1946 story Ward & Gwen Ray

1946 story Ward & Gwen Ray

1946

Sunday February 3 Ward Ray was released as Deacon Advisor Aaronic Committtee Secretary.

Tuesday February 26 Linda Kaye Fenn, daughter of Henry and Mae Dean Fenn, was born in Amarillo, Texas.

March 19 Alvah Fenn received his second mission call to the Mexican Mission in Mexico City. His married son, Karl Fenn mentioned he wanted to go with him, so Alvah said he’d keep Karl. Necessary arrangements were made by the Church authorities for Karl to go.

March 29 Marian turned 13.

April 3 We got 500 baby chicks. We sold eggs and fryers.

Sunday April 14 Gwendolyn turned 31. She was sustained as 1st Counselor (teenage girl officer) in YWMIA; President Eva Harmon; Clea Brown 2nd Counselor; Louise Larson Secretary; Nell Harmon Burton served as Secretary also. Ward was released as Sunday School Superintendent and sustained as 2nd Counselor to Bishop Franklin Thomas East and was ordained to the office of High Priest by F. Ellis Nielson. Also sustained was Elton O. Harper as 1st Counselor and H. Hubert Harmon as Ward Clerk.

Sunday May 12 Gwendolyn was released as Jr. Sunday School Coordinator. She served with Daphne Mauldin (later Matthews).

Sunday May 19 Maria Helena Mortensen Ray Gubler passed away in Coolidge, Pinal, Arizona at the home of her son, William ‘Bill’ and Jewel Ray.

Wednesday May 22 Maria’s funeral was held 3:00 p.m. in Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona at the Meldrum Mortuary Chapel. Herman Gubler, the oldest son, and June Gubler, the youngest son, paid for her funeral. June came to the funeral as the representative of the Gubler family.

Officiating Bishop Egbert J. Brown

Invocation A. J. Palmer

Biography L. M. Mecham

“Resignation” sung by Anderson sisters

Speaker C. W. Lillywhite

“Face to Face” sung by Ben & Myrtle Riggs

Benediction Bishop Brown

Organist Elene Freestone

Dedication of the grave was by Gilbert Richardson. She was buried in the City of Mesa Cemetery

All her children attended. Sons attending: Marion, Joe, Bill, Ward; Daughters attending: Ada Wall, Chloe Brent, Rosalia Stucki, Nellie Ray. Other children of James Wilford Ray attending were John, Sims, Milo, Della Webb, Fern Willis, Elsie Willis, and Marguerite Thomas. Waldo was ill and couldn’t attend. 27 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren

Sunday May 26 Gwendolyn was released at Gleaner teacher in the YWMIA. Ward was released at M Men teacher in YMMIA.

June Carmen Fenn was hostess in her home to a Stork Shower given for her daughter Gwendolyn with 25 guests attending. Many lovely presents were received, games played and luncheon served.

Sunday July 7 All the family went to Sunday School in the morning as usual. Soon after arriving home, Ward took Gwendolyn to the Benson Convalescent Center in Benson, Cochise, Arizona. Grandma Carmen Fenn was there also. A girl was born at 6:50 p.m. weighing 7 ¼ pounds; blond hair; hazel eyes. She was delivered by Dr. James Matthew Hesser with nurse Mrs. Rickman; cost $45 for the Center stay and $30 for Dr. Hesser.

Ward would turn 36 in 3 days, a farmer and laborer at Apache Powder Plant, and Gwendolyn was age 31, a homemaker.

We named her Martha Jane Ray, after Gwendolyn’s 1st mother-in-law Martha Jane ‘Jane’ Johnson.

Siblings: Marian, Carol and Lynn

Church was held about 7:30 or 8:00 p.m. during the summer because of the farmer’s duties, so Marian, Carol and Lynn attended. They didn’t know when I was born until they came home from Sacrament Meeting in the evening.

