Elder Olson

After much deliberation and delaying, I finally accepted a call to serve a mission not long before I turned 21 (mission age was 20 at the time). After an operation in 1956 (or December 1955?) to repair a hernia, I received the letter in April 1956 calling me to the West Central States Mission. This mission covered all of Montana, the western halves of North and South Dakota, and most of Wyoming (except for the S.E. and S.W. corners and the Jackson and Star Valley areas).

I reported to the mission home in Salt Lake City on 17 May, 1956. I stayed two weeks there in the old mission home on North State street, just above the eagle gate, for training. I proceeded by Greyhound Bus to the mission home in Billings, Montana. My first mission president was Samuel Allen Hendricks of Richmond, Utah, and Malad, Idaho. About half way through my term he was replaced by a Pres. Simmons from Ogden, who was released three months later for illness. The next mission president was Casper W. Merrill, from Richmond, Utah. Both Pres. Hendricks and Pres. Merrill grew up in Richmond and knew my mother and the Doty family well.

I served as "junior companion" until July 1957 when I was made "senior companion" to Elder Morris Slack. I received an honorable release in May of 1958 at Billings and returned home via bus, arriving back in Logan on 19 May 1958.

Mission towns in which I was located were: Billings, Baker, Forsyth, Townsend, Montana; in Wyoming, Thermopolis, Saratoga, Casper, Ft. Washakie and Lander. Many times I was able to play the piano for meetings, etc.

(from Larry Olson Life History)