Item Detail
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Stockman, Margaret
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1900-
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MSS SC 398
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Materials related to Margaret and Herbert Stockman
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In this diary, Margaret Stockman records her experiences, thoughts, and the events that happened while she and her husband Herbert served as mission president in Edinburgh, Scotland. The diary begins on the day of their departure from Salt Lake City Airport, September 14, 1964, and their subsequent journey to Denver, New York, on to London, and finally ending in Scotland. Margaret and her husband did not have a place to live upon their arrival, and so spent the first week or so in a hotel, trying to become accustomed to the time change and new altitude.
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Collection contains two pieces: the first is a book with 'Missionary Diary' written on the front. 'Herbert G. Stockman' is also written on the front cover, in the lower right-hand corner. The diary contains 193 written pages, beginning September 14, 1964 and ending June 23, 1965. In it, Margaret records her experiences in Scotland, beginning with her long flight across the Atlantic, and continuing with her missionary work in Scotland. Margaret and Herbert were able to move into a small apartment which cost them a little more than $56 per month. Margaret tells of the beautiful countryside, the extreme cold and winds of 84 MPH, and of her experiences with the missionaries. In one entry, Margaret tells of how a missionary had to be ex-communicated from the church, for 'girl troubles' and how sad she was at the event. She also tells of the exhaustion she felt in the beginning, not being used to the time change and low altitude. In another entry, Margaret tells of how on one of her first Sundays in Scotland, she somehow slipped on the stairs of the meetinghouse and fell on her hand, breaking it. Though she had trials and difficult times, Margaret was upbeat and didn't record many negative feelings. Margaret states that the meeting house of the area was cold and poor, but that they had 57 people at sacrament meeting. She and her husband spent much of their time reactivating members, traveling to different Primaries and Sunday Schools, and trying to motivate the missionaries to do their best. The couple worked closely with the Northern Scotland Mission President, Pres. Jensen and his wife. Margaret and her husband often spoke at meetings in many different cities, and attended study classes. Margaret took care of the missionaries who became ill, one of them undergoing surgery for appendicitis. She also made holidays cheerful for the missionaries, going as far as to help make Thanksgiving dinner for 205 people. Also included in the diary are a few newspaper clippings, including one reporting the transfer of President Jensen to a California mission. There is also a letter from an Elder Johnson, expressing his love for the Stockmans. The second piece is a larger book, a replica of the first book, with the pages of the previous diary photocopied and bound together.
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