Austin Tew

o   Biography

§  Birthday, time, and place

Aug 31, 1989 6:03 Idaho Falls

§  Schools attended and degrees

Idaho Falls High School, BYUI

§  Sports and hobbies

Swimming

§  Most memorable vacations

San Francisco

§  Missionary work

Canada Vancouver

§  Callings

Yes

o   Testimony

§  Why is Jesus Christ important to you?

Because he is

§  How has prayer helped you in your life?

It has

§  How has the Book of Mormon helped you in your life?

§   

Help me feel spirit

§  What message of hope can you give to others?

There is Hope

§  Why is family important?

Because I have family

Vance Boyer

I interviewed Vance Boyer (my cousin) to find out some of his first memories with me.  Vance remembers us jumping of the old white picnic table in our superman pajamas cape and all when we lived in the basement.  He remembers our parents laughing at us because we did it over and over.  We had our Little Foot stuff animals with us too. 

Before we went to school mom did a little pre-school thing with us.  Vance didn’t enjoy the school work very much but he remembers we did a lot of fun things in our basement.  We would through big kick balls all over the place.  We would set up all of the VHS tapes in the dresser/TV stand thing.  Then we would go bowling.  Vance knows how kick balls feel when they hit your face.  During the years of throwing balls in our basement, we hit the florescent lights sometimes.  They would fall out and break.  Vance said that one time I reached up and caught the light in my one hand.  I set it down and we kept on playing. 

We used to have big Armstrong family reunions at back then Ricks College.  Vance remembers that we went crazy at the dance.  We were in the corner by ourselves just dancing away especially to Foot Loose. 

Another time we were in our van driving to a high school football game.  Vance says that we were listening to Madonna.  During half time at the game, we wondered down near the locker room.  When they came out we were amazed at how big they were.  When we got home we made a cool fort with the extra carpet we had.  I remembered this part a little more.  We made a lot of forts together whether it was at Grandma and Grandpa Tew’s house or in our garage.  

George Nye Sr (Grandpa Nye)

Grandpa Nye died when I was in 5^th grade.  I remember a few things about going down to Twin Falls and Boise when we found out that he and grandma had been in a car accident.  I remember stopping at the Butler’s house.  David helped me pick out some books to read on the way.  Once we were in Boise, I remember that Uncle John’s work let us eat at some restaurant all together.  I thought that was kind of exciting.  I remember that for his funeral us little grandkids were going to sing some songs.  We sang “Love is Spoken Here” and maybe another one.  That song has always stuck with me and has been a song that I often sing to myself when I have bad thoughts or when I am feeling down.  I remember going into the freezing cold garage to practice the song with Aunt Jenny.

Another memory I have with Grandpa Nye was when we went to Sun Valley.  I don’t remember how old I was but I think I was pretty little (6-8 years old).  We visited some mines.  The thing that stuck with me the most was when we went into a building of some kind-I think it was a nice building so it must have been in the actual city.  We were both going to the bathroom in the urinal.  He looked at me and said something like, “It’s an honor to be taking a pee with my grandson” or “It’s not every day I get to take a pee with my grandson.”  I thought it was kind of funny but I always remember that especially when I am camping for some reason.  

Betty Nye (Grandma Nye)

Recently I have been able to get to know Grandma Nye a little better.  Over the summer (2011), we went to Hawaii and she came with us.  There were some very interesting times with her but it was very enjoyable.  When we landed in Kona, we went to Costco to get some groceries.  As we were walking in, a lady said to grandma and me, “Welcome to Hawaii” and then gave grandma a hug.  She was pretty happy but a little confused at the same time.

After Thanksgiving, she came to stay with us.  That Friday I took her to the mall to go walking.  She kept wondering if “her mall” (in Twin Falls) was this busy too.  She wanted to go home and check.  The mall was giving out free hot chocolate.  We got some and sat down.  While Austin and I were talking, I saw grandma say, “Go Boise!” to a guy passing by in a Boise State Bronco shirt.  It made me laugh. 

