1974 – 2026
Dad’s Childhood days
Graduating from High School
Dad’s Mission Photos
Airforce Days
1970
Dad was married to Darleen in the 70s. She had my sister Cindy and brother David. They divorced 1973. Dad remarried in 1974 to Marianne Schulz.
This is Dad, Darleen, Cindy, and baby David
This is Darleen’s family
1974
Sorry if the above picture looks kinda rough. I had to edit it and I’m not very good at that.
1975
Written by Marianne Schulz Homer
Each year we want to write a summary of the year. I’ll start 1975
Each year, we want to write a summary of the year. I’ll start 1975 and Marianne will have the usual last word. We were married in Oct. 1974; I worked 5 months as an assistant supervisor of 100 women at Deseret Pharmaceuticals in Sandy, Ut. They had a big lay-off in Dec. that I was a casualty of. I was unable to find a job in Salt Lake so decided to move from Granger to Provo to complete the degree in education I’d been working on part time. Luckily I’d been accepted into the ed. administration program previously & was able to get in on short notice. We found a large 3 bedroom apartment rented from William Chaplin at 710 W. 100 N. which met our needs. A fine couple, Dan & Dawn Martin lived in a back apartment & managed the house for Brother Chaplin. We became close friends with the Martins.
I started education classes with a history minor. I was privileged to take a Pearl of Great Price from Hyrum Andrus which was a spiritual highlight of my life. It was just exactly what I needed then & I grew immensely. I got part time work assisting Rick Johns preparing for the move into the new law school at B.Y.U. Later I was able to get a graduate research assistantship to replace the law school job. I also worked at night cleaning Heaton & Brown’s car dealership at night with the help of the family.
We started attending the 97th student branch but grew stagnant because of no opportunity for service. We switched to Pioneer 1st Ward where there is more than enough service. Marianne is called as primary teacher & I Sunday school teacher then secretary of the elders’ quorum. I’m having a great growth opportunity working with three very fine men, David Moyle, Larry Tomkinson & Madson. In Oct. we were blessed to make an already eternal love an eternal unit by being sealed in the Logan Temple. It was beautiful.
We also have had several fine camping trips this year – Zion Park, the mountains east of Provo. I’ve done a little sailing & motorcycle riding here. We barely missed death in a plane crash with Mitch Roland in Tremonton in Sept. We lost our firstborn together, Jeffrey Grant. The children are thriving: Robby is 5 and in kindergarten. He’s rough, messy, curious, all boy. He’s also very sensitive, can be very gentle, is very helpful. He’s artistic & athletic, shows a great interest in academic & spiritual things – a very fine & rare combination. He’s a good boy with good desires & I enjoy him very much. Suzy is 3. She’s our happiness at home & is always jovial with a very original sense of humor. She’s very independent & strong willed; just seems to want to do good naturally & nothing sways her. She’s a gentle & sweet little girl. I’d better close – I’m very happy & love my family very much. The Lord has been good to us in 1975 & I love Him & my family – especially my very outstanding wife – very much –
Grant covered everything in a nutshell. We have had a wonderful year together – full of trials to be sure, but also full of joy. The low point being Aug. 9, the day Jeffrey Grant was stillborn – it was very hard to lose him, but a wise & kind Heavenly Father gave us strength and comfort. And of course, the high point was Oct. 4, the day we were sealed in the Logan Temple. We were privileged to have a very special sister in attendance – a spiritual high point for both Grant and I. Other special events in connection with our sealing – the plane crash that should have taken our lives was exactly one week before our sealing – Grant & I had decided after an all night talk (and into the early morning) of that fateful sat. that nothing would stop us from being sealed – we had had problems with getting Grant’s temple recommend, then mine, problems with discouragement over many things, but that all night talk made us realize I think that we really loved each other and nothing would keep us from doing what the Lord wanted us to do. (Our faith & love was very strong) That night we crashed on landing – Satan finally tried to stop our sealing – the Lord spared our lives; we were sealed the next Sat. I also love the Lord + my husband very much – I love the Gospel – I love life!
