Life Story of Melvin J. Porter

Life Story of Melvin J. Porter

Written by Melvin J. Porter for the "Wilford Austin Porter, Alice Elnora Johnson Family Histories" book compiled by MelDee and LuAnn Cox Porter August 7, 1981 

I was born on February 15, 1922 in Smoot, Wyoming;  Dr. West helped in the delivery.  Our close, good neighbor, Sister Taggart assisted my mother.  I learned to respect this fine lady.

I was named after apostle Melvin J. Ballard.  This man spoke to and was embraced by Jesus Christ and was told He was well pleased with him.  This has always given me a goal to work for.

I was the second of eight children born to my parents.  My father was Wilford Austin Porter and my mother was Alice Elnora Johnson Porter.  I had two brothers and five sisters.  Max Wilford Porter, Eva Porter Nyberg, Della Mae Porter Gibbons, Louise Porter Collins, Florence Porter Neuenschwander (Seegmiller), Betty Porter Pendleton, and Lyn Austin Porter.

When I was about seven years old my family went with the team to visit the Canning's.  While there, I took several marbles home in my pocket.  The next day I was found out by my mother.  She made me return the marbles to the Canning family.  This was a good lesson for me.

One of the first things I can remember and still remember was a dream I had.  It was so real.  I thought I was back in my heavenly home.  There was a large living room with carpet and drapes, and a long winding staircase the color of brass.  How I wanted to stay, but I knew I had to leave.  After waking up, I still wanted to return there.

I think there was nothing I wanted worse in this life than a kiddy car, but I learned to live without it.  I still remember the deep feelings I had as I saw others with them.

There was one nickname I had, "Books."  I don't know why I was called this for I was not a book worm.  At Christmas time we had lots of candy and nuts to eat, games to play and made over toys such as hand sleighs and wagons.

Dad gave me a pony, "Nip," a beautiful black.  A while later Dad wanted to sell the pony to get more hay for the other stock.  I wouldn't give in.  A short time later the horse died of colic caused by eating old moldy hay.  I felt bad and shed a few tears.

The gypsies used to come.  I thought they would take everything because they didn't have anything.  My brother, Max, and I felt sorry for them.  Wow, was Dad mad.  They offered us money but we wouldn't take it.

My close friends in school were Earl Johnson and Reed Schwab.  We played marbles.  I was a good shot, but used poor judgment, usually ending up losing my marbles.  My brother, Max, was a fair shot and using good judgment, he brought home lots of marbles.  He had won a large sack of them.  One day as we were playing I started to claim some of his marbles.  An argument developed.  Father became upset, took the sack of marbles and threw them down a large dirt hole in the mud.  We recovered a few of them.  To this day, 50 years later, I still feel guilty about how Max must have felt.  There were other times we got in hot water.  Max, being the oldest, got most or all of the correction.  He got lots of lickings because of me.  I don't know if he has ever forgiven me:  I hope so.

I started school at 6 1/2 years, my teacher was Cholotelle Hill, (Griffeth).  At age 7, I started to milk cows two or three.  This you might not believe; Mother told me years later that I milked at age 7.

One day Dad and Mother left us kids home alone.  I was perhaps 8.  It was cold and we had no fire.  I got the wood in the old cook stove, then tried to get it to burn.  No luck!  I then did what I had been told never to do, but I had seen my father do.  I picked up a full gallon bottle of gasoline, poured a little in the stove.  The bottle caught fire.  I sat the bottle down and grabbed a bucket of water, pouring it on top.  It never went out.  I then picked up the bottle and carried it very carefully out in the yard.  I got more water.  No luck.  I then picked up the bottle and started toward the ditch.  It got too hot to hold.  I threw it at the ditch.  It exploded in the air, throwing fire back to the side of me.  It's a miracle that my life didn't end there.

