page 27

Laura Clark Cook

wonderful experience for me was well as for him. I'll tell you I felt close to him in those days; you know he had to travel by the boat going down there, and he was quite a while going. Then he had to travel in a small train, and as soon as he arrived he was sent off into the country to learn the Portuguese language. I would write to him; I would walk down to the post office with letters so that they would get there in time to reach the boat. At that time there were no airmail letters. I'd send the money to LeGrande by taking it to the church office building. Clark helped me with this when the apartments were vacant, for I didn't have money enough to send. Clark would give me the money he got for cutting lawns; he put in plenty of work for people. He was gifted in that line, and he earned quite a lot of money, and gave me quite a lot of money to send to LeGrande. He did a lot of work in school, in Junior High. In High School Clark made a sewing cabinet and different like that: he was gifted in that work.

While LeGrande was on his mission, Clark and Modesta got married; the date was November (Armistice Day). LeGrande went on his mission in 1941 and returned home in 1943, Sept. 24. I was very happy when he stepped off the train, and I got my arms around him.

The following year of 1944 LeGrande and Ellen Maughan got married. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple by President McKay. The very morning after LeGrande and Ellen were married, I had them come up and have breakfast with me. Then the next day I went on a trip to see Norma. Norma was living out in San Francisco, because Ray was in the Navy; he was over in New Guinea, and Norma was in an apartment in San Francisco she was quite lonesome. She sent the money for me to buy my ticket. I spent one month in California with Norma and had a very enjoyable time going to shows with her and different places, and she had my picture taken there. After staying with Norma a month, I went down to Los Angeles to see Maurine. I was there with her just three days because I felt kind of homesick to get home. I just wanted to get home quite badly then; she was in quite a small place at that time. So I said to Maurine,