1976
Written by Marianne Schulz Homer
Important dates
July 3 – Robby and Suzy sealed
July 22 – Paul Born
The year 1976 was another varied and interesting one for our little family. We began our year in Provo. While Grant attended school at B.Y.U. and worked and Dixon Jr. High as an English-Spanish teacher, I was busy being pregnant with Paul, taking care of Grant, Suzy and Robby and babysitting Jesse Moore and Jason Growler, two cute little 2 year olds. I was put as Primary President in Pioneer Ward (9th West 1st North, Provo), a job which I truly enjoyed. Grant was the Secretary of the Elder’s Quorum – a job he truly enjoyed! We grew spiritually from our church callings. We enjoyed Pioneer Ward and the sociability found there. Some of the activities we have fond memories of were: New Years Eve party, camping at the Sand Dunes (May), Melchizedek Priesthood Group get0togethers (tubing 0 Margaret Brown broke thru the ice at the bottom, firesides, pot-luck dinners, etc.) good Relief Society (spiritual and involving: Ann Moyle came for 2 months for my piano lessons on R.S. mini-lessons), and generally good church meetings. In May, Robby and Suzy had their tonsils taken out – they were two hurtin’ little kids for a week or so! Grant also turned 30 in May. The end of June we went to court and had Robby and Suzy legally adopted by Grant – a very happy experience – we had to take the witness stand and be questioned by a judge and a lawyer. One man who happened to be in the audience came up to us after and wanted to shake Grant’s hand. With tears in his eyes, he told Grant what a fine man he was – something I agree with totally.
Exactly one week later on July 3, 1976 we were sealed in the Provo temple as an eternal family unit, a very special and endearing ceremony. How grateful we are for this wonderful blessing!
My mother and grandma were there for the sealing. Roby and Suzy were all dressed in white and were the sweetest children I had ever seen.
Paul gave me a few false labor pains that day and we fully expected a 4th of July baby. However, we had to wait almost three more weeks before he finally arrived. The date was the 22nd of July, Dr. Francis delivered- Grant was with me all the time and we were both in tears when Paul Benjamin Homer, our perfect little son was born. What a beautiful, strengthening experience we shared. Paul was blessed the first Fast Sunday in August – we had a house full of relatives among our half-packed house that day – we were packing to move to Park Valley, Utah where Grant had just accepted the principalship of the little two-classroom school house there. He has been a good principal with enough problems to keep things interesting, for instance: apathy, the “wolf pack”, the Roses, etc. Some of the people we have been impressed with are: Mildred + Royal Morris, Phyllis Runzler, the Motts. Country life is a new experience for me. The clean air and non-congested road is great. Some drawbacks are the isolation (75 miles from the nearest town, Tremonton), no stores, no doctors or things associated with a town. We have one gas station-store here, no telephone in our trailer (maybe in 1977). Our water is from a hand-rocked in well in our front yard, gas from the tank in the back yard piped into the trailer, electricity from Malta, Idaho.
During the holiday season that just ended, we had a very nice time visiting many friends and relatives: Dan+Dawn Martin – Orem, Dave and Ann Moyle, Brenda Anderson (on the sidewalk in front of the Moyles + Bro. Gottfredson), our house in Provo (which we bought in August from William E. Chaplin, former landlord), Dan + Mary Olsen – Kaysville, Mom, Grandma, Dad, Allen + Carolyn, Uncle Don + Aunt LaVern, Mel and Grace, Tom Schulz and Cindy and David, who stayed with us in P.V. for 4 days.
Robby: Won the bicentennial picture contest in the kindergarten at Franklin school, entered the first grade in P.V., has lost 4 baby teeth this year, is 6 years old and feeds the chickens and rabbits morning and night in P.V. He is learning to take responsibility fairly well and is growing up too fast! He’s getting to be a pretty good reader.
Suzy: Loves to dance and sing and impromptu and constantly. Is happy and helpful. Her favorite activity is to entertain Paul – Who loves every minute of it. She loves Sunday School and Primary – pretends she’s a teacher. She’s 4 years old and likes to sit on stranger’s laps, usually old men.
Paul: Is our happy, sweet baby who ties us all together in happy laughter often. Everyone who sees him for any length of time, almost without exception, comments on what a good little baby he is.
The Lord truly blessed us during this year!
Marianne holding baby Paul
1977
Written by Grant Wendel Homer
The year of 1977 was a year of great tragedy and change for our family. We suffered the loss of Marianne, the children’s wonderful mother and my sweet wife. There’s nothing I can write which will express the sorrow and loss of someone so much a vital part of the Homer family. But we go on as a family and God has blessed me and the kids with great comfort in our grief.
