I was a healthy baby boy born Tuesday, 16 May 1939, in the LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah; the first child of Ellen Ferris Hixson age 25, and Sterling King Hixson age 26. My mom and I stayed in the hospital for 10 days and dad had to rake up $50.00 to get us out. They tell me I was long and all eyes and not too good-looking.
My early years, growing up with my three younger siblings, Judith Ellen, Robert Lee, and Joan, was in southeastern Idaho on the Bear River. They were years of no worries, just knowing I was loved. I still remember the emphasis on the strict rules to stay away from the river, but during the summer I loved going down to the riverbed by the school to jump rocks, as well as climbing trees to discover birds’ nests with so many colors and sizes of eggs. In the winter time we would sleigh and toboggan down the hill by our house and afterwards warm up with hot chocolate and a bowl of mom’s home made chili.
My first school was a one-room school where each row of seats was a grade – from one to eight. When I was in the fourth grade the school district consolidated and I found myself in a big school with a room for every grade – from one to eight. We would ride the bus to town. It was a small, yellow bus we named the puddle jumper.
My mid teen-age years began in Utah, when dad was transferred with his work. Country life gave way to city life. It was a sad experience leaving all I had ever known. As we drove out of town on December 10, 1953, I turned around, knelt on the back seat, looked out the back window and watched Grace, Idaho fade away. I felt like my world had crumbled. We had a beautiful little copper colored cocker spaniel named Penny, and when we moved Penny didn’t move with us.
Soon I found my self in the “I can hardly wait until” stage of life. Ages 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 were ones I particularly yearned for. 12 meant I would get the Aaronic Priesthood, become a deacon and pass the sacrament. Age 14 was also BIG because in Idaho you could have a daytime driver license. Becoming a Priest at age 16 meant I could bless the sacrament, and becoming 18 was a door to adulthood. I graduated from Bountiful High in the spring of 1957, in the first graduating class.
In my late teens, I faced the choice of being drafted or joining the National Guard. I became a member of the Utah National Guard’s 144th Evacuation Hospital unit. I left for my mission while in that hospital unit, and while gone the unit was activated because of the Berlin Crisis. When I returned I went into the Linguistic Unit at Fort Douglas.
Life seemed to move faster now. I received my mission call to leave in June of 1959 to the Netherlands Mission. I secretly hoped I would go to the same mission as my dad, but I hadn’t really planned on it. I’m not sure who was the most excited when I read ‘Netherlands’, Dad or me.
When I returned I worked at Saint Mark’s hospital as a surgical orderly. I left Saint Mark’s to be a surgical technician at the LDS Hospital. 34 years later, after early retirement at Utah Power and Light Company, I worked for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Missionary Travel and became a Certified Travel Associate, retiring from the work world in 1995.
When Luan came to the door my first thoughts were she is pretty and attractive. That blind date resulted in our marriage in the Salt Lake Temple on 16 Aug 1963 by president N. Eldon Tanner. Eight children blessed our lives, with 26 grandchildren to follow. The eight children are 2 girls and 6 boys, all married in the temple and the boys all eagle scouts and returned missionaries.
I Attended the Salt Lake Community College in 2000 and earned an Associate of Science degree, with high honors.
I knew several days ahead before President Rendell N. Mabey issued the call to serve as bishop. I served as a high councilor and member of the stake presidency afterwards, completing 20 years of wonderful experiences.
The later years included Luan and me serving in the Belgium Brussels/ Netherlands Mission, The Hague Netherlands and Bountiful Utah Temples, and now in the Family and Church History Mission.
I have a testimony the Church has been restored to the earth in our day, when God and His Son appeared to the boy prophet Joseph Smith. We have living prophets walking the earth again, gathering, teaching, and blessing us. I am grateful for my blessings, especially for the Atonement of the Savior.
