Wilburn Talbot

LIFE SKETCH BY WILBURN DUNKLEY TALBOT

After the second trip to the hospital, the goblins and witches finally delivered me to the WC Talbot family in Logan, Utah on 31 October 1937. Most of my small fry days were spent in Cache Valley or various places throughout the US following the Patriarch of our family during WWII.

Boise, Idaho became our new home during the next seven years. I experienced the fun and joys of growing up, participated in various athletic programs, was active in the LDS Church, hunted and fished and did all the various things that accompany the teenage period.

The highlights of this time began one Fall morning during our early morning seminary class when I met and began to date the beautiful and popular Deanna McBride.

Following graduation at Boise High School, my educational interests took me back to Logan and enrollment at USU. During the following two years, it was probably questionable to many whether I was actually attending USU or BYU as Deanna had chosen BYU and, consequently, much of my interest and time was spent in Provo.

My 20th birthday found me in the Northern California Mission and for two glorious years I was given the opportunity to tell the people that the Gospel had indeed been restored.

On 20 November 1959 Deanna and I were blessed with the marvelous opportunity and privilege of going to the House of the Lord to be sealed together for time and all eternity—What a tremendous experience! Smartest thing I ever did!

During the next two years I finished my education at USU where I majored in business management, economics, and military science and was commissioned a Regular Army 2nd Lt. assigned to the medical service corp. My beautiful wife became a mother as our sweet little Jerilyn blessed our home in Logan.

With a commission in the US Army, came our first tour of duty at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas. At Ft. Rucker where I finished helicopter pilot training, our second beautiful daughter, LuAnn, was given to us. Our return to San Antonio was short lived as orders arrived sending me off to the counter--insurgency action in Vietnam. The next year seemed like ten but with the protection and blessings of our Father in Heaven, the WD Talbot family was again joyously reunited. I also served in the Dominican Republic conflict in 1966. At the end of that assignment our first handsome son, David, was born at Ft. Bragg, N. Carolina.

During my military service I was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 28 palms and two with valor, and the Accommodation Medal. I was contracted to fly for the CIA and ended up flying 12 more years for the US Forest Service and later chose a career in business.

We selected Orem, Utah to raise our family and gain more education resulting in securing a Masters and Ph. D in Church History and Doctrine from BYU. This is where we added two more children--precious Kimberly and our fabulous caboose, Vernon. Orem has been our home for 50 years. It was a privilege to serve as bishop and multiple ward and stake callings during this time. With the completion of a Ph. D I was asked to publish my dissertation entitled ”The Acts of the Modern Apostles”. This was a great experience to be able to put in print my testimony and was also requested by Elder Boyd K. Packer to present a copy to each of the current apostles.

What a wonderful blessing to be here on this earth! It’s my prayer that I will always follow the example of righteousness set by my parents and that “me and my house will serve the Lord”.

Family and friends may leave condolences online at www.walkersanderson.com. A LIVE BROADCAST of funeral services will begin at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, November 11, 2020. Military Honors will be performed by American Legion Post 72.