Gary's Missionary Reunion

On Saturday, August 21, We attended the first missionary reunion for Gary since we had been married.  It was a nice experience, but a long one.  We then went to the Wight House in Bountiful for Gary's HS reunion.  It was also a nice event and just the right length of time.  This brought up memories of Gary's mission and I thought the family doesn't know much about his mission, so I'm sharing some of his photos and history here. 

President Robert Harbertson & Gary

Leaving from the SLC Airport with Elder DeMille

 

I look at some of these photos and think that Brandon looks like him.

Elder Davis and Elder Moses Kealamakea

Gettin' out of Jail...

 

The Bike...a Motobecane bike- NICE bike! 

Below is an excerpt from a synopsis of his mission.  For a full account email me and I'll send you a copy.

In this area he borrowed a bike while tracking on a split and a cable clip caught Gary’s pants as he rounded a corner, tearing them from the crotch down to the ankle on the seam. He held his pants together as best he could and hobbled into a dry cleaning store where he sat in a changing booth while a woman sewed up his pants and then he was again on his way to teach.

Teaching this woman...

Talking to the family during 1st Chrismas away from home.

A Thin Elder Davis...

Sour faces after battle with Born Againers- Elder Laing & Davis

Bro Peterson, Elder Wall & Davis

Apartments in San Jose East- Chevy Vega- The mission car of choice. 

Nice Smile Elder Davis!

Elder Laing & Davis- Fresno

About 2/3 of the way through his mission the boundries changed and he was then in the Oakland mission.  His new mission president was Lindsey R. Curtis from Ogden, Utah. He was a retired OB/GYN doctor who was also an author of many books. One of them was titled, “And They Shall Be One Flesh” about intimacy between a man and a wife. He gave us an autographed copy of the book when Gary and I were married.

Elder Davis- Oakland Temple (Water turned off because of draught- just being turned on while photo taken)

Elder Chugg, one of the compainions in the Oakland Mission.

Teaching Lee Family about the Word of Wisdom.

 

Just After being picked up at the airport.
Gary’s brother Bryan left to the Melbourne Australia mission midway through his mission, making it over three years before they saw each other again.

 Interesting tidbit from Gary's HS reunion was that there was a girl in his class named Debbie Kent who turned up missing after a school play, with her car left in the parking lot.  She was one of the victims of serial killer Ted Bundy.  They had her family at the reunion and gave a special presentation to them.  One of Gary's yearbooks theme was "Color my World", A popular song by Chicago from the era.  They had a page dedicated to her loss that said "Our world lost a bit of it's color".    See some of the history about her below and click on Bundy's name for another link if interested. 

In Murray, Utah, on November 8, 1974, Carol DaRonch narrowly escaped with her life. Claiming to be Officer Roseland of the Murray Police Department, Bundy lured DaRonch into his car where he then attempted to handcuff her. Fortunately for DaRonch, he only got one wrist. She managed to open the door with her other hand, rolled out of the car onto the highway and escaped with contusions to the head given to her by a blunt instrument that Bundy had taped underneath the car seat.


Frustrated in his attempt to kill DaRonch, Bundy snatched Debbie Kent, who was attending a school play in Bountiful, Utah, mere hours later. Kent, seventeen, disappeared after leaving the school play. She had left early and alone to pick up her brother, but her car never left the parking lot. Residents nearby reported hearing screams from the area of the lot, and a handcuff key that fit the cuffs left on DaRonch's wrist was later found on the ground nearby. Bundy had been clearly seen lurking in the back of the auditorium where the play was held and had boldly appeared backstage, confronting a drama teacher with the demand that she accompany him to the parking lot to allegedly identify a vehicle—the same ruse Bundy had tried earlier in the day with DaRonch. Kent's body has never been found. 
From Wikipedia....
November 8: Debra "Debby" Kent (17). Vanished from the parking lot of a school in Bountiful, Utah, hours after Carol DaRonch escaped from Bundy. Shortly before his execution, Bundy confessed to investigators that he dumped Kent at a site near Fairview, Utah. An intense search of the site produced a human patella (knee cap), which matched the profile for someone of Kent's age and size. DNA testing has not been attempted.