Utah Conversations: Edna Anderson-Taylor

Were you small and said you know it all the time and reaching my now Mr Mike can reach oh someone's going to get someone get it right it's time registering romper bomb for Stomper boo Tell me Tell me Tell me do you have. Magic mirror town meeting. All my friends have. Well I do go home I could not. Answer so generous during it as Romper Room is Miss Julie she won the hearts and minds of thousands of your god children here and then she lost the love of her life the father of her children she had known Anderson Taylor shares her story next. She is a woman of many talents and has used them well to serve her

children and others in need her community and to entertain and educate kids. Thousands of kids and despite personal tragedy Edna Anderson Taylor has long been a woman on the go Edna Thanks for being I Ted thank you for inviting me. When do you ever read. About when you do. A busy life. You have had a busy life and a very productive life. How long did you do Miss Julie Rovner. I was on about 17 and a half years. That long Yes can you imagine that set a record. Pretty much you know except for the original teacher who was Nancy class her she and her husband produced the original shell. And she was in Baltimore that I really don't know I shouldn't say I guess but I think it was one of the longer runs. What was the most fun about doing it. Oh you know it was like I used to drive to work in the morning and think somebody pays me to do it. It's just you know it was like I was cheating someone. I

loved the kids. I love the children. I loved live television. I loved kind of living on the edge every morning it was lie. Sitting on a patter keg with a little neck chain. Never knew it was live it was live live. Yeah it was live. Christmas Day was live New Year's Day. It was Monday through Friday. We were there in the studio and it was live. Later on when they had the big band member that big boss that Howard Smith converted to a van they remember well they started using that as a traveling control room. And they started taking the van over the tabernacle choir so they would break it down on Thursday night drive it to the Tabernacle on Fridays and then set it up on Saturdays do the Tabernacle Choir telecast Sunday drive back on Monday so when that began to happen we were on tape

Friday and the following Monday. Not for our convenience Yeah. Yeah but it turned out I was you know I was very unhappy about that to begin with because I thought this is live television. Things happen on television that you just don't see anymore the day everything is so glossy and so perfect. But the one wonderful thing about it was that children got to stay home and see themselves on TV. You know when I was attacked on the Friday. Yeah. And went on. Yeah which was not often not now. And we have a couple of people working for us here at Brock running the camera and we have an associate producer of this show who were on your show. So I thought that me and I they did a somersault. But we have some video from your show the kids doing their somersaults let's look let's look at a little bit of that look. People are discovering how important it is to keep physically fit and we have discovered that

many of our Romper Room mates children three four five year old children really are not very physically fit their muscles are weak. So in Romper Room we're trying to encourage all of you children to exercise. Laura Jill is going to show us this morning a somersault Now that sounds like you know no big deal but somersaulting it's good it stretches your spine it teaches you coronation. Just remember to tap that little head under before you go over. All right he's going to put her head down and just roll over. Who lead large Joe that was a fine somersault. John wanted to be seculars to music could we have a little trouble that they had late at night. How many children in total. All those years you think you worked with and taught and had fun with it. I think I once took a mental tally it would have been around 6000. Really. Yeah really. Now can you do the somersault. Yeah that's right. Well let's put it this way. I could back up here right.

OK let me try this and let you know or I would have been when I think this one this show was probably in the mid 70s 70s 70s were a very big decade in my life. Yeah. Yeah OK. You sang the song and later on in the program on our program we're going to see some tape of you doing this song. You also have done great things for Kate. You've done great things in the community. And I want to talk a little bit about those things but you did as I indicated at the outset of this program you did have a tragedy in your life which you know you had to work hard to overcome. I did and we do. And you know that something Ted as you probably know that you really never ever get over my husband was killed. Well Jack Anderson JACK ANDERSON Yeah in our plane in a plane crash he had he was flying to two cities in Idaho to complete

the insurance plan the whole state insurance plan for all the Idaho state employees their health their benefits their retirement everything it worked out for about 15 months and we shared ownership of a plane with another man another pilot. And. It was it was tragic. I sensed that something would be just awful. I had a terrible feeling that morning. And he I kissed him goodbye at about 7:30. It was a Monday morning. He was working for at you know life in casualty as their brokerage supervisor in the inner mountain west and. I got this sick sick feeling really and even lost my breakfast really. And I felt oh. You know I know you had your own Burma mission if you will and I ran to the phone and I called his office and his secretary Pat picked up the phone and I said Pat is Jack there. And she said how did you know he wasn't supposed to come in here he forgot one of his portfolios and

