Our Fellow Dominican Missionaries and other DR friends

This has been such a perfect place to connect with those who we came to know and love when we served our first mission in the Caribbean and especially the Dominican Republic. We have seen so many of those dear friends during this first year of our mission.


We saw the Crismons for lunch in the fall, but we forgot to take a photo with them.

We saw the Walkers before they left on their mission to Chile as Medical missionaries.

Jill went up to Ogden to have lunch with Cozanne Mahon and Carole Hyde.  It was a cold winter day and a little scary for her to drive up there between the snow and her not knowing where she was going, but it was so fun being with them.  Diana Despain and Kathy Rees were going to come as well but were feeling sick.

We had dinner one night at Marcia and Rodney Ford's home with the Snows and the Rees, again from the DR. The Fords are always so sweet about hosting these.  They and the Snows both on the left were our first friends in the DR and went home at about the same time.  It was so hard to see them go...

Rafael Gutierrez, our director in Public Affairs in the DR, was here for training.  We ate lunch with him at the Nauvoo Cafe and who should also be there but the Lows (who live in Canada but were visiting her mother) who were working with the Legal dept. in the DR.

Georgina Rosario, Rafael's wife, who is now the Publishing Services Manager for the Caribbean, also came in town for training a few weeks later, and we were able to see her.  She was in accounting when we served in the Area Office there, so this was a change of assignment for her.  She is such a multi-talented woman who can do anything.

The Hammons came up to our offices followed by lunch, when they came up for training in preparation for their call as mission presidents. (They are now serving in Riverside, California)
We also celebrated Joann's birthday in April at that home in Springville.

Marilyn and Jim Anderson, who followed us as Public Affairs Specialist in the DR,  hosted a get together at their home, and the Mortensens were there, as well as others that we didn't know because they came after us. Andersons are now serving as Welfare missionaries in Brazil.

Lynn and Janet Snow, among our first friends on our mission, treated us to a wonderful weekend the first of May at their home in Roosevelt - it was such a nice break.  We enjoyed a lovely ride in their area including a stop at the Vernal Temple.  It was perfect weather, and they made the stay so nice.

Us, Cozanne, Eichbushes, Snows, Browns, Glaziers, and Hammons

The Hammons invited all of us to their missionary farewell and then back to their house for lunch afterward.  There were the Eichbushes, Snows, Browns, Glaziers, and Cozanne Mahon there.  It was so good to see everyone!  A couple of weeks later, we joined the Eichbushes at Olive Garden for dinner and to visit some more.

When we were going to Bear Lake over Memorial Day, we stopped at the Burger King in Logan for breakfast with Diana and Dennis Despain.  It was sooooo fun to see them after all this time.

We had a fun dinner  at Joy and Jim Crismons with the Hammons and the Ruckers who were up from Arizona.  We were the closest to the Ruckers, so it was a very sweet visit.  We love all of these folks so much!

And finally in this post of our first year, Joann Bair, our temple president's wife there, was in town, and Jill joined her, Sherry Brown, and Sandra Glazier for lunch.  Joann and her husband Larry were recently released as Visitors Center missionaries in Mesa, Arizona.

Living with Bert and Chris

After moving away from Utah 46 years ago while my brother Bert was still on his mission, we haven't spent a lot of time together besides dinners when we came out to visit. Their offer to rent their basement during our mission began a very special time that we have been able to spend with them.

We have a great bedroom and bathroom and a large family room that we have tried to personalize.  Light comes through the windows, and we can view their sweet little side patio.  We share their kitchen, and they have been so kind to forgive our running the water there when they were showering or not  We have tried to help a little removing ivy from trees and addressing a leaky front porch roof.

What an amazing opportunity for us to get closer and make up a little for the time we have been apart!  Besides eating meals with them and at a few restaurants, we have been able to attend performances at Hale Center Theater with them and also with my foster brother Skip and his wife Sheila.

In addition, their children JD and Bryant and their wives and grandchildren are around frequently, so we have been able to get to know all of them much better than we ever could before.  We were able to attend Jane's baptism and be part of their annual Christmas party with Gramps (Bert) and Grams (Chris).  We have been down at JD's swimming, and Rob helped Bry with a little kitchen remodel.  I have to admit that I envy Bert and Chris having one set of their grandchildren just across the street.

