Marriage and Family

Laketown
Orderville
Logan
Riverside
Shafter
Fresno

Frank N. and Lillie Esplin Harmon started married life in Logan, Utah. Frank was teaching part time and working on his master's degree. Frank's sister Alice was with them; she and Lillie took classes in the fall of 1921.

Lillie also had time to make a coat which she is wearing in the picture to the far left. The coat still exists and the picture on the near left shows her daughter Lillian wearing the coat about 80 years later. (With a replaced lining and fake fur collar)

In the spring (1 March 1922) they moved to a practice farm where Frank had a job working with fruits and vegetables.

That summer their first baby (Emily) was born on the 21st of July 1922. She was named after Lillie's mother and Frank's sister. Her birth certificate is on the left.

The baby had a bad heart and died 10 days later on July 31st. Lillie's mother stayed with them for a month after the baby was born.

Emily Harmon's Blessing Certificate

When research money at the university ran out, Frank got a job in Laketown as a principal of their junior high school (salary of $1600). Frank and Lillie piled their belongings into a rented Dodge truck and traveled up Logan Canyon to Bear Lake County.

Below are pictures of Frank and Lillie and the schoolhouse at Laketown, Utah.

Lillie thought the color of the lake was the most beautiful color of blue she had ever seen - a great place to spend the summer and winter - if you like snow.

"After school was over and the roads were still impassable with cars, we decided to go thru Blacksmith Fork Canyon with a team."

Excerpt from Lillie E. Harmon's Record of Moves (p. 5)

They arrived in Logan in time for summer school in 1923. Frank had signed up to teach junior high in Orderville, Utah so he specialized in education courses (shop courses).

Lillie's half sister, Vera Esplin, came to stay with them. She and Lillie both took classes that summer. As shown by her transcript, Lillie took classes in textiles which she said were about costume design and millinery (women's hats).

They traveled to Orderville by team (Jackie and Dutch). The horses may not have pulled a covered wagon but a wagon of some sort.

They went by way of St. George to see Frank's folks.

Then they went to Cane Beds to see Frank's sister Alice (now married to Waldon Ballard.)

They arrived in Orderville on the 23rd of July 1923. To the near right is a picture of Lillie Harmon in Orderville. On the far right is a picture of Lillie, her mother and Frank Harmon

To the left is Frank Harmon's certificate to teach high school - a temporary one until they could send him the permanent one in the mail.

In the fall of 1924 Frank N. Harmon was hired as the principal. The school bus is shown at the right during some snowy winter weather. Mt. Carmel was just a mile to the south of Orderville.

After school was out Frank herded sheep for his brother-in-law, Israel Esplin. Lillie spent 5 weeks with him on the mountain.

Frank Harmon was the principal of the new school in Orderville, Utah. Below are two pictures of women and men faculty members in front of the school clowning in switched clothes. The Harmon children always thought these pictures were very funny.

During their second year in Orderville, Frank and Lillie lived in part of her mother's house. Her brother Lawrence and his wife Lucy lived in the other part. At that time Lillie's parents were working as temple workers in St. George, Utah.

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Frank and Lillie decided to return to Logan because he had been offered a part time teaching job and he could do further work on his master's degree. They arrived in Logan June 11, 1925 and took summer classes. To the left is an article telling about Frank's continued work at Logan.

Lillie's niece, Lenna Esplin was with them that year taking classes and helping with the new baby - a boy - born the 23rd of November 1925. To the right is a picture of Lillie with baby, Frank Wendell Harmon and standing behind her is her niece Lenna Esplin.

The baby was named and blessed on January 3, 1926 by Bishop K.C. Schaub.

Copy of Frank Wendell Harmon's Birth Certificate

Years later when Frank was about 14 years old, he posed for a picture in front of his birth place in Logan, Utah.

Frank Wendell weighed less than 6 pounds but grew rapidly almost tripling his weight (to 17 pounds) by the time he was 6 months old. Frank and Lillie were so delighted when Frank W. first laughed out loud that their enthusiasm scared their baby.
Excerpt from page 9 of Lillie E. Harmon's "Record of Moves"

During the winter of 1926 Frank took civil service exams in horticulture and by June he had received a job offer with the government in Riverside, California (working with citrus fruit). He accepted the job and their life became a scramble for Frank to finish his master's, cancel a teaching job in Orderville and get ready to move.

