Life History of Ivan E. Lauper
My official mission call had not come through but was to be sent to me at Utah home, so I culminated my affairs in Los Angeles before leaving.
It should be stated that before Serge's leaving for his mission, he had invested in a lot. He got a good buy at $2700.00. In those years they had no restraint, commissioner-wise for the State. They hired a man known as Tito Scipio the world's foremost singer, and a Development Company paid him $3,000 to sing at a sunset service to attract people to buy. It was supposed to be oceanfront, which it was not -- it was ocean view. I kept up the payments on this lot during Serge's absence, and I remember how I wore out nearly every girl I could get to drive out with me, trying to locate this property, undeveloped at the time, it was hard to find. It would be worth lots of money today. I recently found myself in Palm Springs talking with a son of the man, McCoy, who had continued selling real estate there. He said his dad couldn't get commissions during the depression. On four occasions he had taken some of these lots (along side Serge's original purchase) in place of his $200.00 commission. This son said his dad sold the four lots for $20,000.00 apiece.
So Serge and I, together, owned this little lot at the time I was leaving in prospect of a mission. I asked for, and got without question, a loan of $1500.00 on the lot. After the banker went and took a look of it, he came immediately and asked if I wanted to sell it; but this we didn't do until some years later after I had returned from England. At any rate that was to be my going away money and served its good stead to get me started in the field. But upon arrival home in Utah, without my official call, mother spoke with the local Stake President, Alonzo A. Hinckley about me. He was a very good friend of the family and particularly fond of mother. Pres Hinckley told me he would be going to Salt Lake within a very few days and arranged that I was to meet him there. So, we held a kind of auction sale, disposing of what we could, and gathering whatever payment we could. True, some of the items were never paid for. A boxcar was loaded with a wagon, a team, a pony, two or three cows, and whatever household goods we could include in there. This railroad car was at a price of $135.00. Brother Marcel elected to accompany the railroad car and our possessions to its California destination. Then we managed to purchase another Model T Ford, which needed some repairs. I went to the garage and got that worked out. At length it was refurbished for the long trip from Delta to Salt Lake, and thence to California.
As per arrangement, in Salt Lake City, at the foot of the Church Office Building, I met with Pres. A. A. Hinckley. He said, "Now Ivan where do you think you would like to go?" I thought how Mother had always cautioned that no one should select their mission location (although I understand that many do). Somehow I couldn't refrain from stating that "at my age, I think I shouldn't try to learn a foreign language but I would like to go abroad". President Hinckley went upstairs and within fifteen minutes he returned saying, "You're going to England". He told how President Grant had inquired of our finances, and President Hinckley had told him that some of the family back home might go short during this period but, "He'll stay on through".
We visited in Salt Lake a very little, and in Lehi we visited the Phillips cousins, and then set out on our way to California. I was responsible for the driving of course, but I did turn the wheel to the younger ones a few times. As we were approaching St. George, I wearied and turned to Dennis, asking him to drive for a while --he was then just 14 years of age. It was late at night, everyone tired, and the driving strenuous on those roads, but I felt he could handle it for a while. 35 to 40 mph was top speed, but suddenly there was bumping and difficulty in holding the road. Dennis did not recognize the trouble, and not until I was awakened was it discovered we had a flat tire, which had been pretty well ruined by driving on it far too long. This trip was almost five days of travel, from northern Utah, probably to Beaver, then maybe as far as St. George, and one could never get passed Las Vegas without having to put a heavy rear spring on the ford, the most important spring and the most costly. Somehow those old roads would not let you by without this investment. None of us can forget stopping at a place near Las Vegas for gas. In our carload was mother, Dennis, Ralph, Viola and myself. We were all parched. The station man would offer us nothing but a bucket of stale water, stating that warm water was so much better for us than cool. I often grew very sleepy, for our camping at night was very sketchy. We were in the San Bernardino Mountains when I asked Vi to drive. She was willing though had very little experience, and here again I didn't awaken until seconds before saving us from tipping from the ridge. But somehow we made it! Before leaving Los Angeles this time, I gathered whatever resources I could, I helped to buy some used pipes and shipped them out to Camarillo where the family was now located. These pipes were to irrigate dad's 5-acre berry farm. I later heard they were not strong enough, burst all over, etc. and so I can distinctly remember feeling, "I've got a tough-go, Dad, but you've got it worse than I".
