In April 1968, before leaving the mission field, I met with my mission president (President Homer Satterfield) for my departure interview. During that interview, President Satterfield promised me that if I would remain faithful, I would meet the woman I was to marry within 6 months. I believed him and fully felt I would meet a choice woman that I could take to the Temple and be sealed to. I returned home on April 2nd, and just four weeks later (April 28th), I met Jenny Marie Mendenhall (aka Castleberry).
It was Stake Conference Sunday for the Palo Alto California Stake. On that same day, a short time after the conference, I got a phone call at home from Claire Brush the wife of my good friend, Lyle Brush. At the time, Lyle was in the U.S. Army and stationed in South Vietnam. While I was in the mission field, Lyle was drafted into the Army. He met Claire in New Jersey while he was in training, and they were married shortly after that. Anyway, Claire called me on that Sunday afternoon (April 28th, 1968) and claimed she wanted to meet me because “…Lyle had talked so much about me.” I learned later, this “meeting” was really an effort to set me up with Jenny.
I agreed to meet Claire that evening at the home of her in-law family (Lyle’s parents). They lived about a mile up a winding canyon road in the foothills of Cupertino, CA. I think our appointment was at about 7:00 or 8:00 PM, but I do remember that it was dark as I drove up the winding narrow canyon road. I was driving my brother-in-law’s bright Orange 1965 Mustang Fastback. It was a real “hot rod.” Karen and Roland had borrowed my little four-door Pontiac Tempest Lemans for a family trip and I was stuck with the hot rod Mustang (I was having a ball). Anyway, the canyon road was a single lane road with a single wide spot in the middle to allow oncoming cars to pass each other. As I was driving up the road, I met a little red Austin Mini coming down. We passed each other in the wide spot, and I didn’t think much more about it. When I got to the house at the top of the road, Claire met me at the door and invited me to come in and have a seat in the living room. She was very pleasant and friendly, and I was pleased to meet my friend’s wife.
About five (5) minutes later, another car pulled up outside and in walked Jenny. This was the first time we’d met and the first time I’d ever seen her. Claire introduced Jenny as her roommate (they were sharing an apartment/room in the house). I remember thinking how cute she looked. She just stood there smiling beautifully and exchanging pleasantries with Claire. Her hair was cut short, tapered in the back, and curled on top. She was thin and wearing a black and white print dress that was tapered around her waist and extended out fully and down to about the level of her knees. It was kind of a “bobby sox” look, but with an attractive dress and dressy sandal shoes. She was very beautiful!
I stayed for about an hour and we talked mostly about my mission and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They asked me many questions and I remember getting a distinct impression that the questions were well thought out (I was being tested). In my best missionary form, I taught them key elements of the “Atonement Discussion” developed in our mission field. To many people, I might have sounded like I nerd who couldn’t let go of his mission, but not to Jenny. She told me later that this was what she wanted to hear. She was looking for a “Priesthood Man” with the fire of the Gospel in his testimony. Before I left, Jenny and Claire asked if I would be willing to help them move into another apartment. I agreed, and we set a time to meet.
Moving Jenny and Claire to their new apartment wasn’t that interesting, although it was the beginning of about three weeks of my spending time with both Jenny and Claire. In addition, we enjoyed many trips to the Oakland Temple and then on to San Francisco. On one such “date,” I was the appointed tour guide for some of Claire’s younger sisters who were visiting from back East, and who were not members of the church. Jenny and Claire wanted me to teach them the Gospel while we all sat on the terrace balcony at the temple. It was a good experience and I remember feeling the Spirit guide my thoughts as we sat there on the balcony of the Oakland Temple overlooking the beautiful San Francisco Bay. Anyway, while I was enjoying all the social life with Claire and Jenny, I also wanted more private time with Jenny. I had a hard time getting the courage to just ask her for a date …alone, just the two of us. I wasn’t sure she’d say yes. After about three weeks, I finally worked up the courage and popped the question. “Would you like to go out to dinner together, just the two of us?” She said yes! I found out later that she had been hoping all along that I’d ask her out alone, but she was beginning to doubt I ever would. In fact, she told me later that she was about to give up on me.
Our first date was to Alioto’s #9 on Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. I took her upstairs to the formal dining room, and we sat at a window table overlooking Fisherman’s Wharf. I remember that I had Crab Louie Salad, but I can’t remember what Jenny ordered. We spent a wonderful evening together and it was the start of a wonderful relationship.
