Can You Speak Melissa: Grandma Great

My dearest Grandma Great died on December 5th! Hannah Pearl Fulmer Wilding was 99 1/2! She had such an amazing testimony of the Gospel! She believe it will every fiber of her being! She was super amazing! She was such a strong lady! My favorite stories for her life is how she made my great grandpa wait for her while she went on a mission and the other one is that she never knew my name but she really loved me and you could just feel it!

This is her life sketch! I loved it! I want to keep it for family history! It was written by Joddi Murdock and Wendy Taylor

Hannah Pearl

99 ½ years is a lot to cover in a life sketch. We have done our very best to include memories from each of her children, stories that will make you laugh and cry, and give you a glimpse into her amazing life. Grandma was resilient in the face of a lifetime of hardships and trials. She worked hard for what she felt was important. She learned to make do with what she had. She did what had to be done. She served others her entire life. She was happy to be alive. She was compassionate. And most importantly she had a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Hannah Pearl Fullmer Wilding was born in Sugar City, Idaho, on May 17, 1915. She was born to John Charles Fullmer and Augusta Ellen Teeples Fullmer. She was the second child of 10. Grandma’s brothers and sisters in order are: Luciel, Grandma, Dorcel, Alden, Freda, Velma, Fern, Darrel Lynn, Blair, and Verlin. Luciel and Blair died as infants, Darrel Lynn died as a toddler. Grandma spent her childhood in the Sugar/Rexburg area. She could out run, out climb, and out jump everyone. Anything the boys tried, she tried and did it better!

In 1927, their home burned down. Grandma said, “I looked out of the window at school and I knew that it was our home on fire. I ran home. When I got there, there was nothing left, only smoldering logs. Mother was at the neighbors. I shall never forget her; she stood on their porch with a black smudge on her cheek. She tried to smile at me but tears were in her eyes.” Her family had lost everything they owned.

Her mother was ill most of her childhood. Grandma said, “My childhood was different from that of other children. My father took the responsibility of the household besides a full time job. He worked at the sugar factory at night, he mixed bread, scrubbed floors, cooked and saw that my brother and I were presentable for school. I learned to work while I was young, and I learned to love to work!” Grandma graduated from high school in 1934. She then attended Rick’s College and earned an Associates Degree.

The winter of 1935, the whole family got scarlet fever. There was a big red sign on their front door that said “Keep Out”. Blair was born in January, he only lived for 3 days. Her little brother Darrel Lynn died 4 months later from whooping cough. He was 3 ½ years old. Grandma said this was a heart breaking time for her family.

On July 24, 1935, Grandma met a handsome young man whose name was Wallace Walter Wilding. Grandma and a girlfriend had gone to the 24th of July Celebration in Rexburg. They stopped at the soda pop booth and bought a pop from this young man. He engaged them in conversation. That evening, she and her girlfriend were riding the Ferris wheel with their dates. When they got off the ride, this handsome young man was there waiting. He was a friend of Grandma’s date. Grandma and Grandpa began dating. Less than a month later, she received her mission call. It was a four-line letter signed by President Heber J. Grant calling her to the Central States Mission. She was 20 years old. Grandpa asked her to marry him instead of going on a mission. However, she really wanted to serve a mission. They dated until mid-October when Grandma left for her mission. She reported to mission home in Salt Lake City the morning of October 17, 1935. She served in Little Rock, Arkansas; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Kansas City, Missouri. She served for 24 months and loved it! She came home from her mission in October 1937. Grandpa came to see her that very day. They began dating again and were married on December 7, 1937, in the Salt Lake Temple.