Finally, I got to be eight years old.  This was a great year for I was old enough to be baptized.  Joseph Allen baptized me in Cottonwood Creek.  I don't think I understood much about it, only that my sins were gone and I had a new start.  I think that my Primary teachers had more affect on me in life than all the other teachers, except my parents.

My brother Max had a horse named Bess.  We went riding up through the trees one day, I went on "Nip."  We decided to race home two separate routes.  I had to cross under a big tree with low hanging limbs.  These limbs caught me, pushing me towards the rear of the horse when they let loose.  I was thrown forward by the reins of the bridle over the horses head to the ground on my back.  The horse came to a stop, holding her foot over my face.  I can still see that hoof.

It always seemed to me that there was something or some unseen person protecting me, telling me what to do.  There was another time Dad sent us boys to cut down a dry tree for wood.  We went with the team and sleigh.  We stopped the team about 20 feet from the tree.  I stayed with the team, standing in the sleigh box.  Max cut the tree down.  It fell directly toward the front of the sleigh.  I threw a stick at the horses, they ran and the tree hit the front of the box.  I dove down in the middle of the sleigh box.  The pressure of the moving sleigh caused the tree to raise up, letting me pass under it.  It came crashing back down again behind me, destroying all of the sleigh box except where I lay.  I had a fast ride until what was left of the box caught another tree, pulling it from the sleigh.  Dad was very unhappy with us.  This little experience, I think, has helped to keep us close together as brothers.

My father took lots of pride in his driving team.  I thought they were the best trotters in town, also the best pulling team.  They weighed about 1800 pounds each.  They were high spirited and true blue to pull, and it seemed that they could break anything.  My father took lots of pride in his stock, his yard, and fences.  He seemed to always put over the idea of always being the best in whatever you were doing.  Dad liked new cars and had several.  I believe Dad was at his best when he talked about the church, his testimony.  It always seemed to me that Dad was a hard worker.  He had great compassion for people in need.  He always spoke with respect and love for people.  He was the best man I ever knew; how I miss him, he so honored his Mother and Father.

My Mother also took pride in her work, always making new clothes out of hand-me-downs for 8 children.  She supported father by milking, or helped in the hay field.  Mother was always trying to help us kids make the right choices.  We always had a large garden.  Mother did most of the work in it.  She was a great hand to take food to the neighbors when there was a need.  If there was sickness Mother was always there.  She and Dad took time to play with us kids.  Those are great days gone by.

The first home I remember was in Smoot.  It was a two-room home about 12 x 20 feet with a lean built on the side.  The lean was used for the kitchen and a bedroom.  The floor was rough lumber.  This lumber had shrunk, leaving cracks so you could see the ground.  Boy was it cold in that bedroom where Max and I slept!  In the kitchen they covered the lumber with linoleum.  We had no running water at this time.  Water was packed from the nearby creek.  Many mornings the water bucket was frozen-you could get a little water out of the bucket if you took a knife and broke a hole in the center.  The other part of the home was used as a living room and bedroom.  It was much warmer in there by the big black stove.

The second home was in Forest Dell, 6 miles south of Smoot.  This was the home that my grandfather, Wilford Porter, built.  It was located on a small hill with big quake asp trees.  We had no running water in the home.  The back house was just below the home.  We boys thought it was great fun throwing rocks at that place when the girls went in.  It seems to me that the place was a playhouse for Eva, Della Mae, and Louise.  I can go back there today and see where we kids carved our initials in the trees with a big heart with that of our boy or girl friend's initials.  There was one year the squirrels were so thick, I was able to run and catch one of them.  It took a nice bite out of my finger.  I never grabbed another!

It was at our second home that we as a family had our greatest fun.  The snow got deep.  We almost slid into the back door of our home.  It was a great place to ride on the crust.  We had several hand sleighs.  Sometimes we ran into trees.  While living there we had most of the childhood diseases.  My sister, Eva, had long black hair when she got measles, losing her long hair.  It never again was long, quite short.  As I think of her, she was not one to demand much of anything.  I can see her out in the field raking hay, when we boys should have been doing it.  When it came to playing games, she was very cautious.  We boys could never out smart her.  It was quite different with Della Mae and Louise.  They were quite easy to out-fox.  But when it came to going places, on dates, they were almost impossible to out maneuver.  It seemed to me that Della Mae and Louise got all the breaks.  I thought it was Della Mae's clever talk and Louise's red hair--that's why they got to go everywhere.

