It's A Small World

Our son Bill enjoys birding and has been to all states for this hobby except for Alaska and Hawaii. He was traveling through Montana one time a number of years ago and must have been stopped by the Highway Patrol for some small infraction. Maybe he was speeding, I don't know. Basically he is a good driver. I am not afraid to be in the car with him. The reason I mention this is because he got a ticket and that is the lead to this story.

A short time later when I was talking on the phone to my sister Betty she asked me if Bill had been in Montana recently. I felt bad that I needed to say yes since he had not stopped in Billings to see his Aunt Betty or Uncle Sam. But Betty really knew he had been nearby.

Sam worked in the Billings Post Office. He handled mail that had been damaged or waylaid in some way. He had processed an envelope for Bill from the Highway Patrol. It must have been damaged in the mail. Now that is really a small world event. What are the odds that my brother-in-law would have handled mail addressed to my son? Bill is rarely in Montana and lives a long way from that state. Another amazing event in our family!!

Amazing Things Happen

In reading about amazing things that have happened in history I thought about the fact that we have had amazing coincidences in our lives. I think that many of us have people we know that have had most interesting stories to tell. Some have been in another country on vacation and ran into a friend. It is always a pleasure to run into people we know when out and about in our own town so it would be exciting to do this when hundreds of miles away.

In the eighties, from 1985 until 1889, our daughter Kathy and family lived in Washington state, on Whidbey Island. Paul, Laura and I were able to visit them a number of times while they were there. I went by myself on the bus several times. Laura and I went on the train to Seattle, and over the years Paul and I did this several times. Paul and I also took one trip by car to Washington in 1986. My mother and I flew to Bellingham together once. This was Mom's and my first time to fly. During this period of time we had many fun family adventures.

We got to see Becky go from a one year old to a five year old. We were able to see Missy as a little baby and then have her first birthday while they were in Oak Harbor, Washington. We also had a number of other relatives to visit while they were in the Pacific Northwest.

On one occasion Kathy and John had taken us to a nice restaurant in La Conner, not far from Whidbey Island. We were sitting near a big window watching the fishing boats go by in the nearby river. Paul took a few good boat pictures while we were enjoying our meal. We were both into taking a lot of pictures in those days. There was a lot of good scenery and family to put into our photo albums.

A year or so later when my cousin Diedra and her husband Nick were here from Washington we were sharing some pictures with them. Diedra was looking at some of Paul's pictures that he had taken in La Conner when she did a double take. She told Nick that he had to see the picture she was looking at. It was the most amazing thing. Paul had taken a picture of Nick's fishing boat. This was not a spot that Nick and his boat were at a lot either, but he was there the day Paul was taking pictures of the boats near the restaurant. Talk about amazing!!

I will write about more amazing adventures as they come to mind. Even more amazing is God's great love for us. :)

Challenges

We are challenged daily and maybe that is good as we at least know we are among the living. Our kitties are a real challenge. This morning as we were heading out the door to go to church two of the cats wanted out and we were determined to keep them in. Paul was struggling with Midnight while Laura and I were trying to go out the door without any cats. Spotty flew past me across my sandals and snagged my stockings on the way. So much for those stockings, but I had no choice except to wear them one last time. I sealed the runs with clear polish and headed out again. By then two cats had gotten outside. That is the way it is at our house.

We want to be good neighbors and not have our cats bother other people. Some of the kitties used to be able to go in and out as they please, but we have tried to change that. After Cassandra got hit and died on Palm Avenue we pretty much made our cats indoor cats, though not always successful. This wasn't the first tragedy with our kitties, but we hope it is the last. This was at least five years ago. Actually Cassandra really belonged to our neighbor. We loved her and took part ownership of her. Laura took beautiful pictures of her.

When we got Spotty he was an indoor kitty. It didn't take long for him to discover our yard. I don't think he wanders though. I certainly hope not.

I spend more time cleaning up after pets than I ever remember doing for our children. It is like having more than one two year old at a time. I won't go into details about the cleaning challenges as they are many. Thankfully Paul cleans the litter boxes. And now we have the flea season upon us and need to get rid of them. I will be visiting Pet Smart soon.

I could talk about repairs we need to do around here as they are another challenge. But I won't bother with that subject for now. At least we have a home and are comfortable enough. We have food in our cupboards and refrigerator. We are blessed.