Grandma wanted her parents to be with her when she was married, however Grandma Fullmer was nursing Verlan, who had been born while she was on her mission, and didn’t feel like she could make the trip. Grandpa Fullmer was working at the creamery in Rexburg and could not leave his job. Grandpa and Grandma drove to Salt Lake, Grandpa’s father; George David Wilding and Grandma’s sister, Freda went with them. They stopped to see Grandpa’s Uncle Joe and Aunt Ness. They invited them to spend the night. They were to be married the next morning. Aunt Ness made room for Freda and Grandma to sleep together and Grandpa slept with his father. Aunt Ness offered Grandma her temple clothes. This would save Grandma money so she didn’t have to rent her temple clothes. Aunt Ness got them out and insisted on washing them before Grandma wore them to the temple the next morning. Aunt Ness washed them but since it was wintertime, and cold outside, they didn’t get dry. Aunt Ness ironed them dry, but they really didn’t get dry, they were still damp. Grandma took them anyway and wore damp clothes to be married in. Grandma said, “I was nervous about being married and the wet clothes didn’t help. I was a bit late for the session and when I walked into the room all were waiting for me. Wallace was in the front row against the isle, he turned around and looked at me. I had the most wonderful, warm feeling and I knew that I had seen him in this kind of environment before. We had never been in the temple together before that moment.” After they were married they walked the streets of Salt Lake. They had their picture taken and saw a show. They were tired and went back to Aunt Ness’s house. Grandma said, “I don’t know why we did, but we did. We did not discuss this, we just did it. I know that Aunt Ness did not expect us, so I spent my wedding night with Freda and Wallace slept with his father.”

Grandpa had purchased a little farm just north of Rexburg and this was their first home. It was harvest time and Grandma was expected to cook for all the threshers. Grandma was very frightened at this prospect. She said, “How could I cook for a large group of hungry men?” She was pregnant with their first baby. Wallace Charles saved the day when he was born a bit early in September of 1938. She was thrilled with her baby and thrilled that she did not have to cook for all of those men. The farm didn’t produce enough to make the farm payments, so they moved south of Rexburg, buying 3 acres with a small brick home on it. Grandpa worked at a service station, and helped his brother DeWayne on the pop truck. Grandpa’s sister Phyllis and her husband had moved to Oregon. They were mining in the mountains and asked Grandpa and Grandma if they would come and help them mine. Times were hard and they decided to go. Wayne Blair was born in 1941 in Baker, Oregon. She was thrilled to be the mother of two little boys. The mine wasn’t doing well so in less than a year they all went back to Rexburg.

With the onset of World War II, there were jobs available in California. Grandpa, his brother Don, and two friends went to Los Angeles to work riveting parts onto the warplanes. Grandma left Rexburg and took the two little boys, they rode the train to Los Angeles so they could be with Grandpa. The backyard of their home was along Wilshire Boulevard, a very busy road. Charles and Blair were a handful when she tried to hang the laundry on the line. She came up with a plan. She hung them by their overalls from the clothesline. This worked well, until she ran in the house to answer the phone. When she came back a minute later they had escaped their overalls and were running down the median of Wilshire Blvd. Grandma ran next door to the neighbor lady who had a car. They drove along side the median and slowed way down as they came along side those naughty little boys. Grandma reached out and scooped them into the car. She said, “I wasn’t about to get out and let everyone know that it was my naked little boys in the road.”

Grandpa was not well in Los Angeles. The moisture from the ocean gave him bronchitis that would not go away. The doctor suggested that they go back to Idaho. They went home to Rexburg. Grandpa was drafted into the Army in April of 1945. He was sent to Salt Lake for training. He also spent time at Camp Maxey, Texas for infantry training.

In June of 1945, 2 months after Grandpa left, their beautiful daughter, Patricia Ellen was born in Rexburg. Grandma said, “This was such a hard time for me. I desperately needed my husband but I got through it as many others were doing at that time.” Grandpa was then assigned to Corvallis, Oregon. He had a short time at home before he had to be in Oregon. Grandma said, “This was the first time he saw our darling little daughter. He called her “Tricia” and the name stuck with our family.”

