Barbara Ann

Dear Barbara,

According to your mother, you were born on Tuesday, August 1, 1939. However, the official Utah State birth records state that you were born on Wednesday, August 2, 1939. Soon after you arrived, your father was called to military duty in the United States Navy and you and your mother remained in Ferron. During your early childhood, your caretakers were your mother and grandparents, Morris and Mae Singleton.

 Following the close of the Second World War, your Father returned to Ferron and began working in the Singleton General Store which was founded by your grate grandfather Samuel Singleton. His employment at the store became a life-long endeavor for both your father and mother. During this time, he supplemented the family income with a variety of jobs including driving a school bus, farming, painting and serving as the Emery County Assessor. Prior to his retirement, he was honored by the State of Utah as the “Assessor of the Year”. 

 Much of your childhood years were devoted to dance. You took weekly lessons from Louise Lauriski in her studio at Carbon College. Your mother was responsible for taking you to Price on many Saturdays. At the time you probably did not realize that you were being trained as a future dance instructor and director of your own studio. 

      

Our journey began when we were children and school mates. Our first date was the Sadie Hawkins Day Dance. You were in junior high school and had asked me to be your escort.

  In the years that followed, your popularity at South Emery High School and your busy schedule occupied most of your time. You were a cheerleader, yearbook editor, member of the tennis team and recipient of the Home Economics Award at your graduation. 

 I was at BYU when you completed your junior and senior years of high school. I returned to Ferron during summer break in and we dated occasionally until the summer following your graduation. That summer I realized that I was becoming very fond of you, and I told you that I would like our relationship to continue, even though you were planning to enroll as a freshman at Utah State University in Logan.

 During the fall semester, we continued to call and write each other with occasional visits. That Christmas was a special time. We have often reminisced about shopping together at Clarks in Provo and the gifts that we gave each other.  Your gift was a white blazer and you gave me gray cardigan sweater. They became keepsakes over the years.

      

  In January 1958 you enrolled at BYU and moved into Heritage Halls. I can remember how much I looked forward to seeing you on campus each day. I know that you did not like spending most evenings in the library, but you were a good sport and came along with me.

      
We had some great times on weekends with the Knights Templers attending Pizza parties, dancing to the music of our time, and at special events, such as the party that we attended at the Alta ski Resort. 

 After discussing marriage with our parents, I gave you an engagement ring. I did not present it to you in a very romantic way, but you accepted my proposal after finding the ring in the pocket of a pair of pants that I asked you to mend. We had intended to marry in the following summer, but our plans changed when it was suggested that we move the date to May. Your cousin Ridell was planning to be married in the Manti Temple in May, and for the convenience of family members it seemed best to hold the two ceremonies at the same time.

    

  

We were married in the Manti Temple on Tuesday, May 20, 1958. Following the ceremony our families met at the Manti City Park for a celebration picnic. Our parents, grandparents and other family members were there. Your mother painted “Just Married” on our car and after having lunch, we said goodbye to everyone and drove to Salt Lake City where we stayed the night in the Hotel Utah Motor Lodge.  Our home for the next week was the El Rancho Motel in Provo before we moved into a one-bedroom apartment next to the university. 

 A year later, in the summer of 1959, we were invited to accompany the McKnight Family to the University of Michigan Biological Station. We left Provo in our green Chevrolet and traveled through the Black Hills of South Dakota where we visited Mount Rushmore. We passed through the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin before arriving in the upper peninsula of Michigan. I remember how frightening it was to cross over the Mackinaw Bridge at night. We arrive at Douglas Lake after dark and were taken to a small metal cabin which was our living quarters for the next three months.

 You were pregnant with Anne (Ani) and the smoke that came from the small stove in our cabin accentuated your morning sickness.  We were assigned to manage the snack bar in the evenings in return for our board and room. We enjoyed serving left-over desserts from dinner and we expanded the menu to include ice cream and pizza. On weekends we enjoyed going to a restaurant in a neighboring town and dancing the polka with our friends from the biological station. You also joined a group that traveled to Canada to see Queen Elizabeth.

     

 At the end of the summer, your family joined us for the trip home. Before leaving Michigan, we all enjoyed a ferry trip to Mackinaw Island where we enjoyed visiting the Grand Hotel and sampling the famous Mackinaw fudge. On our drive home we stopped in Nauvoo to see some of the historical sites of our church. In Denver we purchased your first maternity outfit.

