Personal History continued

A nephew, also ordained, reminds me that I failed to mention an older brother, Don, who also was ordained. I'll catch up to that. After being drafted in April 1943 in spite of vision in only one eye and a prosthesis in the other, I served in the Army Air Corps for just over seven months when the Commanding Officer at Hamilton Field, CA called me in and asked if I would accept a discharge. Since Dad had died that summer and Mother was home with a young teen ager (brother Lee) it seemed appropriate to go home. As the Major said: "You only have vision in one eye." Funny the Draft Board didn't notice that! I didn't tell Mother that I was heading home. Instead I took the train from San Francisco to Washington, DC to visit my high school girl friend who was working there as a Secretary. We had dated through most of the 11th and 12th grades and at one point during the DC visit we visited a Baptist pastor to discuss the possibility of marriage. I have been forever thankful that that didn't happen considering the woman I did marry some years later. Brother Don was dating Judy"s older sister, Garnett and she eventually became my sister-in-law.

I re-enrolled at Marshall College, and was nearly finished by the time twin brother John was discharged. It seemed appropriate that I stay an extra year so that we might have some time together before I went off to Seminary. I decided to take a Master's Degree in Psychology. Near the end of that period I was invited to join the faculty at Marshall and teach beginning Psych. Now the story gets complicated.

I was very active in the W.Va. Baptist Youth Fellowship through College and conducted workshops throughout the State. I was also President of our Association of BYF. Sister took a job as Director of Christian Education at the Church in Kenova, a town in the neighbor Association. in the Summer of 1948 she set up a summer camp for youth in that Association at Camp Mad Anthony Wayne. She asked me to help in planning recreation. A young lady, who was also a Marshall graduate in Home Economics was the chief cook. I had known her some through previous BYF situations. Her family called her Betty. To me she was "Harriet Elizabeth". On the last day of the Senior High portion of the Camp I was dancing with a pretty little red head when this Cook came out of the kitchen in apron and with flour on her face and "cut in." Since she was president of her Association we talked about some joint activities of our groups. I invited her to come to Huntington one Sunday evening; have supper with us at Grandmother Taylor's (a weekly event) and go with me to meet with the youth group at my Church that evening. Before we left the house my Aunt Bertha leaned up to me and said: "Jim, we like her." Well, we had the Church event and then I took her home to Ceredo. A small town about 15-20 miles from my own home. I stayed a while, we talked, we chased a fire engine to the next town to a lumber yard fire, came back to her place, talked some more, and then taking her hands I look straight into those lovely eyes and said: "You are going to marry me, aren't you?" We kissed and that was sealed. The next day I left for Summer School at the University of Cincinnati. That was near the end of July 1948. We were married in April 1949. A marriage that lasted over 56 years until her untimely death in December 2005.

For a Blog this has gone one long enough. More history to come.

A bit of personal history

10/26/09 Yesterday (Sunday) I was in Church as usual. Our Pastor often calls for those who wish to join in prayer. It’s the kind of thing I grew up with - except that format was usually done at the mid-week Prayer Service. As I sit, barely hearing those who pray aloud (I know, I know. God hears them) I frequently will pray silently. I don’t feel comfortable praying aloud since I was Interim Pastor of this congregation of nearly two years.

Yesterday I began to think about my Christian heritage. What has it been which makes Sunday Worship so much a part of my life? Somehow, about the 9th grade, I felt a real “call” to Christian ministry. From that point on education became more important to me. But back to the heritage. My father and mother were very active in the local church. Dad was both Superintendent of the Sunday School and Chairman of the Board of Deacons. He was highly respected and there was never any move to replace him. Mother sang in the Choir and also taught in the Sunday School and at Vacation Bible School. Dad’s father had the Taylor Bible Class for many years at his Church. He was highly respected there.