They decided that they were not going to be apart, so Grandma packed up her little family and moved to Oregon to be with Grandpa. Grandma’s sister Velma, who was a teenager, went with them. They found a little place out in the country. There was no power and only had a hand pump in the kitchen for water. Grandma was able to drive Grandpa to and from the Army base everyday. His company received orders to go overseas but because Grandpa had three small children, he did not have to go. He was transferred to the east coast to finish his training. Grandma, Velma and her three little kids moved back to Idaho. It was not long after this that the war ended. Grandpa was released from duty December of 1945. Grandpa was able to come home, it was a happy time.

Brenda Pearl was born 9 months later in September of 1947, in Rexburg. She weighed less than 5 pounds, but she did very well and was a happy, healthy baby. Less that a year later Grandma was expecting their 5th child. Grandpa was headed hunting with his brothers; but Grandma wanted him to stay home. The baby wasn’t due for 6 weeks, and Grandpa said she would be fine. He left October 9th and Darwin Lee was born October 10, 1948. Grandma said, “I was thrilled with my new baby boy, but not thrilled with my absent husband.”

It was 1950 and Grandpa was making a living as a plumber. They were struggling to make ends meet and Grandpa began to talk about finding a farm. Grandpa’s brothers; Ben and Arnold were farming. Ben on the Reno Ranch and Arnold in Monteview. Grandpa and Grandma found a 140-acre farm northeast of the Monteview store. It was nothing but sagebrush and rock. Only part of it was farmable. With lots of hard work, the family cleared sagebrush, drilled a well, picked and hauled countless loads of rock, and dug irrigation ditches. They lived in a two-room shack while they cleared the land and built their new basement house.

One of Darwin and Brenda’s favorite memories was when Grandma would drive the old John Deere tractor with a wooden box at her feet. She put 2-year-old Darwin and 3-year-old Brenda in the box and they would ride there while she worked. When they got bored or fussy, she would stop at the end of the field and leave them to play in the empty ditch and the sand while she made another round. She would stop after every round and check on them.

The shack they lived in was ½ mile from the new house. There was a kitchen area and a bedroom. It was cramped in the little shack with all seven of them living there. In the summer flying ants would come through the wood stove. It made life miserable. After they moved into the new basement house, the shack was moved to the neighbors and used as a milking barn.

Ronda Lue was born in Idaho Falls in August of 1953. She was a beautiful curly –haired little girl. Grandpa and Grandma were busy raising their little family and farming. Charles and Blair had milking duty. Grandma always made due with what she had. Her children remember her putting the cream from the cows in a 2 gallon metal container. It had a very tight lid. She’d wrap the container in clean dish towels and then she’d wrap it in burlap and give it to the boys to attach it to the tractor wheel. When they came in for lunch, they’d bring the freshly churned butter with them. All her children were hard workers because of the example of their parents.

There were lots of chickens on the farm too. Darwin, Brenda and Patricia gathered the eggs from the haystack, the chicken coop, the barn, and anywhere else the chickens laid their eggs. The kids would clean the eggs, and place them in the crisper. When the crisper was full, Grandma would take the eggs to the store in Monteview. The store bought the eggs from Grandma. She used this money to buy groceries and other necessities. The eggs were a very important source of income.

Even though there was always lots of work to be done on the farm, Grandpa and Grandma still made time for playing. If they had a whole Saturday they would all go fishing and hiking at Indian Creek. Grandpa, Charles, Brenda, Darwin, Ronda, and Glade would fish, while Grandma, Blair, and Patricia would hike. The kids remember fishing with a willow and fishing line! And now, 70 years later their children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren are still fishing the same holes and hiking those same hills.

One day when Grandpa was driving bus, it was after school, he was doing his route. He came across Grandma stranded on the side of the road. She was driving an old ’48 Chevy, it was broken down, again. He pulled the chain out of the back of the Chevy and hooked it up to the back of the school bus. He proceeded to tow her home, of course he continued dropping off school kids all the way.