This morning we had a very nice worship service at Westview Bible Church. Pastor Carey gave a good gospel message. No one in attendance can give the excuse that they did not know they needed the Lord to cover their sin. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."Romans 3:23. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23. Our Savior conquered the grave. We set our hope on Jesus rising from the grave- the greatest truth the world has ever known. Death is a certain reality- we need the hope of knowing Jesus. The free gift of life is in Jesus Christ. He paid the full penalty and we need to believe in Jesus There is only ONE WAY. Beware of false prophets. He is our only hope.

Pastor Carey gave good illustrations to get his point across. I always take notes but not every word. The sermon was good as Paul just said to me. I would like to be able to share the message as clearly as he says it. I'm sure lives are touched by the message each week.

After church we had an Easter brunch in the fellowship hall. Many went outside and found seats there to eat their meal. We sat with our friend Adria during the meal. She had her husband Al with her today. He lives in a nursing home in El Cajon. She wants to get him in a place in Chula Vista so she doesn't have so far to go to spend time with him. She is challenged daily and she stays so positive. She has M.S. and has a lot going on in her life. She is such a dear person.

We had a ride home with our friends Ellen and Dave. We have been blessed to get to know them. I first met Ellen on the bus. Paul and I were heading to Coronado to church every week and she was going to Westview. We are now going with her to church. We already knew Adria and have made new friends there. I am challenged as I still want to be part of my Coronado church family too. We go there sometimes. There will always be challenges in life and many decisions to make as long as we breathe.

The most important decision is to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior while we still have breath in us. We know some who have made that decision on their deathbeds. They will receive eternal life just as the ones who have always lived for Christ. But I think the bigger blessing is to know Him and live for Him now. We can spend time serving Him and sharing His love with others. Do not wait till it is too late. After we take our final breath it is too late to make this decision. God loves us and wants what is best for us. But He does not force us to make this decision. God Bless.

Blessings

Today, Saturday April 23rd, Griff was here for part of the day. We invited him for today, the day before Easter, as we will be busy tomorrow. Griff brought a large supply of groceries for our cupboards and refrigerator. He is a most generous son and even remembers our pets.

I planned a brunch for today to enjoy with him. It was a much more relaxed meal than having dinner. We had scrambled eggs with bell pepper and jalapenos mixed in them. I put a small amount of cheese on top. Very good. Griff brought a huge bag of potatoes so I fried some. I had a good coupon for sausages so bought them to go with the meal. Griff brought avocados from his trees and they were a nice addition to the meal. I had made a salad and decided it would be good too, as well as the grapes we had on hand. It was simple and satisfying. By the way this was the first time I had ever added jalapenos to a meal such as this. I got this idea on Facebook last night. Laura and Paul also enjoyed the company and brunch.

While Griff was here Becky called to say Happy Easter to us. It is always a pleasure to have this dear granddaughter call. She keeps me up to date on baby Jacob and whatever else she wants to share. She said that her husband Jay would like me to email his mother because we could be friends. That is so sweet. I am so happy because Becky, Jay (Jason) and Jacob have been going to church with Kathy and John, her parents. Of course Jacob is in the nursery at church. Melissa, Becky's sister, also goes to the same church as she always has. I pray that Jacob will grow up to love the Lord. Raise a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.

Another blessing is that when I talked to Josie last week she told me that she and John and Joshua are going to church now. Joshua needed this good example of faithfully going to church. He has been in the nursery while they are in the worship service. I hope he gets to go to Sunday School too. I sent him some  Bible story books and color books for Easter. I also sent him some crayons and a small bunny. He was excited to get these gifts from grandma.

We sent little Jacob a nice book also. It has prayers in it for toddlers. We also sent him some froggies that are bath toys. I bought them when we were in Julian with Bill several months ago. Becky likes frogs. She appreciated the gifts for Jacob for his first Easter. They bought him a little suit for Easter. Or maybe Grandma Kathy bought it. That is what grandmas do. I used to love to buy Becky and Missy dresses for Easter when they were little. My children's Grandma Marvin bought them cute outfits when they were little too.

Last week Kathy called me and we had a nice conversation. We don't call each other as often as we should, but we keep tabs on Facebook. I have been blessed to have two wonderful daughters. I guess I don't spend too much time bragging about them. But maybe I have at times. I remember when I was a first time grandma I was the grandma with pictures in purse. Need I say more?

I talked to Bill recently too. We got up to date on things for both of us. He had planned to get back to San Diego this year, but it may be next winter before he returns. Whatever is best for him is fine with us. We would love for him to come sooner though.