Before going home, Ward, Marian, Carol and Lynn came to visit Mother and Martha Jane. The kids could only stay a little while. The children waited outside and played on the grass while Daddy visited a little longer. My first car ride was when Mother and I came home after about three days in the Maternity Home.

Martha Jane’s First Home

My lumber home was on a ten-acre farm. It had a living room, dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms, two walk-in closets, one bathroom, closed in back porch with wringer washer and a bed, upstairs to an attic with part of it having a floor for storage and a bed. There was an unattached garage, but we didn’t use it for vehicles.

Martha Jane’s Town

Benson, Cochise, Arizona; named for Judge William B. Benson; post office established Jul 16, 1880; incorporated 1924

My Living Grandparents

Carmen Forster Fenn-54 Alvah Fenn-56 married

b. June 12, 1892 b. November 23, 1889 May 12, 1910

Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico Lawrence, Emery, Utah Douglas, Cochise, Arizona

My mother’s parents had 14 children, my mother being number 4. My Fenn and Ray grandparents knew each other in Colonia Morelos, Sonora, Mexico. They were in the same Ward. Carmen Fenn knew Milton Wardlow Ray as a baby. Because of the Mexican Revolution the LDS families were forced to leave Mexico in August 1912. My Fenn grandparents settled in Benson, Cochise, Arizona in 1912, and my Ray grandparents settled in Chandler, Maricopa, Arizona in 1914. When I was born, Elder Alvah Fenn was serving a 6 month mission with his son Karl Fenn: Mexican Mission – Mexico City. He reported April 15, 1946 and released October 26, 1946.

My Deceased Grandparents

James Wilford Ray Maria Helena Mortensen Ray married

b. August 19, 1861 b. October 11, 1867 December 3, 1884

Salt Lake City Salt Lake, Utah Gunnison, Sanpete, Utah St. George, Washington, Utah

d. October 28, 1920 d. May 19, 1946

Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona Coolidge, Pinal, Arizona

died age 59 died age 78

Both are buried in the City of Mesa Cemetery in Mesa, Arizona.

My father was James’ 23rd child – his caboose, and my father was Maria’s 11th child – her caboose. My Grandpa Ray was a polygamist, having 2 wives who were sisters. His first wife was Elsie Margaret Mortensen Ray. With Grandpa Ray marrying sisters the children had features like each other. My father was 10 years old when Grandpa Ray died, and my father was soon to be 36 years old when Grandma Ray died.

My Fenn and Ray grandparents knew each other in Colonia Morelos, Sonora, Mexico. They were in the same Ward. Carmen Fenn knew Milton Wardlow Ray as a baby. Because of the Mexican Revolution the LDS families were forced to leave Mexico in August 1912. My Fenn grandparents settled in Benson, Cochise, Arizona in 1912, and my Ray grandparents settled in Chandler, Maricopa, Arizona in 1914.

July 10 Ward turned 36.

Sunday July 14 Ward and Gwendolyn celebrated their 11 Wedding Anniversary.

Sunday August 4 Martha Jane Ray was blessed by her father, Milton Wardlow Ray, an Elder in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Pomerene Ward; Southern Arizona Stake; Bishop Franklin Thomas East

Martha Jane’s Church and Church Building

I, along with the rest of my family, am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We belonged to the Pomerene Ward of the Southern Arizona Stake.

This Church building played an important part in my life. Here I learned of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, where I came from, why I am here on earth, where I am going after death. It was here I was blessed, confirmed after baptism, attend Sunday School, Sacrament Meeting, Primary, as well as attend Church parties or dinners, funerals, my relatives wedding receptions, and had fun with my family, friends, and got acquainted with new and different people.

The Pomerene chapel was built and dedicated in 1925. It was a fine and beautiful chapel. When it was being redecorated in 1958, mother and us kids, Lynn, Kathryn, Jerel, Mario, and I helped do some of the work. Long before 1958, I helped Carol keep the chapel clean.

