Rendell Howard Schulthies

RENDELL HOWARD SCHULTHIES

by: Lydia Ann Howard Schulthies, Mother

I, Rendell Howard Schulthies, like Nephi of old, was born of goodly parents, 20 day of October 1903, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

My parents moved to Bountiful in the spring of 1906. My father drove a horse and buggy to work everyday to Salt Lake City, Utah. My father’s wages were only $2.00 for 12 hours work and it was hard work, he fired retarts at the gas company. Still, my parents paid for our home, worked hard and planted fruit trees, berries, flowers, crops, etc., which made our place of 12 ¼ acres beautiful. Later on, they purchased 10 more acres a short distance north of our home. We kept several head of cows and horses. I, with my family, helped to care for and help out with the work as my father didn’t have much time at home. I carried papers, also my brothers did. We milked the cows and delivered milk to nearby customers.

As I grew older, I worked for Judge Howatt, who came out from Salt Lake City, purchased a large area of land south of where we lived. He planted fruit trees, which I cultivated and irrigated. Then Mr. Howatt owned one of the first automobiles in our part of the country, but he didn’t care to drive it, so I took him to his office in Salt Lake each day. When I left his employ, I went to Draper and worked for the Gariff brothers. There I met with an accident, was hurt quite badly. My next job was hauling milk from Layton to Salt Lake City by truck. My father purchased a large truck and I hauled 10 gallon cans of milk to the Clover Leaf Dairy.

I was the oldest of seven children born to my parents. The two oldest were born in Salt Lake City, the rest at home in South Bountiful.

I attended school in a two-roomed brick school house which stood across from the Thomas C. Burtenshaw home. Now the new road crosses where the building stood. The next school I attended was the L.D.S. Business School in Salt Lake City. I wanted to become a lawyer, but because my parents couldn’t afford to carry this burden, I only went two years. Then I decided to get married.

[Rendell passed away on 13 February 1966 in Nampa, Canyon County, Idaho. He is buried in the Bountiful City Cemetery in Bountiful, Davis County , Utah.]

HISTORY OF RENDELL HOWARD SCHULTHIES

by Beatrice P. Schulthies, wife

Rendell Howard Schulthies, son of Henry Frederick Schulthies and Lydia Ann Howard, was born 20 October 1903 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was the oldest in a family of 7 children, having 4 brothers and 2 sisters, namely, Lucile, Cleon, Dale, Ray, Elva, and Avon.

In the spring of 1906 he moved with his parents and sister Lucile to Bountiful, Utah where they had purchased 123 acres on which they had fruit trees, berries, other crops (hay, grain, and vegetables) and beautiful roses and other flowers.

Rendell & Lucile at World's Fair

He went to the World's Fair in Seattle, Washington in 1909 with his parents, sister Lucile, brother Cleon, and Grandmother Howard on the train. Visited his father's brothers, sisters and other Schulthies relatives in Kansas and Missouri in 1910 with his father, mother, Lucile, and Cleon. Rendell told stories to his cousins about the bears in Utah coming from the mountains into his yard. This they believed. He had quite an imagination.

He was baptized in a pond in South Bountiful by his Grandfather Samuel S. Howard and confirmed at the water's edge also by his Grandfather. It was a cold day, 20 October 1911. He was then taken in a horse and buggy to his Grandparents' home before getting into dry clothing.

His parents purchased 10 more acres a short distance north. They had several head of cows and horses which Rendell helped care for. He had a paper route, milked cows, delivered milk to nearby customers, and helped care for the crops (potatoes and other vegetables) that they would sell. He herded cows on his horse named "Collie" and would race the Bamberger Electric R.R. from their home to North Salt Lake. Later on he worked for Judge Howatt, cultivating and irrigating a peach orchard. Mr. Howatt owned one of the first automobiles around there at that time and as he didn't care to drive it, Rendell was asked to be his chauffeur and drove him to his office in Salt Lake City each day.

He attended school in a two-room, brick schoolhouse across the street from the Thomas E. Burtenshaw home. Then he attended school in South Bountiful where the City Hall now stands. The 8th grade was held in the basement with K.C. Barlow as teacher. It was here that he became interested in a young girl, Beatrice Parkin. She was attending the same school in the 6th grade, but would come to school on Saturday and take the 8th grade work. The following year she skipped the 7th grade and went into the 8th. They continued to be friends, walking to M.I.A. together, writing notes, etc.

