Our Sweethearts for February are Lynn and Maurine Stewart.  They were married on September 27, 1950, some 63+ years ago.  Lynn wsa born in Milburn, Utah and Maruine was born in Fountain Green, Utah.  Her family moved to Moroni when she was five.  Lynn is 85 years old and Maurine is 82 1/2.  Lynn is the eighth child of ten in his family.  His father passed away when he was 12 so he would spend summers in Wyoning and Montana working on his uncle's fams.  He attended one year of high school in Wyoming.  Maurine is one of three girls in her family.  They met at a dance in Moroni; although Lynn was from North Sanpete and Maurine was from Moroni High, which were rival schools.  Lynn had planned on serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but this was during the time of the Korean War.  He was inducted into the Army, so they were married in September and in December of that year he entered the Arny.

After serving 18 months in the Army he was able to return home.  They settled in Spanish Fork.  Lynn went to work at Geneva Steel starting out at $3.90 per hour.  They lived in Spanish Fork for 35 years and raised their family of seven children there except for their youngest son, Matthew.  Their fourth daughter, Ann, was born 2 months early so they had a few struggles then.  Linda lives in Michigan; Susan in Salt Lake City; Sandra in Haskelville; Ann in West Jordan; Steve in Georgia; Mary in Salt Lake City; and Matthew in Elk Ridge.  They have 26 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren with one more on the way.  They have lived in Salem for 22 years.

When Lynn retired from Geneva he went to work for the U.S. Forest Service, Spanish Fork Office.  He worked on the water systems in the campgrounds from Nephi to Provo, and the Vernon Reservoir.  He worked there until he was 75.  At the same time Maurine worked part time in the office.

Lynn was finally able to serve his mission when he and Maurine were called to serve in Nauvoo and Carthage, Illinois from 1998-1999.  When they returned home they felt like they wanted to serve another mission, so in 2001 they were called as missionaries to serve at the Bishop's Store House.  They served there for six years.  They have enjoyed being active in the LDS Church.  Lynn has served in a bishopric and Maurine has held numerous positions in the Church.  They currently serve at the Provo Temple.

Lynn attended BYU for a while before going to work for Geneva.  Maurine attended Snow College for one year.  Both her grandfather and mother were school teachers.  She did readings in school starting when she was five years old.  She loves to read and quilt.  She has made a quilt for each of her children and grandchildren.  She has belonged to the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers [DUP], Spanish Fork Camp for 10 years.  Lynn has done genealogy extraction work and has worked on records from Ellis Island.  He likes to read, garden and do puzzles.  They are proud of and love each of their grandchildren.

Lynn doesn't like spicy food, but loves meat and potatoes [as he was raised on them].  Maurine likes meat, potatoes and eggs.  She has some allergies to food, but loves seafood, especially halibut.  They love to dance, and after the children were raised they would go to the Eldridge Center in Provo every Tuesday night and dance.  They love to support their grandchildren in baseball, basketball, football, and dance.

They love the quiet peaceful surroundings in Salem, their ward and stake, and that Salem now has a grocery store.

Some facts of interest:  Lynn's great-great grandfather marched with the Mormon Battalion and helped settle Fairview, Utah.  He also lived with Hyrum Smith and was considered an adoptive son.  Maurine's great-grandfather, Ole H. Berg, was the founder of Berg Mortuary.

Lynn and Maurine, may you have many more years as Sweethearts.

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