What's Good About St. Johns?

Recently I was asked to write an article for "It's a Wonderful Small-Town Life." My mind went back 15-20 years ago, when I wrote my one and only letter to the editor in our local newspaper. After searching for what seemed like an eternity, I finally found a copy and here it is.

What's Good About St. Johns?

 

We continue to see our population dwindle. You hear people say, "We are going to sell out while we still can." Please don't! We need you here. Stop and think about why you moved here, and why you like living in St. Johns. The people are what make any town, and we have some of the very best right here. It is time to work together and make this a better place to live.

 

All my life I have heard stories of the people that made St. Johns ... People like Solomon Barth, E.I. Whiting, Ernie Wilbur and many more. Who is stepping up to take their places? We need to be less self-serving and learn that we need to give back - not just take. It is time to change our attitudes and be more positive and friendly.

 

As I stop and think of the people who have recently purchased or opened new businesses in town, I realize there are many people trying to make St. Johns a better place. People like Ruby Bride, Orville and Connie Harris, Joe Salazar, Hanzel Odom, Stacey Thornhill with her neat little shop on main street, and many others. We need to support these people and let them know we appreciate their efforts to make St. Johns a better place.

 

So what is good about St. Johns?

 

-Loving people that support each other in times of need.

-Strong church congregations of many faiths, trying to be better people.

-Families that still teach their children to work and to be responsible.

-Parents that still help with homework and support their children in their activities.

-Volunteers that still make this a unique place to live.

-Fiesta de San Juan Activities.

-Fourth of July pancake breakfasts, patriotic programs, free barbecues, foot races, and fireworks.

-Horse trial activities.

-24th of July activities.

-Apache County Fair and Horse Races.

-Halloween parades and carnivals.

-Living Christmas Tree programs.

-Great Christmas decorations.

-Rotary Basketball Tournaments.

-Easter Egg Hunts.

-Little League Coaches and Referees.

-People willing to serve on school boards and city councils.

-Lots of sunshine and clean air.

-Athletic and scholastic teams that continue to excel despite reduced numbers.

-People that still wave to each other on the street.

-Family Traditions that are carried on year after year.

-Boys turning into men in hay fields and branding corrals.

-Cheerleaders and fans standing on Grover's Hill to wish ball teams good luck.

-People who still stop to give you a ride when you're out walking for exercise.

-4-H Projects.

-Flags proudly displayed on homes and businesses on national holidays.

-Outdoor Dances.

-The smell of fresh cut alfalfa.

-Baccalaureate programs where all local church leaders give good counsel and advice to our senior class.

-Warm summer nights with friends, families, and neighbors visiting on front porches.

-Bingo on Thursday nights.

-Ripe corn and tomatoes given away on many doorsteps in August and September.

-Christmas carolers.

-Community and church service projects.

-Tractors on Main Street.

-People stopping and calling to check on a heifer who is calving to see if help is needed.

 

Can St. Johns continue to be called "The Town of Friendly Neighbors"? It can if we want it to be.

 

Larry Heap

St. Johns

 



Some of the names mentioned above have moved on, a few of the activities have ceased, but by and large our little St. Johns community continues to be the place that so many people love and long to be a part of.

 

To me our community offers a sense of peace and security, two attributes that seem to be lacking in much of the world today. I still believe that many people in this community possess great common sense and know how to get things done.

 

As we continue to stay true to our time-honored traditions, work together and pray together, we will continue to be "The Town of Friendly Neighbors" for many years to come.

 

By Larry Heap



Where Everybody Calls You Friend

My love for St. Johns started with a boy named Ryan Patterson.  My first trip to St. Johns was 16 years ago. It was February 1998, I was a sophomore in college, and had decided to go on a road trip with two friends.  I was headed to Mesa for a family reunion by way of St. Johns because Ryan wanted to be at his dad’s birthday.  We spent our one day in St. Johns 4-wheeling and shooting guns.  Our day ended with dinner and birthday cake around Catherine’s dinner table.  I will never forget that first experience around her table.  I remember everyone talking and laughing and visiting with each other.  There was an easiness in the way they were together.  I had never experienced anything quite like it.

