Nanette, the name she has always gone by until she moved here, grew up in the small town of
Smithfield near Logan in Cache County Utah. She however was born in Panguitch Utah while
her family was on vacation seeing family. Nanette decided to make her entrance into the world 6
weeks early. They were in the middle of nowhere and the only doctor they could find was drunk.
They had to wait for him to sober up so he could deliver her.
Nanette was the 5th of 10 children. She has 2 older brothers, 2 older sisters and 5 younger
brothers. (One of whom is Mike Roe in our ward and her next door neighbor) Her father was a
school teacher and her mother stayed at home with the kids during the time she was home.
Money was always tight but it taught Nanette great lessons. The family owned a large lot up the
street from their home that they used for their garden. All summer long they would can and
preserve food. Nanette's talented and resourceful mom would bake bread and cinnamon rolls.
Nanette and her sister would deliver loafs to the many widows and widowers on their street.
They developed a closeness to these elder folk. Nanette loved them and their stories. She
wishes we had more elderly in our ward for her kids to have the same types of experiences.
Nanette and her friends would spend their whole day at Mack Park in Smithfield hiking the trails,
playing Charlie's Angels and hide-n-go-seek. They were always outside. It was a different time
and place and basically all of the kids ran all over Smithfield having fun.
From the time Nanette was 12, she spent her summers in Panguitch working for her Grandma
at the Red Canyon Indian Store on the road to Bryce Canyon. This would provide her with a
love of Indian jewelry and the money she would need to get school clothes and expenses she
had throughout the year. On the way home, they would stop in Provo and buy all their school
clothes.
The year Nanette started high school, they were too late getting back from Panguitch and
missed Volleyball try-outs so she tried out for the tennis team. She loved tennis and played all
four years. One of her best friends became her doubles partner and they took 5th in state in
second doubles. The next year her partner had graduated so Nanette played second singles
and again took 5th in state. She also played basketball and ran track. She did the high jump (but
no one really taught her the correct technique). Her senior year she had her best jump ever of
4'10''. That qualified her for state. When she got to state, the girls competing with her asked if
they could teach her how to properly jump. She was thrilled to be taught. That allowed her to
jump 5'1'' and she took 6th.
Nanette didn't realize you needed to apply for college. The summer after she graduated, her
dad had a connection up at Ricks so he called and got her in. She lived next door to her former
tennis partner and her sister. She loved Ricks. This was the first time she had a curfew but it
didn't stop the fun. During her second year of Ricks, Nanette got engaged. It was to be
expected. Her sister called Ricks « the Love Boat. » After graduating,that summer Nanette got
off the «Love Boat » and went down to Panguitch to work. Once there she realized she really
wasn't ready to be married and wanted to go on a mission. She attended the next year at USU.
During that year, she went to hang out with a friend from Ricks. Her friend had a roommate
named Eric Stucki but Nanette only had a mission on her mind.
Before Nanette got her mission call she and a friend saw a vacation to the Bahamas advertised
for $200 including airfare and accommodations. While in the Bahamas the mission call came.
She was so excited for her parents to pick her up from the airport so she could open the call, but
since they left it in the car, she waited until the restaurant to find out she had been called to
Denmark.
Nanette loved her mission. She said the food was so amazing, especially the pastries and the
ice cream. She did eat a few disgusting things though like pig heart stew and rye bread soaked
in chocolate sauce. The Danes were a very content people however and so they weren't very
interested in religion. Nanette was able to work with refugees that were in Denmark. Nanette
was able to teach English lessons to refugees and from this, was a part of an amazing baptism
of an Iranian refugee.
When Nanette came home, she started school again at USU. One day after playing Rec
basketball, she and her friend decided to find her friend a date for the upcoming Glen Miller
dance. They started going door to door to find a date, missionary style. Eventually, they ended
up at her old friend from Ricks's apartment. He was roommates again with Eric Stucki and
another Eric. The friend ended up snagging a date with the other Eric, so Nanette said to Eric
Stucki, «Well we should go too. » Eric agreed. They went on the date. Nanette had told her
companions that the first guy she kissed after her mission was who she was going to marry. So
up until Eric she refused to kiss any date. But Eric got a little peck in. They met in February, got
engaged by May and were married in September. When Eric asked Nanette's dad for
permission to marry him her dad said, «Are you sure you want to? She's my fiestiest daughter. »
During their senior years, a year after the wedding, Emily was born. Eric graduated that winter
from USU in Parks and Rec. While they were waiting for him to get on with the State of Utah,
They had an opportunity to manage Nanette's grandparents trailer park in Red Canyon. From
home, Nanette completed an internship and graduated from USU with a degree in Exercise
Science.