The first part of 1977 was spent in Park Valley, a place we were all happy to leave. Three powerful families there bullied the community and made Park Valley a very miserable and hateful place. Their fighting and gossip overflowed into the school, which hurt me and into the ward which hurt us all. Their children in school behaved like their parents and had backed the last four principals down with their parents’ support. The superintendent was concerned with his own neck and career and would not support me when the three families started threatening. The adults were rude to me and Marianne, the children beat up our children, even Paul, less than a year old, whenever given a chance. It was a hard decision, but we didn’t allow ourselves to become intimidated. I decided to forget my career and continue to do my best to run the school as a school and keep control. we were blessed in our decision. A new school board was elected; they fired the superintendent.
The board president investigated all the upset and supported me totally. Several of the decent community members decided it was time to take a stand against their neighbors, got control of the P.T.A. and supported the school. We felt after praying that we should move on, so I had resigned in March for the coming year. It’ll take years for the hatred and feuding To die in Park Valley and we didn’t want to be in the middle of it any longer. We did have beautiful times as a family camping and hiking the beautiful canyons there. We took a trip with Grandma Schulz at Easter to Phoenix and visited Uncle Paul. We saw the Grand Canyon on the way back and spent a day in Flagstaff getting the radiator of the Pontiac fixed.
We returned to the Provo home we love in June, 1977. I completed a history minor and continued working for an education specialist degree in administration. I became the graduate assistant of the department head while Marianne working carpeting and a ceiling and paneling in our downstairs apartment. We loved being back in the Pioneer First ward where I had the great experience of successfully working with an inactive Scout Troop. It was great to be around fine friends such as Thompkensons, Moyles, Basting, Andersons . Suzy and Robby had a great time with Finlaystons and Moyles. In August, we were offered a job teaching in Spanish Fork for an assistant principal of Union High in Roosevelt, Utah.
Again I was directed to move, this time to Roosevelt. The school and community are very good, my job working with Dr. David Steadmen is great. We all enjoyed the community and area (although it’s snowed, fogged and frozen all winter). At Thanksgiving we drove to Logan to visit family and Cindy and David. Taking them home at 7:50P.M., Nov 25, South of Richmond, a drunk named Michael Bronson from Lewiston, UT swerved into our lane at close range and high speed. Marianne was driving the 1969 V.W. Van, something I normally did. She was killed, probably instantly, with the 7 month baby she was carrying. [Marianne’s] mother broke her arm as did I, Cindy both legs, and Paul some ribs and wrist. The drunk severed his spine and his wife and baby were unhurt as well as David and Suzy. Our tremendous loss was the beautiful and wonderful Marianne we loved so much, who was buried Nov 30 in the Homer plot in Tremonton. I struggled with two injured hands taking care of a house, Paul as a baby and my job.
Sharlene Davis, our babysitter, has been a great help as has Robby, matured beyond his 7 years – out of necessity. We’ve grown very close as a family and glory in the day when we’ll again be a complete family. For Christmas this year, I took Robby and Suzy to Mexico City for 5 days with Chris Brown, a good friend. We stayed with Harold Brown, his wealthy father and visited Tula Teotihuacán and other beautiful pyramids and ruins. I’ll write a short sentence on each of my fine children now:
Paul. Nineteen months old now. Walking, continually curious and into everything. Becoming fiercely independent, doesn’t want anyone to do anything for him. Hair changed from dark brown to honey blond and eyes from black to brown.
Susan. Five years old. Tall for her age, has the sweet easily contented sprint of her mother. Warm, affectionate, a natural mother to Paul. Happy, nice to be around, sings, plays games, developing a talent for drawing.
Robert. Seven years old. Demonstrates a talent for academic and intellectual things, art, sports. Restless, sensitive, mature for his age. Developing an excellent memory and knowledge of gospel. Loves to help and to please but is not easily pleased himself.
1978 – 79
Written by Grant Wendel Homer
Important Dates
6th Aug 1978 – Robert Baptized
March 31, 1979 – Renee endowed
April 6, 1979 – Renee sealed to Grant
September 27, 1979 – Death of Renee’s mother
November 10, 1979 – Air Force discharge
At the end of 1978, I sat down, reviewed the year, and decided to wait one more year before writing. This year has been much more eventful. The big event of 1979 was the addition of Renee to the family in April. Renee has been a wonderful wife and mother.
