A Look To The Past...

Madge Omerza Thomas

Hmmm, I thought Melanie was doing this about dead people & that my involvement would simply be pointing her in the direction where the stack of life histories sits collecting cobwebs but here I sit with questions in hand

Emerick, Jay & Madge

Ora & Madge

Jay & Madge

Memories of California & moving to Arizona:
I was about 4 when we moved to Arizona. I don’t recall anything about California. The only thing I remember about moving is my dad had a big flatbed truck that had everything we owned and our dog on it.


Our dog, Patsy, was a cocker, bulldog, etc. mix – floppy ears, short hair, round pudgy body with short, stubby legs. She was black. I was afraid she was going to jump off the truck. My dad drove the truck & my mom, Jay & I followed behind in the car waving to the dog all the way!

family picture in California

We moved in January, I was sick with a bad cold & it was freezing cold when we got to our new house & I remember thinking it looked pretty desolate – no grass, no trees, just a 900 square foot house (small) on an acre (huge) lot.

mom with grandma Stefani Omerza

1 year old

4 yrs. old

Games I played as a kid:
I remember playing kick the can; it seemed to me that after supper all the kids in the neighborhood would be outside playing kick the can until my dad whistled and then it was time to come home. There weren’t very many kids in the neighborhood & I was probably the youngest.

4 yrs. old

Jay & I would play Monopoly too. But it was our own kind of Monopoly; we made up our own rules – it would last for days!!

Emerick, Madge, & Jay at Grand Canyon

We also would play War. This was played with cards. They were divided evenly & each of us would put a card down. The highest card would take the other card. If 2 of the same kind came up then it was war. Each player would turn 2 or 3 cards face down & then one card face up – highest card would win the war. Sometimes we would build forts with sheets & blankets & I would always have to give my card to Jay without seeing his – I always seemed to lose – now I understand why!

2nd grade

3rd grade

I remember laying out on a rope bed that my dad made & we would watch the clouds go by & tell each other what we saw in the clouds – an animal, a clown, etc.
Memories of my dad getting baptized – converted:
The story goes: back then when a chapel needed to be built, the ward members would help build it. Bishop Haggard asked my dad to help with welding the steel beams of the building. It was said that the Bishop got my dad up there as a captive audience & taught him the gospel. I don’t remember seeing him be baptized.

mom with carpenter cousins

Memories of getting sealed in the Temple:
It was February of 1953, I was seven years old. I remember being dressed in white, kneeling around the alter with our hands on top of each other & they asked Jay & I to close our eyes & I didn’t do it & they had to ask me a second time to please close my eyes.





Memories of my mom:
My mom was a soft spoken woman and if I had to sum her up in one word it would be helping others (ok 2 words). We always picked some one up for church because they didn’t drive or didn’t have a car or for whatever reason. If she wasn’t home she was off doing something for some one. She was always taking a meal to someone. I remember when I was pregnant with Linnea my mom was honored in her ward for 25 years of service in the Relief Society. I was due anytime with Linnea & they were all afraid I wouldn’t make it, it was a surprise for my mom. I made it! Many times I would be looking for my mom & find her in her room kneeling by her bed. I think she prayed me through my teenage years. The day before her second stroke she renewed her Temple Recommend. She had had a stroke earlier that year & probably would never be able to go back to the Temple but she wanted to have a current recommend. It can be said of her that she endured to the end.

mom with doll "Susan" and cat "Smokey"

Memories with Jay & Ted:
I would say Jay & I were typical brother & sister. We got along & then we didn’t! There weren’t a lot of kids to play with in the neighborhood so we played with each other or at least not many my age so I was always the tag along little sister. When he returned from his mission, it all seemed to work out different. He always wanted me to go to the dances with him because he wasn’t to sure about dancing right after his mission. I had just graduated from high school & was so happy to go with him & meet all of his friends!