Florence and Betty were perhaps 10 and 12 years old.  They really loved their dolls.  Lyn was born in 1936 on April 12.  On that day there was 6 feet of snow on the level.  It was 1939 that Dad built a new home in Smoot.  Now we had running water, central heat and electric light.

In the years 1925 to 1938 we lived back and forth from the Smoot home in the winter and the Forest Dell home in the summer.  It was in the year 1930 that everybody was talking about how hard it was (money).  The school was heated with blocked wood.  One school day I was asked to throw the blocks from the saw machine.  This I did with a promise that I would receive 10¢.  I started at 9 o'clock a.m. and ended at 3:30 p.m.  I was able to keep all blocks away.  After it was finished I received 5¢.  I took the 5¢ into the school house and showed the janitor what I had.  It slipped from my fingers behind a small board.  It was still in sight.  The janitor said we could get a knife tomorrow and get it out.  Tomorrow came and the nickel was gone.

In that same year, and the year before we kids rode a covered wagon pulled by horses from Smoot to Forest Dell, seven miles away.  At this time Doc Kingston was the driver.  This took him about four hours a day.  He furnished the wagon, team, and wood to keep it warm.  He received $25 a month.  The last month of school the school district ran out of money.  After that the parents took turns hauling us kids.  The teachers, I think, taught for nothing or very little.  It was also at this time my father milked about 20 cows.  His milk check for two weeks was $17.  I know this to be true for I found an old milk check stub when I remodeled the old home in 1950.  We milked the cows by hand.  I milked two or three cows at the age of seven.  At about this same time my father sold a cow to the Government for $12.50.  This cow was shot in our corral.  The neighbors and family divided the cow.  There was no market for beef and too many cattle, that's why the Government was in the business.

Times surely must have been tight.  My father had a few pigs.  Dad decided to butcher one of them.  He borrowed the neighbors 22-rifle and two shells.  After killing and scalding the pig in a fifty gallon barrel of hot water, the pig was scraped to get the hair off.  Then it was cleaned and hung up over night.  My father sent me back to the neighbors with the 22-rifle, some bacon, and a roast.  I was also told to thank them.  The lady said, "Tell your father he owes us two cents for the shells."  My father sent me back with the two cents, but was a little shook up.

My mother and father got a small battery radio.  I can only remember one add that was on the radio station.  They would say, "We are about broke, if any of you could send us 10¢, 25¢, or 50¢, we will stay on the air."  The show I wanted to hear was, "Gang Busters Air Adventurers of Jerry Allen."

I don't remember needing much money.  We made our own fun.  We got together as neighbors and played kick the can, pig in the meeting, and bonfires, rode sleighs, went tobogganing, went horse riding, and had homemade candy.  I think the best of all was throwing each other in the ditch.  These things were all better when Mother and Dad would join in.  Swimming in the gravel pit with live pollywogs was fun.  These were great days with Max, Eva, Della Mae, Louise, Florence and Betty. Lynn was a little young for our rough stuff.  I remember one time Max and I was playing along the road where the neighbor milked his cows.  In those days, they put their milk in 10 gallon cans.  We thought it was great fun to put rocks in the can.  We found one rock that would just slip in.  After it was in the can, we thought we ought to get it out.  We put our arms and hands in there with no success.  Father was the milk hauler at this time.  When he came home that day after hauling the milk and said to Mother, "The funniest thing happened today."  He told her about the rock.  We kept our secret for many years.

