We were lucky, my sister and I. We grew up in a home filled with love... love of family, love of God, love of country and love of fellow man. We were taught right from wrong, respect for our elders and the "Golden Rule". Mom & Dad didn't "Spare the Rod", but I can't remember a time that the punishment wasn't warranted and that the punisher didn't cry just as much as the punished. Our punishment was never given in anger, only in love. There was no fighting in our home. Mom and Dad respected and loved each other and us enough to not make our memories ones of anger.
Their lives weren't easy with both born into the Great Depression Era and they both learned early to work hard. It took every member of a family to pull together to get through every day. There were hungry days but very few complaints because they were taught to believe in God and that "He never gives you a mountain too high to climb".
Daddy had a paper route by the time he was eight. He walked the route seven days a week and shared his pay with the family. All he kept for himself was a few cents every month that he saved toward the deposit on a brand new bicycle. When he had the deposit ready, he ordered that bike... only to break his leg before it was delivered. He had to watch as his brother and sister took over his route and broke in his new bike. He never felt bad about that though, because if they hadn't helped, we would have lost the route and had no way to finish paying for that bike. The summer he was fourteen, he was allowed to stay with his oldest sister and her husband in Wichita to work on the railroad loading and unloading cattle and sheep for delivery by railcar. When work slowed, he signed on to drive a tractor, breaking out ground in Cheyenne Wells, CO. In later years, up to his 19th year, he was asked back to that same area to cut wheat for the same company.
Mom's family was a combined one. My grandfather had a daughter and three sons with his first wife before she died. Mama was the first of six children of the second marriage. Grandma was never very healthy, so mama was put in charge of the babies as they came. Her three older brothers, loved her so much that they found ways for her to have free times away from the babies. Their free times were usually following them around, which often ended with her being tied to the clothesline so grandma knew where she was. Early on (8 or 9) mama showed a love for horses. Grandpa roped on the rodeo circuit and mama loved the days she spent with him as he practiced. After long he had to leave her at home because she wouldn't stay off the horses. Every horse she found without a rider became her captive. Mama, as a youngster, never met a dare she wouldn't take. With three older brothers, the dares were a daily thing... at least until grandpa found her climbing up and over an old arch shaped bridge! Because she had taken care of all the babies and she felt responsible for them, she left school in the 9th grade and went to work so they'd have the clothes and shoes they needed. This was her life… until she met "Harry".
Dad & Mama met on February 6th, 1948, two days before his 19th birthday, and about three months after her seventeenth. They were married on August 28 of the same year. On January 4th, 1950, Deborah Arlene was born, and eighteen months later, Rhonda Kay joined the family. Although the Depression was over, work was still not super easy to find, but Dad never went 24 hours between jobs. Besides driving tractors & combines; he worked as a ranch hand, gas station attendant, truck driver and (the one that always brings giggles from Rhonda) milkman. She giggles as she states that she "really is the milkman's daughter!!" In late 1955, Dad found the job that he was meant to have – power lineman- when he joined the crew at the REA in Cherokee, OK. Despite tangling with 7200 volts in 1960, he loved the job enough to go right back after he was released by the doctor.
Mom was always good at taking care of her loved ones. Throughout her marriage, she worked hard at raising us girls and taking care of dad. She took great pride in making sure her family was taking care of and had everything we needed to have a good day. She took extra special care of making sure the house kept clean and food was ready on the table for her family when it was time to eat. She also worked for a little time in the school's cafeteria to help out when needed.
In 1960, he was offered a job with Western Power & Gas and the family moved to Cunningham, KS. It was here that they lived until both girls graduated High School and married. When a management job opened up in the company's Coldwater, KS location in 1974, Mama & Dad moved towns for the last time. While in Coldwater, mom spent some of her time bowling, which she really enjoyed. The only time mom was ever away from dad was when she traveled for bowling tournaments.
Dad & Mama were together for 66 years, 2 months, 21 days; had 2 daughters, 5 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren & 2 great-great grandchildren when Mama left earth for Heaven. Four months and 23 days later, Daddy's heart was broken again with the loss of his youngest grandson, Justin Lee Bailey. Daddy lived with Debi for the last two years of his life and he stayed strong. But the double loss & the 23 years of fighting cancer took its toll and we lost him to Heaven also on Sept 5th. There were tears, of course, but there were smiles also because we knew that the three loves that we lost in such a short time, were united again and waiting for us to join them when our days are over. Can you not smile, when you know that???


"We walked together on this earth for 66 years…
We will walk together in Heaven…"