AN AMERICAN FAMILY:NOT MERELY A COUPLE WITH CHILDREN

Written and Compiled byLarry J. GordonVisiting Professor

School of Public AdministrationUniversity of New Mexico

1995

The University of New Mexico

School of Public AdministrationAlbuquerque, NM 87131-1216Telephone (505) 277-3312FAX (505) 277-2529

January 5, 1995

Dear Mother and Dad:

We had a heavy snow last night, and I am one of the few faculty in this building thismorning. I am proud to be a Visiting Professor at the University of New Mexico, and Iknow I wouldn't be here except for the values you inculcated throughout my life. I amkeenly aware that I owe much of my career and good fortune to your guidance, to yourvalues, as well as the sound advice, continuing support, and constant love I have received forthe past 45 years from my wife Nedra. And, of course, I owe my genes entirely to you!

Mother, you left us on February 1, 1990 at age 88, but the memory of you is with me manytimes daily . I never did say a proper farewell to you, and I regret it. I had no guidelinesor experience to deal with the terminal illness and death of my mother and my father. I didtell you that we all loved you and appreciated everything you ever did for all of us, and yousimply said, "I love you, too." But that brief exchange wasn't nearly enough to say aboutyour lifetime of love and concern for your family. I know it's too late now, but I shouldhave expressed myself better, and shown appreciation for your lifetime of love for yourfamily, and conveyed much more about my lifelong good fortune in having you as mymother. The day before you passed away, our verbal exchange was limited to your concernabout me being able to locate all your financial and property records. You said, "I worryabout the records." Well, it did take a lot of time to piece all your records together anddetermine the status of your estate. Your records were in various places. I know that allyour hard work and self-denial devoted to building a sizeable estate were for your two sons -— my brother Ladd and me — because you never chose to enjoy the fruits of your success.Your enjoyment was in the pursuit of success, rather than the fruits of your financial success.I know that your family was your lifelong concern and priority. You passed away before mybrother Ladd, who died prematurely at age 66 on October 16, 1991 (my birthday) fromemphysema caused by the insidious, toxic effects of tobacco. I had repeatedly admonishedhim to stop smoking as far back as the late 1950's. But tobacco creates a fatal addiction,resulting in slow suicide.

Dad, you left us on October 25, 1992 at age 91. As with Mother, I wish we had had abetter farewell. I did see you almost daily following Mother's death, so we certainly visiteda lot. But we avoided the subject of goodbyes until we ran out of tomorrows. You hadsuddenly become comatose and unable to communicate when I last saw you. I told you I hadto leave town for a few days to do some consulting work at the University of Tennessee in

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Knoxville, but I doubt that you understood me. Shortly after I arrived in Knoxville, I calledhome and Nedra said you had passed away that afternoon. You had never recovered fromthe anguish of Mother's death, and subsequently from the trauma of losing Ladd. Ladd andI always knew we had a real man for a father; a father who was a role model for his sons; afather we were proud of and bragged about; a father who cared: a father who would doanything for his family.

The older I get, the more I am aware that most of my traits were acquired from the two ofyou. I am proud of this fact. When I was younger, I did not fully appreciate this.

As I left home to follow my own trail in life, I forgot some of the wonders of my youngeryears at home and the importance of your love, support and family roots. Developing thisdocument has helped me re-live and better remember the wonderful and happy days when wewere all younger, and enjoyed traditional family values.

Developing this document has been a rewarding labor of love. Dad, shortly after you death,I started this as a short tribute to you. The minister asked permission to read the tribute atyour memorial services, and a few copies were distributed to friends and relatives. A laterversion included remembrances of you, Mother, was distributed to relatives and friends.Several people requested that I significantly enlarge the document and reorganize some of thematerial.

Following your deaths, I realized that I wanted to remember and know more about you.This is always the case following the deaths of loved ones. And we always wish we couldhave done more. We think of the things we wish we had done or said to make a life happieror easier. Developing this manuscript has helped me to better understand you, as well asyour uniqueness, your successes and contributions, as well as your failures.

Fortunately, I have been able to draw on some of your letters and other documents, as wellas my memory, for much of the content. Many of the letters were addressed to my brotherLadd, (March 9, 1925 - October 16, 1991), as they were written during World War II whenLadd had joined the Navy about 18 months before I enlisted. Many more letters exist, so Ifound it necessary to be selective in quoting parts of your letters.

Whenever any member of your family was away from home for any extended period, letterswere exchanged almost daily. While Ladd and I were serving in the U.S. Navy duringWorld War II, at least 2,500 letters were exchanged among the four members of our family.These not only detail routine experiences, but more importantly, they deal with all ourhopes, dreams, and aspirations.

This manuscript will be distributed to your survivors so that they too will have a sense offamily roots, family support, family history, family love, and family identity; and so thatthey may continue to love, honor, respect, remember and understand An American Family:Not Merely a Couple With Children.

I will always love you!

Your son,

Larry '

AN AMERICAN FAMILY:NOT MERELY A COUPLE WITH CHILDREN

byLarry J. Gordon

MY FATHER, ANDREW JACKSON GORDON, Jr.

On a cold, windy day in March, 1901, there was considerable hushedexcitement about a little half dug-out which was located more than thirty miles fromthe nearest habitation on the wind swept prairies of western Oklahoma Indian Nation.A very anxious man, dressed as the average cow puncher of that time, stood in frontof the dug-out scanning the horizon for sign of a coming horseman. On the inside ofthe dug-out, an expectant mother was lying on a bed, attended by two Indian womenof the Caddo Tribe.

Finally dust rose in the distance, and in a few moments, two horsemen couldbe distinguished. One was a lean, wiry man riding a big red-roan horse white withlather from travelling more than fifty miles in less than four hours. The otherhorseman was an Indian who had been sent post haste several hours before to FortSill, for the only physician in the area. Pulling his horse to a sliding halt, the doctordropped his reins and hastened into the dug-out. In a short time, I was ushered intothis world with lusty cries.

My parents were very proud of their first born son, and I was christened aftermy father, Andrew Jackson Gordon. My mother was the former Blanche Thomas.My father and mother were of pioneer stock, who had originally emigrated to Americafrom Scotland and Ireland. My mother was born in Texas and had been reared in amission school near Anadarko, Oklahoma Indian Nation. The school had beenestablished by the Presbyterian Missionary Society for Indian and white childrenwhose parents found it necessary to place them there for education. My father wasreared in Texas, and like most young men without education of that time, hadfollowed the only vocation open to him range riding. At the time of my birth hewas managing his ranch, the Diamond A. He was also Deputy United StatesMarshall in the Kiowa-Comanche territory that was to be opened to settlement by thewhites in August, 1901.

In 1907, the railroad built west to Mountain View where we lived at that time.I well remember the prevailing conditions. Trail herds of cattle comprising fromsmall groups to ten and often twenty thousand head would wind their way through toour town and the end of the railroad, to be shipped to northern markets. After theseherds arrived, the town would be filled with noisy cowboys, and I remember manyinstances of "shooting up the town" by rowdy punchers who had imbibed a few drinkstoo many. It was my father's responsibility to uphold law and order in town, as he

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was at that date the only commissioned peace officer in western Oklahoma.

During the first ten years of my life, one brother and three sisters had arrivedto fill places in our family. The days of my childhood passed happily. Eachsucceeding year found me attending school during the winter months, while eachsummer vacation brought the joiliest rounds of duties and pleasures. I was allowed apony when I attained my eighth birthday, and each summer we moved out to theranch, where we children would "work off" some of our surplus energy doing manyhelpful little tasks.

The beginning of the World War I found me able to ride range for my father,and to help farm the feed crops he raised each year. I would have graduated fromhigh school in May, 1918, but the patriotic spirit got the best of me and I enlisted inthe United States Navy on April 17, 1918. Later, I was given an honorary diplomafrom the Mountain View High School.

I found life in the Navy thrilling. I had enlisted as a ship's cook because I hadexperience cooking in cow camps and there was a shortage of cooks in the Navy. Ihad been in the Naval Training Station at Algiers, Louisiana, only two weeks when Iwas ordered to report for duty aboard the gun-boat "Comanche" which had come upthe Mississippi for part of a new crew. In less than three weeks we had made port atBordeaux, France. Before the end of the war, I had glimpses of Cuba, Mexico,Central America and France.

I will never forget November 11, 1918. Our ship had docked at La Havre,France. I heard a sailor yelling at the top of his voice, "It's all over!" I stepped outof the galley and asked him what the **##??? was all over, and to my surprise, hetold me to listen to the Frenchmen celebrating the close of the war. Our shipreturned to the United States on December 24, and I was released from active dutyFebruary 14, 1919.

After being discharged from the Navy, I went home. I had expected to workfor my father, but found that he had sold the old ranch place as farms, and it wasrapidly plowed by farmers who had gone crazy over high prices of wheat. I had nospecial training for earning a livelihood, so I had to do the only work that I knew. Idid range work, broke horses and competed in rodeo contests for almost three years.

In the fall of 1921, I contracted with Can and Driggers of Chichasha,Oklahoma, to break their broncs on their 71 Ranch in the Wichita Mountains, nearSaddle Mountain.

I had never been much of a ladies' man, but the local school teacher, MissDeweylee Stewart, soon had me terribly "wrought up" and trying to compose poetry.We gradually became better acquainted, and one day shortly after I had acquired abadly broken leg caused by a horse falling on me, I got around to the subject that was

uppermost in my mind, I told Miss Stewart how badly I wanted to marry her. To thisshe replied that she liked me, but would not consider marrying me as I was notearning enough to support a wife. I began thinking seriously of how little I wasearning and later, after talking the situation over with Miss Stewart, she consented tomarry me some day, provided I quit breaking horses and returned to school.

The following fall, when the long term opened at Oklahoma University, Ienrolled in the regular freshman course.

College life was almost grievous. I had become so accustomed to living andworking outdoors that the four walls of a class room seemed to stifle me. My skullwas non-absorbent, and my brain resembled a sieve. I suffered such throes of lovesickness that my temperature seemed to increase.

When the Christmas holidays rolled around, 1 hastily'dropped\ books, ink-horn,etc., and rushed madly away to Dundee, Oklahoma where "she" was teaching in thelargest rural consolidated school in Oklahoma. We entered the Holy bonds ofmatrimony on Christmas Day, 1922. Mrs. Gordon resigned her position in theDundee school and returned with me to the university city of Norman. At the openingof the spring term, we both enrolled in the University and continued our studies thereuntil the end of the summer term.

We then located a school at Arlington, Colorado. The school was in need of aSuperintendent and intermediate grade teacher. Upon applying for the positions, wereceived contracts to sign. The total salaries were $2,385.00. With my wife's adviceand coaching, I made a wonderful success of my work as a teacher, much to thesurprise of friends who thought a cow-puncher was unable to do anything but ride ahorse until becoming so bowlegged that he could not catch a grown hog between hisknees.

In May 1924, we returned to Oklahoma and purchased the old MK ranch inComanche County, with a small down payment and the balance to be paid in yearlyinstallments. Our ranch included 1,280 acres of grass and farm land, and we wereallowed a grazing permit on the Wichita National Forest adjoining our land. I alsobecame a Ranger for the Forest Service, and in that capacity worked for theGovernment and also managed our ranch. Payments were met promptly and the dealwent smoothly for two years.

