South Dakota Church-Related Memories

In late May of 1975, we moved to Martin, South Dakota, from St. Johns, Arizona.  We lived there for 37 years until the end of October in 2012 when we moved to Spanish Fork, Utah. 

The Wilcox family were living in Martin when we moved there, and Gordon was the branch president.  We met for church in the firehall and then in the old senior citizen building for a short time, but later we began meeting for church and church related activities in the Wilcox's home or in our home at the farm.  

Then the Martin branch became part of the Pine Ridge branch with Gordon Wilcox called as the branch president and Sam served as his counselor, so we traveled the 45 miles to Pine Ridge each Sunday for church.  During this time, we were in the Rapid City Stake, and Sam was called as a stake high counselor (about 1976). 

Gordon and Cherry Wilcox family (2012)

In 1977 or 1978, Martin became part of the Pine Ridge district with Galen Busch as president, and Sam and Brother Spurling were his counselors.  Later the district was divided and we became part of the Rosebud district.  We traveled to all of these branches: Chadron, Alliance, Gordon, Valentine, and O'Neill in Nebraska, and Pine Ridge, Martin, Rosebud, White River, and Ft. Thompson in South Dakota.

Galen and Patti Busch lived in Mission, so were not members of our Martin branch, but Galen and Sam served in leadership positions; and Patti and I served in the Relief Society.  When I was called to be the district Relief Society president of the Rosebud district, Patti was my counselor; and she served again as my counselor when I was called to be the district Relief Society president in the new Pierre district (Pierre had previously been part of the Rapid City district). Patti and Galen were always faithful friends, and we enjoyed visiting in each other's homes and having them come each year to celebrate the New Year's with us.  That special friendship is an eternal one with Patti and Galen who are both departed to their heavenly home.  Our children also enjoyed the Busch children: Colin, Kevin, Nicole, Kendra, Marci, and Mandi. Sam had served as a counselor to Galen in the Pine Ridge District.

Doug and Jeff - Priesthood Ordination (Paul Scorsby, Sam, and Galen Busch - Doug, Deacon; Jeff, Priest - 1994)

Paul Scorsby was the seminary teacher for Jeff & Doug.

Narene and Patti Busch (2014)

Around 1983, the Rogers family moved to Martin and lived there while Bob worked at the hospital, and we enjoyed having his wife Phyllis and their son Wayne (Ryan's age) meet with us.  Phyllis and I met weekly for Relief Society in our home.  Bob served as the branch president in Martin for a short time, and he was the seminary teacher for Ryan and Brent that year.  They have an interesting memory of going to the Rogers home in the country for seminary, and on one occasion hearing the rattling of a large rattlesnake by their car when they were getting ready to return home.  Bob captured the snake to put in his freezer until he could take it to Rapid City to sell to Reptile Gardens. 

As mentioned, Sam had served as a counselor to Galen in the Pine Ridge district.  Later, when Sam was called to be the district president of the Rosebud district, he had Tom Eliason and Carl Waln as his counselors and Galen was the district clerk. 

The Busches, Wilcoxes, and Rogers families were stalwarts of the Church whom we consistently met with and were dear friends.  Because employment had brought the Rogers and the Wilcox families to Martin, they were only there until their employment took them elsewhere.  Today, Gorden and Cherry Wilcox live in Kaysville, Utah; and we still keep in contact with them.  Bob Rogers died and Phyllis lived with her daughter's family in Chamberlain, SD for awhile but now is living in San Tan Valley, Arizona with her son, Wayne.  Galen and Patti have died; Nicole and Colin live in Utah, Kevin, Kendra, and Marci live in South Dakota; and Mandi lives in Valentine, Nebraska.

Our Church Life in South Dakota 

We met for church in our home during most of the years living in Martin and were given the status of a "home branch" with Sam usually serving as the branch president most of those years.  At one point when we had missionaries stationed in Martin and had a few investigators coming, the Church moved a trailer house to Martin where we met for about two years.

Sunday church for us in Martin with just our family had us taking turns for giving talks, singing hymns with me accompanying on the piano, and having the sacrament blessed and passed by Sam and our sons.  

Most of the time in our Martin branch there were only two or three of us each week having Relief Society; and we met during the day on a weekday (Thursdays for Relief Society, and Tuesdays for Primary or Mutual).  In those days, the auxiliaries didn't meet on Sundays.  On Sundays, we met in the mornings for Sunday School and afternoons for Sacrament meetings.  

When Brent and Tauna's family moved to the farm with Seth, Sam, Rachel, and Weston, we separated for classes after the sacrament and a short talk.  The children went with me to the family room for our Sunday School class while the others remained in the living room for their class.  

