KIRSTEN SWANSON: It's time again for Utah StoryCorps, everyday people sharing their stories at the StoryCorps recording booth in Logan. Support for Logan StoryCorps comes from Cache County and from USU Credit Union, a division of Goldenwest.
MARY HEERS: This spring, the StoryCorps mobile recording booth rolled back into Logan and set up shop. At 10:00 AM on April 28, the door to the trailer popped open and two rickety steps came down. Going into the booth took a little bit of courage. When it was my turn, my good friend Katie and I climbed the stairs and found ourselves in a small room. We said hello to the facilitator and the door closed behind us. No turning back! I peered into the dimly lit inner sanctum and saw a table, two chairs, two microphones, and two soft spotlights beaming down on the chairs. The soundlock closed behind us and we sat down. Suddenly I breathed a sigh of relief. It felt cozy; almost like an out-of-the-way table at your favorite restaurant. Just right for a good chat. So, this is Mary Heers,
KIRSTEN SWANSON: and I'm Kirsten Swanson,
MARY HEERS: saying "Welcome to the UPR 2023 StoryCorps Experience." We wanted to begin with a shoutout to the first ten people who bravely entered the booth.
SHIRA SMILIE: My name is Shira Smilie.
KATHY RICKERT: I'm Kathy Rickert. My grandmother on my dad's side, she would go asparagus hunting. We would go along the canal ditches, hunting asparagus.
SHIRA SMILIE: Wait -- you don't kill it. Right?
KATHY RICKERT: You cut it off.
STEVE RENO: Hi, my name is Steve Reno. Arnold was 20 years old when he first came in 1968. And I was the well known bodybuilder at the time in California. Arnold of course went directly to me because I was the uprising physique star at the time. And then I took him -- he was 20 years old, and I'm eight years older than him-- so I took him under my wing.
SHARON MARCYES: My name is Sharon Marcyes.
LISA MARCYES: My name is Lisa Marcyes.
SHARON MARCYES: And she's my beautiful daughter.
...He told me that he had never thought ever, that there was people that were really tone deaf until he married me. I tried. I tried to go to an instructor once — and she listened to me. She said Sharon, when you're singing the hymns, just read them. So I think I am tone deaf.
MICHAEL BINGHAM: Hi, my name is Michael Bingham. And I'm here with my good friend Nathan Bringhurst.
NATHAN BRINGHURST: Yep.
MICHAEL BINGHAM: So you're into ceiling fans and vacuums. And you collect soap.
NATHAN BRINGHURST: That's right. Yep.
MICHAEL BINGHAM: And you have at least ten soap bars, right?
NATHAN BRINGHURST: More than that.
MICHAEL BINGHAM: How many more?
NATHAN BRINGHURST: Two thousand
GAIL YOST: Hi, I'm Gail Bonnie Yost. This is April 19th, 2023 in Logan, Utah,
ROGER YOST: It's April 29th.
GAIL YOST: 29th. That's what I said.
ROGER YOST: You said 19th.
GAIL YOST: Oh, I'm sorry. Name of the interview partner: That's you! That's my husband of 52 years.
ROGER YOST: I'm Roger Yost.
GAIL YOST: And we had Chemistry and Chemistry Club. And we met at a professor's house. Two and a half weeks later, we were engaged. And exactly five months after that we were married. And this May 2nd: 52 years. And I love you very much.
ROGER YOST: Oh, well, good.
GAIL YOST: You're stuck with me, boy.
ROGER YOST: That's all right.
GAIL YOST: I guess we're doing okay.
ROGER YOST: And I love you.
GAIL YOST: Oh, good. That makes it work. Thank you for being my partner.
ROGER YOST: I try hard
GAIL YOST: And you mess up sometimes. And I mess up sometimes. But thank you for being my partner.
ROGER YOST: You're welcome.
GAIL YOST: You're welcome too.
MARY HEERS: And this is Utah StoryCorps.
KIRSTEN SWANSON: Thanks for coming along.
MARY HEERS: See you next Friday. Same time,
KIRSTEN SWANSON: Same place.