In the spring of the second year of our residence on the ranch, a tiny son,"Laddie Boy", was born to us on March 9, 1925. I spent several hours each daytrying to teach him a few cowboy yells. He was a smiling toddler when financialreverses overtook us. I had dealt for three hundred head of Mexico cattle. Deflationof cattle and land prices sunk us. We lost the cattle and our equity in the ranch.

Life assumed a gloomy aspect for a time. But on October 16, 1926, oursecond son, Larry, arrived to cheer us. He was in possession of a goodly number ofcowboy yells, — inherited, no doubt.

The beginning of a new year found us living near McGqffey, New Mexico,where Mrs. Gordon and I taught at the Page School. We lived in the teacherage ashort distance from the two-room school. Additionally, I worked as a Brand Inspectorfor the New Mexico State Brand Association.

The foregoing excerpt from a short autobiography my father wrote as a term paperwhile attending Texas Tech University in 1931, provides some insight regarding his earlyyears. Dad wrote well, and he also had the ability to make his slightly embellish his storiesto make them more interesting to the reader. Dad always earned excellent grades on hispapers. It is reputed that his english professor at the University of Oklahoma used some ofDad~s ideas for his own publications.

My father lived an interesting life as a cowboy, Navy veteran of World War I,rancher, farmer, school teacher and principal, brand inspector, forest ranger, conservationistwith several federal agencies, New Mexico Boys Ranch Father and Ranch Manager (mymother was Ranch Mother), farmer and rancher, and property holder and manager. Hisavocations included fly fishing; hunting; and, most interestingly for him, water witching —the art of rhabdomancy. He successfully located hundreds of water wells for farmers andranchers throughout the arid southwest, often after geologists and others had failed. Only inhis later years did he even bother to accept expenses for his efforts. He enjoyed the hobby!

Later in life, Dad wrote:

/ learned how to use water witching techniques, called by some dowsing, atage 6 or 7, from an old man whose name was Tom Jordan. He was better known asSlough Foot Jordan. I well recall when the Kiowa-Comanche part of Oklahoma wasjust beginning to settle with homesteaders, when one day a wagon, pulled by twosore-necked horses, pulled into Mountain View, It was summer time and I, as a kid,had to take notice of the newcomers. Particular interest was noted of the wagon sheetover the wagon bows on which was painted "Water witching, $5.00". In this wagon,beside the bewhiskered man wearing brogan shoes, patched homespun, tight leggedbreeches held up by one gallus, was a fairiy nice looking plump woman whose facepeered from under a calico sun bonnet. There was one boy, heavy set and ornerylooking, and his sister 2 or 3 years senior to the boy.

The man asked of the local hanger around kids where the Marshall's officewas. Feeling important, I replied that the U.S. Marshall was my papa, and pointedto a small office down the street. The sign and the office said "A.J. Gordon,Marshall, Ice and Dray." I tagged along just wondering how soon the newcomerwould be locked up. Well, he wasn't immediately locked up. He informed my dad

that he was from Tennessee and that he had driven all the way to file on a homestead.My dad told him that homesteading was no good and that if he wanted to stay he hadbetter camp at a wagon yard and look for local work. My dad saw the witching signon the wagon and stated he didn 't believe in such damned idiocy.

This was at the time when Mountain View was planning a water system andhad drilled several dry holes in the heavy red hard-pan with little success, using horsepower to turn the well rig.

School soon started and I had already matched several nose flatteners with theJordan boy, but one day he told me that his paw, old Slough Foot, was going to witcha well and guarantee plenty of water for the town that afternoon. This I had to see!Well, a lot of others had to see too, so we went to the wagon yard where old SloughFoot was sitting on the wagon tongue trimming on a hackberry forked limb about 2feet long. He finally stated he was- ready, so the-erowd followed, some with doubts,others with apprehension. He sent north, past the dry holes, studying the lay of theland, finally mumbled that here was a likely looking place. He struck the groundthree times with the forked limb. Why, I couldn't discern. He then lovingly placedthe forked limb, one fork in each hand, raised it high and a peculiar light shone inold Slough Foot's eyes. He lowered the stick to waist level and held it in front of hisgaunt body. He couldn't hold that fork! It kept bouncing. He tried to hold it still tono avail. Believe it or not, the skin from the old man's hands was pulled loose (Thiswas to happen to me many times in the years to come). Well, anyway, he said "Drillright here", and placed a pile of cow chips to mark the right spot. It did develop thatthe town fathers did drill the well, found plenty of water, and paid Slough Foot$25.00. They erected the first water tower, and I decided to be famous as a waterwitch. The forked stick would, and did, work for me too.

That Jordan boy and I had lots of fist fights, mainly because he would kick atmy pet coyote. Slough Foot witched or hung paper in houses and was often put in jailfor rustling — usually a calf or pig to feed his hungry family.

But I owe debt of gratitude to Slough Foot, as I became a full fledged witch.

In the summer of '71, Deweylee and I stopped in Mountain View to visit boy-hood brothers named Kalb who owned the First National Bank which their dad startedin 1902. We had quite a reminiscing of days gone by. One of them referred to theJordan boy with whom I had so many fights. He said that in 1926, the poor devil hadbeen working in the oilfields in Texas, finally came back leading a mule. Itdeveloped that the mule had a Texas owner and the Jordan boy was taken back toTexas and jailed for mule theft. Old Slough Foot just stole for food, but the boydidn't eat the mule.

As I continued to grow up, there were more people moving to the new country

and, as a result, there was a corresponding need for farm and ranch water. I oftenrode horseback to witch a well for some fellow who had spent his last dollar on a dryhole. Before I went to the Navy in War I, I had become a pretty good cow puncherand bronc rider and, often on week ends or after school, I would be called upon tolocate an underground stream of water for someone. Often I would locate severallocations for wells on one trip. Seldom was I paid but, at least, I made a lot ofacquaintances.

After we moved to New Mexico in 1928 to teach school, I continued week endexcursions as a witch, and my reputation as a witch grew. I had studied enoughgeology in school that I knew where underground water should be, so that I saved alot of time by-passing non-productive spots. I continued this while I was a ForestRanger and a U.S Conservationisty-duringwhich time' 1T probably' witched 1,-000 wellsin New Mexico and Arizona, as I worked primarily with ranchers. I resigned in1945, we began the New Mexico Boy's Ranch and later developed our land at LaJoya. There I witched our two excellent irrigation wells and, as a result, I wasfrequently called upon to locate irrigation wells for others. Later, I joined the U.S.Bureau of Reclamation, then transferred to the Bureau of Land Management, andlater to the Corps of Engineers. I continued to enjoy locating water throughout thesouthwest.

(Water witching, also known as water dowsing, or the art of rhabdomancy, iscommonly derided by many scientists. However, in 1995, a German physicist confirmedthat water witching works! Reporting on a 10-year German government study of dowsing inarid regions, Hans-Deiter Betz of the University of Munich wrote, "it works, but we have noidea of how or why.")

While young, life was not always smooth for Dad and his family. While Dad was inthe Navy in 1918, his sister Mary wrote:

Fay, Okla.June 14, 1918

Dear Brother -... i... Mother has sued for a divorce... You wrote a letter saying you were sending

some money. It was sent to Mr. or Mrs. G. Mamma opened it and there was nomoney in it. She just supposed you were sending it to the bank. She gave the letterto Papa and he accused her of stealing it. Then the little thing began. He gave her ablack eye and she fell, he jumped on her and stomped-her.... they got some-papers^filled out and the Justice of the Peace came and got him. Then Papa came back andsaid they wouldn't do anything with him. He then cursed and fitted around about herhaving him arrested. She told him if he didn't hush that she would shoot him (theywere out doors at this stage of the act). She went in the house and got the shot gun.He reached in his pocket and pulled out his .45 wrapped in a handkerchief andordered her to drop the gun. Uncle said 'For God's sake, drop it', and she did. Thenext morning the, 13th, she went to Watonga and had him arrested and sued for a

divorce. Mamma came to town Tuesday and got another letter from you. It had themoney in it and she banked it to her name....

If you go over there, hope you get a Kaiser!

From way out west where the hoptoads wink,He was six feet two in his stocking feet,

And kept getting thinner the more he'd eat.

Goodbye, Ma, Goodbye PaGoodbye mule with the old hee haw.

I may not know what the war's about,But you bet by gosh, I'll soon find out.

But he was brave as he was thin,When the war broke out he got right in.Unhitched the mule, put the plow away,And then the old folks heard him say:

And, oh! my sweetheart don't you fear,I'll bring you a King for a souvenir

I'll get you a Turk and a Kaiser, too,And that's about all one fellow can do.

If all the soldiers and sailors wanted to come home, the darned Germanswould get over here. So stick to it brother and help bring it to an end which I hopewill be soon, because Mother will need you.

With Lots of Love,Mary

One of Dad's first jobs when he was young and before attending college, was with theU.S. Forest Service on the Wichita National Forest near Cache, Oklahoma. The ForestSupervisor wrote:

Mr. Andrew J. GordonFay, Oklahoma

Dear Sir:

Your letter of March 3 is received.

From the description you have given of yourself, I believe I can give you workas soon as you can get down here. However, I can only give you work by the day at$3.00 per day and you will have to board and sleep yourself. A house is furnished

for you to live in. The nature of the work is building houses, fences and roads.

I will always remember Dad holding me in front of him in the saddle to teach me toride shortly after I was able to walk.

I will always remember Dad teaching me to handle a rifle as soon as I was able tohold the gun to my shoulder.

I will always remember Dad wearing western boots, and his pride in his +A (CrossA Bar) brand stitched prominently on the front of his boot tops.

I will always remember Dad running beside me while helping me learn how to ride abicycle when he was U.S. Forest Ranger on the Tijeras Ranger District near Albuquerque.

I will always remember hunting with Dad and admiring his accuracy with his L.C.Smith double barrel 12 gauge shotgun as a covey of quail erupted from a nearby mesquitebush.

I will always remember Dad trick roping from the ground or on horseback. He couldjump through or over the large loops of his own constantly swirling rope, or would tell mybrother Ladd and I to run by him and "beller like a calf" as he playfully threw a loop aroundone or both of us.I doubt that Will Rogers had anything on Dad when it cam to trick roping!

I will always remember Dad shoeing neighbors' horses, or castrating their livestockwithout any thought of recompense.

I will always remember Dad grabbing a camp stove which had caught fire in our tentand tearing through the tent's canvas side with the burning stove in his hands.

I will always remember Dad sleeping in his bedroll and cooking over an open fire(usually fueled by "buffalo chips") in order to save his per diem while working and travellingfor the government.

I will always remember Dad teaching me the concept of "carrying capacity." As wehunted or fished, he also identified the various range plant species, noted their palatabilityratings, and mentally converted these into a statement of "x" head of cattle or "y" head ofsheep carrying capacity for a given area. In this manner, he taught me that every animalspecies, including the human animal, must live in harmony with its environment in order tosurvive and prosper on a long term basis. Dad also taught me the concept of "home range",or the space required by every animal to prevent violence within its own species.

I will always remember Dad breaking his leg while attempting single-handedly to staya flood that ravaged much of their Amber Acres farm land near La Joya.

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I will always remember Dad becoming unconscious from the effects of carbonmonoxide working on a pump motor in an irrigation well-pit by himself. A cowboyhappened to come by and pull him out with a rope.

I will always remember the glint of the sun on Dad's silver-mounted 44/40 ColtPeacemaker as it suddenly appeared from under his shirt when a malcontent itinerant farmlaborer threatened me with a pitchfork. That individual was never seen around there again!Dad always termed his single-action pistol his "resolver".