Another memory of those early years is joining one year with Valentine for the annual Primary program presented for the combined branches. Another year the Valentine branch came to Martin to join with us. When the Martin branch was asked to be part of the Rosebud branch, I was called to be the Primary president, and Beth remembers helping with the Primary and still being in the children's Primary program although she had graduated from Primary. 

Before going on our mission to Russia and Europe East Area, the Martin branch was asked to be part of the Rosebud branch and Brent was called to be the branch president.  

I appreciate the opportunity I had to serve in the Relief Society while living in South Dakota.  I met and made nice friends in the district, most of whom I otherwise would not have had contact with nor known. 

Pierre District Relief Society Presidency

Darlene Olson, Phyllis Rogers, Narene Ireland, 

Lorene Derflinger

(Darlene and Phyllis were my counselors and Lorene was the secretary in the district.)

In January 2019, it was announced that times for holding our Church services world wide would begin meeting for a two-hour block after having had a three-hour consecutive block since 1980. Prior to that, Church meetings were held throughout the Sabbath day and during the week.  We received the announcement that "The Sunday Church meetings will consist of a 60-minute sacrament meeting each Sunday, focused on the Savior, the ordinance of the sacrament, and spiritual messages."

Then in 2020 when Covid restrictions had us meeting in our home again, Sam and I felt comfortable with this arrangement and remembering how we had enjoyed church in our home those years before with Sam having the Priesthood blessing and passing the sacrament.  In 2020, we were fortunate to have excellent resources for Gospel Doctrine lessons to see on the television and also enjoyed listening to the Choir at Temple Square and the Spoken Word each Sunday.

Currently, we continue to serve each Tuesday in the Payson Temple, the second shift.  We have just recently been called to be ward Primary activity leaders and meet the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays with boys ages 9, 10, and 11.

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I have enjoyed this trip down memory lane.  Now what else will I be reminded of as I continue to clean up my computer.  

Another memory shared - Billy Badger

Not every family has had a real badger for a pet!

Humanitarian Missionary Service - Ireland's Mission in Russia

I have been reviewing old files on my computer.  This project has brought back some nice memories as I try to decide which ones I want to save and which ones need to be deleted.

I began a blog while on our mission in Europe East Area living in Moscow, Russia.  I had taken a laptop computer with us on our mission.  The blog was a public one, called Ireland's Mission in Russia with the invitation ". . . to see Moscow through our experiences where we are serving as humanitarian missionaries for 18 months."

Although we arrived in Russia for our mission in November 2007, it was five months before I began my blog.  I chose to have this first blog be a public one, which could be found by those having an interest in the Church's humanitarian work whether they were members of our church or not. 

Our farewell party at our home at the farm prior to serving an 18-month mission living in Moscow, Russia.

By the world map in the missionary training center in Provo, Utah

At the MTC in Provo, Utah

by the Joseph Smith statue

This is what I posted on April 14, 2008:  

When we first came to Moscow, we were doing humanitarian projects with organizations serving the poor and needy. We have enjoyed this service and knowing we can be part of the process of providing the less fortunate with things that will help to make their lives a little better. We still are involved with humanitarian service, but much of our time since the middle of February has been supporting the work from the office in the Service Center for the 16 countries in this area of Eastern Europe. Currently, there are 20 humanitarian couples in the area.

In the office, Sam’s main responsibilities involve receiving requests for humanitarian projects and deciding whether to recommend the project for approval. One of my duties is to process expense reports related to administering the projects and other various reports. We answer e-mails and phone calls dealing with questions and concerns the humanitarian missionaries have and are involved with training new missionaries.

Regulations in Russia limit the type of projects we can do, so most of our projects are what we call Area Initiatives that usually cost between $2000 and $5000. We do some projects locally costing more than $5000, but we can do more projects when we keep the cost at the lower level. The high import duty Russia charges makes it cost prohibitive to bring in containers with wheelchairs, clothing, medical supplies, etc. However, there still is much good that the Church can do by helping with the smaller projects in Russia, such as providing equipment for a hospital, computers for a school for invalids, or kitchen equipment for an orphanage. In contrast, Sam has currently been involved with a project providing clean water for thirteen villages in Armenia (wells, piping, etc.) and with a wheelchair project in Turkey (25 containers). Each container holds 250 wheelchairs.

Before coming to Russia, we had no idea of the scope of the humanitarian work our Church does. We knew about the emergency relief in disaster areas worldwide, but we didn’t realize the millions of dollars donated by very generous people and how much good they do in helping the very poor lift themselves to a better life.