At Christmas time, they would all load into the car and drive to King’s in Rexburg to do their Christmas shopping. Each child was given $1 to buy gifts for the rest of the family with. They would spend hours looking at all the toys and gifts in the basement of King’s. Grandma often went with out things so the kids would always have some thing for Christmas and their birthdays. Whenever the family traveled to Rexburg, they would stop and visit Grandpa and Grandma Fullmer.

Farm prices were very low. Grandpa did odd jobs to keep his family fed and the farm operating. When Grandma was 41, she had Glade. He was born in Rexburg in May of 1956. He completed this sweet family. Grandma said, “We were thrilled with the birth of each of our children. We welcomed each into our family with love and thanksgiving. We were so happy for each new addition.”

One of Patricia’s fondest memories is camping in Island Park with Velma, Jack and their family during the summertime. At age 12, Patricia remembers sitting at the campfire crying her eyes out because Blair could cook a perfectly brown marshmallow and she always set hers on fire.

It was around this time that they sold their farm in Monteview and bought a small piece of land in Terreton along the Salmon highway. They built a plumbing shop, with a home in the back of the shop. Grandpa worked as a plumber, had his own excavating business, along with being an Alice-Chalmers implement dealer. Because Grandpa was very kind hearted he did not collect on much of his work.

When Glade started the first grade Grandma decided she wanted to be a nurse. She had to travel to Idaho Falls for her schooling. Grandma said, “We had a new pickup, but Wallace had to have it to do his work. The only other car was pretty beat up. But I was determined to be a nurse. Many times I was stranded on that desert road between Idaho Falls and Terreton. But I would send word with friendly people to my husband that I needed help, and he would be there to help me. Heavenly Father helped up both, because by morning he would have the car fixed or he would take me to Idaho Falls.” She traveled country roads, because I-15 was not finished yet. She worked very hard and graduated as an LPN in one year. She truly loved being a nurse. She worked for Dr. Johnson for 14 years; she also worked for a couple of other doctors in Idaho Falls over the next few years.

One time, just one time, Grandpa grew a mustache; Grandma told him she would not kiss him as long as he had that mustache!! She stuck to her guns and refused to kiss him. He finally shaved off that mustache because he was sick and tired of no kisses from Grandma!

Charles served a mission in the North Central States Mission, he is married to Evelyn Smuin; Blair served in Lima, Peru, he married JoAnn Moss, who passed away, he is now married to Philline Baron; Darwin joined the Marines and served in the Vietnam War, he is married to Betty (Kellen) Cellan. While Darwin was in Vietnam, he would send his paychecks home to Grandma, as there was nowhere to spend money. Unbeknownst to him, she paid his tithing out of each check. He said he is sure that is the only reason he survived the war. Glade served a mission Chicago, IL, he is married to Penny Daniels; Patricia is married to Larry Christensen, Brenda is married to LaVar Summers, and Ronda was married to Lynn Coombs, who passed away. Grandma and Grandpa became grandparents in 1962. This started new generations of posterity that just keeps going!

Would the children of Wallace & Pearl please stand or wave? Thank you

If you are a grandchild of Wallace & Pearl please stand. Thank you

If you are a great-grandchild of Wallace & Pearl please stand. Thank you

Parents please help the great, great grandchildren of Wallace & Pearl stand up. Thank you

99 years is a lot to cover. That was the 7th inning stretch!

The church in Terreton burned down in 1972. After the new chapel was built Grandma approached the bishop about being the custodian for the new building. They agreed and Grandma went to work as the custodian. Many of us probably remember helping Grandma clean the church, we were probably more of a hindrance than a help!

Grandma was an EMT for the Terreton ambulance. She said, “There was a great need for an ambulance in our rural community. Idaho Falls or Rexburg was our closest medical help.”

Grandma was also co-chair of the Art Booth for 10 years for the Mud Lake Fair and Rodeo. During this period Grandma began to paint. She and Brenda would meet at the church at 4:00am and paint until 7:00am. It was the only time they could get together! Brenda truly loved this time she got to spend with her mom.

