Vernon Delbert Leu Autobiography
Vernon Delbert Leu was born on May 3, 1931 on the Eppler farm in Pierce County Neb. 1 1/4 mile north of Norfolk, Nebraska off Hwy 81. Dr. John Calvert delivered the baby and I still have the cancelled check Dad paid for me. All of $40.
My mother is Irene Johanna Antonettie Schlueter and my father is Ernest Carl John Leu. I have one brother Lowell Lloyd Leu born May 5, 1936. My mother’s birthdate is 25 April, 1900, born in Cuming County, Neb. My Dad’s birthdate is 19 Apr 1900 Pierce County, Nebraska. My father was a farmer, a blacksmith and once the mayor of our town, which was called Hadar. I lived in that town until I left for the Navy at 17. When, as a child, I did something wrong, it was my mother who told on me and my Dad did the punishing. Especially if it was something wrong I did at school. There the teacher punished with a stick and then Dad did too.
My nickname as a child was Slivers because I was so thin. Later on Grandma called me Skipper while I called her Mickey.
I wasn’t a disobedient child but just loved to follow Dad around. One time I was told to stay home and got mad and threw the pliers through the window. Another time I wanted to go with Dad in the fields and he said no, stay home. I followed him into the cornfield and when they went looking for me all they could see was my towhead among the corn tassels. Another time I went with Dad to town and on the way back it had rained and the road to home was mucky and full of ruts. Dad always had to gun it to make it up the road. I got excited from being bounced around and yelled, “ Turn it off Dad!” When Dad didn’t the I reached over and turned the key off. I got into trouble for that too
Winters in Nebraska can be harsh. I had to walk to my parochial school and the public schools in Hadar. It seemed to be miles and miles. Most of the time I could ride the pony over, but in the cold, when I had to walk, it seemed to be horrible. When I went to High School, I had the family car and drove the 7 miles into Norfolk High. And of course, when we had cattle or pigs to sell, I drove the pickup to the sale barn.
Wintertime brought out the sleds and we had such fun sliding down all the hills on our farm. Summer time was spent stump fishing in the Norfolk River. I remember one time Dad and I went stump fishing and I held the bag while he and the others chased the fish my way. I stepped into a deep hole and when they looked for me, all they could see was the top of my white hair floating on the water. I held onto the bag tho.
As kids we all hung out in what is called a gang now. We just were friends and did everything together. We snuck behind the Pastors shed and got into the sacrament wine, tried smoking cigars and got sick, and stole watermelons from neighboring farms. Once I took Grandma on one of our first dates out snitching watermelons. We broke them on the bumper and ate only the hearts of the melons. Yum, really good, until the next morning when that neighbor came up to talk to Dad. I was really scared that I got caught. Instead he left a bunch of fresh melons for our family. (I think he knew I had been part of the kids that stole them from him) I felt like dirt and sooo guilty. Marie never could get over that we kids would do that. I felt so guilty, I never did any of that anymore. We did the typical farm kids jokes on Halloween of tipping over the outhouses etc. Really sounds like we were bad kids, but we really had very little time to do anything other than work
I was a shy kid and never had a lot of dates. Once I really liked this new girl in town and didn’t want anyone to know, so I would meet her at the store where we would just talk. My friends saw us and I got into so much trouble as she had a really bad reputation that I hadn’t heard of. My Dad really gave it to me for being with her and being seen!
Family reunions were always on somebody’s farm. We kids would just hang out and play kick the can or red rover or tag and hide and seek. We loved the 4th of July because every one got together and shot all the fireworks we accumulated. Many a scorched finger, never kept us from shooting as many as we could. Really fun!
All of the pets we had were working farm dogs and cats to get rid of the mice. But I had a really good solid relationship with my parents and brother. Ours was a simple life with no extras. If we saw a movie, it was the free ones on Sat night out on the ballfield.
My parents raised me in the German Lutheran faith. Our services often were in German and nearly our whole town were in the church school I went to. In church children were meant to be seen and not heard. When you walked in the front door, your mouth stayed zipped shut until you walked out that door. I was confirmed as a Lutheran at 12 yrs. A big thing in the Lutheran church.
In High School, I played the saxophone in the band. We traveled around the state and had music camps we went to. When Alice Dawson came to town to be our music director, we all decided to put on the opera Carmen. I got to be a guitarist in a small ensemble and dance in a small group with Marie. As a Senior we had the annual Hare and Hound Race with the juniors. I left my new watch with Marie while I went on the race. When I left for the Navy upon graduation, I left my Sr. ring with her. She gave me hers when she became a Sr. I lost hers overboard at sea, and she lost mine in a snowbank Neither of us found each others rings!!
Upon graduation, I left for the Naval training station in San Diego, Ca. Boot camp was tough but it sure turned me into a man. I was a pretty naive kid when I joined up. After Boot Camp we were sent to Boston for duty on the carrier USS Philippine Sea. After spending a few months in drydock, we went to sea operations off Greenland, a shakedown cruise to Cuba, and later, Korean War broke out.
