DJALMAR AUBREY LUND
I, D. Aubrey Lund, was born June 23, 1916 of parents Aagot Marie Randby and Djalmar Emanuel Hansen Lund at their home at 677 West Capitol Street, Salt Lake City, Utah. At the age of six, I attended the Washington Grade School until I reached the seventh grade. At the age of thirteen our family moved to 266 Douglas Street. In that area I attended Bryant Junior High School for two years then I graduated from East High School. After three years of studies, I attended the University of Utah. After two years, I received a letter from my sister, Mrs. J.B. Brockman who resided in Seattle, Washington, asking me to come there and work with my brother-in-law, J.B. I worked there for a year and then returned to Salt Lake City where I worked for Snelgrove Ice Cream Company for a period of three years. I left that company to work for Christian Construction Company during the war years. Christian Construction was employed by the Utah Copper Mines. My next interest was learning the trade of dental mechanic so I went to work for the Salt Lake Dental Laboratory.
Our new home was located near the University of Utah so the family attended the University Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. In May 1945, while I was attending a sacrament service one Sunday, I sat next to a medical doctor and surgeon named L.H.O. Stobbe. He had his suite in the First National Bank at the corner of First South and Main Street. He began asking me questions about my interests. After talking for some time, he asked me to come to his office to look over his equipment. The following day, I went to his office. He had an examining room, two recovery rooms, a room with medical supplies, a surgery room, and a laboratory. Everything appealed to me, so he told me I could start working the following week. I worked with Dr. Stobbe as a technical assistant until June 1949.
I regularly attended the University Ward and was very interested in their various activities. Bishop Lynn S. Richards called me into his office one Sunday to tell me he was calling me to go on a mission. He asked me what language was spoken in our home. I told him Norwegian because mother was the most talkative. Then he told me he was sending me to Norway on a mission for the church. He asked if there was any way to finance it. I told him I didn't think so. He said that there would be a way. A few days after, Brother John Firmage, who was a member of the bishopric, came to our home and told my parents that he wanted to pay for the expense of my mission.
By the middle of July, I was on my way by train with ten other missionaries, two going to Norway, two to Denmark, three to Sweden and three to Finland. We were to travel to New York where we would board the passenger ship, Gripsholm, a Swedish liner. After five days of travel, the Gripsholm entered the Swedish port of Goteborg. The ten missionaries split up and five days later traveled to their own assigned countries. My traveling companion and I boarded a train to Oslo, Norge. There we were met at the station by one of the district presidents. He took us to a restaurant for dinner and then we went to the Mission President's Headquarters, Osterhausgarten 27. There we were assigned sleeping quarters and stayed in Oslo for two weeks. We were assigned to our specific towns and senior companions. My first town was Horton, a small fishing port. I labored there for nine months with Elder Smith and Elder Carlston.
I was then sent to an immense valley (Odalen) or the O valley. Skarnes was the small town where shopping was done and bathing. Elder Daines was my senior companion. We used bikes for our transportation. The valley was located thirty miles north of Oslo. Here it was bitter cold in the winter. After nine months, I was sent to the city of Kongsvinger just north of Odalen. The city had a small population so it didn't take very long to cover the area. After six months the city was closed to missionaries.
My companion and I were sent to the city of Drammen. We labored here for five months, then the mission president called me into Oslo to complete my mission after six month. The president made arrangements for me to sail to New York on the liner, "Queen Mary," a British ship. After my six months were over I took a trip around Norway, going to the lower section toward the coastline, visiting Tonsberg, Larvig, Arendal, Kristiansand, Stavanger, Haugesund, and Kristiansun. It was at this place that I took a sailing trip into one of the fjords. The next city I visited was Bergen. This is about the third largest city in Norway. I stayed over here with the missionaries and we watched a parade the following day. The next city I visited was Hardanger. Here Elder Lowbrot, his companion and I went sightseeing together. He explained all about the various places we visited. We took a boat ride through a waterway. The following Sunday I attended one of their meetings.
Leaving Hardanger, I headed further north, taking a train to Tronheim. One of the elders met me at the station and together we went to their residing place. Here I stayed overnight. The following day, the senior Elder told me of some beautiful falls that were located up towards the mountains. So I thought I would take a good hike to see what it would look like. The falls were fifteen feet high cascading over a steep incline. Tronheim is almost in the center half of Norway and at night the Northern Lights can be viewed. They are eerie looking and very irregular in design and changing from time to time.
I wanted to see Stockholm, so the following day I boarded a train for Sweden. The oncoming countryside was thick with green foliage and tall slender trees. This was a seven to eight hour train ride before reaching Stockholm. Here there were magnificent, inspiring sights. The street cafes were very unique and quaint. Parts of the city were built on islands. I took a tour on one of the sightseeing boats. On the tour the guide mentioned the King's Palace. So afterwards I thought I would like to see the palace and especially the interior. The entrance fee was only two and a half kroner. This was an exciting experience. The interior throughout the halls and rooms was exceptionally elaborate and magnificent and very spacious in size. The guide took us over to the throne room and we had he opportunity to sit on the throne if we wished. There was a special room for officials and clergy. After viewing all the interior we left the palace to see other exciting places of Stockholm.