Missionary Farewell of Charles C. Rampton, Jr.

On May 26, 1949 George Albert Smith, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints signed a letter calling Charles C. Rampton, Jr. to serve a mission for the Church in the Canadian Mission.  He was to report to the Mission Home on June 20, 1949, a Monday.  At that time, Grandpa (Charles C. Rampton, Jr.), Aunt Janet and Grandma Blanche lived on 15th East in Salt Lake City and were members of the Yale Ward.  I will include some photos of the ward building taken about this time.  I have vague recollections of it from my first 5 years when we lived in Salt Lake City.  Most prominently is a stained glass window of the Savior knocking at the door.  The Yale Ward was a remarkable ward.  Its membership included Joseph F. Smith, George Albert Smith, Ezra Taft Benson, and host of other apostles and general authorities.  At the time Grandpa went on his mission, there were 37 other missionaries from the ward serving throughout the world including the sons of Ezra Taft Benson and Aavard Fairbanks (world famous sculptor whose works include the statues of Peter James and John ordaining Joseph Smith to the Melkizedek Priesthood and of John the Baptist ordaining Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, both of which are on Temple Square in Salt Lake City.  I also had a run in with his bees, but that is a story for another day.)

Yale Ward Building on Gilmer Drive in Salt Lake City



Foyer of the Yale Ward Building looking into the chapel (see stained glass window in back above stand)

Jesus Knocking at the Door Stained Glass Window above stand of Yale Ward

Grandpa's missionary farewell, as they called them in those days, took place at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 12, 1949 at the Yale Ward Chapel.  It was indeed a remarkable meeting.  Below is part of the printed program.

Missionary Farewell Program

The prelude music was played by Alexander Schreiner, one of the most famous organists in the world.  He later became the chief organist for the Tabernacle Choir.  He studied in Paris, taught at UCLA where he was also organist for the First Methodist Episcopal Church and music director for the Jewish Wilshire Blvd. Temple.  1n 1939 President Heber J. Grant asked him to work with the Tabernacle Choir which he did until 1977 when he was diagnosed with cancer.  Pretty remarkable that he would play at Grandpa's farewell. 

Alexander Schreiner

The invocation was offered by Tom Greene, one of Grandpa's best friends.  He was a remarkable man despite having a withered arm.  In 1985 he was nominated by President Ronald Reagan as a district court judge and was confirmed by the United States Senate that same year.

Tom Greene

It is interesting that the Sacrament Song was sung by the ward choir and not the congregation and ward choir.  I wonder if that was standard procedure or just happened for this meeting.

After the administration of the Sacrament there was a vocal solo by Lee Sanders.  Lee was a high school classmate of Grandma's (Lois Fae Linnebach) and had an outstanding voice.  The song he sung is not listed on the program, but Grandma and Grandpa used to talk about it.  By today's church standards, one might consider it an inappropriate song to sing in Sacrament Meeting,  "Old Man River"  from the Broadway musical Show Boat.  It's a beautiful song but probably not for Sacrament Meeting.  I wonder what the concluding speaker thought?

The next speaker was Charles R. Mabey, former governor of the State of Utah and Grandpa Cash's brother-in-law.  He was also  poet, writing an epic of the old west called The Pony Express.

Charles R. Mabey

After Alexander Shreiner played another organ solo, John Fetzer spoke.  I remember Grandpa talking about him and my recollection is that he was Grandpa's scoutmaster when he was a boy scout. 

The next two speakers were the bishop (don't know his name) and Grandpa.  On the program, Grandpa would have been the final speaker.  But such was not the case.  At the beginning of the meeting, George Albert Smith, President of the Church walked in.  And so, as was custom, he was always the concluding speaker.  I would like to have known what he talked about. What an honor to have the Prophet speak at your missionary farewell.

President George Albert Smith

So that was Grandpa's missionary farewell.  Pretty remarkable.