My Testimony

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~       My Testimony   by Betty Lou Mikesell Erlandson       I learned a lot about Jesus’ love when I was a child of eight years lying in a Catholic hospital bed in Pocatello, Idaho.  Jesus was very much a part of the life of a head nurse named Sister Mary John.  I was beginning to recover from an emergency appendectomy.  My parents were my only visitors.  I was a cross, depressed, lonely and hurting little girl.  My bed was located in a second story room, close to the window and when I was well enough to sit up a little I could look down upon a walled garden.  Never had I seen such loveliness.  And sometimes, making it even more lovely, there would be one or two black and white figures gracefully kneeling in prayer or sitting quietly on a white bench surrounded by colorful roses and white lilies.  I did so long to be down there with them. It looked like Jesus’ garden and I felt that His spirit must be in the sisters there, for their work was helping to care for the patients who were hurting like I was.   One day soon after my emergency surgery a nurse came into my room and I was being cross and pushing away my food.  She was old – very wrinkled and she had a strange high voice like a cracked piccolo. I decided to hurry and eat as she told me to do because she must be a “sister-nurse-witch” and I was afraid of her.  When she was around I did what she wanted just to get rid of her.  Even the other nurses seemed afraid of her.    One day another nurse came in and saw that I was looking down at the garden.  She became quite upset and said in a very stern voice “My dear girl – what are you doing?  You have not right to look down into our garden.  It is a holy place” and she closed the shades, darkening the room and left me alone in those shadows.  I cried – I felt like I must have really sinned badly.  I felt utterly condemned. Was I never again to see that precious garden where Jesus’ statue stood?     When my mother came in before an hour had passed, she asked why the shade was down. I tearfully told her about my wrong – doing.  She hurried out of the room and returned with – guess – who – the wrinkled sister-nurse-witch. My mother said “Now you tell Sister Mary John all about the garden” I did but I knew that she would bawl me out so I kept saying – I’m sorry – I’m sorry.  She listened – the little old old old sister-nurse and suddenly her face screwed all up and I didn’t know whether she was going to yell at me or cry.  Then in her funny voice she said to me. “Betty Lou, that is Jesus’ garden down there and as long as you are here it is your garden also.  He made this earth for all of us and he made it beautiful.” She opened the shades and we looked down – the three of us.  Suddenly I looked at Sister Mary John as she smiled at me and kissed me, she began to look like an angel.  She understood me and she cared.  I was a cross, unhappy and hurting child and she loved me– just like my mother and father loved me – and like Jesus loved me.  I saw Jesus’ love in her wrinkled funny face and I accepted her as she held me in her arms in a wonderful hug.  I even loved that voice of hers that now sounded just right to me.   She had been working to make me well in her own way and I had feared her and couldn’t see beyond what I thought was ugliness.  She had accepted me as a beloved child of God as she did all her patients and I found this idea in my mind – the Lord’s spirit can be in everyone – if they allow it – and it doesn’t matter how old or wrinkled or how young or cross or how hurting and lonely you are.  And you are loved and you can love.   Now I am at a different stage of life and am old old old and wrinkled and have a cracked piccolo voice when I try to sing and want to be accepted where I am now.  I still want to accept others where they are.  That’s where love begins and grows and grows.  Love finds me through the people I reach out for.  I can’t sit back or hide, or ignore people because then that special love can’t find me.

 

TRIPLES with EMMA

         

 

Norwegian Lefse

Description:

Recipe from Betty (Mikesell) Erlandson, published in her church's cookbook in 1964.
Betty's grandmother Annie Emelia Anderson was born in Norway and Betty's husband Evan's grandparents were born in Norway, so Betty often made Lefsa for family get-togethers. It's very good as a sandwich wrap with cheese and meat. Or with jam or jelly. Roll it up, heat if desired and serve.


Ingredients:

8 or 9 medium potatoes.

3/4 cup shortening

1 cup milk or cream

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup flour for each cup of mashed potatoes.



Directions:

Boil the potatoes and mash well.

Combine with shortening, milk and salt. Mix well and cool.

Add the flour and knead. Take piece of dough the size of a large egg and roll as for pie

crust, rolling as thin as possible. Use plenty of flour on the board. Bake on hot griddle,

or top of wood range. Turn frequently to prevent scorching and bake until golden brown.