Excerpt from Lillie E. Harmon's Record of Moves p. 10

They made their first big purchase - a Ford car. Frank had to go to Washington D.C. for training before he started his job in California. Frank drove Lillie and their baby Frank W. to stay in Orderville while he was in Washington.

When Frank returned, the family went to St. George and left there the 9th of August 1926. They arrived in Riverside, California in the evening of August 10th.

They enjoyed the new surroundings - living on a romantic sounding street (La Cadena), seeing oranges growing on trees, and visiting the beaches near Riverside and -

watching their baby explore the world in California

At Christmas 1926 the Harmons went to St. George taking Alice Harmon Ballard's husband from his mission (in California) with them. Mission rules were different then - Waldon had a week off for Christmas.

In the spring of 1927 they moved to an unfurnished house on East Ninth Street. It had a yard with orange and walnut trees, a place for a garden and room for a few chickens.

Summer vacation time was spent in southern Utah visiting the Harmons in St.George and the Esplins in Orderville.

In the 13th of November 1927 Frank Harmon became president of the Riverside Branch. A week later Lillian Elinor Harmon was born on the 20th of November 1927. Her birth certificate is on the left.

Lillian was not a skinny baby as shown by the picture to the immediate right. She looks even pudgier in the picture to the far right. Her Esplin grandparents arrived the day of her birth. Let's hope they liked fat babies.

Other visitors to the Harmon family in California included Lillie's brother Israel (in March 1928) who took them to Los Angeles, and Catalina Island. He may also have taken them to Palm Springs shown in the picture below.

In the summer 1928 the family again went to Utah for summer vacation. Here they are at the left at Cane Beds with Frank's mother, sister Alice and her husband Waldon.

A family reunion was held at Zion's Park with the Harmon side of the family.

The Esplin family reunion met at Duck Creek on Cedar Mountain.

When Frank Wendell was about the age shown in the picture at the right, his parents tell this story on him. He loved to gather eggs from the hens they had so when Lillie missed him she went to the chicken coop and found him on a nest saying, "Lay egg." He kept this up until one of the hens (sitting on the nest next to him) pecked him. That was the end of his egg laying.

A little older picture shows Lillian and Frank Wendell riding on their "sawhorses".

About this time Frank Harmon got a collie dog (Ring) for his son (who paid no attention to dogs). Ring attached himself as a loyal follower of Frank N. Harmon. Here is a picture showing Frank's dog and his two children.

Below are two pictures Frank and Lillie Harmon used to laugh at. They said Lillian and Frank W. were so tired they parked themselves on the nearest convenient spot as soon as they reached home. The "before" picture shows their positions as they "hit" the bed. The "after" picture was taken after their parents had turned them to face the camera. (They slept on through the whole process of being moved).

Another picture taken of the children in Riverside was sent to Frank's mother in St.George with the following note on the back:
"We got our children mixed. Their sex should have been changed. Wendell has the curly hair, is cautious careful and must have food just so. Lillian is just like all her pictures - scattered haired, busy, quick and reckless. She can get on the table if a chair is within six feet of the table without moving either. She doesn't want food strained - she don't give a hang for soup; she must have the beans."

During 1928 and 1929 the Riverside Branch was building a chapel with Branch President Frank N. Harmon as the chief supervisor. Here is a picture of the completed chapel.

In 1928 Frank W. was big enough to ride a pony and water the lawn and anyone who spoke to him. The story is that as he turned to talk to his father, the hose, still running, turned with him. (Result - a wet father).

Duane was born the 29th of August 1929.
Duane McMurrin Harmon's Birth Certificate
To the right is an early picture showing one of the first appearances of the Duane "grin." Below is a later picture showing Duane in front of his birthplace in Riverside.

In the summer of 1929 Lillie Harmon was expecting Duane and was sick during June and July. Frank's sister Emily extended her California vacation to help while Lillie was sick.

