Oral History of Donald Grant Woolley Born December 12, 1925 Magrath, Alberta, Canada PREFACE 1 After finishing writing Dad’s oral history, I had such an overpowering feeling of love for him and a new appreciation for his life, so well lived. I also realized in a new way how precious one life is—seeing his opened up before me, from his birth to his later years. Since writing this, I have heard him tell wonderful stories that aren’t included here. I think there needs to be a “Part 2” in the saga of his life. I believe the telling of his life story will be an inspiration not only to his children and grandchildren, but to generations yet unborn. Thank you for a life well-lived, Dad. With all my love, Jane --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONTENTS AT A GLANCE: Page: Time Line. 3 Short Synopsis . 4 Youth and Young Adult Years (1925-1945) . 6 Serving a Mission in the Canadian Mission (1945-1947) . 19 Marriage to Norma—Logan, Utah and Welling, Alberta Years (1947-1956). 23 Early Ames, Iowa Years (1956-1960). 28 Move to Lethbridge, Alberta (1960-1963) . 31 Later Ames, Iowa Years (1963-1997) . 33 Serving in the Church in Ames, Iowa (1956-1989) . 37 Chicago, Illinois Temple Mission (1989-1994) . 50 Patriarch of the Ames, Iowa Stake (1995-1997) . 57 Mother’s and Father’s Passing Away (1996 and 2001) . 58 Work at Iowa State University (1959-1989) . 60 Ames Parks and Recreation Commission . 67 Friends . 68 Move to Bountiful (1997) . 70 50th Wedding Anniversary (1997) . 72 Miscellaneous: . 73 Family Vacations . 74 Family Members . 79 Genealogy of Donald G. Woolley . 92 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTES: This oral history was transcribed from 8 audio tapes that were made by Donald G. Woolley in June and July of 2001 at his home in Bountiful, Utah at the age of 75. The pictures were scanned from photos in memory books in his possession. Some editing was done by him to clarify some of the details. *An asterisk at the beginning of a paragraph indicates that this segment was recorded later on the tapes and inserted where it was appropriate when transcribed. Time Line: Donald G. Woolley 2 Dec. 12, 1925: born in Magrath, Alberta, Canada at Pearl Henninger's Nursing Home. Summer 1932: moved to Cardston, Alberta, Canada….father taught Math at Cardston High School Summer 1935: moved to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada…father ran cosmetics direct selling business Summer 1936: moved back to Magrath, Alberta, Canada…father was Magrath High School Principal Summer 1944: moved to Edmonton, Alberta. Attended University of Alberta. Joined Navy Reserves. Summer 1945: moved to Victoria, British Columbia, NadanNavy Base for Naval officers training August 1945: released from Navy officers training, returned to Magrath, Alberta, received Mission call. September 1945: moved to Salt Lake City to work for Uncle Kirt briefly before mission. October 1945: entered Mission Home in Salt Lake City, then to Toronto, Ontario October 1947: released from mission November 26, 1947: married Norma Ann Ririe in Cardston, Alberta Temple December 1947: started school at Utah State Agricultural College in Logan, Utah August 28, 1949: Jane born at LDS Hospital in Logan, Utah Spring 1951: graduated from Utah State Agricultural College with Bachelors degree. Returned to Alberta. Lived in Magrath. Fall 1951: moved to Welling. Farmed and worked for Alberta Canning Co. August 8, 1952: Wayne born in Lethbridge at St. Michael's Hospital. Spring 1954: moved to Logan. Managed Soil Conservation Lab. Then began work on Masters Degree. March 1956: Received Masters Degree. Moved to Ames, Iowa to work on Doctorate. Lived in Pammel Court. Fall 1956: called as 2nd Counselor in Central Iowa District (President Norval Wardle) Fall 1956: Moved to 1483 Hawthorne Court, Ames, Iowa (new married student housing) February 1, 1959: Mary Ellen born at Mary Greeley Hospital in Ames. Summer 1959: Received Doctoral Degree. Received Assistant Professorship at ISU. Bought home at 2007 Melrose, Ames. Summer 1960: Moved to Lethbridge. Worked at Canadian Government Agricultural Research Station. Fall 1960: Called to Lethbridge Stake High Council December 6, 1960: David born at Lethbridge Municipal Hospital 1962-1963: served as Scout Master in Lethbridge 2nd Ward Summer 1963: Received associate professorship at ISU. Moved back to Ames. Lived on Franklin Ave. Fall 1963: called as District President of the Central Iowa District Summer 1964: Moved into new home 1816 Bel Air Drive in Ames. December 15, 1964: Patricia born at Mary Greeley Hospital in Ames. Summer 1966: Full Professorship at ISU. September 1970: called as the first Stake President