Married Life with Beula and Chldren, Part 3

Written by Kimberly Eden, Heath's Row: A History of Herman and Beula Heath

Gail lived with Herman and moved to Wake Island with him. Gail and Herman taught math and science on the island for a year. Wake Island is a large coral reef with a few natives and as air force base. The fish from the coral are incredible and poisonous so most food had to be flown in. Beula and Kristena visited them after Christmas. Jeff was serving a mission in Argentina. The next year Kristena attended the College of Eastern Utah and then transferred to Utah State University where Beula also attended the following year. Beula attained her Masters in Education in 1975. During the summer Kristena met her husband Kent Eden at the College of Eastern Utah. In 1971 Herman, Beula, and Gail were on Panape Island teaching. Jeff met his wife Cathy that same year. Both Jeff and Kristena were married the summer after Herman, Beula, and Gail's return from the South Pacific. Gail graduated from high school nearly two years after leaving Yuma, Arizona. He served a mission in London, England.

Beula and Herman remained in Yuma for the next few years, each teaching in a different school district; the law didn't allow for a husband and wife to be teaching in the same district. Beula taught in Somerton, just outside of Yuma. Gail returned from his mission during this time and attended Arizona State. He majored in geology and finally attained a Masters in Geophysics. Jeff had entered the Air Force and got a bachelor's degree in Industrial Arts some years later. Kristena finished her bachelor's degree in Family Living and Home Economics at the University of Utah.

Jeff and Fail were eight years apart in age and even though they lived together, Jeff left home before Gail was fully grown. They spent happy years together with their father in Moab, Utah hiking, rock hounding, and flying the homemade airplane. Their favorite story was the day Herman took then hunting for pink leverite. They would use the same trick on their classmates on school field trips. Leverite is a rock-Leave it right where you found it. Jeff didn't spend a lot of time withhis mother or his sister. Gail spent his teenage years with his mother, but she died just after he finished serving a mission. The loss was devastating to all her children. Kristena spent a lot of time with her mother, aunts, and cousins. She spent time with her father, but doesn't remember much time spent with her brothers. "We had nothing in common," was her comment. As a family tradition, they would lie on the cool grass at night and watch the falling stars while Herman would explain the constellations. As children they would also chase fireflies.