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| Mt. St. Helens, May 18, 1980 |
Mount St. Helens is located in southwestern Washington (state) about 50 miles northeast of Portland Oregon. We lived in Lacey Washington when on Sunday, May 18, 1980 the volcano blew up. Even though it was only 8 o’clock in the morning it looked like it was night. Geologists call Mount St. Helens a composite volcano. Composite volcanoes tend to erupt explosively and pose a considerable danger to anything living by it. Hawaiian volcanoes erupt nonexplosively, producing lava that can flow great distances. The ash cloud went up so high that other winds took it all the ash as far as Oklahoma.
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| Ash Cloud |
We lived in Lacey Washington at the time of the eruption. It was a Sunday morning. Church was cancelled and Dad was called to work. He installed the emergency phone system for this natural disaster and was very busy. We put up the quilt frame in the garage and tied a quilt. Dianne was almost 10, Mark was 7, Janet was nearing 4 and Susan was nearing 2. It was an awesome but frightening event to witness.
It was so dark that the birds started to fly in the path of the headlights of cars. They flew into the windows of people’s homes. They wanted to find the light. As children of our Heavenly Father, we seek the light too.
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| Oakland Temple Where Dad & I were married June 17, 1969 |
When things in your life seem dark and frightening, Remember that Jesus said "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)
Love you!
Mom
