Myrl - Memories 3

Myrl Goodwin Gudmundsen Memories

Chapter 3

We had a lot of places to play. We had swings and large sand piles with this beautiful white sand that our Daddy (Samuel Goodwin) had put into the lot for us to play in. I remember he made a "boat swing" for us. It was in the shape of a boat except the points on each end were not so pointed. We would get inside of that boat. There were two seats, one on each side, that held three of us on each side. And we would work up, and that swing would go so high up into the leaves. We’d have the best time and squeal, and even now I can see that. Our Daddy couldn’t fasten it down tight enough because it would just keep jumping up once in a while. It had a framework around it, and these iron rods that we hung on to that held the boat up to the crosspiece across the top. But it was a lovely thing and our little neighbors and friends all around used to come and say, "Let’s go over and swing in Goodwin’s boat swing!" It was really a playground for the children in the neighborhood. We had so much there to love and appreciate.

Our father was such a good provider. He wanted to have the best for his family in every way possible. He worked hard at doing it. We’ve often thought what wonderful parents, and what an example they were to us, and if we would only follow in their footsteps how wonderful it would be.

We didn’t have sewers in our time. We had what we called, cesspools. And when they would fill up, our Daddy would have someone dig another big one and rock it up. I remember one day that I was running in the back yard and I stopped so quickly, just in time, as I saw the earth crumble into this cesspool. It scared me so badly that they’ve been a horror to me, these cesspools. I couldn’t ever get over it, and I would wake up in the night and think, "What if I had fallen into that!" But it wasn’t long before our Daddy said, "We can’t have this anymore." So he fixed it so it could drain out into the ditch some way that would purify it.

I remember very well when they started putting in the waterworks in Lehi and digging the big trenches that brought the water down from up in Alpine somewhere. We had such good water. And to this day our home there in Lehi when we turn the tap on, the water is so cold and it’s just delicious and so wonderful. I wish that we had it here. We use purifiers here. (Laguna Hills, California)

In those days, we ran in groups of girls. We had more fun! We’d go on hikes and Easter egg hunts and walks of all kinds. And we’d take a lunch and all of us go together, especially in the spring when things were getting so beautiful. We’d go out to hear the birds sing and have a lunch. It was just like heaven. Sometimes eight or nine of us at a time would go. What a happy childhood I had.

I remember when I was a "Beehive Girl," we went down to Utah Lake. Sister Evans was our Beehive Keeper. We all went swimming in the lake. We couldn’t swim much of course, but I remember I got a cramp in my leg. I started kicking and I found myself going swimming, and from that day on I loved to swim. I worked hard at it and enjoyed it all my life. Even when we’re here now, we go swimming in the pools in Leisure World.

As we grew up and went to our MIA meetings, I remember that two of my teachers were called on missions. I thought that was about the most wonderful thing in the world, to be able to go on a mission. I longed for the time when I got old enough that I would be able to go. I always wanted to fill a mission. When the time came it was one of the joys of my life.

Myrl is in middle of 2nd row wearing white.

I attended the Lehi High School. When I was just a teenager, I started going with Austin Gudmundsen. We had a very fine relationship. He and his brothers would help their father and mother run Saratoga Hot Springs Resort. It was located on Utah Lake. So during the First World War when most of the older men were at war, the girls who worked in the People’s Co-op where my father was the manager used to get the trucks after work and go to Saratoga to swim. Of course, I always had to drive them. We took a good lunch, and then after the swim we sat on the lawn and ate. We sang to the accompaniment of ukuleles. It was at this time that I started really going with Austin. My brother, Stanley, also worked there. We drew many of the older, married groups from Provo, some who were traveling men from different companies in Utah. We met them when they came to the People’s Co-op. They were very nice families and always wanted to go to Saratoga when the Co-op girls went as we had such a good time together. I used to swim and dive a great deal.