Paul's brother Charlie just called and verified the plans to get together with us next month. He will be in town with a friend and we are all going to visit one of Paul and Charlie's cousins and his wife in San Diego. This will be one of those special family times. It will also be Charlie's birthday.

Griff brought enough avocados for me to share with my neighbors. They are far from ripe so won't be ready right away. But I was able to use two today. I also took some to two of our special neighbors. They were my Easter gifts to them. I still want to give some more to neighbors. They always like to receive them. I share with other friends when possible.

Tomorrow is Easter and we will be going to church as we do most weeks. Last week we were home as Paul and Laura had colds. I should have gone but didn't. I had the tail end of a cold then. After church tomorrow we will stay for the brunch they have each year at Westview Bible Church. This will be our first Easter with them.

 Last year we went to Coronado as we have always done. We had breakfast with our church family in Coronado before the worship service, during what would be the Sunday School hour, as we have done each Easter for years. Another tradition we had for years was to make a flower cross which was very beautiful. One of our pastors had started this tradition. I don't know if they are doing it this year and we won't be there to see. I'm still torn between two churches as I love the people at each one. We worship our Lord at both churches.

We have been blessed for many years with such wonderful Christian friends. God has been so good to us and so have our Christian brothers and sisters. Our history is long in Coronado, but we have also been touched by the dear people at Westview. May God bless each one.  :)

Our Little Helpers

This morning when I was mopping the floors our kitty Spotty was also busy. He had to be with me every minute trying to help me with my job. Reminds me of a two year old child wanting to be involved. I could not take my work too seriously when it was so amusing to watch Spotty. This is often the story of my day. There is always one kitty or another ready and waiting for action.

When we sit there is always a purring kitty on our laps or nearby. Buddy loves to help Paul with his reading. He spends much of his time on Paul's lap when possible. Buddy is one of our orange tiger kitties. The latest is for two orange cats to share the chair with Paul. As Paul says,"We redheads have to stick together." Paul used to be a redhead before his hair turned snow white.

Little Luke spent many months living in our bedroom as he was traumatized by his move from Josie's house to ours. Spotty had originally been hers too, but he was totally different than Luke. Spotty took ownership of our house and adjusted nicely. We have had Spotty for a number of years. Luke is just now coming out of the bedroom after one and a half years. Now Luke won't even go near our room. He is enjoying the new found activity of having the run of the house. Luke is the second orange kitty on Paul's chair now days.

Some of our kitties originally belonged to a neighbor family. The neighbors have large dogs and we are free of dogs now days so the cats choose our yard. Before you know it they are in our house. Our neighbors keep good care of their cats so that is not the problem. I think we are too welcoming and we need to close the door to any new kitties. We prefer our yard to be a safer place for birds so try to keep the cats inside.

There is always another pet story waiting to be written. I'm thankful that God made animals for us to enjoy.  :)

Photo credit: Laura Marvin

A Walk to Remember

One special memory I have is when I was around seven or eight years old and Daddy took me on a long walk in Portland, Oregon. I lived with my grandparents on the farm in Washington state near Bellingham. I was visiting my parents in Portland where they lived at the time. That is where they had to go to find good jobs during the war.

My Dad and I enjoyed each others company and one day he took me on a walk that included almost all of the bridges in Portland. I don't recall how many bridges there were but we were challenged to do as many as possible that day. These bridges were across the Willamette River in the heart of Portland, if my memory serves me well. These were draw bridges and that would allow for ships to pass through. I remember looking down into the water from way up high. We could toss a pebble into the river and see the many circles getting larger as the water rippled out. These are childhood memories.

The day began with Daddy braiding my hair and making sure I was presentable. I'm sure my mother was at work that day. Dad also took me to a photo booth to get my picture taken. I have never used one of those photo booths in the years since as far as I can remember. But I have been tempted to on occasion in remembrance of that day many years ago.

I also recall that on the bus heading to Portland from Bellingham practicing trying to whistle. I'm sure I was not successful enough to disturb anybody on the bus. I eventually learned to whistle, but not very loud. I never could do it good enough to whistle for a dog or anything. I have since lost any whistling skill I may have had.

You never know what memories one thought might trigger.

More Thoughts of My Sister Betty

On April 11th I posted memories about my sister Betty. These memories included a lot about our childhood. Even though it was a long post I thought of more I could have written.

