UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY Utah Valley University Library George Sutherland Archives & Special Collections Oral History Program

Utah Women’s Walk Oral Histories Directed by Michele Welch

Interview with Muriel Allridge by Aaron Welch November 8, 2011

Utah Women’s Walk

TRANSCRIPTION COVER SHEET

Interviewee: Muriel Allridge

Interviewer: Aaron Welch

Place of Interview: George Sutherland Archives, UVU, Orem, Utah

Date of Interview: 08 November 2011

Recordist: Michele Welch

Recording Equipment: Zoom Audio Recorder H4n

Panasonic HD Video Camera AG-HM C709

Transcription Equipment: Panasonic Transcriber RR-830

Transcribed by: Kimberly Williamson

Audio Transcription Edit: Lisa McMullin

Reference: MA = Muriel Allridge (Interviewee) AW = Aaron Welch (Interviewer) MW = Michele Welch (Interviewer) DA = Denise Alexander (Interviewer)

Brief Description of Contents:

Muriel Allridge talks about her fond memories of growing up on a farm in Emery, Utah, and having a mother who was a good example to model. She tells of her childhood love for ice skating and playing the piano. She explains meeting her husband Lee Allridge and how they loved dancing. She recalls doing the bookkeeping for Lee’s plumbing business and raising six children. She also shares how difficult her pregnancies were, in association with having multiple miscarriages, and finally being blessed in her forties with two daughters. She concludes with describing the difficulty of losing her husband early in life, her various acts of service associated with the LDS church, caring for her aging parents and her admiration and love for her family.

NOTE: Interjections during pauses or transitions in dialogue such as uh and false starts and stops in conversations are not included in this transcript. Changes by interviewee are incorporated in the text. All additions to transcript are noted with brackets. Clarifications and additional information are footnoted.

Audio Transcription

[00:48] Beginning of interview

AW: My name is Aaron Welch. This is Tuesday, November 8, 2011. I am at the Utah Valley University, George Sutherland Archives in Orem, Utah, interviewing Muriel Allridge for the purpose of the Utah Women’s Walk. Today we are going to be talking about Muriel’s life and her contributions to life in the state of Utah.

All right, Grandma, to start off, tell me about your early childhood. Where were your born and where did you grow up and things like that?

MA: I was born in the LDS Hospital on December 16, 1932. We lived on a farm, and I don’t know how long my parents lived there. They lived out in Sugarhouse, [UT] but the Depression came and it affected many families.

AW: How long did you live in the Salt Lake area?

MA: Until I was six month old.

AW: Okay.

MA: Then when I was six months old, my dad had a good successful chicken business out in Sugarhouse area. Then the bottom just fell, you know. The Depression affected him and Mom as well and my older siblings. So they moved back to Emery [UT]. Ellis was the only one who was born in Emery. The others were all my older siblings: three brothers and three sisters. I had Wells, my older brother, then Marcella, my sister, then Jim, my brother, and Richine, my sister, and Reila, my sister, and myself and Ellis, my younger brother, so there were seven.

AW: So you were second to the youngest?

MA: Second to the youngest, so three brothers and three sisters and myself.

AW: What was your relationship with all of them like? What was it like growing up with that many siblings?

MA: You know, I just had good memories of them. It seemed like we just had a great family. Being almost the youngest, I know they spoiled me. I looked up to my siblings, and I just have a lot of happy memories.

AW: When you moved down to Emery you lived on a farm, is that right?

MA: We did. After that then my dad moved us all with the exception of Ellis. He was born in Emery after we moved there. My dad had a farm or bought a farm. I just had a great

Utah Women’s Walk: Muriel Allridge 2 experience. I was just a typical farm girl from the very beginning. I can remember having a horse to ride. I had my special Persian longhaired cats.

MW: What was the cat’s name, Mom? What were the cats’ names?

MA: Bemew. (laughs)

AW: Bemew?

MA: I named him Bemew. He was a Persian cat and I loved him. We also had a dog. His name was Brownie.

AW: Brownie?

MA: Really neat names, huh? (laughs)

AW: Did you have to do any chores around the farm?

MA: You know, I did. I milked the cows, and the reason I did was at the time, my brothers would be involved in activities at Ferron High School. So when they were involved in those things then quite often I would have to milk some of the cows. I took them to the pasture, and that’s how I got strong fingers so I could play the piano. (laughter)

MA: I guess I was a tom girl besides. I had two sisters. Richine. Oh, never would she do anything out in the yard. I enjoyed it so. I even helped plant the garden.