When I was in High School my sister and one brother both entered schools for Christian service. Bill went to Crozer Theological Seminary and Dorothy Ann went to the Baptist Missionary Training School. Examples were being set. Long before that, however my Great Grandfather, John Andrew Mitchell Petit, was a Baptist Minister, and he was the founding Pastor of a number of Churches. He died young so I never knew him, but I still have memories of sitting in Church Sunday mornings with Grandpa Petit and him giving me a penny to put in the offering plate. This was in the 1930’s - depression time.

So there we have it. A rich spiritual heritage of immediate family plus Christian forebears. It needs to be said, however, that even though I planned to go to Seminary all through College other matters entered in and I didn’t get to Seminary until 9 years after I got my BA degree. Maybe more later.

Follow-up

This morning I got a call from my Broker in regard to a Corporate Bond I bought a couple of years ago. It is with Citi Group for $5,000. It hasn't been worth that since I bought it at a premium. It HAS paid regular dividends so I haven't worried to much about it. Now the outfit wants to convert the value to shares. I told Darlene to just cash it in and transfer to funds to my bank account with Valley Federal Credit Union. I had just been in the Office to talk with her earlier this week to make arrangements for dividends from several municipal bonds to be transferred to the account, and to make sure that when I am "gone" that any funds remaining in my IRA will be transferred to the Jim and Betty Taylor Scholarship Endowment at Rocky Mountain College. We established that before Betty's death as an Annuity from which I get a quarterly check. It will become an unrestricted scholarship fund at my own death. The dividends from the Munis will pretty much take care of property taxes in the years to come. As they come due the children will receive the value in order of age and due date.

As I suggested to someone the other day: Now that I've taken care of everything in case of death I'll probably live another 10 years. I see my primary care physician next week. I'll check with him about that.

Preparation time

Several weeks ago I suggested to a friend at Church that I'd call him and set up an appointment to discuss matters. Jared is a Funeral Director and very active in the life of First Baptist. When I served as Interim Pastor for nearly two years Jared made sure that my picture went up in the gallery of past Pastors. It hadn't occurred to me that I "belonged" there, but I had served a previous 6 months years earlier and I guess that my time served was at least as long as some "regular" guys.

Anyway I finally got around to that conversation today about final arrangements. He was more ready for the visit that I was, and was prepared to make a record so that when the time comes the Funeral Home will know how to proceed. We agreed that my ashes would be placed in the same urn with Betty. The niche is paid for and expenses will only involve preparation, etc. He asked about military service and I explained that I was drafted in spite of blindness in one eye. About 7 1/2 months later after duty in North Carolina, Colorado, and California I was granted an honorable discharge (for the convenience of the government) for the same physical deficiency. That means that while there will be no military presence at the funeral there will be a flag for some member of the family. Probably Paul since he is the only one who has a military record - U.S. Marines.

After the previous noted conversation with the Trustees of the Taylor Family Trust, and this visit with the Funeral Director I can now sit back for a long life having made Final Preparations.

Always something new

I've been watching football one way or another most of my life. This afternoon I watched a Pittsburg player who had just received a pass fumble the ball in he end zone. A linesman nearby recover the fumble in the end zone. The ball was placed on the one yard line for the next play. It seems that only the player who fumbles the ball is allowed to recover it if it crosses the goal line. Anyone on the opposing team can recover. I had never seen the action before and was surprised that the guy who recovered the ball was not credited with a touchdown. Live and learn - even at 84 years and 51 weeks.

Dinner time

As noted earlier, son Ken is in town for a meeting of Public Health personnel. Daughter, Annie. came by last evening after a meeting in Hardin, MT. She needs to get her windshield replaced. It was father's (that's me) privilege to take them out to supper at Jake's with son Pete as waiter. We all ate sensibly and then pretty much went our separate ways. It is always good to get the "kids" together and listen to them catch up with each other. That way Dad also knows what's been going on. While three of my children are far, far away in Oregon and Texas, and one dead of cancer in 2006, I do get to see the other three more often since they are Montanans and, of course, Pete is living with me and looking out after the old man. It was a good evening.

