This is my friend Betty. I've known her since the first day I went to the Arlington Ward. She's leaving this week for Utah/California for her annual trip to spend the holidays with family. Betty is an amazing woman. I stopped by tonight to visit her before she left for the west and I'm so happy I did. I only wish I had had a tape recorder with me. She told me some great stories.
Betty is from Toole, Utah. She met her husband Gus (Agostino Manderino) in Toole when she was working for the Army as a key punch operator and Gus was in the Military Police. They met at a picnic -- over the desserts! They dated for six months and then married (she was 20, he was 28). They were married in her front room by her bishop (Gus was not a Mormon -- and didn't join the church until 30 1/2 years after they were married and raised their six children). Betty bought some beige fabric that the army used to make pants and an Italian POW made her jacket. She wasn't comfortable having him measure her for a skirt so her mother made the skirt for her. They didn't have enough sugar for a wedding cake so they had lemon pie.
I love the story that Betty tells in this little video clip about taking the train to Massachusetts after she and Gus got married. When she returns in the Spring I'm going to visit again with a tape recorder. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about her life tonight.
Betty is from Toole, Utah. She met her husband Gus (Agostino Manderino) in Toole when she was working for the Army as a key punch operator and Gus was in the Military Police. They met at a picnic -- over the desserts! They dated for six months and then married (she was 20, he was 28). They were married in her front room by her bishop (Gus was not a Mormon -- and didn't join the church until 30 1/2 years after they were married and raised their six children). Betty bought some beige fabric that the army used to make pants and an Italian POW made her jacket. She wasn't comfortable having him measure her for a skirt so her mother made the skirt for her. They didn't have enough sugar for a wedding cake so they had lemon pie.
I love the story that Betty tells in this little video clip about taking the train to Massachusetts after she and Gus got married. When she returns in the Spring I'm going to visit again with a tape recorder. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about her life tonight.
10 comments:
Betty speaks pure wisdom with every sentence. What a privilege to know her!
I can't see the video clip...
Thanks for sharing her fun memories! I miss her and everyone else we met during our time there...
want to hear about a small world....Betty's son moved last year. He now lives across the street from my inlaws :) which made it possible for us to see Betty last Christmas when she was in CA.
Betty is one of my favorites. When we lived there her and Gus would bring little happy meal toys, that they found at garage sales, to my kids each week at church. That started a great friendship between us. She is a delight!
Visiting teaching her was one of the highlights of my experience there! I made a dear friend and I can't wait to meet her husband someday...that video is precious. I still can't believe her memory! AMAZING!
Tooele (pronounced two-willa)... just keeping the Utah culture of weird names alive.
That is such a good idea. I should do that with my grandma, she lived in Washington DC during WWII and worked in the FBI building reading finger prints. She has so many great stories- I am so going to do that the next time I visit her. Soon I hope. Thanks for the great idea.
I got to be her visiting teacher for 2 months & I wanted to stay all day to hear all these stories! I am always inspired by the fact that she came to church every week with her 6 children in tow (no Gus to help out) and she had to ride the 'T'.... Try that some Sunday morning! It is humbling, to say the least.
A little trivia - the day after Thanksgiving is National Listening Day (don't know how I know that) - what a shame we don't listen EVERY day!
I truly loved reading this story! I could sit and listen for housr to women such as Betty! Thanks for sharing her!
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