electric and worked with a group that invented the first refrigerator.  Sister Eileen was born there. Several years later they moved to Olmstead, Utah (near Provo) where CC worked as traveling maintenance, and brothers Jim and John were born.  Elizabeth started school there at the Uinta grade School.

The next move was to Alexander, Idaho (near Soda Springs) Where her brother Eddy was born.  She skipped the 3^rd grade because she was the only one in the class and they moved her into the 4^th grade.  While there, her father CC, raised rabbits and at one time raised 2000 for a company out of Denver.  When Elizabeth was in the 6^th grade, her family moved to Ashton where her father worked for the Power Company, and they lived in housing near the Dam on the Snake River.  Eventually, they bought and moved into the Andreason place just south of the dam.  Brother Bill and sister Paula were born after they moved to Ashton.

Fern, at the time Elizabeth Davidson met him, was 5′ 11″ tall, with black wavy hair.  He was shy, sweet, determined, easy-tempered, tolerant (most of the time), and a tease.  His eyes were blue (but it seems to me they were green).  He always played football at school, only missing the years that he had dropped out.

The first time “Liz” went out with him was at a dance in Warm River, a few miles East of Ashton.  She had gone to the dance with his brother, but it got chilly in the dance hall and she went out to the car to get her sweater.  Fern was in the car and rolled the window down when she approached.  After visiting a minute, she explained she needed her sweater and Fern retrieved it from the back.  When Elizabeth reached into the window for it, He rolled the window upon her arm and told her he would let her go if she would go home with him and she agreed.  From then on they were both smitten by Cupid.  He was eight years older than she was, but that didn’t matter to her.  She loved him and he loved her.

They would walk together to the basketball games in the winter.  Liz enjoyed playing basketball in a city league and their whole family enjoyed baseball games.  An average student, her favorite teachers were Nora Ruth Atchley, in the 7^th grade, Mr. Baker, her biology teacher, and her math teacher, coach Jacoby.  As a side note, she figures she wrote “I will not shoot paper wads about 10,000 times; 1,000 times every time she was caught by Mrs, Atchley. * Snake.  Her sophomore year she came down with whooping cough and chickenpox and missed 3 weeks of school.    She was a cheerleader all four years in high school and was good friends with Fern’s sister Nelda, * who tells me she had a great sense of humor, was a good athlete, and liked to play ball, softball, basketball, etc.  She liked having a good time and loved the outdoors.  Her mother Mary was fun and there was a lot of laughter when she was around.  She would always lighten up the conversation.  Elizabeth’s parents weren’t too excited about her relationship with Fern, and to discourage it, after graduation, sent her to Kansas for college in the fall.  She worked during that summer at Hebdon Lake near Yellowstone before leaving.

After Fern graduated, he traveled with? Reynolds, doing Yellowstone presentations to schools in Idaho and Utah.  Off and on, he hauled produce from Idaho to Utah and Arizona for his uncle Jack Bresock, husband of his father’s sister Willia.  He would bring back Arizona produce as he returned.  Meanwhile, he and Liz continued their courtship until she graduated and moved to Brown College in Baldwin, Kansas. * But lonely Liz returned after the first semester and she and Fern were married by Bishop Percy Hawks at his home in Farnum and lived at Uphams for a while.  (Need info on marriage)

On June 17, 1940, their first child Dianne was born at St. Anthony, Idaho (the nearest hospital). Soon after, Fern and Elizabeth moved to Salt Lake City where he was a valet, parking cars at the Hotel Utah, among other things.  *(When I went to LDSBC in Salt Lake a few years ago, I took a picture of the apartment they lived in and found it just off State street-make this a note).  After a while, they moved back to Ashton where Fern helped on the family farm.

At one time, Fern was on the school board at Farnum.  I understand that Clark was in school at the time.  According to Elizabeth, the happiest time in Fern’s life was when he was on the farm.  He loved the place.  Eventually, the family decided to sell the farm to Mahlon Kidd, and Fern and his family moved to the Davis apartments in Ashton.  (I got my first spanking (that I can remember) here, see page #.)   Colleen was a baby at this time. Mom says Colleen was covered with hair when she was born and Grandpa George came in after looking at her and said she looked like a monkey but as you can tell, it didn’t stay.  When Colleen was about 8 mo. old, she was very sickly.  They made a trip to Salt Lake City to see a specialist because she couldn’t keep much down and was losing weight.  On the way, dad pulled to the side of the road and just sat there, and mom was worried he was having some heart trouble.  After a period of time, he looked at mom and said they needed to go to the Harlow Rigby Hospital to get treatment for her. Once they arrived the nurse asked if they needed to see Dr. Harlow Rigby, as he was expecting them.  He asked to keep her for some tests and was able to get her to eat something by giving her goat’s milk which she apparently was able to keep down. They purchased two goats shortly after.  After many years mom found out from Dr. Call, that Vitamin C and D would help her. They got the vitamins, and her allergies improved a great deal.   She had a beautiful voice and I remember mom setting her on the counter at the grocery store to sing for the clerk.

*I have changed persons in writing here and wonder if I should keep it in 3^rd person or put it in 1^st.

Then we moved to the Wilcomb apartments.  While we lived there, Terry was born at a maternity home in St. Anthony, Idaho on Jan.21, 1943.  It was blizzarding that day and they were snowed in.  A neighbor with a plow came to the rescue to plow them out and they had to bust snow drifts all the way to the hospital with barely enough time to make it.  He weighed 11.6 lb. and was 26 inches long.  At the time of his birth, he was the longest baby on record in the State of Idaho.  Mother confessed the only problem she ever had with him was she had a little trouble getting him potty trained as he had a tendency of taking his training pants off at any given moment.

Fern worked with Jack and Clark at a service station in Ashton.  Nelda’s husband, Don MacPherson had an electrical shop next to it, and eventually, he trained dad to be an electrician.

Then about 1944/45, we moved in with grandpa and grandma Davidson three miles west of Ashton.  Paula, Bill and, I think Ed was still living at home then, and it was pretty crowded.  Grandpa fixed up a little shed for Paula that was across from the cellar.  The boy’s bedrooms were in a separate part of the house that was upstairs on the north and we were on the south side upstairs.  Then Paula’s little place burned down and my grandparents-built rooms on the ends of the cellar.  On the northeast were a living room and bedroom for my grandparents.  On the northwest were the kitchen and a bathroom.  The south end had two bedrooms for Paula and Bill.  Then we had the big house for ourselves.

