The Making of a Movie in Our Home

A basement bedroom made to look like the sun was
shining in the windo

For the last two weekends, in our absence, a movie has been in the process of being filmed in our home. Our son-in-law, Jeremy, had a fellow student of Film Production at the University of Utah who wanted to make a film for a film festival as part of her masters program. To produce her film, she needed an unoccupied home. Jeremy told her that he knew of one, ours.

Cameraman setting up an outside shoot

Set up for a moving shooting in
the main hallway

Jeremy had tried out for the lead in the film which is entitled "Little Scar." He was being seriously considered for the part when Jason Wade also known as Levi Savage in the film "17 Miracles" tried out for the part and got it.

Jeremy contacted us to obtain our permission to use our home. He said that he would be there while the filming would be taking place to see that everything was conducted properly and without any problems. We told him that if he was there the whole time of filming and use of our home, it would be alright. However, I did included one condition. He was to have Jason Wade autograph our copy of "17 Miracles." Jeremy indicated that would be no problem.

During the filming, Jeremy took some photos of some of the activities. He posted them on the family blog site. I copied them and have included them here.

Jason Wade preparing to autograph
the jacket of our "17 Miracles" DVD

Jason Wade at the island in the kitchen
signing "17 Miracles" movie jacket

Jason's note on our DVD jacket

Elder Oaks Mission Visit

We had a special guest for our weekly training this week. We usually meet Wednesday mornings at 8:00 o'clock for 45 minutes. This week it was changed to Friday morning at 7:30.

Elder Dallen H. Oaks was here with his family. Their children were gathering here this week for a family vacation. They had come via the AmTrax train to Burlington, Iowa. While here, he had wanted to meet with the missionaries.

It was nice to see him dressed in a way that made you see that the general authorities are people like us. Although he was wearing a white shirt and tie, he was also wearing a dark blue sport coat, suntan sport pants and New Balance walking shoes.

Sister Oaks spoke briefly first about the blessing of being missionaries in Nauvoo and the opportunity that it provides for us to really strengthen our testimonies.

Elder Oaks spoke about his early experience as a law professor here in Illinois. He had spent time in Carthage studying the settlement of the Joseph Smith Jr. estate following his death. It was very interesting. He also spoke about the importance of the Sacrament and that he does not feel that it is understood enough by members.

Old Nauvoo Cemetery

Ann and I went over to the old Nauvoo cemetery today. We had a cleaning assignment there soon after we arrived here. At that time, the trees were still without leaves and the grass was still brown. We have been wanting to go back when the leaves were out and everything was green.

President Hinckley said that the old Nauvoo cemetery was the second most sacred place in Nauvoo only after the temple. He indicated that the reason was that there are mostly young children buried there. Of those who are buried there, 48% were ten years of age or younger and most of those were infants. There is a special spirit there.

One of the missionaries, Elder Mengal,  is spending time there every chance he has helping to find and identify unmarked graves. He has been working with the Land and Records Office to help identify who is buried there and where they are supposed to be located. So far, he has had quite a bit of success.

At the cemetery, there is a kiosk in which most of the names of those buried in the cemetery. In the kiosk there is a plaque with the following:

"While Wilford Woodruff was serving his first mission to Great Britan in 1839 his first child, Sarah Emma, died July 17, 1840, being two years and three days old. Phoebe, his wife, wrote to him on the day following Sarah Emma's death:

'My dear Wilford, what will be your feelings, when I say that yesterday I was called to witness the departure of our little Sarah Emma from this world? Yes, she is gone. The relentless hand of death has snatched her from my embrace. But Ah! She was too lovely, too kind, too affectionate to live in this wicked world. When looking on her I have often thought how I should feel to part with her. I thought I could not live without her, especially in the absence of my companion. But she has gone.' Phoebe continued, 'Yes, Wilford we have one little angel in heaven, and I think likely her spirit has visited you before this time'

The walk to the cemetery was hard for the young mother. She had no relative to follow her to the grave or to shed a tear with her."

It is easy to see why there is such a quiet and special spirit there.

Fred's Facilities Management Projects

Fred with Marty Steen

Since changing from being a site missionary to a Facilities Management (FM) missionary at the end of April, I've been involved in a number of projects. When I moved to FM, I was assigned to work with Marty Steen who is the lead carpenter for FM. We got along very well and he let me take the lead on several projects. Marty had five full-time employees and some part-time help. I was the only missionary assigned to his crew.

Retaining wall behind pageant stage

Initially, most of the projects related to preparations for the Nauvoo Pageant. We did a lot of concrete flat work around the pageant site as well as a retaining wall and bench that ran the length of the retaining wall. On the flat pours, my job was to float the concrete and help with the finishing and then to make the expansion cuts with a concrete saw. On the walls, I was involved in building and then dismantling the forms. 


Marty asked me to be responsible for setting up the forms for the bench and to make a chamfered edge for the front edge of the seat as part of the form. Facilities Management owns all its own forms. Myself and a seventeen year old young man grouted the wall and bench.

Building bench forms

Sanding joints on chamfer edge in form

Clamping steel inside corner made at welding shop

Finished retaining wall and bench

Another pageant project was that of setting up the portable trailer restrooms for the pageant. They have two 30 foot long trailers that they have converted into restrooms. One for men and one for women. They have to be put in place each year and outside dividers assembled.