Significant Talk

Eleven years ago Betty (wife) and I had a meeting with a Lawyer and established an Estate Plan. We didn't have a lot, but we did own a house and had some investments, including IRA's. It seemed appropriate to lay out some plans about what to do when we were gone. We determined to name our oldest and youngest sons as co-trustees to manage things when both of us had died. Both live in Montana and both were unmarried at that time. They are still single. I was in my mid-70's, already much older than my father and older brothers at their deaths. The assumption was that I would die before Betty. Didn't happen. She died nearly 4 years ago at age 80. I will be 85 in a couple of weeks.

Today I had that talk with the successor trustees that many elders are reluctant to have with their children. Ken was inn town for a meeting so I picked up up and with Pete we talked about the Estate and my suggestions about what should be done when I am dead. (I've had by-pass surgery twice - the last time in October 1980; a stent placed in a coronary artery in 2006; have a CT scan showing a closing of my aortic valve with a lot of stuff around it which could very well go to my brain if surgery was done. There is also a minimal Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm. As I told the sons. the talk today was "just in case". I feel pretty good a this time and am taking things easy. I fully understand the nature of my health and have signed up for "Comfort One". This, in Montana at least, means: "Make him comfortable and do not resuscitate". Again, I have no anticipation that this might happen soon. I simply felt that the TALK should be done and that the 'trustees' should be acquainted with my computer programs.

Lost Symbol II

I've finished. A gripping read and I fell for all of the false leads. After the "mystery" is pretty much solved there is still the question of Robert Langdon's lack of faith. The story point out that many members of the Masonic Order are not men of traditional religions, but that they are men who believe in some "higher power". I was reminded of on of the most faithful attenders of my Student Pastorate who was a Mason. He would not become a member of the Baptist Church because he did not accept Christian faith. He told me once that he did believe in God and he wanted people to know that about him at least.

One phrase toward the end struck me as particularly pertinent these days. Katherine Solomon, Noetic Scientist, says: "Small minds have always lashed out at what they don't understand." It made me think of such persons as Rush LImbaugh, Glenn Beck, Ann Coulter, and the T-Party crowd shouting out there disrespect of President Obama and the current Health Insurance discussion. One can only hope that the House and Senate will find a realistic outcome to this major problem.

The Lost Symbol

I got this one last week from Amazon for my Kimble. It is a fascinating and compelling read, but at this point I'm only about 60% through. The first chapter talks about a secret ceremony inducting a man as a 33rd degree Mason. There was a mention of the Masonic leather apron which made me recall a part of my father's last rites. There was the traditional Christian service, but he did have on his leather apron. Dad was very much involved in Masonry as Secretary of his Lodge. Such societies have never had any appeal to me.

Dan Brown's tale goes on about a sacred pyramid which presumably contains the way to holy mysteries. I find the story fascinating because much of the action so far centers in the U.S. Capitol and the National Cathedral. I have had he privilege of exploring each. Many years ago, before our Nation became paranoid, I was able to explore the lower levels of the Capitol unescorted. There was the original Supreme Court chambers, and many other historic places. I certainly was aware of any deeper recesses which Brown speaks of. I also went up the hill to visit the National Cathedral and explored the various "chapels" unescorted. Some were being used for services at that time. It is a magnificent building.

I guess one of the joys of reading nowadays is that my age and travels give me some deeper understanding of the literature. For example, most the John Jakes' Kent Family Chronicles were set in places I've lived or visited or in a history which was a part of my own family history.

I have no problem in recommending The Lost Symbol for you reading pleasure.

Monday??

Well, Pete and I usually take stuff to the local Food Bank which people at the Church have contributed on the first Sunday of the month. We did it today (Tuesday) since yesterday was Labor Day and few there were who were working. At Church this past Sunday we had a combined service with both we traditionalists and those who consider themselves to be "contemporary". The choruses, guitars and drums don't do it for me so I go to the 9 o'clock service. Actually IT doesn't do much for me either since the Pastor's sermons would fit well into a Sunday School setting - 4 points and 30-35 minutes. No choir, and I believe that he prefers it that way. Anthems take up his time.