My next trip to St. Johns was just a month later with Ryan for his Grandma Greer’s funeral.  There were so many people there, and they all knew each other very well.  Watching the people in this town interact under the circumstances of a funeral was something to behold.  Everyone I met was so warm and friendly. It was strange and wonderful all at the same time. Now I realize this will sound corny but it’s the honest truth.  That day felt like I was living in that country song, “Everybody knows everybody.  Everybody calls you friend.”  It was unreal.  I didn’t know people in this world really lived like this.  I couldn’t get over how genuinely kind people were.  Not just to me, but to each other.  

Just over a year later I married that St. Johns' boy.  We lived in Mesa for the first 6 years of our marriage and came to St. Johns EVERY weekend we could get away from school and work.  We even celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary at El Camino.  We came to St. Johns so much I think Nick and Catherine thought something was wrong with us.  I can’t exactly tell you why we came to St. Johns so often.  I can say it just felt good to be here.

Maybe it was the way Ryan’s heart was lighter when we drove over Grover’s Hill.  Maybe it was the way Nick would tell stories, make you laugh, and make you feel welcome.  Maybe it was Catherine’s amazing homemade bread, green chili, or Christmas donuts.  Maybe it was the life lessons I picked up from just being around Ralph and Colleen Drain.  Maybe it was the awesome diehard Redskin fans I met at Adam and Kyle’s football and basketball games.  Maybe it’s the way the adults in this town put time, energy, and work into not only their kids but every kid within their reach.  Maybe it’s the way everyone waves at you as you drive through and around town.  Maybe it’s the many hands—old, young, and in between—that are tirelessly working to lift and help.  Maybe it’s the peace that sweeps over you at night when the whole town quiets down.

There is something special about this town and the people who live here, something amazing and wonderful.  I believe that “something” started with love, love that was brought here by the families that settled St. Johns, which love has continued to grow deep and strong.  The people here love God, love their families, love each other, love their country, and are not afraid to show it.  

I have been asked if moving to St. Johns was hard.  I have to admit that it was as easy as coming home.  I am grateful to this town and the people in it.  I am blessed to have married a St. Johns' boy.  I am humbled to be raising St. Johns' kids.  I love this town and the people in it.

By Monica Patterson

Thy thoughts shall be established...

My thoughts are not your thoughts....saith The Lord.  ...so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

I read a quote this week that I felt points us to higher thought in this world that continues to magnify materialism and promote focus on self! 

"Life is not a race - but indeed a journey.  Be Honest.  Work hard.  Be choosy.  Say "thank you", "I love you", and "great job" to someone each day.  Go to church, take time for prayer.  The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh.  Let your handshake mean more than pen and paper.  Love your life and what you've been given, it is not accidental - search for your purpose and do it as best you can.  Dreaming does matter. It allows you to become that which you aspire to be.  Laugh often.  Appreciate the little things in life and enjoy them.  Some of the best things really are free.  Do not worry, less wrinkles are more becoming.  Forgive, it frees the soul.  Take time for yourself - plan for longevity.  Recognize the special people you've been blessed to know.  Live for today, enjoy the moment."   Bonnie Mohn

I just want to testify that the mind is powerful.  It is a blessing to be able to create thought.  It is crucial that we keep our minds pure; they are what help us create the lives we want to live.  I hope that by reading this inspired quote we will all be able to accomplish all of these suggestions as we turn our thoughts to action.  I know that as we do this we will create happy lives not only for ourselves but for others.  All action is the result of thought.  "As a man thinketh so is he."  It is my hope and prayer that we will all have positive thoughts and live positive lives.  And when life throws us a curve ball and frustration, always remember happiness is a choice that starts with a thought!  Gods thoughts are higher thoughts than ours, if we have faith and trust in Him, He will inspire our hearts and minds and through our choices we will become more like Him.

I want to share a quote by Elder Boyd K. Packer of the quorum of the twelve apostles, "Probably the greatest challenge to people of any age, particularly young people, and the most difficult thing you will face in mortal life is to learn to control your thoughts...One who can control his thoughts has conquered himself.  I have come to know that thoughts, like water, will stay on course if we make a place for them to go. Otherwise our thoughts follow the course of least resistance, always seeking lower levels."

Each thought we create is a seed that will bear fruit sooner or later.  Create wisely!

By Chris Nielsen

Helping Hand

Growing up, I had the opportunity to work for the City of St. Johns for two years. On the side of the city vehicles it reads, "Town of Friendly Neighbors," Never did that message ring more true to me than during my senior year, a year that I’ll never forget.

