Lifesketch

This is what I read at Dad's funeral. Dec. 8th, 2013

Born Oct. 17, 1940 in Salina

Worked on the farm tromping hay for 10 cents a load

Sold chicken's eggs for 3 cents a piece

Go to Grandpa DeLange's store to buy penny candy, pop, candy bars, and ice cream(green pineapple trumped everything else)

During the day they would go to the crank pay phone in town and ring the operator and ask her for a date

At night they would ring door bells or knock and run

Mostly he would take a piece of line, a  hook, and a worm and head to the creek.  He would find a willow, break off a branch, and tie the line to the stick.  Then he would fish a along the bank.  When he was done he'd break of the end of the willow, wrap the line around the tip, and put it in his pocket-- ready for the next trip.

They had no TV so they would go to Ray Burr's house and ask if they could watch their TV.  They mostly watched boxing matches-- they loved Gene Fulmer

His dad took him and Ross to West Jordan to watch Jersey Jo and Gene fight for the middle weight championship-- Gene won.

Attended school @ Koosharem Elementary and Jr. High through his Sophomore year

Jr and Sr years he attended school in Richfield

Jr. year he rode home with a guy after school but half way through the year the guy got an after school job in Richfield so Dad hitch hiked back to Koosharem every day

Sr. year he lived with Luraine Burr and worked at Whitings Garage cleaning floors for 50 cents and hour

He participated in wrestling and football

May 28, 1958 he graduated from high school

Went to Snow College for one quarter then dropped out to join the Air Force

He graduated from Morse Intercept School

Stationed in Alaska for a while and loved the country there

Completed service at Malmstrom AF Base in Great Falls, Montana.  It was there that he became very active in the church

April 1963 he was honorably discharged

Bishop Garth Bagley called him in after he was home for a couple weeks to ask him to go on a mission. 

June 1963 he was on a plane to New Zealand to serve his mission.

In 1967 Dad and Mom met, and were married

In College he studied civil engineering, political science, accounting, and landed on psychology.  He liked that but wasn't sure what to do with but teach.

Student taught in Vegas

Ran into Garth Bagley who was attending Special Ed. meetings and he convinced Dad to do his masters in Special Ed.

Wayne was born in 1971

Transferred to BYU to work on masters

In 71 he was hired to teach in Heber

They moved to Midway

He taught at Wasatch Jr High and Central Elementary

Kept driving to BYU to finish his Masters

Apr. 1973 Buzz was born

Had first girl April 2, 1975

His dad's health was failing so they spent a lot of time on the road between Midway and Koosharem so. . .

He applied to teach in Sevier

Didn't get the job offer, the lady they hired quit mid-year so they called him and asked him to break his contract with Wasatch but dad couldn't do that to the District.  Sevier was impressed by that so they got a sub for the rest of the year and had Dad sign a contract for the 1978-1979 school year.

During the summer of 1978 Dad started having seizures at night

Diagnosed with a benign brain tumor

Had surgery and recovered

Lived in Koosharem and Salina while their house was being built in Aurora

Started teaching at Salina Elementary 1978

Sept. 1979 Jennifer was born

Taught for 25 years for the Sevier School District; 32 years total

Had second jobs during teaching career: Utah State Parks, custodial/maintenance at The Homestead, Brown's Boots and Shoe repair, farming, Pearson Tire, and maintenance for UDOT

2004 he retired

2005 started noticing unusual smells, sounds in his ears, and headaches

May 2005 diagnosed with malignant brain tumor and had surgery; prognosis not good

Began traveling: Caribbean Cruise, Oregon Coast, China(not to see China but to spend time with Lavell Edwards :-D), Alaska, Church History Trip, Mesa Verde

Shocked all medical workers with clean MRI's for 5 years and in Sept 2010 the MRI revealed the cancer was back; prognosis- a few months

Insisted on surgery, suffered a stroke while in recovery which paralyzed his left side

Had one more ice-fishing trip on the ice with Buzz and Wayne with transportation by the Razor

Fought hard every day for over 7 1/2 years and died on Nov. 30, 2012