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Barbara Allen Crandell
 

I was born in the two-room house on the 20 acre farm at the southwest corner of Stapley and Broadway in Mesa, the fourth child of Barbara and John Seymour. I was three when we moved to the Lamb Ranch.
My first five years of school were in Mesa, then in 1915 we moved to the ranch south of Gilbert and I started school there. Dad had a large dairy, 40 to 60 cows, so when I was in the eighth grade, I was milking ten cows every night and morning and riding my little mare to school with neither saddle nor bridle.

My eighth and ninth grade years I went to Chandler. I started at Tempe Normal in 1921 and in 1923 graduated and began teaching in Ocotillo. I married Paul Crandall in 1924. Paul rented an 80-acre farm from George Lewis for two years, but the farm depression was severe and he went broke both years. Paul held down various jobs during the depression— drove an ice truck, Mesa city street sprinkler, fuel and feed sales, bought a service station, delivered Union Oil, supervised county highways and then went back to farming, his true love, with his brother Lee.

I held church positions from 12 years of age when I was secretary of the Primary. I taught various classes then was called to the Primary Stake Board before I was married, where I served for 20 years, ending as Stake President. I had one daughter and five sons during those years.

In 1943 I went back to teaching to help out for a year or so during World War II. I retired 27 years later. During this time I was MIA president six years, Junior Gleaner teacher six years, and Genealogy director for five years. I then directed travel tours for nine years. Paul served in the bishopric of Mesa First Ward for 13 years. In 1952 our fourth son, Charles, died of Hodgkins’ Disease, and in 1971 Don was killed in an auto accident in California.

We had served as ordained Temple workers for five years then we were called to the Tulsa, Oklahoma Mission in December 1979. Paul developed high blood pressure, so we were released after one year. He developed prostate cancer five years later and died August 26, 1987.

We have 19 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren. I am 92 years old, and have been a Relief Society visiting teacher since I retired from school teaching. My four living children come to my home for lunch every Tuesday, a great delight to all of us.