      

On February 17, 1960 our daughter Anne (Ani) was born at Utah Valley Hospital.  Anne’s birth occurred so fast that the doctor did not have time to change his street clothes to assist in the delivery of our baby. We brought her home to our small house that we rented from Don and Roberta Sorenson. You we working at Learners Dress Shop in downtown Provo at the time, so I did the baby setting at home while I completed my master’s thesis.

  Some of my fondest memories of Provo were the Sunday dinners at your grandmother’s home in Orem. We always had a great time with your grandmother, Don and Aunt Pearl. Playing games and watching Maverick on TV.  At the time, we did not have a television set, but soon after, your dad bought us a used black and white set which we had for many years. We also had wonderful dinners at the home of your Aunt Ruth and Uncle Max. Mashed potatoes and noodles were a favorite dish that she made for us.

 In the summer of 1960, our family left Provo for Columbus Ohio. We moved from Provo to Columbus in a U-Haul trailer. Your uncle Max Johnson suggested that we take a short-cut over the mountain to Cheyenne, Wyoming. The road was barely passable. Lucky for us we were successful in arriving in Cheyenne and starting our cross country journey on the interstate.

   

 We arrived in Columbus and moved into a one-bedroom apartment in married student housing. I began my classes at Ohio State and you started working at a store in Upper Arlington, a prestigious residential area of Columbus.

    

 The following year we moved to a two bedroom unit on Cuyahoga Court. You continued to work in Upper Arlington, and babysat other children to help with expenses. While we were living at Cuyahoga Court Stanton was born. You had gone for a check-up on Valentine’s Day. During the examination, the doctor told you that it was necessary to induce labor. Stanton arrived on February 14, 1963 and was placed in the intensive care unit due to inability to breathe normally.  After administering to him, his condition improved and we were able to bring him home.

 We left Columbus for Durham, North Carolina in the spring of 1964. We moved into a two bedroom apartment on Ida Street. I started my position at Duke and you were busy with our children. We attended the Durham Ward and quickly met members that became our friends.

      

 In August we received a call from my mother informing us that my dad was very ill in a Salt Lake City hospital. He died the following day. We made arrangements to return to Ferron to be with my family. Following the funeral, I received a call from Dr. Conant who asked I was interested in accepting a teaching position that had resulted from the abrupt departure of a faculty member. I told him that I would accept the position and that we would return to Durham as soon as possible.

 The following year, your mom and dad sent your Sister Joy back to live with us. You had also taken care of Joy when we live in Provo. Your mom was working full time at Singleton’s Store. Your dad was busy at the store along with driving school bus, painting and farming. With their busy schedules, they believed that Joy would have better care with you. You became a big sister/mother to Joy which had a big influence for good in her life. You should be very proud of your efforts to help Joy when she needed you. 

We had moved to a house on Neil Road. The house was located on a large lot with space for a garden. When your family came back to visit, your grandfather Morris enjoyed working in the garden.

 During the time that we lived on Neil Road we mentioned to our friends, Pat and Donald Draughon, that we were interested in buying a home. Shortly thereafter, Robert Draughon, Donald’s father, approached us at church, and asked us if we might be interested in a home that he believed was for sale. We agreed to meet him at 1314 North Gregson Street that afternoon.

      

 When we drove to the address and much to our surprise, we were looking at a beautiful Cape Cod home. Our hopes faded when we suspected that the home was more than we could afford. As it turned out, Mr. Draughon’s secretary, Mrs. Wheeler, owned the home and had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. She had no heirs and was looking for a family that would take good care of her home. She asked us how much we could afford, and after a short discussion, we agreed on a price. When we returned to our car, we were in shock. We could not believe that this was happening. We lived on North Gregson Street for four years.

 Due to our limited resources we were unable to furnish the home as we would have liked. However, we were able to remodel the upstairs to make a bedroom and bathroom for Anne. We also redecorated the dining room and refinished a dining room table and chairs that we purchased from a used furniture store. Our home was often used for parties and church friends; on one occasion, we had a party for members of the faculty of my department at the university.

 Scott was born at the Duke Hospital on September 28, 1963. I waited in my office at the Bell Building for the doctor to call and tell me the good news. I regret that I was not in the delivery room with you during his birth. Scott was a welcomed gift in our home. He had prominent cheeks that his brother enjoyed pinching.

