Patty Davie Butts, My Story

I was born in April of 1935 To Grant and Muriel Beth Davie. I recall my mother telling me that I was the ugliest baby she had ever seen. I was premature and she said you could see every vein on my head. My mother was only 16, and it may have been overwhelming to have such a fragile baby Maybe that's why she gave me to my grandmother, Lenore Mathews, to raise for a while. My grandmother was truly a saint. She was without guile. Everyone called her "Mother." She was tender, had a terrific sense of humor, and was selfless. She was an angel on earth. When I was six months old I went back to live with my parents. At 18 months I fell in a small stream and nearly drowned and would have had it not been for a German Shepherd that pulled me from the water. The earliest memory I have is in Kingman, Arizona where my father was the foreman of a coal mining crew. One day I dropped a toy down the mining shaft. Several weeks later I recall it being pulled up on the rickety elevator covered in coal dust and mud. My next memories were when I was five years old and my father took me to the ward movies and sometimes to church. My parents were not active in the church, but I loved going to church. However, it did not last, We moved from that ward to Crystal Avenue in Salt Lake City where I started kindergarten, at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School. We made friends with the Jess and Jessie Johnson family and my childhood was filled with fond memories of making sand sandwiches with huge cottonwood leaves, playing dolls and making holly-hock dolls, walks to Fairmont Park where we went wading, long bike rides up Memory Grove and to the State Capitol Building, and swimming. We had an apricot orchid on one end of the street and we dried the pits of the apricots and ate them like nuts. On one corner of Crystal Avenue was "Fat's" Gas Station where we bought tons of penny candy and on the other end was Zissi's Root Beer Stand where we bought small iced mugs of root beer for two cents. We were the sugar kids. I was seven or eight when WWII broke out and we were fiercely patriotic. Fences were painted with "Kilroy was here." I remember war rationing of sugar, tires, butter... Victory Gardens, .... We were constantly singing "When Johnny Comes Marching Home," and "Over Here, Over There, " and other songs like "You're a Grand Old Flag..." How we loved America....the land of the free. We had a shed in our back yard and we put capes around our necks and jumped off pretending we were Superman. Not something I would recommend for our grandchildren. We played all kinds of games. Baseball in the middle of the street, run sheepy run, kick the can, hide and see, red-rover, red rover,. My favorite were the mulligan stew potluck parties where everyone brought something and we cooked it over an old barrel with a wood-burning fire. My father had a beautiful tenor singing voice and sang many Irish songs...Toora-Loora-Loora...that's an Irish lullaby, O 'Danny Boy, My Wild Irish Rose, and many more. Shana Johnson was my best friend growing up. Later my daughter, Jennifer married her son, Tim Cunningham. When I was in 6th grade we moved from the tiny home on Crystal Avenue to 3900 South and 4th East, just a block away from my grandparents, Leonard and Lenore Mathews. I loved the visits to their home. For My birthday I usually received a silver dollar and a bag of Jelly beans from them. While in that ward I was baptized in the font at the Salt Lake Tabernacle.... the building that my great-grandfather helped build. The Sacred Grove It has probably been 8 years since we went to the Sacred Grove but it was one of the most spiritual experiences of my life. “As I walked through the Sacred Grove, I knew I was on holy ground, The Spirit was so strong, I cried most of the walk. I knew without a doubt that God the Father and his son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph Smith and restored the gospel, There was a peace and serenity there that I have never before experienced, I wanted to share it with all of our family- with everyone. I testify that that Jesus is the Christ, the gospel and Book of Mormon is true, and Joseph Smith is a prophet.” July 2015 A letter written to granddaughter Sarah Butts on a mission in Atlanta Georgia Recently Someone asked me "Who is God!" Underneath that question was a lot of scepticism..and even unbelief. I did not debate that question, because a man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still. However, I am now 80 and my time left on earth is short and so I want to testify that I know that God lives and that Jesus is the Christ. To me he is a personal God who loves all of His children equally. I have not seen Him but have felt His divine influence in my life. on many occasions. More than 20 years ago I found out I had liver cancer and thought I was going to die. I had been plagued with chronic fatigue for four years prior to that so had a very fragile immune system so knew I could not do chemo therapy and my doctor knew that too. I recall walking into a chapel and seeing a large portrait of the Savior and as I looked into his eyes I heard Him say to me, "You are going to be okay." It was penetrating and real and I did not doubt it. My doctor put me on a vegan diet, I had parasites and went on a parasite cleanse and within five months I was in remission. I have felt his guidance in my life when as a mother of seven I returned to school and was finishing up my Bachelor's degree when I was given a blessing and was told I would be able to serve the Lord better with my degrees. I completed my Master's degree in Ed Psych. and went on to work with many single women, and then on to be a school counselor and private therapist for a number of years and was blessed and guided as I helped others. Again when I desired to get a doctoral degree in Holistic Nutrition and there was a pull for me not to do this, I was told in a blessing this was what the Lord wanted me to do. Later, I felt impressed to become certified as an Emotion Code practitioner. I believe that each one of us is here on a divinely appointed earthly mission. My concern is have I done enough, am I doing what the Lord wants me to do. There are so many times in my life when I have felt His hand on my heart, some to spiritual to mention. I know without a doubt that my Redeemer and your Redeemer lives. The Book of Mormon is true ....we have three witnesses who heard the voice of an angel and saw the plates, and twelve who saw the plates.