Rendell loved to play baseball and became very good. Was asked to play on one of the leagues ("Salt Lake City Bees") but declined because he would have to play on Sunday against his parents' wishes. He was a left-handed first baseman.

Rendell and his boyfriend, Eldred Cleverly, went to work for Garff Bros. in Draper, Utah loading apples. There he was riding a motorcycle and a truck hit him. He was hurt quite badly--probably a fractured skull as he had terrible headaches for quite a few years after. His face was skinned up badly and formed large, thick scabs. Before it was entirely healed, while in this condition, he went with his Grandfather Howard to Omaha, Nebraska with a carload of sheep to sell. When he returned home, his face was nearly healed. His next job was hauling milk in 10-gallon cans by truck from Layton to the Clover Leaf Dairy in Salt Lake City.

He attended the L.D.S. Business College in Salt Lake City and wanted to become a lawyer, but only went two years as his parents couldn't afford to send him longer. He was offered a job at Z.C.M.I. keeping books, but didn't stay long as he couldn't stand to be cooped up in an office.

One time he was helping cut ice on a pond to store in his parent’s ice house for summer and fell in the water and had a hard time getting out from underneath the ice.

In 1921 his parents sold the old home and built a new brick home on the 10-acre piece of land north of the old place. He helped his parents build their new home. Rendell had his own ice delivery service and hurt his back while trying to lift a large block of ice on his shoulder on a bet. This was the cause of his having to wear a wide leather belt for years.

He saved his money til he had enough to buy himself a new Model-T Ford of which he was very proud. He was very happy to take his girl riding in it. However, Rendell gave his car to his parents so that they could turn it in on a new Dodge for the family. Not too long after this at the age of 18 years, he married his childhood sweetheart, Beatrice Parkin, she being 16 years. They lived in the two south rooms of her Grandmother Phebe Parkin's home. He only had enough money to buy a "copper clad" used coal stove costing $90, a few groceries, and $12 to pay their first month's rent. He got work at the Salt Lake Union Stock Yards. Then he got a job shoveling snow in Bountiful and had to walk to work as they had no car. He delivered milk for Perry Benson. It was a hard struggle that first year but they were very happy. Just before their first baby, Rendell Frederick, was born, they had saved enough money to buy a davenport, rocker, chair, and rug. Then, as they had some furniture of their own, their rent was reduced to $10 per month. When Frederick was but a few weeks old, they bought a new Model-T Ford for $600. It had side curtains with icing glass for windows. They took his parents on a trip with them to Richfield, Utah.

Then Rendell got a job for the Denver & Rio Grande R.R. fixing headlights, thus becoming a headlight electrician. They moved into the old Carlos house, owned by Uncle Amasa Howard and across the road from him, paying $15 per month rent. There was no water in the house, had to draw water out of a well with buckets or pack it across the street. This house still stands (1975). They raised red hogs and geese. Rendell would pick up coal that had fallen off the cars along the railroad tracks. Their second child, Norman Howard, was born in this house.

When Norman was just a few weeks old, Rendell had his tonsils removed. He went to his wife's parents home, so as to have help, because his wife wasn't yet strong enough to care for him and the tiny baby, and his mother was preparing for his sister Lucile's wedding. After returning from the operation, he started to hemorrhage and lost a great deal of blood. When the doctor finally arrived, he said it was too late, there was nothing he could do because he didn't have the right medicine with him. Bishop Samuel C. Howard was called in to administer. He promised Rendell that he would get well and without a blood transfusion. From that moment on, he never bled another drop, although he threw up blood that he had swallowed. He was unconscious for a few days, but returned to work in about 10 days although he was still very pale. This was a testimony to all of the Power of the Priesthood.

Our first trip on the train was to Denver, Colorado. We had a railroad pass. Left Fred and Norman with Rendell's parents. Rendell grew sugar beets and grain on the Sewer Farm located west of Cudahay Packing Plant. One day he became very ill while hoeing beets, had a high temperature. The doctor was called and gave orders to wrap him in sheets wrung out of ice water to reduce the fever. Rendell refused to let it be done and also refused to go to the hospital. Later he broke out with smallpox. When getting an order from the doctor so he could go back to work, the doctor said it looked like he might have had smallpox. Had the ice sheets been put on him it may have driven the smallpox in and cost him his life.