had to stop by and get it. I said is he there and she said well he's probably down in the parking lot by now and I said Pat please going camping. She said what. I said go and get my husband please please. So she ran out to the parking lot while he came back you think you should have died or something or one of the kids was that he didn't know what was going on and I said Jack do you have to go. And he said yes sweetie I do I have to go. And I said Well then will you do me a favor. Will you call your mother and dad and tell him good bye. Can you believe that no. And he said what are you talking about don't do this to me you never are this way when I leave. He traveled you know a little bit. And he said just tears me up when you when you behave like this. Please don't do this. I said just now that I love you. And he said Oh you'll never know how much I love you. And he did call us parents and it was last time we talked to him. With the weather bad that

it had been bad the night before but it was fairly clear. And I said to him just promise me this we go to the weather station don't just go to the airport and check the weather maps and they said oh everything's fine. The front moved over this morning but there's just hit and miss clouds wherever we look. And if you fly Victor route which is the most direct line between here and train Walczak you'll be falling. Was he the pilot he was the pilot was the unknown person in the line. But he had flown a lot and he has a good point to hatch. He was really your first love your wife. You you know you have a lot in high school once but you know we all have yes first Yeah yeah but yeah but you were married a long time. We were married 13 years and he went for a year before that did you. So how old were you when that happened. When he was going to yes I was 35 yeah. So you had been married since you were in your early. Yeah. And he would say remember him he was a big tall guy very good basketball

6 8 played basketball for BYU and of course I was a huge fan had been a song leader at the U. Yeah most of our friends were huge fans and he used to take a lot of gas from us over being a BYU cougar and there was trouble Oh but you had two children at that time when this happened this tragedy happened. And you became a widow at 35. Yes and it was my parents were both dad you know and between 1969 1973 I buried my mother. Well first of all I buried my father when I was 23. My mother a stillborn baby and my husband at the time I was 35. And what was the hardest part about becoming a widow at the young age. Do you know it was the hardest part was telling my church. About you know it was it was devastating. You know. So it was. And bless their hearts they just I couldn't have made it without them.

You know it's annoying but I. Want to talk about your children. But but you being the strong person you are an active you're recovering. Matter of opinion. There's no wrong partner actually it's a record it's not a matter of opinion it's a right. You recovered. And went on you got married a few years latter two years later I married and that was unfortunate. It was it was not bad it was just I think marrying more. A dad for my children than you know my son was getting to a point where he so desperately needed somebody in his life and Jack had been such a strong however. John was 11. Yeah John. We bury Jack on Thursday and John played for the state Little League Championship on Saturday and Jack was his coach. Yeah yeah yeah yeah ok. The second marriage wasn't so great but you have a marriage and all that. It has lasted a long Yeah so happily Yeah. And

we have a picture of the two of you together with the children. Yeah. Tell us about this marriage where our Mary and I met in Gary and I had I call him Gerald only because his mother was Jerry and his sister is Jerry. So OK that's your family parties I would say Jerry and three heads would whip around. So I call him Gerald you know I call him sweetie boasted little yeah yeah and I'm so lucky most people and many people don't so much as have one really truly special wonderful marriage. And I have had to. Yeah yeah yeah I'm very fortunate very very well you have been married to him for a long 22 years gas and he had children. When you have a daughter Melanie a son Ryan I have a son John and a daughter Julie. And they've all been wonderful blending this fear. What was really interesting to add that I want to ask you about so challenging it is so challenge you were young when you blended Erin when we started dating Ryan was 12 Julie was 15 Melanie was 16 and John was 18.

OK. Oh yeah. And so my cute husband asked me to marry him. Oh I think in about three months which is I was telling you earlier yeah. The more I think about that the more astonished I am I let that point I was a widow. I was a divorcee and I thought I don't think I ever want to get married again and I said but if I do it'll be you. He told me that he thought that you were together for three years. A year yes. And then we got married and you caved in. It's been a good marriage but bringing the family together was normalizing. John already you know really wants. So I knew the pitfalls he didn't you know he had his marriages had ended after 19 years. And so and he had not you know I was to quote one of his friends the first thing that came down the pike and he believed this. We were lined up by my niece and two mutual friends and his friend said call Jerry you don't have to marry the first thing that comes.

