Bio of Allen Gerritsen

Family: Married Juli A. (Fullmer) Gerritsen. Four children. Amber (25) and husband Del (25) Bunker. Amber graduated from U of Utah this summer with two degrees: Psychology and Human Relations and Family Development. Del just got a nice job in Denver, CO so they barely moved away ;-( Andrew (22) has struggled with health problems so wasn't able to serve a mission. He works at Media Play and is an honest, fun-loving son. He's currently going to Salt Lake Community College. Jill (19) is a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) at St. Mark's hospital in SLC in their newborn nursery and NICU. She loves it. She wants to be a RN. She just had an emergency surgery so wasn't able to sign up for fall classes.

Mindy (16) is a joy to have around the house. She has a great sense of humor, is enjoying piano, is learning American Sign Language, and does real good in school despite she has been on part home-school for the past 3 years because of some hip surgeries and major leg surgery. She's a now a full-time junior at Skyline High in SLC. Millie, our two-year old beagle had 7 puppies this summer, which consumed our time right when we were remodeling our kitchen (which took longer than we expected). We didn't keep any puppies - - we have a family-negotiated deal that we'll bread her again next spring. My nephew has the purebred male beagle. My wife, Juli, is the 1st cousin to Elder Jeff Proctor from our mission (1977-79). It's a small world. Juli is very supportive of my health problems, a great mom, wife, and companion.

Church: After the mission I was called on another 2-year mission in the SLC Barrio Lucero. At that time there were 8 local missionaries teaching 24 hours a week to the Latino population. I was then called to be the Stake Mission Leader (as a seventy) in our Gringo Ward. After our move to the mid-west, there were a lot of opportunities to "teach, preach, and baptize like missionaries do". When we returned to SLC, I worked in the temple baptistery, SS Teacher, Asst. Scout Master, Elder's Quorum President for 5 years, Ward Executive Secretary, and then on the Stake High Council. I'm now the SS President in our ward, which is a great calling with my health problems.

Education: I received my BA from the University of Utah in Community Health (had our first daughter while in SLC); then went to the University of Iowa (Iowa City) for my Master's Degree in Health Care Administration (where we had our son). We then moved to Minneapolis, MN for my administrative residency and first job (where we had our next daughter, Jill). After two years at my first job, I then landed a job back in Utah with Intermountain Health Care setting up their urgent care clinics (then we had our last daughter in SLC). It was hard for Juli since each one came as a C-Section with complications between each child: kidney stones, gall bladder taken out, 2 carpal tunnel surgeries, etc.

Work: After five years of developing the urgent care clinics for LDS Hospital, I was asked to work with physicians and recruit them to the hospital. I helped some of them establish their medical practices. After another five years working on the Medical Planning and Recruiting, I was asked to operate all of the IHC InstaCares and started and managed several Internal Medicine and Family Practice Clinics within IHC. I also served on the Board of Directors and President of the national Society of Ambulatory Care Professionals (part of the American Hospital Association based in Chicago) besides my regular work. I enjoyed the traveling that entailed.

In the early 1990's, I found out that I had rheumatoid arthritis. Ten years later I had a heart attack and a stint put in. While in the Cardiac ICU, I flat-lined. What an experience! I was able to come back but found out I had some other chronic auto-immune diseases with which I was dealing. Now I really appreciate that scripture in the Bible: "Blessed are the Pace-makers". Due to health complications I've had to go on long-term medical disability with IHC. However, I've enjoyed being a stay-at-home Dad and Husband.

Hobbies: My life-long desire to have time to research my family roots is being realized. I spend my available time (good days) doing family history. I enjoy being with my family and doing several activities with them. I still enjoy activities in the beautiful mountains, photography, and collecting a few antiques (We got that bug while living in the Mid-west).

Community: While working with the IHC clinics, I was able to start several community-based (free) clinics. Three of them were clinics at the homeless shelters here in SLC. I also established and managed the first school-based clinic in SLC at the Lincoln Elementary School. In expanding that concept, we established a clinic in Glendale at the Sorenson Multi-Cultural Center. It's been quite a successful model in helping the community access basic health care needs. These activities were "frosting on the cake" for my employment.

While serving on the Stake High council, with having experience with clinic remodel and construction, my assignment was to oversee the major renovation of the East Mill Creek Stake Center for 1 1/2 years at a $4.2 million price tag. It was Pres. Hinkley's old stake and was originally built when he was the stake president. He came back to rededicate it and said that it is the largest (sq. ft.) stake center in the Church. I was so used to putting x-ray equipment in the facilities I was responsible for, that I joked with our stake president (Administrator of Alta View Hospital) that he shouldn't be surprised if we end up with digital radiography machine in the basement of the stake center!!

Comps: Areas Served and with whom:

MTC via L.A. and Guatemala and on to Costa Rica:

- Steven Milius

Alajuela (El Capital del Mundo), Costa Rica:

- Rahn Price - my "greenie" buster

- Don Arnold

- Alvaro Lopez

- Dean Briggs (short time)

Guadalupe, Costa Rica:

- Gary Green (2-3 weeks)

Canal Zone (Colon), Panama:

- Gary (Eric Clapton) Lamph

- Mel (Karate) Smith

Choluteca, Honduras:

- Vernon Blaylock

- David Anderson

Tegucigalpa, Honduras:

- David Whittaker

Granada, Nicaraqua:

- Steven Calaway

- Lyle LeFevre

San Jose, Costa Rica:

- Marden Spencer (short time)

- David Marshall (short time)

- Terry Frazier

Left Mission via a visit to Mexico City:

-Steven Milius

Memories: Elder Lamph and I were in the Canal Zone (Colon) making copies in the port captain's office. A man from Connecticut and his family were sailing around the world on a 44-ft. sailboat he made and needed two guys as linemen while going through the canal. We said there was no way that we could - it was against the rules. He asked if there was someone from whom we could get permission. Well, we called Pres. Eager who asked if the whole zone could go? They couldn't because of the small size of the boat. Pres. Eager told us that we could go. The family even arranged for the passage on our "P-Day". What a great experience to have!

Elder Frazier and I were in Costa Rica and real tired of teaching one Sunday evening. It had been a busy day. The family where we lived and ate had the TV on the Olympics and it was raining outside. It was tempting to just stay dry and in the house. But we went out tracking. We were on the last house at the end of the street and it was about 9:30 PM. We knocked on the door. The family had read the Book of Mormon, which other missionaries had left and they were ready to hear the gospel. They were baptized and we heard she eventually became the RS President. What a highlight of the mission!

Elder Milius and I were President and Sister Eager's first missionaries to arrive in the field. I liked how he encouraged us to "rub shoulders" with the natives, getting out into the market place on our "P-Day" instead of just playing basketball. In Costa Rica, the Russian Ballet came to the National Theatre. He wanted all missionaries in CR to go, regardless of their ability to pay. He said it was a chance in a lifetime. He was right.

However, he also stressed that we should make our homecoming addresses NOT a travel log but rather a spiritual log. That gave me a lot to think about. I did grow spiritually on the mission and appreciate not only all the great companions I had, but also all the other missionaries who went on splits with me and were in my districts. Especially, you sister missionaries who taught health to the people, delivered babies, and taught the Gospel, too. The older couples were a great blessing to have, too.

I confess I liked to "bet" while on the mission. I bet Elder Mel Smith a lobster dinner once we returned to Utah (I won and he paid it off), but Elder Alan Clawson still owes me a banana split (check your journal written in CR!).