of the Des Moines, Iowa Stake 1972-became a United States Citizen September 1974-released as Stake President of Des Moines, Iowa Stake. September 1974: (for 6 months) went to Thailand with World Bank team. March 1975-September 1976: Served as Scoutmaster in Ames Ward August 1976: Called as Regional Representative for the LDS Church (Independence, St. Louis, and Omaha Regions) 1982: Released as Regional Representative 1982-1986- served as Des Moines Stake Executive Secretary under President Robert Dahlgren 1986-1989- served as counselor in the Iowa Des Moines Mission Presidency under Robert Manning December 1989: Retired from ISU. Called into Temple Presidency in Chicago under President Jones. 1991: released from Temple Presidency, then called again to be counselor to President Wilson. 1994: released from Chicago Temple Presidency 1995: called as Patriarch of Ames Stake June, 1997: moved to 1887 Maple View Dr., Bountiful, Utah August, 1997: celebrated 50th Wedding Anniversary (Nov. 26, 1997) at family reunion in Nephi Canyon. Family Photo taken in Mueller Canyon Fall 1997- called as Temple Worker (with Norma) in Bountiful Temple November 1997: called as Patriarch in Mueller Park Stake. November 26, 1997: celebrated 50th Anniversary SHORT SYNOPSIS OF THE LIFE OF DONALD GRANT WOOLLEY (A brief overview of dates and places where Don lived throughout his life) 3 This is Dad and I'm just going to review as briefly as I can where I lived--the different years- from birth until the present. I was born Dec.12, 1925 in Magrath, Alberta. I was born in a little nursing home. A nursing home has a different connotation now, but in that time a nursing home was a kind of a hospital run by a nurse. It was the only thing that was anything near a hospital in Magrath, Alberta. Dad (Grant G. Woolley) taught Mathematics in the high school there. In the summer of 1932 we moved from Magrath about 30 miles west to the town of Cardston, Alberta, where the Temple is located.. And that's where I started school in the first grade. Dad taught Mathematics in the High School. My first teacher was Norma Smith and she confided in Dad that I may not pass the first grade, but I finally did. We lived there for the first three grades of school: first, second, and third grades. My principal of the elementary school was President Nathan Eldon Tanner, who became quite prominent in church affairs and was a member of the First Presidency. He and Dad decided that they would be able to make money in doing anything but teaching school. This was in the depth of the depression. And so in the summer of 1935 we moved to Edmonton, which was the capital city of Alberta, and undertook a business to sell cosmetics door to door. They hired a lot of ladies to do the selling. In the depression nobody used cosmetics so the business lasted one year and then they were broke. Dad was able to get a job back in Magrath in the summer of 1936 as the principal of the High School. So we moved back to Magrath. We lived there until I went on my mission. I went through Elementary School and High School. (It wasn't easy going through High School with the principal being my Dad.) I graduated in 1944 and we had to go into the service right after High School because the war was at its height at that time. June of 1944 was the beginning of D-day and the second front and the invasion of Europe by the Allies. I went to University, joined the Reserve in the Navy and I went from there to the West Coast in the summer of '45 and it was while we were in training on the West Coast in the Navy that the war in Europe ended (in June of '45) and we were given the option of continuing in our officers training or be released. So I was released from the military and went home in August of '45. At a Stake Conference that President Kimball attended in our Stake I was interviewed and called on a mission to Eastern Canada. So in September I moved down to Salt Lake and went to work for Uncle Kirt in his sheet metal company for a month before I went into the Mission Home. Then in October I went into the Mission Home and then moved to Toronto, Ontario and lived in the Mission Home for 6 months. President Octave Ursenbach was the president and he asked me to be the mission secretary. So I worked quite closely with him for 6 months. Then in the spring of '46 he called from Salt Lake (in those days the Mission Presidents all went to General Conference) and said, "Would you take a companion who is arriving from Salt Lake City in the next few days and go to Montreal and open up Montreal." It had never been opened up after the war. So we did that. I went and spent most of my mission in Montreal and Quebec City.