When Ted was born (he is 10 years younger, Jay 4 years older) I was so excited to have a little brother – more excited had he been a girl but nevertheless I was excited about this new baby. When he was 2 that all changed!! While I was at school he would go into my room & dump my perfume on the carpet or just get into my stuff!! (Mom also told me, but must have forgot to put it down, that her and Jay were embarrassed that Ted had a binky so they put cumin on it to "help" cure him of it. It didn't work but they had fun watching his face when he put it back in his mouth)

10 years old at beach

Memories of my Dad:
My dad was very rough on the outside with a heart of gold. He was a no nonsense kind of person & most people that didn’t know him very well were afraid of him. He worked hard all of his life. Made a complete change in his life when he joined the church. I know that anyone can make that change if they really want to because my dad did. Swearing was part of my dad’s vocabulary. I heard it all my life. I called him more of a hell & damn man. He wasn’t filthy like you hear today. My dad never did sit & council with me. If he said “no” then it was no, end of discussion! I can never remember my dad telling me he loved me but I knew he did. He was a good man that added a lot of spice to my Mothers life!




School Memories; classes, dress codes, cafeteria food, what was cool then, games played, etc:
I attended first grade at Roosevelt School where I had to take the bus. I was terrified that I wouldn’t get off at the right stop & I would be lost. It never happened so it was ok. Second grade I went to Sunland. A brand new school that we could ride our bikes to. All during the summer, Jay & I would ride our bikes down to school almost daily to see how far along everything was to see if they would be ready by the time school started in September. Well, it did open at the beginning of school but we were without desks. We brought pillows from home & sat on the floor.

15 years old 1961

I remember in 6th grade I got pneumonia and was home for many weeks. In 7th grade I had Mono & was out of school for 3 months. I guess you could say I was home schooled! I remember going back to school & being told that I couldn’t do anything that would exert myself – no playing softball, all I could do was watch!! The best thing in the whole world was to go to school early & there was always a good softball game going on.

14 years old 1960

There were only a very few of us that were LDS & we were good friends from grade school – 1st thru 8th grades & on into high school – 9th thru 12th. We didn’t have Junior High. In high school I still wasn’t allowed to participate in sports. I did get to play church softball so life was ok. My senior year was my saddest year. South Mountain High School was overcrowded so they put us on double session. My friends went in the morning & I went in the afternoon, getting out of class about 5 PM. We only had early morning seminary then so I didn’t attend my senior year – seminary started at 5 AM. I worked at the school my senior year in the office before I started school so I was able to see some of my friends as they were leaving school & before I started.
I always ate in the cafeteria – we always had hot meals served; there was no fast food. There was always gravy & mashed potatoes from a box; boxed mashed potatoes was about as fast food as it got. The food was all made right there at the school. We had a dress code I guess – the girls all wore dresses. I don’t remember anything being written about it that’s just the way it was. I didn’t do anything outstanding in school, never joined a club but I had my little group of friends and we all ate lunch together & almost every Friday evening we would go the roller rink & skate. One of our mothers would take us & another one would pick us up.

16 years old 1962

Favorite meal:
The meal I always asked for on my birthday (we could always choose) was pork chops & rice. She would fry up the pork chops, cook some rice & then put the rice in the pan drippings of the pork chops & stir it around. She would put the pork chops in a baking pan with little mounds of rice on top with a tomato on top of that & put it in the oven. I loved them & it’s funny I don’t think I have ever made them – and I’m not sure that’s exactly how she did it.


Typical meal:
Spaghetti was a big hit, usually meat & vegetables, rarely a casserole; my dad didn’t like them.