As I look back on 1978, I remember the terrible loneliness of the whole family after Marianne’s tragic death. Though missing Marianne terribly, I began to date the spring after her death. We moved back to the big apartment of our Provo house the summer of 1978 where I continued my specialist degree. I passed the tests for the degree in November but it took BYUs bureaucracy until December 1979 to mail the diploma. In August we came back to a job I greatly enjoy, assistant principal of Union High in Roosevelt. I especially enjoy working with young people and the principal, David Steadman. We moved into a house 2 miles west of Roosevelt in Hancock Cove. We bought the home with 2 acres from Sherm Richins around March of 1979.
The winter in the Uintah Basin of 1978-9 was the worst I remember. It snowed Nov. 10 and never melted until late in April. It was foggy for weeks and for a two-week period never was warmer than 5F. The official low was minus 39F. One morning, Renee wrecked her car on the slick roads driving from Salt Lake to see us, but it turned out to be a blessing. Renee wasn’t hurt, and the insurance from the useless car bought us a very useful white Chev. Truck.
Speaking of Renee, we met Friday October 13, at my home, thru her brother Jan. I’d home taught Jan in Provo and he and Carolee were friends of Marianne and me. We dated thru the winter, I proposed March 11, and we were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple April 6, 1979. We had our reception at Renee’s in Claremont, California, April 14 and had a honeymoon at Laguna Beach. We returned to Claremont for Renee’s mother’s funeral. Renee’s mother died from cancer September 27, 1979. Renee fit beautifully into our family, and we all enjoy her family.
We finally had time and money this summer for some great vacations. We camped in Zion’s with Renee’s family in June. Highlights were climbing up Angel’s Landing with Renee, Jan, and the children, and watching the dog fall over Emerald Falls (Not the most enjoyable thing we’ve watched.) In July we went to Yellowstone Park with Marianne’s mother, Grandma Schulz. We saw many moose and other animals and also enjoyed exploring the ice cave and volcanic cone near Grace, Idaho, were Grandma was raised. Grandma and Renee have become close.
We also had some special temple experiences in 1979. With Renee’s help we finished the Schulz genealogy (part) Marianne and I had been working on. We had a very spiritual and rewarding time doing the temple work for Frank Schulz and family. On December 27, 1979, we were honored to be able to witness the sealing of my dear brother-in-law, Dan Olson, to my sister Mary and children. I’ll now let Robby (4th Grade) tell about the kids:
Suzy and I enjoy school. I went to 3rd grade at East Elementary. My teacher was Mrs. Bergquist. I am in 4th grade now. My teacher is Miss Woods. Suzy went to Kindergarten at East Elementary. Her teacher was Mrs. Sprouse. She now goes to Roosevelt Elementary. Her teacher is Miss Frank. Paul can talk and is toilet trained. Paul is large for his age.
Our pets are a black and white Poodle named Tippy. He is smaller than our cats. We have three cats named Panther, Ted, and Smokey. Our favorite cat is Panther.
– The Lord blessed the Homers greatly in 1978 and 1979 –
1980
Written by Renee Manwaring (Mom)
Important Dates
Jan 9 – Danny’s birth
February 3 – Danny’s blessing
April 4 – Grandma Leona G. Manwaring’s passing
July 12 – Dad and Jean’s marriage in L.A. Temple
This year has been an eventful one. Beginning with Danny’s birth on the 9th of January. He came very fast. It seemed like I got into the delivery room just in time for Dr. Shupe to catch him. Due to my short labor, I seemed to recover quickly and without too much discomfort so I went home from the hospital a day early. But the next day, I came down with a fever and was re-admitted to the hospital for endometritis. Danny was also readmitted with jaundice. After 5 days we were both able to go home.
One month later I was still not yet well and was admitted again to the hospital with another infection. Danny was fine and continued to grow stronger and cuter.
Another happy event was my Dad’s marriage on July 12th to Jean Spackman – a very beautiful and lovely lady and super grandma. We spent the summer mostly working on our basement and garden. We all but finished a family room and a bedroom from the boys. Our garden was very productive and kept the kids busy weeding and me canning. We all enjoyed the fruits of our labor. Grant taught summer school to remedial second graders and enjoyed the break from High School discipline.
