I am the first of 4 children born to Ellen Ferris and Sterling King Hixson. Dad had to rake up $50.00 to get mom and me out of the hospital, after a 10-day stay. They tell me I was long with big eyes and not too good looking. My early years were in southeastern Idaho on the Bear River. Summers were jumping rocks in the riverbed, hiking in the hills, and discovering nature. Wintertime was sleigh and toboggan riding, warming up afterwards with hot chocolate and mom's homemade chili. My first school was a one-room schoolhouse where each row was a grade – from one to eight. In the fourth grade the school district consolidated and I found myself uptown with a room for every grade – one to eight. Mid teen-age years began in Bountiful, Utah, as country life gave way to city life. I was 14 when we drove out of town, kneeling on the back seat, looking out the back window, watching Grace, Idaho and my day-time driver license both fade away. I found myself in Bountiful High's first graduating class, a member of the National Guard's Evacuation Hospital Unit, then a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the Netherlands, returning 2 ½ years later to the National Guard's Linguistic Unit learning Russian. During college years at the University of Utah, I was a surgical orderly, then a surgical technician. After 34 years at Utah Power and Light, early retirement came, followed by 8 years with the Church in Missionary Travel as visa supervisor and Certified Travel Associate. During that same time with the Church I earned an Associate of Science degree, with high honors from Salt Lake Community College. When Sister Hixson came to the door, my first thoughts were she is pretty – and thin. That blind date resulted in our marriage in the Salt Lake Temple, by President N. Eldon Tanner. 8 children – 2 girls and 6 boys, with 28 grandchildren – have blessed our life.

I am the first of 4 children born to Ellen Ferris and Sterling King Hixson. Dad had to rake up $50.00 to get mom and me out of the hospital, after a 10-day stay. They tell me I was long with big eyes and not too good looking. My early years were in southeastern Idaho on the Bear River. Summers were jumping rocks in the riverbed, hiking in the hills, and discovering nature. Wintertime was sleigh and toboggan riding, warming up afterwards with hot chocolate and mom's homemade chili. My first school was a one-room schoolhouse where each row was a grade – from one to eight. In the fourth grade the school district consolidated and I found myself uptown with a room for every grade – one to eight. Mid teen-age years began in Bountiful, Utah, as country life gave way to city life. I was 14 when we drove out of town, kneeling on the back seat, looking out the back window, watching Grace, Idaho and my day-time driver license both fade away. I found myself in Bountiful High's first graduating class, a member of the National Guard's Evacuation Hospital Unit, then a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the Netherlands, returning 2 ½ years later to the National Guard's Linguistic Unit learning Russian. During college years at the University of Utah, I was a surgical orderly, then a surgical technician. After 34 years at Utah Power and Light, early retirement came, followed by 8 years with the Church in Missionary Travel as visa supervisor and Certified Travel Associate. During that same time with the Church I earned an Associate of Science degree, with high honors from Salt Lake Community College. When Sister Hixson came to the door, my first thoughts were she is pretty – and thin. That blind date resulted in our marriage in the Salt Lake Temple, by President N. Eldon Tanner. 8 children – 2 girls and 6 boys, with 28 grandchildren – have blessed our life.