When done, place between clean cloths to prevent drying out.

Jolly Gingercakes

Description:

Recipe belonging to Betty (Mikesell) Erlandson, published in her church's cookbook in 1964.


Ingredients:

2/3 cup molasses

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sour milk (can be soured with vinegar)

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups flour

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon


Directions:

Combine in sauce pan the molasses, sugar, shortening, ginger and cinnamon. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. cool to lukewarm.

Combine flour and soda. Add to first mixture, alternating with combined milk and eggs, beating well after each addition. Pour into baking cups placed in muffin tins.

Bake in 350F. oven for 15 minutes. When cool, serve with whipped cream or warm butter. Also may be iced with colorful frosting. Makes 16 cupcakes.

Erlandsons, tribute page

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Wedding Party

Brothers Jack & Evan Erlandson & sisters Betty & Della Ann Mikesell , 1947

 

Spokane newspapers, Spokane, Washington, Sat. 8 Nov. 1947

WEDDING DAY TO BE SUNDAY

"Tomorrow is the date set for the marriage of Miss Betty Mikesell, daughter of Mr.and Mrs. Jefferson O. Mikesell, S424 Haven, to Evan Erlandson, son of Mr. and Mrs. E. C. Erlandson, W1214 York, at the Reorganized Church of Latter Day Saints.

Miss Mikesell was graduated from Lewis and Clark high school and has been working as an instructor for Arthur Murray studio. Mr. Erlandson was graduated from North Central high school and has a position at Armour's.

The matron of honor will be Mrs. Della Walsh, sister of the future bride, and the best man will be Jack Erlandson, brother of the future bridegroom.

Albert Coleman will be the soloist and Mrs. Coleman will play the wedding music. A small reception at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Mikesell will follow the ceremony. After their wedding trip the couple plan to reside in Spokane."

 

Evan & Betty, 1997
 

 

 

  Tributes to Betty & Evan

These tributes were read at a special meeting

of their older adults church group

"The Here Afters" in 1999, honoring them for

their 10 years of leadership as co-presidents.

 

Tribute to Evan by son Jim Erlandson

        

     

 Tribute to Betty by sister Della Ann Mikesell Binder.

 

 

               Tribute to Betty by sister Thelma Mikesell Winters.

 

 

Tribute to Betty by sister Leslie Mikesell Wood.

 

 

 

Go ro Reception page

 Back to main anniversary page 

 

Betty and Evan Erlandson, by Della Mikesell Binder

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~       Betty & Evan   by Della Mikesell Binder, 1999          I have a few memories of Betty & Evan that I think would be labeled "SHEER  OPTIMISM".  I will try to    give you a couple of examples.  This trait is always accompanied by a determined look,a firm step forward,      and a bright expectant look to the eyes.  "The Art of Positive Thinking" is in full force.             As an example, their niece Jaime Mikesell, was to be married in Oregon City, Oregon a few years ago.       My husband and I had driven down from Spokane for the wedding, and we found a large crowd there.        Betty and Evan, at that time were traveling somewhere in the Arizona Desert, and drove back  to Oregon       City for the service.  We were in the church parking lot when they drove in.  Our  joy at seeing them       gradually changed to puzzled astonishment as they began to extract themselves from this really packed       small white car.  Between them in the front seat, and extending to the back seat, was a huge set of ????        Steer Horns?  Sitting on Betty's lap was her precious little dog Timmy, and looking over their       shoulders anxiously, with one blue eye and one brown eye, was Evan's beloved big  Australian Shephard,       Blue.  It seems they had been to a huge Swap Meet somewhere in the Desert. I don't know what       all they bought or what else was packed in that car.  All I know for sure was that it had everything but       ROOM, and they still had miles to go after the wedding.              Another incident, they could tell you about more fully, was when Betty and Evan and sister Thelma       and husband Wayne Winters, were hanging around the desert somewhere.  There was an old       concrete strip nearby and Betty and Thelma decided it would be a grand place to ride the bikes they       had with them. They were having a wonderful time when some mean pilot in a small plane started       buzzing  them over and over.  He finally came in so low that the girls fell with their bikes trying to get       away and got bruised somewhat.  I think they finally figured out that the concrete strip was an old       landing strip still being used, and left the area.  I imagine the pilot finally landed.            I have lots of wonderful memories of my big sister and the wonderful brother she brought to our      family.  Loving, caring, and always sharing, with her deep faith in  God.  I can just see them in the      far future, approaching those Golden Gates with the same firm steps, shining eyes and SHEER      OPTIMISM!               Forgive the teasing and enjoy today. God loves you and so do I.   Della      <back to tribute page       TRIPLES with EMMA