AW: That’s good. What did your mom do? Did she teach school?

MA: My mother was a second-grade teacher as they got married. She and dad got married when they were twenty-four. So they'd gotten their education, but Dad didn’t like teaching. He went to other things, but my mom was a second-grade teacher. She taught I don’t know how many years. I need to learn what that was. Should I tell you about later on when she taught me?

AW: Yeah, absolutely.

MA: It was during the war. The war was on [World War II].

AW: What grade were you in when she taught you?

MA: Fifth and sixth grade.

AW: Oh, she taught you in both of them?

MA: Both grades. Uh-huh. There were so many men that were called to the war effort, World War II. Therefore, my mother—they called her and another teacher—another lady—that

Utah Women’s Walk: Muriel Allridge 3 had taught before. They started teaching because there just weren’t any men. And so I just have great memories of that. I'll tell you a little bit about it if you would like me too.

AW: Yeah.

MA: My mother, you would think it would be a hard thing to have her as my teacher. But, you know, I don’t have any bad memories about it. I think I got along pretty well. I especially remember—she also taught Ellis in the fifth and sixth grade. She would always take us over for a candy bar, a treat after school. So that was something that we looked forward to. It was a great thing. I just had good memories of her. I can't think of any girlfriend problems that would say, Oh, you’re your mother’s teacher’s pet. I don’t think that it really was an issue.

[09:37]

AW: What did you do for fun with your friends growing up?

MA: Well actually, my special thing was ice-skating. I was a good ice skater even if I say so. We had a little pond just near us. My sister and I got figure skates for Christmas. It was our first year that we got figure skates. We didn't get much else besides that because they were expensive. We skated on this little pond and then later some of the dads made ponds. They would freeze over ice so we had a bigger place. This place was really quite small, but that's where I learned to skate to begin with. We had some good ponds to skate on.

AW: How long did you skate for? Just a few years growing up?

MA: Oh, for a long time I skated. I don’t know how long. I loved to ice skate. That was my favorite thing really. I didn't roller skate, but I really liked to ice skate.

AW: Is there one experience from your early beginnings that you think prepared you for your life as mother and a homemaker?

MA: Well I had a good example to follow. My mother—she was an excellent cook. She made all of my clothes in the beginning, in my younger years. She taught me to pray, fast with family members. I remember her being such a great neighbor. She was always helping the poor people and the needy people. I remember her giving one of the neighbors our old kitchen table and chairs. She was just a very good example of serving others.

AW: Tell us about your experiences in playing the piano.

[12:30]

(Michele Welch is instructing Muriel to turn and face the camera)

MA: In playing the piano—well, Mother was always wanting us to learn to play the piano or

Utah Women’s Walk: Muriel Allridge 4 anything else actually. She was just a good teacher. I learned to play the piano at an early age. I know she couldn’t talk some of my siblings into doing it. I learned to play, and some of the others did somewhat. She decided that I was the one that she was going to focus on. I became a good pianist and worked hard at it. She had me go to the very best teachers, and amazingly, we had some really good teachers. One of my very most favorite teachers was Mrs. Naglevort. I don’t remember where she came from, but she taught in Huntington. So I had to travel over and I stayed with my cousin quite often overnight. I don’t know how I got home but—

AW: How often?

MA: That was about forty miles away.

AW: And that was for a lesson?

MA: Yes.

AW: How often did you have those?

MA: I think every week.

AW: Every week?

MA: I think so. She was a great teacher. You can tell by her name. I don’t know if she was German. (laughs) I don’t know what she was, but anyway. She was one of my favorite people and a good teacher.

AW: How often did you practice? Did you enjoy it?

MA: I remember she was hard. I don’t remember how many hours. I can tell you later on how many hours I was supposed to [practice] when I went to BYU []. I can remember that, but I don’t remember what she expected in the way of practicing, but she was a great teacher. She played beautifully.

AW: What other talents and hobbies did you have? Things you liked to do.

MA: Well— hobbies?

DA: You liked to do ceramics.

MA: Let me see.

DA: Remember ceramics?

MA: Oh, well yes. That takes me back until after I was married. I took some classes in ceramics. I decided that I was pretty good at it. I had a great teacher, and so I made a lot

Utah Women’s Walk: Muriel Allridge 5 pretty things. It's another story in itself. This lady named Betty Smith was just a superb teacher. That's who I took ceramics from every week.

AW: What type of things would you make?

MA: Pardon? Well, you notice in your mother’s home those three little bums; that’s what I call them.

