Mission Facts

I was called to serve in the Edinburgh, Scotland mission in the fall of 1965.  I had wanted to serve a mission since I was 11 years old and I always said that I was going to serve a mission to Scotland.  I was thrilled when I read, "you have been called to serve in the Edinburgh, Scotland Mission", over the signature of  President David O. McKay.

This is a black suit that I loved wearing on my mission it was made by a sister in our ward who also made a red suit and a gray dress.  They were made of wool, very dressy.  If you can believe, I had a pair of wool plaid shoes (read, black and gray), very classy, wish I had a picture!

Here I am in front of that tree where dad always put me to take pictures. I am wearing a basic dress I bought in Arco, just before I left on my mission.  There is no where to buy clothing in Arco now, so sad.  This was a great dress, except it had to be dry cleaned.  What were we thinking?

These are the people who came to my mission farewell in the fall of 1965.  Everyone in this picture is on the Kirby side of my family, except my grandmother Jensen on the far left and the guy to my left who was a friend from BYU (who had served in the Edinburgh, Scotland mission).  I am grateful for the support I felt and for the love that I feel for my family as so many of them have departed. How is this for family history?  The people on the back row are: James Kirby, John Kirby, John Kirby, George Kirby, James Kirby,  Ardell Duncan, and George Kirby.  Next row: Grandma Jensen, Julia Kirby, Edith Kirby, Elsie Kirby, Brian Ditty, Diane Duncan, Marietta Kirby, Lynn Knapton.   Third row, Harold Forbush, Catherine Jensen, Kathy Jensen (me), Doyle Jensen, Sylvia Jensen Engle, Laura Jensen, Kirby Jensen.  Forth Row:  Janine Kirby, Hal Forbush, Gale Forbush, Kirby Forbush Bobby Engle, and Cynthia Jensen.

This after my mission, my cousin Joe Kirby and me (Kathy)  Joe served in Scotland the same time I did!  While we were there we had a chance to visit all of our Grandmother Kirby's Scottish relatives. Grandmothers two brothers, Andrew and John Johnston, John's wife Cathy and their sons James and Angus.  Mother's cousins Catherine, Agnes, Isabelle and Anne.  Catherine's husband, and daughter Cathy and Agnes' son Douglas.  Great uncle Joe Johnston came up from England to meet us as well.  We are wearing kilts made of the Johnston family tartan.  I still have mine, miracle and miracles since I am prone to toss things, so easily.  I returned in May, 1967 and along came GLENN!

(Dad changed trees).  This is nine months after my mission,  Glenn and I were engaged in this picture.  We were married in May, 1968 one year after I return home.

This is a picture of our son Erik.  He served in the Edinburgh, Scotland mission 25 years after I came home.  He had the same mission home and served in some of the areas I did.  He also had a chance to meet our Scottish relatives while he was there.  There was a new generation that were his age at the time.

PS.  I just had to bold the family names that repeat.  They are  Catherine (5),  Johns (3), James (3), George (2), Joe (2) and Kirby (2).  But this is only a fraction of the family, those names are used many more times in this family.