Visiting my Grand Parents in Thatcher:
Several summers, Jay & I & cousins with corresponding ages would converge on my Grandparents for a week. My Aunt Bertha & her 2 children, who were about the same age, lived with my grandparents. It was a fun time with cousins. We would gather the eggs from the chickens, help feed the pigs, turn the crank on the separator. The separator separated the cream from the milk. It had two spouts; cream came out of one & milk out of the other. I remember as a little girl that after the milk was separated grandma would have to clean the separator & it seemed to me that there were a thousand pieces to take apart & wash. I never remember trying to milk the cow. I remember watching my grandpa milk the cow & I’m sure the older cousins got to try. We would pick peaches from the tree & Grandma would cut them up & we would put cream from the cow on them; there was nothing better!! Grandma made jam from the figs on her tree. That was a treat with her homemade white bread. (I never knew about whole wheat bread until I married your John.) In the evening we would do shadow shows. Our favorite was, “The Operation”. There was this huge doorway that we would hang a sheet in. The audience would sit on one side & the actors would be on the other side. The older cousins & Jay would be the actors & the younger ones & grandparents & Aunt Bertha were the audience. They would shine a light on them so from our side they were a shadow on the sheet. The doctor would operate on this poor soul & take out all kinds of weird things like, hammers, pans, potato mashers, rags, etc. The person would groan, the doc would scratch his head & the rest of us would laugh & laugh. I remember one year we were there when they bailed the hay. Grandpa rented a hay bailer, which scooped up the hay & spit it out in bales. Everyone was so impressed. Behind the bailer was a tractor with a wagon on it where the men threw the bales up on the wagon. We cousins rode on the wagon & by the end of the day we were riding pretty high on the bales of hay. The cousins were: Barry & Phil Lindbloom. Phil & Jay were the same age & Barry was about 2 years older. Then there was Marilyn & Coy Lindbloom, they were a year apart & my age. Larry & Linda Burkett who lived with my grandparents. Larry & Coy were the same age, Marilyn & I were the same age & Linda was about 3 years younger. I remember my grandpa always giving us a whiskery hug. And we could do no wrong in my grandmother’s eyes. We found if we pulled the pigs tails that they would squeal. We thought that was so fun but Larry didn’t think it was funny at all. We usually went to my grandparents for Thanksgiving. We would leave early in the morning and get there in time to help with the food (adults only, the cousins would be off playing). We would eat & visit & then by evening we would pile into the cars & head back home and I’m sure that our parents were all happy if we fell asleep on the way home. I remember one time I was probably about 14 or 15, we went for Thanksgiving & Larry was gone somewhere & Coy, Marilyn & I talked grandpa into letting us drive the tractor down to the river (Gila River). Wow! We got the tractor stuck in the mud half way up the tires!! We spent the rest of the day trying to get it out so we wouldn’t get into trouble! By the time we got it out & back to the house, Larry came home & found us hosing in down to get rid of the mud all over it. He was furious with us but Grandpa never found out. At least we didn’t think he did! I can remember many summer visits going to the Hot Springs. It was a swimming pool that used the water from a hot spring. The water was very warm & moss grew on the bottom of the pool & it was slippery. There were picnic tables there too, so after a dip in the hot springs we would have a picnic. Melanie & Heather could tell you that the Hot Springs is a totally different place today! Another favorite place to go was up to the Graham Mountains to a place called Wet Canyon. The sound of the water rushing over the rocks was a great place for a picnic. And it was cool & pine smelling. Good times. My grandpa had an old red truck and my grandmother never drove a car, never had a license. I often wondered if Aunt Bertha had not been there if grandma would have learned to drive. Just as my grandparents were to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, their house burned to the ground. Nobody was hurt but everything was lost – everything! The community was amazing, they found them a house to rent & brought food, clothes, kitchen things & even a bag of clean rags. Some of the men of the community signed a note at the bank & plans for a new house was started. The new house was very simple. It certainly didn’t have the charm of the old house but my grandparents were so grateful for the house. It wasn’t too long after Aunt Bertha sold the house and moved to Mesa, that that house burned to the ground. Now there is nothing left, nothing left to let anyone know that the Carpenter’s were a giving part of that little community except the markers in the Thatcher Cemetery.

20 years old 1965

College Life:
Sad to say I went everywhere but never graduated. I first attended Phoenix College. Jay had just returned from his mission & we drove over to Phoenix College together everyday & stayed until the last one was through with their classes – he had the car, I didn’t. I attended Phoenix College for 2 years. My best friend, Donna Greenwood, went to ASU. After 2 years we decided to go to BYU for the summer. I only had money enough for one summer session. Donna stayed for both sessions. I had never been away from home or hardly out of Arizona. I remember thinking that Utah was so beautiful & green how could the Pioneers think that they had come to such a desolate place! My friend & I roomed with some girls that had been attending BYU. They were having a fireside & one of the General Authorities was going to speak. Donna & I were so excited about going & being able to listen to a real live General Authority & our other roommates kind of yawn & said ho-hum. I’m sure we acted like country bumpkins to them. But you have to understand at that time we could only listen to 1 session of conference on the radio. That was it. Later 1 session would be on TV. Now there is BYU channel & all sessions are available. The next year I attended ASU. My friend, Donna, & I moved into an apartment near ASU. That was an experience for me. I had no sisters, I never had to share any of my things with anyone – that was a whole new world but one that I needed. One of our roommates was Diane Vance, who by the way I work in the Temple with now, she was a wonderful roommate. The other one was Carol Winters. She was probably about 4 or 5 years older than the rest of us & she worked instead of going to school. I didn’t know people like her were for real! She was a very needy person. She kept life interesting! I met Dad that summer & moved on to NAU. I was there for 2 years & still lacked my student teaching in order to graduate – 9 hours. Not too long ago I looked into to going back & graduating (not that I would ever want to student teach) but they don’t even have my Major any more – Home Economics Ed. Yes, I know but . . . .