March 24, 1958 at 11:30 p.m. the church was found on fire by a police officer on his way to work. The Benson fire truck was there as well as neighbors. Somehow Mother found out, and she said she could see the fire from where we lived. Mother and Daddy didn’t wake us kids up but told us about it the next morning. Sister Esther Larson happened to be the last person to leave the building that night after a meeting around 10:30 p.m.

After we kids got ready for school, Mother took us and my cousin Linda Fenn to see the destruction. When we got there all we could see left was the frame of brick walls standing and the smoke coming from the ashes. The only things saved were the two lamp lights which hung at the front and back doors, a few chairs, and the cooler. The new organ plus the new unfinished redecorating work was destroyed. When we looked inside all we could see was a big hole in the ground, the basement-recreation hall filled with bricks, dirt, ashes and burnt items. It was a mess, and I didn’t like it.

The fire apparently broke out in the basement furnace room and gradually ate its way up the staircase.

The members needed a place to hold services, so Bishop Branson L. Sherman, counselors Eldon J. Barney and Chester Brown got permission from the Pomerene School to let us meet in the gym until the new church house was completed. From April 1958 to the time our family moved away January 25, 1960, we went to Sacrament meeting, Sunday School, and Mutual here. Before we moved away many dinners were given to help raise money for a new building. I helped a few times. Mother and Daddy helped.

Eight and a half years later, the new Pomerene Ward Church building was dedicated November 27, 1966.

Sunday August 18 Ward became Drama Leader in Pomerene Ward. Gwendolyn was sustained as 2nd Counselor on the Genealogy Committee; Chairman Katherine Brown; 1st Counselor Leona Fenn; Secretary Daphne Mauldin

August 25 Alward Forster Fenn and Francis Marie Skaggs were married in Benson, Arizona. Ward bought 2 pigs from East for $14.

August 29 Ward sold a pig for $38.

Saturday August 31 Stephen Millett Fenn, son of Karl and Thelma Fenn was born in San Bernardino, California.

Sunday September 22 Carmen Fenn was released at Relief Society President of Pomerene, Ward. Gwendolyn was released as Primary Activity Director.

Later this year when the Benson Convalescent Center went out of business, Carmen bought many of their things as she was making preparations to open up her own maternity home right in her own house to support herself while Alvah was on his mission.

Martha Jane’s 1st Long Trip at 3 Months

Saturday and Sunday October 5-6 Pomerene Ward Bishop Franklin and Louise East and Ward and Gwendolyn Ray and their 3 month old daughter Martha Jane attended General Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah being gone about 10 days. George Albert Smith was president of the Church at this time. A bed for Martha Jane was fixed in a cardboard box.

We went by way of Prescott. At Chino Valley, Arizona we stayed with Louise East’s parents John and Cora Hatch. Passing over Hoover Dam 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada was spectacular; completed in 1935. At St. George, Utah we visited with daddy’s brother and sister-in-law Joe and Leona Ray. At Logan, Utah we visited with daddy’s sister and brother-in law John and Ada Wall. In Salt Lake City we visited with daddy’s sister and brother-in-law Ernest and Rose Stucki and sister Nellie Ray, who came from Ephraim, Utah to attend conference.

We came home by the way of Grand Junction, Colorado; visited with the Delbert Brown family. In Farmington, New Mexico where Daddy, Mother, Marian and Carol had lived, we visited with friends. Everyone had fun and enjoyed the trip and vacation.

October 19 Carol turned 10.

October 24 Lynn turned 3.

October 26 Alvah Fenn and son Karl Fenn were released from their Mexican Mission after serving 6 months.

Wednesday December 18 Alvah Fenn received his call for the Spanish American Mission in El Paso, Texas to train missionaries and also serve as 2nd Counselor in the Mission Presidency He reported in Salt Lake City, Utah January 3, 1947.