Thursday, June 1, 1978

Old pics - Memories from 42 years ago (June 1978)

Throwback to 1978 - June (written in 2020)
This is a Relief Society get together for moms and daughters in the cultural hall that used to be next to the Rock Church.  I actually have NO MEMORY of this day.  David Webster (who works as Morgan County's building inspector), brought me these pictures from his mom's scrapbook.  She (Carol Ann Webster) was the Relief Society President of the 2nd ward.

Sherrie Mecham (now Rich) in the striped sweater vest, Alicia Nalder (Coach Nalder's wife) and me - that short haired girl on the end.  
Me, Mom and Kuk
Mom is 41 years old here in this picture.
I'm 17, and Erika is 15
Tammy Tucker, Deanna Mecham (Sherrie's Mom) - Sherrie, and Me
Erika and Mom...........and who is that on Mom's lap?  
That's our baby girl Ambure !
This is a picture I had never ever seen before.
This is a TENDER MERCY - so unexpected !

You may notice that Ambure has her little cast on her legs (because of her congenital hip dislocation).  She got this cast off a few days later, on June 12th. 

Isn't it so funny that I have no recollection of this day at all ?! 
Thank goodness for pictures, and unexpected memories. 

Sunday, January 1, 1978

1978 - From my journal


1978


                I was due with Ambure on February 23rd, but she was two weeks late.  She was footling breech, which means feet first, and had to be delivered  by caesarean section.  I went into labor 1 1/2 days before I was scheduled to be C-sectioned.  Back in 1978, the dad's weren't allowed to come in the operating room when the baby was born by C-section.  I was really scared.  At 11:43 a.m. on the morning of March 8, 1978, we had a  beautiful baby girl.  Ambure didn't have a mark on her little body or face.  She was very beautiful, with her dark black eyes and brown hair.  Ambure's doctor was Dr. Jerry Gardner.  He and Dr. Merrill Godfrey delivered her.  She weighed 9 pounds 2 ounces, and was 20 1/2 inches long.  She was sure a big baby, probably  because she was two weeks overdue!  We sure loved little Ambure because she was our first baby, and she was very special.  We decided to name her Ambure because we had this name picked about for a long time.  We wanted to spell it AMBURE instead of AMBER, because we wanted it to be different.   I tried to breast feed Ambure, but was too nervous, and after six miserable days, we switched to formula.  After that, things got MUCH better.  Ambure was a very good baby right from the start.  She was sleeping completely through the night when she was only a week old (the same day/night we put her on the bottle).  She was smiling and following movement with her eyes by 2 weeks old.  On Friday, March 31st, when Ambure was 3 weeks and 2 days old she had a doctor’s appointment.  She weighed 9 pounds 14 ounces, and was 21 inches long.  It was at this appointment that we discovered she had a dislocated left hip.  We felt so bad about this, because we didn't want her to have to go through any hard times or pain.  They sent us to another doctor (Dr. Franklin Stuart), and he arranged for her to get a cast put on the following Tuesday. (April 4, 1978)  They would be putting her under anesthesia in the operating room at McKay Dee Hospital.  They would be “setting” her hip in the correct place, and then casting her in a body cast to keep it in place. 

We wanted to get her blessed before this happened, so two day later on Sunday, April 2, 1978, Ambure was given a name and a blessing in the Morgan 2nd ward by her grandfather, Wilden Lee Dickson.  She was given a special blessing that she would grow up healthy without any hip problems, and that her parents would someday take her to the temple and be sealed together as a family for all eternity.  Those who participated in the blessing were her dad, Roger Rich, her other grandfather, DeLore (Ben) Rich, a great grandfather, Reed Dickson, and Wallace Green.

