Susan Frazier (October 20, 1951 - November 26, 2006)

Glenn and Helen Rex Frazier with daughter Susan. Helen is holding granddaughter, Evette, 1969, about the time Susan wrote the following.

Autobiography of Susan Frazier from her Book of Remembrance. Written about 1969.

It was the start of the deer hunting season. Dr. Webster, my mom’s obstetrician, and my father, Glenn Frazier, were both deer hunting, so my mom and I decided to do everything by ourselves. I was born [October 20, 1951] in the hallway on the way to the delivery room at the Utah Valley Hospital in Provo, Utah. I’ve been very independent ever since! We went home to a very proud father and an excited brother and sister, Glenn Rex and Bessie Lynne. There is one year and one week exactly between my brother and sister and then nine years later I come along. Besides being independent, I’m very spoiled, due to the fact that I had loving parents and a brother and sister that spoiled me. At one month, my mother [Helen Rex Frazier] and I went to visit the doctor. After listening to my heart, he about fell through the floor. “That wasn’t there at birth,” he exclaimed. My poor mother was also about to fall through the floor, when he told her. I had a ventricular septal defect. At age ten, I went to a heart specialist. He wanted me to have open-heart surgery and because heart surgery was not very specialized in Salt Lake he wanted me to go the Mayo Clinic at Minnesota. This came as quite a shock to my parents. My father sent my name into the prayer circle at the Salt Lake Temple. After many tests, it was decided that I did not need the operation. I truthfully believe that it was through the power of prayer that I did not have to go.

My mother is from a small farm town in northern Utah. Her father’s family is pure pioneer stock from the country and her mother’s family is pure pioneer stock from the city. I never had the privilege of meeting my mother’s mother (Grandma [Bessie Morgan] Rex) in this life. She was a great lady and I’ll be very happy to meet her on the other side. My Grandpa [Percy Harold] Rex is a man of very strong character. At the present, he is my only living grandparent. His fine posterity shows the good life he has lived. He married a very sweet woman after my Grandma Rex died, Aunt Mary. She is always making something with her hands when I see her. I’ll never forget when my cousin, Flora Lee, and I used to play Russian spies and wear her hats and shoes. Ten miles from my mom’s small town is my dad’s small farm town. His mother [Emily Rufi] was from Salt Lake but went to live in Woodruff (name of small town) when she got married. My grandfather [Frank Union Frazier] was never a member of the Church, but he always allowed my grandmother to take the kids to church. His father [Stephen Vestal Frazier] was one of the first settlers in that valley. Because he was not a Mormon the early members of the church were not too hospitable, so he told all of his children NEVER to join the church. A father’s advice and counsel were upheld in that day because none of his children ever did join. I don’t remember my Grandpa Frazier but I’m very excited to see him because I’ve been told he’s a very generous and kind man. He always helped his neighbors (whether they were Mormons or not) and I’m sure He’s very happy now since my brother has been baptized for him. I’m very grateful to my Grandma Frazier because it was through her endurance and faith that kept religion in the home. She died when I was twenty and I’ll never forget the fine example and good life she led. I had the honor and blessing to play an organ solo at her funeral. She was a fine lady in everything she did. I love and miss her very much.

My mother was the very serious, quiet type. My father was the big athlete-stud, Casanova. I don’t see how they ever got together. I’ll never forget the story, my father always tells us kids, when my mother went to a dance with her father. My dad asked her to dance and then asked if he could take her home. Her reply was “I’ll go home with the one that brought me!” She was quite prim and proper besides serious. She became the first queen of the fair and rodeo because my dad bought all her penny votes for queen. They were married during the depression when my father was working in California. My mother went down to Oakland and they were married. One year later, they went through the temple when they came up for my grandmother’s (mother’s mother) funeral. They went back to California where my brother and sister were born. After living there for approximately seven years they came back to ‘Zion’ where I was born. We lived in Provo for a couple of years and then moved to Salt Lake where we’ve lived ever since. We all attended Madison Elementary, Central Junior and Granite High Schools. Fifth grade was my year! I won the hopscotch tournament for the fifth grade, got the only “A” in history and was on the championship times-tables team. In Junior High Vicky Comes and I became life long friends. We shared our seventh grade locker together. The locker was three feet high, nine inches wide and one foot deep. We fit all our books, two pairs of boots, two coats, one umbrella and two briefcases in. It was quite a squeeze! I’ll never forget those briefcases. (We looked like the seventh grade geniuses with our cases.) Vickie Page, (now Smith), Vicky Comes (now Hodgson) and I were the only students in the seventh grade with briefcases. I was on the honor roll and was one of thirteen key scholars in ninth grade. I played Cinderella’s ugly step sister in the school play. Vickie Page and I were on the school police for CE and I was the secretary for the Seminary. In high school I was in the pep club, madrigals, concert choir and symphony debs.

In the early days, I remember my brother and sister use to fight a little. She used to chase him out of the house and then she and I would stay inside while he stayed outside and tried to come back inside. I always thought this was such fun! I have some of the choicest spirits for a family. My parents have taught me by example and with love. Besides being my parents I consider them two of my most closest friends. My brother is a spiritual, financial and personality giant. My sister is a psychologist, writer, antique collector, upholsterer and gardener (plus too many other things to write down.) I really don’t understand how I fit into this family, but I do!
Picture and Susan Frazier Book of Remembrance in my possession.