My Life Story 

By Wilma Evans Fridal 

I was born in the wee morning hours of August 21, 1930, at Malad, Idaho, the first of six children of my parents, Mabel and Raymond Evans. I weighed –lbs. –ozs. At the time. Mother’s first impression of me was of a tiny fat pig. I had white hair and pink skin so I don’t blame her. 

After a while the problem of what I was to be named came up. After careful consideration, the name “Wilma” was chosen after my father’s youngest sister who had died at the age of 12. I was perfectly satisfied with the name and so on September 5, 1930, I was blessed by Elder Donald D. Black at the Malad Second Ward. 

My very first home was in an apartment at the Southeast end of town. I lived there with my parents from August until January. Then we moved to a ranch which was four miles north of Malad where I lived the rest of my single life. 

After a while, I had a little competition for my parents’ affection. On November 10, 1931, Nedra was born, who was followed by Raymond Jr. who came along November 13, 1932. Next came Robert Henry (Bobby) on April 16, 1934. Marcia was next. She arrived May 10, 1937. For a while it looked like this would be the size of the Evans Family but William Donald (Donnie) had other ideas. He arrived June 26, 1944. 

With my brothers and sisters, I had a very happy childhood. We had a big farm to run on and we took every advantage of it. During the summer months we fished along the creeks which went past our home, went swimming, herded cows, helped with the crops. Hiked all over the farm and rode horses. During the winters we always had plenty of snow and a great big hill behind the house where the skiing was excellent and we would spend hours skiing and riding sleds down the hill. Also we went to school. During the summer months, I joined a 4-H Club for three years which kept me busy canning, gardening, sewing and raising chickens. The results of the summer’s work would be entered in the County Fair in the fall which was always exciting. I have several pretty ribbons to show for my effort. 

In September of 1936, I started school at the Malad Public Schools with Miss Marion Cleare as my teacher. The first day of school was quite an experience. I missed the bus. The teacher wasn’t too happy either–She finally had to take me home.  

I went on through grade school and Jr. High School and then our class had the honor of being the first one in Malad to have a Junior Seminary graduation. For this occasion I had a new pink suit. We graduated on Sunday May 7, 1944. We graduated from Junior High School on May 16, 1944. For this occasion, I had my first long dress and my first corsage which was made of red roses and was presented to me by my father. I also received a beautiful watch from my parents as a graduation gift. 

In September of 1944, I entered Malad High School where I had some of the most wonderful experiences that I shall never forget. I decided to major in business and English. I had the privilege of lege (legally?) working for several people while taking this course. I typed for a week for a contractor from Logan. I helped a local lawyer in town and also helped by doing some work for the County Assayer (Assessor). 

I graduated from Seminary, May 4, 1947. Elder Harold B. Lee was the speaker. I had the privilege of leading the march of the graduates and of playing for a girl’s triple trio to sing and playing our class favorite Hymn which was “Oh My Father”. 

My school days ended when I graduated from High School, May 27, 1948. While I was in High School, I decided to  become a secretary but this dream partly came true when I became the Secretary for Malad Real Estate & Insurance Agency on August 28, 1948. I kept this job until a week before I was married. 

I would have gone on to college and furthered my education but this plan was very much interrupted in the middle of December, 1947, when I met an ex-sailor boy by the name of Keith Russell Fridal, son of Mr. & Mrs. Walter E. Fridal of Tremonton, Utah. It seems that he had a more interesting plan for the rest of my life because we became engaged and I received a beautiful diamond ring on July 2, 1948, and we set the wedding for the following March. 

Shortly after this one of the most exciting events that has happened in our family was when our father and mother along with their six children went over to the Logan Temple on July 8, 1948, with four other couples and their families and were sealed for time and eternity. It was even more exciting to us because Dad had never belonged to our church and didn’t believe in it until about two years before this. It was one of the most wonderful experiences I have had. We were all so happy. Since then he has been very active and has worked in nearly all the organizations. He also served two years as a Stake Missionary. 

(Picture of Logan Temple at night in the center of the above paragraph.) 

(On the upper left hand side is a snapshot of a wedding couple-Keith and Wilma at a reception) 

Keith and I had planned to be married on March 18 but since the temple was only open to the Priesthood on that day we couldn’t be married then. So on March 16, 1949, I went to the temple in Logan and changed my name to Fridal. We had many relatives including both of our parents with us to witness the happy event.  

Immediately after we were married we went to the Bluebird Cafe and had our wedding breakfast. After that was over we left on a 10 day honeymoon. For my going away outfit I had a three piece acqua suit with pink hat and black patent shoes and bag, and a corsage of pink camellias. We stayed at the Western Motor Lodge in Salt lake City the first night. We went through Northern California into Oregon and then followed the Coast down to San Francisco where we stayed a couple of days and then came home through Nevada. We really had a swell time but we were really happy to get home again and settle down to a happy married life. 