Good Morning, Elders and Sisters. I’m Elder Hixson, currently serving as zone leader in International Services. I am the first of 4 children born to Ellen Ferris and Sterling King Hixson. Dad had to rake up $50.00 to get mom and me out of the hospital, after a 10-day stay. They tell me I was long with big eyes and not too good looking. My early years were in southeastern Idaho on the Bear River. Summers were jumping rocks in the riverbed, hiking in the hills, and discovering nature. Wintertime was sleigh and toboggan riding, warming up afterwards with hot chocolate and mom’s homemade chili. My first school was a one-room schoolhouse where each row was a grade – from one to eight. In the fourth grade the school district consolidated and I found myself uptown with a room for every grade – one to eight. Mid teen-age years began in Bountiful, Utah, as country life gave way to city life. I was 14 when we drove out of town, kneeling on the back seat, looking out the back window, watching Grace, Idaho and my day-time driver license both fade away. I found myself in Bountiful High’s first graduating class, a member of the National Guard’s Evacuation Hospital Unit, then a missionary to the Netherlands, returning 2 ½ years later to the National Guard’s Linguistic Unit learning Russian. During college years at the University of Utah, I was a surgical orderly, then a surgical technician. After 34 years at Utah Power and Light, early retirement came, followed by 8 years with the Church in Missionary Travel as visa supervisor and Certified Travel Associate. During that same time I earned an Associate of Science degree, with high honors. When Sister Hixson came to the door, my first thoughts were she is pretty – and thin. That blind date resulted in our marriage in the Salt Lake Temple, by President Tanner. 8 children – 2 girls and 6 boys, with 28 grandchildren – have blessed our life. All married in the temple with the boy’s eagle scouts and returned missionaries. A prompting came before President Mabey knocked at our door and issued the call to serve as bishop, followed with service in the high council and stake presidency, completing 20 years of wonderful experiences and memories. Sister Hixson and I served a proselyting mission in the Netherlands, as ordinance workers in The Hague, Netherlands and Bountiful, Utah Temples, and now here,at the Family History Library. God and His Son appeared to the boy-prophet Joseph Smith, the Church is restored, and living prophets walk the earth again – gathering, teaching, and blessing us. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
My Call as Bishop
I knew of my call several days before President Rendell N. Mabey issued the call to serve as bishop. I was working out of town all week measuring water on the Bear River. It was Friday and I had finished measuring the Rainbow Canal, which finished up the week’s work, and I was preparing to go to the motel for the night and then head for home the next morning. It was in February and it was cold – Idaho/Bear Lake cold.
I usually called Luan each night before turning in but this night I was a little later cleaning up before getting to the motel. I had eaten at the motel and it was late enough I decided I wouldn’t call this night, in as much as I was going home in the morning.
I wanted to watch the news before going to bed and was sitting on the end of the bed, facing the TV, when the phone rang. It was Luan. I told her why I hadn’t called and she said that was okay. She said she called because Garth Wilkinson, the Sunday School president had called and wanted me to know that Sunday was going to be ward conference and it was my turn to conduct Sunday School. After we talked for a bit I knelt at the foot of the bed to say my prayers, because that is where I had been sitting all of this time. I climbed into bed and laid awake for a while, because I was stewing over what I had experienced in my prayers. The thought had come to me I was going to be called as the bishop and I was trying to tell Heavenly Father I was sorry for thinking such a thing. I did feel some comfort, however, that I was acceptable before the Lord, as I had confessed my errors and promised to do better. The next morning, being Saturday, I was glad to be going home and looked forward to our evening out with Luan’s brother, Lloyd, and his wife, JoAnn. We were all going to dinner to celebrate his birthday. When I arrived home the house was spick and span, the kids were in bed, and Luan was getting ready to go to dinner. I hurried to get ready and while tying my tie in front of the mirror in the hallway, Luan, who sweeping crumbs from the kitchen floor, told me we had had the most interesting phone call last night (after a knock had come to the door earlier that evening, when Luan was in bed and too afraid to answer the door). Somewhat startled, I asked her what time. When she told me, it was exactly the same time I was saying my prayers in the motel. She said what should we do? I said let’s go out; if it is that important they’ll call back. We did go and soon after arriving home from our dinner, a knock came to the door and there stood President Mabey and his counselor, Duane Welling. Well, the rest is history.
They left and I was to be sustained and set apart as the bishop the next day in sacrament meeting. I was to call the president back and give him the names of my counselors and I did so, after a lot of prayer and worrying. They were Clair Smith and Gerry Jordan. And so, I became my Mom and Dad’s bishop and remember how strange it felt to interview them for their temple recommends.
