Jim and Janice Stephenson of Nephi-If you don't know them you otta!

Although I missed the recent 87th birthday of Jim Stephenson, I hope this will help make up by way honoring he and his 82 year old first and last marriage to Janice, originally a Crosland from Holden. It seems a little backward that Jim is older than this writer, and yet I knew his father and mother more than I knew Jim. While in high school I worked with his father at the Juab County Mill and my mother and Jim's mother were best friends. Jim's forefathers arrived in Nephi with Pioneer names of Warner, Bowers, Goble, Kendall and Price. He learned the art of great work ethic, which youngins don't seem to be familiar with. He worked on the farm; plumbed with his Uncle Clyne Leavitt; service stations in Salt Lake, Grand Canyon and Nephi; then 4-D; Hercules, knowing what the Minuteman Rocket was before the Media did; Nephi City when it was just him and Huck Jackson in the water department; Thermoid; Salesman for Greenwoods; US Army, then Juab County road work for 18 years. Janice was born in a home with two important rooms-a bedroom and kitchen. The Outhouse was in the back with a #2 Wash Tub for baths. Her family moved to Bullhead; California; Stockton; Tooele; Levan, then to Nephi while in the 9th grade. She was and is a classy gal, so in 1955 when Juab High started football, she was elected Miss Football. Her good friends are listed as Arlene Stephenson, Carlene Malmgren, Vona Poulson and Karen Gardner. Most folks in town remember Ray Kelson of Ray's Cafe, but Janice thought highly of Deon Kelson, as she lined her up with Jim and she fell in love with him. They have been holding hands since 1955, and you can see; hear and feel the ora of their love today. Further interrogation showed Janice said the most important ingredient in marriage is to have the same interests and they do, being with family and camping. Jim didn't shy away from being truthful, and said "It is knowing when to keep quiet and when to say something".  I don't think I know their kids of Michael, Bart, Lori, Curtis, Jan and David, but you know they are good people, as the parents gleam with smiles when they speak of them. In addition to being employed as an a gracious Matriarch, Janice made school lunch from scratch for 27 years; babysitter and farmer. As a kid, about the only "wild thing" Jim did, was sneak behind the dance hall and watch dances. That was located where the Unwanna/Dairy Queen/TJ's and Nephi Western now is.