wedding day 1967

Meeting John:
This was the end of my first & only year at ASU, May 1967. School was just out, everyone had gone home for the summer & everyone had come home for the summer. There was a dance at the Institute. Donna & I had gone to the dance. OK let me back up just a little here. While I was in high school my friends & I would always go to the Saturday Night Dances. These were multi-stake dances held every Saturday night. I would always see this cute guy there but he always had a cluster of girls around him. I on the other hand had a cluster of girls around me too but he danced every dance & all of us girls mostly watched . Moving forward now, I’m at Phoenix College & Donna, my friend is at ASU. Donna invites me to a fireside at ASU. On the way we stop & pick up a friend that she has met at ASU. We get to this girls house & she says, “Oh, come in & see the book I did on my missionary”. I wondered what happened to that cute boy, now I knew, he was her missionary! OK, now I’m at the dance with Donna at the Institute. It was the worst dance, nobody was dancing, so because we had nothing else to do rather than leave, Donna & I stood around giggling about these stupid boys that wouldn’t ask us to dance (back then the boys did the asking). And oh my goodness there was that cute boy, he must be back from his mission! There was about 30 minutes left of the dance & we are about ready to go when the cute boy asks me to dance & we dance every dance until the end of the dance. I was totally smitten!! Donna is not happy with me! He asks if he could take me home. I tell him no because I drove & my dad would kill me if someone else drove my car home (An old, old, faded red Opel, no air – I don’t remember the year). The next couple of things that Donna & I go to she refuses to drive – we usually took turns driving- because she knows she will be stuck going home alone. So I drive so I can go to see that cute boy again. Again he asks if he can take me home – no I have my car! The third time I beg Donna to drive, she does, he asks, he drives me home. I met dad on May 31st. On our third official date, the 4th of July he proposed. You remember the 4th of July parties on the golf course – that was when I first met his family along with his aunt & uncle & their 7 kids. I had never seen so many kids in one family in my life, plus all of their cousins. I didn’t know who were cousins & who were brothers & sisters! Talk about a pet on parade! All of his sisters were so excited to see me. All jumping around & talking all at the same time! We left the party after the fire works & drove to the Temple – I was clueless – I was ga-ga over him but I was clueless as to what was coming. The gates of the Temple were locked, it was after 10 PM. So we drove over to Pioneer Park & walked around & wound up on the train & that’s where he proposed. I said yes & he pulled out a ring and put it on my finger before I could change my mind! We went back over to his parent’s house, most everyone had gone to bed by now but his parents knew what was going on so they were still up. We called my parents from there & my dad had already gone to bed & wasn’t about to get back up. My mom was really hesitate, after all I had only known him a few weeks! (A big thanks to all of my children for not doing this to me!) The next day when my dad got home from work, he came in & said, “Let’s see the rock on your finger”. My dad liked John, he was one of the very few boys I dated that wasn’t scared of my dad! He already had a date in mind, September 5th, 2 weeks before school started at NAU. During our engagement I saw him on weekends. He worked during the week in Hombolt, Arizona at his dad’s Aluminum Smelter. So, I still hardly knew him but I did know it was right. We were married in the Arizona Temple, September 5, 1967. We went to Disneyland for our honeymoon & stayed with his aunt & uncle, Donald & Barbara Parkinson for that week. They were so good to us! We came home from our honeymoon packed up all our worldly possessions & moved to Flagstaff – everything we had fit in the back of a pick-up & that included a refrigerator! We set up house keeping in the married housing section at NAU. We both attended school. Married & singles all went to the same ward. I was the Junior Sunday School Coordinator. First Kid:
Everyone was excited to hear that we were expecting our first child. This would be my parents first grandchild. If it was a boy, it would be the first grandchild to bear the Thomas name. When you live in married housing you find all kinds of things where the trash is dumped. We found a crib! What steal it was – it was free! It was a good crib, it lasted through 3 rough & tumble boys! We painted it blue because I was so sure I was having a boy! It was an exciting time full of anticipation. It was also a rude awaking, literally, I had never been awakened during the night – ever!! The time came, we called my mom & went to the hospital. Because it was such a little hospital & they didn’t have to follow “the book” so strictly, dad was allowed to come in & watch the birth of Eldon. Childbirth is such a miracle. The awe of that miracle never wore off! Each one of you were such wonderful, little miracles! I could & did sit and watch each one of you for hours! My mom came & stayed a week with us helping me get use to this new little person that had come to stay. Eldon was about 10 days early. By the time Eldon was born, things had changed in the ward; we were now divided into a singles ward & a married ward. Dad was in the bishopric of the singles ward. Eldon was known as “Baby T” and during Sacrament Meeting I never saw him as he was passed around. The kids in the ward just couldn’t keep their hands off of him.

