The Car Accident

Gerald is standing with his mother, Ita.  

They are standing in front of the lilac bush in Chino Valley.  

This bush still exists today but has gotten much bigger.

The Car Accident Story:

Ita was riding with Gerald in a car.  They were coming through the intersection of Perkinsville Road and 1 East in Chino Valley where on the northeast side of that intersection, there was farming type vegetation, possibly corn, that grew and obscured the visibility of drivers.   Gerald and Ita were hit by a bean truck and the impact of the collision threw Ita from the car causing her hip to break. 

At this time, Gerald was engaged to Dora Johnson and she lived a country block down the road from where this accident occurred.  Gerald sent someone to go get James Gerald Johnson, his future father-in-law for help.  When James Gerald Johnson arrived, Gerald asked him to assist in giving a priesthood blessing.  This request impressed his father-in-law that Gerald would be willing to make this request in front of all the people that had gathered at the scene. This act of Gerald blessing his mother helped James Gerald Johnson to be more accepting of his daughter marrying Gerald.

Medical helped arrived and Ita was treated for her injuries.  For the remainder of her life, Ita suffered pain in that hip she broke that day with Gerald.  However, she also said that it was worth it because that accident gave Ormus a wake up call.  Ormus decided that he wanted Ita for not just this life but for all eternity.  Ormus gave up his cigarettes, became active again in the church and got himself ready to take Ita to the temple.  Ormus and Ita were sealed to each other on the April 6, 1950, the same day that Dora and Gerald were married in the Mesa, Arizona Temple.

Sometimes prayers are not answered the way we think they will be but they are answered.