"Oh What A Thrill ..."

Jon and I became quite two peas in a pod during the 1991-92 college year. Although we ended up being close friends, I was initially hesitant. We both lived on a co-ed floor in the college dorms.

One of my earliest memories of Jon was that of him rebuilding an entire motorcycle engine in his dorm room. He tried to be very careful not to damage the floor by placing a tarp on the ground. When the overhaul was complete, I helped him carry the engine back outside. We returned, with horror, to see an oil trail had inadvertently marked a drip path from his door, to the main exit. After debating our options, we did the only ethical choice we could come up with. We made sure that oil was dripped extensively up and down the hall of the dorm. Oil trails were intentionally placed in front of each dorm room (including the female occupants). No one would be able to identify from where the oil originated.

This is one of several examples that I could share. I fear that many of the other stories would incriminate me just as much as Jon. Because of this, I will not comment.

Some random thoughts that I remember about Jon include the following:
1. Jon would wear Obsession for Men Cologne to each dance.
2. Jon went through the phase in which he wore one of those braided belts. The excess end of the belt would always be folded and left dangling.
3. Jon once found a ‘girly’ magazine at work. He placed the magazine under my pillow. BIG SURPRISE WHEN I GOT HOME!
4. Jon and I were officiating during a singles ward Temple baptism night. A peculiar name caught us off guard, and we could not stop from chuckling. Needless to say, the Spirit was GONE!
5. Jon and I once ate at the Beverly Hills Hard Rock Café after attending a temple session at the LA temple.
6. Jon once made up lyrics to the Mavericks song Oh What a Thrill. I haven’t forgotten them, but you’ll have to ask him if you want to hear them.
7. Jon went through a Cause and Effect (music group) phase.
8. Jon once sang the entire Men without Hats album, Pop Goes the World while driving home from a wedding reception in Kanosh, Utah.
9. Sometimes, by Erasure. No further comment.
10. Playing pool in the student union after supper.
11. Jon once drove to Virgin, Utah to stock a co-worker. In all fairness, he went on this mission as a favor to me.
12. Jon and I once kidnapped our boss. We took her to the movies, reverse polygamy style.

Happy Birthday Jon!! I hope the next forty are even better the past forty.

Dagan Leavitt

Rollin' I-40

Hey Jonathan! Happy Birthday!!

Remember the crazy and cool and fun times we had at the Stadium Way Apartments?! The specific memory I have is when we took a road trip home to AZ with you, myself and Kevin Whittaker! How we pissed of a guy who was riding up our behinds...on Interstate 40!!!

Happy Birthday Jon buddy! I am still waiting for you to teach me how to speak Navajo!

CRAZY INDIAN STEVE!!!

The A-Team

Happy Birthday Jonathan~

"I'm so glad we had the opportunity to cross paths for those couple years in Phili...you made my time there much funnier to say the least, and maybe you even taught me a few things in those long hours of being locked in the library with the "A Team".

You taught me two things at least..

1. Never let your phone ring in Daniella's lectures

2. Don't ever ask questions of a guest lecturer (PFO)!!!!

Hope you have a great 40th and if you ever venture back toward the East Coast, be sure to hook up with us. Miss you!!! Hope you, Holly and the kids are doing well!!!

Best wishes

Jenn

Daddy-O

Daddy!

You are the best Man ever and even though yur gettin' old I will still always love u as my daddy!

XOXO,

Brenna (Yur daughter furever and ever)

Spring Chicken!

Dear Jon,

Happy 40th! Wow, over the hill--crazy! Luckily you are still a spring chicken in so many ways. :) We wish we could be there to celebrate with you but we hope you have a wonderful day. We are so glad you are part of our family and we love getting to see you on our visits to Arizona or when you guys visit Cali. We look forward to many more years and holidays of fun!

Lots of Love!
Dan, Ashley, and Calvin
San Diego, CA

Happy Birthday, Jon!

We are glad you joined our crazy family when you married Holly, and we're even happier that you helped to add two precious little boys to the mix! We remember first meeting you in AZ when dating Holly (or engaged?), then hearing (via the "grapevine") of your many adventures in all the subsequent places you've lived.

These photos were taken on a special day in March 2009 when Grandpa A was "tending" Ian and Campbell ... while you were unfortunately in the hospital. We all spent the afternoon at the train park in Scottsdale. Other than Ian RUNNING away from me in the parking lot when it was time to go, we had a fabulous time playing on the playground and riding the choo choo train.