During the years 1932 to 1936 Dad worked away for the forest and Bureau of Public Roads.  Max did most of the mowing.  Mother tried to tell us boys what to do.  I used to say to myself, "Mother we know more about this than you do.  Why don't you leave us alone?"  I wonder if all boys are as foolish?  Mother and Max ran the buck rake, Earl Christopherson stacked the hay, I drove the pull off.  Father worked all hours after he came from the other jobs.  My clothes were mostly hand-me-downs from relatives.  I remember that the pants got so thin behind I could scratch my behind and just fell a few strings.  My shoes were so bad that when I went into the field, I had to watch every step to keep the stubble from cutting my feet.  When company came to the house, I would head out the back door to hide my rear-end.  They said I was bashful.  This was a hard time.  I don't blame anybody; mother had six children to take care of, milked the cows, helped with haying, washed on a board, cooked and still had other chores.

It was about the time I started high school that Dad had taken on a milk hauling job.  Times had improved.  I only went five weeks and quit.  I helped Dad put in a pipe line.  This was the first running water we had in the house.  The next year I was ready for school, being two years younger than Max and failing the second grade.  That put him starting to college.  Dad gave us boys a can of milk to send to the creamery.  The check amounted to about $15.00 every two weeks.  (We got this during the summer).  When school started I was told Max needed it for college.  With this money and a job he got, he was able to stay in school.

My mother would put up a lunch for us kids and I would leave mine home.  The school had started the hot lunch program, which cost 10¢.  I felt embarrassed to pack a lunch.  I'd just make myself as inconspicuous as possible while they were eating.  By the time I became a Senior we had a little money.  I enjoyed my schooling and was able to graduate, being about an average student.  We had lots of dances at this time.  I always tried to dance with my sisters and mother if they were there.  I called them my duty dances.  Just before graduation, we Seniors had our Senior Sneak to Pocatello, Idaho.  We had one more student than the bus could carry.  The advisor said we could each take turns standing.  We did this on the way down.  Starting home about 10:00 p.m. I gave up my seat to Jean Pringle.  Everyone went to sleep and I remained standing until we got home.

I was 12 years old when ordained a Deacon by Wilford W. Porter on 6 May 1934, a Teacher by Arthur F. Burton on 14 March 1937, a Priest by Joseph Allen on 7 May 1939, and Elder by Royal S. Papworth on 30 March 1941, and High Priest by President E. Francis Winters on 4 May 1952.  I thought a lot of the church and tried to do the things I was asked to.  It was impressed upon me to remember who I was and what I represented.  I remember my grandfather Johnson's funeral in December of 1936.  He was 72.  He had asked a friend two days before his death, Brother Jensen, as they walked down the street to tell his family the thing he regretted most in this life was that he didn't take more interest in the church.  My Grandfather died at 2:00 a.m.  Brother Jensen said that he was awakened by a dream at 3:00 a.m. about Charles Johnson.  It so shook him up he could not sleep the rest of the night.  He told his wife there was something wrong over to Charlie Johnson's home at about 5:00 a.m.  He learned of his death about 10:00 a.m.  This story hit me like a ton of bricks.  I knew the church was true.  I was so impressed.  I couldn't keep from thinking about it.  I was 14 years of age when this took place.

During my senior year, December 7, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.  Just before being drafted October 22, 1942 I received my Patriarchal Blessing from Ray S. Thurman and found that I was of the lineage of Ephriam.  It also said that I would preach the gospel at home and abroad.  I have had many opportunities to do this.  While in the service, I was stationed in Alabama, Georgia; Seattle, Washington ; Mori, Hawaii; Oahu, Hawaii; and Osaka, Japan.  It was not my lot to be placed in combat, this I am grateful for.  I had no desire to have to take another's life.  I had some close calls in training; once turning a jeep over.

