Happy Birthday Grandma Pond

September 12, 1908-May 31, 1981

It’s been almost 6 months since I posted a blog. I decided that Grandma Pond’ birthday is an excellent reason to reconnect as a family, since we celebrated Grandpa Pond’s birthday together.

Afton Bernice Fagg was born September 12, 1908, in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was the oldest child to survive birth of Charles William Fagg and Martha Sophia Price.  She had seven younger brothers and sisters. 

I don’t have many pictures of Bernice as a young child but here is one of her as a toddler, another one of her with her siblings about the time she was 8 years old, and one with her family when she was an adult.

Bernice, LaMar, Genevieve

Back row:  LaMar, Louise, Cenella, Bernice, Genevieve, Martha ( Mother), Stanley
From row: Carolyn, Grant

Her father was a butcher. The shop he owned with his brother was just across the street from their home on Highland Drive.  He was so skilled that he was asked by the Church to set up the butcher department at Welfare Square, where he worked for the rest of his career. As children, we would visit our grandparents every month and have many happy memories of playing in this house.

Bernice graduated from Granite High school.

Granite High School

Bernice attended the University of Utah with a major in journalism, but wasn’t able to graduate.  She loved writing and published short stories in magazines. 

She caught the eye of Alonzo Smith Pond, who moved into her ward after his mission with his family.  After a 3 year courtship they were married in the Salt Lake Temple on August 17, 1933.

They are the parents of 3 children:  Douglas William (Beth), Orem, UT, Virginia (Richard) Wheeler, San Jose, CA, and Donna (Weldon) Kitchen, Highland, UT.

Bernice loved being a stay-at-home mom.  The neighbor children all gathered at our home because of the fun activities she was always planning.

Her love for children well suited her as both ward and stake primary president.  Her she is with her stake primary presidency.

Smith & Bernice were totally dedicated to each other.  When Smith died of a heart attack on April 1, 1959, Bernice never looked at or dated another man.

 She returned to college, this time at BYU, and graduated in Elementary Education with a minor in Library Science.

She taught school at Grandview Elementary School in Provo for 7 years where she was the media specialist (librarian).  I have met several of her students years later who credit her with their love of music from the selections she played over the intercom each morning.

Ill health caused her to retire early.  She didn’t control her diabetes, and the disease affected her memory and her ability to care for herself.  Donna, thankfully was still at home, and was able to rent their home to girls attending BYU to pay for her care.  When Richard and Virginia Wheeler returned to Utah in order for Richard to obtain his PhD in Electrical Engineering, They took over Bernice’s care.  Then after Richard graduated, Bill and Donna Mayfield took care of her for the rest of her life.  She died in their home in Colorado Springs, CO, on May 31, 1981, of a stroke.  She is buried next to Smith in the Provo City Cemetery.

Afton Bernice Fagg Pond was an example of great patience, love and service to others.  She had a deep abiding love for our Savior and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  She was totally dedicated to her husband, Smith, and endured the trials she faced well until the very end.  Her posterity is greatly blessed for having her as their example.