I had the misfortune of being in Boston at the time of the famous Brinks robbery. Three of us sailors took our dates to a movie house and then to a fast food place afterward. The cops walked in, cuffed us, took the girls home and us to the station. Our ship was in Providence, RI and we were concerned about getting back by 6am or be AOL. About 2am, the cops brought in one of the Brinks people and asked him to identify us. He couldn’t do it so we made it back to the ship at 550am. So much for my reputation in crime. Makes for a great story tho. After the Korean war broke out, President Harry Truman extended my 3 year stint in the Navy to 4 years. Our carrier, the Philippine Sea, was the flag ship and I had my hands full as the radio man; keeping all the messages and teletypes sent where they needed to go. It was very noisy on an aircraft carrier especially where the radio men slept. We saw many exciting landings and some very sad and traumatic non landings of planes all shot up and unable to make it. Our ship was sent around the Panama Canal to the west coast and on to Japan where we were stationed for a year. I didn’t get home any to see Marie . One time when we were on the west coast I came down with hepatitis and was hospitalized for 6 weeks and then sent home to recuperate where I then came down with appendicitis. Wow! I was then on the Princeton, another flagship and carrier. Both ships were great ships and I made many wonderful friends. One of which was my best man at our wedding on Dec 28, 1952. I was released from the Navy in October and right away Marie and I got engaged and then married in December.
While Marie was teaching in Irwin, Iowa, I went to school in Omaha. Also had a new job with the Union Pacific RR. After 3 months tho, I was offered a huge promotion if I would transfer to Las Vegas, Nevada. Marie quit her teaching job and we left for Vegas, having no idea where we would live in that sinful city. We stayed in Salt Lake City, Utah for a 3 week training, which lasted only a week when the guy in Vegas retired early and if I wanted the job I had to rash on down. So our second honeymoon was driving down from Norfolk, Nebraska to Salt Lake, Utah, to Las Vegas, Nevada. We had a wonderful trip in our little convertible with nothing but our suitcases, an ironing board, and a TV. that is all. So we lived in motels while I got trained in the UP office and then when Heldorado began, our motel rates went way up. We had found no apartments in town, and not a house to rent. Finally we found a new housing tract off of 17th street and Walnut, 2009 Walnut actually and we fell in love with a little 3 bedroom concrete block house with swamp cooling, a 1/2 acre of land, and all appliances, including a dishwasher, (which nobody had back in Neb.) There we found wonderful friends, a great home in which all 5 of our children were born. Michael Steven was born first on April 12, 1954, we lost him at 5 weeks with crib death. Then Debra Lynn was born on June 21, 1955, and Kevin Douglas was born August 28, 1956. Cynthia Marie was born on June3, 1959 and Jaymes Randal was born August 23,1961. What a wonderful family and great kids.
After seven years, I quit the Union Pacific as there seemed to be no way to advance for many years. I found employment at the Nevada Test Site north of the city about 65 miles. I rode the bus at 6 am and got home 6:30 pm. I really enjoyed working there for over 28 years. Before I started they were still doing atmospheric tests. We would sit on the top of the roof of the house and watch the mushroom cloud. Of course that was banned before I began working there. My office was above ground but all my work as liaison between the Army and the government and EG&G was underground in the tunnels.
We moved from Walnut Ave to 4312 Esmeralda, which was way out at the edge of the town when Kevin was in Kdg. We lived there 40 years. During all this time we met many LDS people who became our friends and fellowshipped us without us even knowing it. We joined the church in 1967. We took our family to the temple March 17, 1968, where we all were sealed for time and eternity.
We moved again to 7560 Coral River Dr, way out in the northwest in Centennial Hills in January 2001. Here we all are very happy in our stake and ward. We just finished an almost 6 year stake mission to the High Desert men’s prison in Indian Springs Nev. We grew to love them as our family and feel that we have made a deep impression on the 20 some men we have met with and guided spiritually, we hope, they have made a deep impression on us, that’s for sure. We have served a full time mission to Kaua’i, Hawaii proselyting and teaching mostly locals, and loved it. We have been temple ordinance workers twice, and have served 2 missions at the Family History Center. We both have served many positions in ward and stake callings. But our greatest calling has been as parents and grandparents. We are so proud of them all and love them so very much.
About a year after I retired from the Test Site, on Sep 10,1988 we bought Latter Day Book with our daughter Debbi and son in law Jerry Malone. It was a wonderful adventure. We had no clue what we were doing, but took over without closing the store. First day in the store, we walked thru and I said to myself, “What have I gotten myself into?” Re said,” I’ve lost my freedom. I’m not sure I’m ready for this.” Oct. 4,1988, we blessed the store and dedicated it to the Lord. I raised my voice and asked for the Lord’s blessings and guidance be with us. And to be a partner and help us in our missionary efforts in the store. It worked.
We worked the store for about 10 years, left Kevin in charge while we went on our mission and then worked another 2 years before we retired again, leaving Elaine Glenn in charge to manage. The store was going downward ever since Deseret Book moved to Vegas with 2 stores. A Mom and Pop store cannot compete with a big corporation. But it was a grand time and we wouldn’t exchange our time there for anything. We sold books, artwork, music AND the gospel as we taught missionary lessons in the office upstairs. It was great.
I do have a testimony and am so grateful for the Gospel in our lives. I thank my Heavenly Father for the blessings we have been given and especially for the wonderful family with which we have been blessed. I know Jesus Christ lives and is the Son of God and our Savior. I know the Gospel is true and am so grateful for a living prophet today to lead and guide us back to Heavenly Father. Of these things I testify. Amen.
Source: Vernon Leu