The third child, Hal Parkin, was born at his Grandfather and Grandmother Schulthies (Rendell's parents) home, while we still lived at Uncle Am's. One day, when Rendell was at work, we had a German Shepherd dog tied up. A man came to the door and asked if the young man that run the barns was at home. The dog really barked and I went out and untied the dog. There was another man out in front, but they soon left when they saw the dog loose. A few days later, when no one was home, our house was broken into, and Rendell's suit, overcoat, and gloves were stolen. The police found them at a pawn shop in Salt Lake.

Rendell then took the job of running the large, overhead, electric crane in the D.& R.G. shop that would lift the engines up in the air to be overhauled.

Our next trip was in our Model-T Ford in 1928. We drove to Kansas and Missouri. On the way there, a tire came off the Model-T Ford and went rolling down the hill in front of us. Rendell's parents and some of his brothers and sisters made the trip with us, driving their Chevrolet. We visited Rendell's father's sister Tillie and family in Atchison, Kansas; his father's brother Ben's wife and family in Leavenworth; his Uncle Joe and Aunt Mary Schulthies and family in LaMar, Colorado; and his Uncle John Schulthies in Holly, Colorado, and many cousins and other relatives. I remember in Kansas, after stopping for a red light, the engine died and Rendell had to get out and crank the Model-T to get it going again--in quite a bit of traffic, too.

Next we moved to a little frame house owned by David Salter, but only lived there a few months when we purchased a red brick home from Mont Holbrook in West Bountiful just above the U.P. tracks on 4th North with 12 acres of land, and rented another 12 acre three-cornered piece from John Stahle located just across the street for $75 per year. It was here that the oldest child started to school in the 1st grade. We grew and shipped a railroad boxcar of onions each year, besides all kinds of vegetables to bunch for market: radishes, green onions, red beets, turnips, and carrots. These they would pull and tie in bunches to be sold on the market for 104 per dozen bunches. They also grew beans, peas, cantaloupe, cucumbers, and potatoes. Jack Bangerter would sell this produce on the market in Salt Lake City for them. Rendell worked very hard farming and pushing a wheelhoe by hand to cultivate the onions and vegetables. Later on, he purchased a used gas cultivator that he walked behind to cultivate, which made it a little easier. He rented more land in South Bountiful--the Johnson property, then the Moss property, and another piece across the road, the old Bill Parkin property. He grew sugar beets, grain and hay, and still worked on the railroad. He cultivated the sugar beets with horses, using both his father's and his father-in-law's horses before and after work. We topped the sugar beets and loaded them all by hand. He taught the children to work hard while they were very young weeding, irrigating, picking beans and peas, bunching vegetables for market, etc. They were never idle. Then he would take us up to Wasatch for an outing or to the timbers and up the canyons. Once a year we would all go to Lagoon on B A R E Day. The children were given free tickets to ride on everything. I remember we had a vacuum ice cream freezer. We would put the ice cream in one end, turn it over and put the ice and salt in the other end, put it in the car upside down, and when we got up the canyon, the ice cream would be frozen. Everyone really enjoyed these outings.

In 1931 our fourth child, Byron Shelton, was born. It was during the depression and Rendell went out nights selling Stark Bros. fruit trees to try and make ends meet. He was laid off part of the time at the railroad. He also sold Fairbanks-Morris pumps and installed them on wells for neighbors in West Bountiful as there was a drought.

Rendell had the special gift of discernment and was able to know what was going to happen before it did. Many times he prevented what might have otherwise been a tragedy. One time while Rendell was running the crane, a man working above Rendell, and out of his sight, had his hand on the crane track. The crane run over the man's hand, and Rendell got the man in one arm and clung to the pole with the other arm, and slid down to the floor with the man bleeding. Otherwise, the man would have fallen quite a distance and, perhaps, lost his life.

Another time when Rendell was running the crane at work and Earl Candland was running another crane and lifting an engine, Earl was standing with his head directly under the big steel beam overhead. Rendell was impressed to call to Earl to get his head out from under the beam, which he did. The next day the same thing happened, and Rendell called to Earl again warning him to get from under the beam. The next day Earl had his crane lifting an engine up in the air, Rendell called again to Earl, and just a second after Earl moved from under the beam, the engine fell, shaking the whole building. If Earl's head had been under the beam, it would have killed him instantly. If Rendell had not heeded the impressions he had received from the Holy Ghost, how terrible it would have been. Both Rendell and Earl would get pale when they talked of it afterward. Also he was prompted once while driving a car in the winter on icy roads and something told him to turn the steering wheel just opposite what he normally would have, thus avoiding an accident. These incidents should strengthen our posterity's testimonies and cause them to be aware of how important it is to listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

