Dear Friend,
I am going to celebrate Father's Day a little early this year. Every time I say goodbye to Dad, I think it might be the last time and this may be that time.
I have been thinking a lot about him, what he was like when I was a child, what he was like when a teenager and what he was as I became a mother and grandmother.
I have good memories of living in the the first house he built in Gilbert. Of the time we spent with friends and family there. I remember going to the family outings sponsored by the American Legion, which dad belonged to and all the Hunter family holidays and get-togethers. I remember one time I asked him where he was going and he told me he was "going to see a man about a horse" and he was going to trade me for the horse. I think I cried and mom told him to quit teasing me.
I remember how hard he worked when we lived in Wellton. Dad worked 7 days a week when we first moved there because the farming community worked 7 days a week. Then dad joined the church and found out he didn't have to work that 7th day. And he rested-until he was called to church positions that kept him almost as busy but in a good way.
We always had to have family prayer in the mornings and at night. The problem was-he went to work at 5 and 6 am and came home at 7 and 8 pm. But we had family prayer every morning and every night. Family home evenings didn't happen in our house (that's another story) but since going anywhere from Wellton meant lots of "riding in a car time" we had lot's of quality time as a family.
Dad, who couldn't carry a tune, loved to sing and he loved to listen to us sing. He had an amazing memory and could tell us about the geography of the area we were driving through or when we came to Gilbert/Mesa, he would tell us about his humongous paper route when he was a kid and delivered papers to almost every house north and west of Gilbert.
He has been a life-long Republican, very conservative and he is probably the the biggest influence on his very strong minded daughters. Except for being on the City Counsel in Gilbert in the late 40's, he has never run or held a political office, but he has served on an advisory committee to Governor Jack Williams.
Dad belonged to the Kiwanis Organization in Wellton and Blythe. He enjoyed working with this group to improve the communities they served. While in Wellton (before we had a community pool or people had private pools) he arranged for a weekly kids swim day at the hotel pool in Dateland. We would travel by school bus to Dateland every Tuesday or Wednesday to spend a couple of hours swimming.
More than anything, Dad loved the Gospel. He drank from the scriptures and he loved and honored his Priesthood. He loved every calling he held in the Church from teacher to Stake High Counsel, he even loved being the building custodian in Vernon. He was a faithful home teacher and the families he served love him for his faithfulness and commitment.
Dad and Mom were called a Stake Missionaries when we lived in Wellton and dad probably loved that calling more than any other. It was his chance to share the Gospel with his friends. He says he only had one conversion, a couple that are good friends to this day, but I think dad probably had a hand in more conversions than he knows. His love and knowledge of the Gospel has influenced a lot of people in Arizona and California.
Dad planted his roots everywhere he lived. He served his communities with a dedicated heart. He took great pride in making each house he and mom lived in something they could be proud of. He was a very frugal man but he never denied mom or any of us anything we needed. He was always there for us, never failed us and always loved each of us no matter what we did. He didn't hold grudges but he could set someone straight if they needed it.
Dad loves his family, loves his Father in Heaven and loves his country. He has set a supreme example for all of his descendants to follow.
Thanks for letting me ramble a little.
Jan
