Dear Relatives

HAROLD EARL VAN WAGENEN

Harold Earl Van Wagenen was the son of Alma Van Wagenen. He graduated from the Provo High School and B.Y.U. and filled a Mission for the Church in Germany. In school he earned his letter as a swimmer and a diver. He was a yell leader at the B.Y.U. After graduation he was an officer manager at Utah Power and Light Company and later was an accounting supervisor at the Geneva Steel Company. He also was an organizer and operator of KIXX Radio Station. Under the Charter form of the City Government he was the first Mayor and was an appointed by the Governor to the Utah State Board of Correction and served for eight years. As a young man he was an active Boy Scout. Later he was active in the Junior Chamber and Chamber of Commerce and the Provo Rotary Club and the Riverside Country Club. He was a licensed radio engineer. He still speaks German fluently. He married Ruth Salisbury, a former Miss Salt Lake City and they have two daughters, Sharee and Vicki. Sharee married Peter Vistaunet and Vicki married William Walker.

DEAN EUGENE VAN WAGENEN

Dean Eugene Van Wagenen was born 8 May 1914 at Provo, Utah to Alma Van Wagenen and Birdie Ethel Gray. Attended Maeser School, Provo High School, University of Business, B.Y.U. one year Graduate study at B.Y.U.

May 15, 1939 at the Salt lake Temple Dean married Belle De Jong. Business activities: owner-operator: Van Wagenen Finance Co.-Provo. Migrated from Provo to Timpanogos. Director Timpanogos Kiwanis Club, Provo, Utah. Other information that would be of interest to your posterity:

1-Mission Eastern States 1934-36. (District President Albany District Participated in First Cumorah Area Pageant and Missionary Drive)

2-Senior President of 45^th Quorum 70’s. Director to Bookstore. His Quorum has supported more missionaries than any in church in one year supported as many as 28 missionaries.

3-First Master M Man in Provo – (Was Earned)

4-Stake Mission President – 6 years. One year Mission Stake had Highest convert – Per-missionary recorded in church.

IRENE VAN WAGENEN FREESTONE

Irene Van Wagenen Freestone was the daughter of Alma Van Wagenen and was born March 18, 1918. She graduated from Provo High School and attended B.Y.U. and was a member of O.S. Trovata Social Unit. She married Albert Freestone from Mesa, Arizona where they lived for a time, he worked for the J. C. Penney Company. They have lived in Provo for many years while he has been an executive in the Industrial Relations division of Geneva Steel Co. Irene has been and still is an excellent swimmer. She was the Secretary of the Relief Society for many years. She and Albert have both been active in promoting junior league baseball. Both are artistic and their home was featured in an issue of Homes and Gardens and she is a talented organist. They have a daughter and a son, Marilyn and Larry. Marilyn married Herbert Carnesecca and Lawrance (Larry) married Ronaele Dastrup, after filling a mission to Australia.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(284)

GEORGE LYNN BRONSON

George Lynn Bronson (son of George Clark and Lettie Van Wagenen Bronson) was born 11 July, 1893 in Midway, Utah. Here he attended grammar school grades, then went on to the Wasatch High School.

He was married in the Salt Lake Temple on 8 December, 1915 to Ruby Elinor Watkins. To this union was born nine children with five daughters still living.

As of this date, April 1968, there are eighteen grandchildren and fifteen great grandchildren.

He spent eighteen years working as a fireman for the Denver Rio Grande Western Railroad.

In 1933 he and his family moved to Vale, Oregon where (through his efforts) the Vale Branch of the L.D.S. Church was organized. He being made the presiding Elder and Sunday School Superintendant.

At the present time it is a ward with over five hundred members.

Since moving to Redmond, he has served twice as counselor in the Branch Presidency and Branch Presidency and twice as counselor in the Sunday School. He has been called many times (night and day) to the hospital to administer to the sick.

He and his wife Ruby fulfilled a two-year mission under the Bend District of the North Western States Mission.

All in all it has been a joy and a blessing to us.

In 1965 we celebrated our golden wedding, and now we are enjoying the Golden years.

LETTIE VAN WAGENEN BRONSON

Lettie Van Wagenen Bronson had a magnetic charm that constantly brought relatives and friends to our home. She loved company and, most of all, she was happy when she could cook a meal for a hungry visitor. This same spirit of helpfulness is still cherished most by her living sons, grandchildren, and those who remember her best. She shared graciously with those in need.

She encouraged the weary traveler, the beginner in business, the dabbler in real estate, and the struggler in college trying to better himself. She had some business adventures of her own. She exemplified business talents (put into action by other members of her immediate family, namely, her Van Wagenen brothers, Alma, David, Edwin, George and John) when she operated a country general merchandise store.

One of her sons remembers how he was encouraged to enter the real estate market while still a student in high school. He was praised for attainments in school, church, and business to the degree that her motherly advice, praise, and support were always strong, deliberate, and most satisfying.

She gave birth to seven sons (no daughters). Later she seemed to get a special thrill in having granddaughters to buy lovely dresses for, to visit and help plan their lives toward career and marriage. What a thrill that first great grandchild was to this wonderful mother and grandmother for whom all had a special love, whom they all called “Ma”.

She was something special to her favorite niece, Bessie Van Wagenen Huffaker. They kept in touch regularly and her family and Lettie’s family were aware of each other’s families’ sicknesses, successes, and family upsets.

To end this appraisal of a wonderful lady would not be complete without recalling her frequent trips to the homes of sisters, sons and grandchildren where she seemed to be in heaven. Their problems were her problems, and their successes her successes.

Her sons were very active in Church activities-drama, musical performances, ward and stake leadership assignments—all of which were colored by her consistant praise and encouragement.

Yes, Lettie Van Wagenen Bronson was an ambitious woman, endowed with good judgment, alert in business transactions, congenial, a good homemaker, a good cook, loved and respected by those who knew her; happy in the accomplishments of others, a good disciplinarian, but above all else, on who could revel in attainments and progress of others.

Her attainments were meager moneywise, but her love for dance, music, and the arts seemed to fill her life with simple but satisfying love in a period devoid of TV and motion pictures.