******** The following pages represent a brief biography, and it is an extract taken from the Elma Goodrich Lybbert section of the GOODRICH MERRELL STORY Family Book It was done this way so that those without high speed Internet access would not have to wait as long for the pages to load. To read the complete section, go to: To read other sections go to: GOODRICH MERRELL STORY Main Page: GOODRICH FAMILY ORGANIZATION MORE BIOGRAPHIES Scroll Down To Next Page
THE CHILDREN OF ELMA GOODRICH AND JACOB N. LYBBERT Glenn was the eldest of the Lybbert children. Being a country boy whose parents believed children should learn to work as well as play, Glenn learned at an early age to share the responsibilities on the farm cheerfully and willingly. When play-time came, however, he was in the midst of it all enjoying the capers and fun with the neighborhood kids with noisy gusto. He seemed never to be still. Glenn Lybbert But now, on that sobering mid-september day when his mother was taken in death, Glenn felt the full force of the responsibility thrust upon him as the eldest of five motherless children. It would be some time before he could enjoy the old games with the same carefree abandon that he had known such a short time before. School and studies had never been his favorite activities, except for recess and noon when the boys played ball. Now in the eighth grade he began seriously to tackle his books with a determination he had not shown before. He did well in high school and was chosen with a small group of other boys to go to Salt Lake City to represent the agricultural club in 1930. Upon graduation from high school Glenn accepted a call to The Netherlands as a missionary. It was of special interest to both him and his father that he would be serving in the same field in which Jake had done his missionary service thirty years before. As Jake's ancestry on all lines was from the Nordic countries, it had an added interest to both father and son. Glenn quickly learned the Dutch language and had a successful mission with his full share of converts and baptisms. All his family and relatives were proud when he received his honorable discharge two and one-half years later and made such a splendid report at his home ward, 1938. We were happy but not surprised when in the following November Glenn sent back to Holland for a lovely Norse blond to be his bride. She had been born in the Church, her parents having joined before her birth. Her name was Antje Croese, but it soon became almost Americanized to Annie (pronounced Ah-nee). She claimed that the only word on the menu she could read or pronounce in English was "turkey" and, as it was Thanksgiving season, Annie ate turkey from the time she left Amsterdam on the ship until she arrived by bus in Vernal, Utah. Annie has a good sense of humor, and we could laugh with her. It was surprising, however, how fast she learned the English-American language. They were married December 2, 1938. During the war years Glenn and Annie lived in Lehi, Utah, where Glenn worked on government construction projects. It was in Lehi that their second son Anthony (Tony) was born. 99
In the fall of 1944 Glenn and family joined the Exodus to the NorthWest and were among the first to purchase farm land under the Grand Coulee Dam Irrigation project. Glenn's father and wife Orva and their three children followed in 1945. Soon they sent for Annie's mother and brother, Alida and John Croese, and they left Holland to become part of the Mormon "colony" in Moses Lake. Glenn purchased land in Mae Valley near Moses Lake, where he could irrigate with well-water until the big irrigation project was ready. Later they purchased land in block 42 and built a very fine home in Lakeview Terrace for their increased family of five boys--glade, Tony, Robert, Stephen, and Craig--and themselves. Glenn went into the building business to keep himself busy when the farm work was all done. In the spring of 1961 Glenn and Annie and their four boys (Glade was attending school at Annie Croese Lybbert B.Y.U.) were called to fill a labor-mission in the Netherlands. Glenn was to supervise the building of churches, and both he and Annie were to re-activate inactive members. Annie devoted her time especially to the Relief Society. The building was done following the church building plan mentioned in his Grandfather Goodrich's and Frank's histories. Soon after their arrival in Holland, Tony was called to the Austrian Mission. The three other boys entered Dutch schools where they became proficient in the language and were able to keep up with the other subjects also. Tony's mission was successfully completed near the same time as that of his parents, and they were all able to enjoy a reunion and tour of Europe together before Tony returned to Austria to enter the university there, and his parents returned to Moses Lake. Soon Glenn and Annie were called to Canada on another work-mission, where Glenn built churches, and he and Annie both worked with inactive members. The three boys had the experience of changing from Dutch to Canadian schools, both of which were quite different from the schools of the U.S.A. Thus the entire family was able to benefit from a variety of valuable experiences as well as having the opportunity of contributing to others. While Glenn has always been able to make an adequate living for his family, their main wealth lies in their many friends, their firm testimony of the Gospel, and their service to mankind. 100