We aren’t learning the Russian language very fast, but we get together once a week with some other senior missionaries trying to learn a few more words and phrases. Occasionally, we meet together with other senior couples on a Saturday and visit historical sights and places of interest in Moscow. We have even been to the circus, the ballet, and the opera.

As of November 1, all foreigners have to leave Russia every 90 days to renew their visas. Even though our visa was originally issued to be good for one year, we had to leave February 13 and go to Tallinn in Estonia and get a three-month visa. In May, we will have to go again.

The 22nd of April we will be flying to Sofia, Bulgaria, for an Area Humanitarian Conference meeting with the other humanitarian missionaries from Eastern Europe. From there we will go to Kazakhstan to help a missionary couple as they are new to humanitarian service.

By the Service Center in Moscow

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On an entry posted on October 12, 2008, I shared this about 

General Conference in Russia.

It was General Conference in the United States last weekend; but in Russia, it was General Conference this weekend with those attending going to designated buildings where they watched the sessions in Russian. We joined the English speakers in a different room to watch in English. Of course, Sam and I watched the morning sessions live last weekend over the Internet; but we chose to watch the taped afternoon sessions online later instead of staying up until midnight to watch them live. Sam went to the Central building yesterday afternoon for the Priesthood session. We're grateful for the technology that makes it possible for us to not miss hearing these inspirational talks while we're far away from home. We also enjoyed hearing the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Primary choir.

President Pieper gave the opening prayer in the Sunday afternoon session. He is the Europe East Area President with the area office being in Moscow. He and his wife are very nice.

Following the morning session today, we had a nice visit with Nactya and saw pictures from her summer in the U.S. where she had gone to be a lifeguard at a water park in Galveston, Texas. Nactya was our interpreter until she left for the summer, and we love her dearly. Although she didn't enjoy Galveston, she and her sister had some good experiences while in the U.S. We are so glad they were able to spend some time with Todd & Beth's family in Utah before returning home to Moscow.

In Elder Bednar's talk Saturday afternoon, he recommended that periodically we offer a prayer in which we only give thanks and express gratitude without asking for any blessings. He said, "Ask for nothing; simply let our souls rejoice and strive to communicate appreciation with all the energy of our hearts." That evening, I knelt by my bedside and offered a prayer of gratitude to my Father in Heaven for my many blessings. Certainly, among my most cherished blessings is my family - my husband, our children and their spouses, and our grandchildren. We also are blessed with dear friends. Every day we express our gratitude to be able to serve as humanitarian missionaries in Russia. 

Our branch in Tver 

Sam served as a councilor to President Akseonov, 

and I taught in Relief Society.

(Narene & Sam - back row, right end)

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I had 74 posts on this blog, and there were 112,202 views.  My final post was posted May 20, 2009, about our final days in Russia and being welcomed home by family at the airport in Salt Lake City, Utah.  I appreciated a comment left on this blog from an "Unknown" who wrote:  "I absolutely love your blog.  So well done, the pictures are amazing.  Thank you so much!"

Rather than continuing to post on this public blog after coming home to the farm, I began a new blog, "Irelands Here and There," which is a private blog by invitation for family and a few friends.

Moscow Memory

 I have been deleting files no longer needed from my computer.  Among the documents I am removing are some I had saved from when we were humanitarian missionaries in Russia.  I tried to save an example of our reports for documenting a project, which has photos and description in English and in Russian of the project; but I don't currently have the computer program to open that document. 

We always took photos to document the project and liked to include a photo taken with the Russian administrator at the facility receiving the approved project.  This photo was taken at an orphanage that had received medical equipment provided by the Church's humanitarian resources.

Receiving the Nakladnya (Proof of Receipt) from the directors of this institution with their appreciation for receiving the physical therapy equipment to be used by handicapped children.

The approved projects were varied including hospitals, orphanages, veterans, schools, etc.  We would have liked to have provided wheelchairs in Moscow where there was a definite need, but we could use the money more efficiently by approving a wheelchair project in Turkey, for example, where the cost was much less because we could get the wheelchairs cheaper from China for a project outside of Russia. 

(Note:  In Russia invalids was the term used for disabled.) 

These are some of the organizations in Moscow we visited and recommended for approval that received humanitarian funding from the Church:  Center for Rehabilitation for the Disabled, Hospital for Pregnant Ladies, Vocational Training for the Blind, School for Children With ICP (Infant Cerebral Palsy), Sports Competition for Invalids, Rehabilitation Center for Invalids, Orphanage with a Music School, and Kolomna Factory.

