Happy Mother's Day!

 Today we spotlight our two beautiful Hiatt family Mothers

Diane Robertson Hiatt

15 May 1941 – 25 May 1987

    Diane was born to George Victor Robertson and Cornelia Lucile Shurtleff Robertson at the Payson

hospital. She was a very happy baby and brought joy to their house. She loved the outdoors, and animals.

According to her sister Janell, “Diane loved the story of Heidi and the goats. I think when we hiked she thought she was one of the goats or at least a deer like Bambi. She always had to be the first to the top-a

little bit of a tomboy. One time, Dad took her deer hunting when she was about 13. She was thrilled to death and the only girl there”.  She was always up for an adventure- boating, horseback riding, skiing, hiking, climbing trees. 

    While she attended school at Spanish Fork High School, she enjoyed participating in pep club, seminary

, softball, 4H club, playing violin, and dating.  She graduated high school in 1959.  Then worked for her

brother Don at his dental office as a dental assistant. 

She attended BYU among her required studies was a Book of Mormon class, and skiing (2 of her favorites).

There she met Duane. Her Dad had died of cancer when she was 16, so when she needed dating and marriage

advice, she turned to her older brother Don. Through discussion and prayer, she decided to marry Duane

on Dec 15, 1961. Throughout her years while juggling all the darling babies that joined their family,

she still found time to volunteer in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Serving in the primary,

young women, and Relief Society organizations. 

    She was devoted to her family. Her brother Don had these sweet words to say about her life after she passed:

“As this one-way gate was approached, we could all see that the important things in her life were all in place:

• A life of obedience to the Lord’s commandments.

• A life of unselfish service.

• A noble loving mother to all of her children and a willingness to receive and care for them. 

• Obedience to all of the ordinances including the glorious sealing ordinance

• by which she has the assurance of being a queen mother to this family forever.

• A remarkable achievement of overcoming the materialism of this present age and

• being true to eternal values.”

    Don’s wife Carolyn shared her thoughts about Diane as well: “She was always the same,

always bubbly and cheerful and uncomplaining. She took time for the things that were most important,

and had fun with her children. Her values were in the proper places. She had a strong faith

and testimony of the Church, and used it as a guide throughout her life. One one occasion, we talked about

what might happen if we would die and leave our husbands. We both agreed we would want them to marry again.

Sharon is loved and appreciated by every member of the Robertson family, and is looked upon

as an ideal wife and mother of the Hiatts.

 

        

                   Sharon Lee Johnson Hiatt

                                                                       Born 31 January 1948

Question 1: What are some details about your experience in the BYU choir?

    During high school I met a blind girl who was in the same “advance placement” regional

choirs I was. She attended the Idaho State School for the Blind, which was in the same

regional division as Burley High School, my school. She was moderately interesting to

me, and had a big soprano voice that I thought might go places. When we were high

school seniors we were both in a big Snake River valley-wide community choir that

presented Handel’s “Messiah” for Easter. She sang the soprano solos. As a senior I

was also the president of the Music Club at Burley High School and helped organize

hosting for the students from the blind school when our school hosted a big regional

music festival. Part of my job was to organize the volunteers who would be individual

friends and guides to the students from the blind school while they were at the festival.

How I admired those students who signed up to be volunteers. As for myself, I had no

clue what to say to the blind students, and shied away from the opportunity to befriend

them. At BYU I met Wanda again. This time I would learn what to say.

    

    We were in the same 150-voice choir, the BYU Oratorio Choir, she singing soprano and

I singing alto, as usual. Our choir was to sing for the Tuesday campus devotional a

couple of weeks after school began in the fall. We sang “Oh, my Father.” She sang the

second verse as a solo, accompanied by the soft humming of the rest of the choir. The

first time we rehearsed with Wanda’s solo most of us couldn’t sing as we heard her

beautiful voice and the words, “For a wise and glorious purpose Thou hast placed me

here on earth, And withheld the recollection of my former friends and birth....” It actually

took me a few times rehearsing that verse before I could sing instead of choke

back tears.

    There was a girl, Betty, in my daily 8 AM music theory class who was late every day. I

learned it was because she was Wanda’s “reader,” a paid assistant for blind students to

help them with reading and writing when braille materials weren’t available for the blind

to read for themselves. The two of them came to school together every day-- late. Betty

was from Texas, and loved to do southern cooking, but since she lived at Helaman Halls

and ate in the cafeteria she had no opportunity to cook. I gladly gave her a couple of

my dinner nights to delight our apartment with Southern Fried Chicken! (In our

apartments we ate together in those days, living family style, with job charts, and dinner

and dish nights, and family prayer together. We had a ball! I love the memories! We

were bridesmaids for each other [what’s the each other—I was a bridesmaid to each of

them....], and were truly like sisters.) When Betty came to cook, she brought Wanda.

