Idaho, Days 8 & 9, Rexburg

I resisted and did not shake or blow on this seed ball. I found it on the "dairy grounds." Another Idaho childhood memory, the fun of spreading dandelion seeds all over the yard!

After visiting with Uncle Keith, we returned to Rexburg for a visit with Uncle Roger and Aunt Elna. Both of them have had joint replacement surgeries this last year and both have had major complications. It was so sad to see them hurting. They also both celebrated their 80th birthdays this year. They have always welcomed us whole heartedly into their home over the years and it was so good to see them again. Our family of six kids would land on their doorstep every summer for a couple of weeks and all we felt was love. Once I became a parent myself I realized the enormity of their hospitality. Double the number of children in the house to 12, no problem. Feed all those hungry mouths, do extra laundry, clean and clean some more, wait up for Laurel (sorry), no problem. Roger and Elna really were like our second parents. They also supplied much moral support for our mother who was raising 6 children single handedly but also caring for an incapacitated husband.We had a good visit with them in their lovely home which now overlooks the new Rexburg Idaho Temple. Their daughters Gloria and Diane were also there visiting so we saw our cousins as well.

While visiting with them, we found out that one of their Nyborg cousins had passed away and that Gerald, Juanita, and Keith would be leaving early in the morning to attend the funeral in Preston. We had scheduled to visit Gerald and Juanita the next day but changed plans and went to their house after seeing Roger and Elna. We had a good talk with them about retirement and what a large segment of one's life that can be. Gerald and Juanita had just returned from a visit to the Twin Falls area where both of their daughters live and they are healthy, happy, and handy. I loved Juanita's 4th of July decorations. Gerald told us of the trip he and Keith had recently made to southern Utah. Their cousin, Warren Foote, had invited them to attend a family reunion near Orderville and they had made the additional drive on to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon for the first time as well.

The next morning we attended the temple, the first time inside for both Lynette and I.

It truly is beautiful and striking landmark on the hill. The repeated motif inside is a stalk of wheat.

That is a most appropriate motif as the front of the temple overlooks a wheat field. All the fields were this deep green. It was beautiful.

This is a view of the valley from the north side, a view that Roger and Elna have enjoyed since moving to their new house on the hill years ago. They still have this view from their back deck, but now with a beautiful temple to the right.

This property is where the Ricks College Dairy farm used to be. It was another spot where I would visit with my father on his rounds. I remember visits with J. Wendall Stucki, another friend of my father's, Department head at Ricks, and first Ricks College Stake President. Go here for more information about the history of the dairy. Once you read it, you will understand the common bond my father and Bro. Stucki must have enjoyed, prize Jersey cows.

All of the flowers looked so fresh and happy. Remember, I had recently departed my garden which was battling the heat of an Arizona summer.

After the temple, we drove a few blocks to the home of our cousin, Maija Lisa daughter of Keith and Raiija, and visited with her family. They were busy as always with half of the family participating in rehearsals for the musical, "Oliver" and the other half playing in strings recitals. The children were also being entreprenuers for the summer. The twins had a house number curb painting business and Mathew was making "zaberz" from pool noodles and PVC pipe. I bought two for my grandsons.

After our visit and the sharing of seven different kinds of cookies or treats ( a Finnish custom) we decided to use our extra time to drive out to the Wilford Cemetery from directions given to us by Maija Lisa.

We found the Nyborg section easily. We had been to the Sugar City Cemetery our first evening in Rexburg but had to dodge the sprinklers to find our Ricks and Ostler family members. This made it difficult to take pictures ( and also contributed to muddy feet :)

Andrew E. had moved his family from Mt. Pleasant, Utah to Idaho in the early 1900's to a farm not far from this marker. As you can see, he died while his son was in France during WWI.

His wife, Laura, died very unexpectedly six years earlier. Both deaths were a shock for my grandfather, Andrew Percy.

Andrew P. also died at only 60 from a heart attack. I remember the shock that was for my mother.

And now only 4 of their children are still living, the three we had seen this visit as well as Milton who lives in California. The generations really do pass quickly.

The marker of the youngest daughter, Nola, who unfortunately suffered the effects of dementia much like my mother.


Lowell, who served in WWII and was shot down and captured as a POW by the Germans. He received the Purple Heart.

And his father has an additional marker noting his service in WWI.

Lowell never married, and his name has been added to the marker with his grandparent's names.

Raiija's headstone is the most recent in the Nyborg plot. I understand that three of my cousins, Gayla, Shauna, and Maiija Lisa ran into each other at the cemetery without planning it when decorating graves for Memorial Day this year.

Our final stop before heading back to Provo that evening was the new BYU-Idaho Center.

It is an amazing space, dare we say mini Conference Center. There is seating for 15,000.

There are three levels and students are encouraged to study and relax here.

We enjoyed the art on each level including Book of Mormon related pieces by Minerva Theichert that I hadn't seen anywhere else, large prints of Carl Bloch's paintings of Jesus Christ, and art of the west by artists such as Maynard Dixon.

We headed south again after picking up Annette and eating at Cafe Rio. Yes, Rexburg now has a Cafe Rio plus too many apartments to count. BYU-Idaho and its change to a four year university is really transforming Rexburg. When we stopped for gas in Pocatello, we also purchased our Idaho Spud candy bars. A trip to Idaho would be incomplete without the "spuds."