Here's to many more fun-filled birthdays!

Love,

Marc and Allyson Rogers
and Chandler, Carlie, Caleb, Rachel, and Keirsten

Green Bay, WI

My mentor ...

Jon,

You and I started PA school way back in 2005. During those ensuing didactic and clinical years you studied with me, guided me, and mentored me … and despite all of your help, I still managed to pass.

In all seriousness though, for a guy who was born before man walked on the moon (it's true, look it up) you have always managed to act much younger than your years. Of course, you can only be young once but you can always be immature.

Happy Birthday to you Jon!

Your humble friends,
John and Kelly Benedict

Getting "The Call" ...

Wow, Jonathon is turning 40 ... he's blazing the trail, huh? I hope all is well with you guys.

I am attaching a picture of the day we received our rotation info. It paled in comparison to a mission call... ha, ha. I was "called" to the Kensington Ob/Gyn site and after the first week was harassed by Sharisse for having to look at crotches ALL day long. Jonathon, I believe, was "called" to a surgical site in Trenton, NJ where he had the opportunity to stick himself with a dirty needle.

Really, the only thing I remember from the didactic year with Jonathon was... the Chinese food cart and ooohhhh yeaaaa Foosball. Dude! Do you remember running down to the break room to play 8-10 min of Foosball instead of using the restroom and getting a drink like the other students. Hey, at least we weren't hitting up the coffee cart 3-4 times a day ... Pick you vices right? I loved our vise.

Love you Man and have a Happy 40th! Would love to talk sometime. Maybe we can coordinate a conference together? I know there is the mesquite, UT conference every spring. How about AZ, do they put one on?

With sincerity,

Ryan Rowan

Trip Down Memory Lane

Happy 40th Birthday Jonathan!

We look back at a few of the special trips we have had with you and Holly. The first one was in the fall of 2004 while you were living in CT, we loved the cute house you lived in. We came out there in October and had such a wonderful time. We went to a fun pumpkin patch where we also enjoyed a hayride. We traveled on up to Vermont & Massachusetts and loved seeing all of the beautiful fall colors. It was a sight to behold. We even were able to see the Boston Temple. We admire you for the adventures you have taken and the memories the two of you have made in these few short years that you have been married. We are thankful we have been able to enjoy a few of those special times.

The other great trip was when we came to see you in Philadelphia in May of 2005. Holly was 6 or 7 months pregnant with Ian but we still took in lots of sights. We toured around Philadelphia at all the major sights, even a trip to Valley Forge. You showed us Intercourse, (Intercourse, Pennsylvania that is) and lots of other little Amish communities near Lancaster. We had so much fun quilt shopping. I even ended up buying a beautiful heirloom quilt. I use it today on our bed. We had lots of fun and lots of laughs. Thank you for showing us such a wonderful time.

We want you to know how lucky we are to have you in our family. We love you so much and think you are a wonderful husband to Holly and a terrific father to Ian & Campbell. We hope you have a wonderful birthday and hope you are able to enjoy at least another 40 or 50 more.

Lots of Love,

Mary Lou & Don Alldredge

Phoenix, Arizona

Neighborhood Watch

I wanted to share a few things for the book.

First of all, the thing that stands out most about Jon is his heart and humbleness. I don't think it is possible to find a nicer man or neighbor. Since the day we moved in, he is always been MORE than willing to help out with any projects or questions I have. As a first time home buyer, it's been pretty scary to have our own place but with a neighbor like Jon, a lot of those worries go away. On more than one occasion, I come home to find the lawn mowed when I've had a long week or when the baby was coming. I never asked him to or ever mentioned it. He's just the kind of man that does it because he just wants to take care of people.

Jon, I hope you have an amazing birthday as you truly deserve it. Thank you for everything you do and for being the wonderful Godly man of integrity that you are.

Ty Schraufnagel

Florence Arizona

BYU Blue

If memory serves me, it was a mistake to send Beth to BYU the same time Jon was there. I don't think either got a good education, but they has a good time!!

Uncle Art Haas

Indiana

The Blue Van ...

One of my favorite stories:

Years ago Jon’s parents had a big blue Ford van. They took a trip to Ron’s house in Utah, taking Jon and Preston along with them.One afternoon they went to the grocery store two miles from the house, and Jon got separated from them in the store. Eventually, Jon decided to go out front to see if he could spot them when they came out of the store.

