Amana

This last Thursday, July 14, we traveled to the Amana Colonies near Amana, Iowa, with Burt and Chris Wasson. Amana is the center of the colonies. There are seven of them. They were settled in the early 1850s by two groups of German people, who wished to live communally. If you are old enough, you will remember the brand name Amana on a refrigerator or stove. Their plant invented the first microwave oven, called the Radar Range. There is a big plant there now, making Whirlpool washers. We toured the colonies looking at the cute shops. There is everything there from leather, jewelry, antiques, art and FABRIC. We visited two quilt shops and I was a good girl and only held the party up for 20 minutes at each. We had lunch there and then drove home. It is a two and a half hour drive from Nauvoo. We enjoyed getting to know the Wassons. They served a site mission here about 18 months ago. Burt is a convert to the church. His father was on a plane on a business trip and happened to be sitting next to President Hinckley. Always the missionary, President Hinckley saw to it that missionaries visited their family. They were all baptized except his father. President Hinckley kept track of the family visiting them when he was near where they lived and inviting them to visit him in his office. They got their plum Nauvoo assignment because President Hinckley made it happen. They are delightful people. He worked for the forest service (President Hinckley got him into the forestry program at Utah State)We had a great day together.