When the Riverside chapel was almost finished Frank Harmon and family were transferred to a government experiment station in Shafter, California to work with Mr. Scott. The move was made the 9th of December 1929. They arrived the 10th of December with belongings, children and a collie dog, and as Lillie put it, "they added quite a bit to the population and noise of the experiment station."

Excerpt from Lillie E. Harmon's Record of Moves p.19

The children loved the station. It had large lawns, a big yard by the house and a pond used for storing irrigation water. What more could children ask for?

Duane and Lillian collected baby frogs which sometimes appeared as uninvited guests at the dinner table.

Frank W. built a raft and navigated the pond.

There was even an unusual California snow storm to play in.

At Halloween time Lillian and Duane prepared for the event. (Notice the famous Duane "grin") Frank N. Harmon dressed as a ghost but his true identity was given away by the collie that was always at his heels. The kids just laughed at that ghost.

Below is a family picture taken at the Shafter station showing Frank N. Harmon with his three children.

Another picture taken in Shafter shows Lillie E. Harmon with Frank Wendell and Lillian.

Some family stories about Lillian and Frank W. originated in Shafter. Dated March 1933 Frank Harmon wrote: "Lillian's Philosophizing"- Sonny has lots of suckers but he gets lots of switchings (after a few moment's pause) I would like his suckers but not his switchings." To the left is a picture of Duane with the boy who got the suckers and the switchings.

A few years after the picture to the right was taken, Lillian was told to clean the radishes. Lillian asked, "Why did you say that to me?" Lillie replied, "Why not?" Lillian replied, "Well it saves you work but it makes work for me." She then went about cleaning the radishes and remarked, "Little girls ought to help their mamas but it is hard work for the little girls."

A story told about Frank Wendell concerned his success in school. In September 1932 he was at the foot of the second grade and put on trial to see if he would go on to high second. Returning from school one day he said, "Me and Donald Terry are the worst of them all, but I am a little bit better than him as I could find ‘there' and he couldn't."

In February 1930 Lillie's mother died. Lillie commented in her diary that she would never forget the beautiful sunrise the morning after Emily Alvira Esplin died.

The Harmons bought a new Chevrolet to drive back to Orderville for the funeral. Driving from St.George to Orderville was much faster that year because the mile long tunnel adjacent to the "Little Zion Canyon" (the canyon Frank had ridden his horse down returning from his first trip to Orderville in 1920) had been completed and made the trip from St. George to Orderville hundreds of miles shorter.

To the right is the telegram Lillie E. Harmon received from her father telling of her mother's death.

The depression caused some pay cuts for Frank Harmon in the spring of 1932, but he did not lose his job. Instead the station at Shafter was shut down and Frank was transferred to Fresno, California to work with Elmer Snyder on grapes. They moved the first of September 1933 living first in a house Frank had rented.
Lillie E. Harmon's Complete Record of Moves

Lillie didn't like the house so they moved to 3843 Platt Avenue, a half block away from the Jackson Elementary School.

To the left is a picture taken of the three Harmon children while they were living at 3843 Platt Avenue.

Lillian and Frank W. were old enough to attend the Jackson School. Below is a school picture of Frank W. in the Fourth grade.

Lillian was in the second grade. Below is her school picture.

Four year old Duane seen in the picture on the right was not old enough to attend school.

The Harmon family was active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Below is a portion of a large picture taken of the Fresno District about 1935. The portion below shows the Harmon children sitting in the front rows.

This portion of the district picture shows Frank N. and Lillie E. Harmon.

Frank worked on a government experiment station a few miles from their home on Cedar Avenue. Below is an air view of the station.

Another picture (about 1936) shows Frank Harmon at work in his office.

The work on the experiment station focused on two main areas: diseases of grapes and the development of new hybrid varieties. With colleagues (Elmer Snyder, and J. H. Weinberger) Frank Harmon wrote over 40 scientific papers, most of them about grapes. Below is the cover of one of the papers announcing the development of three new grapes - the Cardinal, the Calmeria and the Black Rose. The picture on the right shows one of the new grapes - the Cardinal.

