Independence, Provo, and the Glen Bros Years
In late 1948, a salesman from Kimball Pianos urged Wes to go into business for himself, and he agreed. In December, the family moved to Great Falls, Montana, and opened Robbins Music Company.
According to Vennetta, they "did wonderful." They sold pianos, instruments, and sheet music. She tended the store and helped manage daily operations. This was not new for her. She had worked alongside Wes before and returned to it easily.
The business did well. The family did not. Renee and Wes were frequently ill in Montana, and the family decided that health mattered more than profit. They sold the business and moved to Pocatello, Idaho, where Wes worked for Carns Music.
During these years, the children were starting their own lives. Bud was attending the University of Utah and pledged Phi Alpha Delta, the honorary law fraternity. In 1948, Sharon married. Renee attended college in Pocatello.
While in Pocatello, Glen Bros. Music invited Wes back. The family relocated again. Renee remained in Pocatello to complete her school year. Wes, Vennetta, and Dick first moved to Salt Lake City and then to Provo, where Wes was asked to open and manage a new Glen Bros Music store.
In Provo, Vennetta once again became an active partner. When a hired employee left, Wes asked her to help temporarily. Temporary became ten years. She sold pianos and organs, handled instruments and sheet music, kept the books, and worked directly with customers. She was working as she always had, handling sales and bookkeeping with experience built over decades.
By the mid-1950s, the family was settled at 1035 East 700 North in Provo. Dick was in school, and the older children were established in their own lives.
Professionally, Wes continued to advance within Glen Bros Music. By the late 1950s, he held the title of Division Manager, indicating responsibility beyond a single store.
He joined Rotary Clubs in Ogden, Great Falls, Salt Lake City, and Provo. Wherever they lived, he connected with the business and civic networks of the community. He was also affiliated with Universal Underwriters Service Inc., continuing his pattern of combining sales, investment interests, and civic involvement.
The California trips and Lake Tahoe visits documented in family photographs date from this era. The children were grown. Gatherings included spouses, grandchildren, and extended family. Golf appears regularly in the photographs — both Wes and Vennetta played. The 1950s were, in many ways, the settled years after decades of frequent moves and wartime intensity.