 On April 4th, when she was almost 1 month old, she got her first cast on.  It was a full body cast that fit her just like a starched pair of pants with the crotch cut out.  She really adapted to it quite well, and was still as good natured as ever.  She had this first cast on for four weeks, and then it was changed for a bigger one because she was growing.  Ambure was laughing out loud at 6 weeks, and recognizing her mom and dad.  It was about this time she discovered her hands.  She got her 2nd cast on May 2nd, using the same procedure as before.   She wore this cast for 6 weeks.  In early June of 1978 we went for a vacation with Grandpa and Grandma Rich and Joni and Kelly, and Linda and Bruce Frost and their family.  We went to Lava Hot Springs. Ambure couldn't get in the water because of her cast, but she sure was a good baby, and sleeping with her mom and dad in the trailer didn't bother her one little bit.  Right after we got home from Lava, Ambure's 2nd cast was removed on June 12th.   It was so good to see her little legs again!   Within 4 days she was rolling over !!  What a SMART baby !! Dr. Stuart, her hip doctor, was concerned because her hip was still dislocated and hadn’t stayed in place like it should have.  He wanted to operate on her, but we decided to take Ambure to Dr. Coleman, an orthopedic specialist in Salt Lake City.   Dr. Coleman fixed Erika Dickson's (Ambure's aunt) hip when she was a baby (15 years before).  Dr. Coleman prescribed a Pavlic harness for little Ambure's hip.  She got this on June 19th.  At first she hated it, but she soon got used to it and was a happy baby once more. This Pavlic harness held Ambure's legs in a frog like position, and as she would kick against the harness, it would naturally push her hip back into the socket where it was supposed to be.  Ambure wore this harness for 6 ½ months, but at every check-up her hip was still not back in the socket far enough. 



 Ambure was very smart baby.  She learned very quickly. Even with her harness, she was sitting at 5 ½ months, and crawling at 6 months.   She was always quick to smile and slow to cry.  Ambure was a good eater, and would eat most anything we gave her.  She was waving bye-bye  at 7 months, and loved to patty cake, bounce to music (Happy Days), and play peek-a-boo.   Ambure got all 4 of her front teeth (top and bottom) when she was 7 months old.  She sure had a cute smile.  Ambure loved to visit her Great Grandpa and Grandma Dickson, and loved their dog Sally.  Grandpa and Grandma watched her for a couple of hours in the mornings while I attended school to finish up my senior year.    At 9 months, Ambure was 32 inches long, and weighed 21 pounds.  She had the darkest eyes, and you could hardly see the pupils in them.  Ambure’s hair was dark brown, and was a curly cap all over her little head.  We had a wonderful Christmas that year, and it was so fun to have a little one to buy toys for.  Three days after Christmas, on December 28, 1978, Ambure’s Great Grandma Thelma White died of a heart attack.  Two days after that, on December 30th – our sweet little angel Ambure was killed in a car accident. 

                Roger switched jobs, and was hanging drywall with his brother Layne during 1978.  They worked for Ted Hansen Drywall, and Parson's Drywall. Roger switched jobs while I was in the hospital after having Ambure.  What a time to change!!

                We wanted to do allot of camping with Linda & Bruce, so we bought a trailer.  It was an older one, and I can't remember how much we paid for it, but we had it when we went to Lava in June of 1978.  I remember that Roger's mom co-signed with us, and had the payments taken out of her paycheck, and then we paid her back.  I can't remember when we sold this for sure, but we didn't have it too long. 

                We also had a 1972 1/2 ton Ford truck 4WD.  Roger had this truck when we got married.  I remember during the summer of 1978, Layne borrowed it, and wrecked it up by Ansta Florence's home.

                That summer we moved from the upstairs apartment at Walker's, down to the bottom-right apartment.  We bought a Kirby vacuum during this time. The guy knew a couple of suckers when he saw us.  It was a good vacuum, but $400.00 on a payment plan was a little steep for us at that time.  We were too naive to know this, and to say no. 

                This downstairs apartment consisted of a long narrow living room in the front of the home, and then a narrow hallway and bedroom in the middle, and the kitchen and bathroom at the back.  There was also an enclosed porch which could double as a bedroom at the very back, however we just used it for storage.  We only lived here for about 3 or 4 months.

                 In November/December of  1978, we moved down to Milton to 2526 N. Morgan Valley Dr. in Frank and Lois Anderson's rental.  This was a cute little green house. (it has since been demolished)   It had a living room and bedroom in the front, and the kitchen, other bedroom, and bathroom in the back.  There was also a washer/dryer hook up.  This was a first for us, as we had been using my mom's and Grandma Dickson's up until this time.  We didn't have enough money to buy the washer and dryer though, but after Ambure was killed we got about $2,000 in life insurance.  We used this money to buy a washer/dryer, an upright freezer, and a bedroom set which we still have today.

                We bought a red Maverick car so I could drive back and forth to Morgan while Rog was at work.  