I will always remember Dad's enthusiasm upon receiving another request to "witch" awell.

I will always remember Dad enjoying every position he ever held. He should nothave retired in 1969, as his job was his primary interest.

I will always remember Dad having a wide ranging knowledge of history andgeography, and his pertinent comments and questions regarding any area any of his familymight visit.

I will always remember Dad invariably asking how he could help me or others evenafter he was too feeble to walk without assistance.

I will always remember Dad inquiring about his grand-children and great grand-children every time I would visit him at the retirement center. He always asked about everyfamily member, and continued to want to be helpful and supportive in any way possible.

I will always remember Dad being good natured, exhibiting good manners, andexpressing appreciation for help and visits right up until the end of his life.

Dad had so many interesting and varied experiences and could write in such aninteresting manner, that we always encouraged him to write articles and books. But theyears went by, and the writing became increasingly impossible. A wealth of knowledge,love, and good advice went with him when he passed away.

In his own words, from a letter he had written almost fifty years earlier on May 6,1945, Dad

"took the long ride over the sunset trail, and galloped into the land of the waving bluegrama and unbranded calves"

on October 25, 1992.

Following Dad's death, his cousin Mary Coker Daly wrote, in part:

The first time I remember seeing your dad, I was a very small child when ahandsome young man rode to our place on a beautiful horse. My mother was soexcited to see her nephew and she told me, 'This is your cousin Andrew'.

Another cousin, Zuleika Coker Cullers, wrote:

Andrew came to see us once on the farm when I was a little girl and Iremember what a handsome young man he was. He looked so much like his father,Andrew. You have certainty had a family to be proud of.

A step-grandson, Kent Perry wrote:

Gran Gran's qualities are a legacy to you andLadd. What a kind and caringperson and a fine gentleman in every sense of the word. The lasting loss for us all isthe sense of history and life that goes with him, but his deeds and spirit endure withus each.

Stanley Fish, Dad's friend and long-time associate wrote:

Andy and I became friends somewhere around 1935. He was my supervisor inthe Soil Conservation Service in Las Cruces from 1937-39. We had many good timestogether, and he encouraged me on many occasions. You and Ladd were fortunate tohave had such good parents, and they were always proud (rightfully so) of both ofyou.

Dad's cousin Homer Halverson wrote:

.. .Andrew certainly never let moss grow under his feet. Just recently, heremarked to me about what a wonderful life he had had.

Sarah Kotchian, a friend of mine, wrote:

He was a very special and original person from all you have told me abouthim, one of the last of the early pioneers in the state -1 have mental pictures of himtromping over miles of forest and range land teaching you things, and of your parentsteaching in the out of the way places. They gave you so many things - values, ethics,good genes, independence, perseverance - what a legacy to the family and the state.As you say, we celebrate 91 years of life and love of the natural world.

MY MOTHER, DEWEYLEE STEWART GORDON

My mother, the former Deweylee Stewart, was born September 5, 1901 in OklahomaIndian Nation. Her name was a contraction of those of Admiral Dewey and General Lee.

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Her parents, the former Birdie Little and Thomas Bailey Stewart, were Oklahoma farmers.Like the Gordons, the Stewarts were of English and Scottish ancestry, and were born inTexas. T.B. Stewart had managed to obtain an education through some two years of college,which was unusual for that time and place.

The Stewarts and their three daughters Adelia, Deweylee and Grace originally movedby covered wagon to New Mexico Territory in 1901, and homesteaded near San Jon ineastern New Mexico. Finding it impossible to survive on the arid prairie homestead, theysoon returned to Oklahoma.

Mother was an excellent student, but frequently had to miss school in order toperform necessary farm work, including chopping and picking cotton. She did not graduatefrom high school, but took college entrance exams and passed with flying colors so that shecould enter Oklahoma State Teachers College with advanced standing.

Mother's childhood work and deprivations shaped her character and life. She thirstedfor knowledge, was inordinatley ambitious and imbued with the zeal to work hard andsucceed even if it required self-deprivation. Mother literally "pulled herself up by herown bootstraps" throughout her life, and believed that adversity created strength of character.Throughout her life, her efforts and interests were focused on the well-being of her family.She firmly believed that no one with any of her genes could be a failure!

Mother attended Oklahoma Central State College, the University of Oklahoma, TexasTech, and the University of New Mexico, as well as taking numerous correspondencecourses. She taught school in various locations in Oklahoma and Colorado, and in NewMexico at Page, Coolidge, La Joya, Riley and Mountainair. During the formative schoolyears of my brother Ladd and I, she either taught where we attended school or did not teachso as to be home when we arrived home eager to discuss our new knowledge, experiences,and ask questions.

Mother enjoyed music, and loved to sing. She insured that my brother and I learnedto play several musical instruments, and she always had a piano in her home.

Mother was unusually beautiful. As a nineteen year old, she was chosen Queen ofthe 1919 Cotton Festival for the southwest area of Oklahoma where the Stewart familyfarmed.

Mother worked side by side with my father when it came to painting, carpentering,roofing, farming or plumbing. She was obsessed with achieving and providing a sizeableestate for her sons and grandchildren. The numerous homes and buildings which my parentspersonally constructed at Coolidge, Las Cruces, Roswell, Safford, Albuquerque, the NewMexico Boys Ranch, and La Joya attest to their hard work and constructive lives.

Mother was unparalleled in her business affairs. Starting with very little capital from

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my father's salary, she invested wisely in real estate over a period of some thirty-five yearsand developed sizeable property holdings. She did not believe in investments that she couldnot see and touch. She accomplished this with a keen business acumen, self-discipline, hardwork and consistent self-denial. In her mind, the self-denial counted toward a larger estatefor her children and grand-children. She said she wanted to travel, but would never bringherself to spending the necessary time and money. Mother was the driving force anddecision maker in all my parents' business affairs.

My mother could do anything, whether it was building a house, knitting, sewing,crocheting, plumbing, riding a horse, using a gun, or being shrewd and successful inbusiness matters. All of this while being a devoted, full-time parent.

Mother

"slipped the surly bonds of earth — and touched the face of God"

on February 1, 1990.

One prominent community leader simply said,

"She contributed."

A lady whom Mother had taught as a first grade teacher in Oklahoma in 1919 wrote:

/ want to express my deep feeling of gratitude I have to that dear teacher I hadin the first grade. She not only taught me to read, she instilled in me the desire to doa lot of it. She went out of her way to give a little girl a feeling of warmth and value.She would write letters to me during the summer while she was in school, and Ilearned to write letters at that early age. I have her to thank for that and also theability to write legibly, for she did stress penmanship. I've tried to pattern some ofmy teaching after the things I remember from my first grade teacher. I'm sorry Iwasn't able to tell her just how much she meant to me and the influence she had onmy life.

My friend Sarah Kotchian wrote:

She was a wonderful pioneer woman who left many gift to New Mexico and the otherplaces she taught, and a great history of strength and pride to you, your children andgrandchildren. They are all fortunate to have had her in their lives for so long.

Mother's friends Ruth and Stanley Fish wrote:

You and your families meant much to her and she was very proud of each of you andyou accomplishments.

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Albuquerque Mayor Louis Saavedra wrote:

It was inspiring to read of her pioneer life and her exemplary work.

Among mother's treasures, as she called them, we found the following which wereread at her memorial services:

Dear loves, dear hearts, when time is fledAnd I no longer sing,I leave this message to be readIn sunlight and in spring.

Of life, of faith, of years contentBecause our love was so,That when the form in anguish went,The spirit would not go.

And on this page, in very truthA lyric and a flame,Immortal April and a kiss,The music and your names.

"High Flight"

Oh I have slipped the surly bonds of earthAnd danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings:Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirthOf sun-split cloudsand done a hundred thingsYou have not dreamed of, wheeled and soared and swungHigh in the sunlit silence.

Hov'ring thereI've chased the shouting winds along, and flungMy eager craft through footless halls of air.Up, up the long delirious, burning blueI've topped the wind-swept heights with easy graceWhere never lark, or even eagle flew.And, while with silent lifting mind I've trodThe high untrespassed sanctity of space,Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

John Gillespie Magee, Jr.

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Another instructive item which Mother had copied in her handwriting:

He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much;who has gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children; who hasfilled his niche and accomplished his task; who has left the world better than when hefound it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who hasnever lacked appreciation of earth's beauty or failed to express it; who has alwayslooked for the best in others and given the best he had; whose life was an inspiration;whose memory a benediction.

Bessie Anderson, 1904

Without attribution, Mother's personal belongings also included the following in herhandwriting, well-worn and stained:

Our Anniversary

There are nice young men who are nice pro tern,But look what happens when you marry them!They turn into husbands - A sordid tribeWho gloom and yammer and rant and gibe,And grouse 'round the house like a wounded bear,And acquire that woefully wedded air.

So I haven't the least excuse, it's true,For the weak, rash moment when I married you.I knew misgivings; I crawled with qualms;I kept humming that minor lament of Brahms.So imagine, darling, my pleasant surpriseWhen you didn 't changeling before my eyes.

For you were the nicest of nice young men -But now you're just ten times nicer again!You don't barge 'round like a tin King Kleagle -Maybe the ceremony wasn't legal!No husbandly halo obtrudes its pall,And marriage has ruined you hardly at all!

MY PARENTS, ANDREW AND DEWEYLEE GORDON

Mother was teaching school in Oklahoma near the Carr and Driggers cattle ranchwhere my father was working as a cowboy. They met at a box supper, where Dad paid$3.90 (all the money he had, but he said he "would have tried to borrow $100") for the boxsupper prepared by Deweylee Stewart. Snapshots taken during their courtship show them

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riding horses and enjoying picnics. After Dad attended college, they taught school in variouslacations in Oklahoma and at Arlington, Colorado. They then had enough money for a downpayment to purchase the Medicine Creek farm and ranch near Saddle Mountain, Oklahoma.Falling cattle prices, plus the grasshoppers devouring their crops as the seeds germinated,made it impossible for them to meet their payments, and they lost the ranch. (In their lateyears after they had become financially successful, they frequently talked of buying the ranchagain, but realized you really "cant go home again.")

Andrew and Deweylee Gordon, along with their young sons Laddie Stewart Gordonand Larry Jean Gordon (I was supposed to be named Lassie but fate and chromosomesinterfered), moved to New Mexico in August, 1929. Andrew and Deweylee had beenoffered a school at Hope, New Mexico, but they selected the Page school because it openedearlier and they needed pay checks as soon as possible. They were pulling a four wheeltrailer containing their worldly goods including their milk cow. Their mattress, in themoving style of that era, was tied to the top of their car. Despite over-heating of the over-stressed engine, they made it to the Page school and two room teacherage near the smalllumber and sawmill community of McGaffey at the top of Zuni Mountain. But they firststopped in Gallup to sign their teacher contracts. As they were financially destitute, theycontacted banker Glen Emmons on a Saturday afternoon at his home. They requested $50,but after looking them over and hearing their story, Emmons retorted "Hell, you don't need$50, you need $350." He promptly wrote a deposit slip to be deposited in their new bankaccount the next Monday morning.

Dad nominally served as principal teaching a small number of high school students inone room, and Mother taught grade school in the other room of the small building.

