1957 - 1958 - Freshman - 15 years old

My freshman year I was in the Tooele High School band. I played the cornet and was the 1st chair 1st cornet during performances. We were one of the first bands to start wearing casual uniforms instead of the traditional band uniform seen in parades.

In this picture:

Jerry on the trike

Mom 

Richard

1956 Scouting

1956 -  13 years old -   Scouting

As I got older I couldn't remember how far I had advanced in scouting.  As I was going through some of my pictures I came across this certificate for 1st Class.

I also came across a letter of recommendation for Star from my bishop, Howard Clegg. 

I also came across an application for the Star advancement but it was never signed. It looks like I never completed the reading and music merit badges.  Sooo, now I know that 1st class is as far as I advanced.

1956 Little League

1956   - 13 years old -  Little League

In 1956 I tried out for the Tooele Little League.  I remember trying out by going out to the outfield of the baseball park and having someone hit me some fly balls. I was good enough that I was selected to play on a team where I played left field. I remember the 1st game I played in I played too shallow and the batter hit the ball over my head….GRRRRR.  I promised myself I would never let that happen again and it didn’t.  I played well enough that I was chosen to play on the all star team.

Video

1958 - 1959 - Sophomore - Swimming Team

Education: Freshman Year
Tooele High School
From 1957 To 1958

My freshman year I swam breaststroke on the swimming team. We took state that year.  I  was never a very competitive swimmer because it is  not in my nature to compete agains someone and try do better than they.  If someone passed me by in a race it didn't upset me enough to get me to try harder.

Sidebar: Besides, I was never good at staying after school (swimming team members had swimming as their last class of the day) and doing extra workouts. I had to go home and watch Annette Funicello and the Mickey Mouse Club.

The swimming pool was located where the current swimming pool is. (2016)

Side Bar:

My family always had a summer pass at the pool. With only one bathroom in the house for all of us, showering at the pool was quite useful. Below is a picture in the Bulletin from 1958.

1954 Beginning of my testimony

In December of 1954 was a date I remember as the beginning of my testimony. I attended my first priesthood meeting as a Deacon in the Tooele 1st Ward in the Stake Center. It was just North and West of the 1st ward building.

As I sat down in my chair I very clearly remember looking around and a deep feeling of happiness and peace settled on my mind. I thought to myself, "This is good. I like it here." After that moment I don't ever remember missing a Sunday meeting except for a few times when on vacation.

1955 Jr High School

In 1955 I started Jr High School. The 7th and 8th grade met in the same building but it was separated by an auditorium.  In this picture you can see the auditorium  that separated the two grades. 7th graders were in the right had section and the eighth grader classes were in the left hand side.

Side Bar:
This is the same auditorium that was in use when I was in all the plays in high school.

1957- 1958 15 Years Old ninth grade

Attended 9-11 grades in the new Tooele High School that had been built a couple of years before I entered the ninth grade.

Arial view of the old high school complex before they built the new  high school

Side Bar:
I am assuming that the tennis courts located at the bottom right side of this photo are where Bob practiced tennis

Side Bar 2:
The building to the left of the tennis courts is where I attended seminary.

Side Bar 3:
I was president of the seminary during my senior year.

 1954    Graduation from Primary
Tooele 1st Ward

I was hit and miss as far as attending Primary. It was held during the week after school. I remember several times floating boats down the irrigation canals instead of going to Primary. I would go home after Primary was over so mom would think I had gone.

At that time you needed to know all the 13 Articles of Faith in order to graduate so I did some major fast memorization work and passed them off in time to graduate.

 1954   6th Grade Life Changing Moment 

My teacher, Mr. Stephens, had a big impact on my self esteem. One  day at recess we were picking teams to play football. Mr Stephens came up and asked in a loud voice that everyone could hear if he could play. He asked me which team I was on. I told him and he said, "I want to be on your team. You are good".

From that day on I was always one of the 1st few to be chosen for a team.

From that day for me it was the beginning of a positive self image.

1951 Move to the 1st South Home

Move 1951  9 Years Old
139 East 100 South

While living on Birch Street, Gene, bought some property from Howard Stonebraker. The land was in the middle of an orchard. He cleared out some of the land for the home and left the rest in orchard. During our youth we always had peach and apricot trees. He designed the house himself and then built the house with many friends and relatives helping out.  The day we moved into the home in November, 1951, mom was in the hospital with the birth of Bryan.

This is a video of the corner stake being driven and also of the land being cleared.

1949 Started School at the Tooele Central School

I started grade school at Central School in Tooele

One unique thing about the school is that it had ramps instead of stairs.

This is a picture of the playground

This the Annex building that was just south of the main building it served as a lunch room and also had classrooms in it.

1949 Move back to Tooele

1949 Move    7 Years Old
253 Birch Street, Tooele, Utah
From 1949 To 1951

In 1949 Gene and Edith decided to move back to Tooele. They started to realize the value of raising children in Tooele as opposed to a big city. We moved to a small house on Birch street and lived there for two years while Dad was building our First South home

1945 Move to Salt Lake

In the winter of 1945 Mom and Dad moved the family to 1574 E Laird Avenue, Salt Lake City, so dad could be closer to his work. It had a basement in it with a storage area. We used to make our own rootbeer and store it there. I was always afraid to go down there because of the mice.

Home movies taken while we lived in Salt Lake

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Picture of Dave, Rich and Paul at the Salt Lake home

1942 December 13 Birth and First Home

Dec 13 1942 Birth
17 South 1st East, Tooele, Utah
My dad Eugene bought some property on the East corner of Vine and 1st East from Peter M Clegg (his wife Edith’s grandfather) in 1938 for $700 on which to build a house. He finished the basement first and lived in it while he finished the top.  Bob, Dave, and Rich, lived on in this house before moving to Salt Lake. Attached is a picture of Bob in front of the house.

Below is a picture of Edith Kroff (left) holding Robert Kroff (or David Kroff) in front of the house after the top was finished.

The three children that were born during the time Gene and Edith lived in the 1st East home were: Bob, Dave, and Rich