Life History of Marcel F. Lauper
I should mention, somewhere in my story, a few of the unforgettable trips I've taken in my lifetime:
As a boy, there were two Boy Scout trips: one to Strawberry and Puffer Lakes; the other, to Southern Utah and the three canyons. Dennis, Ralph, and I earned the needed funds for this trip by thinning beets on our own. Father gave us three days off for this purpose and we managed to hack out the beet patch during the early afternoon of the third day. We then purchased all the recommended items and went well equipped with sufficient food, clothing, and spending money. That was a thrilling and unforgettable vacation. I must add that I went as Assistant Scoutmaster.
My next big trip was to California, occasioned by our move from Utah to Camarillo, and I traveled with our goods in the freight car. Next, a trip to Salt Lake City, and to old Sugarville farm, all by myself. On this excursion, I wrote my first checks. By some quirk of fate, one of the checks bounced.
Then came my big trip overseas to Denmark, as a Mormon Missionary, sailing aboard the George Washington. From Denmark, I traveled throughout some countries of Europe, and crossed the ocean, coming back aboard the largest U.S. Steamship, The Manhattan, landing in New York, then up to Hartford, Connecticut, to Washington, D.C., to Salt Lake City, and home. (NOTE: U.S. Washington and U.S. Manhattan were the two fastest cabin ships.)
This was followed by other trips back and forth to Salt Lake City by car, and then came the trip to WAR, which included several hitchhiking jaunts here and there by air, by auto, and once by train, when I went to Old Mexico from Fort Sumner, New Mexico. Once, during the Service, I went by air to attend a General Conference in Salt Lake City. (I think I was one of only half-dozen in uniform among that vast congregation). I recall how it happened that Elder Thomas E. McKay placed his arm about my shoulders and walked me back to Hotel Utah.
There was an important trip out to Sacramento, California, where on January 22, 1946, I was mustered out of the Service. Following that I hitchhiked most of the way back to my wife and home in Hammond, Indiana. I stopped in route to visit with mother in San Francisco and Ivan and Helen in Willbwbrook, California. After a few months in Indiana, there was a trip back to California to re-make a California home ---this time, for a wife and baby daughter.
Several years later, there was a novel return trip to Sugarville, Utah. This was in 1959--thirty years after our departure as a family from that area. On this occasion, there was Dennis, Ralph, and I, with one offspring for each of us; being Margaret, Marc Dennis, and Ralph David, plus Dennis Gordon Brown. This was a first for us to set foot together again on that hallowed sod, but we didn't even stay overnight there. We drove back to Ely, Nevada for the night, in route home.
When son, John, was about six months old, I helped promote a chartered plane trip from Oakland to Salt Lake City for a general conference. It was little John's first time aloft. As a family, we met with the Grandparents Barney back there and it was a pleasant time. As the yeas went on, and during the children's growing up, there were trips into the Redwoods, to Yosemite, to both Girl and Boy Scout Camps, Father and Son Outings, and excursions to Disneyland. There was one time when our whole family spent a Christmas Holiday at Disneyland, and only a year later, Frances and I took a plane to Spokane, Washington, to eat Thanksgiving Dinner there with LaMont and Margaret and Lynette, in the Service.
Not to be overlooked is a long-to-be-remembered trip that Diane and I made to Ecuador during April, 1967!
Early in Susan's career as a Stewardess with United Airlines, she sent me a ticket to fly to Chicago to witness her installation. On the way back from there, I flew down to Lubbock, Texas, where I met my first grandchild, Lynette Louise Wardle. That was glorious and thrilling! Ralph's comment is, "We live again in our children, and then in our children's children". I agree!
Susan was also responsible for her parent's best-of-all trips, a second honeymoon on our 25th Anniversary. We flew to Hawaii. Before leaving the United Airline's employ, Susan also managed to gift her parents with a trip to Europe: England, Denmark, Germany, Austria, France & Switz. And once more, Susan sent tickets for Mr. and Mrs. MEL to fly to Washington, D.C. where Don took us through the Senate, and many other places of genuine interest. He has a real know-how for tour mastering and also access to ever so many famous and exciting places there.
In September, 1974, Ivan and Helen treated Frances and me to a Canadian/Alaska vacation. This came as a pleasant surprise and will always be remembered. Another choice trip that lingers in my memory is when John and I flew down to Los Angeles, shortly before his departure for the mission field. We helicoptered over to Disneyland and had a real outing. It was fun for me. As for John, well, his history will tell...
Mrs. MFL and I made a spectacular and short trip to Rome, Italy for 1976 vacation. Details of this trip were given elsewhere in my story.