Betty was a talented seamstress, as is our sister Donna. We all had the same homemaking teacher in high school, the caring and talented Mrs. Hanks. My daughter Kathy had the same teacher too. We all learned to sew and each of us made our own wedding dresses.

Betty and Sam had a happy marriage and a lovely home. Betty was a good cook and her children learned the same skills in her kitchen. Betty taught Elizabeth to make the most delicious pies. I know that because Elizabeth lived with us for five years. Gary is a skilled chef and does this for a living. Matthew also knows how to get around in the kitchen too. He helped us with setting up the food at my daughter's wedding. I'm sure that Mark does fine in the kitchen too.

The boys learned to hunt with their Dad. They always kept the freezer full and were never without something to put on the table. Some of them continue this tradition. One Thanksgiving after Betty died I called their house and Matthew answered. His brothers were out hunting and he was preparing the Thanksgiving feast for the family.

Betty liked butterflies and pretty pastel colors. When Betty was little she received a pretty butterfly pin at her birthday party. The package was large and in the box was a smaller box. In the smallest box was a lovely butterfly. This could have been the beginning of her love for butterflies. This sticks out in my mind as birthday parties were rare in our home as children. We remembered birthdays, but did not usually invite our friends to a party. Actually this is the only party I remember.

Betty's home was painted pretty pastels and the fabrics she chose were in the same flowery shades with delicate prints. It was always fun to receive Christmas packages from her as she put a lot of thought into each gift. A lot of my little collectibles are from her. She never forgot to add something in the package for my December birthday.

The last time I was in Billings to see her family was April of 2008. I had not been able to get there when she was sick or when they had her memorial service in November of 2007. Our sister Donna was there with the rest of Betty's family for the service. But I was able to be with them when they buried her on her April 11th birthday. She is in the Hamilton family plot in the Burlington Cemetery, Burlington, Wyoming. Their family has used the same burial grounds for generations. Betty and Sam as well as his parents, grandparents and greats are all buried there.

I spent most of a week with Gary, Elizabeth, Matthew and Mark as well as Mark's two children, Brittany and Michael Hamilton. Elizabeth was there from Missouri. I would have loved to see her two boys and meet her new husband too. I have not seen her sons Andrew and Elijah since they were little guys. Andrew is going to be a daddy this year so Betty and Sam would be great grandparents.

I wrote in my previous blog post about vacations with Betty and Sam. I did not mention that in 1994 Paul and Laura and I, along with Becky and Melissa (my granddaughters), traveled from Aurora, Colorado to Billings to spend some time with Betty, Sam and family. It was a memorable trip for us. Paul and I had traveled with Patchy the cat to Aurora from San Diego. We had been caring for Patchy since Kathy, John and girls had moved to the Denver area. Laura had been with them that school year to care for the girls. So we were taking Patchy to her real home and bringing Laura back to SanDiego that summer. While in Colorado we wanted to head north to Montana to see Betty's family. It was a fun time except for the accident we had on the way to Billings. Nobody was hurt though.

Another special memory is when Betty's son Gary spent a good part of the summer in San Diego in 1973. He was mainly at Mom's as that was his grandma and she loved having him with her. But Gary was with us when we were moving into this house that summer. He helped us with some painting too. My children loved having Gary here that summer. Gary is in between Laura and Bill in age.

It seems as if there is no end to memories, but I need to put an end to this post. Families are part of God's plan and we need to treasure our relationships.

Pictures from family album are of Betty with Caroline and Donna in Coronado in the 40s;
also picture of Gene McDonaugh family in Portland in 1945

Remembering My Sister

My sister Betty was the youngest of three girls. I was the oldest sister and Donna was the middle sister. Betty Frances McDonaugh Hamilton was born April 11, 1940 in Coronado, California. She died on November 23, 2007 in Billings, Montana.

Our parents were R. Eugene and Ida Frances McDonaugh. Dad was born in Washington D.C. in 1911 and came to California when he was nine years old. He spent the rest of his childhood in Coronado. Mom was born in Bellingham, Washington in 1913 and spent her childhood on a farm in that part of the country. Her maiden name was Davenport. Our parents met in Coronado and got married in 1935. Dad was a chauffeur and Mom was a maid at the time. Later, after the war they would spend many years painting houses together in Coronado.

During World War II my sisters and I lived on the farm with our grandparents while Mom and Dad worked in Portland, Oregon in the shipyards. I always say that Mom was Rosie the riveter. She was always a hard worker. Dad painted inside the ships that were being worked on.

