Journal of Mary Phyllis Fisher - Thomas Davies

When Pres. Brewerton spoke at Dan’s testimonial he said that Dan had felt that he couldn’t
leave until Anne returned and it looked providential that Anne was home even before she had
received her release. Tom gave him $100.00. The church gave him $90.00. He has some saved
of his own and with the money Anne had given him, he had what he needed to get into the field
and last a month.
Anne spent about 11 months of her mission in Medford, Oregon, doing missionary work and the
next 8 months in the mission home doing secretarial work. President Gardner seemed to think a
lot of her and she made many friends.
1953. September 6 th
Tom has been gone nearly a week now. He left in August 1953, on a Monday morning. He
went with Uncle Dave and Aunt Ethel Jeppson and little Dwight. It was quite miraculous the
way they came up from Salt Lake City just in time to take him back with them. They didn’t
know that Tom would be leaving for his mission the very day they had planned to leave. He
was to enter the mission school in SLC Wednesday morning at 8 o’clock September 2. He will
be there a week, then he will go to Los Angeles on the 11 of September and on to Calexico to
see Dan for a day [250 miles] back to LA and then sail for Samoa on the 15th.
Sunday August 30, 1953, the Elders quorum had a testimonial for Tom. There was such a large
crowd present especially since no children under 16 were present due to the Polio ban. Uncle
Dave, Uncle Glen and Grant Caldwell were the speakers. They each spoke of “What a fine boy
he was” and had always been and Uncle Glen spoke of the spiritual gifts telling him to cultivate
them in the mission field. Orvilla Smith sang ‘When It Comes to the End of a Perfect Day. Sara
and Ellen sang ‘In the Garden”, Tom gave such a sweet humble talk. Father and I spoke a few
words and Grandpa offered the closing prayer.
The last month was such a trying one for Tom and the rest of us. About the middle of July, Tom
was out to Joe Dudley’s alone when he caught his hand in the power take off that connects the
tractor and mower. He was trying to fix the belt while the engine was on. It was new and kept
sticking. There was a grease gun in the seat and he pried his hand loose with that and rode home
on the tractor. Father was there and he and I rushed him to Cardston. His fingers were badly
cut. The pointer finger was broken in two places and the chord was cut. They sewed it up and
put it in a cast. It took about 2 hours to wash and clean it and fix it up. He stayed in the hospital
for 4 days. He was in such pain and weak from shock and lose of blood. For the last month he
has been here alone with me most of the time. We have soaked his fingers in hot water and put
poultices on them as they had infection in them. In two weeks Dr Benny took off the cast and it
was so full of pus it hadn’t even started to heal. When Tom left to go on his mission the sore
was almost well and he had an ex-ray of it and the doctor thought it was healing. He told him it
would be three weeks before it could come out of the cast. They put it back in a cast with just
the sore exposed. It was quite a job soaking it without getting the cast wet. He is to have it exrayed
in SLC before he leaves. Oh if it could be healed before he leaves on the boat. I know the
Lord can heal it. Father and Lore administered to him just before he left. Grandpa and Lynn
Woolf administered to him in the hospital and we have fasted and prayed for him. If we are
worthy, I am sure He will make it well in time for him to sail for Samoa and no complications
will set in. This has been Tom and mine and all our constant prayer for the last 6 weeks.
Dan has a car to drive now. He had to travel so far in the burning hot sun. The district President
asked him if he and his companion had a car. They said “No” so he wrote to the President of the
Southern California mission telling him that they needed a car. The Pres. wrote to them and said
that some one had just donated a car, a 1940 Dodge to the church and for Dan and his
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