The first brutal winter storm found my parents in Gallup obtaining winter supplies.The storm was so severe that they had to borrow McKinley County's only Caterpillar tractorto return to the teacherage where they had left Ladd and me with our Aunt Billie. TheCaterpillar remained in the school yard all winter, because impassable roads precluded itbeing returned. The wooden teacherage walls were covered on the interior with newspaperswhich did not prevent snow from sifting in and covering our beds during the frequent storms.All water for the teacherage and the school was carried in buckets from the nearby manualpump. Students drank water from a bucket using a common cup, except during recesseswhen they could drink from small holes drilled into a water pipe connected to the pumpwhile some other student worked the pump handle. My parents found that most of thestudents had offensive body odors, so they brought in wash tubs so that my father couldscrub all the boys, and my mother scrubbed all the girls.

During storms, students arrived at school on horses, snowshoes, or home- madehorse-drawn snow sleds. Dad kept a tunnel open through the snow from the teacherage tothe school, and the tunnel walls were considerably taller than I was.

Saturday nights were family bath nights. Dad would carry water to a large wash tub,

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heat the tub and contents on the pot-bellied wood heating stove, in the living room, and wewould all take baths. Being the youngest, I was first; and subsequently Laddie, Mother, andDad. Beware of sitting on the edge of the tub which had been near the stove pipe! Laddielearned the hard way, and experienced painful burns. Laddie also learned that "caps" for his"cap-gun" would ignite in his back pocket as he warmed his posterior by the stove. Wewere rather elite, as we had a "three-holer" for a privy, instead of the more common "two-holer."

We had a radio which was powered by dry cell batteries, but the radio didn't alwayswork. Dad built a crude wooden snow sled which was pulled by our horse, Nester (whichhe had brought from Oklahoma during a later trip), when we occasionally visited neighbors.But best of all, we were happy, confident, secure and self-sufficient. We didn't have anyhealth insurance or doctors, and we didn't have any social do-gooders telling us we weredeprived, or needed empowerment. Life was good, and we were all happy and secure!

Dad was also a Brand Inspector for the New Mexico Brand Association.Additionally, he leased land and raised potatoes which he sold to grocery stores in Gallup.Sales were frequently difficult because some local potato farmers added a few rocks to theirbags of potatoes to increase the weight.

During the early thirties, amid the Great Depression, my mother taught sixelementary grades at the Coolidge one-room school at an isolated location near thecontinental divide east of Gallup, New Mexico, while my father returned to school at theUniversity of New Mexico. Mother had the title, "Principal of School District 8", Coolidge,New Mexico. We carried all water for the school and the one-room teacherage from a"section station" on the AT&SF railroad about a half-mile away. Dad moved the"teacherage" from Fort Wingate on a flat-bed wagon pulled by two borrowed giantPercheron horses which had such immense hooves that they didn't need to detour aroundcattle-guards, but simply walked across them. The teacherage was simply the shell of ahouse when moved, but my parents completed it so as to provide a comfortable one roomhome. The teacherage was located a short distance from U.S. 66, where "bums", as theywere termed (now rediscovered as "homeless") were part of the passing parade. Mother kepther pistol handy, and did not answer a knock on the door without having her pistola in hand.Frequently, I would be awakened in the morning by the blast of gunshots as Motherdecimated the coyotes attempting to feast on our chickens. But life was still good!

In 1933, my father was attending the University of New Mexico when he wrote:

Darling sweethearts: .... . . / saw the new moon tonite. Looks beautiful. It is clear and cold outside.

Do you still make wishes when you see a new moon? I do. I will always wish foryou and my men the following: Faith, Health, Patience and Bountiful Happiness...

Goodness! how much Chemistry I have learned - and then there is more yet.

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Lots of knowledge in this old world - and the more I study - the more I realize howdumb most of us really are...

.. .Little men - you must be good to Mother all the time. Obey and mind her -and you will be proud of having done so. Love each other and Daddy and Motherwill be proud of you. Help little Mother while Daddy is away. I had a wonderfuldream of all of you night before last.

Write often to me, sugars. Love - hugs - and memoriesDaddy

During the Great Depression, most banks had closed and money was in shortsupply. School teachers were not being paid in a timely manner. Mother wrote:

Coolidge, N. Mex.October 1, 1933

Dear Andrew -... You must let up on writing checks. You are getting the banking business in

a mess... When you are away at school, you should consider yourself lucky to eatwithout cooking for yourself and just suffer along doing your class work....Do notwrite any more checks for any purpose outside of paying $22.50 per month forboard...

The Boys and I went to town late yesterday and got my warrant and paid a lotof debts... I have nothing to wear. The boys are barefoot, also. I'll buy a moneyorder and order them some shoes tomorrow...

Well, I must now sweep the school house... Dewey

Some of Mother's other letters to my father follow:

Coolidge, New MexicoOctober 16, 1933

I can hardly write because my arms and muscles are sore from washing thoseblankets yesterday.

I received the Extension Bulletins, but there's not a single thing in it for mebut Spanish and I am not anxious to enroll in it just now. I'd rather work out a fewHome Economics courses. I'll enroll in one from Silver City next week. I'm writingfor a bulletin from Las Cruces.

I've a real pretty cake all fixed for Larry's birthday dinner & 7 pink candleson it. I'll bet its good, too, I'm cooking a lot of things for his birthday dinner. Thisis a fine day for a birthday.

The following letter to my father indicates an excellent method of controlling

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incorrigible students, and should be followed by teachers today and in the future:Coolidge, New Mexico

October 25, 1933Dear Sweetheart:

The school attendance from the section station has been poor, but thenumber of others coming has almost driven me nuts. I've had several fits right in theschool room and spanked several well. The nuts from up in the mountain are trashy.The boys, aged 8 & 10, cursed & talked vulgar the second day they were in schooland I wiped up the floor with them. I told them that they weren't needed in thisschool and if they didn 't act and talk nice that I would send them home in a hurry.Wednesday morning, their mother, grandmother, aunt, and another woman came toschool trying to figure out a way in which I would allow the children to stay in thisschool.. I wasn 't too nice to them. I told them that this school was overcrowded andthat the only way in which her children would be tolerated was for her to see thatthey acted and talked nice as the nicest child here, and that they obeyed meimmediately when I spoke. So they all agreed and went away slightly crestfallen.The 10 year old boy did not obey me quite quickly enough yesterday morning and Ilifted him around by his hair. They 're a dumb bunch from Capitan....

It is surety cold in the school room this morning. No wood yet. I'm goingoutside and play in a few minutes to keep warm.

I'll quit & work.xxxxxxxxxxxx Love,

Deweylee

And Mother's sound advice to my Dad was exemplified in a letter of November 11,1933 (Armistice Day) when she was encouraging him to apply for a position with the federalgovernment:

Coolidge, New MexicoNovember 11, 1933

Dearest S.H. -I'm going to write you a real long good letter. I am lonesome for you - as

usual, so III send a lot of kisses to start off...

.. .If you have your picture made, fix up without a hat and hold your chin slightlyraised and look very serious but not gloomy. Get it to look as much like our firstpictures made at Norman as possible. Make your hair stay back nicely. Don't try tolook mean... It will not cost much to get your application in for Civil Service, so doso as soon as possible. About 4 - 6pictures won't cost much. Give Mr. Floyd orBilly (W.E.) Morris or other fellows as references, mid^y^Mttme^t Mtworksoutyou will be a Master Mason and I'll have put in application for the Eastern Star..

Don't let all of this influx of new ideas worry you greatly or keep you from

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sleeping at night or doing your best by your work there, please. Just keep pluggingaway. These new ideas help me greatly to do better by my present work. I hope youare benefitted that way. I surely need some incentive. I get so lonely and blue —feel crazy.

Laddie and Larry say they are through, so I'll get through also so I caninterest myself in their interests 'till bedtime...

I'll quit. Love to you -Dewey

Coolidge, New MexicoNovember 14, 1933

Dear Andrew:... The boys and I went pinon picking with the Lopes' past the Top O' the

World. We went at 9 & got home past sundown. I took some light bread, fried beans& chocolate fudge and we spread lunch with them and ate part of their boiledpumpkin, frijoles, tortillas, chili con carne and most burned up. The boys and Ipicked about 15 pounds - and I am so sore and lame that I could cuss. I can hardlyget up or down - but I got up early this morning and fixed a nice cake before schoolso that the boys would have cake to eat...

Mr. Layton told me why he thinks the pump won't work and it soundsreasonable. If we confix it by following his advice, it will require only about 2hours...

I am giving tests this week, naturally the attendance is slim. Wish I couldfrighten about 15 away every day with tests.

Have you written to Mama and Papa yet? Their offer is too generous and theboys are awfully excited about it. If we could get a job under the Public WorksProgram for 2 years - we could pay off that terrible loan & everything - and havecows, ponies, chickens, tractors 'n everything when we decide to live there. Haveyou written for your Civil Service questionnaire? (or application.)

Wish I could see you today. The boys are counting the days 'till we see you.It won't be long now.

Love, Deweylee.

Coolidge, New MexicoNovember 20, 1933

Monday night, most bedtimeDearest Darling:

Wish I could see you - I'm lonesome for you - cause I like you...

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/ made a big white cake for the boys this evening after school. I visited"Pansy" for a few minutes after you left - and felt degraded for having done so -Cheap people are terrible - worse than no people at all...

If you plan to go shopping for the boys Christmas things, please do not spendmore that $2 on the 2 of them. You can get one nice toy each or 2 cheaper ones...

Bushels of love to you -Deweylee

Coolidge, New MexicoDecember 4, 1933

Dear Sweetheart-...The bus seemed to come slow enuf. A tractor pulled it through Grants.

There is no road through there now. We got here about 8:25 pm. There's plenty ofsnow here. We got inside and had fires going at 5 'till nine. We did not get cold.We were awfully warm when we got off the bus. I cooked supper and hooked up theradio. I did not run it last night. I'll wait 'till four today and examine it all well tomake sure I have it right.

I have some beans cooking for dinner...Did you remember to get the fan belt?Did you get your supper and lecture?

The boys and I do not miss you a bit, this time. I see the difference in youbeing here or us visiting you there. I suppose our presences linger in your camp, tho.Do your work well, dear. Don't neglect any of your reports or anything. I am sureyou enjoy your work.

I'll quit now and hear class work. Write soon to us.Love, Deweylee

Coolidge, New MexicoJanuary 7, 1934

My Own Darling Sweetheart -I guess that you are just now about Los Lunas. The boys and I have a great

game of travelling with you...

.. .1 finished reading the Little Lame Prince to the boys tonight. They are nowstudying the fountain pens in the catalog...

Well, my bed doesn't look as lonely tonight -1 suppose I'm in a more cheerfulframe of mind. Tell me of something that I can do for you, or make for you - thatwould make me happy, to be doing something for you. Love to you -

Deweylee

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Coolidge, New MexicoMarch 3, 1934

Dear Sweetheart:I am bathing the boys - and while I wait for more water to heat on the stove to

finish Ladd - I'll write...

I cut the boys hair today and cleaned house. We carried water - also a lottawood and chopped it. The house is very clean tonight, and comfortable. I will batheshortly & wash my hair. The boys and I are going to church tomorrow. I hope youworked hard today, huh?...

McKinley County School Superintendent Mrs. Root deposited my Februarywarrant and sent me a little note saying that the March warrants may not beforthcoming on date - So lets go easy on expenditures.

I am cooking a great big pot of beans tonight. The first since we camehome....

Wish I had you -1 still love you. I am expecting a letter from you tomorrow.Good night dear - and best wishes.