Complete List of Papers Published by Frank N. Harmon and Frank N. Harmon and his Colleagues

In the spring of 1936 Frank and Lillie purchased a 2 ½ acre lot on Cedar Avenue and built one wing of a house (the other wing to be added later). They moved in the 15th of August 1936.

Here are the three children and the dog at the front of the house. The garage can be seen in the rear.

That December (30 December 1936) Lillie's father, John James Esplin died from injuries received when he was hit by a car while walking early in the morning.

To the left is John James Esplin's death certific ate. Frank, Lillie and family returned to Orderville for the funeral. The snow was so heavy they were snowed in for a week before being able to return home to Fresno, California. (Lillie's brother, Lynn performed super human efforts to get his father's body from St.George to Orderville on the slick winter roads)

In 1937 Lillie's brother Israel died (the brother who had helped her so much when she was trying to get to Salt Lake to marry Frank Harmon
Death Certificate for Israel Esplin

Here is a picture of Israel with 5 of his 7 sons.

In 1938 Frank Harmon's father died very suddenly and unexpectedly of a stroke. A few years earlier he had been chopping wood and entertaining his grandchildren. (A cousin tells me that the child on Alice C. Woodbury's lap is Muriel Hirschi (Frank N. Harmon's niece by his sister Vera), the child in the center is probably Elaine Schmutz (Frank N. Harmon's niece by his sister Verna) and the boy may be Lang Foremaster (Frank N. Harmon niece by his sister Emily).

After Melvin Harmon's death, Alice W. Harmon (Frank N. Harmon's mother) came to visit the Harmon family in Fresno. They went to the world's fair at Treasure Island and to the then Boulder Dam (renamed Hoover Dam later).

On the 19th of May 1939 Frank N. Harmon became the branch president. The church building on Home and Moroa had recently been remodeled. Below on the left is a picture of the large front steps (with Frank W. and his friend leaning on the bannister) that were taken out (as shown on the right) when the church was remodeled.

Meantime the Harmon children were growing up and so was the lawn, plants and trees at their 1742 South Cedar home. Here are two pictures of the children at the back of the house reflecting their interests in scouting, baseball and pets.

In 1939 Frank Harmon organized a temple excursion for several families in the branch who had never been to the temple. Below is the picture of the group who traveled to St. George.

Sometimes the Harmon family did not go to southern Utah for vacations. To the right is their favorite spot in the Sierra Nevada Mountains - a place called Huntington Lake. It was remembered for the lake and for the bees that ate your food before you could.

Frank W. was active in the scouts and went to scout camp every summer coming home smelling like camp fire smoke. Troop 29 became famous for the old truck (donated by Frank W.'s father) that transported them to camp. The truck was so lacking in power, they had to walk up any steep hills and sometimes they had to push it. They were always the last troop to arrive amid cheers from the scouts already in camp. They were the only troop that had as much fun traveling to camp as they had in the camp itself.

In the spring of 1940 Lillian had a lead part in the Primary Spring Festival. She thought the costume was great, but she was so scared she couldn't speak loud enough to suit the director.

The home on Cedar was a few blocks from the county fair grounds. Every fall Frank Harmon was asked to judge the quality of the grapes. To the right is "Judge" Harmon in action.

Another picture shows him at work in the experiment station greenhouse.

For several years before 1941 Lillie Harmon had had health problems. The family knew that often the only food that agreed with her was milk and perhaps graham crackers. In January 1941 she was operated on for an ulcer. She recovered quickly but at the end of that year a national problem began - war. To the right is a newspaper printed the day of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

War brought many changes (like rationing of scarce items and lots of service men around Fresno) to the Harmons but Lillie E. Harmon's health was the foremost thought in mind in 1942. Lillie Harmon had another operation - this time much more serious - for stomach cancer. The recovery from this operation took much longer but her health was good after that. To the left is the family's favorite picture of Lillie Esplin Harmon.

In June 1943 Frank Wendell graduated from high school. At right is his graduation picture. On the 10th of November 1943 Frank W. joined the Navy.

Below are some pictures of the Harmon family when Frank W. was home on leave, and one portrait of him in his navy uniform. He went to radio tech school in Chicago and California until May 1945 when he was sent to the Pacific finally ending up on a supply base in the Phillipines on the island of Samar.