So we became friends of sorts.

    As BYU sophomores Wanda and I again ended up in the same choir, the prestigious

BYU A Capella choir, which was planning its first-ever European tour at the end of that

school year. This would be the opportunity of my lifetime—to see Europe! It was a

performance and learning tour. Betty was with Wanda in the choir, and would be her

tour guide. But midyear, Betty got engaged and had to choose between getting married

or going on tour. There was money for only one or the other. She chose—wisely, I

think—to get married rather than wait another year. So that left Wanda without a guide.

    Somehow I had always felt I would be close to Wanda, but hadn’t known what to do

about the feeling. We were in the same campus ward that year. She came to me at a

ward activity and asked if I would be her guide. Wow! That was a scary lot of trust she

was placing in me. It was also just a scary thing to do. She patiently worked with me to

make sure I knew what to do, and to make sure she also felt secure with me. That tour

was one of the turning points of my life. I was no longer one-upping, jockeying for

position as we traveled, trying to get points with the guys. I was with Wanda, settled,

observing, describing things to her and writing postcards for her, seeing life from a

brand-new perspective of being ignored anytime there was competition for seating or

service.

    We became roommates and both continued singing in the A Capella choir until the choir

planned a second European tour and I couldn’t afford it, so I became part of another

select choir, the BYU Madrigal singers. Most of these singers were former A Capella

members like myself, who couldn’t afford self-funded touring. Wanda graduated and

went on a mission. It took me five years to graduate. During that fifth year I was the

assistant to the director of the BYU Women’s Chorus, and my friend and roommate

Jeanie Prows and I were in charge of a small children’s choir. Jeanie was the conductor

and I was the pianist. Our job was to prepare these children to become part of an elite

children’s choir sponsored by the music department.

2. Jobs after college?

    I never really planned to have a career other than being a stay-at-home mom. I thought

I would be married by the time I graduated, like most of my female classmates and

roommates. Surprise!

3. How you knew it was right to marry Dad, any more details about your

marriage?

    As marriage continued to elude me, I tried to be patient and wait, as I had finally been

told after many fasts and fervent prayers. Somewhere in my mid-thirties I told Heavenly

Father that I was through with dating, and just ask that He please help me be in the right

place at the right time and be prepared.

At the party where I met Duane he had his guitar, and told some really funny jokes when

he was asked to perform after dinner. I guess he sang something, too. I don’t

remember that. I do remember that he had saved me a seat when I came in, but it was

just a little too much. I was too tired after my day at Special Olympics, and the

experience of my latest romantic failure was still raw. I had the distinct feeling that I

would date Duane. I expected that in a few months we would run into each other again,

maybe go on a date a few months after that. That’s kind of how my life had been.

But when something’s right it doesn’t need to be so slow…. A week later when we went

on our first date it turned out to be for the whole Saturday. It went smoothly, seamlessly,

long enough to do everything needful even in a short timespan. We loved just talking

and I loved listening to him. He was wise and witty, and so good. And he explained to

me why principles worked. I was along for the ride. Besides, he was long and lean, just

the kind of man I always wanted to marry, and he explained the scriptures to me rather

than the other way around—the greatest qualification for my heart.

    Two weeks in, it just felt natural. He had looked so lonely, even his countenance was gray,

when I first saw him at the party. But he didn’t seem to be so now. I wasn’t going anywhere.

I felt at home. I felt at peace. When I prayed I just felt peaceful. The answer was not “No” as it

had been with almost every other relationship I had ever prayed about. I expected to

have some audible—at least to my spiritual ears—shout of “YES” answer when it was

finally right, but no such answer came. Just peace.

     Finally I prayed, “Unless You stop

me I’m going to marry Duane.” I realized later that the peace I felt was my answer. I

had to make that choice on my own, and be all in with it. Heavenly Father wouldn’t

make the choice for me, but ratified my choice with His peace. His previous answers of

“no” had protected me from making unwise choices that would have turned out badly,

given my personality and that of others involved. And it had to be my free will and choice, not a command. Now, with maturing life experiences under my belt, it just felt

peaceful and natural and sweet. And okay. That was the answer.

    We met November 14, 1987, got engaged November 28, 1987, got married January 15,

1988. And we’re still married.

4. Goals for the future?

Be in the right place at the right time for the next life, and be prepared!

5. Dream bucket list items?

Keep well enough to serve others and take advantage of good opportunities and

adventures.

6. What do you like to do in your spare time nowadays?

    What is spare time? I guess it is optional use time, not obligatory…. I love to visit

family, do family history research and temple work.

I’m trying to LIKE to write more of my life story and the important things I’ve learned.

Everyone who visits this blog- please feel free to leave comments or stories that you'd like to share with our family!