Four of the five sons of Glenn and Annie Lybbert From left: Glade, Stephen, Robert, Tony. Glade, eldest son of Glenn and Annie, had attended one year at the B.Y.U. when he convinced Carlene Oman, graduate of Moses Lake High School, that two could live as cheaply as one at good old B.Y.U. On December 19, 1960 they were married in the Salt Lake Temple, and they went to Provo to live while Glade finished college. Glade never proved his theory about two living as cheaply as one, however, for by the time he got his bachelor's degree in 1965 he was the father of two daughters. Carlene swore that she knew for a fact that four couldn't live as cheaply as two. Glade took his degree in electronics among the top scholars in his class, so with such good credentials he was able to shop around awhile before settling down to permanent work. His first job was with Hewlett-Packard in California, and he enjoyed the work and good pay. He and Carlene didn't enjoy the crowds, congested traffic, and polluted environment, however, for their growing family. After two years he asked for a transfer to a place near Denver, which they didn't like much better. They tried a year in Alaska, one in Moses Lake, and now are settled in Grand Junction, Colorado, a small city where they can enjoy church activities, outdoor recreation, and family living with their three daughters, Shamra, Meloni, and Shalene, and sons Rolan and Marty. They lost one son, Glenn. Tony, second son, completed his mission in Austria, then entered the University of Vienna. He worked for an electronics company to help pay for his schooling, which he found to be much cheaper than attending universities in the U.S.A. When he earned his degree, he had 101
saved money in the bank, had a new car and a good job with I.B.M. He now has an office in Paris and one in Vienna, and his work takes him all over the continent as well as to the British Isles. He still retains his American citizenship. Robert, third son, came back to Moses Lake to finish high school. Then, in the tradition of the family, he spent two years as a missionary in the Netherlands. Returning to Ogden, Utah, Robert entered Weber College for two years, and now he is attending B.Y.U. He is a friendly, amiable young man whom everyone loves. He is also industrious and spends his summers working with his father in construction. As of this writing, it is reported that he wishes to become a veterinarian. Of course it is quite possible that he may change his mind later. While Stephen was still a very small child his parents noticed certain mannerisms and lack of responses unlike those of their other boys. They took him to clinics and medical specialists and learned that he was incurably deaf. They were determined that his handicap should not interfere with his educational and social development so as soon as he was old enough they sent him to a private school for the deaf in Portland, Oregon. Annie took a course in the Spencer Tracy School in California, to get special training in order to help him when he was home during vacations. Thus Steve learned lip-reading instead of sign language. The three years in Holland and Canada delayed his schooling, especially in the Dutch schools. But as soon as their missions were over Glenn and Annie moved to Ogden, Utah, where they could enroll Steve in an excellent school for the deaf. Glenn went into contracting and construction and Annie worked in a department store to help pay expenses. All these moves and sacrifices proved to be very rewarding, for Steve was an apt student, a good athlete, and an excellent craftsman. He became an Eagle Scout, winning many awards, among them the "Duty to God Award". He was president of his seminary class and was in great demand as a guest speaker throughout his stake. Theology had been his favorite subject, and he kept a well-organized file of clippings and printed items that may be useful in his speeches. Stephen was graduated from a public high school with high grades in 1972. He had left his "deaf" school in junior high. The following summer his family was very proud when he accepted a call to the regular British Columbia Mission. He will teach and speak as other missionaries do, without having to confine his efforts to the deaf alone. Such love of the Gospel, of learning, of service, and such perseverance should be a testimony to all of us. All of Glenn's and Annie's boys are tall and handsome, and Craig is the last but certainly not the least of them all. He is the tallest and the only blond one. He has completed high school, but our "sources" have not been able to inform us of his future plans. Two years ago his father said that Craig appeared to be interested in building and construction--that at that time he was able to read a blue-print, build a cabinet, or fit a joint as well as the best man on the crew. So as of this writing, it seems that decisions are pending for Craig. 102
The Glenn Lybbert Family Posed in native dress while on Netherlands labor mission, from left: Craig, Annie, Glenn, Stephen, Robert. Absent: Glade at B.Y.U. and Tony on mission in Austria 103