Evan Call

To Bessie Warren Call, history was never a set of distant dates or dusty textbook facts; it was a living story written in the faces of her ancestors and the lives of her children and posterity. As a faithful keeper of our family’s story, Bessie spent a lifetime gathering, preserving, writing, and honoring the threads that connect us. From her deep roots tracing back to the passengers of the Mayflower and the brave pioneers who crossed the plains, to the lively home where she raised 14 children, her world was defined by those who came before her and those she brought into it. For Bessie, faith and family were not just a part of life, but the entire point of it.

Mission Preparation and Training (April 1931)

On April 20, 1931, Evan’s parents dropped him off at the Salt Lake Mission Home with a single suitcase. He spent two weeks in training, notably enjoying New Testament classes taught by David O. McKay. During this time, he attended three Endowment sessions and toured every room of the Salt Lake Temple. He was set apart by Richard Lyman and departed by train for the Eastern States Mission on April 29 with only $18 to his name.

Service in the Eastern States

Evan’s 27-month mission was marked by significant leadership and varied experiences:

• Massachusetts: After brief training in New York, he served in Lawrence, eventually becoming a companion to Presiding Elder Harden D. Young.

• Blue Ridge District: Evan was appointed Presiding Elder of this district, covering parts of Pennsylvania and Maryland. To manage the twelve missionaries spread across the area, he purchased a Model A Ford, later trading it for a four-door model to transport his elders.

• Proselytizing: His work included door-to-door tracting, street meetings, and preaching in jails. He also helped build a missionary exhibit at the York County Fair.

• Palmyra Conferences: He attended three annual conferences at the Joseph Smith farm, sleeping in the old barn and dining cafeteria-style with up to 200 missionaries.

At the request of President Moyle, Evan extended his mission by three months to help with a missionary shortage.

The Journey Home (July 1933)

Evan received an honorable release on July 16, 1933. He drove his Model A Ford back to Utah, stopping at the Chicago World’s Fair and picking up a stranded missionary in Ogden, whose expenses Evan covered.

Upon arriving in Salt Lake City, he stayed at the mission home, where he spoke with President Heber J. Grant. He enjoyed an emotional reunion with his mother and brother Reuel at the Maxam Hotel before driving home to Afton, singing hymns along the way. Evan said, ""My heart pounded for joy as we came over the Salt Creek divide. It seemed like I had been gone for years."

Re-entry and Reflection

Returning to farm life proved an adjustment. While his local Forest Ranger didn't even realize he had been gone, Evan jumped back into labor, helping his father build a rental house and resuming farm chores—an transition punctuated by a cow switching its tail and breaking his glasses. He observed that adjusting to home life was often harder than starting the mission itself.