MY COUSIN GWEN

Dear Family,

Yesterday we attended the funeral of my cousin Gwen properly known as Gwendolyn Wirthlin McConkie Cannon.  Here is a picture of my two cousins, David and Gwen. They were the last of Joseph L and Madeline Wirthlin's children.  Others included Joseph B (Elder Wirthlin) Judy Wirthlin Parker and Richard Wirthlin who have passed on.

Gwen was 92 when she passed away last week and was as sharp as a tack. I had known Gwen and her family for many years.  When she was newly married in the 40's, she and her husband, James McConkie (Brother to Bruce R), came back to New York City where James earned a Phd in music.  They were always in our home and came for Sunday dinner once or twice a month and of course on holidays.  It was so great to have family close.  I loved it when Gwen and James came to our home in Flushing.  She would bring happiness, sunshine and joy that she radiated, always smiling,always happy and always very gracious.  They had their first son their and he came as well.  We had a little farm in upstate New York and James went with us.  It was about 200 miles away and it was a six hour drive.  Once on the way up to the farm, I had James tell us about the time he had to parachute out of a B17.  He was a navigator during the war and flew in the B17 flying fortress.  They had had a lot of flak damage to the plane over Germany but they made it to the shores of Britain and parachuted out of the plane.  James was a great pianist and musician.

When he got his Phd they moved to Minnesota where he taught music at the University.  He contracted bulbar polio and died at a young age.  Gwen had three children and went back to school getting a masters at the U and then a Phd in education at Kings College in New York.  She did this while raising her little children.  She taught at various places. She married  Phil Cannon who worked for Hoover and they moved to England.  Every time I would go to Europe, I always stopped off in London to see Gwen.  She would take me shopping at Harrod's where she advised on a little dress for Emily. We named one of our daughters Allison Gwen Wirthlin after my cousin Gwen.

When we lived outside of London for six months for additional surgical training, we would visit Gwen often. We bought a used Morris London Cab (200 pounds) and hauled our eight children all over.  The very first trip in the cab was a drive to Gwen's that took us through Oxford and by the time we arrived, I was almost a total wreck driving on the wrong side of the road and trying to negotiate the round a bouts.  It was a relief to get there and Gwen got a kick out of all the kids piling out of the cab like dwarfs at a circus. She used to take us to antique shops in the country.  We went to church with her there as well.  They moved back to Utah when Phil retired.  Gwen flew to Michigan to attend Julie's funeral representing the Utah family.

We did not see her for several years while we were in Germany.  When we returned and moved to Salt Lake, we went to an opera one night and I spotted Gwen coming out of the opera.  It was great to see her again, always smiling and happy.  I would go to lunch with her and David on occasion and she was always great. She was gracious and kind.  She was a strong member of the church who never wavered during troubled times.  She was simply great and I loved her for her goodness.  We will miss her smile and her totally positive approach to life.  She is among the group of people whom we feel fortunate to have known and her memory warms my heart.

Love, Dad