Eventually, I was on my way to England, although if it had not been for sister Alice I would never have been able to make the mission. M little sister Alice worked hard at the Goodyear plant, in Los Angeles, and sent money regularly every month. After a certain period of time, Harry Madsen sent me $5.00 and Julius also asked Grandma to contribute something, so I think it was $15.00 she sent once. Once in a while Serge was able to send a little, Aunt Alice Phillips sent something a time or two. Dad wrote with his little expression of, "Sorry I can't help, etc, etc". But during my mission I always managed to have some little money ahead. I never used up all I had, but secretly put away a little in Barclay's Bank. I had a companion with a banker father, another whose father had a lot of cattle, and another a lot of sheep, but my sister kept the money coming regularly to me, and I was able to loan to most of my companions. Alice was the main contributor; and mind you, this was during a tough depression -my mission started in midyear of 1929. The notorious stock market crash took place while I was over there. My companion with a banker father was eating when he heard of the crash, and choked and spilled his food. This was Cyrus W. Greaves, who has remained a close friend to this day. I later helped this man and his wife buy his lot in San Diego, on which he built his home about 8-1/2 years ago at a cost of $50,000. He is now retired from his college position, borrowed money on his home property and is touring Russia. We are very very good friends.
I went over to England on the world's largest ship, Leviathon, and returned on one of America's large ships, The George Washington. The Leviathon was a very large ship, very commodious, and I learned walking around the promenade deck was considered to be a mile and one quarter. It had a crew of 900 and carried 3,000 passengers. It had two swimming pools, a lot of luxury which I had never before experienced. This ship was owned by Germany but the U.S. acquired it during World War I, and I am told that it carried over a full division of soldiers. It contributed toward winning of the War.
We arrived and the Mission President took me into the area where he lived, and within about two weeks a worldwide Scout Jamboree was in session at Birkenhead, a town across the channel from Liverpool, England. They wanted four representatives of the 200 missionaries in the Great Britain mission. (There were then about only 200 Stakes within the Church). I was one of the four our President selected to attend this Jamboree. While on this assignment we worked out of Durham House where Apostle John A. Widstoe was in charge of the European Missions I had dinner with this fine Apostle a couple of times. We met the Prince of Wales, Lord Baden Powell who was the father of Scouting. No less than fifty-three Nations were represented there, and this whole encampment was and is very picturesque in my memory, even though it rained m6st of the time. At tines, we felt inclined to change the name to "Mudderee". We had a wonderful time there in exchanging literature, coins, memoirs, and friendship. The whole purpose was to kindle a feeling of camaraderie to be taken back into the various countries, and to dismiss any thoughts toward future wars! How ironic this has been.
Proselyting, as compared to success of today, was not too good, even though it was not considered too bad for those times. Sum total of my success was three baptisms, two women, plus the daughter of one of these. Part of our success with the mother and daughter was because we Elders lived with them, became friends, and were able to teach them. We had our disappointing times and experiences. We were under fire continuously from Satan’s non-believers. Once in a while we secured a good news release; but not generally. Our tracting was same as anywhere in those days ---60 hours per week, and we held lots of street meetings. Our efforts on the main were valiant; at first we were accused of being too eager. My job was of a heavy nature. Being a little older than the average Elder, I was called to preside over those who got themselves into trouble, those with disagreements, or heavy discouragement. True as always, there were some young Elders who gained more than they gave. We even had a young man, 17 years of age. He was an A-student, ahead of himself in school, so he was called. During this time, I also had an operation which set me back physically for a while, so I was called to be clerk in the District Office for a period. I was then located in Birmingham, the largest city other than London. It was a most beautiful city and likened to Los Angeles. The last seven months I spent in London. Prior to that I spent much time in the worn out areas, opening up and trying to stimulate. At that time the Church owned only three buildings in the whole British Isles, other than the Mission Home. One of those, North Hampton, was totally vacant, due to inactivity. The first assignment, after leaving Birmingham, was to try to find and gather and revitalize what members were left in that area ---most of the valiant members had departed for America. It was there I came close to being whipped by an irate husband. The wife was wonderful, she had kept the spirit going in her household all through the dreadful war, but her husband came by while we were visiting with her and soundly objected; so of course we never went back. We had one other chapel in Kidderminster. The steam pipes burst there and it was a cold place. I remember the Branch President saying, “Why can't you Elders allow us enough money to remedy this and that?" I had to tell him; "Brother 'G', if you look here, you will see the Church is sending you far more support money than you are sending in tithing." There were no women missionaries until toward the end. Then one missionary came with his wife, and that helped allay some of the polygamy suspicion. That was away up to the Northern part of the district and state, at Manchester. That sister was the first lady missionary other than our President's wife and this was good. I’ve mentioned my good friend Cyrus W. Greaves. We were the two companions whose minds met most closely; but of course, we had only a limited time together. We each wished we had been released at the same time for we would have had a glorious trip home. The two Elders I did return with were boys from Idaho, they were reluctant to even spend for a meal, let alone to spend any time or money seeing that which was available, even though they each had access to much more money than I. When we reached Vienna, I was out-walking them at every instance, one was lovesick and they had no interest in seeing the San Sus Palace where later Pres Kennedy and Kruschev met. I said, "I'm going on to see Budapest, etc." They nearly mutinied on me there, but didn't dare travel alone, so we managed to stay together until arrival back to Salt Lake City.