Missionary Moments

My dear in laws were founding members of our stake.  Actually, let me go back.  My mother in law, Mona, was a five year old girl when her grandfather, Charles Heber Dudley went on a senior mission to serve in Victoria! That was around 1943.  She remembers him leaving for the train station in Southern Alberta, and then not seeing him again for a long time.  His wife Bernice, who was still home with their youngest child, eventually joined him in the mission field in Victoria before they returned home together.

Then as a young mother, Mona and her husband Earl Smith moved to Victoria from Alberta on a job transfer that was bound for Vancouver and at the last minute, seemingly on a fluke, was changed to Victoria.  They established their home on the island around 1967 (I’ll need to check that date) and have raised their family here, putting down deep roots in the church.  After these many years, looking back Mona feels certain that her grandfather had been instrumental in guiding their path to the island to build the church here.  Earl served as the district president just before the stake was organized, and Mona served as the first stake Relief Society president.  Since then, Earl has served as Bishop and later as YSA branch president, and two of his sons have served as Bishops in our stake and YSA Branch president, too.  Mona and Earl have served tirelessly to strengthen the members on the island and their posterity, too.  Theirs is a beautiful legacy that I honour and am so grateful for! They are currently members of Victoria First ward. :),

Melissa and Ritchie Smith