Lynn was born on Dec 13, 1945, at the Parlow Rigby Hospital in Rexburg Idaho. Lynn was an easy boy to take care of and was out of diapers at 9 months old. Lynn was entered in a cute baby contest and won a prize.  He grew up to love playing baseball and at one time had a large baseball card collection.  I believe that Dad was in training at this time with Don MacPherson to become an electrician.

Scott was born on Sep 19, 1947, at St. Anthony hospital in St. Anthony Idaho. Mom said she was given medication to put her out when he was born. When she woke up her diamond ring was missing, and she was frantic. Everyone looked all over but they couldn’t find it and when she finally got up, she was laying on it and it was stuck to her but. Everyone got a big laugh out of it. Scott was the easiest-going kid and he was always interested in the things mom did. He was a good boy. He loved to play baseball and had one of the high batting averages in the pony league.  Mother believes that during this time, dad was working as an electrician with Uncle Don.  Mother was beginning to feel that living so close to her parents was a little detrimental for her children.  She felt like we had too many bosses and wanted to get a place of our own.  So, she started nurses training at the new hospital in Ashton.  I was about 8 and my job was to tend my 3 older brothers and sister.  Poor things!  Sometimes, Mary Hudson, a neighbor teenager would come over and watch us.  I think it was a stressful time for mom.

In 1948 came the winter!  It started snowing in September and it wasn’t too long before there was snow everywhere and drifts as high as the house.  The best part was we went almost 3 months without school.  A whole winter of sleigh riding, playing games with the family for hours on end and digging endless forts, caves, and tunnels.  We even had to have a tunnel to get from the house to the cellar.  Snow Planes would bring medicine, groceries, and supplies to our home.  Dad must have had some sheep at that time, as I can remember hearing coyotes or wolves howling during the night.  Dad would get up, get dressed and head out with his gun.  After several shots, all would be quiet again.  Another time, dad came home and announced to mother that her dad finally liked him.  He could tell because he had trumped grandpa’s ace and he called dad a SOB.

Jack was born June 9, 1949, at St. Anthony hospital in St. Anthony Idaho.  When jack was 2 yrs. old, the family lived in Ashton Idaho in the apartments.  He walked uptown by himself to the local theatre near the drug store.  Ahhh, the confidence of a two-year-old.   After moving to Pocatello Jack would sit on the porch and remind people to be quiet because his mommy was sleeping after working all night. One incident that happened to Jack when he was 4-5 after we had moved to Pocatello, is one of the neighbor boys hauled Jack over to the railroad tracks and dumped him into a coal car, and left him there. Mom had contacted the police, radio, and others about a missing child and fortunately, an older lady who lived near the railroad could hear Jack crying and contacted Police and rescued him. This may have been done in retaliation for disagreement with someone else in the family as there had been trouble earlier with this person.  Jack was really blessed, and the lord must have been looking out for him as the boy that did it, turned out to be a criminal and ended up in prison, eventually dying there.

Dad moved his family to Pocatello in 1951/52 and started working as an electrician for CL Electric.  He worked at jobs around Pocatello and when there wasn’t work in the area, he would go to California and work with Don MacPherson again, or work at Soda Spring at Monsanto until 1956, when he had a nervous breakdown.  My most important memory of his breakdown, was after he came home from the hospital. he would come and ask me to pray for him, with him.  It made me feel very special.

It was about 1954, and I can remember when I came home from school, that mom was different.  She seemed to glow.  The house would be cleaned up and she would look so good (not that she didn’t before) but it was noticeably different.  I could tell something was up.  Soon she told us she was going to have another baby and how thrilled she was. Unfortunately, being a crass teenager, I was mad.  How could you do this to me?  You are too old to have kids.  Soon, John arrived, Born July 16, 1955, at the St. Anthony hospital, in Pocatello Idaho.  It only took me a week to change my mind.  He was wonderful, helpless, sweet and I loved him so.   Mom would take him with her to work and put him in the isolation nursery. She would sometimes keep him in the hallway of the room near her door because he would fuss some and then go back to sleep. One time he climbed up on the cupboard and ate some pills that he thought were m&m’s but were actually diet pills and we almost lost him.  (I remember taking turns with mom and Colleen all night, walking, and talking to him, to keep him awake).   He liked to sit in the living room window in the sun and would sometimes take his clothes off.   Mom took a picture of him one time when he did that, and years later when he was graduating from high school, she told him she had given it to the yearbook to publish with his graduation picture. NOT!  John was also in a baby contest, but I don’t remember how it turned out.

While in Pocatello, we lived in a modest home on 323 North 8^th, across the street from the Franklin Jr. High school.  Dad’s family was from Tennessee, so he had a southern bias towards negros, until Lynn brought a negro boy home (Mom or Lynn can you tell the story), Dad commented that he seemed like a nice boy.

During these years, Fern was pretty busy.  He had a pretty big family to support.  In the winter sometimes he would get laid off and have to go to California, or other places to find work to keep food on the table.  On Jan 3, 1957, Kevin was born at St. Anthony hospital, in Pocatello Idaho. He was named after the family doctor Dr. Blaine Jorgenson.  Mom couldn’t remember much more during the toddler years.  I think it was because I became his surrogate mother.  Mom was working and Colleen and I took over a lot of his care.  By now I was crazy about babies.  I’m sure Colleen shared in this too.

During these years, we took a lot of trips to visit our Kidd relatives in Logan.  Many are the times we spent at Aunt Nelda’s, and many are the choice memories of playing with our cousins in that big, mansion-like home.  One memory is playing games at Uncle Jack’s and laughing my head off at Lillian’s blatant attempts at cheating.  She was so funny.

The whole family was pretty involved with baseball.  Elizabeth was secretary of the little league. There was a minor league park just up the road a few blocks and a lot of times the little league games were played in a park across the street or out to Ross’s Park.

After the birth of six boys, dad wanted a little girl, and he was granted his wish with the birth of baby Wendy in 1958.  Wendy was born July 7, 1958, at St. Anthony hospital, in Pocatello. Mom was walking to a baseball game that one of the older boys was playing in because dad had the car. Mom was feeling strange, so she stopped in at the hospital to get a quick check and was informed she was having the baby now. She didn’t even have time to get her clothes off and into a gown.  Wendy came so quickly, and she was born screaming.  Dr. Jorgenson asked mom if she wanted to carry her into the nursery, so she did.  Dad watched the ballgame and he figured mom had decided to stay home but when he returned home and found that she wasn’t there, he went to the hospital to see if she was there, and she was. Wendy was a big baby and when her head crowned, Dr. Jorgenson told mom she had another kid for the football team.  Dr. Jorgenson wouldn’t tell dad whether it was a girl or boy, so dad went to see mom.  As he came to the doorway, he could tell by the look on mom’s face that it was a girl. and tears came to his eyes.  Wendy was the only little girl in the neighborhood, so grew up playing with the boys and learned to hold her own. She was very well protected by all of her brothers.

