THE FERREN WITTWER BUNKER FAMILY
Sept. 18, 1980
I, Ferren Wittwer Bunker, was born the fifth of the eight children in the family of Hector Bunker and Mina Wittwer Bunker at Bunkerville, Nevada, June 16, 1918. My birth blessed me with a heritage in a choice family. It was my privilege to be taught and nurtured in the ways of my parents in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and grow in an environment of brothers and sisters who were both older and younger than I. Ardyce, Wanda, Reva and Merrill being older and Marva, Kent and Owen being younger; all of whom I remember through the wonderful experiences of our personal relationships within our home. I have memories of having lived on a cattle ranch at Carp, Nevada, during my very young life and then returning to Bunkerville where I grew up knowing the struggle and challenges of life on the farm. Fifty acres of alfalfa, corn, w heat, and barley was enough to keep us going it seemed from day-light until dark. It was a time of draft horses to do the heavy farm work and choring with cows to milk, pigs to feed, chickens to care for, etc.
My formal education included a graduation from the Virgin Valley High School in Bunkerville and the University of Nevada at Reno with a primary interest in Vocational Agriculture. After graduation I was employed as a vocational agriculture teacher for one year at Alamo, Nevada in the Pahranagat Valley High School and 5 years at Lovelock, Nevada in the Pershing County High School. My employment was then diverted to the Cooperative Extension Service of the University of Nevada in which I served 12 years as the County Agent for Lincoln County, officed at Caliente, and 18 years as County Agent in Charge in Clark County, officed at Las Vegas. Retirement from this job came October 31, 1976.
It was while being in Alamo that Violet Terry was introduced into my life. She had a Church calling with the Stake M.I.A. Board which prompted the visit and our associations in the Church continued as we courted for two years. The last year was mostly by letter while I lived in Lovelock. We were married in the St. George temple, June 16, 1942.
Violet brought to our family special gifts and qualities of life. She is the daughter of Frank Durmoth Terry and Rhoda Elizabeth Hunt Terry. She was born in Enterprise, Utah, December 7,1919. She, too, was a product of a good home enriched with principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. She was raised in a setting of rural farm and ranch life in Enterprise, Utah. She was the last of twelve children in her family. Her talent in music launched her into a life-long calling as pianist and organist in the organizations of the Church, starting in the Primary when she was eleven. Violet added a special touch to the quality of life in our home. She is gifted in music and the art of homemaking, and is noted for her ability to manage, organize and keep a clean and beautifully decorated home.
We conclude that our greatest achievement is found in the rearing of five wonderful children who have blessed our lives and brought us much joy as they honor us by living good and virtuous lives. Each was married in the temple to a spouse who is a great addition to our family. All are actively engaged in the Lord’s work. We consider the Lord’s work for them is to have children and nurture and teach them in the truths of the gospel, give service in the Church and work to provide well for their families as they pursue their avenues of interest, education and employment. Now in our sixties, September 18, 1980, we count our blessings through the lives of our children.
Our first daughter, Janet, was born November 11, 1943 in Reno, Nevada. She married David C. Williams in the St. George temple, June 23, 1962. They have four children: Paul David 16, Janalee 15, Charles Ferren 8, and Mariann 5. David has followed a profession of teaching in the public schools of Utah, Nevada, and Idaho. He is now principal of the Elementary School as they reside in Moreland, Idaho. He has special abilities in music and has an excellent voice for singing. He now conducts a Stake Choir, Ward Choir, and is a counselor in the Stake M.I.A. Janet is accomplished as a pianist and organist and is called as Ward and Stake organist. She also serves on the Relief Society Board. She gives piano lessons and likes ceramics and crocheting. The children are all developing their musical talents and are active in school and community programs.