Beatrice & Rendell Schulthies in Glass Bottom Boat at Key West

On September 17, 1932 Rendell and I left the two older children with Rendell's parents and the two younger ones with my parents and went on a trip on the train to New York, Florida, Key West, visiting many places of interest. We had railroad passes so it only cost us for our meals and hotels. We took the four children and Rendell's youngest brother Avon to Yellowstone Park. On September 14, 1934 Rendell and I and Warren and Catherine Beynon took a trip on the train, each having railroad passes, to see the World's Fair at Chicago, Illinois. Saw Denver, Colorado; Independence, Missouri; Kansas City; Nauvoo, Illinois; Kirtland Temple; Niagara Falls; Sacred Grove; Hill Cumorah; Albany, New York; Smith Cottage at Vermont. Here Beynons left for New York City and we stayed overnight. Saw Boston, New York City, visited Rendell's cousin, Dr. Willie Huber in New Jersey, visited Dr. Richard and Oweeda Wooten, my cousin, in Washington D.C. Saw George Washington's home in Mt. Vernon. Went to World Series baseball game in St. Louis between the St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers. "Dizzy" Dean pitched for the Cardinals. They won. Visited Rendell's Aunt Lizzie Schulthies and family in Leavenworth, Kansas and cousins; Rendell's Aunt Tillie in Atchison, Kansas and cousins there; Topeka, Kansas. Visited Rendell's Uncle Joe and Aunt Mary and family in LaMar, Colorado and his Uncle John in Holly, Colorado. Got home 13 October, having had a wonderful time.

We went to Los Angeles, California to see my Aunt Vada and Uncle Mangus Kast and to see the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena on New Year's Day 1935. Traveled on railroad with passes.

In December 1937 Rendell bought a piece of land located on 4th North just below the D.&R.G. tracks, paid $225 down and $20 per month at 7% interest, containing a little over 42 acres from Farmers State Bank. This property was previously owned by Clifford Roberts. Here we grew asparagus and carrots.

In August 1939 Rendell bought a Whippet Coupe automobile. The next morning Fred, the oldest son just 17 years old, took the new little car down to the field below the D.&R.G. railroad tracks to unload a cultivator. All of his brothers went with him, Hal and Byron riding in the trunk. Hal and Byron got out of the trunk at the schoolhouse and went to look for a job topping onions. Norman and XXXX went on with Fred. They had unloaded the cultivator and were coming up over the tracks when the engine died. A train hit the car. They were all thrown out of the car. Fred was thrown onto the spikes of the cattle guards. He was hurt and cut up pretty badly--had a fractured skull, broken shoulders, head cut wide open and also cuts on his face and chest. Dave Holbrook took him to Dr. Christensen's office. Rendell broke all records getting to the doctor's office, and helped Dr. Christensen dig the gravel out of Fred's head before sewing up the wound. They didn't try to set his broken bones, but brought him home. Dr. Trowbridge was called and came every few hours, expecting each time to find that Fred had passed away. We called Bishop Samuel C. Howard to administer. He promised that Fred would get well. He was unconscious for several days. They finally took him to the doctor's office on a stretcher, and the doctor set his bones. Had Byron and Hal not have gotten out of the trunk, they would have been killed. Fred was in bed for six weeks and we watched over him night and day. His Grandmother Parkin helped care for him although she was just getting over a broken hip. Through faith and prayers, he recovered, proving to our family the Power of the Priesthood, and strengthening our testimonies.

In 1940 we went to see the Golden Gate International Exposition at Treasure Island, taking with us Fred and Norman. We also went to Portland, Oregon; Seattle and Spokane, Washington; and Butte, Montana. We had passes and traveled on the railroad.

Celia, our only daughter and youngest child, was born 10 February 1943. We were all very happy to have this tiny baby girl join our family. She was a great comfort to me. Sadness came into our home when Norman was drafted into the Army at 18 years of age. He left home about June of 1943. He was sent to New Orleans, from there to England, and was in the Invasion of Normandy. He served all through the duration of the war without a leave. This was a very sad time in our lives.

On 14 June 1944 Fred married Donna Griffith in the Salt Lake Temple. The Draft Board had turned him down because of ulcers, probably caused from his train accident.