We traveled by electric train to the Kolomna Factory.  They had about 100 people work there who were not disabled, but they also had another 100 or so who were handicapped with one disability or another. 

This is copied from our evaluation following our initial visit to the Kolomna Factory. 

In order to justify using humanitarian funds for this project, it is necessary to ascertain whether having the machine in the factory to cut the washers would make life better for the disabled or employ more disabled.  They definitely need better equipment and their motives in helping the disabled seem sincere, but whether realistically it is the best use of the funds needs to be determined.

The factory was built in 1936 and the equipment and building are old and deteriorated, but it was light and warm.  The workers seemed to have adequate working conditions.  During the USSR days, the factory employed about a thousand workers. The machines that finish the hems were idle because they are old and broken, and it’s too expensive to repair them.  We only saw one lady sewing the covers for the air lines, but she was very efficient and not disabled.  One room had only disabled who were making the brooms and doing the folding of covers for toilet seats on airlines.  

In December of 2007, we visited another organization that was a Rehabilitation Center for Invalids.  Here is a copy of a paragraph I wrote following our first visit to this institution:  

This facility was organized 15 years ago by mothers of disabled children – Down Syndrome, ICP, blind, etc.  We were given a tour by the director and the doctor at the facility.  We saw their physical therapy room, message room, some classrooms, and a room where creative arts were produced.  We saw very few children, although they said they have 300 families that use the facility.  The children range in age from 1 to 18; however, they can use the facility even older than that if they aren’t able to get a job or further education.  Apparently, the same children do not come every day.  Mothers continue to support the facility by helping with activities.  We were shown an album of pictures and numerous certificates were on the wall of awards won at music and theater competitions.  This is not a school where children receive a basic education, but rather where the children can receive physical therapy and training in creative arts.  In addition, the staff provides support classes for the mothers.  Children who are capable of further training or education also get help when they turn 18 to find these resources. 

The process for getting approval to receive humanitarian funds involved our first identifying and finding an organization that seemed to meet the objectives for receiving the funds.

Our interpreter (Nactya or Anna) would call and make the appointment for a meeting and interview.  Next, we would travel by public transportation (bus or electric train) to visit the facility to evaluate the appropriateness for using humanitarian funds by meeting with the administrators.  

If we judged the organization met the requirements for receiving humanitarian funds, we had the organization submit a Letter of Request and other supportive documents, which we then put together a request to Salt Lake for approval and funding.  Sharon Eubank was the person in Church headquarters who was our contact.  (She later was the 1st counselor in the General Relief Society presidency 2017-2022.). 

Another interesting humanitarian project we had approved was for a School for Rehabilitation of Invalid Children.  We met with the director (a World War II veteran) and with a man who had received successful help from the center especially with horse therapy (he was about 40 years old and knew some English).  The lady who took us on a tour of the facility was a very warm and caring person.  The facility worked especially with invalids with cerebral palsy, but also had children who were not impaired.  Parents with children who weren't handicapped chose to bring their children to the school because of some excellent programs of instruction in drama and the arts.  The number of students in the classes was kept small.  Some parents were waiting for their students while they were in class, but parents of severely handicapped students stay with their child during the lesson until the child can cope without the presence of the parent (we only saw mothers).  They had a small kitchen where children who came from outside Moscow were fed.  Another room had old computers, and it was pointed out to us that they were hopeful of getting more up-to-date monitors, which was part of our followup recommendation.

There were always Russian regulations to meet in order to get a project approved and then finalized.  You would think the organizations would have been eager for the opportunity to get the funds for these projects, but regulations were part of their system.  The administrators we met with, however, were always very cordial and appreciative. 

The only project I recall that didn't get approved in Moscow was one for a hospital for veterans.  We felt it was an appropriate use of humanitarian funds, but Moscow authorities turned it down.  The disappointed administrator at the hospital realized it was because they were next door to a Russian Orthodox church, which had a lot of influence and didn't approve of these funds coming from our church.

Another project I am remembering was one we probably would not have initially pursued except that Vlad Nechiporov, our humanitarian director in the Service Center in Moscow, wanted us to meet with the authorities in this school.  It appeared to be a good contact reference for the Church, since it was located near our Service Center and would be good to have their support.

At the Europe East Area level, the humanitarian couple from the Church in Georgia, Elder and Sister Larson, were frustrated that their projects were not getting approved by the administration in Salt Lake.  The Larsons felt their irrigation projects were worthy, but that the Church was concerned about having a project in Georgia when there were tensions between the country of Georgia and Moscow during this time.  The Larsons were good humanitarian missionaries and had served a similar calling in another foreign country and were disappointed to not have their projects approved in Georgia. 