Finally, Dad began working at the INEL which was very hard on him.  He would leave at 6 am and return at 6 pm or later, depending on whom he was riding with, and eventually had his first heart attack at 46.  The doctor told him he would have to quit the smoking habit he had, that his heart couldn’t take it, which he did.

By this time, I was married and living in Rockland.  We had 3 children and were living in an old farmhouse that was not in very good shape. Dad offered to come out on weekends to remodel our upstairs because we couldn’t use it.  When the winter winds blew, the snow would come in through the cracks and the windowpanes and pile up on the floor.  Downstairs, we had one large bedroom and one tiny one, and we were really crowded.  I didn’t appreciate until later what a sacrifice it was for him.  For months he came every weekend, while still working during the week at the INEL, and never complained at all…

Colleen married Larry Lancaster, Terry went on a mission to California and after he returned, mom and dad took our family to the Temple to be sealed to them.  This was in 1964.

Eventually, because of continued heart problems, the Doctor encouraged dad to quit the job at the INEL site because of the distances he had to travel.  It was not long after, that dad, mom, and their three younger children moved back to Ashton.  Lynn had just graduated, and he went in that direction too.

After they moved back to Ashton in 1965, they lived in the Keiser’s home across from Huntsman’s for about a year.  Then they moved out to the Davidson ranch that was now owned by Elizabeth’s brother John.  CC and Mary, Liz’s parents, moved from the ranch into town into another home owned by John.  Fern began his own business called Kidd Electric about 1965 doing electrical and refrigeration work which he did until his death in 1984.  Some of his customers were Looslies, Nedrows, Sharps, Harringfelts, Steimans, and Egberts.  He also worked for HUD for 1 ½ years after the Teton dam broke and flooded the Snake River plain. *(Folks were at Dianne’s house when it happened) I believe Terry worked with him.  He did estimations of the damage and turned in the restitution papers for it.  Mom says he was pretty proud that he had a secretary. Brother Terry and also Bob Howell worked with him.  Elizabeth drove school bus for several years and also worked at the Youth Services Center in St. Anthony

In 1966 Fern and Elizabeth built a house out across the Snake River bridge heading to Island Park, turning West off the highway right after crossing the bridge.  He did the wiring, painting, plumbing, electric heat, etc.  He put a fireplace in the basement and used it to heat the water.  There were 3 bedrooms upstairs, 2 downstairs where he also had a den, a utility room, storage, and a family room.  He built a shop and a garage too.  They had some problems financially because the builders used the money that FHA had earmarked for their house, to build Joe Foster’s house.  When they were told they were out of money, Elizabeth checked with FHA and found out what the problem was, and it was finally straightened out.  For entertainment, he would play pinochle with his buddies at Ott’s and he and mother bowled with grandma and grandpa Davidson in the Old Timers League.

Dad’s pets that I know of were Partner which was Scott’s dog to start with and she went everywhere he went.  She was a black Labrador and could catch a Frisbee 6 ft in the air.  The kids enjoyed going there for visits and they loved Partner. We always felt welcome, though looking back I’m sure they were glad to see our taillights headed down the road after a frolicking, noisy stay, where bellies got blown on, and games got played.

Dad had a lot of problems with his back, and he built himself a motorized slant board to ease the pressure on his spine.  I believe Sherman Hess furnished the motor.  He also continued to have heart problems.  He had several nonfatal heart attacks.  After one of them, mother said dad told her that during that time, he could look down and see himself on the table and he was feeling good because he wasn’t in pain anymore, but he felt sorry for the poor person on the table.

He eventually had a heart bypass operation paid for by the fast-offering program of the church.  His brother Jack facilitated this help for the family.  In return, we all promised to pay back into the Fast-Offering program.  He lived another 10 years after the surgery.  Finally, he had a final heart attack.  He was sick to his stomach and had pain in his side.  Scott took him to the hospital in the snowmobile.  He had a massive coronary and they just couldn’t save him this time.  They worked and worked on him.  Scott was with him and called John in Dubois.  John left immediately but couldn’t get there in time.  When mother called, I got on my knees and prayed that if he couldn’t make it, that my son David could be there to meet him on the other side.  She called back a short time later and he had passed away.  He was such a good person and loved and respected by many for his honesty and kindness.

Several years after dad died, mom went up to Salmon, where Wendy lived to help her when her second baby was born (that’s one thing about mom, she was always there for new baby grandchildren).  While there, she became acquainted with Stanley Morgan whom she married in 1990.  They spent a lot of time four-wheeling all over the Salmon mountains and enjoyed it immensely.  Scott bought the house by the river in Ashton and mother used the money to buy a home in Salmon where she and Stan lived until his death in 2008?  At this time, mother is still alive and Jack lives with her and takes very good care of her.  Wendy still lives near and also helps her with many of her concerns.

MY MEMORIES OF DAD AND WHAT HE TAUGHT ME.

By James Terry Kidd

He taught me that a real man will do whatever is necessary to care for his family.  I remember him going off to work when he wasn’t feeling well, to jobs that he probably would have preferred not to have to go to because he felt responsible to ensure his family had food on the table and a roof overhead.

He taught me about integrity.  When you give someone your word, you do what you promised with exactness even if it puts you at a disadvantage.  When you do work for someone, you give your best and you don’t charge them for time not spent working productively.  You tell people the truth about what they can expect and that is exactly what you give them – no cutting corners or taking shortcuts to cut expenses.

He taught me that “whatever is worth doing is worth doing well.”  There is never any excuse for doing less than the best you are able.  You should have pride in your work and work so the pride is justified.  When he worked for employers who pressured him to cut corners or do anything like that, he would refuse even if it might jeopardize his employment.

The most important thing of all is that he taught me these things by the example he himself lived.  And he did these things in spite of a life filled with struggles of about every kind – health, financial, etc. Dad once said that if he had known what the last years of his life were going to be like, he wasn’t sure that he would have had his open-heart surgery.  I’m so glad he didn’t make that decision because so much of what I have in my life is a result of my living the things he taught me then.

One major thing I learned from dad was about being a tease.  We could tell when dad was feeling well because as soon as he came in the door, he was teasing someone.  I liked to see him tease because I liked to see him feeling well.  In addition, I knew his teasing was an acknowledgment that he cared about me or others he teased.  I am not sure whether my family, friends or students appreciate what I learned from the example of my dad about teasing but it allows me to have more fun and I think (emphasis on “think”) it has made me more fun to be around.