When asked about one of his favorite memories of Grandma, Glade immediately said that Grandma never took any crap from him. Glade said he was teasing her one day at the house about her driving skills, when she back-handed him in the sternum, he fell back against the bedroom door with the wind knocked out of him, he said he slid down the door until he was on the floor. She stood at the dryer and laughed, and laughed. We are positive there are many stories floating around about the consequences of messing with Grandma!

Grandma willingly served in church callings her whole life. She was the Primary President, Young Women’s President, and she served in the Relief Society many, many times. She loved people and she was always willing to serve wherever she was needed. She was still a visiting teacher when she passed away.

Her mother died away in 1975 and her father in 1977. Grandpa had a lot of heart problems in 1977. A doctor suggested that they go south before another winter set in. 1978 was their first winter as snowbirds. They went to Apache Junction where Grandpa’s sister, Ida and her husband lived. Grandma helped take care of Ida. Grandpa’s health was much better in the warm, dry climate of Arizona. After Ida died, they came back to Terreton. They were hired as the custodians at West Jefferson High School. They did this for the next 4 or 5 years. They loved this job. The kids and staff at the high school loved them.

One of Blair’s most cherished memories was the fall of 1980. Blair said, “Grandma spent a lot of time with our family. She lived with us and took care of JoAnn as she was dying of cancer. After JoAnn passed away in October of 1980, Grandma stayed for another two weeks. I finally had to send her home to be with Grandpa or she would’ve stayed with us for who knows how long.” This was a very special time for dad and our family, to have her love and care for us in our time of need.

The next time Grandma and Grandpa headed south was to Overton, Nevada. They loved it there, but decided to go further south to an even warmer and dryer climate. They chose Quartzite, Arizona because they had many good friends from the Mud Lake area there. In April 1994, they came home from Arizona. On Memorial Day there was a family campout at Middle Creek. They camped Friday and Saturday. Everyone went home for church on Sunday, but Grandpa decided he wanted to stay another day. He hadn’t been feeling well. Sunday night he began to have chest pains. They didn’t go away. Grandma knew he needed to get to a hospital. The 5th wheel camp trailer was unhooked and Grandma had never hooked it up by herself. She got the camper hooked up and told Grandpa they were headed to Salt Lake. Grandpa said he would not make it that far. Grandma told him that if they stopped in Idaho Falls she knew she’d lose him. He insisted they stop at Idaho Falls. When they got to the hospital they were told he needed heart surgery. He told Grandma he wouldn’t make it through that. He survived the surgery, but passed away on June 5, 1994, from heart complications. After his death Grandma said, “I thank my Heavenly Father for the fifty seven years that I spent with a very special man, for all the years---yes, even with all the ups and downs that came to us during the years. Wallace had a firm testimony of the Gospel and tried to teach our children by example and love. He wanted each of our family to live the gospel and feel the joy that come from doing just that.”

The fall of 1994, Grandma decided to go on a mission. In November of that year she moved to Salt Lake to begin serving her first 18-month mission in the Extraction program at the Joseph Smith Building. We sang the Grandmother song at her mission farewell. While she lived in her apartment on 200 North she loved to go swimming and she tried to attend the Spoken Word every week. She attended the temple often. She was such a joy to work with that people were drawn to her and she made many new friends and acquaintances.

Charles said “My most memorable time with Mom was when we served in the Family History Mission together. That year and a half was wonderful. The time we spent together serving, attending church and devotionals together, going to the temple every Friday, taking her to the mission parties, sharing many meals with her, and doing genealogy together was very special. Serving with mom, Aunt Fern, Uncle Jack, and Aunt Velma were times we will never forget.”

Ronda was called to the Family History Mission in 2000 and Grandma’s younger sister Fern joined them as a Family History Missionary in 2001. They all lived together in apartment. Ronda, Grandma, and Fern worked out a deal that if Ronda would cook their meals, Grandma and Fern would do the dishes and clean up the kitchen. Grandma loved that arrangement.

