DADDY

Today is his birthday...117yrs. He died when he was 89, as Aunt Carol has already written. I want all to know that he was a good man. And he was a hard worker. He had cataract surgery when I was in my late teens and that is what made him start getting old. His eyes were not much good after that, so he couldn't drive, and he couldn't do close work. So it was hard for him.

He loved to laugh and tell jokes. And I loved to hear him tell jokes. When I was 10 or so Daddy was called into the Presidency of the Calif. Mission. Pres. Bryan L. Bunker was the President of the mission and he used to love to hear Daddy tell jokes, too. One of my favorites was the one about the two drunks walking along the railroad tracks. One of them said, "This is the longest stairway I've ever been on." The other one said, "It's not all the stairs, it's these low banisters that get me." (I was young.)

We had a fox terrier named Sweetie Pie. She loved Daddy and he loved her. Daddy had an office in the front of the house and Sweetie Pie would often be found lying on the floor of the office next to Daddy's chair. She would do anything for him and he taught her lots of great tricks.

Most of all, I want to share some pictures of him. He was 52yrs old when I was born, so I never knew him with a lot of hair. But I always loved him. Aunt Carol says she thinks I was his favorite. I don't know. But we had good times.

JED

He is the seventh and last. Twenty-nine years ago we had our last child. He was due Oct. 1, so I was more than ready. Mama had died on Sept. 23. Soon after that Dr. Brown sent me to bed, threatening toxemia, he said. I had always thought it would be great to have someone tell me to stay in bed, but with six children already, it wasn't that much fun.

So once again it was a Sunday evening. Dad and I drove in to the hospital and left Samantha in charge. On and on through the night and not much happened. Monday morning Dr. Brown told us we were looking at a C-section. He had been asking us with each of the last few children if that wasn't enough. We had just about decided it was, but the C-section news helped us decide for sure. I was nervous. How could they be sure they weren't going to cut the baby. Dumb, huh? Dad held my hand and at 10:23am, Monday morning, Oct. 22, he was born. It's another boy, they said. Five sons and two daughters. Dad wondered what we would name him. I had it all planned. "William Jedediah", I said, "after my father's father. We'll call him 'Jed'." We had always avoided calling the kids by a middle name. That happened to both of us. But this was different.

William Jedediah it was. He weighed 10lbs 6oz. I was done. We stayed in the hospital a day or two longer because of the surgery and then we went home. The first baby my mother would never see. It was hard. I have always said that Jed saved my life. I had a husband and six other children, but this baby needed me 24 hrs. a day. I used to go downstairs to do laundry and cry my heart out, missing my mother so much. Then I would go back upstairs and get to work.

He was the last. That was not easy to accept, either. But the LAST DIAPER made it easier. The last day of Elementary School helped, too. But the last day of JR. HIGH and CAR POOL assured me we had done the right thing.

Daddy didn't know him for long, but he called him 'little Jeddy'. I think he was proud that we named him after his father.

Jed's all grown up, now, as are they all. Has done so many good things in his life and is happy. I have always been grateful to him for saving my life---even if he didn't know that is what he was doing.