In January of 2003 my father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. What happened next was nothing short of amazing from this “Town of Friendly Neighbors.” Before I had even heard the news of the diagnosis, I heard our doorbell ring. Much to my surprise, someone was dropping off food for my younger sister, brother, and me. And, for the rest of my senior year, that doorbell never stopped ringing. People came from every direction with food, support, and a helping hand. For several months, it was just the three of us at home during the week while my mother cared for my father in the Valley. During that entire time, there wasn’t a day that went by that we didn’t have a warm meal to come home to. It still gives me chills just thinking about it! I’ve never seen such generosity before. And at the hospital, my father’s room was always filled with letters of encouragement and support, words that meant so much to my father and our family.

A few days after he was hospitalized I had an away basketball game. The roads were slick that night, so the team slept over in Flagstaff. The next morning, on our drive home, I thought it was interesting that we hadn’t stopped for food or that no one was eating. I remember leaning over to ask a teammate, and he smiled and told me that the St. Johns Stake and others were fasting for my father. My simple response to that is, “That’s St. Johns for you.” That’s the kind of people that we have here, selfless individuals constantly looking out for their neighbors. I will forever be grateful to the people of St. Johns for what they did for my family that year. We hear of courageous and aspiring people in the news and across the world. And yet, right here, the small town of St. Johns is full of them.

You often wonder why? Why go out of your way like this. My younger brother, sister, and I were old enough to cook and take care of ourselves. Then why did people come with a helping hand? I feel this next part answers that.

J Golden Kimball, a general authority, speaking of this people of St. Johns, said in a central conference address given in Salt Lake City, “I would like to take you on a trip down to Arizona in the St. Johns country. I preached faith there once but I want to tell you I haven’t enough faith to stay in such an undesirable country. You talk about good people, you talk about righteous people, I can tell you there are people in this city who are not worthy to unlatch their shoestrings. That hard country, and their obedience to God, has made those men of great characters. You can’t discourage them…that is their home; that is their country; there they worship God."

I’m proud to have grown up in St. Johns. I’m privileged to be among such a God-like people. It truly is a “Town of Friendly Neighbors.”

By Adam Patterson

An Unbroken Loyalty

I had an experience this weekend that I think bears repeating. It is a great example of something that I think is common in St. Johns.

In the shop at my home, there is a 1981 Isuzu pup, diesel pickup with a flatbed that is up on jacks.  The half shaft on the passenger side is shot.  When I started the project, I had no idea that finding a replacement part would be impossible.  I scoured the internet for three days, and found nothing.  My only option was to have the part rebuilt.  At the time I wasn’t even sure it could be rebuilt…

Here is where the St. Johns connection enters the story.  Lon Dimbatt, a St.Johns native, took the part and successfully had it rebuilt.  Lon has a shop in the valley.  On Saturday, Lon hand delivered the repaired half shaft to my home here in town.  When I tried to pay Lon for the trip, he wouldn’t accept payment.  I’d like to think that this incredible service was because Lon has some special regard for me and my family.  I am sure though, that Lon would provide that kind of service to anyone in town. That’s just how he is. I am grateful for his kindness!

There is a loyalty forged in this town that I haven’t recognized anywhere else.  I’m not sure where this comes from, but I believe that it is because our town emphasizes being good neighbors. That mentality has existed since the very first people settled here, and is now in the DNA of those who live and were raised here!  We seem to be sincerely interested in our neighbors, and that translates to serving them, whether on their farms and ranches, or in their homes and businesses.  Service spawns loyalty, and a sincere desire to help our neighbors.  Certainly we serve during the mundane day to day needs, and especially when there is a serious need!

Because of the relationships that are born out of serving each other here in St. Johns, people are always quick to point out their connections to our town! Have you ever gone anywhere and not met someone who knows someone from St. Johns?  Yesterday, in a talk given during the dedication of the Gilbert LDS temple, Tad R. Callister, a General Authority in the LDS church (not from Arizona) referenced his Mother in Law, stating that she was from St. Johns, Arizona.  On the surface that and other references to our town might seem ironic. I don’t think they are.  I think that in a community like ours where serving our neighbors is second nature, St. Johns will always be viewed by those inside and out as a very special community with very special people!

By Jeff Raban