Jan 2009

I remembered a couple of other things as I was reading through the history you included.  First of all, I was surprised at how little I knew of my father’s life.  I remember him and his eating like jam and bread; he would run out of one before he ran out of the other so he would replenish that one.  Then, when he would run out of the others, he would replenish it.  and so on and so on and so on. It was funny.

I remember spending hours “working on ” dad’s back.  I remember playing canasta with dad.  I remember fishing trips with dad and how good a fisherman he was, i.e., he could go to a hole where someone had been fishing but catching nothing and catch a whole slew of fish.  I remember going fishing once on the railroad ranch in Island Park and then reading that some people were caught fishing there the next day or so and they received a $100 fine.  That was a bit embarrassing.

I remember times getting in the car on a Saturday morning and just going for a drive.  the drives were never on a highway they were on dirt roads that went somewhere but the somewhere was unknown until we got there.  And I remember stopping in the trees for a picnic lunch on those drives – family time that we didn’t often have because of dad’s work schedule.

I don’t remember a lot of detail about my dad’s life, but I remember that I was proud of him and that I loved him.

Note:  I added this anecdote about Terry and dad.  At one time dad had taken Terry to Warm River fishing with him.  They walked along the railroad tracks to a fishing hole where dad started fishing.  After a while, Terry got tired and started back to the car.  The thought came to him that if he put his ear to the tracks, he could hear if a train was coming, which he did, and it was true.  He could hear a train coming.  On one side was the river, and on the other was a rock ledge where he backed up as close as he could get.  The train flew by, with inches to spare.

MY MEMORIES OF DAD AND WHAT HE TAUGHT ME.

By G. Lynn Kidd

My earliest memories of Dad were the camping and fishing trips he used to take us on up to the Fall River and Conant Creek areas. Most of the time it was the whole family, but occasionally it would just be Dad and I and some friends. We used to hike into Fall River about a mile from the end of the road. He would get me set up in a favorite hole of his and I would try to catch a fish with no luck. I would then move on to the next fishing hole and he would follow me into the place I had been fishing and proceed to catch 4 or 5 fish. It took me a long time to figure out he was cheating because he would have me fishing with bait and he would be using a fly pole.

He gave me a great appreciation for the environment and out of doors.   When I turned 12, I was old enough to start hunting with a rifle and Dad was as excited as I was to take up one of his hobbies. I vividly remember the time we went out to Rockland for the opening day of deer season. It was a crisp, clear morning and we all spread out and made a pass through some aspen and timber. About ten that morning the fog moved in and it started snowing. I ended up getting turned around and climbed to the top of a ridge and out of the fog and passed up three huge bucks that were about 50 yards away because I wasn’t sure where our vehicle was. I finally walked into another camp and the guys there were good enough to take me around the mountain to where we had gone into our hunting area. It was snowing fairly heavy at the time, and we met Dad and the rest of our hunting party coming out to go get a search party to come and find me. Dad had tears in his eyes and was truly thankful to see me. I remember telling him I was not lost because I knew where I was, I just didn’t know where they were. I learned a valuable lesson that day when I realized just how much dad cared for me and the rest of his family.

Then there was the time we went fishing down in the Malad area where Uncle Bill was the game warden. The details are very long to explain the whole story so briefly, Ron Heaps, Rich Webb, Scott, Jack, and I found an old rickety boat at the headwaters of Deep Creek Reservoir and rowed it out about 200 yards into the lake and decided to go skinny dipping. We were splashing around and having a good time when Jack got scared and started flailing around and Ron finally slapped him and settled him down and we all swam into shore. Uncle Bill and Dad were there to greet us and Uncle Bill marched us up to the car buck naked in front of a bunch of older people that were fishing. When we got to the car and they found out we had left the boat out in the water, Uncle Bill marched us back down to the water. (Buck naked in front of all those people and made us swim out and get the boat, and our clothes). It did become a real laughing matter for all involved after time and is something that follows me to this day.

Dad would love to get me in a pinochle game and just clean my plow. I could never figure out how he could remember all those cards so he would know just what to keep in his hand.   Later in life, we would have these long discussions and Dad would try to counsel me on the things I should be doing with my life, and I would answer “Dad I have to learn these things for myself”. I believe I modeled my life so much on the things he taught me and the way he lived his life. I believe one of the proudest days of his life was when Kevin and I graduated from Idaho State University. and he was there to see it. He used to come and visit Judy and I (and later our Kidds after they were born) and we would always have a great time with him. He knew he could always be himself when he was with us. I know his spirit lives with me and will always as I look in the mirror these days and see him staring back at me. I like that a lot.

Recollections of my Dad

By John Kidd

I always remember my dad for the things he not only told us but the example he set for us growing up. “Always do your best, good enough just doesn’t cut it.”

I don’t recall the days in Pocatello much because he was mostly working away from home. I was pretty young then and do not have much memory of those years when dad was concerned except when we would go visit him. It always is in my memory that wherever he was working the movie that was on TV was about the Yellow Brick Road. I must have watched the Wizard of Oz at least 20 times. I do remember him losing his teeth for a week or so and was so upset because he couldn’t figure out where they were. Mom changed their bed and wa-la there were his teeth. He forgot to take them out before bed, and they fell out and somehow got kicked to the bottom of the bed. I remember us all having a good laugh from that!

As for Ashton when we moved back there, He was always taking me with him cutting wood and hunting. I remember when he was cutting wood with Clem Robinson, and I think Clem was sawing a tree down and it was going to fall in the wrong direction. Dad could see that and grabbed the tree and tried to push the tree in another direction. About the time Clem also saw what was happening, he swung around with the saw still running and cut dad severely on the lower leg clear to the bone. I thought Clem was going to have a heart attack! Dad got him calmed down and they bandaged it up and headed for town. I was not very old, and I thought dad was going to die on the way in. Very traumatic for a youngster!

I also remember a hunting trip up towards Snow Creek just outside of the park. It had been snowing hard for a couple of days and the elk were heading to the desert. We were sneaking around with dad in the front and me with my little bow and arrows (I think I was 11 years old) we stopped, and dad was watching something when a squirrel ran out of a tree. I yelled to dad to see if it was OK to shoot at the squirrel and the woods exploded with elk running everywhere. I didn’t know we were within 100 feet of a herd of elk he had been sneaking up on! When the excitement was over without a shot fired, he explained to me the need to be quiet when out hunting. I don’t think he was very happy with me because he proceeded to tell me that the round things all over the ground were peanuts and for me to “try one”. It didn’t take only a couple of seconds to realize they were not “peanuts”. He laughed for 20 minutes or so while I was spitting and sputtering!