Dianne, our second daughter, was born June 4, 1946, at Lovelock, Nevada, She married Warren Kenneth Fisher, Jr. in the St. George temple, September 3, 1971. They now have three daughters: Julie Dianne 7, Janelle 5, and Jenette 2, Kenneth is an F.B.I. Agent, now working in the New Bedford, Massachusetts, office. He is the Bishop of the North Dartmouth Ward, the town in which they live. Dianne is the Primary President. She is uncovering some of her hidden talents by taking piano lessons and art. She has an unusual talent in home-making and as a trained cosmotologist. The children are still young but already showing distinct differences in their personalities. Their home is devoted to the needs of others.
Norma, our third daughter was born November 9, 1947, in Caliente, Nevada, She married Albert Edwyn Haines III, in the St. George temple, June 16, 1967. They have one son, Bradley Edwyn 8, and two daughters, Christine Elizabeth 3, and Lesley Ann 1. They are living in Orem, Utah where Al has been employed during the past 4 years as City Manager. In July of this year he gained employment as Director of Finance and Ad¬ministration for Salt Lake City, Utah. We expect them to make their residence there when circumstances permit. He is the Bishop of the Orem 60th Ward. Norma is teaching the 17 year-olds in Sunday School. Of all the many callings she has had, she likes teaching the most, She is talented with a beautiful soprano voice and likes to sing. She plays the piano well and is studying art. She has completed a number of beautiful paintings in water colors and oil. She is trained and occasionally works as a cosmetologist. Their home is a welcome stop-ping-off place for many relatives and friends, and a place to live for those who need a home. Their children, they say, are their greatest challenge and blessing.
Terry Ferren is our first son and fourth child. He was born, March 18, 1953, in Caliente, Nevada, He filled a mission in the Manitoba-Minnesota Mission, where he found and baptized the girl who became his wife. Terry married Sandra Jo Dresen in the Salt Lake temple, October 6, 1975. At this writing they have three children: Thomas Terry 4 Diana 2, and Adam Edward one week old. Terry is completing graduate school toward a Master Degree in Family Counseling at Florida State University in Tallahassee. He has been working part-time in a Clinic. During the past year he has been the Elder’s Quorum President, Seminary teacher and custodian for the L.D.S, Institute building. While they were going to school at Brigham Young University in Provo Sandi ob¬tained two Master’s degrees and taught some Spanish classes. She is now the Beehive teacher in the Mutual and helps the family income by selling Avon.
Brent is our second son and the youngest of our five children. He was born October 31, 1956 in Caliente, Nevada. He had the unique ex¬perience of serving in part of the same mission area and visited some of the same places in which Terry had served. His girlfriend, Debra Lynn Leu, waited for him to come home and they were married March 24, 1973, in the St. George temple. They have one son, Jared Brent, age 20 months. Brent is a student at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, with one year to go before completing his Bachelor’s degree. He is still searching for a field of specialization but is majoring in Psychology. Brent is the Ward Financial Clerk in the 47th Ward, and works for U.P.S. at night. He enjoys playing the banjo and guitar, paints pictures and likes airplanes and gliding. Debbi is a Registered Nurse. She teaches the Laurels in Mutual.
Violet and I started our married life in Lovelock, Nevada where I was teaching school. We were soon to learn that life is not a bed of roses all the time, because within one month I was stricken with tularemia, commonly called “rabbit fever”. The doctor told us that the history of the cases at that time revealed 80% fatal. I was one of the survivors but then Violet took her turn. She developed a toxemia, in connection with her pregnancy with Janet which made it necessary that Janet be delivered by Cesarean section. She had a thyroid condition which necessitated removal of her thyroid gland. Later, during the summer, it was necessary for me to have a hernia operation. Bills were much more than my salary would cover and we wondered how we would be able to pay them. The question of paying tithing or pressing bills was discussed and we concluded that tithing was a must because our faith told us that regardless of what was to come we must keep the commandments. One of our greatest testimonies is our testimony that the Lord really will open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings when we do what He requires. I was soon blessed with a second job which gave us the income we needed to pay our debts.
