Grace Goodman was born the 5th child (of 10) of Herbert Arthur Goodman and Rena (O’Rene) Vance in St. David, AZ. Her parents were very active members of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and she was raised attending the church and actively participating in all the programs and activities of the church. Her parents were of hard working pioneer stock. St. David was a Mormon community filled with many of her Uncles, Aunts and Cousins. She was taught to work from a very young age. Her father would be away building roads with his teams of horses and she and her brothers and sisters would be in charge of the home, orchard, garden and animals they kept on their property. They were poor but they had love, hard work and the gospel. She often spoke of the great love and respect she had for her parents and all her brothers and sisters.
When she was teenager the family moved to Florence, AZ where her father got a job as a prison guard. In addition the family owned and ran a “lunch stand” that was across the street from the High School. She had fond memories of working in the stand with her family. After graduation she was desirous to attend college, but on the way was in an accident which required her to return home to recover. At this time she was called to serve a full time mission for the church. She was called to serve in the California mission and was allowed to travel directly to the mission home in Los Angeles. One of the areas where she served was in Hanford, CA. After her mission she had the opportunity to return and visit some friends when she met her husband (John Bjarnason) on Sunday, December 7, 1941 (Pearl Harbor Day). John and Grace married in the Mesa, AZ temple on May 17, 1942. They became the parents of six children: John, Jr (1945), Ronald Vance (1946), Bonnie (1949), Leon Loftur (1951), Jared Goodman (1954) and Karen (1956).
John, Grace and children lived in Hanford, CA until in 1956 when they moved to Modesto, CA. In 1958, Grace’s hopes for an eternal marriage were dashed when John left her, the children, and the church. When she realized that she would need to provide for herself and her children she made the decision to go to college and get a degree in Elementary Education. She attended MJC and later graduated from Stanislaus State in Turlock. She taught Kindergarten at Stanislaus Union School for 19 years. She was instrumental in ensuring each of her 4 sons and 1 daughter served full-time missions for the church. She encouraged her children and placed great emphasis on getting a college education. All 6 of her children received bachelor’s degrees, 4 master’s degrees and 1 became a medical doctor.
She always served very faithfully in her callings in the church serving as Junior Sunday School Coordinator, Ward Primary President, Gospel Doctrine Teacher, Ward and Stake Relief Society President. After retirement she served two additional full-time missions for the church in Massachusetts and Illinois. She loved the Book of Mormon and read it daily throughout her life and gave hundreds of copies as gifts to anyone who would take it from her. She also loved the temple and served a worker in the Oakland temple for many years.
All six of her children married or were sealed in the temple. She had 28 grandchildren. She died faithful and true to the truth which her parents had cherished. She passed away while staying in the home of her son, Leon, on a Sunday afternoon, August 18, 2002.
When she was teenager the family moved to Florence, AZ where her father got a job as a prison guard. In addition the family owned and ran a “lunch stand” that was across the street from the High School. She had fond memories of working in the stand with her family. After graduation she was desirous to attend college, but on the way was in an accident which required her to return home to recover. At this time she was called to serve a full time mission for the church. She was called to serve in the California mission and was allowed to travel directly to the mission home in Los Angeles. One of the areas where she served was in Hanford, CA. After her mission she had the opportunity to return and visit some friends when she met her husband (John Bjarnason) on Sunday, December 7, 1941 (Pearl Harbor Day). John and Grace married in the Mesa, AZ temple on May 17, 1942. They became the parents of six children: John, Jr (1945), Ronald Vance (1946), Bonnie (1949), Leon Loftur (1951), Jared Goodman (1954) and Karen (1956).
John, Grace and children lived in Hanford, CA until in 1956 when they moved to Modesto, CA. In 1958, Grace’s hopes for an eternal marriage were dashed when John left her, the children, and the church. When she realized that she would need to provide for herself and her children she made the decision to go to college and get a degree in Elementary Education. She attended MJC and later graduated from Stanislaus State in Turlock. She taught Kindergarten at Stanislaus Union School for 19 years. She was instrumental in ensuring each of her 4 sons and 1 daughter served full-time missions for the church. She encouraged her children and placed great emphasis on getting a college education. All 6 of her children received bachelor’s degrees, 4 master’s degrees and 1 became a medical doctor.
She always served very faithfully in her callings in the church serving as Junior Sunday School Coordinator, Ward Primary President, Gospel Doctrine Teacher, Ward and Stake Relief Society President. After retirement she served two additional full-time missions for the church in Massachusetts and Illinois. She loved the Book of Mormon and read it daily throughout her life and gave hundreds of copies as gifts to anyone who would take it from her. She also loved the temple and served a worker in the Oakland temple for many years.
All six of her children married or were sealed in the temple. She had 28 grandchildren. She died faithful and true to the truth which her parents had cherished. She passed away while staying in the home of her son, Leon, on a Sunday afternoon, August 18, 2002.
