Biography of Hortence "Tennie" Egbert (EGBERTS)

           

Hortence Egbert was born December 29^th, 1914 in Logan, Utah to Christina Nyman and Archibald Egbert.  Her ancestors were Scottish, English, and Swedish pioneers who joined the church in its early days and followed the Zionist dream to Utah.

            Tennie’s older sister Shirley was only 19 months older and the two soon became best friends.  The family moved a few times before settling down in Afton, Wyoming where Shirley and Tennie started school together in the fall of 1920.  As a young girl, Tennie excelled in school, enjoyed music, and cooperated in her dad’s practical jokes.  Tennie’s father was also a born athlete and passed his talent down to his girls.  Tennie’s mother worked off and on as a teacher or manager, perhaps influencing Tennie as she also worked much of her married life.

            The family moved again and settled in McCammon, Idaho in the summer of 1927.  Amoung other jobs, Tennie’s father taught at the high school and the girls participated in basketball and track.  Tennie also started dating in McCammon at the age of 13.  She had a mind of her own, was fun-loving, and outgoing, and therefore was popular with the boys and girls of the town.  As her father became interested in first a chicken farm and then a dairy farm, the family moved to Midvale, Utah in 1930.  Tennie spent her senior year at Jordan High School where she missed her friends and her small-town atmosphere.  The chicken and dairy farms didn’t pan out, so Archibald moved his family to Smithfield, Utah and began a veterinary practice.  In the fall of 1932, Tennie and Shirley started college at Utah Sate Agricultural College (now Utah State University) in Logan.

            Tennie was surprised one day to receive an invitation from the older boy down the street to the Gold and Green Ball at the college.  Vincent Victor Larson and Tennie had fun and dated for six or seven months, but they broke up when Tennie felt Vince was getting too serious.  In 1934, Tennie was called on a mission to California where she served the Lord with all her might, mind and strength.  She returned home in April of 1936.  When Vince (who had moved to Washington D.C.) heard she was home, he came for a visit.  They struck up their friendship again and became engaged in a week.

            Tennie and Vince were married at Christmastime in 1936 in Washington, D.C.  They lived there for seven years.  Tennie enjoyed their ward, their friends, and the political society, but especially becoming a mother.  Her first two children were born during this time.

            When the United States entered World War II, Vince joined the Navy and the family was transferred to Galveston, TX.  Tennie was a born leader and was soon involved in the war and with the other women on the base.  When Vince was ordered overseas, Tennie and her two small children moved back to Logan to be near her family.  Although Vince was never in danger, the time was very hard for all war wives.

            When Vince returned at the end of the war, they bounced around again while he tried to find a good job to support his family.  Their second daughter was born in Salt Lake City but they finally ended up on Arizona where they found stability, joy, and time to be together as a family.  Tennie’s last two children were born in Arizona.  Tennie helped the local missionaries, worked in the PTA, raised her children and worked for the school district.  As Tennie’s children graduated from High School, she encouraged them to go to college.  She enjoyed their independence and gloried in their successes.  She was proud when her oldest son decided to serve a mission in 1960 and enjoyed every detail of her oldest daughter’s wedding.

            Vince received a promotion shortly after and the remaining family picked up and moved to Denver, Colorado.  Again Tennie found the best schools for her children, ingrained herself in their ward and found a good job.

            Early in the spring or 1964, Tennie began to have health problems and went to see her doctor.  Her doctor discovered adeno-carcinoma of the colon, which was highly fatal.  Tennie’s family and friends were shocked, but Tennie researched her illness and calmly accepted what might happen.  The doctors operated and gave her chemotherapy and for a time, she thought she might overcome, but she had a recurrence that December and her health continued to fail for the next year.  She was very courageous and often had to comfort those around her instead of the other way around.  She was happy to see friends and family that visited and coped with the painful complications of her disease.

            Tennie passed away January 28^th, 1966 with her husband at her side.  She is buried in the Smithfield Cemetery, in Smithfield, Utah.