Another time Clem, dad, and I went hunting up toward Robinson creek and I can clearly remember them discussing how bad it was in Robinson Creek and that they didn’t want to get anything in that steep canyon. They were hunting north of there on relatively flat ground. I stayed by the pickup while they were out hunting and sure enough pretty quick, I heard shots, about a hundred of them. I can’t recall now if both of them or just one of them had shot, but sure enough, they had wounded a big bull and he ran straight for Robinson Creek. The elk ran off the rim down towards the bottom and the bull ran between two trees and broke his neck. Off to town, we went to get some help, and all the way they were arguing about who shot and why they let it get away into the creek. Uncle John had to come up and cut a jeep trail to the rim and help them pack it out which took a day and a half.

One clarification (or to add confusion) on the motorized backboard dad had.  The story goes that it was not always motorized. Dad would go strap himself in with the boots screwed to the bottom of it and would get mom or one of us kids to put him in the down position and hook some chains onto the bottom. Then we would have to go back in 30 minutes or so to unhook it and let him back up so he could get up. That worked just fine until one day mom put him in his contraption and went to town to do something (she may not choose to remember this) and forgot about dad. Can’t remember how long she was gone, but dad was furious when she got back and remembered he was on the board. It wasn’t long after that that he and Sherman Hess designed the thing to go up and down with the motor and a self-help switch. I can only imagine the giggles and laughs at Ott’s Place when this was revealed to his buddies!

Dad was always cussing the little mutt dogs we had and was constantly threatening to take them and drop them off somewhere because of having to clean up the yard after them. I came around the house one day and there was a dad with one of them in his arms. He didn’t see me, and he was petting it, kissing it, and telling it what a nice dog he was. When I spoke, dad drop-kicked the dog and immediately started saying what a worthless mutt he was, and we should not have “those worthless dogs around”. He didn’t fool me, I knew he loved them as much or more than anyone but because he cussed them, he didn’t want anyone to see it differently!

I was helping dad with Elwood Baum’s house north of town putting wire in for outlets. He showed me how it was to be done, no kinks or twists in the wire and straight as an arrow. I was in a hurry because I had a date that night, so I wasn’t being very careful. I was about done and ready to leave when he came in to see how it was going. He took one look and start cussing me and I had to redo most of what I had done. After I was done, he told me if I had done it right the first time it would have only taken half as long as having to re-do it. I always remembered that lesson.

When I was staying at the Railroad Ranch, they gave me a CB base station and I asked dad if he would put it in the house so I could talk on it with him. He told me the next time I came down to cut a long pole to set the antenna on and he would help. I cut a 35-foot pole about 4 inches in diameter and took it home. We started to put the pole up and the antenna hit both the wires that ran power to the house and scared the hell out of both of us and fried the wire for the radio. After we calmed our nerves, we proceeded to put the pole up and got the radio installed. That was another lesson learned. We spent many nights talking back and forth on that radio and I still have it somewhere in storage.

Dad and I both liked good tools. He made me a deal when I was still in high school. If I would contribute some money, we would buy a tool we both liked and when he was gone they would be mine. I have them all and I treasure them like gold. Every time I build something, it’s like he is there with me building it.

When I married Barbara, mom and dad had not met her (we eloped) so I took her over to meet them. I told Barbara that my dad was going to try to embarrass her so she should get the first lick in. We got to the house, and I introduced her to mom and dad and she went directly to dad, sat on his lap, and gave him a big hug and kiss. Needless to say, he was so embarrassed that he couldn’t do or say anything. I think to this day that was why they got along so good.

When we were up Middle Creek dad would come up quite often with Pardner and stay a few days. As soon as he would walk in the door, he would go directly to the cookie jar and if it didn’t have a cookie in it he would take it out to his outfit telling Barbara she didn’t need it because it never had cookies in it. She would go get the jar and make him some cookies. I think when she knew he was coming she would take all the cookies out just so he would go through his thievery.

Another time we were going to town for something and asked dad if he wanted to go. He said he would rather just stay home and take a nap. The only other person up there was the irrigator I had, and he didn’t speak English. Barb and I went to town and when we came back dad and the irrigator were clear down in the field. We could see them jerking something, jumping up and down, and patting each other on the back? We got to the house, and I walked down to see what was going on and they had my fly pole with a loop tied on the end. They would take turns putting the loop in the line over a ground squirrel hole and when one would pop up, they would snare it with the pole then jump around and pat each other on the back. They had been doing that for about an hour before we came home.

Another day I was checking the water lines for the cattle and stopped at the top of a steep hill to make sure I could get down it with the pickup. As I looked over the edge, I saw a bunch of antelope at the bottom. I asked dad if he cared if I shot one and he said no. I took my rifle and shot a young buck in his bed. We started down the hill and dad saw the antelope and started to cuss me out royally. He said I thought you were just kidding. He was not happy with me, but we loaded it up and started along the line again. We got over a couple more hills and there was a guy coming down the ridge on a horse. Dad said there’s the game warden and we’re in trouble, I will admit to killing the antelope, so you won’t lose your job! It turned out that it was one of our sheepherders and Dad cussed me out again and told me to get that critter to the house before the game warden show up for real.

Another day we decided to go to a drive-in movie while he was there and while watching the movie, he got sleepy. He said I’m going to get out and stretch. Pretty quick up on the screen, you could see a man doing jumping jacks, it was dad. He didn’t realize we were right by the projector and had stood in front of it while exercising. Everyone at the movie started to honk their horns and dad realized what was going on. He jumped in the car and slunk down. He was not sleepy anymore!

I wish all of my kids could have gotten to know their grandpa. He was such a wonderful man and had so much wisdom to give them. I miss him dearly and hope to meet back up with him someday if I am worthy.

Lynn talked about seeing dad in the mirror when he’s in front of it. Every time I see one of my brothers, I see dad in different stages of his life, and I think that is why I love and adore all of my brothers. I also see those genes in my sons. Each one of them has a characteristic or two that dad had.

I have strived all my life to live up to what he expected from us, to give to those who need help, and be a good provider for my family. It’s too bad that the world does not have his philosophy about never taking something for nothing and always giving more than you receive.

The day he passed away I was not around. I don’t recall where I was, but I got a call that he was in the hospital and had a heart attack. I drove as fast as I could to get home, but he was already gone. I felt so sick that I had not been there and to let him know how much I loved him and appreciated what he and mom had done for each of us. I feel so blessed to be a part of the family we have and know that if I needed something the whole family would be there in a heartbeat. To have been blessed with the upbringing I have had, the opportunities, and the closeness we have had as a family!