MW: Hobos.

MA: Hobos.

AW: Oh yeah, I—

MA: Well, I made those.

AW: Yeah, I knew that. I remember you saying that.

MA: Then I've got a few things of my own. I didn’t keep so very much because I just divided it out and wanted everybody to have something. I don’t know what Denise got, do you know?

DA: You made quails. I got the pheasants.

MA: Oh, the pheasants—

DA: And the little baby pheasants.

MA: Oh, yes.

MW: She did clocks and dolls—

MA: Oh, yes.

MW: You did little holiday things and a graduation girl with a cap and gown.

MA: That’s right. That's right. We would do porcelain. I made Santas. Do you remember the Santas I made and the Christmas trees? That was a good hobby. I loved to do that.

[17:33]

AW: Who were the women you admired growing up?

MA: I admired Mrs. Naglevort. I wrote that here. She was such a neat lady. Also, I had a

Utah Women’s Walk: Muriel Allridge 6 Beehive1 teacher that I really thought was sweet. She was sweet. Her name was Rose Olsen. I think she influenced me, and I admired her for being so nice. Not overly nice, but just genuinely a sweet lady. She would make sure you knew.

AW: Do you have one particular person that influenced you or mentored you? That you felt had a particular influence.

MA: In my family, I think I would say my sister Richine. She's still living in Salt Lake. She was so good to me. She made all my clothes. Even after I left home, she still sewed for me. She made my wedding dress. She was just always there for me. You know, I had great sisters. I should say Marcella was a great sister as well. My sisters meant a lot to me, but the two older ones were—

AW: How far apart in age were you to them?

MA: Well, my oldest sister was probably ten years older than myself; my sister Richine maybe just eight or nine. There is about two years' difference between all my siblings except for Ellis. There is three years between he and I. I think my sister probably had a great influence on me for the good. She was a good sister that sort of took me under her wing.

[20:13]

AW: That's good. Tell me about Lee. How did you meet him?

MA: Well, I met him through his girlfriend. You notice I say his girlfriend. (laughs) I rode home. He was in Emery. He was actually from Ferron, but he asked me if I needed a ride home. And I said I did. So, I rode home with him. At the time he—why was he in Salt Lake area? But anyway, he took me home, and, you know, the rest is history. (laughs) We just hit it off really good. He liked to dance; he was really good at it. We used to go to that wonderful place to dance.

MW: Rainbow Rendezvous.

MA: Rainbow Rendezvous, yes. We went there; that was part of our entertainment was going there. It was just really fun. Some of our other Emery County kids were up there as well. So we had friends that kind of did things with.

AW: When did you get married? What was your early life together like?

MA: I was married August 27, 1951, in Salt Lake City, in the Salt Lake temple. I just have good memories about that. We started off having our family right off, and that was interesting. We had Denise, and then seventeen months later Michele was born. Then we had a little lapse. Three years later Robyn was born, and then five years later Dallan was

1. A Beehive is a twelve- to thirteen-year-old girl in the Young Women organization. The Young Women is a youth organization in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Utah Women’s Walk: Muriel Allridge 7 born. Then the other two girls were born. I had some bad pregnancies. It's amazing how you sort of know that there are more children even though I was older. Thank goodness, you know, we had Amber and Alyssa. It was a great thing. That's another story.

MW: Tell it, Mom. Tell the story.

MA: Well.

MW: How old were you?

MA: Oh, yes.

MW: And it was a surprise?

MA: That was interesting. I was forty-four by the time I had Alyssa. There's two and a half years’ difference in Amber and Alyssa. I was forty-four by the time I had her. I had such a hard time during my pregnancies. But, I don't know, by the time she came around and Amber, it wasn’t nearly so bad. They were just wonderful blessings in my life. You know, something I would never regret in any way. I had a chance to—I shouldn’t say chance. I was asked if I would like to have my tubes tied so that I wouldn't have any more children.

AW: When was this when you were asked to have that?

MA: Before—

AW: Before Amber and Alyssa?

MA: —before Amber and Alyssa. Well, I just had this bad feeling that I couldn't do that. They brought the papers out to you to sign, saying that they would make the proper procedure so that I wouldn't have any more children, but I couldn't do that. I think I was really, you know, prompted to go ahead and have these two wonderful children so late in my life. Anyway, is that—

MW: Do you mind telling us about your miscarriages? Were there six in that ten-year period?

MA: Five.

MW: Five miscarriages.