We made several short weekend camping trips. One very enjoyable trip was to Nine-Mile Canyon where we found Indian writings and ruins and collected rocks for our chimney.
Summer was over too soon and Grant and Rob and Sue returned to school. I have enjoyed having Paul home, though, to keep me company during the days. Paul has probably progressed the most of any of us this year both verbally and socially. He has also become quite the little artist. I’ve seen his little friends ask him to show them how to draw things.
I began working part time (midnight shift on weekends) at our hospital in September to supplement our income. I have enjoyed the new things I have learned as well as the friends I have made.
This Christmas we were able to save for a trip to California. Because we wouldn’t be able to carry all of our presents to California, we had our own Christmas early. The Monday before Christmas, we had a family night Christmas and acted out our Christmas play and opened our presents. It was fun, but somehow not the same as waking up Christmas morning. We saved some presents to open on Christmas at Dad’s, which was like a second Christmas. We especially enjoyed meeting my new step-brothers and sisters.
While in California we were able to see Sea World with Chris and Margaret Brown and family and drive up the scenic coast highway to Northern California to spend New year’s with Harriet and Craig in Modesto.
Grant’s my church callings have been trying and uplifting. Grant has taught his elders quorum for the 3rd year in a row, but has enjoyed his home teaching. We saw 2 families go to the temple to be sealed. I taught the Miamades and enjoyed the youth, but have especially enjoyed teaching the spiritual living lessons in Relief Society.
It has been a year of trial and blessings overall – a happy one.
1981
Written by Grant Wendel Homer
Important Dates
June 13 – Grant moves to Missouri
July 7 – Renee moves to Missouri
The year 1981 led again to another change in the lives of the Homer family. We began the year in our home three miles west of Roosevelt, Utah.
Unlike previous years, the 1980-81 winter in Roosevelt was a mild one. We had no lasting snow on the ground, but made up the moisture with rain. It was actually sunny and warm for a period. The Wasatch front was foggy and cold. Renee taught the Relief Society spiritual living lesson, while Grant taught the Elders, Temped preparation, teacher’s training, and was the ward mission leader for the Roosevelt 6th Ward of the West Roosevelt Stake.
Perhaps most satisfying for Grant was seeing 2 of the 3 families he home taught sealed in the temple (Schreibers and Killian’s. Still waiting for the Andersons)
Rob showed his talent as an athlete by taking first in his school (1-6) as a fifth grader in the 200 and 600 yard dashes and 1 mile and 3 mile runs. Susan was advanced into the academically gifted program in her school.
My job as assistant principal of Union High School involved much rewarding counseling with young people but was low paying and high-pressure. We had many fine experiences with fine people in Roosevelt, but missed family and shopping and hated the wind, fog, and cold. Dave Steadman’s job as principal opened, but we decided we did not want to settle permanently in Roosevelt. I want to work in industry for better salary and advancement or as a college professor. An academic M.S. degree in Safety Engineering could give me either. I was accepted into the Industrial Safety program at Central Missouri State University.
Susan and I moved to a small hot trailer in Greenwood Trailer Park while Renee and the boys stayed in Utah to dispose of the home. The humidity in Warrensburg was hard to take at first, but I loved the rich green countryside. Renee rented our Roosevelt home with an option to buy and came to Missouri.
We rented a small home at 206 W. Culton and planned to live on the last of my V.A. educational benefits and the Utah Retirement I withdrew. Then Renee was blessed with a job at Johnson County Hospital and I as an interviewer with Mathamatica Research Corp. We can’t believe we haven’t had to touch our retirement money. The Lord just keeps blessings us financially!
I loved this area when I was stationed here in the Air Force 1970-72. The country is beautiful, the Midwesterners are fine Christian people, our ward is excellent, the social life with fellow students is good. We enjoy church history, country, Independence, Liberty, Adam-Ondi, etc. We had an enjoyable Christmas vacation with my old friends Wallace and Elaine Mitchell in Glenwood, Arkansas. We hope to move to Utah this June and help care for my father who recently suffered a stroke.
1982
Written by Renee Manwaring Homer while living in the Tremonton East House
Important Dates
May 16 1982 – Grant graduates with M.S. in safety (GPA 4.0)
May 17, 1982 – Move to Utah, Grant’s first day on the job
July 18, 1982 – Robert ordained to a deacon
September 19, 1982 – Edmund Z Homer dies
The year 1982 has been a year of change for the Homer family. It began with us still living in Warrensburg, Missouri. Grant finished his last quarter at Central Missouri State University and worked part time for Mathematica research and me working part time in medical-surgical Supply at Johnson County Memorial Hospital and typing Grantt’s school papers full time. The year has ended with us living in Tremonton, Utah.