  We now had three children that required most of your time in caring for them. Our children were always dressed to perfection due to your efforts. Martha, our maid, helped with household chores on occasion, but the bulk of the responsibility was yours. At the same time, you taught dancing for Mrs. Olive Godwin. You often spoke of how much you enjoyed dinner with Mrs. Godwin on the way home from teaching on your out-of-town trips.

While we were living in Durham, our best friends were Pat and Don Draughon, Fay and Charles Jones, and Carolyn and Roland Finlayson. We also enjoyed spending Thanksgivings with David and Bea Schofield while David was in dental school at Georgetown University.

One of our most memorable experiences was a trip to New Orleans to attend a convention. You had made new dresses and we were both looking forward to the trip. One of the highlights of was dinner and dancing at the Blue Room. That evening at the Fontainebleau Hotel gave us the feeling that we were members of the city’s elite class. 

In November 1969 we left Durham for a new adventure in San Diego. We had purchased a new Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser which we drove to California with our three children. In anticipation of our move, we purchased new furniture directly from manufacturers who agreed to let us visit there factories. Our furniture and other personal belongings were transported in a Mayflower Van to San Diego. 

Once we arrived, we stayed with Aunt Norma and Uncle Jim and began looking for a house to purchase. 

     
 After the sale of our home in Durham and had enough money for a down payment on a home in San Diego. We arranged a loan to purchase a model home on Radcliff Lane in University City. The garage in the home had been used as the information center for the development, so it was finished with carpeting and upgrades. This was an ideal bonus room for our three children- Anne (9 years old), Stanton (6 years old) and Scott (3 years old). Anne and Stanton enrolled in Spreckles Elementary School and Scott came with you when you helped me with shipping extracts at the lab. For lunch we really enjoyed tacos from El Indio and having a picnic at Presidio Park in Old Town. 

 We lived in University City for five years before building our home in Poway. We enrolled our children in Poway schools in the fall of 1974 before our home was completed. This was a real hardship on you, since you were responsible for driving the kids to and from school each day. Some days you stayed in Poway and worked on the house to avoid having to make two trips between University City and Poway. During this time you played a major role in overseeing the final stages of construction.

 In November we begin moving furniture and household items to the new home. Most of the trips were in Uncle Jim’s Volkswagen bus. Our move was completed on New Year’s Eve 1975 when the larger items were delivered to Poway in a moving van. Our new address was 13319 Bronco Way, Poway, CA 92064.

The following year, our home was selected to be on the annual holiday home tour. This honor was largely due to your talents in home making skills and interior design. Today, nearly forty-five years later, due to your continued efforts, our home is still admired for its beauty and charm. 

 On September 21, 1978 our family was blessed with the birth of JeNae. A new baby in the house was a joy and an adjustment for all of us. You were involved in your dance studio that you had started the previous year, I was busy with my responsibilities at Allermed, Ani had left home for BYU and Stanton and Scott were enrolled at Poway High and Twin Peaks Middle School. 

 It was a big job for you to keep the family and RB Dancers running smoothly. The studio continued to enroll new students and your dance recitals were spectacular. Unlike the recitals of other studios, your shows were much like the shows in Las Vegas. In 1990, you donated the profits from your recital to the Poway Performing Arts Center to help with construction costs. Your name and the RB Dancers name were placed on the back of two seats in honor of your contribution. You later became chairperson of the Guild to help with programing and fund raising at the center and were honored at a luncheon at the Aviara Hotel for your service. Perhaps the most telling example of your success as owner and director of RB Dancers is the fact that several of your students have gone on to start successful dance studios of their own.

Living in Ohio and North Carolina gave us the opportunity to visit many places in our cross-country travels. Trips to Hawaii, Montreal, Paris, London and the Danube River Cruise are some of the most memorable. Our day in the Cotswold was special when we visited the village of Stanton where a cottage was identified with the Stanton name.

 Following your retirement form RB Dancers you have devoted your time to family needs.  With the marriages of our four children our family has continued to grow. Our thirteen grandchildren will soon be joined by another grandson expected in September. It has been a special blessing for us to have been part of their lives. In many ways our children have continued the traditions that we established in our home, passing these same traditions along to their families. As parents and grandparents, we have much to be thankful for, with much of the credit being given to you.

 As I look back over the sixty-one years of our marriage, I realize how much I have been blessed as your husband. You have been a helpmate in countless ways.

         

Looking forward, I realize how much I depend upon you for my happiness. 

           
I will always love you,

Stewart