day of father's funeral 1981

Parents Deaths:
It’s interesting to watch the cycle of life: you care for the helpless child & then the child starts caring for you (I’m not there yet by the way!). Caring & kind as ever, my mom took such good care of my dad. My brothers & I were all married with busy families of our own & as my dad went down hill my mom was right there by his side taking care of him. In about 1974 dad had bypass surgery, it was a pretty new surgery at that time. He was never the same afterwards. He was doped up on so much medication afterwards that he wasn’t able to do too much. Where before there wasn’t much of anything that he couldn’t do especially if it was making something with his hands. In about 1979 or 1980 it was found that he had colon cancer. Mom put him on a really strict diet – something that he wasn’t use to – and he was doing pretty good. Finally he had had enough; no more diet. He quickly went down hill. I remember at this time Heather was just a baby & when I would bring her into the room & she would smile at him, he would come alive & talk to her & make her laugh. She seemed to be a bright spot in his life then. It was hard to have him go but it was good to know that he wasn’t suffering any more. My mom & dad had lived in their house over 30 years. Jay, Ted & I lived in Mesa & wanted mom to move. It took her a while to get use to the idea. A lot of memories moved out of that house when she moved. I went back to see my old home not too long ago & decided that I don’t ever want to go back again. I want to remember it the way it was. Mom moved to Mesa & became a Temple Worker; she loved it! Aunt Bertha sold her place in Thatcher & moved in with mom. They enjoyed one another & both worked in the Temple. But that ugly day in February 1986 mom had a stroke. She was paralyzed on her left side. She worked so hard to get the use of left side back. By August she could walk without a cane but the use of her left arm & hand were very slow. We knew she would never drive again. She told me that she would never live through another stroke, she just wouldn’t do it! When all of this happened to my mom, I was so very grateful to a wonder husband that was so understanding & let me be away from my own family because he stepped in & took over so I could go & help my mom. I was with her almost every day during that time. In August, in fact August 26th, Brent’s 16th birthday she suffered another stroke & died 2 days later. Again it was so hard to have her go but so good to know that she didn’t have to suffer any longer. Being a Grandma: That wonder of a new baby never gets old!! Each new grandchild is a miracle! To be on the other side of the situation & watch them being born – wow! The other amazing thing is that I really & truly do not do ugly grandchildren!! Another wonderful thing is to watch my children love & teach my grandchildren – I couldn’t ask for anything more. Watching them grow up & choose the right & choose to be baptized, makes me so happy. Living the gospel really does make you happy. Anything else I want to add: I look forward to the day when Melanie goes through the Temple & Dad & I are in the Temple with all of our children & their spouses. I remember attending the wedding of Elizabeth Clark & there sat Tom & Virginia & all of their children in the Temple & this feeling hit me so strongly that – That’s what I want, I want to be in the Temple with all of my children. I also look forward to the day Dad & I can serve a mission together. I have a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know He lives & that He is the Son of God our Eternal Father. Joseph Smith was the prophet chosen to restore the gospel upon the earth at this time & he truly did see God the Father & His son Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon does testify of Jesus Christ. Gordon B. Hinckley is our living prophet today. Following the principles of the gospel brings happiness. The commandments are for our happiness because Heavenly Father loves us. Nothing brings me greater happiness that to see my children & grandchildren doing the right thing.