A final step for each approved project was to return to the facility to get the  Nakladnya (Proof of Receipt), take photos, and write a final report.  We did feel this was a worthy use of humanitarian funds; which it is noteworthy to remember that those donated funds are used 100% for humanitarian projects. 

Here we are standing in front of the Service Center.

 ЦИХСПД в России. 

 This is the abbreviation of the Church name. 

Talents Learned and Shared

Our Church's former policy to raise money for constructing new church buildings was to have the ward's conduct money raisers to contribute to the building fund. While we were in Ann Arbor, they invited members of the ward to offer classes where talents were shared and those interested in learning the skill would pay a reasonable entrance fee. Sam took a class from Curtis Allen who taught oil painting. We have given some of his paintings to family and friends and don't have them any more, but we still have several. Here are a couple we enjoy in our home.

During the time in Ann Arbor when Sam took the painting class, Sam was a counselor to Bishop Allen in the Ann Arbor ward. The two oil paintings shared in this post are some Sam painted while we lived in South Dakota. Unfortunately, Sam hasn't kept up with his painting since moving to Utah and would need to buy new oil paints, etc.

During this same time, Sam also took a haircutting class.  All our boys got free haircuts from their dad through the years.

The Ann Arbor ward also had classes the ladies took during this time of raising money for the building fund.  After learning how to make fondant and dip chocolates, we had a money raiser making dipped chocolates which we sold in the big department store in Ann Arbor.   

When we moved from Ann Arbor, I kept my slab of marble that I used during the dipping process and continued to use for quite a few years.  However, I began using a peanut butter filling rather than the traditional cream fondant.  I also liked making the peanut clusters that didn't need to be dipped; and, of course, fudge is always a favorite.

The chocolates we made and sold in Ann Arbor had a distinguishing swirl on top.  The process:  Melt the dipping chocolate in a double boiler keeping it warm over the hot water.  Pick up each ball of "filling" with thumb, index finger, and middle finger to then dip in the melted chocolate, and when covered with chocolate drop the ball onto the marble slab, leaving a swirl on top before going on to the next one.  

(This is not my photo.) 

Another class I took at this time in Ann Arbor was related to evaluating one's wardrobe according to color, style, and price.  How fun was that!  Unfortunately, the photo I have is not in color; but the outfit I put together for this class was in gold and brown; and I wore it for this photo taken with our parents for their 50th wedding anniversary in 1973.  

Narene, K. LeRoi, our mother and dad, and Louise

We all have talents and interests.  As mentioned, one of Sam's was painting pictures.  Mine seems to include liking to take pictures and share with others.

Mother's Day with Family - May 14

I feel very blessed and appreciate the love shown from family on Mother's Day - from those who came to celebrate with me and those who couldn't be here but called or sent messages and special cards.

 With Ryan, Beth, Marla, and Doug (Missing Scott, Brent, & Jeff) 

Marla gave me a live succulent plant.

Marla had come from South Dakota with her friend, Susan Tjarks, and got here on the evening of May 12 and returned home on 

May 16.  She stayed with Sarah and Derek's family; but came to our home for some nice visiting, too.

Ryan, Marisa, Carson, Tani, and me

With Tani before opening their gift of a box of special chocolates and a Willow Tree figurine holding a bouquet of yellow flowers. 

Megan, Beth, Rebecca, Gramma Narene, Gabe, and Joshua

I needed a good pizza cutter and tongs the Grahams gave me.

(Todd was here but not in the photo, as he had recent surgery to remove a sty on his eye and mostly kept his eyes closed.)

They gave me a pretty bouquet of flowers and a Zupa's gift card. 

 Shannon, Isaac, Doug, Brynlee, Mason, Jacob, and Corban

Sarah & Derek's family, Haley & Tyler, and Maren & Eden also came; but we failed to get a photo.

Scott and Kristine called and had sent a book, A Novel Ireland by Frank Delaney, which I am reading.

I had nice phone and text messages from Brent and Jeff.

This is a photo of Marla with Sarah, Anna, Paul, Max, and Grant that was taken Sunday at the Lontine's home.

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On Monday, May 15th, we went with Beth, Joshua, and Rebecca to the Saratoga Springs Temple open house. 

The Saratoga Springs Utah Temple

Open houses from April 15 to July 8;

will be dedicated on Sunday, August 13, 2023.

(Narene & Sam)  

Ryan and Tani live in this temple district and had helped with the early open house for invited guests.

As of April 1, 2023, there are 300 temples dedicated and operating, under construction, under renovation or announced of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.