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Show T :C V. a Patriarch Had No Doubts gS!J in Testimony &Y WSfcMSttr 1 - w3e5r' J&X jgCSggff VjI-- " .Jtrv SJK, ? I - "- . -. - . . Continued from page 5 ' -- "' ""jv-'r- 7Sf5&C " ft?W5ss2?iJSS - " rri-- rvx vi "VV v u.a. A A t - f. tw y W&fj, &- Si idSK ' 7 -&&&' igCwr i 4nil iftNS,ifcrfSfeSE &Mi iTiSi;ji;f - J,$15SssSatiSi4LCffW &SsJ9SJreer - 'si . - .$- ?- v-'- t - 4? d "'ftT Af Im P iaEafiS-aSt- j -- i i' l'iJyivt ' '.Vi v v ., Adtlp I '. y';;; :3 j1- - U b.:ftrTaw - w Ax "' &&&& a ynrr-- JL.3ws -yjfcf Ef: dftU&p$a jfaraftMf ggftMfca5 r. ' SUbJ5S?9 . .. .SSW pn Sister Gerald Dean (Nora) Tomberlin takes a few moments from a busy day to plan husband. schedule and activities for eight children and hard-worki- ng Family Centered Life Offers Many Rewards, Much Happiness ViHKVILLE, N C My fdmih is the center of my life. vud Sister Gerald Dean (Nora) Tom nf Royal Pines Ward T am alw ay s busy with eight children, but the ioul blesses us and we are so happy. Sjsier Tumbethn is a native of Mu tm. Ky . where her parents and 4i dixJparofiis were members of thp Chuich "I am a third generation Mormon, d.e said The compel bas always been mipo:tiiit to n.e. I lemember how v on ied 1 was about finding a husband vi lm vi as a member ot tfic Church 1 citiendi't Berea College ing my way through I by work- didnt have much 'mu lor dating, and theie were no other members ot the t burch at sr hool except im lootnmatc The pdasionanes had told us not to 4 ts In. (it than three t'mos with a i'imui,lx,r, utiles'! he was willing to t. da the lcsens me-siona- one young man phoned for a she lurned ram rnwr. lie phomsi again and again Viter two weeks ot his tailing I 'ad to .a.- Km, Sister Tonihei hi When it ili - recalled When I saw lam I knew he was special His standards weie high, I liked him very much, and on the first date he agreed to take the missionaiy lessons Our second date was with the missionaries lie completed the lessons, and after a summer of thinking and wilting to Norm" he wa baptized. Soon they were ir.atried A year later they were sealed m the Salt Lake Temple Brother Tomherlm completed school and went to woi k for F. V. Wool worth &. Co We have moved many times as my husband has been assigned to different cities. It seems that every time the Loid has guided us We have always found a nice home and the Church has been relatively nearby, she said Everywhere they went the Tonilxm-jm.'M their ,! rt m serving m the branch or ward Often their home became a center of church activity They taught classes, worked on projects and prov ided for the EPS servicemen My husband grew up near Asheville and so now w e fee! that w e at e home It will lie wonderful to stay for a while, ' The bishop has called us to -- ha snnl -i teach the gospel doctrine class Gerald is the w aid athletic director, high priest group lender and home study leader for the institute students. He has 26 institute students, two of them are not members of the Church yet. Sister Tomherlm is the liome study leader for 23 summary' students. Many tunes their home becomes the center of institute and seminary' activities We just rearrange things and make room, Sister Tomberim exp- kiPti d Her biggest job is gettmg all the children to the right place at the right time. They live 12 miles from the chapel Relief Society, Primary and a tiv ity night are all on the same day Sister Tomberim drives 95 miles that day picking up others and taking her children to the meetings I love my family, and everything we do is a pleasure for me We even farmed two acres this summer Everybody win ked m the gulden Oui iieezer h full, we have shelves of canned goods, she said Yes, the family is (he center of ruy life 1 just dont do anything else. Securities Corp was formed in 1922 to handle the growing business of the Church, Brother Sperry was assigned to the new organization. Zions Securities Corp was separated from the Church in 1935 and, at the time. Brother Sperry was office manager. He continued with the organization and in 1938 was appointed secretary and treas urtr of the corporation. He remembers that his dunes called for him to meet monthly with the First Presidency and Council cf the Twelve 1 got pietty well acquainted, he recalled. He worked closely with President Heber J. Grant, President George Albert Smith and President David 0 McKay until 1956 That year, Brother Sperry was in his office m the Church Administration Budding when he was called into President McKay s office. Assuming the summons was for routine business, Brother Sperry was surprised to be called as president of the Netherlands Mission, a position he held for 3i years I I T' ! I Of course, accompanying Brother Sperry into the mission field was his wife, the former Lucy E. Gedge. "I had been home from my mission about four years before I met her, said Brother Sperry. It was a young matchmaker who arranged their first date. Brother Sperry had a sister whose daughter was attending Grant School in Sait Lake City Sister Gedge was a eKnnl uoe tfinnkpr tKixro onij a planning party. Brother Sperrys niece, talking with Sister Gedge prior to the event, asked, Why dont you invite my uncle. The party was in December 1822, and the young couple found they had common interests. More dates were followed by an engagement and then, a temple marriage. Two children were born to Brother and Sister Sperry, and Sister Sperry, in addition to her responsibilities as homemaker, was called into further duties with the Sunday School, spending 45 years in the General Sunday School, brrf as a department aide, and then as a member of the general board Ahen the Sperry s returned from the Netherlands, anxious to see their twin granddaughters, born to their daughter and her husband. Brother Sperry was greeted with surprising news- although he had received a leave of absence from Zions Securities Corp for his call to the mission field, he wouldnt be going i 4 i i - back ed like you to come and work wdn us m the Missionary Department, he was told by Elder Gordon B. Hinckley Brother Sperry woikcd in that department for nearly 12 years, until his retirement Dec. 31, 1371, Now, al age i, Bremer aperry looks and acts like a man many years younger, and his wife follows suit He is one of four patriarchs m the Salt Lake Hillside Stake, a position he was called to in 1949, and is a sealer in the Sait Lake Temple, set apart by President McKay in I960 WEFK ENDING JANUARY 11, 1975 CHURCH 13 ! s ( i i |