MA: That was not a fun part in my life. It took its toll on me, I think. You know, you just do what you have to do. I carried them until they were almost five months or four and a half months, just when I should've been feeling life. Then I would abort them. I went through that about every two years. That was hard. It was hard. I remember that one of the nurses brought the baby out to me. I could hold it in my hand because at that age they had forms. They are not fully developed, of course, in any way, but they looked like babies. Is that

Utah Women’s Walk: Muriel Allridge 8 okay?

MW: Um-hm. You were sick every day. You threw-up every day. It wasn't just four months and then a miscarriage. You were sick.

MA: It was pretty bad the whole nine months. I had this problem with—I had overactive saliva. What do you call it?2 Anyway, I had this runny mouth all the time. That was not fun. I had that to deal with all nine months. I was so glad to go through the birth process. That was easy compared to my pregnancies. You know, it was all worth it.

AW: I forgot to ask you about high school. Tell me about some activities and honors that you got in high school.

MA: Well, I graduated from—you have to keep in mind that our school wasn’t really big. (laughs)

AW: How many people did you have in your graduating class?

MA: Sixty-three.

AW: In the graduating class or in the whole high school?

MA: In my graduating class. I was the salutatorian. I was on the typing team. I was a good typist; I’m sure it was from milking cows. I had strong fast fingers. (laughs) Anyway, I was a really good typist. I earned a type pin. I played the piano for a lot of talents, you know, people singing. For my graduation, I actually played—what was it called? Yes, “Rhapsody in Blue.” I played that and then I played the “Graduation March.”

AW: That was for the graduation?

MA: Uh-huh, I can remember the tears. I was so emotional that I could hardly play, but I managed. But anyway, I was playing through my tears.

[30:23]

AW: You were also a baton twirler, is that right?

MA: I was.

AW: What was that like? What type of things would you do that at?

MA: There were six baton twirlers. I was a really good baton twirler. I could throw my baton higher than everyone. (laughs) That sounds like I am really boasting, but it was true. I loved doing it. You know, it was a fun thing. I practiced a lot and our batons were not so

2. Ptyalism or sialorrhea.

Utah Women’s Walk: Muriel Allridge 9 good then. To start out with we had balls about this big. (demonstrating the size) We had to make a hole and then we had—

AW: You made your own batons?

MA: We made our own batons.

AW: Oh.

MA: It was not always that way. I had a good baton in the later years of my high school days.

AW: What type of events or places would you do that at?

MA: We marched at North Emery High School, and then I think we went up to Carbon. We just marched for different functions they had. What did they call them in Ferron—Ferron Days—

MW: Peach Days.

MA: Peach Days, yes. So, you know, we would march for that and just for different things.

AW: All right. Cool. So back to married life with Grandpa. He was starting his own business. Is that right? And you helped him out?

MA: I did.

AW: What type of thing—

MA: Oh, I wrote something down here. You asked me how I met Lee and what about him attracted you [me]. Did I say this already? That he liked to dance and he was good at it.

AW: Oh, yeah.

MA: Yeah. Okay.

MW: Before you married Dad, that year right out of high school, tell us about what you did. After you left Emery you went to live with Richine, didn't you, and then to BYU? Tell us about that time.

MA: About how I met him? No, I've already told you that, right?

MW: Right after high school what did you do?

MA: Oh, okay. Well, my mother always—she wanted me to do things during the summer at BYU, and so I did. I went up; she had me go up there, and I stayed with Richine and Gordon for one summer. During that time, I played the piano at Little Carnegie. I had

Utah Women’s Walk: Muriel Allridge 10 these great teachers. I told you about that.

MW: Tell us about the one at BYU you studied with.

MA: Oh, yes. I don't have that written down. Well—

MW: Just talk. Don’t worry about what you got written down. You can tell it.

MA: Well, my mother wanted me to have the best teachers, of course. And so when I got up there [BYU], I studied with Crawford Gates. He was really hard and very strict, but I learned so much. He wrote the music to Promised Valley. He was a great pianist—very strict. And then there was another—a guest artist. His name was Firstner. He came during the summer on a—he was a guest artist that came. I studied with him as well. They were really hard teachers. When I think of how I practiced in those little—we were cooped up with one—they had these different little buildings and they were practice rooms. They had a piano and that was all. I practiced for four hours, only I split the time up. I just learned a lot by doing that. That's what was expected by these very good teachers. At one time, I could play the piano really quite good. I remember—they're the kind that—they don't let you get to another piece until you perfect what they've given you. That was their methods and I learned a lot.

