I was born in Price and as soon as I could grasp a pencil I began to try to write words. My grandmother, an elementary school teacher, encouraged me in all my writing efforts--even writing the brand name Maytag, which I copied from our washer, over and over again.
I lived with my grandmother because my mother, her daughter, was killed in an automobile accident on my 11-month birthday. My father enlisted in the war effort and left me in my grandmother's care.
I began composing stories and illustrating them when I was age five. I found it lucrative to sell the stories and illustrations to my many relatives. I had one aunt (Pat), in particular, who was always good for a quarter per item.
When I was in the fifth grade, my elementary school decided to begin a student-run newspaper. I was the first editor and held the job for two years. When I moved on to junior high, I became the female editor of the junior high newspaper (there was also a male editor). During this time, I also began writing some stories for the Sun Advocate, a bi-weekly newspaper.
I won a poetry contest (honor) and an essay contest (money) while I was in the seventh grade. I continued as one of two editors of the newspaper all during my junior high school days and continued entering writing contests and, from time to time, wining a few. I was also pleased that our newspaper placed in the top 10 in the various contests we entered.
When I reached high school I worked on both the high school newspaper and the high school yearbook staffs. Our newspaper and our yearbooks continued to win prizes and so did I. I served as one of the editors of the newspaper and was one of several students selected to be in an English class taught by a college professor, what we would now call concurrent enrollment.
I attended the College of Eastern Utah on an art scholarship but continued to work with the yearbook and newspaper. My freshman year, I did the artwork and copy for the yearbook as coeditor. I was proud that it was named one of the top five yearbooks for colleges of the size.
The newspaper, where I was an editor, was also honored for its quality.
My sophomore year, I was yearbook editor and continued to work on the newspaper. Both were again honored. My copy for the yearbook won a prize. This, and my work with the Sun Advocate, led me to try my hand at other writing. I married Leonard Trauntvein and we moved to Provo.
When Leonard graduated from BYU, we came to Nephi. We have been here for approximately 40 years.
I took a break from newspapers and had eight children. Then I began working as a correspondent for The Daily Herald and for the Times-News. Later, after Marilyn Keyte retired from the Desert News, I began writing for them. I worked full-time for The Daily Herald from the summer of 1989 through the summer of 1990 as Education Editor but decided I preferred the life of a correspondent and quit in 1990.
Writing has been a good experience. I have learned much about the world, people, and am still interested in almost everything. My family often tells me it's a good thing I'm a reporter and have a right to ask questions at interviews or else I would just be considered plain nosy.
I remember the floods of 1982-83 when I was wading through mud with a cast on a broken ankle, a few private arguments with politicians, climbing a mountain with a pencil in my mouth, a notebook under one arm and a camera around my neck. I've flown in a gas balloon, a helicopter, and an airplane because of my job. I have talked to important people in government and in my neighborhood. I have learned not to be so shy but to remember to listen.
It is an interesting life. “Every person is a story,” one BYU journalism professor told me. He was right. What you may think is boring about your life; I will probably think is exciting. Incidentally, the one thing I don't like writing about is myself.
I also enjoyed art and, in particular, watercolors. However, oddly enough, it was the oil paintings that I sold. Teachers purchased most of them. I did have a one-man show at the bank while I was still in high school. I haven’t kept up the painting, however, I found it was discouraging to get everything out and then have so many little helpers. It was better just to do projects with the kids to start with—much less frustrating and just as fun.
The nigth I was born, Christmas Eve, my father had just been diagnosed with pneumonia. He was sent to his mother’s home to spend time away from Mom, who of course, was expecting me. She went into labor that evening and Uncle Morgan, Dad’s bother, drove Mother Elaine to the hospital in a dump truck. When the nurse came out to give the good news to the “father” Uncle Morgan informed them that he was not the man.
My Dad and Mom looked forward to actually spending a Christmas together after that fateful one they spent apart. It wasn’t to be. Mother Elaine was in an accident and died on my 11-month birthday, Nov. 24. She was buried on her mother’s birthday, Nov. 26.
My father went to war serving as a Sea Bee, a part of the US Navy, in World War II. I used to pray that he would be safe. I had a vision of him on one side of a palm tree and a Japanese soldier on the other side. He tells me, that at times, it was something like that.
Aunt Renee and Uncle Max were a great part of my life. For a short time, during the war, we lived with them. In spite of rations, Aunt Renee always managed to have some canned shrimp for me. On my birthday, we had red Jell-O, which I thought was like Santa’s tummy. Uncle Max always saved me a piece of sandwich from his lunch so I could have a treat when he came home. However, we soon found a house nearby and moved there. Nevertheless, all through my life, my cousins and Aunt Renee and Uncle Max remained important to me.
My Dad remarried a wonderful woman, named Edna. They had three daughters together. Edna was not the typical stepmother and always treated me with love and respect. I continued, at my request, to live with my grandmother.
The best thing that ever happened to me, of course, was marrying Leonard and having a family. They are the light of my life. There is nothing else as wonderful nor as important. I honestly liked (and still do) being a mother and I am glad that it is my life’s work. Being a grandmother is a treat, sort of like frosting on the cake or a big piece of fudge for dessert. It is also a great thing to have a spouse, as you all know. Our love and friendship continue to grow and I am thankful that I married a man who is a strong member of the church since that is so important to me.
My creed is best explained with the following quote: "To you I say with all of the energy of which I am capable, do not become a weak link in the chain of your generations. You come to the world with a marvelous inheritance. You come of great men and women... Never let them down. Never do anything which would weaken the chain of which you are a fundamental part." --President Gordon B.
Hinckley