I spent three years and four months in the service.  I was paid $50 a month for 16 months and $70 for the remaining time.  I was able to pay an honest tithing to the church.  I always had money and a good time.  I was able to save $1,800 during that time.  The reason I saved money was so I could go on a mission for the church when I got home.  I never told anyone of my goal.  I received my discharge from the army January of 1946.  There was lots of temptation in the army.  These came from my close friends trying to get me to drink-to lower my standards and visit the women.  It seemed to me that they were possessed with a great desire to get me to indulge.  It got so strong that I even began to wonder if I was taught right.  It was a great day when I was to leave to come home.  The fellow that was most persistent in trying to lower my standards came and bid me off.  He said, "If I could live like you I would give anything."

I went back to working on the farm thinking that the Bishop (Bruce) would ask me to go on a mission.  I started dating the girls, had a lot of fun going places, doing different things.  By February 1947, I was getting serious about one-VaLoy.  When the bishop asked me to go on a mission, I thought about it and decided at my age I should get married.  VaLoy was lots of fun to be with.  She was always happy, laughing, and singing.  I told others she was the personality kid.  She was eight years younger than I, but in many ways more ready for marriage than I.  We were married on June 21, 1947 in the Logan Temple by Elray L. Christiansen.  We went up through Yellowstone Park on our honeymoon.  While there, I was taking a picture of a mother bear and cubs.  The mother bear took after me.  I was lucky, she almost got me.  VaLoy was always loving, kind, considerate and jolly.  Her home has always been neat and clean.

We rented our first home from Sister Hill, two miles north of Smoot for $10.00 a month.  We then moved to Smoot in a home 10 x 16 feet; just room for a bed, table, two chairs, and a wood stove.  We finally moved and bought my father's farm six miles south of Smoot.  We paid $13,000, my missionary money, $1,800, was used for a down payment.  We farmed here for a few years with father's help, and his machinery.  At times I worked for Jim Gohm at his sawmill for $1.00 per hour.  Mr. Gohm was a poor, but honest man.  I took half my pay in cash and the other half in two heifers-$125 each.  I took the heifers and borrowed enough money to buy eight cows at $225 each from Delos Anderson.  That first milk check sure looked good, $110.00.  I had great goals and ideas about how I would improve my farm, but seemed to get side tracked by salesmen.  We bought our first car from Heber Anderson for $225.00.  He was leaving on a mission.  The car was not worth $100.00 and I knew it but because of what he was going to do, I felt good about it.

In the spring of 1947, I was asked to be a counselor in the Sunday School to Harry Johnson.  I quite enjoyed this.  In 1948 or 49, I was asked to be Elders President over the Smoot and Osmond Elders, with 67 Elders.  I knew very little about the job.  The other officers were Dell Schwab, Second Counselor; Bill Swenson, First Counselor and Ivan Roberts as Secretary.  I learned to love those men and still think of them with great respect.  In my weak way I tried to be a good president.  I received some open criticism of my performance.  This had quite an effect on my feelings.  As I look back on the experience, I don't think I was a good president, maybe fair, but I tried.  If I would have only received a little instruction from the stake or perhaps I was just slow to learn.

On May 11, 1952, I was put in the Bishopric as Second Counselor to Bishop Elmer Lancaster in the Smoot Ward.  This was a great challenge to me and I took my calling seriously.  I had lots of opportunities to talk, visit the sick, and sit in counsel.  My love for the people increased.  I was released from the Elder's Presidency in June 1952.

One day in April of 1952, I decided to start a business down on the road; cabins, gas station and café.  Taking my Father-in-law as a partner, who was a poor man having very little money.  I went to my Aunt Irene and told her of my great idea.  She loaned me $1,500 on a three year contract.  No security, jut my signature on a note.  We started to build about the 1st of May.  My Father-in-law was a rough carpenter and had poor health.  I was less experienced in building.  By the first of August we were able to open our café.  Leon and Gladys and LaDene ran the place, hiring a little help.  This venture didn't work out in harmony.  I sold my interest to Leon with a promise he would pay me when he was able.