Donna, Betty and I enjoyed our time with our loving grandparents on the farm. I was in school and did two years of first grade plus second grade in the school near Bellingham. Our area was called Laurel and the grade school was Meridian Elementary. They did not have kindergarten at that school so Donna did not get to go to school till she was in first grade. I had gone to kindergarten in Coronado. Betty was still too little for school. She got to spend more time with our grandparents.

One family story is that Dad took Betty with him on the bus to California. We were not exactly rich and Dad could not afford the fare for Betty. I guess she was barely old enough to have to pay so Dad said she was four rather than five years old. She was to say she was younger than she was. When they got to our aunt and uncle's house in L.A. and they asked her how old she was she had to ask Dad, "How old are I now Daddy?" She was tiny and no bigger than a four year old at that time.

Our grandparents were very upright Christian people so we learned a lot of good lessons in their home. They faithfully took us to their Church and Sunday School. We also lived a "Little House On The Prairie" existence. There were fields to play in and a barn that we spent time in. It was fun to watch our grandparents milk the cows. We had chickens and pigs too. We had a healthy lifestyle. There were plenty of vegetables that grandma had canned from her garden. It was fun being able to climb the cherry trees to pick our own fruit. And riding on the haywagon while our grandparents and other relatives brought in the hay was a fun time for three little girls.

The summer of 1945 we moved to be with our parents in Portland. I remember all the horns and celebration that summer when the war was over. I was sheltered from most of what had been going on in the world. The main thing I remembered is that my Daddy did not have to go to war as he did not pass the physical when they tried to draft him. But he served our country in a different way as he was available to work in the shipyard.

Now we were living in a housing project in Portland and had indoor plumbing instead of the little house out back. These were nice buildings in my child's eyes. The school was in walking distance instead of by the bus I remembered from the farm. Betty got to start kindergarten when school started that year. We also had relatives near Portland and got to go to their place for Thanksgiving. It was a time of more good memories for our family. The five of us were all together again.

After Christmas the five of us took the bus to California where we would live. I remember seeing palm trees for the first time in years. I also remember the ocean for the first time since I was a lot younger. It was probably the first time Betty ever remembered this scenery. Our grandfather met us at the Santa Fe train station in San Diego where we got off the bus after such a long ride. He took us on the ferry to his house in Coronado. It was so sweet to see our father's parents again after so many years. I wonder if Betty had any previous memory of them. I had always written to them as Grandma Davenport encouraged me to do this.

My parents had hoped to be living in the old house next door to our grandparents, but there were already renters there. We moved into the back part of our grandparent's home on the corner of third and F where we would live for a few years. I was in third grade, Donna was in second grade and Betty was in kindergarten. I even remember the first day of school in Coronado. We made friends in Coronado that would last a lifetime.

Mom and Dad painted houses for a living for many years. Donna, Betty and I had the island for our playground, the bay on one side and the ocean on the other. We went to Sunday School and made friends there. When we were on the farm we went to a Baptist Church, but there was not yet a Baptist Church in Coronado. We went to the Methodist Church for many years and made many memories there.

The summer of 1948 Donna flew to Bellingham to be with our grandparents as they needed her willing hands to help them on the farm. Betty and I were together with our parents, and I'm sure we missed Donna as part of the family. We had always played together, maybe not always peacefully.

The spring of 1949 the rest of us decided to go to Washington and join Donna to spend time with our grandparents there. This was a memorable car trip that I have written about before. The car was loaded with all of our worldly possessions and two special pets, as well as squeezing us in too. The pets were my favorite turtle Mac and our little red hen Susie Q. We were quite the sight.

It was a pleasure to be back on the farm. I was in sixth grade and Betty was in third grade. Donna was just one grade behind me. When in Coronado I was homesick for the farm. When in Washington I was homesick for Coronado. I don't know if this was the case for my sisters. We spent the rest of the year on the farm until after Christmas. In the meantime two of our California cousins came to live with us on the farm. It was fun to get to know them.

So after Christmas their dad came to help us move back to California. My dad had already moved back and made arrangements for us. We were to move into our Aunt Clara's big old house in Spring Valley. There was a houseful as my cousins were still with us as well as another cousin, Aunt Clara's son. We went to various schools as we varied in ages. Donna and Betty and one cousin went to the nearby elementary school. I was in junior high and two cousins were in high school. This was a lot for our parents to deal with. They were also back to painting houses in Coronado.