Be careful - Love to you - Yours - Deweylee

Dad was a Forest Ranger on the Magdalena District when he wrote:

Magdalena Ranger StationMagdalena, New Mexico

May 3, 1934Dear Little Sweethearts: I wonder how each of you are tonight? I am located here atlast, and if I were not lonely I would be just as happy as a bug in a rug...

...I will have charge of all the fire fighting forces, all the office work, and thewarehouse... I like this town pretty well. It is just big enough for everyone to knowabout the other person's business. No bank here. Three or four big general stores, adrug store, two cafes, several garages and filling stations, a saddle shop and otherthings most too numerous to mention. The streets are level so that the boys will nothave any difficulty in riding their bicycles...

...I am getting terribly lonely for you and the boys. Please hurry and come tome. ...

...I have running water and electric lights. Gee, but I feel funny sitting herewith a good light behind me. I am going to work like the devil here so that I will be

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able to get into a better place in the near future

.. .I'm tired and sleepy. Good night and sweet dreams to you — my Angeldarlings.

Bushels of Love -from Daddy

When Mother, Laddie and I moved to Magdalena to be with Dad, we rented a smallhouse a few miles from Magdalena in the foothills of the Magdalena Mountains. Laddie andI rode a horse into Magdalena daily to attend school. And for the first time we had asemblance of electricity and running water. When it worked, we derived electricity from aKohler gasoline-powered generator. On week-ends, Dad backed the car onto a woodenwheel with a large continuous belt which powered a pump which pumped water from an oldmine shaft into an elevated storage tank. This worked fairly well, except when the car's rearwheels would slip off the conveyor belt, or the belt would break, or the wooden wheel wouldbreak and really create chaos!

Dad was subsequently transferred to the Tijeras Ranger Station near Albuquerquewhere we all lived in a one-room "house."

In 1935, Dad accepted a position with the U.S.Indian Service (now the Bureau ofIndian Affairs) to conduct human and livestock dependency surveys in the Tewa Indian Basinof northern New Mexico in 1935, Mother was attempting to operate a small grocery store onSouth Fourth Street south of Albuquerque. They had opened the store using credit fromwholesale firms Gross Kelly and Charles Ilfield. We lived in one room behind the store, hada pitcher pump nearby for water, had a pit privy (as usual), and had a smoldering 55 gallonoil drum for garbage. Ladd and I attended Five Points School where education was not thegreatest at that time. Mother and Dad then rented, but did occupy, a small house nearEugene Field School in order to establish residence in the Eugene Field school district soLadd and I could attend a better school.

The grocery store enterprise failed shortly when Safeway Stores opened less than ablock away.

Dad wrote:Espanola, New Mexico

Monday nightDear little sweethearts:

I will attempt to write a few lines to you tonight in order to let you know that Iarrived here OK and am on the road to a lot of very interesting work. I arrived inSanta Fe this morning at 8:00 and found Dr. Shevky in his office in the Federalbuilding. I talked with him for a few minutes and then drove on up here. I atedinner at the onliest cafe worth while, then collected my wits, looked at a map, andthen set out for valuable statistics. I visited five small villages up northwest of herefor a distance of twenty six miles. I talked with natives and school teachers. I drove

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up to Abiquiu and by the time I finished there it was time to think of returning here.Work is very interesting and I am certain that I can give them more information thanthey asked for in the work sheet which was given me in Albuquerque.

Meals are 50C here with no choice; of course I will not eat dinner here so thatwill help to economize. The room is nice. It was $1.50 per day or $7.00 per week inadvance. The advance part is what put a crimp in my pocket book. Gas is only 20Chere and the car averaged a little more than 20 miles per gallon on the trip today.Miles for today were about 200, which is $10.00 coming sometime on the expenseaccount.

How did you all get along today in the store, and in school? Hope it was assuccessful for you as it has been for me. Do not worry about me. I'll do fine. Willbe home before you know it. Remember that I love you and you and you more thanall the remainder of all creation.

Daddy

Dad transferred from the Indian Service to the U.S. Soil Erosion Service (laterchanged to Soil Conservation Service), and held increasingly responsible positions in variousparts of New Mexico, including Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Roswell, and Mountainair, aswell as Portal, Safford and Douglas, Arizona.When Dad was working out of Portal, Arizona and the rest of the family were still living inRoswell, he lived in a large framed tent. At that time he wrote:

Portal, ArizonaSunday, October 27, 1940

Dear Little Sweethearts:I wonder how each of your are today, and what you are doing. I cannot help

but spend a large portion of each Sunday thinking of you, and longing to be with youat home or have you here with me. Week ends certainly do grow long when a fellowis far away from the one he loves more than life itself. I would not feel quite so sorryfor you if you had the car there. I have no need for it here. However, I am earnestlylooking forward to the time when I can come home again for a day or two visit.

Wish you could have been with me today (and all days too) to have enjoyed anexcellent meal with us. I got up this morning and made toast, coffee, and fried twoeggs for each of us. After breakfast, I was out in the yard sweepingand heard somequail near the windmill. I stepped back in the tent and got my shot-gun and steppedout in the yard and blasted away with two shots. I picked up six fine, fat birds. Ithen began to wonder how to prepare them. I finally decided to par-boil them andthen finish by frying. I put them on boil in a pot with a lid on it, then went withTrask to get a load of wood. When we came back they were just right, so I placedthem in a frying pan and cooked them slowly while I made a bowl of Tapiocapudding, sour-dough biscuits, coffee, and cream gravy. It turned out fine, so I am

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feeling like dozing off for a few minutes. Don't you wish you could see me?Finally got the air mattress fixed, and have been sleeping on it for the past few

nights. This is the hardest bed I have ever undertaken to sleep on. The air mattresscertainly does help a lot. My cot is more comfortable than is the double bed becauseit bends in the middle, and that is not overly comfortable either.—

The weather here certainly has been lovely. It is threatening rain today. Afew sprinkles fell on the tent fly just a while ago. The apple trees out in front haveabout quit blooming. I have even noticed a few Yucca in bloom for the second timethis year. —

Well I shall quit and undertake to wash out some socks and underwear. Haveplenty of clean ones, but washing will take up some of the time that wears away soslowly. Sweethearts, I love you a terrible lot. Wish I could hug your sweet necks fora minute or three. You boys oil up your shot guns for a bird hunt when I come home.When you come over here you can shoot all you care to as we have plenty.

Bushels of love, Daddy

The following was written right after my brother Ladd left for the Navy, initially fortraining at Notre Dame University. Ladd had previously been enrolled at Gila Jr. Collegenear Safford, Arizona. Dad was working as a U.S. Government Range Examiner,headquartered at Safford, Arizona. Such letters were invaluable to the morale of young menserving in the Navy. Some of the other letters follow, in part:

Safford, ArizonaJune 27, 1943

Sunday morningDear Laddie Boy: It seems sorter odd to be writing to you when it seems that youshould be here. Larry has gone to Church, and Mother is here beside me writing toyou too...

The dog, Chad, just sits near the car as tho waiting. Of course, I don't missyou at all, but your mother, Larry, and Chad do. We all wonder where you are, andhow you are making out. I surely hope you are well and happy, and I am sure thatyou are. I hope you like your new surroundings. We try to visualize how you willlook in your new uniform. Mother and Larry will leave in a few days for Larry toattend the University of Oklahoma, then I'll realty be lonesome. Larry seems to lookforward to going to school.

Is there anything I can do for you -just drop me a line and I'll do it. Larrywill take care of the racing pigeons somehow. I'll try to remember to take the quailout toward Bowie and turn them loose so that you, Larry and I can have some birdsto chase down sometime. I'll oil your guns and put them away for the future.

I want you to keep your chin up Ladd, and study hard. You can and you willfind life a real interesting game and the world is before you to conquer.

You will be busy I know, but write us when you can have a minute. I'll be

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looking for a picture, too.Bushels of love

Dad

June 28, 1943Dear Ladd:.. Am leaving for Douglas and have quail ready to release. Surely hopeyou are now dressed out in your white uniform...

Love from Dad

Dad was being transferred to Douglas, Arizona where my parents were to live in atent due to a housing shortage when he wrote:

Douglas, ArizonaJune 29, 1943

My dear boy - Ladd:...Ladd, I am proud of you. When you were a little fellow, I never dreamed that

some day you, and perhaps Larry too, might follow my footsteps in the Navy. It is afine Navy, and I know that you are going to like it fine. You will be lonesome for themany things which you have had to leave behind, but I know from experience that afellow can adapt to new environments easily if he is busy and willing to make thechange. You are no longer a boy, but now a man. You can and will, I know, makethe best of this wonderful opportunity to secure a splendid education. Such action onyour part will be tedious now, but you will reap a rich reward in the future when youwill settle down somewhere and take hold of things for yourself. You can now do thethings that I have longed to do. You have the ability and the golden chanced. Myhat is off to a fine boy. I salute you, my son.

Little Mother and Larry will be leaving soon for the University of Oklahoma orTexas Tech. I admire Larry's courage to carry on. He is a fine boy. Write to himoften, and encourage him to keep his chin up.

I turned the quail loose where we hunted with Rowe. They flew a little waysand stopped and looked back as tho wondering why. When Peace come again, wewill look for their tracks and listen to the flurry of their wings...

Ladd - write often to your mother. She loves you many times more than youwill ever know. Her heart is broken over loosing both her boys. When you arelonesome and blue, just sit down and talk to her in a letter. It will be a source ofcontentment and peace of mind for you...

To LaddFrom Dad.

June 30, 1943Douglas, Arizona

Ladd:... Golly! how I would love to be up there too..... .Before I left home, Sat., Larry and I oiled all our guns. I bo't part of them

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down here. Will take good care of guns, but may shoot a lot of shells this fall inorder to provide Mother and I with meat... Guess Larry will take his 16 gaugeshotgun to Oklahoma. I may get to shoot some bob white quail with him.

Well my boy - keep your chin up and be courageous at all times. We all loveyou and wish you the very best in all things...

Daddy

Douglas, ArizonaJuly 5, 1943

Laddie Boy:... Mother and Larry left Safford last nite or before daylite this morning.I think Larry has decided to go to the University of Oklahoma or the University ofNew Mexico for a while. Told him the mads forked at Las Cruces and for him tomake up his mind there... I'll surely be lonesome now that Larry is gone too. Only afew days ago you were my little boys. Now, too soon, you are men. I am very proudof each of you and know that you will each make a success of your school work...

Wish I could see you.Love from Daddy

I had enrolled at the University of New Mexico, following two semestersat Gila Jr. College when Dad wrote:

Douglas - Friday morn.July 4- 43.

Dear Ladd...Larry has had a cold from swimming at 8 A.M. Has nose-bleed from it.

Writes he is having English Composition difficulties, and wishes to drop his band.When you can, drop him a card. He misses you dreadfully. I have him a whole box

full of extra shirts and clothes ready to send him. I want to make some fudge to putin his box. We'll take it if we start tomorrow.

Our air cooler keeps the tent inhabitable. The refrigerator keeps food nicely,so we make out...

With worlds of Love and Good Wishes -Mother

Douglas, ArizonaSunday Sept. 12, 1943.

Hello my fine Boys: ...I surely hope each of you boys are happy and are taking anactive part in Church and other activities. By doing so, you will be far lesslonesome, and also better qualified to knock down some fine grades. Looks as if thedamned war will not last forever now, and that each of you may soon be ready tostrike forth in schools of your choice, and to do so with the least effort and expensewill necessitate some good grades...