     A giant cupcake for the birthday boy!\

Bryan's Birthday and Celebrating the 24th of July

Because the 24th of July is a holiday, it means that it's a whole day of play!  Out celebration with Bryan began on Sunday night the 23rd with a party that Emily hosted at their home.  And it was twice as fun because Adam and his family were there, too!  

Before we went to Bryan's for dessert, Heather hosted us and Adam's family for dinner.  Here are clever Eliot and Peter with some plate decor - I love these clever grandchildren!

Here Bryan is ready to light his giant birthday candle!  It goes off a little like sparklers and then the sides open and it plays "Happy Birthday"  (Notice that his "cake" are ice cream sandwiches made with home make cookies!)

Here it is open - you had to be very quiet to hear the Happy Birthday song!

Bryan, surrounded by nieces and nephews on both sides exploring the fireworks!

Here are Emily's parents - the Parkinsons!

Emily and Jill watching the ground display

Now dark enough to light sparklers and watch them glow - Yea, Peter!

Adam was kind enough to get a tickets to Bee's game with their family.  We hadn't been to a game there for probably 50 years (and actually it was a much newer, larger stadium!)

Here we are, including a former missionary companion of Wendi's family - although all of the red heads could be Dunfords..

And then came my favorite part - all of the fireworks, and there were some great ones!  

Bitner Extended Family Gathering

On July 22, Rob's cousin Elizabeth Wilcox had a reunion for the Moroni Halseth and Irma May Felt Bitner family at the Salt Lake City Cemetery.  Roy and Irma are Rob's grandparents.  

Although they raised one son and four daughters, they had another daughter Jean who died at birth or was still born.  Arrangements were made to have a tombstone for her through Rob's sister Gloria Jean Dunford Lloyd who was named for her.  So as part of the gathering, Rob dedicated her grave. At the same time, he also dedicated the grave for his cousin Richard Colson, the son of his Aunt Mary. Rick had become estranged from the Church as a young man, so this was a sweet reunity of him with is grandparents with whom he had a sweet relationship.

Nearby, are the gravestones for Brenneman Barr Bitner and his wives.  Brenneman was the beginning of the Bitner line in the Church which includes President Gordon Bitner Hinckley and Apostle Joseph Bitner Wirthin.  

Here is Aunt Carol, the wife of Rob's Uncle Bob Bitner who is deceased.  

Others in attendance were Aunt Gloria and Aunt Carolyn, and also Rick's son Kwame and his family who are not members and came up from California.  The Spirit was very strong, and they were very touched by everything.

Afterwards, we had a picnic at Cottonwood Park which is on the site of the original Brenneman Barr Bitner farm in Sandy.

Here is Rob standing by the plaque which you can see up closer below.  

Here is everyone at lunch.

Jill with Rob's cousin Sylvia

Rob with his cousin Julia and nephew Spencer, Dan and Penny's son.

And here is everyone who joined us for lunch.

Dunford Extended Family Reunion

On July 15, 2017, Rob's siblings and their families gathered for their annual reunion.  Ron and Carolyn were in charge this time, and it was held at their Stake's pavilion. There was a little bit of a western theme.

Adam and Jill

David with a stylin' hat

Bryan and Emily

Darling photo of Ali

Dunford donuts donated by John Stevens, now owner of Dunford Bakery

Wendi and Abe

Eliot and Duncan

Caroline and Grace

Randon and Gayle, Rob's sister

Judy, David's wife

Cute Judy, Rob's brother Carlos' widow

Heather and Sue, Randon's ex-wife

Us with Ali

The kids do the traditional sawdust candy hunt

Adam and his darling family!

For the program, Rob had found a musical that had been commissioned by his cousin about Isaac and Leah Dunford, the first Dunfords to come to America after joining the Church and sent to Bear Lake by Brigham Young to help settle that part of the country. His sister Gloria had rewritten/shortened it, and she and her husband Robin narrated the story along with family members taking different parts.  Adam and Wendi were Isaac and Leah.