Rendell quit the D.&R.G. because the smoke in the top of the Round House gave him asthma. He worked at Hill Field (now Hill Air Force Base), but quit because of the unfairness of government and their waste. He made student trips for Western Pacific R.R. and came home while on a trip because he had a feeling that something was wrong at home. Hal had run a pitchfork through his foot. Rendell didn't hire out for the Western Pacific but went to work for the Union Pacific as a locomotive fireman. He fired a coal burning engine between Salt Lake and Pocatello, Idaho, one time burning his leg quite badly while trying to keep the engine running. But he never failed to keep the steam up.

Hal enlisted in the Coast Guard in August 1944, just before his 18th birthday. Now there were two service stars in the window of the old home.

Rendell purchased 23 acres on the corner, 380 North 800 West, in West Bountiful, Utah from Daisy Roberts and started to build a lovely brick home. We sold the old home and moved into a small, rented home owned by Phillis Hatch and located on 8th West a short distance from the old home. We only lived here 6 months. The old home was later torn down to make room for the freeway.

380 N. 800 W. 1

We didn't have the roof on our new home yet when Paul Buys bought the rented house we were living in and we had to move into the basement of the unfinished house. Rendell was working on the railroad and it was raining the day we moved. When Rendell got home, the beds were all wet and he moved us out into the newly built garage, shoveling water out of the basement windows. Rendell hauled big rocks and scrap iron for the foundation. He did some of the plumbing and lathing, and all the painting, staining, and varnishing of the hardwood floors and woodwork. It was a very hard summer, living without lights or water in the house, canning fruit on a two-burner gasoline campstove, getting up at daylight to cut asparagus--Byron and I cutting, XXXX carrying it, and Celia trailing along after us crying. She was only two years old. We boxed the asparagus in pyramids after dark, Rendell helping all he could when he wasn't working on the railroad. We bunched and washed a pickup truckload of vegetables every day for Bangerter to take to market. Rendell got sick from washing bunches of vegetables in the cold flowing well water and was in bed for awhile with no heat in the basement, til my brother LaGrande came over and put an old heaterola up with the pipe going up the fireplace chimney in the basement, until we could get the furnace in.

Hal came home on furlough and married Connie Parkhurst 16 October 1945 in the Salt Lake Temple. They had three children--Sharon, Brenda, and Randy, but this marriage didn't last. They were divorced and Connie took the children to California. Norman came home from the war just before Christmas 1946. We moved upstairs for Christmas 1946.

In March 1947 Rendell bought an 80-acre farm in Fruitland, Idaho. We listed the home in West Bountiful for sale, but it never sold. Norman only stayed with us a short time in Fruitland and decided to go back to Utah to his job as a brakeman on the D.&R.G. R.R. He married Lona Webb 10 February 1948 in the Salt Lake Temple. Fred was also working as a locomotive fireman on the D.&R.G. R.R. At first, Fred and Donna lived in the new West Bountiful home. Later, Norman and Lona lived there.

It was a hard struggle to make payments on the farm at Fruitland. Rendell worked planting sugar beets, grain, and corn, and drove to Nampa, Idaho every day to work in the yard on the railroad running a switch engine. We all helped on the farm hoeing sugar beets, picking corn, milking cows, harvesting hay, etc. We had a little dog named Porky. Celia and Porky had fun chasing over the 80 acres finding mice holes. Once she brought several baby mice in her hand to the house to show me what she and Porky had found. Byron and XXXX liked to go pheasant hunting and duck hunting, taking Porky along. We grew pigs that helped pay the payments on the farm.

Byron played his trumpet and was student body president when he graduated from Fruitland High. Then Byron went to Nampa Business College, graduating in six months time and then was hired as a telegrapher for Union Pacific. His first job was at Ontario, Oregon. 2 March 1951 Hal married Claudeen Sly in the Salt Lake Temple.

We lived on the farm in Fruitland for 5 years, then sold it and moved to Nampa in May of 1952 where we had purchased a 40-acre farm. This was close to Rendell's work. Byron then was transferred to Nampa and could help with the farm work. We continued to milk cows, rented another 40 acres from Mrs. Hughs, grew sugar beets, hay, grain, pinto beans, and one year we grew onions. We couldn't sell the onions that year after all the hard work of growing a good crop. Rendell's brother Ray trucked some of the onions to Nyssa, Oregon and fed them to his cows.

Byron was called on a mission before we left Fruitland and again in Nampa, but the draft board wouldn't release him. Later when he was called up, he couldn't pass the physical for the Army. Byron married JoAnn Hall 2 December 1953 in the Salt Lake Temple. Now there were only two children at home to help run the farm.