AW: That was up at BYU, right?

MA: Yes.

AW: How soon after was it that you met Grandpa? Was this your summer out of high school or were you going up during school?

MA: Yeah, when I met him, I was nineteen.

DA: Mom, didn’t you go up to Oregon [to] stay with Uncle Jim, live with them, and work up there?

MA: Just a short time, though. Yes, I did.

DA: Tell us about that.

MA: I worked for the Atomic Energy Commission when I went up there for a summer. I stayed with Jim and Eloise so that was a good experience.

DA: (unintelligible) Standing up for being honest. [How] your boss wanted you to fudge on your taxes. Do you remember that?

MA: Oh, yeah sort of. What did I say? (laughs)

DA: You said you wouldn’t. He wanted you to be dishonest and you wouldn’t.

Utah Women’s Walk: Muriel Allridge 11

MA: I forgot about that. All in all it was a good experience there. I learned a lot.

AW: So when you were dating Grandpa, you guys liked to go dancing. How soon after you were dating that you guys got engaged and married? How soon was that or how long was that?

MA: We dated for three months and then we got engaged.

AW: He was living in Salt Lake and you lived in Emery, is that right?

MA: No.

AW: Or was that just when you met?

MA: That was just when we met. Then he lived up there as well. That’s when we started going to dances. He liked to dance at the Rainbow Rendezvous. He liked to dance and he was a good dancer. Okay, so where were you at now? When we got married?

AW: Yes, let’s talk about—

MA: We got married in the Salt Lake temple. I told you that, right?

AW: Yep. So then just early married life with Grandpa. What did he do for work? What’d you do to help him out?

MA: He was a good businessman and I helped him. I served as his secretary and bookkeeper. He had his own business to begin with. Well to begin with, he didn’t, but then he went into business for himself. It was “Three Way Plumbing.” There were three of them. Then he went into business for himself. Then I served as his secretary, typed all his bids, and sent monthly statements. He was doing residential houses, high schools, and service stations. Sometimes he’d be out of town for a while. He did several service stations: one in Moab, one in Midway. Anyway, I just helped him in that way with his business. I typed up the bids. That is what I did in his business.

AW: How long did you work with him or help him with that type of stuff?

MA: I wish I knew that answer—for a long time. When we had children, then it wasn’t so easy. But I had a great babysitter. She was wonderful. Isn’t that when Carol Bush—yeah.

[41:29]

DA: Was that when you taught piano lessons?

MA: I taught piano, yes, then. I did teach piano. Uh-huh. I had about ten students.

Utah Women’s Walk: Muriel Allridge 12 AW: Was that after you had children? When did you start doing that?

MA: During the time, I had children.

AW: So were you working for Grandpa and doing piano at the same time?

MA: I don’t know.

AW: When you were helping Grandpa with his business, where was it?

MA: We just had his business in our own home. We had an office downstairs in the basement. [It was] just a room. There was one bedroom that Robyn I think had the bedroom downstairs didn’t she? You did—

DA: I started out—

MA: It was you. Pardon?

DA: I started out there.

MA: Right.

DA: After I left, Robyn had it.

MA: Yes. Where were you?

MW: I was upstairs across the hall from your bedroom. That’s why I know you were sick every day when you had all those miscarriages.

MA: Okay, that’s right. You were my caregiver probably. (laughs) So anyway, it wasn’t easy to work part-time, which I did for him. I had those skills and I was glad. I didn’t regret any of those times.

AW: What type of challenges did you face while raising your children? You can be honest even though you have two children here.

MA: Well, you know, my kids were so good and of course, we went through hard times. [The] teenage years was probably the hardest periods of raising the kids. There were just challenges that everyone else had during those times, you know. It wasn’t so easy; we didn’t have a lot. Well, I think they had more free time. What do you kids remember? You had probably more free time then. And I think I learned too that keeping my kids busy with the music, the dancing, and those kinds of things really helped in keeping them busy. You girls remember when you’d have to practice. Your friends would come and I would say, “No, you have to practice.” I would sit with you, right.

DA: You would do it until we got a certain age.

Utah Women’s Walk: Muriel Allridge 13

MA: Yes, until you were good at it and I could leave you without—do you want to know about my Church callings?

AW: Yes, tell me about your Church callings. You served in quite a bit.