John

Recollections of my dad

From Kevin Kidd

I don’t honestly seem to remember much about dad as I was growing up other than the normal day-to-day stuff. Rather sad that his health was so bad that he couldn’t do much when I was old enough to do things with him and spend time. I do remember working with him as a “gofer” a couple of times while I was in high school. I remember when something would irritate him, he’d go off with “you _ _ _ built such and such”, the first time I heard these outbursts I was totally taken aback as I’d never heard dad cuss before. I guess I realized then that he considered me somewhat grown up at that point.

I do remember while I was going to college in Pocatello I’d come home to visit. Upon getting ready to return home I would usually go into town and find him at Ott’s Place playing cards with his old cronies. When he would get up to shake my hand goodbye, I would grab him, give him a big hug, and give him a peck on the cheek. He always got embarrassed but I know he loved It, and I sure love doing it.

While Janet and I were living in Pocatello, while Janet was finishing school, he spent the evening with us, so I called several of my friends and got a friendly poker game going. We sat around all evening, and he shared stories with us and gave us all a good lesson in how to play poker. I think that evening was I realized he considered me an adult as that’s how he treated me that evening.

I do remember he was a good man and I’ve spent my whole life trying to be half the man he was. He was honest, sincere and a giving man, and often wish I could have known him better. I’ve tried to make sure that I love my family the way he loved us, with everything he had.

Kevin

CHILDREN OF AUSTIN FERN AND MARY ELIZABETH KIDD

Ilona Dianne Kidd, was born June 17, 1940, at St Anthony, Idaho.  Married Jon William May Sep 7, 1960, at the Idaho Falls Temple, Idaho Falls, Idaho

I was the first of 9 children, not counting 3 stillborn babies.  A boy born after Terry and twin girls born after Jack.  Before I was a year old, they moved back to Farnum and lived with my dad’s parents, George Clement and Minnie Obray Jackson Kidd and he helped with the farm. We stayed there until I started school.  I remember catching the bus there for the first grade or maybe kindergarten (If they had it then).

I understand when I was nearly a year old, I had my appendix removed. I, of course, don’t remember much of it.  Mother has told me several things concerning my childhood that happened while we lived at Farnum.  One time I wandered across the road into a hayfield and fell asleep.  Everyone was hunting for me (apparently, another child in the area had gone down by the river and drowned shortly before that).  Eventually, I woke up and walked back home, much to everyone’s relief.

There were Roosters, goats, and horses at grandpas. Some I loved, and some I didn’t.  There was a mean rooster on the place and when he chased mom or grandma, Grandpa Kidd would laugh at them, but one day the rooster took after me (I was barely walking) and he tore my dress and scratched my back with his spurs.  In a few short strides, grandpa had the rooster by the neck and twisted it.  The rooster joined us for dinner that night.  There were some playful goats. I don’t know why they had them.  They would butt us down sometimes, but we never ate them.

Then there was the great big workhorses outback.  I did like them.  Runs in the Kidd blood!

            I have faint memories of walking to church with my mom (I think it was an Easter Sunday) when I was about 2 to 4 years.  I remember wearing a muff (a muff is a little hand warmer) I got from my grandmother Kidd, that looked like a little stuffed doll. I can remember how I felt about being dressed pretty wearing the muff grandma had given me. I gave the muff to my daughter Amy a few years ago.

            At some time, Grandpa and Grandma Kidd moved into town, and sometime during my first grade, we moved also, into the Wilcomb place.  Then for a while, we lived in the Davis apartments in town. About the only memory, I have of that place is my first (I think) spanking.  Mom had bathed Colleen and me and put us to bed for a nap.  Not being especially sleepy, we got up and behold, the water was still in the tub, and we splashed and played joyfully.  Suddenly we saw mother walk past the window, and we rushed back into bed and pretended like we were asleep.  Somehow, she knew we had not been napping and the spanking followed.  Sometimes while we lived there, I gave myself a haircut (I seem to remember my father saying he wanted a boy and I thought I could take care of that easily).  My mother cried.  I guess I had really long ringlets but no more.

Sometime after that, we moved in with grandma and grandpa Davidson. There were 2 rooms upstairs where we slept, played, and drew pictures on the wall.  I learned to love the sound of the wind in my bedroom there.  Even now, sometimes, I will open the kitchen window just a bit so I can hear the wind sing its song.

Many were the mornings my mother got up early to start a fire in it and then would call us down to get ready for school.  We would grab our undershirts and run down and put them on the stove to warm, sometimes too long, and they would turn a light brown, but at least they helped us warm-up that way.

            I think I was in the 2nd grade when I was picked for a main part in our school’s Christmas pageant.  I was so excited and practiced and practiced.  Then it happened.  Two days before the pageant I came down with the measles and my friend Eileen Bergman got to do my part.  I did get pictures of me in my costume though.  Santa kind of smoothed over the sickness for me.  He came twice that year.  I was so sick on Christmas that I hardly knew it came, at New Years, when I was feeling better, he came again and brought more toys and candy.  Wow!

            Another time I was very sick was after a strep infection, I came down with Rheumatic Fever and had to stay flat in bed for several weeks, but I still got a heart murmur from it.  Though as I got older, it only came out noticeably when I was pregnant with my children. Mom said that I also contracted St. Vitus Dance while I had Rheumatic fever. I got over that too.

            In 1952 we moved to Pocatello in about March where I finished Bonneville grade school.  There I saw my first black children.  Mother was very insistent that we treat them respectfully.  I had a few that I became good friends with, but there were some others that I avoided because they were mean to me and swore a lot.  Moving to a big city from a small one was a big change and kind of scary for a while.

            I finished Jr high, high school, and one semester of college at Pocatello.  I was active in choir, drama, dance club, art club, and sports, (especially baseball).  When I was 16, I had an opportunity to go to Ashton and work for the summer.  That summer I was friend shipped by one of my old friends, Janice Reneau and I became active in the church and gained a testimony.  After I graduated from High School, I worked for the telephone company for about six months as a telephone operator.  Then the company went to dial.

            really warm and maybe if they got a bucket, they could cool them off a bit.  That was all it took!  By the end of the watertight, the girls were wet, happy, and enjoying the reunion immensely.  They talked about it for weeks and the next year when I mentioned reunion, they started planning immediately all the fun things they were going to do.  I shall always be grateful to Uncle Clark for his insight and his concern.  During the first semester of college (I started in January), I met Jon May at the Institute and on September 7^th we were married in the Idaho Falls Temple.  Aunt Nelda went through with me, and Jon and I settled in Rockland, Idaho where his parents ran the telephone company.  Soon his dad helped Jon buy the service station there and we ran that until 1968 when Jon went to work for his bookkeeper.  After 4 years we went back to Rockland when Jon was offered a job as the Shop teacher.

