October 30, 2003

Emeritus Club honors Ricks College alumni couples

 

 

            Two Rexburg couples were presented with Distinguished Emeritus Service Awards during the semi-annual BYU-Idaho/Ricks College Emeritus Club breakfast Oct. 18.

            Terrell and Margaret Arnold and Weston and Lila Lawrence were presented  awards for the service they provide in their community as well as to the university.

            Terrell (class of 1953) and Margaret (class of 1948) are the owners and operators of Arnold Press, a family business that they originally started in 1966 in their home. In 1990 they purchased a new building located on Second North in Rexburg. Their son, Kent, is now part owner and manager of Arnold Press.

            According to Terrell, Margaret had “printer’s ink in her blood.” She is the daughter of Arthur and Nell Porter (founders of Porter’s Printing Office and Bookstore). She spent much of her youth working for her father at Porter’s and The Rexburg Journal.

            Both Terrell and Margaret have been very civic minded over the years. Terrell aided in bringing the carousel from Utah to its current location in Porter Park. He has also engaged in the preservation of landmarks, such as the rock pump house on South Second East. Currently, he is serving as curator of the Teton Flood Museum.

            Margaret served as secretary for the Rexburg Chamber of Commerce for many years and now serves as chairman of the Upper Valley Arts Council in Rexburg and was most recently named county president of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers. She is well known for her handwork, making everything from quilts and sweaters to the curtains in her home.

            Lila (class of 1950) grew up in the red brick house just east of the Kirkham Auditorium. She has fond childhood memories of Ricks College and says that Ricks has always been an important part of her life. The college was just across the street, so most of their family activities centered around the campus. Lila remembers playing tennis on the college courts, playing baseball with the neighborhood children on the large lawn, and climbing on the large metal staircases on the backs of the buildings.

            Lila served on the Alumni Council of Ricks College from 1949-1950 and 1981-1984. She also worked in the billing department at the Rexburg Medical Center and at the Ricks College Student Health Center as cashier and insurance clerk. She retired in 1997, but still does billing over the Internet for her son-in-law, who is a doctor in Texas.

            Wes (class of 1952) was on the Ricks College basketball team from 1948 through 1952. This is when Ricks was a four-year school. One of his most prized possessions is the four-year letter award he earned: a navy blue blanket with white binding and a large block “R” in the middle and his name in one corner. Playing basketball for Ricks was a very memorable and rewarding experience for Wes. Berkley “Brick” Parkinson, who coached Wes both in high school and at Ricks College, named Wes one of his 10 most outstanding players throughout his entire coaching career.

            Wes is a charter member of the Rexburg Kiwanis Club and has held many leadership positions in the club, including president and secretary. Over the years, Wes assisted the Kiwanis Club with many service projects. He has 40 years of perfect attendance at their weekly meetings. The Kiwanis Club built the foot bridge at Rexburg Nature Park as a joint project with the city of Rexburg and dedicated it in his honor. Wes is also an active member of the Sons of the Utah Pioneers organization.

 

 

  


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