Love from Pap

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P.O. Box 1119Douglas, Arizona

9-13-43Dear Ladd -

...We did not yet have a place to stay or live in. Our tent is getting thin, too.

.. .Do those Methodists sort of "take" to you and let you help them run theircollections box, etc., like they did at Sajford? If they haven't, it is just because theydon't know how good you are in that way - you must approach the preacher or somebig shot and tell him that you would enjoy helping whenever you are fortunate enuftobe present. I know that you have a terrible lot of studying to keep up and cannotattend any thing regularly. How is DeMolay ?...

With Love and Best WishesMother

Dad was patriotic and had served in the Navy in World War I. He had falsified hisage in order to join before he turned seventeen, so in later years his government documentscontinued to reflect this fact. While employed as a U.S. Government Conservationist duringWorld War II, he wanted to enlist in the Sea Bees, but was considered too old. He wrote:

Thurs. A.M. 9/16/43Dear Ladd:.. .I'll see Navy Officer this PM about enlisting in the Sea Bees. I want tobe a Vet of 2 wars... Mother and I always think about our ranch idea... .Love fromMother & me too. Daddy

Earlier, he had written his supervisor in the U.S. Soil Conservation Service:Sajford, Arizona

June 16, 1942....offering my assistance in any capacity where it may be used in our present wareffort...a sense of duty to serve where I can be used to the best advantage promptsthis action... .1 think the three greatest words in the English language are Let MeHelp, and that is my sincere wish in an attempt to do my part.

Douglas, ArizonaSunday Evening, 9/26/43

Hello my fine men: ...I have been here at the office on some routine work in an attempt to have my

desk clean before leaving in the morning for San Simon. I must go over there to helpmove a lot of cattle from the big pasture on the Fan into the Johnson grass pastures.Unless we move the cattle and utilize the Johnson grass before the frost there is somedanger that we will suffer death losses due to hydro-cyanic gas action as a result offrost and the expected recurrent growth after frost nips the cane grass. We will havea lot of short-age calves to brand and vaccinate also....

....I would like to join up and see some action in the South Pacific or

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....I would like to join up and see some action in the south Pacific orelsewhere. I will have a scalp-lock to hang with our other trophies ifI can enlist.There is a chance that I might be eligible for a commission...

Bushels of love & Best Wishes from Dad.Daddy

Douglas, Arizona9-28-43

Dear Ladd - ...I sent a box of fudge your way this morning. May be shaken to pieceswhen it arrives....

With Love and Bushels of Best Wishes. Mother

10-9-43Douglas, Arizona

Hello Boys: ......We can tolerate the house where we are living, It isn't much, but is

cheap...I am going to get some kerosene for the little oil heater, and if we can make

the oven work on that stove we will undertake making something sweet for you. Thereis no gas out here, so cooking is going to be a problem. Wish we had a good oilcook stove.

... The racing pigeons coo a lot. I am afraid to turn birds loose for fear theywill tear away for Safford. What do you think - When can I turn them out. Only onepair have raised squabs...

I love you both. Daddy

Thursday P.M.October 14, 1943

Dear Ladd -...I'm mailing you a box of cookies & a bracelet. It may be too long, but a

link can be removed on the long end. But don't make it too tight. It should fit snug,not tight.

A large wolf or coyote was in our yard this morning. We will have our dogChad vaccinated for hydrophobia today...

With Love and Best WishesMother

Douglas, ArizonaNovembers, 1943

Dear Ladd:.. .Keep your chin up - no matter what happens. I am with you always.More follows tomorrow.

Dad. Good Luck Boy

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Douglas, ArizonaNovember 18, 1943

Dear Ladd, Larry, and Little Mother:...Surely wish you fellows could have been here on the buck hunt with me. I

rode a horse all the first day of the season. Was back of the place where we campedlast year. Did not see anything the first day except a lot of does and fawns. Got upyesterday morning before daylight, got the whole bunch lined out on horses and thengot in a pickup and went around to the west side of Orange Butte by myself, and afterhunting for about an hour I found a four point buck looking at me. I took one shotand stacked him up in a pile. I dressed him out and dragged him down the hill.Then I thought of the other men who had hunted the day before without any luck, so Itook the 33 and did not walk more than a hundred yards from where I killed the firstbuck and saw a great big buck lying in one of the deep rock gullies looking at me. Itook a rest over a rock and shot a horn off and the bullet plowed through his ear. Hejumped and ran north, and I saw that he was just about to get away from me, so Itook a squirrel aim and broke his neck with the next shot. Boy, did I then have somemeat on my hands. I dressed him and dragged him down the hill. Loaded them inthe pickup and went to camp. When I got there, the whole bunch was there. Left thepickup out near the corrals, and walked on to camp. One of the boys asked me if Ihad any luck, and I told them that I had got a coyote, and that we could have liverfor dinner. I then asked Jarrel to go out to the car and get the liver. He went outand saw the two bucks in the car. He called the other fellows to come and help himskin the coyote. Were they surprised! Well, after that the Douglas Postmaster, Rice,went in north of camp and got a small buck. I gave the San Simon boys the first buckthat 1 had killed, and brought the big one in here. I really believe he is the same onethat got away from Larry near the little round mountain last year. He has the largestset of antlers I ever saw on a deer. Well — there will come a day when we three canagain hunt big bucks on Orange Butte. Incidentally, I got these within 200 yards ofwhere you boys first jumped Ladd's buck last year...

Will be glad when Mother comes home. Seems ages since I saw any of myfamily...

Write lots and quick. Bushels of love and best wishes,Andrew, y Dad.

Douglas, ArizonaNovember, 1943

Dear Ladd, Larry, and Little Mother: Thanks muchas for your nice letters which justcame. Seems that I just live from one letter to another. Guess I am just getting oldand sorter childish, sedimental or something else. I do miss each of you a terriblelot...

Ladd, I wish you could have been here to have showed me how to hunt deer. I willadmit that either of you can beat me shooting, but you will have to admit that an oldman is fairly good when he can stack up two bucks with three shots. Of course, I

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have a good gun, and there must be some attraction between a bullet and a buck...Love and best wishes to all of you.

Pap. Daddy.

In January, 1944, Dad was transferred to Mountainair, New Mexico as DistrictConservationist. Ladd was being transferred to Great Lakes Naval Training Station.Following this he was transferred to the Pensacola Naval Air Station where he was aresearch assistant to a noted naval medical officer. I had transferred to the University ofOklahoma for one semester.

Mountainair, NMJan. 4, 1944

Dear Ladd:...I like it here fine, and will like it better when we get moved from Douglas. I rentedthe only house, it is a nice 6 room, unfurnished place, @ $27.50/ month. There isgas, water and electricity here too, and boy how glad I will be when Mother can cookme a biscuit...

Love and Best Wishes to a swell boy from Dad.

Friday P.M.January, 1944

Dear Ladd: I've been thinking of you all day. By this time I imagine you are far, faraway, and enroute Great Lakes...

Surely do miss you a heap, Ladd. It seems more of a dream than a realitythat you were here at all. Ladd - you are a wonderful boy, and if you will alwayskeep that lovely smile and disposition, I am sure you will always continue to be lovedby everyone. Some time in the not too far distant future all this strife will end, andyou can be free again to do those things of your hearts desire...

It wont be long now until you learn what, and where. I hope it turns out to bethe place most satisfactory to you. You will surely have a new field of adventure, andI know you will like it in a great way. Often do I wish that I were young again, andcould share in these experiences with you...

Please write to me if and when you have time and want to visit with me vialetters as a substitute for something better.

Love & best Wishes - alwaysDaddy

1-12-44Dear Ladd:......Do you wish me to send you a suit case for the furlough, or will you use your seabag like a salt? Don't make any pick-up acquaintances of the female girls on yourway here. Remember, females are fresh and troublesome and will get a guy headed

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for trouble aplenty. I'll tell you more about such dangers from time to time. Butthere are a gang of "huntresses" on the loose, making a point of keeping on trainsand busses.

Much Love and Bushels of good wishes. Mother

Sunday nite, 2-21-44Mountainair, New Mexico

Dear Son (Laddie): Another day of life has come and gone - and no letter from you.In your last letter you stated that I should not write until I heard again from you. Ijust cannot refrain from sending a note, even tho it may, of necessity, be forwarded toyou at some new assignment location.

The footsteps of your marching feet reverberate on my heart-strings, and Iknow from experience of yesteryear that a boy can get lonely when he is far awayfrom the many things held dear to him. For that reason in part, I write to you myboy. Surely as day follows nite there will come a day when you can return to themountains, and in a state of freedom, you may view the sunrises and sunsets whichare different from the ones you now see in the Navy....

Well Ladd, its about bed time, so Adios, goodnight, sleep tite, and say yourprayers.

Affectionately, Dad.

I returned to the University of New Mexico.

March 6, 1944My dear boy, Ladd: It may look as tho I've forgotten you - but I haven't...Larry ishaving a hawg (Javelina) hunt since the season is open in Arizona. The K-22 riflemight be a trifle light for a boar, and he also might get his hind leg chewed on - -...

"An old lady was travelling across New Mexico on a train. After passing acrossmany miles of open expanse, she finally exclaimed to a cow-puncher sitting near her,7 don't see why people live out here.' The cowboy said nothing. Later she said, 7can't see how people make a living out in this dreadful country. The puncher lookedout the car window and said, Lady, do you see any people out there? Why worry somuch?'"...

Write often. Affectionately, yore Dad.

Mountainair, New Mexico3/9/44

Dear Ladd: Nineteen years ago, just about right now, you came to live with us. Wehave surely been glad all these years that we have you. Ladd, since this is yourbirthday, I want you to know that more than once today your mother and I sincerely

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hope that you are happy. And beyond all the things I might say, we pray that youwill have many, many happier birthdays in the golden years to come....

Affectionately, Dad

Friday A.M.3-10-44

Dear Ladd:I boxed you up some ginger bread. I know you do not particularly care for it

without icing, whipped cream, or ice cream. So go see the Admiral or someone andsecure permission to go to the kitchen and top it with whipped cream.

... I must drive out east of town 14 miles this P.M. about sundown and meetthe bus from Albuquerque that will have Larry on it...

...1study the Hospital Corps Handbook, and the more I study it the more Ilearn!

Love and Best Wishes, Mother

Sunday P.M. 3-12-44Dear Ladd:

...Study diligently and be alert to doing your duty in an exemplary manner.Learn all you can...

Love and Best WishesMother

4-15-44Mountainair, N.M.

Dear Ladd -...the law did not get amended by the legislature to give the vote to anyone

less than 21 years old. So you wont get to vote for Dewey this time..... We'll all be so happy when the war is won and both of you can return home

and we can all be happy together...Love and Best Wishes, Mother

Monday Am.May 1, 1944

Dear Ladd: ....I am waiting - any day or hour for news of the long awaited invasion.It's coming. Too bad about Sec'y Knox.

Write often. Love Dad.

Monday P.M. 5-1-44May the first.

Dear Ladd:

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.. .Larry will not enlist in anything before October - about the middle. He willhave more than 60 hours at the end of this semester. When he re-enrolls he will haveanother 17-20 hours (5 semesters) almost completed when he reaches 18 yrs.

Daddy and I drove down to Socorro yesterday and looked at land & I didn'tget anything written to you.

