My journey from Childhood to BYU & Marriage

I have just decided to go back to blogging. I have a friend that has requested some specific information from my Mormon upbringing...I would like to clarify first that the name of our Church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with our nickname "Mormon".

I decided to start with my childhood. I was born and raised in 1948 in San Mateo, California to Georgiana Hawkins Hardesty & Rudd Hardesty Jr. I had two older sisters...My Father worked and My Mother worked part of the time prior to my birth but once I was born she stopped working all together...She was a Hair Dresser and sometimes Model in her younger years.

I was raised in a Middle Class Neighborhood with lot's of Jewish friends. My oldest sister, Dody, was 7 1/2 years older than me so I was her baby sister and doted over by her...I loved my sister Dody and thought she was the prettiest girl I had ever seen...My sister, Lynn was 4 years older and I hate to say I have few memories of her..I do get flashbacks of her when she must have been in Middle or H.S where she downstairs on a cement floor...She was on top of a males shoulders and they bent over and my sister fell off and cracked her head and ended up in the emergency room and had to stay there for a period of time..

I was raised in the Mormon Church and started very young to learn Songs that I would sing to my children and now my Grandchildren. The one Song that I sing the most and I sing it silently at night as I go off to sleep is " I am a Child of God and he has sent me here; has given me an earthly home with parents kind and dear; Lead me, Guide me, Walk beside me, Help me find the way; Teach me all that I must do, to Live with him someday." What a powerful message. I often wonder if that song helped shape my life as I always knew I was special and that I had a purpose here on earth.

I was a very obedient Child. As the youngest I was able to  observe  the decisions my older sisters had  made and was determined not to make the same mistakes. .Each Sister  has had their own path with happiness and sadness.  My oldest sister, Dody, now lives in Kona, HI where her wonderful Daughter, Stacy and husband Mike retired.  They are so good  to Sis...Stacy lost her first husband, Mike, very young with cancer.  She later met Matt and they have a beautiful life together...My Sister, Lynn, lives in Washington State with some married children around her.  I was close to her oldest, Franke when he was very young when they lived in  Calif. and I was still there...I just adored that beautiful blonde headed nephew.   Lynn's children are scattered now but some live close by...She is still recovering from the loss of her husband. 

I went through Elementary School the model child but with terribly Buck Teeth so I covered my mouth when I smiled.  I loved school as I remember and friends. Even though I didn't obsess over my overbite I was thrilled to have braces.  I loved being in Brownies...I loved going to Church...I always had a good feeling inside when I went to Church . Middle School came along and I have little memory of it but when I hit High School...look out. I embraced it, loved everything about it from Chorus, to sports, to cheerleading, dating some. Best of were my girlfriends which I now look back think they were all Jewish. I remain close to my best friend from H.S., Jill Werner Foss...What great memories of her Jewish traditions mixed with my Mormon traditions...Jews have a great deal in common with Mormons as they both have strong feelings toward their Faith, Family, , Patriotic, Charitable & have strong work ethic. The hardest part of all of this was leaving my BFF, Jill to go on to college but she also went on to college in Arizona.

From High School I entered a Jr. College which I didn't like I wanted to be at BYU with Mormon Kids.....I had always been the different one as the only Mormon in my grade level.  I wanted to be with Young People that had the same beliefs and standards...Thus after one semester of college, I entered BYU in Provo, Utah...I had a great roommate in the dorms, pledged some social groups...I didn't like one so I went to another and then decided I didn't want to be a part of any of them. I wanted to have friends as I chose and not be committed to so many extracurricular activities...They functioned similarly to Sororities but there was no drinking.  At BYU you sign an honor code.  The majority of the students followed it, but then you are always going to have those who cross the line.


I met Dick my 2nd year at BYU in the fall..He was the head Cheerleader and I thought of him as very cocky...and kept saying No...So he put a mutual friend up to talking me into giving him a try...He swept me off my feet...I was so impressed at how he held a job and went to school and had such as strong work ethic...He romanced me off my feet and we were married for all time and eternity with no family present in the Salt Lake City Mormon Temple...I had a close friend that liked us both that came to be a part of it..otherwise it was just Dick and I on our wedding day.  I still can't believe we did it the weekend before finals May 16, 1969...I will end here for the day.