Nanette found Red Canyon very lonely. There wasn't really anyone around them except for the
tourists. Eric was concerned about Nanette's loneliness and he encouraged her to go to the
Homemaking meeting. She was so glad she did because that was where she made friends.
They proceeded to move 7 times in the next 7 years and every time Eric would encourage her
to go to homemaking.
After Red Canyon, Eric still was waiting to get on with the state so he took a job at Dixie College
as the intramural coordinator. While they lived there, their 2nd child, Alicia was born. From St.
George, Eric got on with the state. He took a job by Kamas Utah at Rock Port. To complete his
job he had to go into the Police Academy. He would live at the police academy from Sunday
night to Friday night and then go to work on Saturday and Sunday. They ended up loving
Kamas. They thought they would return there someday. The people were wonderful. They also
had their oldest son, Richie, just before moving from there.
Eric took a job at the Coral Pink Sand dunes. It was the middle of nowhere. They were half way
between Kanab and Orderville. They attended church in Orderville. This was a very happy time.
They had pink sand for their yard and it wasn't uncommon to find cows grazing there. She had 3
kids and stayed home spending time with them. It was a very relaxed pace. But a year and a
half later, Eric landed his dream job as the Off Highway Vehicle coordinator for the State of Utah
in Salt Lake city. They made their seventh move in seven years to Kaysville.
Nanette was pregnant with their 4th child. When they had just moved in, Nanette went into
premature labor at 33 weeks. They rushed to Davis Hospital not knowing it wasn't the best place
for the baby's care. Their son Tommy was born and was very sick. One day the hospital called
Nanette to tell her they needed to do a spinal tap on the baby, that he had fluid on the brain.
Earlier that week 2 people had told Nanette and Eric that they needed to get their baby out of
that hospital. That day when Eric and Nanette got to the hospital one of the nurses pulled them
aside and told them the same thing. That night Nanette called Primary Children's and were told
by a doctor that they don't do spinal taps on infants and that their baby most likely needed
surgery. They life flighted Tommy to Primary Children's. A surgery was performed that created a
reservoir for the fluid on Tommy's brain to collect and then they would drain it. They hoped
eventually Tommy's brain would start to drain itself, but it never did, so they installed a
permanent shunt into his head.
Nanette came to adore the town of Kaysville. Their little house was the perfect size for them.
Nanette felt like her four children was all she could handle and went to the temple to find an
answer. She had the feeling of peace. She took this as an answer that her family was complete.
Little did she know she was already expecting and imagine everyone's surprise when they
ended up with twin boys. Neither Eric or Nanette have twins in their family.
Now their cozy little house wasn't feeling so cozy. They had 4 growing boys in one bedroom and
needed some space. They loved Kaysville and didn't want to leave. They looked around for a
home with a little land and found Woodside had the best price for the square footage. Even
though after moving here they had many problems with the builder, it still has been a good
experience. She says she is really glad to have moved to our neighborhood has broadened her
ring of friends and associates. She loves how everywhere she goes she knows someone.
Kaysville feels like home to her. She is in the best time of life, enjoying being a mother and
cherishing every part she can.
I asked Nanette what piece of advice she would give to others that she has learned from her
life. She said, « My mom always told me not to miss church except for illness because once you
stay home once it makes it that much harder to go back. I've taken this advice and through the
years my desire to attend church, to feel the spirit and learn, just keeps increasing. » Wise
words for sure! That companionship of the spirit is by far the most important thing we can have
in this life.
We are so lucky to have Nanette in our ward. She is very positive and down to earth. When you
talk with her she makes you feel like she really enjoys your company. Take the time to get to
know Nanette. She's a delight.
No comments:
Post a Comment