Dad was greatly respected by us, but when I was growing up I didn't see him very much. He was the classical Family Doctor who was on call all the time, made many evening house calls, and rarely had time for vacations. His patients loved him for the attention he gave them. I remember riding bikes as a family up the middle of El Camino Real on a Sunday. The greatest one on one experience I had with him at that time was going with him to a Seals Baseball game in San Francisco. As I was a fan of the Seals I was thrilled to see them in person. When I returned from Internship, we began practicing together and developed a very cordial pleasant relationship. We had a great time sharing medical practices and developed a strong bond between the two of us..
I had been on a very meager budget when I went ot medical school in Salt Lake at the "U". My meals often consisted of a can of soup warmed by a sterno cooker. I ate fresh fruit-vegetables, bread, cereals and milk. Once a week on Saturday I went to the matinee at the Pantageious Theater and had a 25 cent hot meat pie at a cafeteria. I wanted to succeed in school and not embarrass my parents, so I studied hard. I had mainly thought that my brain was equal to the other students, but soon found out that there were some very smart, if not geniuses, students in my class, which therefore, required much more effort on my part. I transferred after 2 years at the "U" to Northwestern in Chicago where I found situations similar. I graduated from Northwestern June 1929, and then chose San Francisco General Hospital for internship which I enjoyed. We got married July 27, 1929. We rented a bedroom with kitchen and bath room privilege. Marge and I were blessed in being born into good Mormon families and to live our early years of the "twenties" in Logan, a college town. Our marriage began during the time of the great depression and our prior humble beginning helped us to develop a frugal way of living. My total salary was $10.00 a month, so Marge went to work. I got my meals at the hospital and a room, as I was on call most of the time. While walking from the Hospital to Bryant St where Marge was, children innocently asked me if I was a street sweeper in as much as I had a white intern suit. One month I spent in my rotating internship at Napa Hospital which was for the insane. Marge was required to work there at that time.
“When he was working the emergency room he wanted to play a joke on Mom. She was meeting him for lunch there, so he told the nurses and attendants that this crazy lady kept bothering him, saying that she was his wife. If anyone lady comes in and states that, please help me by locking her up in the psychiatric room so she wont bother me. It sounded funny, but I imagine Mom had another thought about it as she was man-handled into a locked room despite her protestation”
At the end of my 1 year rotating internship I went as a live in physician to the Laguna Honda Hospital. This was a hospital for elderly and chronic ill patients It also was a commissary for all SF Facilities. Here Bob was born on Feb 4, 1931. An apartment in the building was made for us and we ate well and enjoyed our 2 years residency. During my work at Laguna Hospital I began a practice in Daly City I had hired a girl to be at the office. She would call if a patient came in and I would rush up there. After a year in Daly City, I opened a second office in San Bruno as I was having bothersome sinusitis while working in San Francisco. I shared my reception room with a dentist (Dr Pritchard) We lived over "Kates Restaurant". Our bed was a twin bed and Marge was pregnant with Barbara. Later an office was established in the San Bruno Theater Building and we lived on one side of a duplex in Lomita Park. Later we moved to 555 Green Street in San Bruno. We soon moved to a duplex that Gaba built across the street, then eventually over our office on the corner of Easton and Sylvan. Marge and I feel very proud about our children, Bob, Barbara, and Richard and also our children's spouses. They all have grown and matured unto personalities much greater than our expectations. It has been a great honor to be their parents. I give Marge the credit for their accomplishments because of her excellent mother rearing ability. She loves her children extremely well, and is most considerate of their well being and behavior. She had great insight as to how she wanted her children to develop, and personality growth including morality, respect, industriousness etc. Other factors may have been environmental conditions. Marge and I were happy, no quarreling or bitterness with love at home. Respect was had for each other, as we worked together for our common good. Marge deserves great deal of credit for her faithfulness in the integrity of our growing family, She worked hard to support and cooperate with me, stand beside me, stimulate me and help me in all my, or our problems. She gave me freely of her time, efforts and advice. We really worked together. Being the wife of a General Practitioner of medicine was not an easy one. I was dedicated to my practice of medicine and my patients, which was often my greatest concern. Marge did not enjoy many of the niceties of life that she would have liked, because my practice occupied 24 hours of my time. When I started out in practice, I had long hours in the office, many night calls, as I was just starting out in practice at the time of the great depression of the 30's. My income was scant, office calls for as little as $1.00 or $2.00 dollars, which today would be $25 or $30. Obstetrics took a great deal of time and Marge and I delivered many babies in the home. We stayed for hours until Baby was born. If I went on house calls, Marge took charge of the office.
