Nita Taylor Cundick

“The first time I was in the old Murray First Ward was in January of 1954. We organized a quartet of Jean Kennaston, Delores Lunnen, Janet Zabriskie and myself. We won the Mt. Jordan Stake contest and went on to the District Quartet Festival which was held in the Murray First Ward. As we got to the ward, there was a restroom close to the front door. The door was open at the time so we went in to comb our hair before we were to perform. Jean and Delores went out and upstairs to the chapel, while I waited for Janet. I looked at the door. In big letters it read, “MEN.” Just about that time, a small boy came up to me and said, “You had better get out of there.” We left, went to Jean and Delores, and told them we were in the “Men Room,” and they remembered they had hung their coats up there. They went down to get them just as a man went in. They waited until he left, then one went in to get their coats, while one waited outside. We did not win anything, we were one of the youngest quartets participating in the contest. It was a fun and a nice experience.

When I married, where did we settle down? In the Murray area, when Murray was all one stake. They had a Murray Stake Singing Mothers Choir in April of 1969, and we practiced and put on the Easter Program in the old First Ward Chapel. I wonder why it was built like a theater with the congregation seats at different levels. The stained glass windows and the design were very different from other wards, and beautiful. This was a great place to put on a concert. Everyone could see the front of the room. I admired the windows and thought it was a beautiful place. I also went over to a high school graduation held by the Mt. Vernon Academy. What a building for a school! Did the children know what a building they went to school in?”