Veldon C Izatt

The term BFF is usually associated with teenage girls, but I can´t think of any other designation to describe my 85 year friendship with Veldon . This friendship started when we moved to the house next to the sawmill. The next few years that we lived there, we had many great adventures , using the sawmill as our playground. Veldon was a year older than me so when I started first grade a year behind him, we became school playground friends, and this continued on through grade school and high school.

When I was in the seventh grade, and Veldon the eighth, the school principal moved me over to the eighth grade side of the room, so I graduated with Veldon and we attended high school together, taking almost all of the same classes .

When I was 13 years old, I got a surprise gift of a motor scooter, and Veldon and I spent many Sunday afternoons exploring the lower Valley, particularly up on the east side as far as Turnerville and Bedford.

We formed a boys quartet when I was about 12 years old and we called ourselves the funeral quartet because our signature song, the hymn "Oh My Father," which we sang at funerals all over the valley.

When we graduated, I went to down to Rick`s college and Veldon, soon after graduation, married his high school and hometown sweetheart Veloy. I was very happy about this, as I also had fond memories of Veloy. In grade school, our school lunches were not really something that I want to think too much about, but they had a rule that you had to eat everything on your plate before you could leave the lunchroom. I remember Veloy sitting by my side , patiently coaxing me to get through my food so I could go outside during the lunch hour and play. So, as I said, I was well pleased that he had chosen this very sweet, beautiful eternal companion.

Veldon was working in the mill while starting to raise a young family, when he decided it was time to further his education and he attended Ricks and BYU, where he obtained an education degree, and no one was more pleased than I was when he was able to return to the valley as a school teacher in our high school, where we had shared some good memories.

I rejoiced with him over the years at his many accomplishments, including being called as Bishop of the Freedom Ward, and later when he announced his retirement, and was chosen as the commencement speaker for high school. I have to admit I shared some tears at these accomplishments.

Veldon was in charge of our 20 year high school reunion in Afton. We drove up from California to attend the reunion. The classmates still in the valley, had seem him gradually lose his hair until he was almost totally bald. What our classmates didn´t know, since I had attended very few reunions over the years, was that I was also bald, but at this time I was wearing a toupee, so Veldon and i cooked up this little stunt. During the program where they recognized classmates for various things, he said they were giving a prize to the one with the least hair. He looked around and said "well I guess that´s me." I stood up and said "just a minute Veldon."

I went up to the front of the room and we walked out into the hallway where I quickly took off my toupee, and put it on Veldon and we walked back into the room. I think the phrase "brought down the house" is appropriate here, as they laughed for so long. I remember one laughed so hard he was out of the chair and on his knees.

I heard that that Veldon had bought the old school house where we had enjoyed so many things together, but one thing that wasn´t so enjoyable is when I was in the 3rd grade, I was unjustly accused of throwing a rock through a window after school. It was a traumatic thing for me. I still remember sitting in tears as the teacher and the principal quizzed me about this, and I ask Veldon if we could do something to help me get past this memory. He said sure, so we walked through the field, picked up rocks and proceeded to break out some of the remaining windows in the school.

I know that the "forever" in BFF, means we still have some exciting adventures ahead of us!

I met the family of a Veldon Izatt while he was attending classes at BYU in Provo, Utah. I went to elementary school with Lorene. I was and continue to be very impressed by the Izatt family. I have a lot of fun and fond memories of them. Please accept my condolences, grief is a difficult thing but Families are indeed forever.

I had veldon as a teacher when I was in high school.. he was one of my favorites. My deepest sympathies,
Tamra Nield Furqueron