In January 1945 the Fresno Branch was divided into the North and East Branches. The East Branch didn't have a chapel so for a while they met in the temporary facility shown at the left.

In May 1945 Duane and his pal Stephen VanWagenen were building kayaks under the direction of their scoutmaster Dean Ursenbach. To the right is a picture of the construction in process.

In June of 1945 Lillian Harmon graduated from the Roosevelt High School. To the left is her graduation picture.

In August of 1945 the war was over. When it was announced Lillie, Lillian and Duane were at one of their favorite camping spots - Dinkey Creek. To the right is picture of Duane at Dinkey Creek.
Frank Nelson Harmon was at work in Fresno.
Frank Wendell was in a fleet hospital with appendicitis. One of his officers brought a radio to the hospital - (the only one in the entire hospital) so his room was very popular as the personnel there listened to the end of the war news. (Frank W. said the only difficulty was that it was impossible to get any sleep.)

To the left is a picture taken just before the launching of the kayak on the San Joaquin River near Fresno, California. (It didn't sink - the boat ride was excellent)

With the war over, Frank Harmon Decided to add the wing to the house on 1742 South Cedar. To the right is a picture showing the family at work putting in the foundation.

Finally in January 1946, the painting began. To the right is a picture of Lillian Harmon painting the house on the morning of the church Gold and Green Ball. She was much happier painting than being royalty for the ball. The war was over but young men were still a scarcity and so she had no date for the ball.

To the left is a picture showing the addition in the process of being framed.

Below is a picture of the young women who presided over the annual Gold and Green Ball.

When the house was finished, the Harmon family had twice as much room in their house. On the right is a picture of Frank N. Harmon relaxing in the patio between the two wings of the house.

Frank Harmon had made his one and one half acre plot of ground a small farm. A map of the place shows the variety of produce grown at 1742 South Cedar.

At right is a picture of Frank Harmon getting the ground ready for planting.

To the left is Frank Harmon with his small herd of cows.

To the right is a picture of Lillian (with one of her many cats) and the cow in the fruit orchard.

When a truck driver accidentally killed a mother sheep, he brought the orphaned lamb to the Harmons.

Chickens were raised both for meat and eggs. To the right is a picture showing Lillian and her mother picking the feathers off of chickens in preparation for cooking them.

At one time rabbits were raised but they weren't a good source of food because the children made pets of them and didn't want to kill them for food. They had to die of old age.

In May 1946 Frank Wendell returned from the Navy and that summer the family took their first trip to Utah since the war.

To the right shows the Harmon family with Waldon and Alice Ballard and family. (Alice is Frank Harmon's sister)

To the left is a picture of the Harmons with the Lynn and Amy Esplin family. (Lynn Esplin is Lillie E. Harmon's brother)

That fall Frank Wendell left for a mission to the Eastern States. The picture below shows him with one of his companions.

To the left is a picture of Elder Harmon when he took the part of King Lamoni in the Hill Cumorah Pageant. It was the first pageant to be held at the Hill Cumorah.

In 1947 Lillie Harmon received word that her brother Lynn had died from an accidental fall when he was herding sheep in the rugged country above Zion Canyon. To the right is a picture of him taken when he was about 25.
Death Certificate for Lynn Esplin

Duane graduated from the Roosevelt High School in June 1947. To the left is his graduation picture.

In the summer of 1948 Lillian worked in Salt Lake and met Ruth Rockwood, a missionary from Frank W. Harmon's mission. In the meantime, Lillie and Frank Harmon were entertaning relatives from Utah. They took Frank's mother and Lillie's sister to the see the giant sequoias in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

In Fresno the ground was broken for a new East Branch chapel.

When Frank W. Harmon returned from his mission, he stopped to see Ruth Rockwood in Salt Lake City and the romance began. When he went back to April conference (1949) in Salt Lake City, they became engaged.

Meantime Duane Harmon left for a mission to Mexico (later Guatemala) on June 20, 1949. On the right is a picture of him on his mission.

The new East Branch Chapel was completed and dedicated June 26, 1949.