At the beginning of the year, if we had known how things would turn out, we would have been greatly reassured as the country and world have been in a bad economic recession with not many jobs available.
We had a bad scare around in March when Paul fell from a tree onto concrete. He was dizzy, vomiting and drowsy, so we took him to the Johnson County Memorial Hospital, where they x-rayed his head and said they thought he had a skull fracture. I flew with Paul via Life Flight helicopter to the Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, very worried and upset. But after examining his X-rays [doctors] said to our relief that his skull was not fractured and released him the next day after observation. Paul still isn’t a very good tree climber.
While in Missouri, Grant kept in touch with Thiokol Chemical Corp, though there had been no job openings. But just a month before his graduation, an opening came up and Grant flew to Utah, interviewed for the job – he was the only one they interviewed – and received the job offer.
Thiokol paid to move us to Utah; we sold our Roosevelt home and moved into the home where Grant was raised in Tremonton (The East House).
We had hoped in moving here that we might be able to care for Grant’s Dad in his declining years, but this did not work out. When we moved back to Tremonton, we had him released from the rest home and moved him back into his home where we cleaned, cooked, and washed for him. But his health declined steadily and although we took him to many doctors, they could not find what was the matter with him. It wasn’t until we insisted that they admit him into the hospital and told them to do an upper and lower G.I. test that we discovered the cause of his illness – and his death.
The doctors found cancer throughout his stomach and liver. On September 19th, one week after the diagnosis, he died early in the morning. We couldn’t help but be a little angry at the doctors who had not diagnosed his illness until it was too late.
We are now planning to buy the farm and build onto Grant’s Dad’s house this spring.
We spent Christmas at our home with Grandma Schulz and left for California 2 days later to spend the remainder of the vacation with Grandma and Grandpa Manwaring in California.
In Missouri we enjoyed being able to visit many church historical sites. Here in Utah we have enjoyed being close to family and temples.
1983
Written by Grant Wendel Homer
Important Dates
30 March – Adam’s birth
This has been the year of the well, the house, the weather, and in many ways, has not been a good year. We began the year with a Christmas vacation with Renee’s family in Los Angeles. We visited Disneyland and had an interesting shopping trip in Tijuana. Dad and the children had an interesting experience watching a grey whale sound while they watched from a boat off the coast of Long Beach.
We finally were able to deal with my family to buy the Tremonton farm with a house after Grandpa’s death. It should be an excellent place to raise a family if we can just make the payments now. At the beginning of the year, we contracted with Stan Thompson to build a large addition onto the West house, Mel and Grace’s old house on Salt Creek. We gave Stan the equity money from our Roosevelt home for labor and materials for the building. We dug the basement, then it started to rain in March. It rained through June, preventing further work. By the time it quit, Stan had spent up our money and declared bankruptcy. The threat of legal action has gotten some work from Stan, but Dad is not spending all his time building (with Neil’s help) while 5 children crowd into a small 2 bedroom home. After a nice fall, the bizarre weather has again stopped any outside work. There’s 2-3 feet of snow with giant drifts, and its snowed nearly daily for a month.
This spring during the flooding rain, the well on the East House went dry while we lived there. Dad dug a new well 40-feet deep using a post auger with extensions. We spent several miserable months with no water or muddy water while getting the new well in service. We did get good water and a good sewer system finally in time to move to the West House.
The children have been more successful than other areas. Adam, our new baby, is a delight. He crawls around and smiles at everyone. We were very blessed to discover Dan’s amblyopia, get glasses and an eye patch, and possibly save his vision in one eye. Paul’s social behavior was much improved by treating him for Attention Deficit Disorder with a daily Desoxin pill After a terrible lazy summer, Rob has began to work. Sue is a good student.
1984 – 1985
Written by Grant Wendel Homer
Important Dates
4 Aug 1984 – Paul’s baptism
10 April 1985 – Lillian’s death
Another massive snowfall occurred during the winter of 1984 – 1985, leaving up to 20 ft of snow in the mountains. President Kimball called for church members in Northern Utah and Southern Idaho to fast on May 6 1985 to avoid the tremendous flooding and destruction forecast during the spring runoff. May 7th, the continuous giant storms split around our area, the temperature moderated and the “certain” flooding was averted.