At the Black Sand Beach in Hawaii

This weekend she came up with my mom for Austin’s and Lexie’s swim meet.  She has been really stressing if I have heard anything from the job interview that I had with Reliable Controls on Tuesday.  That was the first thing she asked me while I was helping her into the elevator at the Hart building to get to the pool.  She was really excited.  She keeps telling me that all I need is a wife now.  Since I will be moving down to Salt Lake for my job I told her she will need to visit me so we can go to a Jazz game.  She got pretty excited.  She really loves the Jazz.

Monroe Bird Tew

Monroe Bird Tew was born in Mapleton, Utah on 27 Apr 1893 to William Thomas and Clara Elizabeth Tew.  He got very sick on his mission to the Eastern States.  He promised that he would send all of his children on missions if he would get better.  He got better.  He sent all of his children except one of his daughters that got married on missions.  At one time, four of his children were out on missions including my Grandpa Tew in the Eastern Canada Mission.  People asked him how he was able to send all of his children out on missions.  He responded by saying that those were the times he was financially blessed the most.   He played the trumpet.  One day this girl noticed him and mainly his blue eyes.  She wanted to know him better so she had someone introduce her to him.  Later, he married this girl, Lillian Adelaide Hurst, 3 Nov 1915 in Salt Lake City, Utah.  They moved up to the Lost River Valley around Leslie, Idaho in 1917 because they heard land was cheap with his family and a few of his brothers.  After a while times got really hard because of the depression and droughts.  He and his brothers lost everything.  His brothers left but he stayed in the Lost River Valley.  He did whatever he could to survive.  He built bridges for the city.  Later on, he had a house moving business.  At first, he would move houses with a horse and wagon.  Later he got an old truck to help out.  My Grandpa Tew helped him when he got older.  He lived to be 77 years old.  He died 4 May 1970 in Arco, Idaho.  

Fern Lucile Peterson Armstrong

Fern Lucile Peterson Armstrong was born in Hyrum, Utah on 23 Apr 1911 to Ray Andrew and Sylvia Floss Peterson.  She married Clifford Armstrong 14 Apr 1930 in Bybee (near now day Rigby), Idaho.  They were sealed in the Logan Temple 21 Apr 1932.  They lived in a variety of places such as Leslie, Idaho and Vancouver, Washington.  She was a really hard worker.  She kept her house very clean and in order.  She was a really good cook.  She worked very hard in the gospel and had served in many leadership positions.  During the war they moved to Vancouver, Washington.  While her husband worked on the farm she went to work as a welder.  She welded stuff in the bottom of big ships.  She was very good at it.  When there was a hard or important job to be done they would get her to do it.  She would lie down on her back in the bottom of the ship to weld sometimes.  The top of her hair would get singed.  Family was very important for her.  She would make sure to have family reunions often.  I have been to many of these family reunions myself.  She was a very kind and loving person.  I remember going to visit her after her husband died.  She would always give us ice cream which made me happy.  I remember the carpet by her bed had imprints of her knees from praying.  Praying was very important for her.  She lived to be 89 years old.  She died of cancer 17 Jul 2000 in Idaho Falls, Idaho.    

Frank Clifford Armstrong

Frank Clifford Armstrong was born in Parker, Idaho on 25 May 1908 to Joseph Smith and Susannah B. Armstrong.  Growing up, he and his family had a pet badger.  They all really loved it and they had it for a while.  After the badger got into killing the chickens, they had to get rid of it.  He was a very hard worker and did a little bit of everything.  He married Fern Lucile Peterson 14 Apr 1930 in Bybee (near now day Rigby), Idaho.  They were sealed in the Logan Temple 21 Apr 1932.  They lived in a variety of places such as Leslie, Idaho and Vancouver, Washington.  Later on in life, he worked for the Church as a “handy man” to oversee the maintenance of all of the Church buildings in the Midwest for five years.  He never served a mission but while working for the Church he was able to talk to lots of people about the gospel.  He figures that three or four people joined the Church because of him.  I remember going to his house when I was little.  I remember being at his funeral at Rose Cemetery with my cousins.  He lived to be 85 years old.  He died 19 August 1993 in Idaho Falls, Idaho.