But but the children learn to get a lot you know they've always Euroland been wonderful. My role was in establishing a relationship with my children with his children. You know I had a very good strong relationship with mine. But. Melanie had been the lady of the house for three years. It was terribly difficult for her. His daughter to have a stepmother. You know it was very challenging. But oh she she's just she's a prize she's just a great human being. All for the nice thing about our four children is that not only do I love them I really like them. And I like their partners. We take them on a family vacation every year partly because we like to share them you know share that the world that we've been so privileged to see. But mostly

because we live in three different states and the only time we can all get together and I tell him leave your laptops home. Yeah. Then it's during that week that we have. But but early on there was some difficulty in bringing together some jealousy. Oh and we were you know when did they like him immediately. They did. They did. They did. And yes you share is a most generous and and on non-judgmental person you know. And he. Though the more difficult relationship was between me and Ryan and Melanie when I finally discovered that I couldn't circumvent you know go through Gere and say anything. I mean I left him out of the equation entirely. I finally got smart and decided that I am going to have to form a relationship with these children and it's going to have to be one on one. And Jerry can't be any

part of it. They never did wrong in his eyes. OK. They never did. Yeah. And I have a lot of you know I have a lot of failures as a parent not that that was a failure but he said you know he was defensive. Of them. And probably I was of mine I'm sure if I were to hear his story would be pretty much the same. But the most important thing was that we we established a relationship and. And they got together that the four of them get along well. I mean we're just blessed for that. I have to I have to. I have to praise these four kids because had they chosen to sabotage this relationship. They could have both of us are very devoted parents. Larry I think that's the key this is Larry the other day had to be committed. Yeah. And they did become committed and I think they do ok or. And not only that but. We we just had this Sants you know you just have to work some things through you know some things

just take time. I mean passion. Yeah. It had snowed terribly one day and I and Ryan was sitting watching television and I said Ryan would you would you mind going and shoveling the driveway for when your dad gets home. I mean my husband was building the company at that point in time and he would go to work at 4:30 in the morning and come home at 7:30 at night or whatever I mean he was he worked so hard and and Ryan thankfully has stepped into that position now and is doing beautifully. But he said I'll do it. And 20 minutes later oh yeah yeah I'll do it. Twenty minutes later oh yeah. You know I'll do that and I said Ryan. Jerry's going to be home in just a minute and I said you know what buddy. You and I can have a problem and we'll rip him right apart. Who is he going to choose you or me or you and I can have. Relationship and we can have an agreement if you're not going to do that you tell me and I'll go do it. But if you are you go to let him.

And he sat there for a minute and then he got up and did it just fine head on straight approach works I think so what. He recognized the wisdom of my words that we could tear him apart yeah any one of us know what happened and why do they have that terrific advice to I'm OK 22 years of successful marriage now yass. And to what ups and downs what I was going through was all having OK but having been through one that wasn't successful. After your first husband died. What has been the key to this success in this marriage. Oh gosh I think we share. We come from two quite different backgrounds. In fact we have laughed so many times that had had we met each other 25 years earlier he would have been way too wild for me. Oh I mean yeah and I thought yeah he was not wild out that it can't be a little different a little different.

And so we just laughed and giggled about that but we do share the very same values we. I love the symphony I have him going to the ballet. Ted. Yeah I bought the tickets he said what do you do. I don't recall the ballet and I said I know and you don't have to. I'm going to take it Wednesday night. I'm going to take a lady friend so don't you worry about it. Well I'm I want to go. And he enjoyed it. He went and he loved it he loved it. And not only that we were fortunate enough to buy Bob Welty as my dear darling neighbor. Yeah yeah. And Bob's wife George's is not able any longer to go to the symphony and Bob said Would you like to. I said Oh I would love to. Well we walk in here the first night and there I. Be. Down in the orchestra on the third row the aisle a while by his step. But this is good. You know I don't have to walk through people together. Yeah. But we're right down where we can hear the thumping of their toe shoes on the wood and we can see their

chests heaving because you know from 10 rows back it just looks so graceful and so effortless. But you have been involved in many worthy and diverse in our community. I could list them all but it would take too long you have been in the Assistance League of PTA president. PTSD PTSD. Yeah I would go on and on. Utah Lung Association. OK one one we like to mention is your chair of the k we d friends board. And you do some great work for a day including doing a commercial if you will we don't do commercials. But in doing and earn emotional smart people display ads. Let's look at that as a lot of fun. I always do right. I never do anything right.