So the combined service was designed in order to have "dinner on the grounds" for lunch. It was worth the change. The only problem seemed to be that people who brought dishes for the Luncheon did not bring cans, etc, for the Food Bank. There was just one bag of stuff plus what we took ourselves. The Congregations typically does better than that. Billings is constructing a very large building to house the local Food Bank. This outfit provides a very important and much needed service to the community.

Generation rumination

I woke up this morning thinking of my own history. That is, the number of generations in the family I have been a part of. I have strong memories of my Dad’s parents: Alfred Burman Taylor and Ora Arminta Chapman. He was born in 1857 and she was born in 1861. I have memories of the Civil War through their contacts as youth. Grandfather Taylor’s father, Moses, was born in 1814. My father, Clarence, was born in 1884. He was married to Lulu Belle Petit in 1907. To this union 9 children were born with 7 surviving to maturity. I have on file a copy of Dad’s draft registration for WW I although with a family he did not serve in the military. My memory is that he sold War Bonds as a part of his war effort. A part of these ruminations dealt with the fact that I served as a pall bearer for Grandfather Taylor's funeral at the age of 15, and was notified of my father’s death while serving in the U.S. Air Corps at the age of 18. At some point I wrote a brief poem: “Six stalwart sons, they bore their father’s bier, and from each eye there fell a silent tear.” Something more about “two had hoped to see him once again” but I don’t recall the closing line. That would be twin brother, John, and myself. I thought of this three years ago when his brothers plus a first cousin were pall bearers at Jimmy’s funeral.

So there are three generations: Grandfather, Father, and self. Not long after marriage to Harriet Elizabeth Clarkson I heard these excited words from her: “We’re going to have a baby.” That would be the first of 9. We raised 7 of them to full adulthood. Twins ( a boy and a girl) were premature and did not survive more than 24 hours. Those 9 would be the 4th generation. 5 of 7 married and we have a dozen grandchildren - generation 5. Two of them are currently married and have daughters. Arianna Elisabeth was born Oct. 8, 2008 and Sophie Harriet Elizabeth was born 12/16/2008. Voila! Generation 6 covering at this date (9/4/2009) 152 years. And with the Great Granddaughters carrying their Great Gramma’s name there is evidence of how important she was to her grand children. 1At the age of 84 (6 weeks shy of 85) I believe that this historical background gave me a deeper appreciation of John Jakes’ series of novels - The Kent Family Chronicles which dealt with early American History.

Memories

Every once in a while I look at the family picture taken as we celebrated a lot of October birthdays and anniversaries on October 8, 2005. Betty (the wife) and Jimmy (son) were still living, and we had a glorious celebration with all the family and many extended family. Betty died shortly after in December of leukemia, and Jimmy died from a lung cancer he had been fighting for a number of years the following August.

I have spent most of this morning listening to a couple of CD's nephew Mark made at the time of our birthdays in October (mine on the 15th hers on the 16th), and in late November in the Hospital. (Less than a week before her death.) I listen to these recordings from time to time just to hear that beautiful well modulated voice, and to hear her chuckle and at times laugh uproariously. I often think of that voice when I have to listen to some female TV announcer with a high pitched nasal twang.

I can listen now without to much grief, but I do miss her. Just today I noticed how many blooms are on the roses in front of the house. I can't bring you a rose, my dear. "Oh, relax," I hear her say. "I can see them from up here. They are lovely," And last night I noticed the single bloom on one of her African Violets. A single bloom just as she was the single beauty in my own life. I love you, dear, and I miss you still.

Reading

I've been enjoying my Amazon Kindle reader. So far I've been able to read Moby Dick, Misquoting Jesus, 100 Years of Solitude, and Undres Me in the Temple of Heaven. I'm beginning to read "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" which was suggested by Christopher (grandson). I got the Kindle toward the end of June. The most frustrating part of it is that it list percent read, but no page numbers. I did learn the "search" technique the other day so if I know what I'm looking for it can be found. I'm sure there is a lot more about it I will find out, but at the present it does provide a "lightweight" source to hold and read. Some older books can be downloaded for 99 cents. Others have cost me $9.99. Two of my children gave me Amazon Gift cards for Father's day. There is still some money left in that till. Any suggestions for good reads?

