Trying to Retire in Pasadena

Congratulations, Lyle and other Whittier Law School grads.

Carla is our ward representative to the Adopt a Child Abuse Caseworker (ACAC) program. Along with other groups including churches, the La Crescenta Stake participates through the wards. The last project was supplying Easter baskets for children in shelters. The ward members contributed many baskets, and Carla collected and assembled them with help from Charles and other family members in our living room before the county social worker arrived to take the baskets and distribute them.

Tonight Carla and I went to The La Canada Congregational Church (formerly The Church of the Lighted Window) for this "interfaith" celebration of Thanksgiving, sponsored by the Glendale Religious Leaders Association. Our stake has participated with the association for the past 10 years or so. There always seem to be more Mormons attending than those of any other group. The affiliations of participating congregations tonight were Jewish, Congregationalist, Methodist, Baha'i, Islamic, Scientologist, Adventist, and Baptist. Hugh Riggs, Aaron Hagerty, and Kip Weber sang Come, Come Ye Saints, very nicely.

At the funeral Thursday, Patricia gave the eulogy. Tom's home teacher and and a current and former bishop spoke. The grand nieces and nephews from the Bill and Norma Riggs family sang "I Know That My Redeemer Lives", and Dan and Darnall Riggs sang "Goin' Home". Tom was interred next to Bea at the City of Mesa Cemetery, where Bill was also buried a week ago last Tuesday and where Roberta was also buried. Tom was the last of the siblings to die; Von Stene went first, then Dad, then Roberta, Bill and Tom. He loved working in the temple. His most recent ward calling was to deliver birthday cards. On his own and in keeping with his cheerful personality and fine voice, he also sang "Happy Birthday" to the recipient.

This statute in Nauvoo memorializes Joseph and Hyrum's Smith's departure from Nauvoo to Carthage on June 24, 1844. It stands in front of the Nauvoo Temple with the Mississippi River in the distance. I photographed the statute on the rainy morning of October 24, 2008, just before Carla and I left Nauvoo with Ginger and Elliott and their children.

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