When he got outside, Jon spotted them pulling out. He figured that was exactly the kind of trick his dad would play - making him walk the two miles home - and started running across the parking lot after them. He caught up to the van, opened the sliding door, and jumped in as it was rolling. Whereupon Jon found himself eye-to-eye with a very frightened stranger. Thinking fast, he jumped back out of the still-moving van.

He then spotted his somewhat puzzled family watching him from the front door of the grocery store.

Ron & Janet Russell
Tucson, AZ

Bachelor's Who Party

I encountered a friendship with Jonathan in the Whiteriver LDS Branch, of all places. Two single men in the barren desert of LDS social life. Together we braved the small-town YSA activities, even though the “Y” in YSA didn’t technically apply to me anymore. I looked young enough to pass for it, or at least that’s what I told myself. Jon’s outgoing personality and rapid-fire wit was enabling for me to be involved in the group, and it always led to hilarious repartee in reviewing the evening’s events on the long dark ride back to the rez.

There was “Rochelle, Rochelle” the double name being taken from an episode of Seinfeld; the androgynous couple at FHE who’s appearance didn’t quite fit their loyal view of the family proclamation; the nurse with “Edith Bunker” as a mother; the testimony meeting “weeper”; the family with Captain Von Trappe for a father; the female version of Gilbert Gottfried; a bumper sticker that warned “Frequent Stops” which from the size of the riders, we assumed meant stops at McDonalds.

If it hadn’t been for someone to keep on going to these things with, I more than likely wouldn’t have participated in a chorale production in the summer of 2000. Going to the singing practices was more entertaining than staying at home, and we could make fun of the lyrics on the way home—or during the practices for that manner. Two soloists blushed after singing “Neither the Man Without the Woman” when Jon shouted from the back, “you may kiss the bride.” Had we not met a Bernaleen, a YSA living in Whiteriver who carpooled with us to the Snowflake practices, we may not have stopped in the Show Low Walmart on June 21, 2000 at 11:30 PM so she could buy yarn and hair color. And we probably wouldn’t have been introduced to Bernie’s friend Steven Klefsky and his two sisters, Julia and Noreen.

That was the beginning of the end of my bachelorhood. I told him that I was thinking of calling Julia and asking her out and he encouraged me. “You should have seen her arm muscles while she was unloading bales of hay for the dance,” he said. He continually encouraged our friendship and did what he could to help it move forward. It did seem to take him by surprise when we got engaged in October. At that time, Jon was busy with coaching soccer and I was busy seeing Julia. “You’re pulling my chain”, he said, when we showed up at his soccer game and shared the news. He made the trip to Mesa to see us get sealed, and although we didn’t have bridesmaids or groomsmen, he was my ‘best man’ unofficially.

It wasn’t that long before Jon knew it was time to leave the mountains and go to the city. A number of the area’s YSA women were interested in him, but he was waiting. I didn’t know what he was waiting for, but it is apparent now. I was delighted when I was asked to be in Jon’s wedding party and impressed when I met his wonderful bride. I’ve enjoyed hearing about their newlywed years and travel adventures. He was up to his old tricks again when he “showed up” at our doorstep here in Oregon as a surprise. Julia has a video of the 2000 performance of “Come to the House of the Lord” and Jon is visible from time to time. He was dressed as a pioneer during the performance of “The Hearts of the Fathers are Turning,” which of the lyrics, of course, Jon and I modified to: “For the stomachs of the fathers are turning.”

Jonathan outside of the medical Center where Roger works ... on his hunt to track down Roger along the Oregon coast. Oct. 2007

New Bling

One of the first memories that is really special to me is the memory of meeting Jon up in Flagstaff to take him the diamond for Holly's engagement ring.........I remember walking the mall with him and Dale while looking in the jeweler's windows. Then he took us into one special place and had me look at three rings...and then he asked which one I liked. He wouldn't tell me which one he was going to buy...that was going to be part of the big surprise...and I think he thought I might tell :-). It was a very special day.

Tammie Willis

Gilbert, AZ

Separated at Birth

Hey there! We just wanted to wish you a Happy 40th!!!!

We miss the good old days in Colonial Village! Jon and Dallas were like two peas in a pod. They could complete each other’s sentences or thoughts ... which were not always good, but made for some very funny times, especially this one the fall of 2005!


We miss you guys and wish you well.



Love,

Dallas & Stacey Mitchell
Bartow, Florida