It’s been a busy time rebuilding the run down yard and backyard around our home. Rob and Dad have repaired fences, put a fence across Salt Creek to contain the sheep, re-built shed and have declared war on the weeds. Our home enterprises have been successful the last few years – – we’re self-sufficient in eggs, which we trade for whole milk, we butcher a hog every 6 months for pork, we’re raising a fat steer (named Norman), and Dad put 2 deer in the freezer this year for venison. Our agricultural ventures haven’t been as successful. The raspberry field is sickly and dying; hopefully, we’ve remedied the deficiency by adding iron and phosphate to the soil. St… like tomatoes and onions have done poorly in our hand… garden. This fall we added loads of manure, stray, sand and commercial fertilizer, which Dad worked into the soil.
As of January 1986, most of the additions to the house are complete with the boys moved into the basement bedrooms. The law and us are still chasing Stan Thompson, so we’ve done the work ourselves.
We took our vacation during the spring of 1985 to Southern Utah – Northern Arizona. We towed our old tent trailer with our old white Chevvy Pickup and camped in Bryce and Grand Canyons. We hiked into a beautiful area near Boulder, UT, named Calf Creek Falls. Dad, Sue and Paul hiked to the bottom of Grand Canyon at Horseshoe Mesa, spent a night and explored old copper mines and a cave. We rented two snowmobiles the day following 1985’s Christmas, drove to the sink area at the top of Logan Canyon, and had an enjoyable day riding in the beautiful snow.
Dad has greatly enjoyed his work as a Seventies President and has participated in several more baptisms in the Tremonton 7th Ward. At Thiokol, he’s transferred from Safety Oct. 20 1985, to become a senior Manufacturing Engineer, getting both a promotion and a good pay raise. Renee is very busy as the second Counsellor to the Primary President and working with Paul’s ….
Rob at 15 is 6ft tall and played football for Bear River football team, which made the State Finals. Both his work and grades have improved. Susan, who just turned 13, is 5’7” and weighs 130. She’s become a young woman. After a bad school year in 1984, Paul has done much better in the fourth grade under Mrs. Bret Potter. Little red-headed Dan loves kindergarten with Fred Manning as a teacher. Adam at 2 ½, is finally talking and becoming toilet-trained. He’s a delightful little boy who runs around jabbering and repeating what everyone says.
1986
Written by Grant Wendel Homer
Important Dates
March 27th 1986 – Grandma Schulz passes away
Sept. 20th 1986 – Dad and Jean get sealed, L.A. temple
This year began rather tragically with the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger and the deaths of all the crew on January 25th and the death of our dear lovely Grandma Schulz on March 27th.
The space shuttle exploded due to a leak in a join in one of the booster rockets which Grant is involved with at Morton Thiokol. We worried for a while about Grant’s job, so Renee got a job at Bear River Valley Hospital in the lab (just in case). However, there was not cause to worry. In fact, he has been busier than ever in the re-designing of the booster. We don’t expect to see any space shuttles go up this year, though.
Grandma had surgery for a brain tumor in March. The tumor turned out to be benign and she gained consciousness after surgery and was just fine until a few hours later when she developed some bleeding, which damaged her brain. She never regained consciousness again. We took turns sitting by her bedside in the hospital for two weeks, watching her grow weaker until finally, mercifully, her heart stopped. We have missed her terribly, but have her to thank for keeping us close to Marianne’s family.
This summer Rob spent the summer in Connecticut working for Carl Schulz (Grandma’s brother-in-law) doing construction work.
The rest of the family stayed home except for a short trip to Denver around the 4th of July.
Paul and Sue raised and trained fair pigs all summer and both won blue ribbons at the Country Fair. Out of classes of about 20 pigs, they placed 5th and 4th, respectively.
Our house building is progressing. We took out a loan and put siding on in July. We’ll add the brick next year. The inside is getting finished too. Grant’s brother Neil and brother-in-law Dan Olson have been very helpful and generous with their time and talents. Neil helped with the heat ducts and Dan, with the doors and woodwork.
All of our soil improvement and work in the garden paid off this year. After canning more than 70 quarts of beets, beans, and carrots, we started giving away our produce!