There was no Church organization in Lovelock when I moved there, but it was not long until we formed a Sunday School and then a dependent branch of the Sparks Ward was created. By this time Violet had joined me. We worked hard to stimulate interest and activity. For a time I was the only one holding the Melchizedek Priesthood. It was a great source of joy to Violet and to see our branch grow from a very few members to over 60 in the five years before we left Lovelock to make our home in southern Nevada. For about nine months I was a salesman and we lived in a mobile home. This was not easy with two little girls. Then we moved into a rental unit in Pioche, Nevada where I was employed as the Lincoln County Extension Agent. After fourteen months we pur¬chased a home in Caliente, Nevada. Our family grew to five children while we were there and we took on the project of adding a complete basement and a large bedroom with a half-bath. It was a great under¬taking for us but a great satisfaction when completed. It was a real family project.
In every place that we lived we felt the great need to be fully involved in Church activity. It was in Caliente that I served as Bishop and Violet always as organist and in many other Auxilliary callings. We built our family organization upon the principles of the gospel. The Sabbath day was sacred and important to us. It was tra¬ditional for us to have our family gather together at meal times, pre¬ceded by prayer around the table in the morning and evening and a blessing on the food at each meal. Our family hours made use of Violet’s and the children’s musical talents.
It was while we were living in Caliente that some very frightening experiences came to us with our children which revealed a special kind of help from the Lord. Janet, about 4, fell out of our car while we were driving 50 miles per hour. Before I could stop the car she was up on her feet and running down the road crying, “Don’t leave me” Even though she was bruised and carries a little scar on her cheek, we felt the power of the Lord’s protection that her life was spared. Then again one day as I was backing out of our garage, Dianne, 3 years old, came out the kitchen door onto the driveway. I did not see her. Our neighbor watching from across the street, said she saw a miracle. It seemed that there was no escape for her but Dianne was lifted over the fender as the car hit her and she was preserved from any injury. Norma didn’t do quite so well. She decided to catch onto the back bumper when I was driving away from our house. Her leg and feet were dragging but thanks to a good neighbor, I was soon stopped. She was 3 years old, Terry too had a close call. He swallowed a penney when he was a year old. It somehow lodged in his bronchial tubes. He was rushed to the - hospital but the doctors couldn’t get it to move. He was breathing with great difficulty. The doctors indicated it would be necessary to take him to Salt Lake City to be operated on. Violet went to the Lord in prayer. As she was returning to Terry he coughed and the penney came flying across the room. The doctor said, “You have just seen a miracle.
Our lives have been full of these great blessings from the Lord to help us raise our children. The last 22 years we have lived in Las Vegas, Nevada. It has proven to be a wonderful place to raise our children. They were active in the schools but the Church and family provided the dominate activity and PL-EC maintained strong ideals and characters.
At the end of 30 years of service with the University of Nevada, I retired and Violet and I were called to serve on an eighteen-month misson for the Church in the California Arcadia Mission. We played a part in the baptism of 45 people.
One of our most memorable family events was when all of our children except Janet who had married, drove to the World’s Fair in New York City. On our way we visited Church historical sites and other places of interest. Brent, who was only 3 years old at that time, said that our car was like a home. After spending 6 weeks in our car seeing the sights of the country, we were happy to get home. We concluded that there is no place like home. Our greatest ambition is to prepare our family to live in and be a part of the great Zion which shall be prepared to meet the Savior when he comes and to receive, as a family, an exaltation in our Father’s Kingdom. We have labored continuously in the service of the Lord where and when we were called, in a variety of callings. My present callings are Patriarch in the Las Vegas Red Rock Stake and Gospel Doctrine teacher of the l4th Ward. Violet is the Spiritual Living teacher in the 14th Ward Relief Society. We leave our testimonies that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the most important element of our lives. We cherish our membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We know that we have a Father in Heaven and that Jesus Christ is His Son and our Savior and Redeemer. We testify that Joseph Smith is the Prophet called of God to restore His Church upon the earth and stands at the head of this dispensation, and that all of our prophets who have succeeded him were called to guide and direct the Lord’s work here upon the earth. We pray that our family will forever be true and faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord and doing His will. We desire to build upon the great family heritage presented to us by our progenitors.
Source: Brent Bunker