In July of 1955, we got a snow storm four inches deep.  I was a little discouraged so VaLoy and I sold our ranch to Dell Lancaster for $25,000.  We finished paying father for the ranch and other bills.  Leaving us with about $12,000.  I was released from the Bishopric in the fall of 1955.  I now started working for the church in Murray, Utah.  Here I learned to manage dairy cows better.  Our first son, Layne, started school here.  When spring came I quit my job and returned back to my hometown.  I wondered what I would do and if I could find another farm.  It seemed as if I was being guided.  The first Sunday that I was home, my father and I went to the Stake Priesthood Meeting.  Gilbert Anderson, while talking to my father, said, "Do you know anyone who would like a good farm?"  This was in April 1956, we bought the Anderson ranch, 405 acres, in Grover, Wyoming-the cost being $80,000.  I never got much encouragement to do this.  People told me to leave it alone.  Carl Robinson, the banker, said that the place had been lost four times before and that I couldn't make it.  Father urged me on.  It's been tough but I'm still here in 1981, owing $17,000.  People thought I was crazy to buy the Anderson Ranch.  I think I would have lost it if my father would not have given me of his time day after day and the use of his machinery.  This I am most grateful for.  I don't know if I ever thanked him.  He was a great Dad.
 

In May of 1956, I was put in as advisor to the Priest Quorum in Grover Ward.  I enjoyed this calling for two months.  Bishops were changed and I was released.  i was then asked to be a counselor to Marvin Hepworth in Sunday School.  It was hard to be on time.  I milked 40 cows and fences were poor.  I couldn't hold the cows in the meadow, they were always out on Sunday morning.  I told Marvin that perhaps I should be released so he would have some help on time.  I served in the Sunday School for three months.  At this same time, I was asked to go with the High Council Sunday evenings for three months.  I finally got the fences up and the cows held.  During this time I never missed attending any of my meetings.  As I write this I really wonder how I did it.  I had some cows bloat.  Now that the fences were up, I was in hopes that the church would need my services again.  I have always been a home teacher, this I've tried to do with sincere feeling for the calling.  For a  while I was secretary to the High Priest group.  It was about this time I was called to be a Stake Missionary.  I enjoyed this for two years, indirectly, one person came into the church because of my efforts.  This pleased me very much.
 

I have a strong testimony of the church.  I have loved to work in it.  Something within my very soul tells me it is true.  It is hard for me to understand why others don't feel as I do and would want to be part of it.  My feeling at this time was how can I live so that my children will remain strong in the church and have a desire to serve wherever called.  It was a constant feeling.  What a good feeling was mine as Layne, Eileen, MelDee, and McKell went on missions for the church.  Eileen, MelDee and McKell were all out at the same time.  There were times I would think where is the money coming from.  It was always there.  I know the Lord looked after our needs.

During the growing up of my children from about 1959-1975, I never had any church jobs except Home Teaching.  Oh, how I longed for a job, nothing happened.  I began to wonder why, what is wrong with me?  Why doesn't anyone want me to help them in this great work?  I feel so left out.  I shed many silent tears.  As I write about it my feelings are so worked up.  I felt like I was being left behind.  Oh, how I could have grown if opportunity had come my way.  One day I asked one of the Bishops that was released, why they never used me.  He said, "I guess we thought you were too busy."  What a shame, I thought, that my property should stand in the way of the things I love the most.

In 1969 my Father and Mother sold me their property in Smoot.  I tried to get them to sell this to someone else.  My Father said he didn't want it out of the family.  I took the deed and offered it to all my brothers and sisters at Father's price $37,000.  This property has taken much effort and time.

It was in November of 1960 that my sister, Eva, passed away of a liver disease.  She was buried in Indianapolis, Indiana.  It was my good luck that I stayed in her home two different times for about 10 days.  Now I was able to get to know her as a woman and know of her great desires to serve the Lord.  I also got to know her husband and how he changed his ways and joined the church.  Eva so wanted him and her to go to the House of the Lord and be sealed for time and all eternity.  This she was able to do a short time before her passing.