 

My sister Betty, by Thelma Mikesell Winters

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~       Betty Lou Mikesell Erlandson   by Thelma Mikesell Winters, 1999             Betty, (like Loretta Lynn) was born a COAL MINERS DAUGHTER! Life in the Southern Idaho mining community was hard and dirty. Daddy (Jeff) worked underground in the mine. Mama (Florence) cooked for the miners and cared for her three young children. Ernie (the oldest son), spent most of his time trying to be big and tough and swear like the miners did. Betty had inherited her mama's red cast to her hair, her beautiful brown eyes, also her plentiful freckles! Because of this she also developed mama's "spunky character". With an older and younger brother she would need this to hold her own.     She was the apple of her daddy's eye and would run to meet him when he came off shift, riding triumphantly home on his shoulders. He was her tall, dark handsome hero.... "My Daddy!"    By the time Betty Lou, (as she was called by the family) was ready to start school, the family had moved to town! Life couldn't be better. Pocatello, Idaho was being in the right place at the right time for Betty. A beautiful home with green lawn and big trees and a garden in back. A sidewalk to play Jacks and Hopscotch and to roller skate on.. ..and best of all, a best friend living next door to do it all with- Martha Rice! Someone to share secrets with, play paper dolls, ride bikes and walk to school with. The two girls have remained friends for life! It was not all fun and games for Betty, as she was needed to help out in the home a lot! There was the year that her younger brother Jimmy was in bed with Rheumatic fever. Then a younger sister, Della Ann was born and about the same time mama's sister had a baby girl and they came to live with the family. So there were two babies in the house along with lots of extra chores. Betty was nine years old when a second sister, Thelma was born. By this time Betty was getting pretty fed up with washing, hanging and folding diapers!  It was a credit to her that Betty learned to climb trees, and she became an expert at it. She could climb faster and higher than Ernie and Jimmy or any of the neighborhood kids. It was her refuge from her teasing brothers and their friends. Up there she could think her girlish pre-teen thoughts and create poems and stories without interruption. Even daddy couldn't get her to come down until she was ready!  It is a good thing that she had this wonderful spot and time in her life in Pocatello, because by the time she was a teenager, dad had lost his job with the Railroad, the house was sold and the family packed up and got on a train headed for Washington State. Betty was devastated as was mama by our move to the "STICKS!" But remember their "SPUNKY CHARACTERISTICS!"  The house we moved into, 27 miles north of Spokane at the base of Mt. Spokane was soon made into a home. Also another new addition to the family was little sister Leslie. More diapers! But this time we had no electric washer, a pump for water out front in the yard, an outhouse out back, and a wood stove to heat water on. The best thing that happened was that we were introduced to the R.L.D.S. Church by a family by the name of "Love" that lived on the mountain also. Soon Brother J. F. Curtis came to the little school house and brought the wonderful charts and story of the Restoration Church and its Gospel. Later other Ministers came and some brought groups of young people to visit. What good times! Chicken Fry's! and in the winter Toboggan rides down the steep mountain road. Camp fires with song festivals, good friends too!  We had no car, but Brother Curtis came and took those who were old enough to Spokane to be baptized into the church. Dad held out and was baptized later when Thelma was eight.  We were in the process of moving to Spokane in 1941. Mom, Ernie and Leslie were in a small house on South Freya Street with electricity. They heard the news of Pearl Harbor on Sunday morning December 7th. Ernie hitch-hiked and really walked most of the way to come up on the mountain to tell dad and the rest of us.  The world had changed for everyone. We eventually moved to a larger house at 424 S. Haven. Ernie went into the Army. Later Jim joined the Merchant Marines, till he was drafted into the Army. Betty did her bit for her country by helping out at the USO. She was a beauty, and became a "pin-up girl" for one of the Navy ships. She was a good dancer too! Mom opened our home to the sailors from the Navy base and soldiers from the Army base when they were in town on leave. It started out as the sons of relatives and then they passed it on to their buddies. They were all nice fellows who were lonely for their families. We never had any kind of problems with them. Later in the War, mom and Betty worked at Galena making parachutes and aviator jackets.  Betty made a trip to Los Angeles to visit Ernie's girlfriend Eve.  Eve helped her with a make-over I guess, because when she came home her hair was black.  Daddy was really upset about it. It didn't take long to get it back to it's beautiful auburn color that meant so much to him.  Back home again she became a teacher at the Arthur Murray Dance Studio where she met Evan Erlandson...  But that's a Whole nother story!     <back to tribute page  TRIPLES with EMMA

