After Dad’s transfer to San Francisco as assistant manager of the branch office of Occidental Life Insurance Company, in March 1944, within a year or so he was made manager. This was followed by rapid expansion of the business, which generated generous overrides and commissions for him. Indeed, before not too many years, he was actually making more money each year than the president of the company.
According to Diane, when the president recognized this fact, he gave instructions that Dad’s salary and commission payments were to be halved, and that, in addition, he be required to work a half day each Saturday. Obviously, all of this was not to Dad’s liking, and he tendered his resignation. This occurred at the beginning of 1954. 74
I left on my fulltime Church mission to West Germany in March the same year (Dad, of course had served a mission in East Germany a quarter century earlier) and I now have in my files the letters and correspondence from home during the 2 ½ year period that I was away. They make interesting reading and illuminate much about what will now be addressed—a decisive time for each of us in our growth and development.
In a letter to me, dated 28 March 1954, Dad and Mom each wrote:
Dad: It was hard to leave Salt Lake and know that we wouldn’t see you for 2 ½ years. However, we are happy and grateful that you have this wonderful opportunity and experience. It is something I have hoped and prayed for since before you were born…. I know that you will make a fine missionary. Just remember to love those people and in humility try to give them the comfort and blessings which come from a knowledge and testimony of the gospel. They have suffered much, and many of them will be bitter because of their lot in life. They deserve patience and kindness and the help of the Lord. Drew has been having quite a time since you left. He has scarcely worn anything of his own and feels that he has now fallen heir to your place in the family with car privileges thrown in. I guess he’s getting to that age. You must write him when you can and encourage him to make best use of his opportunities. The time passes so fast. Young people don’t realize how fast it is gone—never to be repeated.
Mom: Just a line to wish you Happy Birthday, Bon Voyage, and God Speed…. It was a good thing I came home. The brakes had completely given out on the Lincoln, and Drew had been driving it. Daddy had to have fluid put in yesterday. Drew didn’t seem to know the difference…I’m surely happy and proud that you could go on this mission, Bart…. If it hadn’t been for missionaries, you might not be here. For it was through missionary work that Grandma Howells learned of the gospel, and she met Grandpa while he was on a mission in Great Britain. It was also through the missionaries that Daddy’s grandfather and his folks came to Utah. So you see, missionary work has played a big part in your heritage. I surely hope and pray that you’ll be blessed in helping some of the people over there to understand it. 75
Thus, the fact that their oldest son was now going to serve a Church mission was very important to them. Nevertheless, with Dad’s previous healthy income now severed, they, too, were treading new paths. There were definite unknowns and hardships ahead.
Consequently, while reporting on Dad’s recent trips to Fresno and then to Los Angeles, in order to evaluate possible general insurance agency opportunities, Mom expressed one of her major concerns in a letter, dated 24 April 1954: I don’t know what he’ll end up with, but I hope we don’t have to move. 76
Then, again, following a subsequent business trip to New York two weeks later, she quipped: He is really enjoying this ‘no job’ situation! 77 But, as time and expenses rolled on, she well knew that it would be no laughing matter. Eventually, in order to meet ongoing expenses, they would even need to seek short-term monetary loans from Paul and Margie Adams, Dad’s sister and brother in law, who lived across the bay—loved ones, whom they had also gladly helped in various ways throughout the years. 78
Finally, on 29 June 1954, Dad wrote:
Time sure passes by. I’ve been going to write every week, but I have been traveling most of the time and very busy visiting with people in the Life Insurance business in order to find the right sort of job on which to spend the next 15 or 20 years. Last Friday I signed a contract with the Beneficial Standard of Los Angeles for a general agency here in San Francisco. They are a small company, but very progressive and I will have my own business. In the beginning it will be hard work and low income, but as the years go by it should grow into something much better than I had before. At present I am in the process of getting a lease on some office space in the city, remodeling to suit our purposes, and some men lined up to start a sales force. It should be a lot of fun. 79
One month later, sending me a letter on his new office stationery, he mused:
It is quite an adventure to start out on your own. This will be my own agency with all the decisions and responsibilities up to me. With the Lord’s help and a lot of hard work, I expect great success. 80
Without a doubt, it was hard, slow work. Between business and Church work, he was gone twelve hours each day. However he remained optimistic and upbeat. In a letter to me, dated 2 March 1955, he observed:
The business is making progress slowly. It will take a few years to get it to where it is bringing in much money, but after that it ought to roll fast….We think and talk of you always and pray for your success and happiness in your work. 81
Nonetheless, the whole situation was difficult and demanded patience on all sides. One and a half years after the new agency had been launched, Mom wrote:
You know Bart, Daddy’s income was cut in half and he has to pay all the office expenses including telephone (which runs around $200.00 a month alone), so we don’t have the money now for all these extra things. It’s taking a lot to keep Drew in school, too. Getting started in a new business is no joke, and this past year or so has been a struggle. Otherwise, I wouldn’t say a thing about it. 82
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Then, two years after the new agency had been started in San Francisco, Mom wrote to inform me of the following (15 June 1956):
Dad has moved his office down to San Mateo. His office is on El Camino, just north of 25th Avenue. I think it will work out better in the long run (expenses much less, and saved time driving, etc.). It’s been hard these last two years trying to work up a business… 83
Even the twins became involved in the new arrangement, although, as might be expected from teenagers during the summer school break, it was not with overwhelming enthusiasm. They each wrote, two months later:
Sue: Di and I are working in Dad’s office now as his one and only secretaries, and is it ever horrible. We get paid a measly 35 cents an hour and we have to sit in an office all day long. The child labor laws are $1.00/ hour! It’s good experience though—so Dad says anyway. He won’t let us quit either. Things are rough all over, huh? Drew was made assistant scoutmaster. Both Sue and Drew had broken up with their steadies. The twins accompanied Mom and Dad to Russian River with the Merry Go Round club for an overnight outing—great fun. They liked high school better than grade school.
Di: She wrote about the recent trip to Salt Lake City. Sue and I are working in Dad’s office again. Crumb! It sure isn’t a very exciting summer. She talked about trying to convert her friend Tom, etc. 84
Indeed, besides the routine record filing and mailings during their perceived onerous office responsibilities, Diane also recalls making “cold calls” on the telephone for Dad, lining up potential sales clients. She remembers the time that she identified a well-heeled, well-placed customer in this manner. The man became a wonderful contact and generated a sizeable commission for Dad—and he accordingly rewarded Diane with a generous bonus for her efforts. 85
Notwithstanding, with faith, enthusiastic optimism, ingenuity, and persistent hard work the business continued to grow—in fact to thrive greatly. Hence, by 1968, Dad was able to record the following in his brief life summary:
In 1958, I added mutual funds to our insurance business, and as our business grew, I became regional manager for Financial Industrial Fund of Denver, Colorado, and continued my insurance business as part of our estate planning service. In 1966, I changed our name to Estate Programs Associates, with our own dealership and an expanded insurance service. In recent months [1967], we have effected a merger with Equity Funding Corporation of America in which I am selling my business for stock in the corporation, and I will continue to run the business as division manager of the San Francisco office. 86
Subsequently, when I started my medical practice in 1969, Dad co-signed on a sizeable physician-start-up loan for me, obtained through a financial institution in Salt Lake City, which, gratefully, I was able to pay off in short order. What is more, at that time he also revealingly shared the results of a number of large and profitable mutual fund stock investments which he had been making, and the very positive results that were being realized. To be sure, it had been a long haul for Mom and Dad, financially and occupationally, but it was all finally paying off handsomely.
Nevertheless, unfortunately, the stresses and strains of this economic growing period in their lives, coupled with other, yet to be detailed factors, as I think we will presently see, levied a heavy toll on Mom.
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Concerning his ecclesiastical assignments while living in San Mateo, early on following their arrival on the peninsula, Dad was called as second counselor to President Claude B. Petersen in the Palo Alto Stake Presidency. Following this, he became first counselor to President Henry C. Jorgensen.
On 30 April 1950, he was set apart as Palo Alto Stake President. 87 However, he only served in this capacity for two years. He was released because of a loss of member confidence, evidently occasioned by unwise extra attention which he showered on a female member whom he was counseling during her divorce proceedings. The relationship was purely platonic, but imprudent—and embarrassing and hurtful to Mom.
Moreover, she continued to harp on the issue long after it transpired; and he never adequately acknowledged his injudicious actions to her satisfaction, while continuing to serve in many other Church callings thereafter. Thus, it required many long years before full healing and reconciliation eventually took place between them.
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