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My children and I went on several trips. Arlo had to work and never was able to go with us. We went several times to Los Alamos, where Keith and Erma lived. A few times my sisters, Doris Faye, LaRue and Barbara and their children went at the same time. We went to Bandalier Indian Ruins, the Laboratories where they worked on the atomic bomb. Keith worked in one of the places were they did some kind of scientific research. That was always fun.

My dad, Ted Bingham worked in LosAlamos when they were working on the atomic bomb. Of course he didn't know what was going on there. He would work away from home in the winter, sometimes, when the farm work was done. and the boys could take care of the farm. Mom sometimes took him to work, so she had the car. At other times he rode with someone else. At that time there was not a very well finished road up the mountain and it was a scary ride. There was a gate at the entrance where nobody could pass, without a pass. I never went with them to LosAlamos then, because I stayed home to keep the house and whatever I had to do.

When we went up to visit Keith and Erma, Keith or Erma had to come to the gate and sign a pass, so we could go in. The gate was there for many years. It is no longer there.

We also went to Pueblo and visited with Nona and her children. One time we went in the VW pickup and it stalled and we had to find a ride home. Tom Rogers brought the pickup home in one of his trucks.

Arlo was pretty good about our little mishaps. I guess he was accustomed to our car problems. Sometimes we went through cars like women go through hosiery. I never had a car of for my use after our little Plymouth car was no longer usable, until Arlo bought Elma and Boyd's used car. It was short lived. Doris Faye took it to Alamosa to get some things for Grandpa Dunn's funeral and the car caught fire and that was the end of my car. I only had Arlo's pickup or one of my children's cars. I don't think I can even name all of the cars we wore out or wrecked.

Our Christmas' were special times. We had a hardwood floor, that had to be waxed and polished by hand. It was beautiful when it was polished. When Arlo and I married, he had never really celebrated Christmas the way we always did. He didn't think we needed a Christmas tree. I told him that when the time came that I didn't have a Christmas tree, he would know that I was too old. I have always had a tree. His family were very poor and didn't buy Christmas presents. Arlo learned to love Christmas. One of the traditions that we had was on Christmas Eve. we did the story of the birth of Christ and after had a family testimony meeting. Everyone didn't have to bear testimony, but everyone told of their love for each other and how special our family was. I believe that is one of the things that helped Arlo gain a testimony of the Gospel. He loved Christmas. He would sit in his chair by the fire and watch the lights on our beautiful tree. It shone on the floor where the floor was polished.

Arlo loved beautiful things. He was really interested in Bonnie Lynn's ballet concerts. He would watch an opera on television. He loved good music. Those are things that helped me to know how deep and sweet his feelings were for good thing.

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I don't remember the year that we moved to our home on 3rd street. A lot of things happened while we lived there. Arlo was still working for Boyd Pagett. We lived across the street from Elma and Boyd. Grandma Dunn had died and Doris and Verden moved into Grandpa's house. Loyd and Cathryn still lived in Manassa. Keith had married Erma Rae and Leon Married Jean, LaRue and Harold were married. Barbara was alone with her children. Doris Faye and Bill were married. Our lives were surrounded by family. Isabel and Alta had died.

Arlo's back was doing good. He worked from daylight until dark at the station. He loved fishing and hunting. Those things took his off time. I took the children and went to LosAlamos and visited with Keith and Erma and their family. I think Barbara and Doris Faye went too. We also went to Pueblo and visited Nona and her family. We went in the VW pickup and it broke down in Pueblo. We had to find another way home.

Larry got Brights disease and when I took him to the Doctor. (Dale Thomas), He said we needed to take him to Denver, the next day, to a specialist. That night I took him to Alamosa to the hospital, because he couldn't go home. Before we I took him, we went by Mrs Brothers, Jerry Dunn was the and gave him a Priesthood blessing. We waited in the waiting room for about 3 hours, because they didn't have a bed for him. The hospital was full. It was getting late and Dr. Thomas hadn't come yet. I decided to go home and get some things ready to go to Denver the next morning. I hadn't been home long when Dr. Thomas called and said that Larry's blood pressure had gone so high that he didn't know if he would be alive until we got there He said that he was going to give him a shot that could be fatal. All of the way to the hospital, I prayed that whatever was best for Larry would be. When we got there the shot had worked and his blood pressure had come down. Arlo took us to Denver the next morning and Larry was admitted, then Arlo went home. That was in January and it was so cold in Denver, I wasn't prepared for that cold. I got a room close to the hospital. I walked to be with him each morning and back to the room each night. The temperature didn't get above zero the ten days that he was there. That is the coldest I have ever been. Larry and I rode a bus home.


I think it was earlier when Bonnie Lynn had surgery to correct her eyes. Later Bonnie got hit in the ear by someone when she was swimming and got an infection in her ear. We took her to the doctor right away, but they couldn't stop the infection and it destroyed her ear drum. I took her to Denver, where she had surgery to replace the ear drum. It was like a miracle. She didn't loose any of the hearing in that ear. She couldn't go home so we stayed in Denver for a week and then we went to Nona's for a week. We couldn't take her over a mountain pass, because it would have too much pressure on her ear. We had to wait two weeks.

We took her back several times for check ups. I think all of the children went with us and we went to shows and ate at a restaurant where they had a toy train that ran around the the top of the restaurant. We also went to the museum while we were there.