MA: My first Church calling, I think I served as a nursery leader. I was the president.3 I served under three bishops.4 I was Young Women’s president. I was a Primary5 counselor. It was a busy time. I remember even Lee and Robyn, they would tend on the nights that I had to do something with my Church work. (laughs) He was supportive and helpful. I remember that he and Robyn always had the dishes done and the house straight when I got home. That was always nice. Then let’s see.

AW: Is there any significant or special time that you can think of while serving in your callings? A unique experience or even just as a whole, you know, how it affected you?

MA: Well, I thought that serving as the Relief Society president is not easy, but there’s a lot of gratification. I just remember being able to have a part in bringing one lady—inactivity back into activity. She wasn’t ever active. I just remember having one of those experiences and that was very rewarding. In those days, the Relief Society president did a lot of things. We went to the welfare and we would have to find out who needed help. There were quite a few people who did. I remember going into the homes and figuring that out. Then they would be able to get the help that they needed.

[48:08]

AW: You served quite diligently in all these callings. Do you feel like it had a positive effect in your family or children?

MA: Yes, I think that we were really blessed. I always had to be into something—PTA or— but, you know, these callings were a great blessing. I think my family was blessed, and I don’t know if they ever felt like they had been neglected. Did you? I think that a lot of joy, happiness, and blessings came to us because of the service. You serve the Lord like you’re going to get blessings in so many ways. I know that happened in our family and I—

AW: You mentioned PTA. What do you remember about serving in the PTA or what was that like?

3. The Relief Society is the official women's organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

4. A bishop is the ecclesiastical leader of a Latter-day Saint congregation or ward.

5. The Primary is the official children's organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Utah Women’s Walk: Muriel Allridge 14

MA: Whenever we talk about the PTA, I always was room mother. I always was involved in some way as all my kids were in—

DA: You were PTA president, twice as I remember.

MA: I was, at the junior high and then at Forbes.

DA: And at my junior high.

MA: And at the junior high. Dallan was there then. So that was neat, you know, that I could be up there then. I have different memories about those experiences. I was so glad to be able to serve because it’s such a good cause. It keeps you—so you just know what your kids are doing actually when you serve in those capacities.

AW: That’s quite a bit of service for both church and school. What was it as far as the PTA and then Relief Society president—what was it that drove you to give that much service and offer that much time?

MA: You know, I don’t think I was PTA president and Relief Society president at the same time.

AW: Even just one of those, that’s still—

MA: Yeah, well—

AW: Even at separate times of life, that’s kind of, you know, no rest. What was it that drove you to give that much service and work that hard for it all?

MA: I don’t know. That’s a good question. (laughs)

AW: Was it—

MA: I think that it was just a good way to serve. Even my little job down at the stake center or the tabernacle, I had a little service that I put in four hours a week. I loved that. You found people who were members of the Church, but weren’t active. I was on the phone all the time with these other ladies that did it [also]. I can’t remember what it was called,6 but anyway, that was a good thing because you talked to these people. They would not be nice or they could be really nice and then you could do a little missionary work. (laughs) I just remember having those experiences.

AW: You’re a charter member of the Intermezzo Music Club. What impact have those women had in your life?

6. The LDS Member Locater Program.

Utah Women’s Walk: Muriel Allridge 15 MA: I consider them as wonderful friends; I really do. They are just great ladies. I made friends and had wonderful friends throughout the years. I still do. I still belong to the Intermezzo Music Club. Things change, but those wonderful ladies that belong to that club, they don’t change. They’re just wonderful friends.

AW: What is the Intermezzo Music Club? What type of things do you do in that?

MA: We always have some type of music. The last one we had, oh my goodness—she was a beautiful sopranist, and she was very well trained. She sang all these beautiful classical music. So that was the last thing we did at our music club. But we always had some type of music. Sometimes we—just different things that we have.

AW: How long have you been a part of the club?

MA: I was a chartered member so that’s been like fifty some years, yes.

AW: What do you feel has been the most significant trial in your life?

MA: I thought about this question, and I think it was losing my husband so early in life. I just wasn’t ready to let him go that soon. So that was probably my trial—being a single person. Then I had these wonderful widowed friends that came to the rescue. They’ve been my friends since Lee passed away. We do some great things together. We have family home evening at our homes. We take turns doing that. We always have good food and some kind of entertainment.

AW: Grandma, you’re always so optimistic. I am sure that has a big impact. What else do you think since that big trial has impacted your life now that you’re able to be so optimistic and positive now?