I Miss Julie to remind you to be a good latch during Red green light. Saturday March 4th starting at 7 p.m. I think it's time those I once learned to share don't you. Please do what's right. I never do anything right. I do. And when that that was we were in a contest with us as stations similar size and I oh yeah yeah. The Red Green Show and it was done only a couple years ago. That's right. And your hair down as now as always you look perfect for a guy you have your hair done every day. No not no no no no what how do you keep it so nice. I would work at it. I was blessed with a good head of hair but I really was the night my dad raised me he would say your hair is your crowning glory always. He was bald.

OK you've led me to the next thing I want to talk about you know I'm going to have a couple of minutes left. About your trial hood your dad and your mom. Yes you told me earlier that you spoke Swedish in your home. We did Swedish actually was my native tongue. We learned my mother had come from Sweden and my father was had also come from Sweden at different times. They were a such an interesting interesting couple I had just cherished both of them. My mother when I was born was 38 years old which is reasonable but my daddy was 62 when I was born so there was a definite you know a May-December marriage. Yeah my dad had a sixth grade education but always was getting educated. He was a self trained licensed architect and building contractor. And he was reading. He read all the time. My mother had a number of degrees spoke six languages really really from a very well-to-do family had her own

governess her own maid. My dad left school in the sixth grade to support his mother and three younger brothers. My mother became a model in Stockholm. I mean there their lives were so very very different. And but they got together and had a wonderful marriage there was a lot of humor in our house about my mother while she mastered these other languages and never quite got the hang of English. He had not come here for good measure your best line she would say to me she was so dear what did that mean. Edna come here and I'll measure your waist. Okay here are I can you speak Swedish rather than I want to sit and the energy could be on you you know that like it that I went to Sunday school and people thought what is this child chattering about you know I'm not going there. So I had to learn English or be quiet. That was impossible. And you have been quite sad to have a big that's a joke and I know it's you know that's

sort of you know but where did they meet. They met at the Swedish LDS organization the Swedes have quite a community in this area. And my father was president of the organization and he stood up and conducted the meetings. When my mother went on Wednesday nights and that's how they that's how they met and they had a great marriage yes they did. My father had been married married before and at the time that he met my mother had been divorced maybe two years which in those days was just totally scandalous. And all her friends to do you know you know you're in your home when you don't want to marry a man in his 50s but she did and they were happy. How many brothers and sisters I have two sisters older than I remember the big star that they all are as pretty as you are. Oh I think they are my middle sister is no longer with us she passed away at the age of 52 from cancer. But my older sister is Jenny who used to substitute for me on Romper and who was playing the music in the background on

that third very close and you were healthy and going to keep going for long I surely hope so. Yeah we hope so haven't you any podium feel like a new person for asking had nothing to you. Thank you and thanks very much for having been here and we're going to close the show with the way you close Romper Room. Oh that's wonderful and thank you for inviting me to come I hope it's been interesting. It's been fun. Let's look. I never stopped. Tell me Tell me Tell me do magic tell me. Do you know my friends. I understand this boy's best. Understood. And I understand that you have a new specialty and so is Pamela. I have people that have very nice days and if you're having a special day we hope it really is special on this happy St. Patrick's Day. I think you see Karen very and Sarah. I can see Sami and truly and I see you hope to see you again tomorrow. We invite you back in my school and it's a terrific way to

close the show. I have to tell you all down to one goal really pull fools they glue they teach those true magic things that you know together because you would put one down and you get the camera caught me going on. I had another get thanks again for being here. You saw the way you close the show this is the way you do it we do it we thank you and we thank our audience for joining us for this edition of Utah conversations make sure now to visit us online KQED dot org. There you can view past and current conversations. And please join us each Sunday at 5:30. I'm Ted could get it. The South Africa where the Black Eagle rule the sky each week

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