A month in Utah, South Dakota & Wyoming

My Dad's 90th Birthday Party (Utah)

A few years ago, I realized that as well as my dad's 90th birthday, this year also marked my parents' 65th wedding anniversary and my mom's 85th birthday. I decided we needed to plan a big party! Since my father, as a pediatrician in Logan, Utah, helped so many children and families, we invited the community (through an announcement in the local newspaper), and it was great to see some of my father's former patients. We also saw relatives we had not seen for years.

A little time at Bear Lake:

We made our yearly Bear Lake trip with parents, children, grandchildren, siblings, nephews, nieces & assorted relatives :-). I enjoyed my water-skiing time as well!

Vermillion, South Dakota: Time to Leave

Our son, Ryan, finished up his schooling (for his PhD) in Vermillion at USD. Next, it was time for his family to move to Wyoming for his one-year internship. So, we started a road trip across South Dakota and Wyoming with Ryan & Rachel's two young children. Because we felt compelled to stop to see Mount Rushmore before we left South Dakota, we ended up in what seemed like the middle of nowhere (in southeastern Wyoming) at around 1:30 in the morning looking for a place to sleep. I may have been part of the problem, with a little lack of planning, but we eventually found a hotel with enough beds for a few hours that night! Since we survived, it's at least a good story now!

Wyoming

Some much needed down-time at a hotel & swimming pool after the move.

Birthday party for a 4-year-old

Our oldest granddaughter, Jane, turned 4-years-old, and we all wore tiaras for the party!

A great children's museum at Thanksgiving Point, Utah

Baby Clara's Blessing Day

Herald Journal Announcement: Paul's 90th Birthday

I want to keep a record of the announcement, so this might be a good place for it:

Stowell’s 90th

Paul Stowell’s Family is very pleased to announce his 90th Birthday and would like to invite family and friends to an Open House: Saturday, June 27, 3-5 pm, at the LDS Lundstrom Park Chapel, 1260 N. 1600 E., Logan.

Paul was born June 26, 1925, in Rexburg, Idaho. Paul’s father, D.W. Stowell, was mayor of Rexburg in the 1930s through the early 1940s, and his mother, Freida Elizabeth Spori, lived to 102 years of age. Paul’s grandfather, Jacob Spori, was the first instructor at Rick’s College (now known as BYU Idaho). Paul is the youngest of seven children. In high school, Paul played trumpet in various bands.

During World War II, Paul was in the army and served in Asia. After returning to Rexburg, he was student-body president at Rick’s College before leaving on a mission to the Texas / Louisiana Mission. When he returned from his mission, Paul married Lorelie Strong (from Sugar City) in the Idaho Falls Temple.

Paul received his medical degree from Yale University and later interned and took a pediatric residency at the University of Utah. He began his pediatric practice in Logan at the Budge Clinic in 1958, and he continued there for 37 years, seeing hundreds of children, teenagers, and young adults while Lorelie taught hundreds of piano students. One patient mentioned that she loved getting “Dr. Stowell” on the phone because he was always so patient and understanding, even in the middle of the night. In 1963, Paul was in charge of the Polio vaccination effort in Cache County, helping to eradicating polio in the area.

Paul and Lorelie have always been active in the community and held a variety of church callings. Paul served on boards, such as the Bear River Health Board and the State Education Board, and Lorelie was the President of the State Medical Auxiliary. Paul was Bishop in the ward formerly known as the 24th Ward during the construction of the building on 16th East, and Lorelie was a Relief Society President on both the ward and stake levels. They served a mission to Temple Square in Salt Lake and also worked in the Logan Temple.

Paul and Lorelie are parents of five children: Launa Lee Jensen (deceased), David, Shellie Christensen, Doug, and Marci Hunsaker. Paul and Lorelie have enjoyed sports such as golf, tennis, water-skiing, and snow skiing, and they have shared this enjoyment with their children. Family trips to Lake Powell, Grand Targhee, and Bear Lake are especially fond memories for the entire family. Paul and Lorelie have 19 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. Lorelie turned 85 last August, and Paul and Lorelie celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary in March.