MA: Well I think the gospel is such a great blessing in my life. You know, the trials that you have, if you have the gospel, the blessings are bounteous. They just bless you so much. I feel like I have the temple, and I just try to live righteously by going to the temple, and to my Church meetings, and doing my calling as a missionary coordinator. I love that calling. Just those kinds of things bring a lot of happiness. It’s just a never-ending thing if you live the gospel and share your testimony of our Savior with others.

AW: I noticed that a lot of things you’ve done through your whole life is kind of been a lot of service based. Do you think that any of the things that you did earlier in your life [such as] raising your children and anything—all those serviced-based things—do you feel like those have prepared you now that you’ve seemed to reap a lot of the blessings for doing the service whether it be with the other trials in your life? [Do] you feel like you can reap the blessings a little bit more or you can endure a little bit better now that you still are doing service through the temple or through family home evenings, or through Church callings, do you feel like earlier in life that kind of prepared you for doing it now?

MA: Absolutely, I do. I do. I think my testimony has been strengthened so much. It gives you

Utah Women’s Walk: Muriel Allridge 16 hope—oh my goodness—bounteous blessing by living, you know, according to what you know that you should live, how you should live. I think service is a big thing. It’s not a thing, but service is a verb. (laughs) It’s very rewarding if you serve.

[59:59]

AW: Are there any words of wisdom, maxims, or scriptures that you have lived your life by?

MA: I have thought about that. One right off [is]“Do unto others.” It is found in Matthew, and I do not know where, but “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” So that’s one of my favorite scriptures. There’s lots of them.

AW: Well, I would say that one is pretty well what we’ve talked about so far. What would you like to be remembered most for?

MA: I think that my testimony of my Savior Jesus Christ. I think that being able to express that to my—and I don’t do it enough; I know that. I should sit my grandkids down—we talked about this in some class, Sunday School or something, about being eye-to-eye with your little grandkids and telling them what you believe so that it makes a bearing on their life. I would like to become stronger in that way and have my posterity know my feelings and know of my strong testimony that I have of the gospel.

AW: What advice do you have for young women in Utah?

MA: Oh. First of all, the younger women are probably mothers with small children and growing up teenagers. I think that—my advice to them is just hang in there. Do your best. That’s all they can do. I’m not sure how this is worded [and if] that is the answer you are looking for. They have so much potential. Actually, you know, they have many more challenges than we had. I just admire them. We didn’t have the kinds of things that they’re faced with. I just have to admire them, pray for them, and look to them.

MW: What would you like to accomplish during these latter years of your life?

MA: Well, I’d like to be a better scriptorian. I’m definitely not one. (laughs) I thought about serving a mission, but I don’t know if I could do it. (laughs) I am getting too old actually; (laughs) that’s my problem. But I’ll tell you there is missionary work to be done no matter where you are. I love my calling, and I feel good about what I’m doing there. I too want to be a better grandma, a better great-grandma, a better mother, a better sister. By being better that requires a lot from yourself. You have to be self-motivated. There’s always things to learn, I think. I know that I need to learn. There’s a lot of things that I can work on, which will be fulfilling, if I keep trying to learn and accomplish those kinds of things.

AW: What do you find fulfilling to do now?

MA: I’m definitely family orientated. I just would like to do better than I have done and keep

Utah Women’s Walk: Muriel Allridge 17 trying. Now tell me the question again.

AW: What do you find fulfilling to do now?

MW: You like to read.

MA: I do. I love to read. That is a favorite pastime. I love to go to the temple. I love to travel. I’ve done a good share of traveling, and I love traveling. That’s one of the things that I have liked. I could do anytime. (laughs)

DA: It seems that you enjoy ballgames or watching ballgames.

MA: Oh, I love to watch BYU always or my grandkids. I’ve watched Aaron and his sports. I love to watch my kids and their sports [and] the things that they do. Just recently I—what did I watch? Ashton. Well, we watched Kendra. We didn’t watch her fall, but I didn’t ever get to Mikey’s soccer game. That would have been fun to watch because I know he has done so well in that area.

MW: You have some very talented grandkids that’ve done some fun things.

MA: I know they have. Throughout the years, you know, I’ve been able to and Lee has. It’s just been delightful. It used to be that’s all we did was go see their sports and all the things that they were involved in. That’s part of all the wonderful things that life has to offer us to be involved with your family, your grandchildren, and their accomplishments.

MW: Mom, Denise will ask a question; I’ll ask a question, and then we’ll let Aaron finish up. I’d like to know—you were a really good homemaker. You canned fruits and vegetables. You cleaned. You sewed all of our clothes, lots of them until later. When you got sick then Donna kind of took over sewing a little bit. You were always decorating [and] celebrating. What is your philosophy on homemaking: cooking, candy, fruitcake. What do you think about homemaking in general? What’s your philosophy about homemaking?

