Dad's Summer Memories

Dad's Life Story

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On the fourth of July, my birthday, we always had a big family gathering each year.  Dad's brothers and sisters and their children all came to our place and Uncle Tillis and his family were always late.  We had lots of fire works and food and fun.  Dad's family also always got together on christmas Eve, dad's and David's birthday, at grandma Russell's house near the Temple.  She always made hot cocoa and home made donuts.  I remember how small her front room was and how crouded it always was.

When we were quite young we spent a summer in Greer, Ariozna, in a cabin owned by mother's cousin.  Grandpa Russell, dad's father, spent the summer with us.  He was sick most of the time with abad stomach.  During that summer we all got mumps, one at a time. 

A summer or two later we went to southern Utah for a week or two.  We stayed at Aunt Ellen chamberlain's near Hidden Lake, not far from Glendale.  We visited Zion' Park and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  I especially remember the long tunnel going into Zions Park. 

When I was still young the folks leased a lot from the Forest Service in groom Creek and we built a small summer cabin.  We spent a lot of happy summers in Groom Creek.  Mother and us kids stayed there during the week and dad came up on week ends.   The cabin had a tin roof and I can still hear the rain falling on that roof.  It was in Groom Creek where I first met mom.  She was 14 and I was 16.