TO BE CONTINUED--8

Keith Edward Bingham

Keith was the oldest child of Ted and Cora Dunn Bingham. He went to school in Manassa and Romeo. He graduated from Romeo High School in 1945. He spent sixteen months in the Navy in 1945 and 1946. He has worked as a laborer, a truck driver, an iron worker for 17 years and then finished his work career as a field engineer and quality assurance supervisor for the Zia Company in Los Alamos, New Mexico.

Keith married Erma Rae Reynolds in Sanford, Colorado. ... Six children blessed this family. Keith and Erma and their six children were sealed for time and eternity in the Mesa Temple on January 3, 1961.

Both Keith and Erma have held many church callings during the years in Los Alamos. Erma has worked in Primary, Young Women's and Relief Society. Keith has been a scoutmaster, stake missionary, branch president and counselor in two bishoprics. The The Bingham family has lived in Los Alamos, New Mexico for more than 45 years.

(We'll depend on Keith's family to add more to this history published in 1993.)

For the complete historoy, see pp 73 - 75 of History of the Ancestors & Descendants of Simeon Harmon and Anna Buletta Jensen, Compiled by Vera Olivier, Published privately June 1993.

Family at Dad's funeral (Keith Edward Bingham)

Many family members came to be with us at my Dad's funeral. Back row: Kelly, Barry, Doris Faye's husband, Doris Faye, Harold, Gatha, LaRue, Leon and David. Front row: Laraine, Barbara, Sue Ann, Mom (Erma Rae) and Dick. We were so glad to have these wonderful people together.



On March 9, 2008 my father passed away in Belen, New Mexico. My brother, Kelly, directed the construction of a beautiful casket for Dad. It is made of pine and cedar wood. All of my brothers and Sue Ann's husband, Keith, and many grandsons helped to make this beautiful casket. Sue Ann and I lined it. My brothers added Dad's brand. See the BoxK on the lid? In this picture, David, Laraine, Kelly, Mom, Sue Ann, Barry and Dick are standing by the finished casket.



My Dad's siblings came to be with us for the funeral that was held in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Doris Faye's husband, Doris Faye, Harold, Gatha, Barbara, LaRue, Leon and Mom (Erma Rae) are in this picture.

Visiting Family

Leon, Bonnie Lynn, Don and Gloria went to Belen, New Mexico for Keith's funeral, and on Friday evening we had dinner with Erma and Keith's family. The ward provided it. All of Keith's children were there and most of their grandchildren also. Loraine lives in California, three of her children are married and 2 of them are not. Dick and Cindy live in Los Alamos, I don't know about their family, Sue Ann and Keith live near Provo, We saw all of their chidren but I don't know about them. Barry and his wife live in Los Alamos. I know his wife's name but I can't think of it. Kelly and Ruth live by Belen. We didn't have time to get acquainted with them as I would have liked. The funeral was wonderful. The boys and grandsons and sons in law made Keiths casket. It was beautiful It was made of white pine with cedar panels. The girls made the liner. The funeral was good. The children did the talks and music. It was a real tribute to Keith. We returned home on Saturday after the funeral. Don and Bonnie had to be to work on Monday.

On March 24 I flew to Phoenix and Joe and Doris Faye picked me up at the airport. I spent the night and the next day with Doris Faye, getting her final things done before moving to Phoenix. On Tuesday Erma came and we rented a car and went to a motel. It was nice spending time with Erma. We went to the temple then helped get things ready for the wedding the next night. All of Doris faye's children were there. Joe and Darla came first. of course. Warren and kathy live in the valley and Carl and Naelene live in Mesa, I think. Pam and Philip live west of Phoenix so they were already there. Jacob and Ellen live in Minnesota. So does Joe and Darla. EJ lives in Alaska. There are a lot of grandchildren and some great grandchildren too.

The wedding was very nice and they are so happy. Erma and I went to Sun City West and saw Rex and Nancy. On Friday night Bonnie and Gloria came. We had breakfast with Leons three girls and Jay and Kimberly. That was special. We went to Phoenix on Saturday night for a reception with Bert's children. that was special too. On Sunday morning, Bonnie and Gloria came home. It was a good trip. Doris Faye and Bert are very happy.

Los Alamos

Dad worked in Los Alamos after it had been a boys school. They were preparing for the atomic bomb there, He worked in the winter, when there wasn't so much to do on the farm, so there was some cash. Sometimes Mom would take him to work so she had the car. some of the other kids rode with them, but I never did. Keith and I usually stayed home to do the chores and keep the house. They told us that the roads were awful in the winter time. They can be bad now. I think they must have been terrible. Dad said the they built a building that had six foot thick walls. He couldn't imagine what they were doing there. He worked there as a carpenter.

After Keith came home from the navy, he went to Los Alamos and lived with Bud Richardson's family. That is where he met and married Erma Rae. There was a time when we went to visit, we had to wait at the gate for them to take us in. People were not allowed to just drive in. They had to have a pass.

While Dad was working in Los Alamos, our cellar burned down. It was a big potato cellar and it was big enough to park our car in it. Luckily the car didn't burn. Our lights were out and the fire engine came. It was a scary time.

Dad had a lot of talent. He could do most any job. One winter he worked at Pando, a place where they trained soldiers to ski. That was for skiers who went into Germany through world War II. It is in Colorado mountains. He did carpenter work there too.