General Authorities in Gettysburg

Tuesday Feb. 9th I spent the full day at the Church Family History Center in SLC. One major reason was to research Spencer W. Kimball journal about his visit to Gettysburg, SD and possible reference to Ivar Sandberg. It is not easy to obtain restricted private original diaries. After checking the Records of the North Central Staters mission I was able to pinpoint the date which made it easier as his journal is just a pile of loose typewritten pages with other items interspersed and also handwritten notes which are still being organized by a crew of archivists.

The result was as follows- no photocopies allowed so I wrote it down in pencil

May 12 1951. We then went to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Riggs for luncheon., She is a member and the first member of the church in Pierre. Her husband is still 'kicking against the pricks' After the dinner we had a meeting with all ten missionaries for a period from 3 P.M to about 6.

Sunday May 13 1951. Had a simple breakfast and left for Gettysburg about 50 or 60 miles North. Here we met in a large auditorium. Here we found some young but devout members, high class folk and we were most pleased with the type of both members and investigators. After the meeting we had a luncheon for all which was prepared by the Sisters. All the ten missionaries were there. We stopped enroute home to Pierre at the home of Doyle Thompson and family. The parents were baptized about a month ago and they seem so very devout. He was a school teacher and now a farmer on a rather large scale. At the meeting in Gettysburg at 10 A.M. we had present [all numbers a written ink by hand]

GETTYSBURG 10 A.M. May 13 ___35__ members ___14___missionaries ___17___non-members. 66
PIERRE 3 P.M. May 12 ___3__members___1___non-member___14 missionaries 1
PIERRE 7. P.M. May 13 __16__members ___10___non-members ___14 missionaries 40

The wind continues to blow unceasingly, a little rain. The country is beautiful, green. The grain is coming up well. The corn is being planted The houses in the country are scattered so that you can see only about one at a time.

[later he adds by hand] Thompson, Doyle Gettysburg S.D. son 17, son 15, son 12, dau __baby
Bap Easter 1951.

[on Monday they drove to the Missouri to see the new dam under construction and then on to Mitchell to see the Corn Palace which he states " is quite spectacular."]

[editorial comments. The 10 missionaries are all for the South Dakota District. The extra 4 are the Mission President and wife and probably office staff or counseloors.]

I can remember Elder Kimball walking in the auditorium and putting his arms on the shoulders of David Thompson and myself and speaking to us about goung on missiions.