It was easy falling in love with Jenny. I felt good just being near her. She had a spiritual testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, she was beautiful, she was athletic, she was wholesome, she was happy, she was intelligent, and she always made me feel that I was important. She was fun to be with, and I was always proud to be with her. Everyone that knew Jenny, liked Jenny, including my mother and family. I also knew that Jenny liked me because she was a very honest and straight forward person. But, after one of our dates, I saw another spiritual side of Jenny. She wanted us both to read each other’s Patriarchal Blessing. So, rather than ask me directly, she “accidentally” let her Patriarchal Blessing fall out of her purse and onto the floor of my car. Later that evening, she called me and asked if I’d look and see if she’d dropped her blessing in my car. I found out later that she dropped it on purpose hoping I would read it. I did! And then, on our next visit, we both share our blessings with each other. As we sat in my car outside her apartment, we read and shared the contents of our blessings. They stood side by side beautifully. I was falling in love with her. She was so beautiful, faithful, honest, and cute. I remember telling my mother, “I think Jenny’s the one.”
Our courtship was very healthy. We planned a lot of daytime activities that took us to San Francisco, the Oakland Temple, Golden Gate Park, Stevens Creek Reservoir (near Cupertino), the Redwood Forest at Big Bend State Park, Santa Cruz, the beach, and Pinnacles National Monument. One of our most memorable outings was a Young Single Adult Conference at Asilomar State Beach on the Monterey Peninsula. During that weekend, I felt so happy to be a close friend of Jenny’s.
However, our promising relationship became very strained in June 1968 when April Cassel returned home from her extended trip to Europe. April and I dated seriously before my mission. We met in 1965 while attending Institute Classes at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, California. I was the Institute Class president and April was the class secretary. We became an item, and she was the one I left to serve a mission for the church. She was also the one I hoped would continue to write me; and she was the one I hoped would be there when I came home. Sadly, her letters trickled off during my mission; and, when I returned home, she was gone on a long vacation to Europe. When she returned in June, April called me, and we began to renew our relationship. Not wanting to end my relationship with Jenny, I remember thinking (wrongly) that I could date both girls until I was sure which one was “the one.”
It wasn’t long before Jenny realized I had “another friend.” These things are hard to hide. Anyway, one day after returning from a date …with Jenny, she confronted me in the car. I tried to justify my behavior, but she would have nothing to do with it. Jenny wanted me to decide (right then) between her and April. She insisted! “It’s either me or her,” she said. However, I liked them both and wasn’t ready to decide. Jenny was the best; she seemed perfect! But April had been my heartthrob for so long, and I just wasn’t ready to let her go. So, I told Jenny I wasn’t ready to decide. At that point, she got out of my car and walked away. I watched her in my side mirror as she walked away. She was wearing a cute white and yellow top, soft yellow pedal pushers and flats. I was conflicted and felt I may have made a big mistake. Jenny was firm about this. She would give me time, but she would not be involved and would not participate in a shared relationship with me and another woman. She turned her back on me and walked away. With mixed emotions, I began to reignite my relationship with April.
Throughout this time, the War in Vietnam was in the back of my mind. Because of my church missionary service, I was given a two year “military deferment.” However, after my missionary service, I was directed to report to the military draft board. At the time, I was certain I would not be accepted because I had “a heart murmur” or something that almost kept me from serving a Full-Time Two-Year Mission for the Church. So, I confidently reported to the draft board. They scheduled a physical for me, and much to my surprise, I passed! I was told I’d receive my Army draft notice in the mail within the month. Well, before I got the draft notice in my hands, I stopped by the Air Force recruiter’s office and joined the United States Air Force. I entered Active-Duty military service on September 8th, 1968.
During my basic training period, April wrote to me often. But when I entered advanced technical training, her letters began to taper off …and then stopped all together. During that period, she was a student at Brigham Young University, and I could clearly see she was losing interest in developing our fading relationship, and I was okay with that. So, in my limited spare time, I began “other” social and cultural activities.
My technical training school was at Lowry AFB near Denver, Colorado. I was training to serve as an Air Intelligence Specialist, and my focus was on aerial photography and imagery interpretation. It was very interesting, and I enjoyed the school. In my spare time, I also loved skiing in the mountains, biking in and around the city, and attending church young single adult activities. The church was strong in Denver, and there were many good latter-day saints. They had an active young single adult group, and they actively included the young military servicemen attending “tech” school. I was surrounded by good, faithful, young latter-day saints. We had many social activities, and I associated with many good people including beautiful young ladies, and I was very happy. But overtime, I began to have serious and prayerful concerns about my future. I wanted to have an Eternal Family.
Thoughts of Jenny began to occupy my mind. I specifically remember thinking, “I have never been as happy as I was when I was with Jenny!” In time, I decide to write to her. Without revealing my true feelings, I wrote a “Dear Friend” letter to her. Sadly, there was no response. So, I wrote again. Still no response! I wrote again. Still no response yet again! I was getting worried. I was afraid she would never respond and never forgive me. (I later learned that Jenny’s roommate was intercepting my letters. She was “protecting” Jenny.)