This is a copy of a prayer that he prepared and gave at a sacrament meeting in the San Mateo Ward on July 11,1965.
Let us pray. Our Father in Heaven, we come before Thee to worship Thee, partake of the Sacrament, and renew our vows with Thee. We pray for the Holy Spirit to be with us at all times. We pray for President McKay and all the officers of the Church; may they have Thy Holy Spirit to guide and comfort them. We pray that those who participate in these services may be inspired by Thee.
We are thankful for all our blessings, and for membership in Thy Church, and for the blessings promised us if we but live by Thy Gospel and obey the commandments.
We pray for all the members of this church, that we all may be inspired to study the Gospel and pray for thy guidance so that we may teach and expound the Gospel to all corners of the earth.
We pray that we may have the spirit of purpose and endurance, possessed by the pioneers, that we may be self-reliant, industrious, courageous and righteous, that we may not expect something for nothing, or feel that the world owes us a living. Let us have self respect and dignity, and realize that everything has a price, that we must work for our own salvation and exaltation. Help us to realize that faith without works gains us but very little.
We pray for the spirit of forgiveness and repentance. Let us not defile our bodies, so we may receive the promise of health, wisdom, and strength. May we all work for peace and brotherly love in this troubled world. We humbly ask this in the name of The Son, Jesus Christ.........Amen.
Dad came from Norwegian parents, although some thought he was Scotch because of his thriftiness. He was married in the depression and knew the value of a penny. He believed in hard work, and that the best things in life were free.
Seven years ago it was my special experience to sit down with Mom and Dad in their front room and listen to them as they recalled the story of their lives. We have all these priceless events recorded (on cassette tapes) in their own voices.
Today as I go over Dad’s history, we will hear some of the incidents told in his own voice. [However, the tape recordings will be summarized on this report to save time and space.] Dad was a worker which began early in his life. Tape: [When he was 12 he caught the Interurban close to his house and had a job selling peanuts, popcorn, chewing gum and candy. To attract sales he would call out, “P-corn, popnuts, chewing can and gumdy.”]
Dad was a serious student and he expected us to be the same. Tape: [He remembered when he learned to write his name. The windows would be frosted so with his finger he could make letters, and he learned to write Alphonso Skanchy. When he first attended school (about six years old) he had to walk six long city blocks to the Woodruff School. The superintendent of the school was a French man who was very well respected. The students all respected their teachers. If at any time they were out of order, they often got rapped with a ruler. Dad thought it was a good system for teaching school. He enjoyed school and his parents were anxious that he have good schooling. He said that he was a good child and didn’t cause any trouble.]
Like the principal, Dad was strict in his ways – he didn’t put up with any monkey business and we knew it. Along with school he enjoyed scouting experiences with his scoutmaster, George R. Hill. They went on many camping trips , however this love of camping didn’t carry over to adulthood.
By college time the family had moved up near Utah State Agricultural College. Tape: [His bedroom was in the attic. In the morning he could hear the school’s 7:30 AM bell ringing from the old main. Hurriedly, he dressed, had breakfast, then rode his bicycle up to his 8 o’clock class. Having been a Boy Scout for many years, he remembered the motto: “Be Prepared.” He wanted to study everything that was offered at the college even the challenging math courses such as calculus. It was difficult for him, but he thought... “If other people can do it why can’t I do it!” So he studied biology, chemistry, physiology, math, English,etc. While taking a class in bacteriology from Dr. Greeves, he decided to choose that as his major with a minor in chemistry. Ever since he was a child he wanted to become a doctor. At his birth he had received injuries to his arms and he wanted to be a doctor so he could prevent such injuries to other children.]