The branch presidency at that time was a little unusual. Lillie E. Harmon was the branch clerk (probably the most efficient one they ever had). To the right is a picture of the East Branch leadership.

That summer of 1949 Ruth and Frank W. were married. They chose the same date as Frank N. and Lillie E. Harmon- August 31.

On the right is a picture of the bride - Ruth Rockwood Harmon.

In January 1950 Lillian graduated from college in the middle of the year and began teaching a second grade class in Fresno. On the left is a picture of her class.

In the fall of 1950 (September 6) Ruth and Frank W.'s first child was born - Brent Rockwood Harmon. Lillian Harmon moved to Salt Lake and began teaching at the Grant School.

So at Christmas time 1950 Frank N. and Lillie Harmon traveled to Salt Lake to be with their children and grand child. To the left is a picture of the gathering. (Frank W. was taking the picture.)

Brent Harmon was a lively toddler in 1951 who celebrated his first birthday in September. To the right he is shown in the middle of the festivities - which consisted of demolishing his birthday cake.

Duane Harmon returned from his mission a few days after Christmas in 1951 and started school at Brigham Young University in January 1952.

In March 1952 Frank W. and Ruth Harmon had their second child (the second grandchild for Frank N. and Lillie Harmon) - a boy named Craig Rockwood Harmon. Here is a picture of the Harmons in Salt Lake including the new baby and Duane who frequently came to join them at conference time.

A closer look at Craig who doesn't look too happy with the world he has come to in the picture on the right.

Later in 1952 (June 7) Frank Wendell Harmon graduated from the University of Utah. In the picture on the left he is in graduation robes holding his two sons, Brent and Craig.

Duane returned to Fresno during the summer of 1952 to work at a machine shop and a planing mill.

Frank N. and Lillie Harmon were in California keeping the fruits, vegetables and dairy products going to give to neighbors and to take to children in Utah. Lillie was very involved in genealogy and Frank N. supported scouting.
Lillie E. Harmon's Chronology of Events from 1898 to 1952

Frank W. and Lillian Harmon both began teaching in Davis County (north of Salt Lake) in the fall of 1952. Frank W. also began work on his master's degree.

A year later in the fall of 1953 Ruth was expecting Lori and needed to be in bed. So the grandparents (Frank N. and Lillie Harmon) came to October conference and took Brent and Craig back to California with them. At right they are helping grandpa dig sweet potatoes.

Brent and Craig also traveled to picnics with grandparents, and other relatives. At the left they are picnicking in General Grant park.

At Christmas time 1953 Frank N. and Lillie Harmon brought the grandchildren back to Salt Lake to join their parents .

Frank N. and Lillie Harmon returned to Salt Lake for conference in April 1954. The picture at the right may have been taken at St. George as they were on their way to or from Salt Lake. However, Frank N. and Lillie Harmon did not stay in Salt Lake for their first grand daughter's birthday-April 27, 1954.(List of names of those in the family picture)

In the spring of 1954 Frank W. began building a house in Bountiful. In the picture on the left Brent and Craig are giving their help to the house building project.
When Duane returned to Fresno that summer he worked at glazing windows for the Reed family.

At October Conference in 1954 Lillie and Frank N. Harmon finally were able to see their new grand daughter, Lori. To the right is a picture of the Harmon family gathering in Salt Lake City.

Lillian Harmon was not present in the October1954 picture because she had gone to Germany to teach in the Air Force Dependent Schools for a year. She was assigned to Hahn Air Base in the French zone near Koblenz and the Rhein and Mosel Rivers.

When snow time came in 1954 Brent and Craig discovered the advantages of having a hill in the back yard. Below is a picture of the Bountiful home.

At Christmas time the Harmon grandparents returned to Bountiful. Grandpa Harmon got to hold the lights for the picture on the right.

The following February (1955) Frank N. and Lillie Harmon entertained the Ballards (Frank's sister and husband) by taking them to Yosemite.

Sometime in February or March 1955 Craig Harmon was diagnosed with cancer of the kidney. Lillian received word of his illness in a letter dated 3rd of March 1955. (The date on the letter is wrong - it should be March 3, 1955)

News of Craig's death came to Lillian in a telegram dated 13th of May 1955.