            Before I knew it, I had seven children!  Connie, in 1961; Melissa, in 1962; Maria, in 1964; Sarah, in 1968; Amy in 1970; Kalani, in 1972; and David in 1974.  Then before I knew it, they started disappearing, going out into the world to make their own way.

            Before going on, I have to talk about the first real family reunion we attended.  It was the Jackson reunion and none of my children wanted to go.  Common excuses were “I don’t know anybody”, “I had other plans”, “I don’t have anything clean to wear”, “It’s too far away”.  But I sternly told them they were going, Period.  The reunion was up at the girl’s camp in Logan canyon and the younger ones entertained themselves, but the 4 older ones sat at the edge by themselves looking bored.  Then Uncle Clark got ahold of one of his boys and told them those girls looked like they were too warm.  That’s all it took.  The boys found buckets and in a very short time, the girls had cooled off and gotten acquainted with their cousins.  The next year as soon as school was out, they were wondering when the next reunion would be.

            I started working at Lamb Westons in American Falls in 1976 when we built our new house and in 1982, I quit. I just had a feeling I should.  In August 1983, our only son David was killed in a truck/bicycle accident, and it was devastating to everyone in the family.  Not long afterward, I was down in David’s room, now clean and tidy, thinking how I could never do anything for him again.  At that moment a quiet voice spoke to my mind saying “Your son is on a mission to your ancestors, and you can do something for him by finding them and doing their temple work.  I was then that I got involved in genealogy research and family history, which has been an important part of my life.

A few years after David’s death, I went back to work for a potato processing plant, Simplot’s, in Aberdeen.  I started out in the cellars, then to the trim line, then as a trim line instructor, then heavy-duty operator, and finally as a quality control inspector. By then, the children had all left.  Kalani was a senior but had opted to go to Rhode Island and stay with her older sister Maria.  About that time, Maria and her husband separated, and I quit my job and went back to tend her 4 yr old son so she could finish her year at school.  Unfortunately, Kalani decided she didn’t like the school in Rhode Island, and she came home.

            When I returned home in the spring, I decided to go back to school and went down to LDS Business school and signed up for CIT classes (Computer Information Technology) I graduated in 1997 on the honor roll and was awarded Outstanding Student of the Year for work I had done on the yearbook.

I went to work at the telephone company in Rockland, then for DMS (Dealership Management Services) in Pocatello, where I worked the next 8 years.  I retired after I decided it wasn’t worth braving the winter roads between Rockland and Pocatello anymore.

 It was relaxing at first, but it didn’t last.  I got involved in helping one of Jon’s cousins write a book about Jude Allen, (one of Jon’s great, great grandfathers) and his descendants.  I helped with the computer work and pictures.  That was a big job.  Then I was asked to be on the Power County Museum board, and I do a lot of scanning and restoring old pictures for them as well as creating a web page for the museum.  Then I was asked to be Rockland’s representative for the republican party from Rockland.  Then I joined the DUP and was elected to be caretaker of our museum. And then I went to work once a week at the family history center.  I also enjoy my grandkids that live nearby, one of which has lived with us quite a bit and so I keep pretty busy…and I’m grateful that I have the health and strength to do it so far.  Now the Kidd family has plans to do a book on the descendant of the George and Minnie Jackson family, I will be helping with that.  What a wonderful idea, and I will get to work with Debbie Buckner and the other Family representatives to finish that project.  We hope to have it done in 1911/12.  I have quit the political job and the DUP job because I needed more time with my grandson Dodge, who lives with us quite a bit of the time.

I have a testimony of the gospel and I believe families are forever and I am so glad for that because I have the most wonderful family in the world.  I love you all!

CHILDREN OF DIANNE KIDD MAY:

• Connie Michelle May b. 27 Jul 1961
• Melissa Ruth May b. 23 Dec 1962
• Maria Louise May Harris b. 19 Apr 1964

I was raised in the small town of Rockland, Idaho. There I learned to work hard, was active in all the sports, music, drama, cheerleading, etc…that the small town/school had to offer. I loved animals, especially horseback riding. Then after graduation, in 1982, and heading off to further my education at Brigham Young University, I somehow found myself living in Rhode Island after marrying my first husband (John Krupa Jr.)  in 1984. Culture shock for sure, but it seems like a lifetime ago.

After 7 years, the birth of one fabulous blonde boy (Trent John Krupa born 11/27/87), then finishing a degree in Practical Nursing, my first marriage ended, and I moved back to Utah, closer to home. I lived there for just one year, working as a Practical Nurse at the LDS Hospital before I was swept off my feet in a long-distance whirlwind romance that paired me with my second husband Timothy L. Harris. We had a chance to meet after skiing at Park City, while he was out from Michigan on a business trip. We immediately sparked and were married in June 1992. I will never forget my dad’s words to me when I announced my engagement and intent to relocate again to Michigan, “Couldn’t you find some nice Western boy?” Our families then blended with Tim’s 4 children from his previous marriage, my son Trent, and 5 years later on June 6, 1997, our daughter Mindy Nichole Harris. I worked in a sub-acute neurological rehabilitation facility full time while living there in Michigan.

Shortly after Mindy’s birth, Tim accepted a job transfer to sunny So. California. I must say I was thrilled to leave the drama and icy cold of Michigan’s long winters behind. We have lived in California since (up to the day of this writing January 6, 2009). Remember in the first paragraph, in which I said how much I loved animals? Well, back in 1989 I got involved in a hobby of breeding/showing Chinese Shar-Pei dogs, which really was just one dog until 1993. This has been a part of my (our) lives to some degree or another ever since. I currently have a website for my dogs at: www.vonwrinkles.net .

My son Trent went back to live with his father in Rhode Island when he was almost 16. This has been a hard adjustment for me, as I don’t get to see him nearly often enough. I miss him dearly. Trent is in his senior year of college now at a private business college there in RI called Bryant University, studying to be a CPA, but is going right into graduate school to get an MBA too. His grades are near perfect, and I am very proud of him. *Note: Trent will graduate this spring 2011, with his MBA.

When Mindy was just 6 yrs. old, she fell in love with horses as well, took riding lessons, and in 2004 we got her a wonderful old buckskin mare she named “Spirit”. We now have 3 horses which we board (yes that is where all our money goes) but love the family trail rides we do although not nearly often enough for me, I absolutely love going riding; it is my steam release in life.

Mindy is 11 now and quite dotted on. She takes jumping lessons, competes in gymkhana events such as barrels, poles, etc… She is very talented. Mindy also has been taking guitar lessons this past year and loves to sing and play and make YouTube videos.

