What would you like others to know about your dad?
I guess, in his younger years, my dad had quite a temper. I seem to remember that I was told that one time he got in a horrible fight and severely injured another man. It bothered him so deeply that he decided to get control of his temper right then and there. I only remember my dad as a quite and patient man. I have never seen him lose his temper and very rarely has he raised his voice. He has never raised his voice at me and we all know that I am probably the biggest test of anyones patience.
I would want people know that my dad was a kind, wise, gentle, caring and loving man.
Did either of your parents serve in the miitary? If so, which branch?
My gandparents were farmers in southern Alberta during world war 2 and so were exempt from sending any of their sons to war. Never the less, my Dad felt compelled to serve, so he dropped out of school, lied about his age (he was seventeen) and joined the airforce. He was a mechanic and worked on tank engines.
Dad was training in the eastern provinces somewhere and was just weeks away from shipping overseas when the war ended. Dad was a bit upset that he never got to fight but I’m pretty sure his parents were thrilled.
What is the best advice your parents ever gave you?
My mom was not much for giving speaches or advice but Dad was full of little sayings. I have forgotten most of them but one that stands out is, “A half assed job is always a half assed job.” I guess in normal english that would mean, “If your going to do it, do it right”.
What was the best part of growing up with or without siblings?
There are six kids in my family and while I never thought about it at the time, I loved being part of a large family.
I guess the best part is that you are never alone. You always have a cheer leader and someone always has your back. Even though all of my older siblings were gone by the time I left the house I still felt their presence.
It was quite an adjustment for me when I left home and I was quite home sick for several months.
Of course, there is a downside (which I guess is also an upside) to having a large family and that is we could get in some really big fights. I remember one time that Jackie and Dixie were in a huge fight about something and of course Lester and I had to join in. I sided with Dixie and Lester sided with Jackie and away we went. There was yelling and screaming and hitting and throwing things. It was really weird.
I don’t remember many fights, but being part of alarge family teaches you early on how to get along with other people.
How is your family different from other families? Why?
This is a tough one to answer because I don’t think our family was all that much different than other famililes I knew growing up. Cardston was a small town full of people of similar faith and ideals. Most of them had large families (I never thought our family was large until I left Cardston) and they were close, just as we were.
The stark difference was my friend Tom Crooks. His dad was a blue collar worker who went out and drank with his friends all the time and there was only him and his sister Kathy. That family was very different than mine.
Now that I am sixty five and looking back there are few families who have six kids and who always ate dinner together and really talked at dinner time.
How were birthdays celebrated in your family?
This is a weird one for me. I have never thought of it before but I don’t ever remember celebrating any birthdays in my home. It could just be a faulty memory (I need to ask some of my siblings) but the best I remember is that we would have a normal meal and have birthday cake at the end and open gifts.
What were some of your favorite Halloween costumes you and siblings wore?
Growing up on the farm we never did Halloween and by the time we moved into town we were reaching the age that I felt I was too old to go trick or treating. I don’t remember any of my siblings costumes and I only remember one of mine. I wore a sheet over my head with holes cut out for my eyes and I was a ghost.
--------------------trivia--------------------
The world’s oldest trees are more than 4,600 years old.
That means that tree was just a sapling when humans were first creaating a written language.
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1 comment:
Dad was on the hospital with measles when his company was deployed by the time he was better the war was over. While he was in the hospital he was roommates with a guy named Merlin Lybbert and they were both getting letters from a girl named Nola. Merlin jokingly told dad he could have his sister if he would leave Nola alone.
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