Duane Harmon graduated from BYU on the 4th of June 1955 with a degree in industrial education and art but knew he wanted to change so he began his master's degree in counseling and psychology that summer. Frank and Lillie were in attendance at the graduation ceremony. He had been in the Air Force reserve so following his graduation he had orders to report for active duty at Camp Laukland Air Force Base in Texas . He did not get into flight school because of vision and was reassigned to personnel school at Scott Air Force Base in Bellevue, Illinois.

The fall of 1955 Lillian Harmon returned from Europe to live with Frank W. and Ruth Harmon in Bountiful. She bought her first car - a volkswagen beetle. To the right is a picture of Lillie, Lillian and the bug. ( Those were the days when every volkswagen owner on the road waved at each other and garages sometimes offered to change the oil for free just to look at its insides.)

In February 1956 Duane was assigned to duty in Okinawa -it is in the island group between Japan and Taiwan - not very close to anything but ocean. Because he was at an isolated site in Northern Okinawa (Matabu Peninsula) his stay was shortened to 12 months.

As can be told from the telegram on the right, it was not an assignment he was happy about - even though he won fifteen dollars for getting the worst assignment.

Meanwhile Frank W. Harmon finished his master's degree at the University of Utah. To the left is a picture of him in the robes of the master's degree with Ruth and their two children - Brent and Lori. They are standing in front of the home in Bountiful which Frank W. built.

Lillian Harmon was again teaching in the Davis District - this time at the new Tolman School. She continued to enjoy skiing especially at her favorite spot at Alta, Utah.

After finishing his master's Frank W. and family went east (fall of 1956) to continue graduate work at Teachers College, Columbia University. They settled in Queens on Long Island. Frank W. taught school in the Great Neck School District and took classes at Teachers College.

Richard was born that fall on October 27, 1956. Below is a picture of the three children at Christmas time.

Duane Harmon returned from Okinawa.in the spring of 1957.
Lillian Harmon was teaching in Bountiful and working on a master's degree at the University of Utah.
In July 1957 she interrupted her school work to go on a mission to Samoa (mainly as a teacher and supervisor for Church schools there) To the right is a picture of the group of teachers who arrived in Pago Pago and then traveled by boat to the mission headquarters in Apia, island of Upolu.

To the left is a picture of Lillian Harmon waiting on a broken down bus as they were traveling on the largest island of the Samoan group to visit with the branch Primaries on that island.

In August 1957 Lillie and Frank N. Harmon were busy in Fresno with social events. Church service and gardening.

Below are some pictures of Frank and Lillie in the flower garden by the house at 1742 S. Cedar, Fresno, California.

In December 1957 Duane elected to leave the Air Force, to return to BYU and continue work on a master's degree in psychology.

In the spring 1958 Lillian Harmon received word that her mother's cancer had returned and was so far advanced it was inoperable - one month to a year to live. Lillian was advised to continue with her mission till they knew more. At the left is a picture of Lillie E. Harmon taken in April 1958,

Duane traveled from Provo to Fresno (arriving May 5 Tuesday) when his father phoned to tell him how rapidly Lillie Harmon was failing. Frank W. and family planned to arrive on Saturday the 9th of May 1958. Duane and his father were with her during those last days and hours of life. They fought to keep her but finally had to ask that she be restored to health or taken. She died with their hands on her head in that final blessing on May 8, 1958 Below is a portion of the letter Duane wrote to Lillian in Samoa.
Complete copy of Duane's Letter

Lillie Esplin Harmon's Death Certificate

Lillie Esplin Harmon's Funeral Booklet

Location of Lillie Esplin Harmon's Grave in Fresno, California

Frank W. and family were scheduled to arrive the next day on May 9, 1958. Lillian received word in Sauniatu on the island of Upolu. She was on one of her monthly visits to the school in Sauniatu when the mission president (Charles Sampson) drove up to give her the news. Not knowing how long it would take Lillian to travel from Samoa to California, the family advised her to remain on her mission.

Thus, the life together on earth for Frank N. Harmon and Lillie E. Harmon came to an end, and Frank N. had to continue life without his companion of 37 years.