Life with Grandpa and Grandma Brandon

My Father and brothers went to work for a farmer and took carrots, celery and potatoes for pay. We had a lot more to eat than we had in years. A young man and his wife moved out of one room, so my folks moved in and we had a little more room. My father rented a farm in Orem just North of Provo. We moved with them. We rented a small house near by. Elmo borrowed money to buy cows and start a dairy farm. We bought a cream separator and rented pasture at Lakeview. We bought a horse and buggy to go to the pasture (About 5 miles) to milk the cows. We bought hay and grain and sold cream, but we couldn't make the loan payments, so we lost it all. Leland was born there. Ben started going to Sunday School and gave his first 2 1/2 minute talk in the Sharon Ward. His S.S. teacher helped him with the talk and praised him for doing such a good job. Ben loved her. (Ben attended Primary in Springville, but his Sunday School teacher asked him to stay home unless he could dress more appropriately for Sunday. Patched, faded, blue denim overalls were his only clothes, so he stayed home on Sundays.)

The Brandons moved back to Provo, so the Homers bought a tent and set it up on their front lawn. We lived in the tent until it became too cold, then we rented what was left of a log cabin. Ben started 7 th grade living in a tent. His English teacher asked him to walk toward the black board and stop when he was close enough to read the assignment. He stopped about 6 inches from the blackboard, so his teacher made an appointment with the school nurse to check his eyes. The nurse made an appointment with the Daynes Jewelry Store to check his eyes. Dr. Daynes (Optometrist), arranged for the Lions Club to pay for the glasses. Ben discovered that it was possible to see birds and individual leaves on trees. He was thrilled. He started recognizing kids and adults, so he started saying "Hello", and found friends at school. A new experience.

Elmo started working on the Deer Creek Dam up Provo Canyon, so we bought a house in Lindon. $100.00 down and $10.00 a month, no indoor plumbing. Ben finished the seventh grade at Pleasant Grove Jr. High School. We all started going to Church again. Everything started working out better. I started teaching in Primary and really enjoyed it. Elmo was Scoutmaster, and Ben and Marion were Boy Scouts. Ben was Patrol Leader of the Lion Patrol.

Ben was in the Ninth Grade and Marion in the Seventh when police came to the school to interview them. A neighbor, Corkey Frier, had seen them cutting off the trees in a new orchard he had planted. (Three acres) The police had talked to little brother, Raymond, at the Elementary School, and he had admitted helping to cut down the new trees. (Raymond said they promised him that we would all get off much easier if he admitted doing it.) Ben and Marion held out and were promised that they would be in jail in a few days. A neighbor who trapped beaver along the canal mentioned to Elmo what a shame it was that the beaver had cut down Corkey Friers new orchard. Elmo talked to the police, and the whole thing was dropped.

An empty house on Locust Avenue, in Pleasant Grove, was flooded by irrigation water. Part of the foundation was washed away into the basement. It was for sale to some one who could make the necessary repairs. We bought it. There were fruit trees, lots of garden space, irrigation water, and indoor plumbing. Elmo and the boys repaired the foundation. We were in Heaven, until our 18 mo. baby, Ross, ran over to our neighbors electric fence and died from the shock.

The Japoneese attacked Pearl Harbor. Ben went to Salt Lake with Willis Brimhall to attend the N.Y.A. (National Youth Administration) Radio School. They wanted to get into radio when they went into the army or other service. Willis joined the Navy, Ben couldn't pass the physical. He became the Draft Board darling. They sent him to Salt Lake every month as part of their draft quota. He failed the physical every month, so each month he had a free ride back to Salt Lake City. His life long ear aches had resulted in a perforated ear drum, so he couldn't join and wasn't drafted. He went to B.Y.U. He rented a room with Norman Wright and Paul Adams, and worked for the University Custodian to pay tuition and buy books. Ben cleaned the lower floors of the Education Building and the Women's Gym. The Girls Dorm had been moved from Amanda Knight Hall to the upper floor of the Education Building. Ben enjoyed being Night Watchman for the girl's Dorm. Some of the girls were so sweet when they wanted the door left unlocked a bit longer for their room mate to get home from a date. They were very good at distracting the night watchman until their room mate was back. Ben washed dishes in the cafeteria to pay for his meals.

The second year at the "Y", Ben became very fond of a blue eyed, blond, (Kathleen Bowman) girl from Colonia Dublan, Mexico. He talked his Mom into naming his baby sister Kathleen. Kathleen was called on a mission, so Ben dated Ruth Blackburn untill she teased him too much by also dating guys Ben didn't approve of. Marion talked him into dating the sister of Joan Kirby, Gaye.
Ben received a mission call to Colorado and Gaye asked him to marry her instead of going on a mission. Ben promised to marry her when he came home, but he really wanted the mission. Gaye said she would be married when he came home, and she was.