memories from a former missionary

by Berwyn Andrus  

​Mathew,

​​I see you have posted to Richard Stucki on Family Search.  I believe he is the one I went to school with, at South High in 1945.  He was Major in the ROTC.  Can you verify if this is also your Dad?
I also read that he served in Nova Scotia under S. Dilwoth Young.  I also was there, I guess just after him.  I was there in 1950.  From the college photo I am pretty sure he is one and the same as I knew at South.  Please verify.
Berwyn Andrus , Bountiful, UT.

​I have been in touch with Sgt. Redmond's daughter who posted to her mother on Family Search, which is how I found her.  I took the liberty of sharing with her your Dad's experience with Sgt. Redmond as well as my own.  My wife, Virginia Agnes Woolley Andrus also was acquainted with your Dad at Institute and Lambda Delt at the U.   I didn't notice any great detail of names and place in Nova Scotia other than Halifax and country tracting.   I wonder if he mentioned more in detail of Nova Scotia somewhere else.  I worked in Halifax, Sidney, Kentville and the Digby country area, and ended up in Yarmouth for my release.  I was there from Jan to Dec of 1950.   His experience in the valley sounds like a homesteading experience.  Very impressive.  He was always an impressive person at the top for every experience I had with him.
Thanks for sharing.  Berwyn and Virginia Andrus, Bountiful

I don't have any specific events that trigger a memory.  His writing in my yearbook says it all about him.  I think he was mistaken about ROTC being optional.  It was mandatory as I remember it and some of the big sports men and some of the goof offs thought it was a joke, until Sgt. Redmond explained the facts of life, something like this.  "During this class you belong to the Army, not the school.  You will do what I say or I will make sure you will wish you had."  I remember one of the goof offs tested him and lost, doing pushups and running on the track.  He was a big part of my high school life, and was delighted to find him living near my sister in Layton.  Sorry that I lost track of him after he moved to St. George.
​
I thought Richard was a year ahead of me, but find him in the same class.  We were both Private, First Class in the 1944 Yearbook.  He was Major and second in command his senior year.   I was 2nd Lt my senior year.  I took the optional third year with two periods of ROTC and before Sgt. Redmond left mid year he pushed through Lt. Col for me, a staff position, not the Commander.  Sgt. Redmond ran a very good program and was working hard to get a top notch rifle team.  I made the rifle team and we were doing well, with lots of practice time and dedicated rifles, but Sgt. Redmond was forced out to make room for the return of Sgt. McNair who had been there before and was a good friend of the Vice Principal, Miss Dyer.  Sgt McNair let things slide and rotated rifles around so we didn't have our own anymore.  With no warning we had to fire for the Hearst Trophy competition and were down among the pack again after being 8th the previous year.  Well that is how I remember it.  It was a different program under Sgt. Redmond.  I just checked and as I thought, I didn't have Sgt McNair sign my yearbook.

On another note, do you have any references to people and places in Nova Scotia?  Your Dad mentioned his first companion was Gayle D. Sessions.  I believe that this is the Elder that died in the field of Meningitis.  I don't think Pres and Sister Young ever really got over that experience.  It was too much like the loss of their son in the War.  I would think that your Dad would have been aware of that, if I have the correct person.  Below  is his information from Family Search.  Do you find anything in your Dad's writings about him other than first companion and eating snails?

I guess that is more than enough for tonight.  It has been a pleasure meeting you and thanks for sharing.  

Gale Baird SessionsKWJ6-GF3 ​
Birth10 June 1923
Milo, Bonneville, Idaho, United States
Death20 December 1947
Nova Scotia, Canada
Contact person who posted his photo:  Contact Name VIrginia Dye E-mail Address [email protected]
Link to person:  https://familysearch.org/tree/person/KWJ6-GF3/details

Mathew, You can include whatever have written.  Just remember that I am an old man with maybe more imagination than memory anymore.  I will look around in your online materials and see if I spot anything.  Names you might find in your Dad's writings that I knew are:  Elder Shroader, Elder Hammond, Elder Adams, Sawler family in Kentville, Ben and Honey Kyte in Kentville.   Elder Staheli, Bezanson in Kentville.   I will see if I can come up with any others.

Here are a couple of links that you might tie in with your Dad

Berwyn

https://familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/14780234?p=2284601&returnLabel=Ronald%20Roy%20Schroader%20(KW4T-LQ5)&returnUrl=https%3A%2F%2Ffamilysearch.org%2Ftree%2Fperson%2FKW4T-LQ5%2Fmemories

https://familysearch.org/tree/person/KW4T-LQ5/memories

Actually the last link will take care of both photos.  I visited Elder Hammond a few weeks before he passed away, and have a photo of him then.  He was also at South High and your Dad might have known him there.

​Mathew:  Here is link to Sawler.  She was baptized in June of 1949 and meetings were held in her kitchen.  Is there any mention of Kentville in your Dad's Journal?

Link to Sawler: https://familysearch.org/tree/person/KWD3-BXH/memories

Link to Elder Schroeder: https://familysearch.org/tree/person/KW4T-LQ5/memories

Link to Sister Ferguson: https://familysearch.org/tree/person/K4TS-91G/landscape

​I did meet Sister Ferguson a few times when I was in Sydney and we traveled over to Glace Bay to visit her.

I believe that she lived at 15 Hickman St. Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, and I have a leaf that I saved from there.  I have attached a photo of it.  (who can question my memory now?  I did google and the address checks good)

I have looked at your postings and don't find Kentville mentioned.

This is pretty mixed up because it is late, but just saw a photo of Elder Marv Hammond just before he passed away, so attached it just in case it is of interest.

Enough is enough for today.  Hope all is well with you.

​One more - you will note that the Temple work has been done for the Donald and Alexis Ferguson, as shown on Family Search.