I hope you are fine, industrious and happy.Love

Mother

6-4-44Mountainair, NM

Dear Ladd:...We camped near the Tajique Ranger Station in the Manzanos last nite. We

tried to catch some truchas, but no luck. There were very few small ones up there.Slept on the ground - and boy oh boy! am pretty stiff and sore. Old men haint got nobusiness sleeping on the ground all nite. It was cold too. Saw quite a bunch of wildturkey. Even lost my knife. Wouldn 't worry ifn I could buy a new one - oh well, thewar will end again before long and I can buy one then.

I've been getting lots of shells for your .22 pistol. We will do a lot of shootingwhen you come home... Hurry back.

Love and best Wishes AlwaysDaddy

June 8, 44Dear Ladd: Daddy and I have been over to Fence Lake - way over on west boundaryof state - 70 miles south of Gallup... We camped out last nite in old S.C.S. buildingsover there - saw no bulls nor snattlerakes, Not even a mountain lion... Love and BestWishes. Mother

Hello Ladd:... We are now in Socorro again... Going to Los Lunas tonite, and homeabout noon tomorrow. Planning to go fishing with Herb Stewart and his wife. Willwrite a fish story afore long...

Love - Pap

Mountainair, New MexicoJune 9, 1944

My dear Boy: Nite is coming along again, and since nite always brings dreams of you- I'll just write a line or two....

We want to impress on you the necessity of pursuing your studies and workdiligently at all times...

As always, Your Dad.

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June 9, 1944Mountainair, New Mex.

Dear Ladd:...We surely hope your leave is before trout season closes. Fishing in Rio

Grande is open all year (warm water fishing) and people from Mountainair go downto River - only about 40 miles and catch some whopper cat after the weather becomescool and all winter. Daddy learned about any sort of fishing after we have beenraising you boys. He did not even know about trout fishing in the days before ourtrips to El Vado. So he can learn about catfishing. We are going catfishing until lateSunday. We are going down stream between Socorro and San Antonio...

The war is being won speedily, it seems. In a way, Larry wishes to be in theNavy. I feel certain he would get better association than he now has. So many left incolleges are psycho, and some of their mental set-ups are sort of radical. ...Of courseLarry recognizes then for that and does not see much of them, but the barracks lifemight be a good training for him anyway. What do you think? Every experience aperson has either improves or further spoils one.

Love and Best Wishes, Mother

June 10-44Mountainair, New Mexico

Dear Ladd -...We may not go fishing this time after all. I'd rather wait and go to the

upper Pecos, later - perhaps with you and Larry. Jensen says the fishing is surelygood there - The fishing season is open all year in Rio Grande up to the TaosJunction bridge, (way up there) and can fish for anything to a certain limit - Roweand Jensen both claim that a good fly fisherman can catch large trout up thereanytime...

We mean to investigate land for sale near Socorro as soon as we can take aday to go there and look. Daddy will take a days leave as soon as he gets caught upwith his work.

Are you saving part of your money? Do they give medals therefor goodbehavior? ...

Love and Best WishesMother

Tues, Nite, 6/13/44Hello Ladd: ...Was on a forest fire all last nite in the Manzanos. It was day lite whenI went to sleep. Read that the San Simon Cienaga burned. Am preparing for a weekof staff conferences in Albuq. beginning Thursday. Will see Larry then.

Love, Dad

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Thursday P.M.6-15-44

Dear Ladd - ... A new Bond came for you just now. The radio said that AmericanAir Men bombed Tokyo this A.M...

I'll go to Albuquerque in a few days to advise Larry about his schedule... Hewas a bit reluctant about re-enrolling. Hardly knew what to do instead. Finally saidhe didn't like to get so many more hours credit ahead of you. I told him not to worryabout you falling behind in that line as I felt certain that the practical experiences andassociations you were getting would benefit you as greatly when you reached anopportunity to take hold of your studies again...

Love and Best wishes.Mother

June 22, 1944Mountainair, New Mexico

Dear Boy Ladd: It isn't often that I write to anyone twice in one day, but since thereisn't anyone in the whole world that I care for more than you, I'll just make this outto you...

... Your red racing pigeons have one more squab - another to hatch soon. I'llstart training some young birds soon.

Did Larry write about our trout fishing expedition up on the Pecos? Sometime (before too long) you can go up there with me. We saw several deer up there...

Siempre, Dad.

June 28, 1944Mountainair, NM

Dear Laddie Boy: Mother and I just returned from Socorro. We left Larry there tocatch a bus enroute Sajford. He will return here Monday nite. Hope he has a swelltrip to Arizona.

We left here Saturday 3:30, and drove way up the Pecos. Next morning at5:30 we began walking 2Vz miles strait up and 2*A west. We found the most beautifullittle lake + 2 acres. It was made by CCC, but the beaver added have added about 4ft. to it. Elevation + 11,000 ft., and ice banks everywhere. The Sangre de Cristo(Blood of Christ) peaks just back of it. It was working alive with trout, but so muchnatural food available made them durned hard to catch. I got an 11 inch one, andLarry caught a 13 inch one. Some Texans had been there a couple of days and hadplenty — gave us 2, and we had a nearly perfect day. It would have been perfect hadyou been there too. Elk tracks thick around the lake. Some time we will (all 414 ofGordon family) pack up therefor a week or four for a real outing.

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Started raining before we left lake, and believe me, the 2¥2 miles strait downthe trail was slick. Mother has lots of blistered feet.

The war news is most encouraging. Many people predict the end of Germanybefore Xmas. Japan will not last long before the onslaught of all combined forces...

As Always - Daddy...If you're tops in your work and have learned a lot, you may get a promotion orsomething fine from the interview.

Love and Best WishesMother

6-30-44At Home

Ladd: Hello. How? Us too... We are expecting to meet Larry in Socorro Mondaynite. Hope he is having a good time in Arizona... War news looking better all thetime. It wont be too long now.

Write often. Affectionately, Dad and Mother

Monday P.M. Aug 2Dear Ladd -

...I've been rushing around trying to finish knitting that Red Cross sweater...

I've made a batch of fudge & will mail some to Larry tomorrow. I'm afraidhe doesn't get enufto eat.

Love & Best Wishes, Mother

Mountainair, New MexicoAugust 22, 1944

My dear Boy:... Yes Ladd, the war news sounds better day by day and I'm sincerely hoping

that the end is not far away. It may, however, be months before you are releasedfrom active duty, so be brave and keep your chin up. Life isn't all bad, and you andLarry have a bright future ahead - in the not too^far^iisiant future.

...Well, now that you won't be home for a few weeks, spect as how I'd bettertell you about the two day rodeo. We had a good crowd and fair rodeo hands.Everything went off pretty smoothly, except the other Judge got poked in the eye by adissatisfied contestant. I don't know why they didn 't try to "whop" me too. We hadcalf roping, team tying, wild cow milking, bull riding, bronc riding,n every thing.

At the grand opening (both days), my horse wouldn't run when I wasintroduced to the crowd so, being a fearless and true knight of the range, I set spursto his ribs, and instead of him dashing out like "Silver", he just bogged his head andput on a show - all of which proved to be sorter embarrassing to an old bronc

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stomper, and particularly since I was being introduced as one of the best riders of alltimes - er sumpin. Anyway, I did not fall off or pull leather - ahem, etc.

Mother and Larry held free passes, and took in the show. Gosh! Wouldn't ithave made their faces turn pink if'n I had been thrown in the Grand Entry?...

This morning, school Superintendent Wood came to the house and talkedMother into "larnin" the 7th grade all year for $1,700. She stipulated that shecouldn't be on the job when you are here on leave...

The tops of the mountains will soon take on the pretty colors of fall. It hasn 'tbeen long since the last snow disappeared from Capillo Peak in the Manzanos.

Well Ladd - I'll be seeing you in my dreams. Good nite dear boy and GodBless you.

Siempre, su Daddy

8-24-44Mountainair, NM

Dear Ladd:...A gang of "Holy Rollers" (Holiness) church folks are encamped just S. of

Daddy's office. They are all over the wooded hill, there. They surely holler, moan,dance, flop in fits, talk in "unknown tongues", etc. almost all nite. They all makenoises at one and the same time. What a Babel! Daddy and I went to his office lateone evening and sort of peeped through the bushes at a group that were reallyworking off steam. When one would have a whirling fit and dance, then flop down ina writhing, frothing, moaning fit, others would fan than one with hankies or what-nots. It is quite a study in movement and noise. They must believe that God'sattention is difficult to attract...

Love and Best Wishes MotherMountainair, New Mexico

September 24, 1944Hello Laddie Boy:...We were in Santa Fe yesterday with Larry. While he was getting a part of theNavy physical, I made the statement that I could pass all thefissicul except thehearing. A big Pharmaticists (sp) mate run something in my ears and twisted itaround a couple of times, then said, "Fellow, I would advise that you wash yourears." Well, seeing as how I didn't like such insinuations, I replied that I hadwashed my ears - once. Then he said, "Fill them with soap and water and shake wellwhile using." I'll try that on of these days, and perhaps I'll be able to hear anythingthat flies, walks, crawls or swims again.

Larry did not learn much about his enlistment. They attempted to make him believethat he should be a Radio technician er sumpin. Guess as how he will enlist in the

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Hospital Corps just before he reaches that certain age.

...I shouldn't be at all surprised ifn it snows up in the high country before this spellends. The grouse season opened there yesterday. If I knew where to go I might takea shot or three. Antelope season opens on the October 16. I may apply for a specialpermit yet, and go to the Flying H and try out old Betsy this fall.

... Well, the paper is getting short, soAdios por este tiempo. Love, Dad.

I joined the Navy on October 13, 1944 — three days before turning eighteen andbecoming eligible for the draft. So I guess I was a draft dodger, but not quite like PresidentClinton proved to be.

I enlisted in Pensacola, Florida where Ladd was stationed, inasmuch as NewMexico's quota for Navy enlistments directly into the Hospital Corps had been filled.Mother accompanied me on the train to Pensacola, and Mother had the opportunity visit withLadd for a few days. Thirty days later, I was transferred to Navy "Boot Camp" atBainbridge, Maryland. I subsequently attended Hospital Corps School at Bainbridge. Whileat Hospital Corps School, I learned that the "Honor Man" of each class could be assigned tothe Naval Hospital of his choice. I selected the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda,Maryland where I remained for the remainder of my tour of duty in the Navy. Both Laddand I received several promotions and we both became Pharmacist's Mates, Second Class bythe time we were discharged in 1946.

Sunday nite. October 15, 1944. 8:15 P.M.Dear Little men of mine:

I have to be in Estancia in the morning at 8 for the handling of 258 casesof young fellows who have heretofore had agricultural deferments. I don't intend forany of them under 26, irrespective of marital status, to remain here to increase thepopulation any more before the end of the war — unless they do so while on furlough.I surely do no enjoy seeing any of them have to go, but this is just about as much onefellows was as another, and I do not intend to be a party to keeping lots ofunnecessary boys here while you are away doing a job for all of us....

Good night boy, say yore prayers. Good nite.Affectionately, Daddy

Dagumittttt you had better be a ritin some too.