MA: I think it’s so important. I had a mother that—I touched on that already, didn’t I? That’s where I learned. It’s funny because I have one of my lady friends that still does a lot of cooking and everything, and I’ve kind of slacked off. But I’m going to make my famous fruitcake this year. (laughs) I’ve already bought some tins so I can, and I want to do that. So what was it you asked me?

MW: Is homemaking still important today? Is it still necessary for women to cook and clean and sew?

MA: Oh, yes. When Thanksgiving comes along they need to learn how to dress a turkey and make good dressing.

MW: Why do you think that’s important?

Utah Women’s Walk: Muriel Allridge 18

MA: Make gravy. (laughs) Well your husband,7 he’s been so cute about that, you know. He had me come over and teach him how to make gravy or dress the turkey. (laughter)

MW: Because his wife didn’t know how.

MA: I don’t know. He just wanted to have a hand in cooking. Alan’s the same way. He’s a great cook and you girls are too.

MW: But you think it is still important for a female—

MA: Oh, I definitely do. Your kids need to see you cooking, and you get them involved in all these wonderful things. They are so good at a lot of things. They come up with all kinds of yummy things. But I think it’s very important in their homemaking skills.

DA: Mom, over the years you have served a lot in the Church how did you deal with Dad’s inactivity because you were serving a lot. But he wasn’t active. How did you deal with that?

MA: You know it wasn’t easy. The hardest thing I remember [was] going to church and not having my husband sitting there with me. And me always having a baby, or two, or three, you know. It wasn’t easy to not have him there.

DA: But you still kept going.

MA: I did. That’s one thing I did do. I had different bishops say, Are you still going to church and taking your children. I did. Can you remember when I did that?

MW: But it must have been really hard and lonely, difficult.

MA: It was.

DA: And you still treated Dad with respect.

MA: He was a good man, and I had to look for the good. I remember this one thing that I’ll pass on to you—you’ve heard me say. I was complaining about him not going to church and doing these things. I tried to change him, and it didn’t work. Anyway, suddenly I realized that it was me who had to make the change. It was me, and then things would fall into place. I had a much better attitude. I think it helped me grow spiritually actually when I quit trying to change your dad. Can’t do that.

DA: Mom, one of the things that I’ll never forget is the way you took care of your parents. How did you do that with all the service you were doing with your family and with the Church?

6. Muriel refers to Tim Welch, Michele Welch's (interviewer) husband.

Utah Women’s Walk: Muriel Allridge 19

MW: And the little girls and you were older. You were caring for aged grandparents. How did you do that? That’s what we want to know. (laughs)

DA: You were the Relief Society president at that same time.

MA: I don’t know how I did all that. I think I was just blessed. There was a lot of satisfaction in being able to take care of my parents. You know I had help. We had a lady come in. Richine came down once a week. [She] spent the whole day and did their bills and things. But I did a lot of it. I did. I don’t know. I just did it. They needed help. I don’t regret it at all. It was hard. The hardest part was putting them in the care center. Then I really felt like what I have done because I had a bearing on that. It was hard on all of us, I think, to do that, not so much maybe the guys as much as the girls.

DA: You just went up to the care center every day and it was tough.

MA: I did. I went over there and made sure they were doing what they should.

MW: You’ve been a great mother, great wife, great daughter, sister, [and] friend.

DA: Mom, you’ve been a remarkable mother.

MA: (laughs) No, I haven’t.

DA: You have been.

MW: Yes, you have. You are the perfect example of a woman who’s done all the common things that women in Utah do. You’ve done it sweetly, kindly. I don’t think you have a mean bone in your body. Except for I remember you were talking about practicing and remembering—(laughter)

DA: You made us do that—

MW: You cracked the whip. You are a good example of what we’re trying to do with the project in honoring women who have done the common, every day, normal, hard, tedious work that happens in a family. You’ve done that really well. Now we are going to let Aaron have the last—do you have any other final—

AW: Is there anything additional that you’d like to have recorded about your life? Is there anything we haven’t brought up that you would like to talk about?

MA: I don’t think so because I have touched on my feelings about the gospel, the Church, the temple. Haven’t I?

AW: Yeah.

Utah Women’s Walk: Muriel Allridge 20 MW: You did great.

[01:18:21] End of interview

Utah Women’s Walk: Muriel Allridge 21