                While I was pregnant with Ambure (during my Junior year) I didn't go to regular high school, except for a young mother's class that was given for all of us pregnant teenagers.  I got credit for this class, and also worked at the drive-in and got credit for this also.  When my senior year started in the fall of 1978, I went to regular high school in the mornings.  I remember I took a Health class, and also was in the Warrior Staff class. (School newspaper)  I also went to night school.   In January of 1979 I started at Browning working full-time.  I also continued going to night school, and was able to graduate with my class in May of 1979

                December 28, 1978  Roger's Grandma Thelma White died.  Grandma White died of a heart attack in her home.  She was about 64 years old.  Two days later, Ambure died.

                I was working for my Uncle Ray Whitaker at his meat shop wrapping meat that day.  Rog must have been working too, and Ambure was at my mom and dad's being baby-sat.  After I got off work I picked her up and went up to LuAnn and Ben's.  I remember that Kelly and I drove LuAnn's car down to Morgan to the car wash to wash it.  It was really really cold.  Ambure had been laid down for a nap at LuAnn's.  When I got back there, I got Ambure, got things loaded up in the 1972 Ford truck, and headed down to Morgan.  I think I was supposed to meet Roger at a service station, where the Chicken Hut is now.  Ambure was sitting in an old black vinyl and metal car seat, (unsafe by today's standards) but she was not buckled into the car seat, and the car seat was not buckled to the seat of the truck.  She had a little white polyester jumper on, that Grandma Dickson had made for her, and a little lavendar onesie, and her blue and white furry coat she had just gotten for Christmas.  I  remember that she was kind of fussing, and crying, and I put the pacifier in her mouth and told her I loved her.  I'm glad I can say that that was the last thing I ever said to her.  As we were coming around the hill on Kilbourn's hill heading towards Morgan and I got too far over in my lane (because a car was coming the other direction, I moved over more than I should have).  My front right truck tire hit a big rock which had rolled off the mountain, it was a little larger than a bowling ball I think, and it blew the tire.  It basically twisted the tire, which twisted the steering wheel and I drove right up the hill (to my right).  The truck flipped over onto it's top, skidded along the road, and finally stopped in a shallow gully.  I remember as we were sliding along the road, the terrible sound of the asphalt against the roof of the truck, and just praying that we wouldn't go over the other side (left) which was a drop off.  After the truck stopped, I was kind of shaken up.  I remember getting my bearings, and looking for Ambure.  All I could see of her was her little legs.  I tried pulling them to get her out, but she wouldn't budge.  I couldn't see anything but her legs, and I couldn't move her.  A man had come running back from the corner (he had been parked there looking at something), and I remember screaming for him to get my baby out.  Just then,   Paul and Vanna Carter and their family stopped. (They had been coming from Morgan)  I remember that they had their daughter run down over the side of the mountain to a house to call the ambulance, and Paul ran around to the other side of the truck to help the man get Ambure out.  I remember I didn't want to look on the other side of the truck.  I didn't know what horrible sight I might see.  Leon and Donna Carter pulled up by this time, and it was so cold, I got in their car and sat with Donna.  I was upset,  and was just sure that Ambure was dead.  I remember saying that she would be buried with her Great Grandma White.  I was rambling really bad.  Somehow, someone had gotten word to Ben and LuAnn, and they had driven down.  I remember LuAnn sitting with me in the car, and I remember that Ben had gone around to the other side of the truck to see about getting Ambure out.  When he came back over he was bawling like a baby.  He was so upset he couldn't talk, and all he could do was cry and shake his head back and forth.   I remember LuAnn was really upset to see Ben bawling.   I have never seen him that upset since.  After the ambulance got there, they still couldn't get her out.  The fire engine had to come, and they had to use the “jaws of life” to get her out.  By this time I was in the ambulance, and also someone had gotten Roger from Morgan and he was there with me in the front of the ambulance.  I remember that Roger Wangsgard was driving and JoAnne and Glen Allgood were the ambulance attendants.  I can remember that they finally got Ambure out of the truck  after about 30 minutes.  They carried her to the ambulance, holding her underneath her arms, and there wasn't any blood or anything.  Me and Roger stayed in the front of the ambulance, and it headed to Morgan.  