Memories of my sister Betty, by Leslie Mikesell Wood

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Memories I have of my sister Betty Lou Mikesell Erlandson   by Leslie Mikesell Wood, 1999          I can only rely on here-say about Betty when she was a young girl as I was not born yet. I remember hearing what a tom-boy she was when young, climbing tall trees and getting spanked for not coming down when ordered to. It wouldn't surprise me to hear she even got spanked the day she fell out of a moving car, because I came to realize that our dad spanked whenever he became scared.          She became very beautiful (inside & out), had lots of lovely clothes, lots of boyfriends and a great job, teaching dancing. I remember when she started dating a nice guy named Evan Erlandson. She warned us to be on our best behavior.  She introduced him as Earl Evanson. After their marriage we often heard, "No, we can't start eating until Betty & Evan get here", and "No, we can't open our Xmas presents until Betty & Evan get here". I guess Thelma & I can thank big sis for teaching us patience.          Betty went on to use her talents for the church, writing a play about Joseph Smith for the Zions  League to perform and writing poetry. She enjoyed ceramics, painting, and making fish lures for the  hobby she and Evan shared, fishing.          I can tell you what our late brother Jim Mikesell wrote about Betty in 1988 in a letter to me about his  life. "Betty & I were fairly close in age and she has always been a close friend to me. I remember her  trying to mother me somewhat when we were small and I can also remember that I was fairly rebellious. She was active, too, or maybe I should say too active, as a child. I seem to recall that she fell out of a moving car and I know she was an active tree climber. Lining the streets in the Almeda neighborhood were some very tall and thick poplar trees and it was, of course, ritual that the kids should climb them. Betty would have to verify this but I think she had a tendency to fall out of those too. Perhaps she was jumping though, because in the fall those trees would shed literally tons of leaves and those, raked into piles, would become tremendous cushions for jumping and leaping. Great gangs of kids would gather in the streets to play & she and I would be right in the thick of things." Jim went on to say how Betty was usually called away from play to do household chores as she was the oldest girl.          I don't think Betty had a great birth-position in the family, with a very mischievous teasing older  brother, Ernie, a very sick younger brother, Jim, and three baby sisters. After we all grew up it was  great when we all got together for huckleberry picking trips, family visits and the time Betty, Thelma  and I took a memorable train trip through floods to church conference in 1960.          Betty and Evan's lake home was always open to any and all of her family. I don't know what our family would have been without her but surely not as close and loving as we became. Betty is the only one in the family who is good at remembering our birthdays etc., with cards and keeping in touch with distant relatives by letters and visits. Often we'd receive a card that she had handmade especially for us.          Thank you for all you've done for me sis, I love you.  Leslie     <back to tribute page   TRIPLES with EMMA

The Call

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~     The Call    Written by Betty Mikesell  Erlandson Feb. 22, 1966                                                                                                    Separate this man of my image                                                For I call him close to me.                                                 Separate him from the crowd;                                                The fools, the spurious, the unrepenting                                                And let him take courage to follow me                                                Through Gethsemane to my eternal mountain                                                I shall steady his soul as he suffers                                                The agony and Sorrows of my Son                                                And girt his loins anew to find glory                                                Beyond the quickness of eternity.                                                Separate this man of my likeness,                                                And I shall tenderly enfold him in my love.        *~~~****************************************************   **************~~~***************************************   TRIPLES with EMMA

Hi from Leslie

Hope everyone is having a good summer!  The Wood family has been busy but we finally got our hay in the barn without being rained on.  We have had wonderful weather but this week-end is going to get to 100 degrees

 

Della Ann & Betty have their birthdays this month so we send them our love.

 

H A P P Y   B I R T H D A Y !

Our Hobbies

This photo was taken a few years ago but Jim is still an avid fisherman. Another hobby is writing stories

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