His family pulled together to put him through the University of Utah Medical School which was a two year school. Times were hard – many a meal consisted of a can of pork and beans heated on a can of Sterno. He finished his schooling and graduated from Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago, Illinois.
During his training he had some very interesting experiences. Tape: [His last year was mostly clinical work. They were actually treating patients. As part of the program, for a period of two weeks they were assigned to a maternity clinic in Chicago. Their procedure was to put the expectant woman on newspapers, then she was draped and cleaned with an antiseptic solution. One winter day they were called to a poor black neighborhood, climbed up some rickety stairs, went into a room where the windows were broken, there was no heat, and they proceeded to delivered the baby. She had no clothes for the baby so they took a piece of cloth, cut a whole in it and put the baby’s head through it. The mother didn’t know what to call the baby girl so Dad suggested the name Marguerite.] Does this give you a clue who was on his mind during medical school?
It didn’t take long after he returned from his first year at Northwestern to notice that Mom had grown into a lovely young woman. They had known each other since she was a little girl. Dad had gone many times to her house to see her older brother LaVell.
They began dating and I’m sure that Dad felt that he couldn’t continue on without Mom. During his last year at medical school they corresponded and were very serious by the time he returned to Logan again. They were ready to tie the knot. At this time a one year internship was required before receiving a medical license. Dad did much research before deciding on San Francisco. He was thoroughly convinced that it was going to be a wonderful place to live. And what an adventure – to begin their life together in a big new city.
Because it was during the depression, times were hard. Mom got a job at the Western Union and made more money than Dad did at the San Francisco General Hospital. The next year, during Dad’s residency at the Laguna Honda Home for the elderly, Bob was born. There where unlimited “grandmas” to give him attention. When the residency was completed it was time for Dad to establish his own practice. He opened several offices south of San Francisco, but finally decided on San Bruno. Because they were poor it was a struggle to get started, but eventually they built an office with our home on the second floor. During this time, I was born, followed by Marilyn who died as an infant, then lastly came Richard.
The Second World War was in process with its rationing and restrictions. Of the doctors in town, Dad was chosen to stay at home to serve the community and examine the new enlistments.
When I was about 11 years old we moved farther south on the peninsula to San Mateo. There Dad took on gardening. It was war time and we had a Victory Garden, which also included raising rabbits and chickens.
Dad had quite a flare for real estate and investments. Tape: Mr. Gayba, his older friend who was a builder, taught him about investing. He took an interest in Mom and Dad and would take them for rides showing them buildings that should have been built and those that should not have been built. He instructed them on financing and real estate. This was their introduction to a life long endeavor. They had much success but it was not all positive -- they took their “lumps” too.
Dad loved being a doctor and helping people. We always said that he worked eight days a week. Bob chose the same profession and joined Dad in San Bruno. The two doctors had a very special relationship and worked well together. Having Bob to cover for him, Dad took time to travel with Mom. They saw the autumn leaves in the northeast, visited Alaska, Mexico, Europe, Egypt and the Holy Land. Eventually Bob returned to school to specialize in obstetrics and Dad sold his practice.
These were the golden, benefit years. Palm Springs is where they decided to settle which opened up a whole new world for them. People were easy to meet and they gathered many new friends. It was quite different than the grinding schedule they had experienced through out their life.
A highlight happened in 1965 when our family went to the Oakland temple and were sealed. At this time Dad received his endowment. Mom had received her endowments with me at the time of our wedding. Their home in San Mateo was sold and they moved to Reno, then to Salt Lake City, which was across the street from us in the Holladay area. So much has happened that I don’t have time to tell it all.
When Dad had his stroke, he didn’t give up. He had been a “plugger” all his life and this was no exception. He took the grandchildren swimming and continued taking walks in the neighborhood. In the winters they enjoyed being with their friends in Palm Springs.
He was a good Dad, just the kind of father that the Lord knew we needed. He didn’t have to say much, but we knew exactly what we should be doing. And there was no monkey-business about it!
I know that Dad lives. He lives because the Lord gave his life that we might all make our way back to our Heavenly Father. I pray that we will live our livesand continue to progress and that Dad will continue to progress also.