A. Will and Emma Augusta Jones, my maternal grandparents — 1960’s
My maternal grandparents — 1960’s
I was blessed with wonderful grandparents, both paternal and maternal. On the maternal side, I have no specific memories of my Grandma Jones, as she died in 1959 when I was 7 years old. I have been told by my mother and by my sister Deanna that Grandma Jones was exceptionally sweet, generous, and Christ-like. I do remember my Grandpa Jones well. How I loved our annual excursion from Reno to Provo to see our relatives, especially my grandparents. Our reunions with Grandpa and Grandma Jones were always times of love, closeness, and happiness. I loved the fact that the railroad tracks were just one block away from Grandpa Jones house and he or Deanna would walk me down to see the freight trains as they rumbled by. I remember Grandpa’s garden well. His rows of vegetables and flowers were laser-straight and weed-free, and he had built wooden walkways all throughout his garden. He loved iris flowers, and he had a vast array of colors among his many irises. Grandpa had saved all of his auto license plates for decades and he had them all nailed to the rafters in his garage. Grandpa’s home always had a distinctive smell, especially his musty cellar where he stored vegetables and fruit. Grandpa was a kindly, gentle man, full of love and good humor. He was known as the unofficial historian of Utah County due to the fact that he kept numerous journals and diaries pertaining to the history of Provo and its environs. Grandpa at one time had the desire to collect actual signatures of all the prophets of the Church. He succeeded in doing this, and he willed this priceless collection to my mother, and she willed it to me. I treasure this book not only for the signatures, but also for my grandfather’s beautiful script writing therein. I also remember so well a beautiful boat that he built for me, complete with sails and rudder. It was finely crafted and I cherished it. I am proud that I inherited many of my Grandpa Jones’s physical traits, including large feet and hands, and his tall stature. Time will tell if I have also inherited his male-pattern baldness. [Note: that question is now amply answered, as I look exactly like my grandfather in that regard!] My greater hope is that I can emulate the traits of sweetness, gentleness, and kindness that my maternal grandparents exemplified. As a side note, I have become an iris fan in the last few years, mainly as a tribute to my dear grandfather. My iris beds pale into insignificance in comparison to those of Grandpa Jones, but each successful blossom is a sweet reminder of a dearly-beloved grandfather!
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