REMINISCENCE OF GRANDPA AND GRANDMA ANDERSON
(John H. and Annie Charlotte)
by John A. Larsen

I am sure that all of the grandchildren have some special
memories of Grandma and Grandpa and I, like the rest of you have
some that have stayed with me over the years.
As many of you remember. Grandpa was a great fisherman.  He
loved to fish the Logan river and the right-hand fork.  He always liked
to catch his fish, clean them and prepare them for eating right in the
canyon, and. he had a special way of preparing them that makes my mouth
water now as I think about it.  He would fry them and then they'd simmer
in heavy cream.  Oh! how good   I remember one of the first times he
ever took me fishing.  We were at the Hyrum Reservoir and he rigged up
one of those long bamboo poles with a line, hook and bait and cast it
our into the reservoir for me, as we were fishing from the bank.  After
sitting there for quite awhile, a fish swam by and took the bait, and
the pole started bobbing up and down as the fish tried to get away.  I
got so excited and began yelling "I caught a fish, I caught a fish, I
caught a fish !"  Grandpa was so disgusted with me.  He said "My conscience
boy, you've scared all the fish away now.  There's no use staying here."
So we packed up and went home.
As you know, behind Grandpa and Grandpa's home was a lot of property
At the south end of the property we always referred to as "up the yard".
They had a granary, some chicken coops, a large barn and some pens for
animals, as well as a space for a large garden where they raised rasp-
berries and all fruits and vegetables.  On one occasion Joseph A. and
I were exploring in the granary and we disturbed a hornet's nest.  Those
hornets chased us all the way down to the house, stinging us every chance
they got.
Another incident I want to share was on one occasion I was with
Grandpa when he was milking the cows and when he got through he had one
of those 10-12 quart milk buckets full of milk.   I asked him if I could
carry it back to the house.  As we came down from the yard to the house,
I got down just to the shanty where they used to make soap and tripped
over a broken piece of cement and spilled all of that milk on the ground.
I guess the thing I remember the most was Grandpa's comments--none of
which I understood because they were all in Swedish.  I don't suppose it
was a complimentary blessing ! .
As children, we always loved to go visit Grandpa and Grandma in
Logan.  The car always seemed to go so slow and we were anxious to get
there.  When we would get within about a block of their home, we begged
Dad to stop the car and let us out, because we knew we could run there
faster than he could drive.  He was always wise enough to make sure
that we got there first.
I'll always remember the big rust-colored cookie jar that sat on
Grandma's kitchen counter.  In memory it seems to have been about 14
inches across and 18 inches tall, and I could never remember a time that
it wasn't full of Grandma's homemade sugar cookies. Oh!  how we loved
them !  Mother would always scold us for getting into them and eating
too many, and Grandma would always say:  "Oh Charlotte, leave them alone.
That's why I made them.  Let them have all they want."             .
Grandpa and Grandma had a very special big black leather rocking
chair. I have many very fond memories of sitting on Grandma's lap in
that rocking chair while she told us stories of when they first settled
in Logan and they still  lived in a wagon box while they were building
their home.  She told how she would be left to tend all the children
while the men were in the canyon getting out logs.  The Indians would
come and scare them half to death, acting so mean until they gave
them some of their food.  She said that the Indians even took some of
the sandwiches that they were eating.  One time when I was sitting on
Grandma's lap in that big rocking chair, I cut a little wind (passed
gas) and Grandma scolded me and made me go out on the porch and shake
out my pants !  That chair was very important to me, for in later years
when I came home on leave from the war and my Grandma had passed away
and my Grandpa was very ill, I couldn't seem to sleep in a bed, and
the only place I got any rest was when I sat and rocked in that beauti-
ful chair.   One time Aunt Luella tried to get me to go to bed, and
Grandpa said "Leave him alone.  The boy needs his rest.  Let him sit
there."  This chair was willed to me and I still have it in my possession
and it brings me great comfort.  One day just before Grandpa passed
away, I was sitting in that chair when the phone rang.  I answered it
and someone gave a message and all I said was "Yes.  Thank you."  I
then hung up.  Grandpa said to me "John A. who was that who called to
tell you that President Grant had just died?"  Grandpa was always very
close to the events beyond the veil.  He is truly a great man.
I love my Grandparents.  They are still a great influence in my
life as I serve in the Jordan River Temple.