Some of the time Rendell drove to Glenns Ferry to work in the yard there. But now his work was mainly in Boise. Celia and I milked the cows when Rendell was at work. He would do it when he was home. It was quite miserable during the winter months. We sold the cows as they freshened, as it became too hard now the boys were not at home to help.

Rendell, Celia, and I went to Mason City, Iowa to see XXXX one Christmas while he was in the mission field. He was released XX XXXXX XXXX at Mason City, Iowa. Byron, JoAnn, Celia, and I, having come by train, met him at Mason City and returned home with him. We had planned this trip for two years but because of having to replant sugar beets because of frost, Rendell decided he couldn't go, but wanted us to go. This was a great disappointment to all of us.

Funeral Services for Rendell Howard Schulthies, 62, Nampa, Ida., who died of a heart attack Monday morning at his home, will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. in the West Bountiful LDS ward chapel.

Mr. Schulthies was born Oct. 20, 1903, in Salt Lake City to Henry F. and Lydia Howard Schulthies. He was married to Beatrice Parkin Jan. 11, 1922, in Woods Cross. The marriage was later solemnized in the Salt Lake LDS Temple.

He was a member of the Nampa 5th LDS Ward, a High Priest. He was a former resident of Woods Cross where he was YMMIA president. He had been a resident of Nampa for 19 years.

HE WAS AN employee of the Union Pacific Railroad, and a farmer.

Surviving him are his widow; sons, R. Frederick, Grand Junction, Colo., Norman H., Loma, Colo., Hal P., Elberta, Utah; Byron S., Woods Cross; XXXX XX, XXXXXXX, XXXXX.; and daughter, Mrs. Don (Celia) Darnell, Provo; mother, Bountiful; 19 grandchildren; brothers, sisters, H. Cleon, Mrs. John (Lucile) Stahle, Mrs. Kay (Elva) Mercer, all Bountiful; Dale H. Farmington; Ray H. Nyssa, Ore.; Avon H., Pocatello, Ida.

FRIENDS may call at the Union Mortuary Friday from 7-9 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 1:30 p.m.

Interment will be in the Bountiful Memorial Park.

Davis County Clipper

Friday, Feb. 18, 1966

Funeral of Rendell Howard Schulthies

Headstone of Rendell Howard Schulthies & Beatrice Parkin Schulthies

The following paragraphs are memories of his daughter, Celia Schulthies Darnell:

My earliest remembrance of Dad was with a shovel over his shoulder and his rubber irrigating boots on dressed in overhauls and a straw hat. He was a hard worker and could accomplish more in one day than most people can. This is evident by the fact that he farmed an 80-acre (later 40 acres) farm and also worked as a Fireman on the Union Pacific Railroad. He was promoted to Engineer, but normally worked as a Fireman so he could hold the job with the hours best suited for farming.

He was a good farmer and when the sugar beet man came to help Dad grow sugar beets, Dad taught him instead. The Japanese neighbor, Jack Takagi, carefully watched when Dad fertilized, watered, etc. and then followed suit, even to the point of observing the Sabbath Day. Besides beets, Dad grew Mexican and Pinto beans, corn, hay, grain, and onions. He also milked a head of cows.

He was a very light sleeper, with brown eyes he inherited from his mother, and more than once chased off would-be gas thieves during the night. He arose early and stayed up til the work was done. He could go for weeks on 5 hours of sleep.

Dad had wisdom and good foresight. He thought things through and could clearly see what to do when problems arose. While fixing his machinery, he expected his kids to know what tool he would need next and to have it ready because he was like that himself--could always see ahead and worked fast.

He was a born talker. He could talk for hours to a complete stranger, and he loved to talk about the railroad. He strongly believed in individual rights. Maybe that's why he wanted to become a lawyer at one time. His favorite color was red.

A good meal to him was potatoes, gravy, meat and fresh vegetables from the garden. He ate potatoes three times a day. He loved candy (especially cherry chocolates), and usually left a sack under the seat of the truck to eat to and from his railroad work. He always wore a long-sleeved shirt and hat on the farm.

He was sometimes left handed and had beautiful left-handed penmanship. But in those days you were supposed to be right handed and so he was told to switch. After that he lost his beautiful writing. He still used his left hand in baseball and other ways, although he ate right handed. Dad was especially good in math and did complicated math in his head.