Assembling restroom dividers

Finished restroom dividers

A few of the other projects included things like making repairs to concrete sidewalks, replacing roofs on out buildings, rebuilding brick sidewalks, building  concrete steps, repairing leaking roof, etc. For most of the projects, I had a 17 year old young man helping me. his name is Austin Evans. He is a good worker and a pleasure to work with. Austin will be leaving on a mission in a year.

New roof on out building At Browning Gun Shop

Sidewalk repair at visitor center

New well roof at Browning Gun Shop

Rebuilt brick sidewalk

Facilities Management truck assigned to Fred

One day, Marty asked me it I would be interested in being responsible for a special project. I indicated that I would. He had me meet with him Casey Cluff who is the Director of Facilities Management. Casey told me that they had a large plaque for Facilities Management and he wanted to have a concrete structure constructed on which the plaque could be mounted. He had some rough drawings of what he wanted it to look like and asked if I would like to build it. It would have to be built to fit the plaque. He also wanted to have the address of facilities built into the structure. Casey said that he would have someone make the lettering for me and Marty said that he would provide any help I would need but that the project would be mine to do. However, Casey said that he wanted me to get his approval on what I came up with and how it would look.

After unpacking the plaque, making some measurements, reviewing some drawings of similar type structures, determining elevation and placement, visiting with Casey for approval, the project was launched. The top of the structure on which the plaque would be mounted was to be one foot thick, four feet high and about seven feet long. That would sit on a base two feet wide, four feet high and about eight feet long. The base was to set on a footing three feet wide, eighteen inches high and ten feet long.

The day after getting the plan approved by Casey, I got Elder Money (a missionary) to dig the hole for a ground form footing with a back hoe and we got the footing poured. The next step was to build the form with a chamfered top for the base and get that poured.

Footing for Sign

Building form for sign base

Completed Base form

Before the form for the top could be constructed, we needed to decide how the recessed portions would be put together. I ordered a sheet of sign board. On that we mounted a beveled piece placed where the plaque would be placed. On that we mounted some blocks to which screws could be put in to hold the plaque.  Next we had to mount another beveled piece to which the lettering could be mounted. The lettering had to be mounted so that it read backwards.

Laying out all recessed items on sign board

When that was completed, we built the form for the top and attached the sign board on the inside of the front facing side of the form. Then completed the top form, inserting the pieces for the chamfered corners.

Building form for top section

After pouring the top, we had to let it stand a few days before removing the forms so as not to damage the lettering. However, not damaging the lettering turned out to be more than difficult than we had anticipated. Following the removal of the forms, we had to do some repair to some of the letters while grouting the top.

Fred by completed sign to show size

We were pleased with how the project turned out. Casey liked it and since the sign was a project he wanted done, everyone was happy.

Visitors From Home and More

You never know who you may see from home or someone you know. Last week, Ann was assigned to the Lyon Drug and Mercantile Store. A family came to the site in the afternoon. she thought, "I know this man." He had a start of a beard and was wearing a ball cap with "KSL" on it. She then realized that it was Kevin Eubank, the weather man on Salt Lake City's KSL TV.

Earlier this week, Ann was assigned to the Ticket and Tours station in the visitor's center. She was surprised to see Doug and Lark Woodbury's daughter Susan and her family from Texas. Susan's mother had told her that we were here on a mission.

Fred & Ann with Kim & Wynn Harrison

I was working at the cabinet shop. We were getting ready to deliver a newly constructed cabinet to the basement of the Cultural Hall to be used to hold bonnets used in the Rendezvous shows, when Ann called. She was assigned to the Scovil Bakery which is next door to the Cultural Hall.
Anyway, she said that Wynn and Kim Harrison were there. They had just stopped hoping to see us. They were on their way home from helping move their son to South Carolina. We loaded the cabinet and drove up to the bakery. It was good to see someone from home, especially our home ward. They updated us on some of the things that were going on at home including a newly called stake presidency. The new stake president is Fred Wasden from our home ward. He will be a good stake president.



Near the stage for our "Sunset by the Mississippi" show, I discovered a robin nest with three eggs. I tried to get a picture with the mother robin sitting on the eggs but I couldn't get close enough without her flying away. About one week later following our show, I check again and got the picture with the baby robins. When I touched the nest, their heads popped up and their mouths opened. They thought their parent had brought them something to eat.

Flag Raising Ceremony

As missionaries, we started off today with a flag raising ceremony at 7:30 a.m. outside the visitors center. It was a good way to start the day. The young missionary Nauvoo Brass Band participated as well as missionaries who are retired and/or former members of the military. We had a fairly good turn out including a  Canadian missionary who along with her husband are members of our cast. We have three senior Canadian couples who are in our cast. 

Ann with Sister Salcido in patriotic attire

Flag flying above Visitor Cener

Since we as missionaries don't have holidays off, following the ceremony, everyone went to their previously assigned sites to conduct visitor tours or perform their various assignments. Ann was assigned to the Ticket and Tours desk and I went to work in the cabinet shop.

Sister Lybbert

Sister Lybbert, a Canadian, wore the red, white and blue stocking cap during our "Sunset by the Mississippi" show the evening of July 4th.