Dances With Wolves

Instead of turning off the TV tonight after the evening news and Jeopardy I looked at the schedule and decided to watch Dances With Wolves. I'd seen this when it first came out, and remembered that it was pretty much set in territory I'm familiar with. Costner plays an Army officer who is assigned to a wilderness post. When he gets there it is vacant. There is a Sioux tribe nearby and he eventually makes friends with them, and pretty much abandons his post since no one else ever shows up. He learns Lakota and eventually meets up with a "white" gal who has been adopted into the tribe. She is in mourning and cannot accept any expressed interested from Dances With Wolves until her adopted father (the Chief) says that she no longer has to mourn. To shorten my point they marry and he returns to the Post to recover his journal. It is now fully occupied by an advance group preparing to attack Natives. They take Dances With Wolves hostage, but are essentially wiped out by Sioux who come there to rescue their friend. Dances With Wolves decides that he had better leave the tribe as the US soldiers will be looking for both him and the tribe. He talks with his wife about her choice. She essentially says that he has made the choice and that "my place is with you." Here's the point: When I decided that I must leave Iowa and go to Seminary in Massachusetts I talk with my dear wife about this and all she said was, "You'd better take me with you." It is easy to see that I truly related to that part of the movie.

I can also recommend it as well worth watching.

Farmer's Market

Saturday morning is when the Billings family gets together for breakfast and visit. This is typically at brother John and Jean's place. Today (8/1/09) we gathered here for sourdough waffles. My starter needed to be "started" for renewal, and everyone seems to enjoy the waffles. In addition to John and Jean, Mark and Rosanna and their dogs were here. This gave me a chance to show-off my new Kimble. It got a good workout. I had set the sourdough Thursday afternoon so it had a chance to renew well. I put some pecan chips in, but for the most part they were to small to be noticed. Next week I'll be going over to visit with Ann and Bill. Pete will be west of town (Molt) participating in the NAMI bike ride raising funds for the National Association for Mental Illness.

Right now I'm doing the dishes and washing the sheets off my bed. They are silky and won't stay on. I wake up in the middle of the night with no cover save the PJ's. The blanket has slid off to the floor and then the top sheet. I'll put the old ripped cotton one on now. Betty repaired the rips many years ago. It stays!

A Prayer for Peace

I mentioned my involvement in Peace Studies elsewhere on Facebook. On coming downstairs to the I-MAC I had this prayer lying around. It is dated 2/20/2004 - JRT: I had to post it in parts on Facebook because of character limitation. I list it here in it's complete form. The "child" I remember killed in battle was a high school classmate who went into the military just after graduation and was killed very soon after deployment. (In those days we were "children" until we reached 21 years of age.) Two other young men, Rocky Mountain College graduates, were killed in Vietnam shortly after their graduation. The news in Montana this Spring and Summer is to often about the death of a young person killed in a traffic accident. And today's news (7/23/09) tells of the location of the counseling records of a young man who killed and injured numerous students at Va. Tech, and the recent drive-by shooting at a Texas University.

"God, our Father, we are comforted by the words in Holy Scripture that you love us and that you will be with us in all the trials, all the fears, all the joys that life may bring. We are your children. But in the great scheme of things we, too, are parents. Our children also face trials and we suffer on their behalf. Some of us remember friends who were killed in battle at the time we ourselves were children. And we know of those who are injured or killed even as we kneel in prayer this day. O Father, God, Still our warring natures and give us peace this day. We ask this in the name of the Christ. Amen.

The Institute for Peace Studies will sponsor a "Peace Camp" mid-August for pre-teens to help them deal with frustration without resorting to violence. This has been a very successful program for the past 4-5 years.

