The Life of Mandy Koon
Simmons
By: Mandy Koon Simmons
I,
Mandy Koon Simmons, was born to Bruce L. Koon and Sheryl Fielding on January
13, 1982 in Rexburg, Madison, Idaho. I am the youngest of seven children, six
girls and one brother, our names from oldest to youngest are: Annika, Rebekah,
Megan, Marci, Clifton Bruce, Kirsten, and then me, Mandy. My story however,
doesn’t start there, it starts many years before. You see, my birth was not the
first time I had been to earth.
“When Clifton was
just a couple of months old, we had decided that we finally had a boy so we
would be done having kids. One night (we were living in Rupert, ID) I
went down to the basement to tell Bruce and the girls goodbye. I was on
my way to Young Women's that evening. As I stepped into the family room,
I felt a tug on my pant leg. I turned around, and there were two
children, one older than the other. The older one ( I couldn't tell if
they were boys or girls because it was so brief) was kind of standing in front
of the other, just said, "Mom, don't stop having kids until we come)
(something like that). Within the next couple of weeks I discovered I was
pregnant with Kirsten. The Lord must have known I would need to be
forewarned, because Clifton and Kirsten are only 12 months apart and after the
terrible time having Clifton, the doctor told us to not have any more. When
Kirsten was about 16 months old, I picked her up and instantly recognized the
little child that had pulled on my pant leg. Then, it wasn't long after
Mandy was learning to stand, that I then recognized her as the 2nd child. A very Spiritual, sacred ,experience in my
life.” (Written by Sheryl Koon)
I was born into a family that is strong in the church; a
family that I was meant to be in. My first six years of life were stressful for
my family. I was often sick, averaging a doctor’s visit every fourteen to
sixteen days in my first year and a half. I was treated for ulcers, couldn’t
digest formula, had tubes put in my ears (which I still have in one of my baby
books), I had to sit up for one to two hours after eating or else I would throw
it all up, and was also tested for A.I.D.S and other illnesses in Salt Lake
City, Utah. Come to find out my immune system was fine I just didn’t have the
resistance to fight off any diseases. The nursery and primary leaders would
take me to one of my parents if any child came in with so much as a runny nose
so that I wouldn’t be exposed. I finally grew out of it in first and second
grade.
When I was one, along with being sick all the time I had
to be put in specials shoes and sleep with a bar between my feet because my
foot and leg were crooked. It eventually was fixed and now my feet are straight
and no one would know that I was born with a crooked leg.
My mom went back to school when I was young to get her
teaching degree. I remember going to hang out at the high school with my dad
(he was a teacher there) after school while mom was doing homework or in class
herself. I enjoyed hanging out with the other high school teachers in the
teacher’s lounge or in the wood and Ag shop with my dad while he finished up
for the day. I got to know all the teachers before I started having them for
teachers myself. Mom’s first year teaching was when I was in third grade; she
was a third grade teacher. I wasn’t in her class but I’ve always thought that
it was neat she was teaching some of my friends. Once she started teaching
there would be times that I would stay after school with her. I enjoyed not
having to ride the bus very often.
Before I go much farther in my life I want to write about
a very special friend that I had in my younger years, I was probably five or
six years old. Her name was Nelly Lawson. She was a grandma but I loved her.
Nelly lived about a quarter of a mile down the road from my house with her
husband Ted. I would often go to her house and talk with her and play in her
living room while she sat in her chair and watched. She was sick and couldn’t
get around very well. I knew every inch of her home so when my sister Marci
bought it after she was married and remodeled it I was a little sad. Anyway,
one particular memory that I have of Nelly, I had come to visit her and I was
sitting at her feet like I did so often when she told me she had a present for
me. I was so excited, I loved getting gifts. When she handed me a piggy bank,
all light blue, in the shape of a little girl, I was a little disappointed but
I was still happy to have gotten anything from her. I don’t remember what she
told me when she gave it to me, but that little gift would soon become one of
my most prized possessions. Nelly passed away shortly after giving it to me. I
was heartbroken and it was the only thing I would have (and still have) to
remember my best friend by. After she passed away I would wake up crying,
missing my best friend until one night I couldn’t sleep, I just kept crying so
I finally decided to pray. I asked the Lord to please just let me feel her hug
me one more time because I missed her so badly. He answered my little girl
prayer, immediately I felt arms go around me in a comforting embrace. I stopped
crying and finally fell asleep with the feel of her hug around me. That
experience alone had been the one thing that kept me strong in the church for
many years. I had a powerful testimony that prayers are answered and that the
Lord loves us. Often when I begin to question the church I remember that
experience I know that I shouldn’t doubt. Since that time I have had other
experiences that keep my faith strong but I will get to those later.
Through elementary, I had two best friends, Angela Lovell
and Sherry Newby. Angela lived in my ward, (Ririe Second Ward) so she and I
would hang out at church whenever she came, Sherry also lived in my ward but
she and her family was Catholic. This wasn’t a problem, Sherry and I would
still sleep over at each other’s house and we would even attend each other’s
church. There was one Christmas, I don’t remember a year or my age, but I went
Christmas caroling with her church class. When we were done we went back to the
church where they gave us all a Rosary (a beaded necklace with a cross hanging
from it). I remember feeling a little uncomfortable, I wasn’t sure if I should
accept it or not. I knew we didn’t wear crosses but I didn’t want to make them
feel bad. I knew that it was nice of them to even give me one since I was not a
member of their congregation; I also knew that it was something spiritual for
them and of great importance and so I gratefully accepted the rosary. Sherry, Angela, and I would eventually go our
separate ways but the good memories I have of our friendship would not.
I was baptized on February 3rd, 1990 with
Angela, she could’ve been baptized the month before but she decided to wait so
we could be baptized on the same day. It was a special time for us both even
though she wouldn’t stay strong in the church. I was baptized by my dad, he
also confirmed me a member of the church the next day on the 4th
during sacrament meeting.
My dad was the bishop of our ward for about seven years,
starting from the time we moved into the ward when I was 2 years old. This
must’ve been hard on my mom since she had to try and contain seven children by
herself. However, there were times when I would decide to go sit up front with
dad. This was probably nice for mom but it was very nice for me since Dad’s
counselors would always have candy in their pockets to share.
When I got to sixth grade my mom was my teacher, she had
moved from teaching third grade to sixth grade. I was so excited. I think it
brought us closer together. Unfortunately I don’t remember much about that year
but I loved being in her class. It made me feel special even though she didn’t
treat me different from her other students (which I thought she should). It was
a good year.
The elementary school housed grades K-6 so when I got to
7th grade I was in the high school with all the teachers I already
knew so I felt pretty comfortable being there. It was fun and this was the year
that my friendships with Angela and Sherry would change. My new best friends
were Cheryl Park and Carissa Reed. Carissa was in my ward and only lived a mile
from me so she and I would ride our bikes into Ririe and spend our money to get
candy at Browns IGA (a grocery store). We would then ride all the way home
stopping at a bridge (that was built the year we were born) to eat a few pieces
before continuing home. I loved these bike rides. Carissa and I could talk
about anything, we could be gone for hours taking detours and looking at the
scenery without a second thought. Fortunately Carissa and I would stay friends
for long after our graduation.