Right after we came home we had a wedding reception at the Malad First Ward Recreation Hall on April 1, 1949. We had a beautiful decorated cake and my dress was of heavy slipper satin with long pointed sleeves of lace and chiffon. My veil was loaned to me by Ila Mae Wms. John, who had been our next door neighbor for years and wanted me to wear it as a wedding present from her. I had a beautiful corsage of red roses. Everyone was so nice to us. 

(two snapshot pictures at the bottom of the page side by side. Keith Fridal picture on left hand side. Wilma Fridal picture on the right hand side. ) 

Wilma Evans Fridal-Obituary  

(Wilma Fridal wrote her own story for the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers) 

(Head portrait of Wilma Evans Fridal on the upper right hand side of page) 

I was born 21 August 1930 in Malad City Idaho, the first of six children of Raymond Jones and Mabel Elvira Jensen Evans. I was named after my dad’s sister, Wilma Mae, who died at age thirteen. In 1931 we moved to the family farm on Devil Creek, four miles north of Malad, where five more children were born. Nedra 10 November 1931; Raymond Jensen 13 November 1932; Robert Henry 16 April 1934; Marcia 10 May 1937 and William Donald 26 June 1944. We lived on the home site my great grandfather Edward “J” Evans and wife Ann Thomas and daughter, Janet, settled on in 1865. We lived in the same house he built. 

Times were hard for my parents as it was during the great depression. We were poor but as children we didn’t know the difference because everyone else was too and we were very happy. We spent our time riding horses, picnicking, sleigh riding and skiing in the winter and wading, swimming, and fishing in the 2 creeks that passed through our property. We also learned how to work. We had a big garden and orchard and raised and canned all our food. We learned to milk the cows and all the other chores that go along with the farm. The one job I hated worse was pulling water from the well with a bucket and rope for all our needs. We didn’t get running water in the house until six months before I was married. 

Mother was very sick a lot before and a long time after my youngest brother Don was born. Many days my sister Nedra and I would take turns staying home from school to take care of him when dad had other things to do. I shall always be grateful for the experience and knowledge I gained at that time because it helped prepare me for challenges I would face later. 

I attended school at Malad and graduated from LDS Seminary and Malad high school in 1948. I loved school, especially my seminary, business, and music classes and have many happy memories of my school years. I was also a member of a 4-H club and have many red and blue ribbons for my efforts in cooking, canning and sewing. In order to get to 4-H we either walked or rode our horses to our meetings. Our leader’s home was where the Devils Creek Reservoir is now. 

I started taking organ lessons on an old pump organ at the age of ten because we did not have a piano at that time and when I was thirteen I started playing the old pump organ for Sacrament Meeting in our little Reynolds Branch. When I was fifteen our branch was dissolved and we were members of Malad 3rd Ward. I was then the organist for M.I.A., Sunday School and the ward choir until I was married. 

1948 was an eventful year. I had met Keith Russell Fridal, Utah, in December 1947, the son of Walter Ephraim and Ada Elvira Hansen Fridal. We became engaged in June 1948. I graduated from high school and started working for Thomas D. Evans Real Estate and Insurance Agency in Malad. Until 1940 my father had been a non-member of the L.D.S. Church. Mother was very active and dad always saw that we got to our meetings and made it possible to fulfill our obligations. On 9 July 1948, we all went to the Logan Temple and were sealed for time and eternity. Dad was very active for the rest of his life. 

Keith and I were married 16 March 1949 in the Logan Temple and after a honeymoon trip through the Redwood Forest and down the coast to San Francisco, we returned to make our home in Elwood. We moved into our present home in May 1950. We have lived our entire married lives in Elwood in the same house while operating family dry farms, first in Rockland Idaho and then in Pocatello Valley as well as the irrigated home place in Elwood. 

On our second wedding anniversary we discovered we would be unable to have children of our own and so after eight and a half years we adopted four beautiful, talented children. Ronald Keith was born 8 September 1957; James Delwin 4 May 1958; Debra Sue 16 January 1959; and Melanie Gae 8 August 1959. Now our family is complete and how we love our children. 

As an active member of the L.D.S. Church I have served in all the auxiliaries in leadership, teaching, and music callings in both the ward and stake. I especially liked playing the piano and organ and the 30 years I helped Keith teach ballroom dance. It would have been impossible without the help of my special Mother-in-law Ada H. Fridal. I will be forever grateful for all she taught me and all the help she gave me. 

I helped publish a family history book and a history of early Elwood. I’ve served in P.T.A., am a member of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers and enjoyed being a volunteer of the Bear River Valley Hospital for the last fifteen years. After we retired Keith and I enjoyed traveling until his health failed. He passed away 24 May 2011 and is buried in the Fridal family plot with his entire family, in the Bear River City Cemetery. It’s lonely now without Keith but I still keep busy with my family, which now number 4 children, 15 grandchildren, and 20 great grandchildren, friends, gardening, and gathering family history. I have truly been blessed all my life and I cherish the association and friendship of all those I have come in contact with. My life has definitely NOT been boring!