The Kindle Experience

I ordered from Amazon a Kindle DX about three weeks ago. I downloaded on June 20th two books. They came through promptly. I have now finished "One Hundred Years of Solitude". It is a slow read and I'm not sure I really liked it. This book along with "Moby Dick" was being considered as an assignment for a college Freshman English course - plus "To Kill A Mocking Bird"." The prof has since told me that "On Hundred Years" will not be the assignment. I will tackle "Moby Dick" next since I've never read it. I did get "Mocking Bird" at the time of publication.

The Kindle is a fascinating device. It is light weight and the type face can be adjusted for size. After reading several 600+ page novels this year I opted for something which will not tire out my arms as I hold it. It's an expensive toy - the larger one cost me nearly $500, but the books are cheaper than hard backs and others. "One Hundred Years" cost me 99 cents. and "Moby Dick" came to $1.99. More recent tomes sell typically for $9.99 or less. It is a bit disconcerting not to have the heft of pages yet to be read. Kindle gives percentage read at the bottom.

Well, it's been a while since I Blogged so I figured I'd better make contact.

Family Education History

I have often read of families where some individual is the first to have graduated from College. When I was growing up many kids dropped out of school after the sixth grade and many more after 9th grade. My own mother finished the 8th grade, but that was the norm for girls of her generation. She was born in 1889. On the other had my father finished some sort of collegiate institution at Marshall College in Huntington, WV. He was born in 1884. I have seen the diploma, but have long since lost track of it. Several years ago I began a list of educational completions of my own family - children, grandchildren, and spouses. In view of the recent graduation of a Granddaughter, Natalie, and graduate degrees by a Grandson and his wife I have brought the list up to date. Here it is: It is a reason for pride!

Jim Taylor family high school grads:

James R.
Harriet C.
Kenneth
Ann - Bill
David - (Janet) - Suzanne
Jimmy - Cecilia
Willie - Karyn
Paul - (Ronda) - Louise
Pete

Stephanie - John
Christopher - Kristi
Andrew
Brandon
Jonathan
Nathan
Larry
Geoffrey
Natalie

College Grads

James R.
Harriet C.
Kenneth
Ann - Bill
David - (Janet) - Suzanne
Jimmy - Cecilia
Willie - Karyn
Paul - Louise
Pete

Stephanie - John
Christopher - Kristi
Nathan
Brandon

Graduate Degrees

James R. MA, MDiv, Dr Pub Service (Honorary)
Kenneth MA
Christopher MA
Kristi MLS

Comfort One

This appeared in our comic section yesterday and relates directly to my last visit with my Primary Care MD. I asked about getting a handicap sticker and we took care of that. The we talked about my end of life care document on file with the hospital. Dr. Gerstner suggested that it might be a good idea to make sure that ambulance personnel and other emergency medical personnel know my intentions. Since I'm 84 and have had two major heart attacks and by-pass surgery twice it seems appropriate to direct that nothing dramatic be done to continue life if there is another incident. In other words: Do Not Resuscitate. I am now wearing a bracelet which says: Comfort One. The information for such a status follows.

WILL
Suction the Airway
Administer Oxygen
Position for comfort
Splint
Control bleeding
Provide pad medication (Advanced Life Support only)
Provide emotional support
Contact hospice, home health agency or attending physician

Will NOT
Initiate CPR
Administer chest compression
Intubate
Initiate cardiac monitoring
Administer cardiac resuscitation drugs
Defibrillate
Prvide ventilatory assistance

And if someone has started such procedures they will be stopped.

As Gerstner says: Not that anything is going to happen soon, it is better to be prepared. See you in 6 months.

Strange

Well, I'm not sure of the title. Strange, what? But it seemed a bit odd to me that I got a check yesterday which was a refund from the Billings Clinic for "amount paid by patient." I had been previously billed for that and, of course, paid it. Today I saw my Dentist for a couple of fillings to preserve crowns and there goes the refund. If not strange then it was certainly good timing. And not only that I got $250 so-called stimulus from the government today. It'll all be spent later this month as we go to the granddaughter's graduation.