Then, in January 1969, I came up with a plan. I called my mother at home and asked her if she ever sees Jenny at church. “Jenny meets in our building, but she’s in another Ward,” Mom said. “But yes, I do see her occasionally.” (Mom always loved Jenny.) I told Mom I would be flying into San Francisco International Airport (SFO) on Friday, March 21st (1969). I explained my desire to see Jenny and my plan. I asked Mom if she would contact Jenny, tell her that I’ll be arriving at the airport, tell her that she (my Mother) can’t be there (lie to her!), and ask Jenny if she would be willing to help by picking me up at the airport and bring me home. Jenny agreed and the plan was afoot.
Now, in the U.S. Air Force at that time, if you were considering marriage, you had to first go to a military chaplain for an interview and get his signature on a consent form. So, before I left Denver, I met with a chaplain and on the form, I had to specify a planned marriage date. At the time, I wasn’t even sure if I was going to get married. Regardless, I had to put a date on the form, so I wrote April 15th and put the signed form in my pocket. At the time, it was just a random date. I had no idea what the future would hold.
A few weeks before graduating from technical training, I received my follow-on assignment orders. I was being sent to RAF Alconbury in England. Before I traveled, I knew I would be home (near Jenny) on leave for about a month. If that was the case, and if Jenny and I were to consider marriage, I figured I would first travel to England, get settled, and get ready for Jenny to join me. Then in the Fall, I would return home for the wedding/honeymoon; and finally, I would return with Jenny to our new home in England. That’s what I thought!
On Friday March 21st, I flew into San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Upon arrival, I sat outside the arrival gate and watched for Jenny coming down the concourse. Of course, she arrived fashionably late to pick me up. But she was so cute wearing a wool blue and white one-piece dress with a collar and short sleeves. When I first saw her, my feelings were confirmed. She, on the other hand, appeared to be all business. She was there to give me a ride home, and that’s it. Well, during the ride home, the barriers came down and she softened up to me. We talked and laughed, and the old feelings began to come back. Eventually, I got the courage to ask her if she had any plans that day. She said no, and then agreed to spend time with me (a date). (I later found out she did have a date that evening but decided to call and cancel it in lieu of our date.)
After dropping off my luggage and changing clothes, we met up again. First, we drove in her white Dodge Dart to the Oakland Temple. After walking around for a while, we drove to Alioto’s #9 on Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco for dinner. The Oakland Temple and Fisherman’s Wharf were favorites places for both of us. After dinner, we walked to Ghirardelli Square for some ice cream. While there, we walked around and talked and laugh. I remember looking at her and thinking, “I love this lady.” Anyway, before we went home, we planned another date together on the very next day, Saturday March 22nd.
Saturday was glorious. We spent nearly the entire day together and I was more convinced than even to ask Jenny to marry me. That evening, we stopped at Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream store for a treat, and then I took her home to her apartment. Once there, we had a hard time saying goodnight, so we went for a short walk around the park across the street from her apartment. It was in that park I proposed to Jenny. I remember the agony she put me through while I held her, face to face, and she thought about the question. It seemed like forever. But, after about the longest minute of my life, she said “Yes!” Then, Jenny wanted to go straight back to her apartment at that moment to call home to tell her Mom.
The next day we attended church meetings at her ward, the Stanford Student Ward. Her Bishop was a dignified and very young Henry B. Eyring. Of course, Jenny mentioned our engagement to Bishop Eyring, and he immediately scheduled personal and private interviews with both Jenny and me. I remember it was a respectful but searching interview …with me. Apparently, I passed the test.
On Monday, I met Jenny at her office for lunch. There she introduced me to her boss, Keith Garner. Keith was an impressive man. He was the General Manager at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and Jenny served as his Executive Assistant. Keith also serving as the Regional Representative of the Twelve Apostles for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the San Francisco Bay Area. When I shook his hand, he said “So, you’ve decided to get married on April 15th.” Apparently, when Keith asked Jenny earlier what date we had set, she said April 15th, the same date I gave the military chaplain before I left Lowry AFB. April 15th was just three weeks away! To be clear, as I mentioned earlier, I was thinking in the Fall 1969. But at that moment, the decision was made and the date was set: Tuesday, April 15th, 1969.
So, on Jenny’s schedule, we were married and sealed on Tuesday, April 15th, 1969, in the Oakland California Temple. Sadly, our honeymoon was short lived. Four (4) days after our union, I was on a flight (alone) to London, England. But happily, a month later (on May 17th), I met Jenny when she arrived at the London Heathrow Airport, and we spent the first four (4) years of our life together in “Jolly Old” England.
by Scott A. Edgar
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