When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A symphony conductor. And when I was really little I wanted to be a fireman.
Did you have any childhood crushes?
I had a crush on Maxine Robinson in 6th grade. I followed her home from school one day so I could see where she lived.
What else do you remember about your childhood?
I taught myself to play the piano by sneaking into the county fairgrounds and playing on the piano they kept there. I would also sneak into church to play that piano. I lived in Salt Lake City until we moved to Murray between 2nd and 3rd grade. I had a lot of good friends growing up, and I really loved that. I learned how to be a good kid from them. I can't remember disliking anything about Murray. But in the winter I had to walk to school with Bobbi, and it was 2 miles each way. If we had lived one block further, we would have qualified for a bus ride.
What was your favorite school subject?
Music.
What was one of your first jobs?
I was a Fuller Brush man while working my way through college. I had to buy the product before trying to sell them. By the end of the summer, I not only had not many any money, but was so in debt to Fuller Brush that my parents had to pay back all the debt and help me pay for college.
What do you know about your birth and infancy?
I was born in Holy Cross Hospital. When we lived on Denver Street my Father made me eat everything on my plate, whether or not I liked it. That meant I got good at hiding my food in different places.
How did you get your name?
My maternal grandfather is named Roy Gorham, and my paternal grandfather is Martin Ellefsen, so I'm named after both of them.
Tell me about your siblings:
I have a younger brother, Vern, but he is 7 years younger than me so we didn't do much together. Bobbi is only 2 1/2 years younger and we have always been close. She took care of me. When I really needed something, I'd tell Bobbi to ask for it because my Father gave her anything she wanted.
Besides your family, who had a positive impact on your childhood?
My Scout Master, Paul Kuhni. I loved him. He was the Dad I always wanted. I worshipped him. He was also my Deacon's Quorum Advisor, so I started going to church, even though my Father hated it and would say horrible things about the church. I thought the name of the church was "those d**n Mormons."
What extra-curricular activities were you involved in?
I played tennis fanatically when I was in high school. I loved tennis. There were county tennis teams that would play each other.
What do you remember about your grandparents?
Well, let's start with the Gorham side. Grandma was a Christian Scientist. She converted from Mormonism. All Christian Scientists take their turns in a reading room, so she'd take me along. It was just extraordinarily boring. Then we'd go home and she'd fight with my Father, because he thought she was trying to convert me. Besides the reading, I enjoyed staying with my Grandma Gorham. Grandpa Gorham was quiet and hard of hearing. He was a railroad man, and raised gladiolas and other flowers that would supply many of the flower shops in the Salt lake area. I didn't know him very well. He was an engineer and drove the train. He read novels constantly. I think that's where I get it from. My Great Grandma Sarah Gorham (Roy's mother) came to stay with us one time for several days while my parents went somewhere. Bobbi and I changed into our swimming suits to get ready for swim lessons at the Murray Pool. My Great Grandma was so was so disgusted that boys didn't wear shirts while swimming, so she made wrap gauze around my chest so my nipples didn't show. Grandma Ellefsen was born in Denmark and came to the United States in about 1916. She was a professional cook, and her food was amazing. She is the reason we are all food oriented to this day. At Christmas time she would bring this enormous box of exotic cookies for us, and they were the centerpiece of Christmas. I never knew Grandpa Ellefsen. He died in a train accident when my Father was 6 years old. Grandpa Ellefsen was an avid classical music fan, which he passed down to my Father and then to me. I've always loved classical music from the time I was a little boy.
What do you remember about your early school days?
I went to Arlington Elementary, which is now the Murray City Hall. I remember going to school one day believing that the world had come to an end because Dwight Eisenhower had been elected as President, because my Father hated him so badly. Now I admire Eisenhower.
Did you have any favorite teachers?
Mr. Judd was my English and French teacher in high school. I wanted to be just like him, so now I teach English and French.
Tell me about your parents?
My Mom was a very sweet lady and a good mom. My Dad verbally abused her, but I got along very well with her. My Dad hated boys and we never understood why. He loved Bobbi though. He was a traveling salesman and was only home on the weekends. That made me happy because I really didn't like him and feared him.
What do you remember about your teenage years?
We mostly hung out at the county fairgrounds, which was basically the same thing as the park. That's where the tennis courts and swimming pool were. There was also a swamp there that had frogs in it. I had a lot of friends, but a Canadian boy named Robert Russell was probably the closest. Robert's Father had an old ambulance, so we'd drag Main St. in the ambulance. Except for tennis, I wasn't athletic because I was skinny and scrawny, so I had to figure out a different way to fit in. that's when I realized that a sense of humor could help me be socially accepted. Girls like witty people too; not just jocks.
What has been a challenge for you in your life?
Being a parent. It's the hardest thing I've ever done. Getting a PhD was easy compared to being a Father.
What do you think is your greatest personality trait?
Sense of humor. The ability to find humor in most things.
What lesson did you learn from raising children?
Spend less time worrying about them and more time loving them.
What are some of your greatest accomplishments?
Getting a PhD from Florida State, the Easter Choir in Mt. Pleasant (which is nearing 25 years now) and I think I'm an excellent teacher.
What is the greatest lesson life has taught you?
If you stay close to the church you'll be happy, even when you can't explain why.
This picture of Roy and Brynlie was taken in the summer of 2006.
1 comment:
Oh, I loved this one too. It's amazing how much you've gotten from these interviews.
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