After a few months of this arrangement we were making new plans to get closer to Coronado. Cousins were now out of the picture and we temporarily settled in Imperial Beach in our friend's house. We went to school in Coronado as we would move there in the summer when the house Mom and Dad wanted would be available.

The rest of our school years we would be in Coronado. Betty graduated from Coronado High School in 1958. She was already an aunt by then. Betty had a job in a bank while she was still single. She had done a lot of babysitting as a teen ager, as we had all done.

It was not long before Betty met and married Samuel S. Hamilton. He was a young sailor from Wyoming. Three of Betty's children were born in California. The youngest was born in Hawaii when Sam was stationed there with the Navy. Elizabeth was born in Coronado like Betty was. Her sons are Gary, Matthew and Mark.

When Sam left the Navy they moved to Billings, Montana to be near his family. They have lived in Montana since 1967.  We have enjoyed getting together with their family a number of times over the years. When they lived in California our children got to spend time together and they got to know each other. I have pictures of them all together when they were little. Then when the distance was great we still stayed in touch. They came to California on vacations.

Donna managed to get to Billings for a vacation once with her daughter Debra in the early years. Donna's son Arthur got to spend some time in Billings with his cousins too. Mom and her husband Frank used to get to Billings almost every year at one period of time. It wasn't until 1979 that three of my children and I got to go to Montana. That was after Kathy got her own car and took us on trips. Also on that first trip was Laura and Bill. We got to go to Yellowstone National Park for the first time with Betty's family. Griff stayed home with Paul that summer.

Then in 1980 Betty and Sam's daughter came to visit and stayed for five years. She also had her dog with her. Mouse was a good dog. Elizabeth became like a daughter to me. In 1981 the girls and I made a trip to Washington and Montana. This was another trip to remember. It was my first time back to Washington since 1956 when I went with my in-laws and baby Kathy. On this 1981 trip Kathy was driving. We visited family and saw the sights. We met up with Donna and her husband Fred, as well as little Freddy, in Billings. So the three sisters were together for another reunion. Caroline, Donna and Betty.

Betty and Matthew both came to Kathy and John's wedding in 1983. Matthew saved the day with all the help with the food. We had other relatives from out of town too including Paul's brother Charlie, and John's sister who came on the bus from Washington with two little children. Betty had also come on the bus from Billings, Montana.

In 1993 Betty and Sam were here for Easter which was also her birthday. So we had a nice family gathering at that time. By then Kathy and John were in Colorado with my grandchildren. Betty and Sam offered to take me with them back to Billings, stopping in Denver for an overnight stay at Kathy and John's. This was a sweet time to spend with family. Then I got to stay in Billings for a week or two. I came home on the bus.

Betty and Sam made more trips to San Diego over the years. When Mom was in her last days Betty and Sam made two trips by car in a very short period of time. They did a lot of work with us. Matthew was with them then. They were here for a memorial service for Mom.

Years earlier when our Dad died Betty made a trip from Washington state with three little children on the train. Sam had just left on deployment with his ship. This was 1964. Betty had hoped to get here to see Dad in the hospital, but she got here for a funeral instead.

In 1997 Sam died of a heart attack. He was young like my Dad had been. He was just 55. Dad had only been 53 when he died of cancer. A couple of months after Sam was gone Donna and I flew to Billings to spend some sister time with Betty. I think we were there for about two weeks. Sam died September 6th the same day as Princess Diana's funeral. This date is also Grandma Davenport's birthday.

Ten years later Betty was very sick and died on November 23rd. Thankfully Betty had been here for a nice visit with Matthew, and two of her grandchildren and their friend the summer of 2006. We enjoyed a beach picnic with a bonfire one evening. We three sisters were all together for this. My dearest friend Madeline and her sweet husband were also with us. Betty also came in 1998 to visit, the 4th of July Paul and I were in the parade. All of us were together then too.

When Betty died Donna was able to fly to Billings to spend two weeks with the family and be there for the memorial service. Elizabeth's new husband officiated at the service. Elizabeth and Jack were there from Missouri. Gary, Matthew and Mark live in Billings, Montana. The family still have the home they have been in for many years.

Betty and Sam are also survived by four grandchildren. Mark's children are Brittany and Michael. Elizabeth's two are Andrew and Elijah. And this year they would be great grandparents as Andrew is going to be a Daddy.