OWAV:) 02/05/11 7am 38° breezy

Awake again at 4am, up and worked on scrabble, dressed but not quite time for breakfast so will write a few lines.

On my mind this morning is my sister Loraine and her family.  On Tuesday February 1st, her husband, Steve, passed away, after being ill for some time.  His funeral will be held today.

Steve and Loraine, married for over sixty years, raised eight children.  George, Stephanie, Melvin, Vicky, Blanche, Joel and Lynelle. Daughter, Mona died in a car accident at the age of ten in 1964.  Most of their lives they lived in an old stone house, with one bathroom and four bedrooms.  It was situated on acreage, with a creek running nearby.  A perfect place to raise there large family, it was located in Porterville, Utah.  For most of those years they raised a garden, had a milk cow, raised beef and also bummer lambs.

Fragrant Tulips

Steve was a decorated veteran of WW11.  He came home from the war and went to work at the cement plant running heavy equipment.  They lived in "Devil Slide" in company housing until buying the house in Porterville in about 1957.  Loraine worked for many years at the Internal Revenue offices in Ogden.  They both had a love of horses and raced their horses for many years.  They both loved the out of doors, hunting, and fishing.  When the time came to retire, they retired from jobs but never stopped working and playing.  They were alway busy and on the go helping children and grandchildren.  They were forever proud of their large family and counted it as there greatest blessing.

Within the past ten years life has dealt them some serious blows.  First they lost the old stone house to a fire that started in the wood stove flue.  Their family helped them regroup and a new house was built on the same site.  Then about two years ago, November of 2008, while looking for Christmas trees near their home, a fire in the wiring of the four-wheeler they were riding, disabled the four-wheeler and in late afternoon they started walking for home.  In the aftermath of this incident Loraine lost one of her legs below the knee, from frostbite.  Steve recovered, but was not in very good health before, and this accident added to his ills.  After many days in the hospital and months in a care center for Loraine, they did resume life together in their home, with family nearby furnishing meals and taking care of their many needs.

When we visited with them in October, they were taking care of each other as best they could, secure in the love of their family and each other.

These are just some of my thoughts as I think of all of you today, as you attend your dad's funeral and wanted you to know that my thoughts and love are with all of you.  I'm sure I don't have all the "facts" straight but this is how I remember it as of today.

Love, Aunt Della  OWAV:)