LaVon Ahrens Curtis ~ Index
I had the best parents of anybody. They were so good to me. I could have a church party at home or my dad would drive us in his car where we wanted to go. My parents made all of my friends feel welcome in our home. Dad was great to work for, maybe I should say with. We were well paid in a greater way than money.
I once had a boy friend who lived in Seattle, Washington. He sent me a letter and some how Rulon got hold of it from the mail box and read it. Then he was afraid to give it to me so he hid it outside under the granary. I never got the letter so I thought he had quit writing and never heard from him again. When I found out what Rulon had done, I got so mad I made him help me with my chores especially hanging up the clothes.
Mother and Dad were not too active in church but they would never let anyone criticize the bishop, home teachers or any of the church officials. Mother did at one time teach a religious class at the elementary school for students after school. Father played the accordion in church on special occasions. Dad always saw the good in everyone and if he didn't like someone he kept it to himself. I remember once when Helen and I were locked in a little closet in the new house that was being built. It locked from the outside and we weren’t found until that evening by our concerned parents.
Father liked horses and they would mind him so well. Dad was often angry at me because I would rather walk than ride a work horse. I made it up by helping often on the farm in the beets, but walk home while the others rode. Mother felt bad because she didn’t have a full education. I remember mother was more strict with the children than dad but she was good to let us have our friends in.
I liked to play the piano and would practice for hours. Some of the family would always be around to sing a few songs especially Helen. Dad liked to play the piano. One night Rhoda had friends in and they asked dad to play for them. After a while he got tired and played Good Night Ladies and they got up and left much to the embarrassment of Rhoda.
One of my special chores was to do all the family ironing and help mother with the house work. I was baptized and confirmed a member of the L.D.S. Church in the Logan Temple when I was eight. I was crowned the Queen of the Mendon May Day celebration when I was about eleven and I graduated from South Cache High School in 1930 when I was eighteen.
Mom and dad went everywhere together. Once when dad was sick, mother went to church alone and everyone got more upset because Walter wasn’t with her than the fact that he wasn’t feeling good. I remember later when dad was sick for a short time before he died, but he was very sick. Dad and mother had always been good to teach me to love fine music at a very early age. I started by playing the piano by ear, later learning to read the music in my own way. Later I took some formal lessons.
On 27 March 1939, I married William Martin Curtis who was the master candy maker for the Blue Bird Candy company in Logan. We had two daughters, two sons, fifteen grandchildren and one great grandson. Most of my life I have been active in the L.D.S. Church serving as a counselor in the Relief Society and presently as the Relief Society chorister. I went to the temple on 5 March 1982 and enjoy the many happy hours I spend there. Like my father and grandfather, I enjoy going out for a walk. I try to walk at least one to three miles each day. I have good health and enjoy my friends and neighbors.
When mother stayed with Rulon and Ila, she asked me to come and get her on Saturdays. She wanted to let Rulon and Ila and their family be together. We went to lunch at the Blue Bird and then to a movie. I did love to be with her.
Notes…
This History of LaVon Ahrens Curtis was self penned. Her full name is Dorthea LaVon Ahrens, but she went by LaVon Ahrens mostly, however she went by the name of Bonnie
with her close family and friends. Bonnie was also a Mendon May Queen, her consort for May Day 1923, was Martell Larsen, as is shown in the photograph. This picture was taken on the west side of the Ahrens home, at 93 West 100 North here in Mendon, Utah.