Then Grant and Rob filled our freezer with two bucks and a doe. (yes, Rob shot his first buck). Along with a half pig and a half a steer, we have been well fed.
We finished up the year with a trip to California during Christmas vacation. We stayed with Dad in Southern California, then went North to Bodily’s in Dinuba and then Lewis’s in Modesto. It was enjoyable visiting and letting the children get to know some of their cousins a little better.
1987
Written by Grant Wendel Homer
Important Dates
27 June – Cynthia returns
28 Sept – Dad ordained a High Priest by Mel Homer
I’ll start Volume II of the Homer book for the year 1987. Presently, Rob is 17, a Senior in High School; Cynthia 16, a Junior; and Susan 14, a Freshman. Paul is 11, Dan 8, and Adam is 4 and will be in Kindergarten next fall.
One of the most eventful events of the year came as an answer to 12 years of my prayers. Cynthia Homer was rejected by her unstable mother in Arizona and came to live with us in Tremonton. It’s taken much adjustment, but Cyndi has become a part of our family already.
The family members have been very active this year. Dad and Paul played soccer; Dan’s team was in the finals and Paul’s tied for first. Sue is on the J.V. basketball team and Rob started on the Varsity football team, but broke his finger. Sue and Paul both showed hogs at the Country fair and both made Star (the top 2 of the class).
It was a bad year for vehicles. Mom pulled in front of a girl in Logan and wrecked our 1980 Citation car. John Riley rebuilt it and we bought in back (??). The brakes failed on the 1979 Ford pickup coming off Willard Peak Labor Day. Dad avoided injuries by tipping over the truck but then lost it over the edge anyway trying to move it. Dad and Rob are rebuilding the pickup.
1987 was the year of short vacations. We camped at the City of Rocks in the Spring, up American Fork Canyon with the Manwaring Reunion in July. We stayed with the Warren Bodily family in Idaho New Years.
1988
Written by Renee Manwaring (Mom)
Important Dates
April 3, 1988 – Daniel baptized
May 10, 1988 – Uncle Mel died
May1988 – Rob graduated from High School
This year began with illness. We all took turns coming down with Laryngitis. Mom and Dad had it for 3 weeks. Mom had to outdo everyone by topping it all off with 3 more weeks of pneumonia. When she finally got better, it was spring.
Daniel turned 8 in January, but chose to wait until Spring so he could get baptized in Salt Creek. We had an early, warm, Spring so we figured Easter would be a good day as Grandma and Grandpa Manwaring were coming to visit. However, April 3rd dawned cold and windy. But Danny, undaunted, went ahead with it. We were all proud of him.
Grant had to go to Kennedy Space Center in Florida for 2 weeks. He got to see a lot of interesting sights including the Epcot Center.
Uncle Mel’s health had been failing rapidly and he passed away on May 10th. His death was merciful although we do miss him.
Robert graduated from High School in May, went to Connecticut to work for uncle Carl, then started college at U.S.U. in September.
Paul turned 12 and was ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood by Grant on July 24th.
We had a lot of fun and interesting vacations this year. First we went to Craters of the Moon and Yellowstone (before the fires). Grant, Sue, Paul and Danny got to Canoe up Lewis River to Shoshone Lake where they spent the night.
On our last day we took a boat ride across Jenny’s Lake and hiked up “Hidden Falls”. Two weeks home from this vacation and Grant and Renee left again for 3 days on a houseboat on lake Powell where they did lots of boating, water skiing, snorkeling and hiking. They also got to go to BYU Education Week later in the summer.
Cyndi, Sue and Paul showed pigs in the fair where Sue won a Red Ribbon, Paul a blue, and Cyndi a Star. blue ribbon – only 5 places away from Grant Champion.
Adam started kindergarten in the Fall and Grandpa Manwaring had triple bypass surgery on Nov 24th – Thanksgiving Day!
Our house is progressing slowly. We have 1 and ½ bathrooms now and Grant is working on laying marble.
1989
Transcription pending
1990
transcription pending
1991
Transcription pending
1992
Transcription pending
Misc. Family Photos
1993 to 2026
Section not finished yet. Dad only kept the Homer Scrapbook’s One and Two up to 1992, then he stopped writing. There’s more here, but it’s disorganized, so I’m just going to start adding photos and later I’ll add the histories around them.