I have been active in the church over the years (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) and have held numerous callings/positions. The ones I have enjoyed the most have been working with and teaching the youth. I love to teach, and I have a strong testimony of my Savior Jesus Christ. I have been working as a home care nurse since moving to California. I take care of chronically ill, medically complex patients in their homes.

    I went back to college part-time a few years ago and finally achieved a lifelong goal- just graduating as a Registered Nurse. Then just yesterday I was offered my first RN job at a local hospital on a Telemetry Unit.

Tim has been working hard over the years in the commercial construction industry to support us. He has been quite involved in his children’s lives. He talks with his (now grown) kids daily and sees them several times a year, either flying out to Michigan or having them out here. His son Timmy and his wife actually moved to California in 2008 and now live in Huntington Beach. His oldest daughter Kimberly was just married in December (yeah, we flew back to bitter cold Michigan over the Holidays for her wedding). His daughter Michelle is teaching Kindergarten there in Michigan. Then Tim’s youngest daughter from his first marriage (Shannon) is just finishing up her student teaching and will graduate in the spring.

• Sarah Elaine May b. 24 Jun 1968
• Amy Diane May Barker b. 1 Feb 1970
• Kalani May b. 11 Dec 1972
• David Jon May b. 24 Sep 1974, d. 10 Aug 1983

Dawna Colleen Kidd was born on Nov 11, 1941, in St. Anthony, Idaho.  She married Larry Gene                                                                                                   Lancaster, on June 16, 1961, in Pocatello, Idaho.

It’s odd when you try to put your family history into a short synopsis.  Especially when you are 66 years old.  How do you possibly do it?  I will just start with my own family.  To really do it justice would take many pages and much too long.  This will take long enough as it is.  I had a decent childhood.  Much better in retrospect than I thought when I was young.  I had parents and extended family that loved me.  I always knew that.  That’s a blessing I didn’t appreciate until I was much older.  We grew up around extended family and that was also a blessing because cousins were best friends.  I loved the younger years when we lived out on the farm.  Lots of adventure out there.  Ashton was a good place to spend your young childhood.  We moved to Pocatello when I was in fifth grade.  It was a different life there but still many good times and many good memories.  I appreciate now the fact that I lived in a melting pot environment and didn’t know prejudice when I was going up.  We always had diverse people around and my friends always knew our house was home.  This was a very good thing.

I was an average student.  I probably could have excelled but I liked having fun and that always took precedence over academics.  In retrospect (that’s how it is when it’s all done), I wish I had been smarter about that part of my life.  It would have been nice to be Valedictorian.   I did graduate in 1959 with a respectable grade point but had no desire to go to college.  I just wanted to be a wife and mother.

I met Larry when I was just out of high school in the late fall of 1960.  A co-worker and friend were dating his roommate.  He was a student at Idaho State College’s Vocational school studying airframe and power plant for aircraft.  He loved planes and he wanted to work on them.  His roommate came to pick up his girl and they asked me if I wanted a ride home.  I took one look at Larry and was in love.  I told my mom that night I’d met the man I was going to marry.  And I did.

We got married in June of 1961 right after he graduated, and we moved to Filer and lived with his parents for a short while.  Larry went to work for a local crop-dusting company, repairing their planes.  After that short time with his family, we got our own place in Twin Falls. It was a basement apartment, and it was such fun having our own place.  We had fun getting to know one another better and making a home for ourselves.  In Dec of 1961, we found out we were expecting our first child.  Larry had applied for a job in mid-1962 with United Air Lines and when he was hired in late June, he had to leave immediately.  I was about 8 months pregnant then and my dr. wouldn’t let me go so I ended up staying with my folks back in Pocatello until James Brett was born, on August 22, 1962, One month later than due time.  He was a month old before Larry got to meet him.  What a happy reunion that was.

Larry worked at United’s West Coast maintenance hub in South San Francisco, and we first lived in Burlingame.  I remember it being a somewhat challenging time.  I was so homesick.  New baby, no friends, no help, husband working graveyard and sleeping during the day.  Don’t get me wrong, there were good times too.  There were things I loved there.  The ocean, the palm trees (I saw my first ones on the way home from the airport the first day there), and being with Larry again after what seemed like an eternity.  There was so much to discover and explore.  I was very much in love and didn’t really care where I lived, as long as it was with Larry.  It was just a challenge.

I’ve always enjoyed being a mom.  I had always wanted to be married and to have kids.  I was fortunate because I got to be a ‘stay at home mom.  Motherhood is hard work all by itself-I can’t imagine what it would have been like to have had to work too.

We had our second child, Deborah Ann, on June 28, 1965.  What a bundle of love and fun she was.  Brett’s (as he was called then) nose was decidedly out of joint for a while but he did enjoy playing with his little sister after some time had passed.  Debbie was a happy, baby and little girl and people were always commenting on what a beautiful child she was.  We made beautiful children is all I can say.

We moved to Sunnyvale, CA when Debbie was a toddler.  We lived in a fourplex apartment there until I got pregnant again.  We bought our first home in San Jose, CA shortly before Lisa was born.  That was such an exciting time.  Lisa Colleen was born on June 20, 1970.  She was a beauty too.  And when she got old enough to get around, she was a ball of energy that made me tired of chasing after her.  Interestingly enough, I’ve been told many, many times she was very much like I was when I was a little child.

I became active in the church again while we lived in San Jose and Larry joined the church there. There is a wonderful conversion story that will have to wait until my own history is completed.  Larry & I were sealed in the Oakland Temple on Nov. 11, 1971.  There were adventures and memories galore with moves to San Bruno, CA, and eventually back to Twin Falls, ID. There are many stories to be told but since we’ve been told to keep it short in the interest of space, those will have to wait for another time.  Let’s just say we had a busy, happy life until then.

In Nov. 1986, there were major changes in our Family.  Larry left home, family & church and went off to do his own thing.  It was heartbreaking; the challenging time I didn’t think I would survive.  But I did!!  In the process, I found out a lot of things about myself I am a survivor.  It was so very hard but, in retrospect, an expanding and refining process.  There are always regrets and I have a few.  I wish I could have changed his mind, but I couldn’t.  I wish it hadn’t been so hard on our children, but it was and still is. I wish I had been better able to handle the emotional roller coaster that first year. Hindsight is always 20/20 but time has a way of making things better and it did.   With prayer and perseverance, I was able to move forward and make a new life without the love of my life.

I got a job and went to school.  I got an associate degree in Psychology at CSI in Twin Falls.  Moved to Boise and got another job.  Seven years went by (lots of stories there) and I met and married Don Curtis. (Lots of stories there too).  It was a short marriage, unfortunately.