Serving together
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Rebuilding fireplaces, hauling wood, mowing lawns, fixing sprinklers — these are all duties Morris Whitlock has come to expect as a service missionary with his wife, Elaine. Nothing too out of the ordinary until you consider the fact that he's 90 and she's 89.
Elder and Sister Whitlock, who serve as care takers and schedulers of the Church's Mutual Dell lodge in American Fork Canyon, are not afraid to get their hands a little dirty for the sake of service.
They said a lifetime of service, in whatever that may be, has brought some of the greatest blessings in their marriage. In fact, it was service that initially brought them together.
After the outbreak of World War II, Elder Whitlock, who had been serving as a missionary in Denmark, was reassigned to the Central States Mission. There, the couple met while implementing their singing talent for a Church-sponsored radio program in Dodge City, Kan.
They married after they returned home from their missions.
Elder Whitlock soon entered the U.S. Army and served in the Philippines and Japan. He was discharged in California, where his determined and hard-working attitude got him a job the next day as an escrow officer for Bank of America.
Not long after, the couple was asked to work for the Church Welfare Department in overseeing the purchase of over 1,000 acres of land and helping with the establishment of a new citrus project (about 96,000 orange trees). They accepted.
Through the years, the Whitlocks have been willing to serve in whatever capacity they have been asked to contribute. Their willingness to serve, regardless of the task, has allowed them to work and meet with many General Authorities and Church presidents, serve as directors of the Liberty Jail Visitors Center and touch the lives of hundreds of people.
After retiring from the California orange groves, the Whitlocks moved to American Fork, where news quickly spread of their singing abilities. For a year before he entered military service, he was a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
"At one point," recalled Sister Whitlock, "while serving as bishop, he was called almost every week to sing at a grave-side service. It soon became somewhat of an informal calling."
They figure that at least two-thirds of the funeral programs they've collected over the years have their names listed as either speakers or singers.
The Whitlocks have served 18 years as temple workers and Elder Whitlock continues to serve as a stake patriarch.
Another service endeavor that quickly became habit was their visits to the Mutual Dell property.
They had previously held a reunion there for missionaries who had served at the Liberty Jail Visitors Center and fell in love with the area. It wasn't long before their frequent leisurely visits became more and more service oriented.
Remarkably, the Whitlocks spent 13 years serving at the lodge in many physically demanding labors before the Church decided to officially call them as service missionaries.
Now, after having just celebrated Elder Whitlock's 90th birthday, there is a glimmer evident in the couple's faces that hints a vitality born of selfless service.
"It's a joy to have something to do besides our own stuff. We'd probably end up sitting in a rocking chair anyway," said Sister Whitlock.
After 65 years of marriage, Elder Whitlock said, "It has brought us closer than anything else could. It is a privilege to serve and it has filled our lives with meaningful experiences."
Like many others who have the privilege of reaching their later years with the ability to continue serving, Sister Whitlock said, "We will probably continue to serve until we can't do it anymore."
E-mail to: cmorales@desnews.com
