Shirley May Koldewyn

She never went to church until she was eleven and one day she said to her mother that all of her friends from school were up in that building and they are singing a pretty song. Her Mom said that it was Primary. "Can I go?" And she said that if she wanted to. She walked Shirley up and she can remember going through the door and Sister Trobridge was there, " I am a Mormon but she isn't, can she come to Primary?" She said yes and that was the beginning. She went all the way through Primary and Young Womens and was very active. When she was a teenager she had the ultimate thrill of any teenage girl and that was to be the queen of the Gold and Green Ball. She had her eye on Dean and thought he was handsome and asked him to be her date. Her parents weren't too happy about Dean since he was older and had just returned from the army. Joseph Stacy Murdock her great grandfather was a personal friend of the Prophet Joseph Smith, it was his brother who gave the twins to the prophet when the prophet's twins died. Joseph was at Carthage and saw the body on the ground after he had been murdered.

Her father was not baptized until he was 45 years old. One day he thought it was a good idea and asked the missionaries to teach him and they were so thrilled to have someone chase them for a change. He was a high priest, a very good man.

In her ward at the start of WWII 28 men were serving. When one would get his call they would sing "We are all enlisted", 7 died.

Shirley was a shock to the Wassmer family since she came from a very open family and she kissed the parents when she and Dean were engaged. Hester chuckled and said "OO" and Shirley said I always kiss people. About 6 months into the engagement they expected it and Pa would turn his cheek getting it ready when he saw her coming.