1974 - 1976 - The Early Years Together.

Mike and Jan met at church a few weeks after he returned from Mexico. They were introduced by Mike's soon to be sister-in-law and Jan's best friend, Linda. Mike was so smittened by Jan's beauty and bubbly personality that he asked Linda for her phone number. Linda promptly told him she was engaged to be married but no date was set. Mike attended college that quarter and didn't see Jan again until three months later at Linda and Dan's wedding where he was the best man and she was the bride's maid. After the wedding ceremony, Mike told Jan that it was customary for the best man to kiss the bride's maid. The kiss must have had quite an impact on both of them because Mike didn't date for the next two months and Jan broke off her engagement. Mike had moved to Wyoming to earn money to be able to return to school so they had a long range courtship.

Mike and Jan were married on January 10, 1975 in the Provo LDS Temple. Their one-night honeymoon was spent in St. George, UT as Mike had to return to work in Wyoming. He worked as a general labor foreman for the Becthal Power Corporation that was building the Jim Bridger Power Plant east of Rock Springs, WY. When Mike wasn't working, he and Jan spent their time exploring southwestern Wyoming. They fished at Flaming Gorge, Big Sandy, and in lakes and streams near Pinedale.

Mike and Jan lived in Rock Springs until August, 1975 and decided it was best that Mike return to school and get his education. They moved to Cedar City and rented a house next door to Jan's parents (they didn't have to spend much on food because Hal and LaVee had them over for dinner most evenings). Mike got a job working for Cedar Packing (meat packing plant) cleaning the kill floor and the meating processing room in the late afternoon and evenings while he attended SUSC (now Southern Utah University). Jan worked at Ron and Chris Bakery and would get up at 4:00 in the morning. The saw each other in passing and on weekends. Mike already knew he wanted to major in wildlife management and work for the Animal Damage Control program like his dad, Jim Worthen. In the spring of 1976, Mike and Jan went to Kanosh, UT to meet Warren Ahlstorm who was the State Director for the Idaho federal trapping program. He offered Mike a summer job in eastern Idaho. Needless to say Mike was counting the days until school was out and they moved to Dubois, Idaho where he worked for the next two summers (see Dubois Experiences) between school. The fall of 1976 Mike transfered to the Utah State University and received his bachelor degree in wildlife management in 1978. They lived next to the highway between Wellsville and Logan and Mike worked for EA Miller & Sons. He would go at 4:00 in the mornings to take the shrouds off beef that were killed the day before. Jan became pregnant with the first child, Jacove, later that winter and was in this condition during the next summer in Dubois. Jan spend most of her time with Mike's sister, Pam who lived in Mendon, on the west side of Cache Valley. Jacove was born the following November. Mike and Jan didn't have insurance at the time and talk the doctor into letting Jan and the baby be discharged from the hospital early to save money. The total bill was $500, which seemed like $5,000 at the time.