We did not go to the hospital though, but over to Dr. Martineau's office.  I guess they knew that Ambure was dead for sure, and that going to the hospital was not going to help.  Ben and LuAnn had to go back home to get Kelly, and someone had told my mom and dad too, and somehow there was a mix-up and they all ended up heading to Ogden to McKay-Dee Hospital because that is where they thought we would be.  My dad was a bishop at this time, and he had been going to marry someone, but he left the ceremony, and someone else had to do it.  At the doctor's office, they took Ambure back into a room, and me and Rog sat in the waiting room. My Grandpa and Grandma Dickson and Aunt Maisie were there too.  I remember the doctor came out and told us that the baby was dead.  I asked him "What did she die of?", and he said, "You were in a car accident."  As if I didn't know!  I meant WHAT had she died of, did she suffer, etc.  Roger was crying, and everything was a blur. My Grandpa Dickson was crying and kept asking why an old man like him couldn’t have died, and not my sweet baby.  I remember the doctor wanted to check me over, but I was too upset, and only wanted to see my baby.  We went back into the room where Ambure was.  She was laying on the table.  She had a goose-egg on her forehead, and on her stomach was a bruise also.  She had some petekial hemorrage marks on her neck too.  They asked me if I wanted to hold her, and so I did – but not long enough.  We were so young and DUMB !  Knowing what I know now, I would have told the doctor and nurse and ambulance attendants, and mortician to leave the room, and just let us sit there and hold our baby.  But before I was really ready, Kraig Walker was taking her and wrapping her in a sheet, and putting her in the back of the mortuary station wagon.  Aunt Maisie, and Grandpa and Grandma Dickson took Rog and I over to mom and dad’s to wait for them to get back from Ogden.  It was so sad.  When my parents got back, my dad came over to us and told us over and over that this was NOT the end, and we could have Ambure again someday.  That made us feel a little better.  We stayed at mom and dad’s that night, and I remember we thought we wouldn’t get much sleep, but amazingly we did.  That night for the first time in our married life, Roger wanted to kneel and say a prayer together.  He asked Heavenly Father to take care of our little girl.  The next morning when I first woke up, in that first instant I didn’t remember what had happened, but then it all comes back, and all you can think is, “ I wish I could just make time turn back, so that it had never happened”.  Grandma White had died on Thursday, Ambure on Saturday, and Grandma White’s viewing was on Sunday night, her funeral on Monday, and Ambure’s viewing on Monday night, and funeral on Tuesday.  It was an unreal week.  The day after Ambure’s funeral I went for a job interview at Browning, and two weeks later I was at work full-time.  Just like that, our lives had changed.  At the time we thought we would never be happy again, but as the saying goes, “time heals all things”, and sure enough it does.  One year and four months after Ambure died, Amanda was born, and 17 months after that, along came Zac, and in 1988 our caboose – Landon Lee.  On December 12, 1987, nine years after we lost our little one, our family was sealed together for time and all eternity in the Ogden Temple.  I know without a single doubt, that Ambure lives on with our Heavenly Father.  I believe that she was too pure and too perfect to live on this earth.  One day, if we live worthy enough, we will be able to raise her again to adulthood.  We will be able to hold her in our arms once more, and her little hip will be made whole, and she won’t have to worry about being crippled, or any of the other worries that we experience here in this earth life.  We look forward to that day.



December 30, 1978 - Ambure was killed in car accident

RICH - Funeral services for Ambure Rich of Morgan will be conducted Wednesday at 12 noon in the Morgan Stake Chapel, with Bishop Lee Dickson officiating.  Friends may call at the Morgan Stake Chapel, Relief Society Room, 7 to 9 p.m. and Wednesday 1 hour prior to services.  Interment So. Morgan Cemetery.  Funeral Director, Walker Mortuary.

PATROL SAYS BABY KILLED IN ROLLOVER
MORGAN- The Utah Highway Patrol Tuesday, released details of a weekend accident in which a 9-month-old Morgan girl was killed.  The patrol said the car, driven by Mrs. Gwen Rich, 18, 2526 N. Morgan Valley Drive, Morgan, was going north on SR 66 in Porterville at 5 p.m.  Saturday, when it went out of control on a turn.  A tire on the car blew out, and the car rolled over.  The child, Ambure Rich, 9 months, was pinned inside the truck.

My mom and Erika and some others went to Disney World in Florida during 1978.  I don't know for sure which month they went.  My Aunt Dawna had married a man named Fred Nachman (I think the same year I was married) and was living there.  They went to visit her.


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