It was May 15, 1973 that my Mother passed away of a heart attack.  This was her second.  She told me how it hurt and kissed me good-by and said she loved me.  What tender feelings we have.  Surely this is not the end, but only the beginning of a better day.  I love you Mother!  I talked at her funeral.  I think of her feelings for each of us children, her doings, her wanting for us, her thinking and her sensing what she really wanted for herself, Father and us children.  I've seen her shed tears of joy, and tears of sadness.  Surely this is only part of the road to perfection.

My father passed away August 20, 1975.  It fell my lot to be at Father's side when he passed on.  What a surge of emotion takes place.  I cried out, "Oh Dad, how I love you!"  The best man I ever knew was gone.  The greatest lesson I ever learned about life was taught by him.

One day in 1975 I was asked to be the teacher over the Gospel Doctrine class in Sunday School.  This was a great blessing to me.  It was such a good feeling to be needed. I did this for about two years.  It was about this time we built a new home.  This has been a great joy to my darling wife.  It was about a year later that my son, Layne caught his motorcycle on fire, causing the old home to burn almost down.

In 1978 I was asked to be Second Counselor in the Stake Sunday School.  This was certainly different than other experiences I have had.  I was released from this in October of 1980.

We have been blessed with seven children-Layne, Eileen, MelDee, McKell, Deanne, Lori, and Errol.  They all seem to have been blessed with obedient spirits.  None of them has ever given me any real trouble.  Their personalities are all different.  They all have been blessed with musical ability-singing and playing different things.  This they have used to entertain others and bless them.  Their mother has been their greatest help in this.  They have all helped me with my work on the farm.  Sometimes even quite long hours.  I have had the privilege to listen to each of their heartaches and anxieties.  Not always knowing what to tell them, but to trust in the Lord and all will work out.  This seems to be still true.  Now that six of them are married, I still listen to their problems.  I still say, "Keep the faith and trust in Him, and all will work out.

To my children I would say, "Be honorable.  Love your wives and you husbands.  Keep the covenants.  Cling to that which is good.  Always look for the best in others.  Trust in yourself and you God.  Know that all will work out for your good and benefit.  Look out and up and reach for the stars and great shall be you accomplishments.  Only you can shorten what can be done."

I have now been married 33 years to a loving and kind wife.  She has been and still is a great helpmate to me.  She has a jolly disposition.  VaLoy has laughed wit me and at me, always trying to get me to see the bright side of things.  I don't think it has always been easy for her to put up with me, especially since I got Sugar Diabetes.  It is so easy to not have positive thinking.  With her help it has been much easier.  During these years, we have gone a few places.  We should have spent more time on dates together.  One of our trips we went down South through Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and to Indiana where Eve lived.  We went again to Indiana when Eva was quite sick.  As we traveled through the South, VaLoy could not stay awake.  I guess it was the heat and low climate.  We went to California to pick up Eileen and visit Disneyland.  We went to St. Louis, Missouri where Eileen lived also.  Last year we went to Seattle to visit Eileen's family.  As I write this, I think to myself, "Who could have helped me more during these years-teaching and training my children, always loving to me and putting up with my short comings?"  I love her.  It has been a good and fruitful life with her.  Man I would miss her if she were to leave.  She has special ability decorating her home.  It has a personality like her-exciting to enjoy.  I think she has given much to make life better for me.  Her children and I have been blessed with her musical ability.  Her children all love and respect her.  What more could a man ask in life.

Now the people tell me I'm old, I don't feel so.  I must tell one more thing.  (My thoughts) As a young man of perhaps 15, I used to think how great it would be to give money or material things to those in need, but never let anyone know about it.  This is one of the great goals in life I've had.  Some would think this silly but what little I've done has been the greatest.  I think now a little time is just as important-perhaps more so.  To those that might read this, I would say try it.  Don't give up on your goals.  It will help you stay young.  Youthful ideas are the greatest.