Honoring My Grandma, Annie

On Monday, April 11, 2016, after just returning from our latest China trip, Steve and I joined other family members at a memorial ceremony at BYU Idaho honoring 4 women who had contributed significantly to the university in its formative years.  These women had women's dormitories named after them on Dec. 11, 1963.  One of these significant women was my grandmother Annie S. Kerr. They hosted this service because after 53 years of housing thousands of female students, these dorms are being torn down to pave the way for expansion as the university continues to grow.

Gathered from our family were front row, Tanner Marcum, Abigail & Karston Mecham, great great grandchildren of Annie, seated were Jamie Mecham and daughter, Brielle,  and Ann Kerr, wife of  Robert M. Kerr, Jr. , deceased, (Annie's son).  3rd row, Jackie & Val Lofthouse, Steve & Kristen Price, Cameron Mecham, Kathy and Bob Clifford, Heather Price Marcum and Steve Kerr.

Here we are gathered on the steps of the dorm.  I was standing in front of the door to the apartment I lived in for my two years at Ricks starting in the fall of 1967.  At the time it was named Perkins Hall, but later as more dorms were constructed both units in that complex were renamed Annie S. Kerr Hall.

Jackie Kerr Lofthouse, Kristen Kerr Price, and Steve Kerr and Bob Clifford are the living grandchildren of Annie S. Kerr who were in attendance at the memorial service.

Granddaughter, Kristen; great granddaughter, Heather Marcum; great great grandson, Tanner Marcum

 Jacob Spori, the first principal of Ricks Academy, which later became BYU Idaho was Annie Spori Kerr's father and my great grandfather.

 Jacob Spori who worked extra jobs to pay the teachers and keep the school open during rough times is on the bottom far right of this picture of school administrators.

 Bob Clifford and Kristen Kerr Price prior to the memorial service.  We are hoping that this stone can be made into a bench and placed on campus.

 Kristen standing in front of the door to her apartment which later was renamed after her grandmother, Annie S. Kerr.

 We served a lunch for the group afterward at Heather's beautiful home.  Thanks for hosting us, Heather!

 This photo shows the original names of the dorms at their dedication and explains how the names were re-assigned in 1996 so that the two buildings to the left were renamed Annie S. Kerr hall.  I lived in the building on the far left of this photo.