Grace Goodman was born the 5th child (of 10) of Herbert Arthur Goodman and Rena (O’Rene) Vance in St. David, AZ. Her parents were very active members of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and she was raised attending the church and actively participating in all the programs and activities of the church. Her parents were of hard working pioneer stock. St. David was a Mormon community filled with many of her Uncles, Aunts and Cousins. She was taught to work from a very young age. Her father would be away building roads with his teams of horses and she and her brothers and sisters would be in charge of the home, orchard, garden and animals they kept on their property. They were poor but they had love, hard work and the gospel. She often spoke of the great love and respect she had for her parents and all her brothers and sisters.
When she was teenager the family moved to Florence, AZ where her father got a job as a prison guard. In addition the family owned and ran a “lunch stand” that was across the street from the High School. She had fond memories of working in the stand with her family. After graduation she was desirous to attend college, but on the way was in an accident which required her to return home to recover. At this time she was called to serve a full time mission for the church. She was called to serve in the California mission and was allowed to travel directly to the mission home in Los Angeles. One of the areas where she served was in Hanford, CA. After her mission she had the opportunity to return and visit some friends when she met her husband (John Bjarnason) on Sunday, December 7, 1941 (Pearl Harbor Day). John and Grace married in the Mesa, AZ temple on May 17, 1942. They became the parents of six children: John, Jr (1945), Ronald Vance (1946), Bonnie (1949), Leon Loftur (1951), Jared Goodman (1954) and Karen (1956).
John, Grace and children lived in Hanford, CA until in 1956 when they moved to Modesto, CA. In 1958, Grace’s hopes for an eternal marriage were dashed when John left her, the children, and the church. When she realized that she would need to provide for herself and her children she made the decision to go to college and get a degree in Elementary Education. She attended MJC and later graduated from Stanislaus State in Turlock. She taught Kindergarten at Stanislaus Union School for 19 years. She was instrumental in ensuring each of her 4 sons and 1 daughter served full-time missions for the church. She encouraged her children and placed great emphasis on getting a college education. All 6 of her children received bachelor’s degrees, 4 master’s degrees and 1 became a medical doctor.
She always served very faithfully in her callings in the church serving as Junior Sunday School Coordinator, Ward Primary President, Gospel Doctrine Teacher, Ward and Stake Relief Society President. After retirement she served two additional full-time missions for the church in Massachusetts and Illinois. She loved the Book of Mormon and read it daily throughout her life and gave hundreds of copies as gifts to anyone who would take it from her. She also loved the temple and served a worker in the Oakland temple for many years.
All six of her children married or were sealed in the temple. She had 28 grandchildren. She died faithful and true to the truth which her parents had cherished. She passed away while staying in the home of her son, Leon, on a Sunday afternoon, August 18, 2002.
When she was teenager the family moved to Florence, AZ where her father got a job as a prison guard. In addition the family owned and ran a “lunch stand” that was across the street from the High School. She had fond memories of working in the stand with her family. After graduation she was desirous to attend college, but on the way was in an accident which required her to return home to recover. At this time she was called to serve a full time mission for the church. She was called to serve in the California mission and was allowed to travel directly to the mission home in Los Angeles. One of the areas where she served was in Hanford, CA. After her mission she had the opportunity to return and visit some friends when she met her husband (John Bjarnason) on Sunday, December 7, 1941 (Pearl Harbor Day). John and Grace married in the Mesa, AZ temple on May 17, 1942. They became the parents of six children: John, Jr (1945), Ronald Vance (1946), Bonnie (1949), Leon Loftur (1951), Jared Goodman (1954) and Karen (1956).
John, Grace and children lived in Hanford, CA until in 1956 when they moved to Modesto, CA. In 1958, Grace’s hopes for an eternal marriage were dashed when John left her, the children, and the church. When she realized that she would need to provide for herself and her children she made the decision to go to college and get a degree in Elementary Education. She attended MJC and later graduated from Stanislaus State in Turlock. She taught Kindergarten at Stanislaus Union School for 19 years. She was instrumental in ensuring each of her 4 sons and 1 daughter served full-time missions for the church. She encouraged her children and placed great emphasis on getting a college education. All 6 of her children received bachelor’s degrees, 4 master’s degrees and 1 became a medical doctor.
She always served very faithfully in her callings in the church serving as Junior Sunday School Coordinator, Ward Primary President, Gospel Doctrine Teacher, Ward and Stake Relief Society President. After retirement she served two additional full-time missions for the church in Massachusetts and Illinois. She loved the Book of Mormon and read it daily throughout her life and gave hundreds of copies as gifts to anyone who would take it from her. She also loved the temple and served a worker in the Oakland temple for many years.
All six of her children married or were sealed in the temple. She had 28 grandchildren. She died faithful and true to the truth which her parents had cherished. She passed away while staying in the home of her son, Leon, on a Sunday afternoon, August 18, 2002.
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