Journal of Mary Phyllis Fisher - Thomas Davies

are such lovely people.
Monday night Ellen and Veryle, Jerry, Kenny and Connie Sue and Lore, Barbara, Bobby,
Lorianne, and Dana Lynn came and stayed all night. Sara, Ted, Ricky, Wendy and Doran came
on Tuesday and we had another turkey dinner. They brought such lovely presents for us all.
It was so good to have Tom and Frank home for a week. Tom was in the university hospital for
some time this fall and is still under Doctor’s care. They thought that it was the muscles of his
leg that had been hurt at first, but found out by sending a graft of his skin to Washington that he
had contacted a terrible disease while on his mission in Samoa. The germ had lain dormant in
his leg for 4 years. This fall it began to destroy the nerve cells halfway up in his leg before the
Doctors in Salt Lake found out what it was. They are giving him some pills that they say will
kill the germ in a year and hope to restore life to his leg in another year. He limps and it is
painful at times. On New Year’s Day his stomach was bothering him. He said the doctor told
him if this happened again to come to him for it might be the pills that were causing it.
On Tues the 3rd of January Ren and I took Tom to Lethbridge to meet the people he was going
back with. We haven’t heard from him since then. Franky went back on New Year’s Day. He
had to be back to school by the third.
It has been so hard for Frank to be away from home for the first time, and with Tom sick. They
have both prayed earnestly about it. Tom said he fasted for three days and Frank and the boys
had administered to him. Tom said it was such a comfort to have Frank there with him.
Frank for some years has wanted to go to Provo to school. Last fall we didn’t have the money to
send him but Lynn gave him money for his tuition and Tom put the $500 deposit he needed
down and told him to come. Frank had received over $100 for his 4- H Calf Club so he was able
to go. He is enjoying his courses in Animal Husbandry and in music. He sang with the
university choir in the Sunday evening session of Conference in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. He
said it was wonderful to sit so near to President McKay and to sing in the choir.
On Sunday Christmas Day December 25, 1960 we met in the church house for the first time. It
is not completely finished but was lovely to be in. Tom and Frank and Barry Pratt, who is
attending school in Taber, spoke in the afternoon meeting. They bore such lovely testimonies.
Oh may God bless them both with health and strength!
In the Sunday school, Brother Taylor presented some new song books that Max and Roxy
Hamilton sent to the branch. They moved to Salt Lake last fall and are doing very well. Max is
working in a news office in Salt Lake City.
Anne and her family are living in Edmonton. They returned from Provo last fall. It was
sometime before Blair was able to get work. He is now doing research work for the
Government. They came down in November and we had a nice visit with them.
Lore went to summer school and received his Bachelor of Education in August 1960. Tom
hopes to get his Doctors Degree in Science this spring. He is now doing research work.
1961. January 28 th
Today is my 59th birthday. Yesterday I received a letter from Tom and Frank for which I was
very grateful. Tom said that his stomach was all right now. That his leg was about the same but
he was able to get around on it pretty good. He was still a bit worried about people getting the
infection from him, so he was going to talk to the Stake President about it and ask his advice.
He was going to the green and gold ball that was being held in their ward that night. Tom is a
councilor in the Bishopric. Frankie said he was getting along all right. He is expecting to write
his exams this next week for the first semester.
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