Grandma wrote lots of letters during her missionary service. Her letters were always positive and upbeat. She was always busy, busy, busy and happy, happy, happy!

After Ronda & Lynn were married and they had moved with Grandma to Saratoga Springs, Lynn used to read to Grandma on the porch swing. This is a sweet and dear memory for Ronda because after Lynn could no longer read, Grandma would sit on the porch swing, hold his hand and visit with him.

Grandma’s missionary service has become legend to her family. She served continually for 20 years, beginning in November 1994. She hit the ground running and never stopped. All 20 years of her missionary service were spent in the Family History Mission in Salt Lake City. During a visit with one of her granddaughters, she proudly announced that she had “re-upped” for another 2 years of missionary service! Grandma loved being a missionary with her whole heart and soul. She loved the opportunity to serve and to help the people who came to the library. Everyone loved her; patrons, missionaries, and staff alike. She took all the new technology in stride. She wasn’t intimidated by jump drives, or thumb drives. She was excited and a little scared of all she was asked to learn, but she was willing to learn so she could help others. She was officially released from missionary service in May of 2014. She served for 5 years in the Extraction Program and the remaining 15 years at the Family History Library. She loved the people she served and helped, and they loved her dearly in return.

Here are some Wilding family missionary facts:

49 missionaries, served 52 missions

they served in 18 foreign countries and the United States

20 missionaries learned a foreign language

6 languages learned

Tagalog

Spanish

Portuguese

Italian

Korean

Russian

In January of this year, Grandma received a personal letter from our beloved Prophet Thomas S. Monson. This is what he wrote:

Grandma planted many June roses through out her life as she served others and spent time with her family. Indian Creek is one of those June roses. There are simply too many memories over the past 70 years to even scratch the surface. Grandpa and Grandma started a tradition with Indian Creek that we as their posterity cherish. We think it’s the best week of the year, it’s Christmas in July. Grandma was there every year, smiling and so happy to see her family. Her family loved spending time in the mountains camping with her. She had some wild scooter rides in the last couple of years, but I think she secretly loved it! Grandma loved Indian Creek! Even at age 99, she was happy to be there. Grandma loved all of us. We each secretly think we are her favorite, and everyone of us is right!

Glade said one of his funniest memories was when he called Grandma on the phone and said, “This is your favorite son,” and Grandma said “Hi Blair!”

One of Patricia’s sweetest memories happened just this past summer. Patricia said, “This summer Ronda and mother came down to St George to spend some time with Larry and I. Two days into the visit Mom turned to me and said, ”Tricia I need to talk to you. I wondered what she wanted to say, she seemed so serious.” Mother said , “You know I am not going to live much longer and when I go I do not want you to be sad.” I replied, “That is easy for you to say mom.” At the time we laughed about it. Then she said, “But don't worry, I will be ready when my Father in Heaven tells me to come home, and I will be so happy to see Daddy. Tricia, I just wanted you to know.” Grandma passed from this life into the waiting arms of our Heavenly Father, her beloved Wallace, her parents and her siblings on December 5, 2014 in Saratoga Springs, Utah.

Grandma never passed up an opportunity to bear her testimony to her family! Whether it was a large gathering like Indian Creek or just a few of us together, she would always share her testimony. We all know that she knows, that the Gospel is true and we know that she loves it! In Alma 56:47-48 we read “…yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt God would deliver them. And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mother’s, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.” We do not doubt our Grandmother, Hannah Pearl Wilding, knew it. We would like to end with her testimony.

Dear family,

I love to be alive and I am grateful for the gospel and all the privileges and opportunities that come to us because of it. I want to serve my Heavenly Father. I love Him, and I feel His love. I know that He lives. I love Jesus Christ. I know that He died for me and that He died for all of us. I love His Church and I am grateful for the chance to serve Him.

Along with our dear, sweet, beloved, angelic, rockin’ Grandma, we say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

(This life was sketch was given at her funeral on December 13, 2014 in Terreton, Idaho)