God's CountryOctober 22, 1944

Dear Little Men: Well, another Sunday has come along on the wheels of time, and Iam really thinking of you this morning. Surely would love to see you, and to tell youwhat a famous pheasant hunting pap you have, ahem, etc. Wee, anyway the evidenceis now being prepared by Mommy in the kitchen, of course the evidence that islacking, and the part you may often wonder about and will never know is how many

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shells I shot to bag two cocks. Do you remember where we hunted between LosLunas and Belen - off to the west of the highway? Well, that country is almost lousywith birds. I first hunted along a built up irrigation ditch, with a corn field justbelow and on my left. I had only walked an eighth of a mile when suddenly a cockflew up near me from the cornfield, and quartered off to my rear and left. I waitedfor him to get out a ways, led him about two feet, and let him have a dose of #6s. Hecrumpled in mid-air, and landed in an alfalfa field. I then felt kinder happy andproud of my ability. I hunted over west some more, and finally I walked in a weedpatch that had just previously been hunted by several men (I saw them coming out). Isaw sumpin move in a clump of camel thorn bush, and walked in to see what wasthere. Well, he flew uppish, and I carefully pointed my gun and waited for him to getabout thirty steps away. Then I let him have a lot of shot, and he dropped to theground amid a lot of feathers. He hit the ground running, and I began running too.In a minute he dashed into and across a small opening in the brush and weeds and asa mighty hunter should do in such emergencies, I let him have the second bunch of6s. Just wish you guys were here to help Mommy, Sam and Adelia (me too) eat them.

Since this is Sunday, I wonder - did you go to church this morning? I hope so...Keep your chins up, your shoulders squared, and last but not least - keep yourtummies pulled in. (The latter part of the instructions should be adhered to as I say,and not to be done as I do.)

Let us know at any time if there is anything here that either of you need. If there isanything we can possibly send, please let us know.

Incidentally, I will send a picture of your poor old father proudly displaying sseason's limit offessuntz.

Siempre. DaddyIf'n you boys get a furlough during duck season, I'll not be selfish and kill all of em.Hurry home. Dad

Sunday P.M. 10-22-44Dear Larry and Ladd

...Larry, if you start to Bainbridge or Great Lakes, remember to secure informationfrom every office. Just as you get off a train where change is due, study your ticketand examine it for transfers from depot to other lines. And be active and prompt, soas to be among first to head in right direction. Some people fool around and missconnections. If you are placed in charge of other boys, tell them right "off the reel"that your advice to them is to keep on the ball or learn to be prompt about getting offtrains when changing and boarding other trains; that if any one has to wander off fora drink, that you will not chase him nor wait for him, but will report him missingwhen your arrive without him. Try to keep your group together by riding together inone bus, if possible, when transferring, but do not worry yourself about any wayward

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ones: report them to the Shore Patrol or Military Patrol. M.P.s are on all trainsand in all stations where trains stop. If a train stops and you can see a cafeteria orcafe in depot, before going in depot inquire of conductor, porter, brakeman, orM.P.as to how long the train will be there, before you get off. Then look at # of youcoach before getting our of sight of it, watch your wrist watch, and get back on inproper time. If you miss the train in a minute - it may be switching about, and notgone. Watch for it to come back - perhaps on the other track; and ask questions.

More love and best wishes - Mother

November, 1944Mountainair, New Mexico

Dear Boys:....I went to Carrizozo yesterday. While enroute below Corona I ran into a bunch of

quail. They ran, and I ran. Finally they thought they had an old man out-distancedand made the mistake of stopping in a bunch of low oak brush. I ran some more,with cocked escopita, and my tongue hanging out so far that it was about to drag inthe cholla. They flew up in a bunch, and as a mighty hunter (ahem -just let me tellyou this story), I waited and picked out one bird. Just before I pulled the trigger, twobirds swung together, and I went banggggg.. Two birds killed flying with one shot!Not bad for an old man. Huh, What? I was so proud of my ability that I didn 'tchase that bunch any more. (Was too busy patting myself on the back) ...

As alwaysDad

Friday night in God's CountryNovember 24, 1944

Dear Larry and Laddie Boy:.. .Mommy checked with the depot agent, and learned about the train schedules. Hesaid there were only seven different and separate choices as to how to get here fromBainbridge. It will take between 55 and 60 hours of travel time. Get that pair ofboots off in a hurry and come home and help me pull mine off. Tell them that I amplanning to get you out of the Navy just in order to have someone to pull my boots offat night.Also to have someone to let me sorter do a little twisting on his neck...

Ladd ... I am keeping your gun request in mind, and will buy you one the very firstchance. I have a lot of shells waiting for some sailor to come along and shoot them.I can just naturally do better when I am bragging or to show off in your presence.

The war news is sounding better all the time. Lots of people think Germany willcrumple before many more weeks elapse...

Well, good night, Say yore Prayers,Forever your - Daddy

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God's CountryNovember 29, 1944

Hello Little Men: ...I came back from Corona last nite about dark. I had beendown near the lava beds in Lincoln County, and believe it or not, but a bunch ofquail got in the way, and I just had to take time out and give them a little chase.When I stopped running and shooting, I had seven birds in my jacket. Of course Ididn't go down there on a hunting trip -just sorter accidental like, etc. We hadbaked quail for dinner, dressing too. Surely wish you fellows were here to give me afew pointers on how to shoot...

Well, I don't got much to say tonite, except that I miss you very much, and want youto hurry and get this here war off our systems, so that you can come home and playwith —

Yore old Pap.Daddy

Mountainair, NM12-2-44

Dear Ladd:.. .Daddy will see if he can shoot some quail. I am now cooking a pot ofpintos to take to eat. I'll buy wieners. We had 2 swell letters from Larry thismorning. He seems to be existing in spite of everything.

Love and Best WishesMother

Over in God's Country,New Year's Day, 1945

Howdy Boys: Well here is your poor old father feebly writing to you on New Year'snite, primarily for the fun that I get out of visiting with myself while proof reading thefinished product of a letter, and secondly, for the purpose of wishing each of the twofinest boys in the whole Navy a very Happy, Prosperous, and Victorious New Year...

Impatiently waiting for you to return - safely,Daddy

Here, Friday A.M.January 19, 1945

Darling Ladd - .... It seems when I think back on you leave that it must have been adream. I suppose that is because it all slipped by so quickly. Perhaps it wont seemunbearably long until the war will be won and you and Larry sent home, and you willbe free to go ahead with your training for a profession, after a long and real outdoortrip. The time you will be earning such a nice salary may not be long , and "willpower" should be exercised to make a degree of thrift your daily behavior : you know,"easy come, easy go." But in the long run, your earnings now are not derived easily.

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There is quite an amount of inconvenience, worry by all of us, and some wasted orlost time involved. So make the most of your opportunities, in every way. I worrymuch about some of the social hazards that I know could entangle you. The greatestof these is girls. Pick-ups are dangerous to a man's freedom. It is the atmosphere,because of the hazard of war, for young folks to be in a hurry to have fun, spendmoney, do foolish, unthoughted things. But is it worthwhile? Not in the long run. Aperson should look ahead and plan for real happiness tomorrow and next year. It isgenerally understood by girls and women that there is rapidly developing a serious"shortage" of men. Some of them will use any tricks, blandishments, and skull-duggery to get their, or a man. And don 'tfool yourself and think that they are justwilling to grab any male who gets within grabbing reach. If you must have girlfriends, be careful how and when you make their acquaintance, and use every cautionto keep such acquaintance on a strictly friendly basis - a man needs to know a lotabout girls' previous schooling, interests, home folks, ideals and abilities beforebecoming serious. If the girl has character and good sense, she will not "rush'anything either, and such statement is not "old-fashioned." People who are real willalways act with dignity and pride and think how their acts affect their future. Thereis quite a difference between a girl who is independent enough to not be willing to besill and fast and try to rope a man because she has instincts of a huntress and wants a'meal ticket", and a girl who is petulant, spoiled, clinging and generally stupid andsilly. An intelligent man had best avoid such tripe, as nothing but life-longunhappiness can be the man's lot after such a girl gets started on him. Alimonyforever is one of the milder results. So be proud and allow no one to put the notionin you that the risk is worth a moment of your time. You 'll have plenty of time tomeet and know girls of the right sort, and on an even footing, when the present worldhysteria is settled to some extent, and you have accomplished more about aprofession. I know that your intentions and instincts are above criticism, but no one'sare above cautioning, as, "the way to Hell is paved with good intentions", and"there's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip." But withal, "a word to the wise issufficient", or "a stitch in time saves nine." So when a friend starts out without aknown goal or anchor, make some discreet excuse and not try to keep up with him,neither financially or socially, by going. But stay around your own business...

Love and Best WishesMother

God's Country, Sunday Morning, 8:00 AMDear Laddie Boy and Larry:...Now that my mind is on the great outdoors which the Master has made available tous, I should like to leave a thought with you. One based primarily on experience, andpartly on the experience of others. Live and act at all times in such a manner whileyou are in the Navy, that you will be proud of your physical and mental facilities.You are completely surrounded by the many temptations of life, and the crowd withwhich you must associate to a greater or lesser degree are evil minded and a vulgarlot. There are a few fine fellows there. Keep your companionship limited to these,

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and when the time comes for you to return triumphantly to the things of your choice,you will surely and certainly be worthy and well qualified to participate and enjoy thegreat outdoor creation to the greatest extent possible. You will also be the betterqualified to make the best from the possibilities of life itself...

I remain, faithfully waiting for you.Daddy

God's Country, New MexicoJan. 23, 1945

Hello Fellows: ......Have given some thought to the preparation of a talk on conservation which I haveto give tonite at Gran Quivira. I gave a talk on a similar subject at Claunchyesterday afternoon before almost 100farmers...

Good night, and say your prayers. Daddy

February, 1945God,s Country

Hi Ladd:.. .Did Larry write that I bought each of you a swell hunting knife? They are Marbles- con 5 1/2" blades, and I have honed them to a point that they will shave. Lemmeknow ifn you want your knife down there. Might come in handy in case you may goto sea and wanna operate on sumpins.And another letter from Dad was written while Ladd and I were still serving in the

Navy and Mother was visiting in Oklahoma. This 1945 letter read:

Away over in God's CountryMountainair, New Mexico

Supper is over - baked beans, steak, and chili peppers, and for dessert I bakeda cake. Believe it or not the latter was fine. Part of it was in a pan, and theremainder was turned into muffins. My latent ability is showing up in good stead.The dishes are even washed, and even the floor is swept.

After supper I sat on the back steps and took the little fly rod completely apart,and sandpapered all the shellac and varnish. I then took some steel wool andpolished until it is very clean. I will look for some silk thread and rewind all theferules, and all the other parts. I warmed the tip and straightened it out. The moralof this story is that I wanna catch some truchas in the upper Pecos one of these firstdays. The season opens the 15th. Homer Pickens, Assistant State Game Warden wasup in the office today with Walt Wiltbank of the Forest Service. They said that all theupper country is thawing fast, and that all the good trout water will be murky.Pickens told me to try a grey quill, hook size #14, on a tapered leader on thosemonsters up in Stewart Lake. He says he has caught good fish there in that manner.

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Larry may be might when he says that a 30-30 may be the proper system up there.

Went by the Ranchitos (Amber Acres) just to see if the high water in the RioGrande was on our land. I found the river high, but not anywhere up to a pointwhere our land is in any danger. I am surely proud of that property. The first time Isaw it, I fell in love with it. Later, I showed it to Mommy, and she says it's fine.You fellows have seen it and I think you will agree that it offers possibilities for a realfuture home. There is no reason that I can see why that may not be the "Sun Valley"of our dreams. Some day our dreams will come true. With the change in the warsituation within the past few days, that Happy Day may not be far away. Will youdream with me?

I have been notified that I have been selected as Conservationistfor the Region for the past month. I did not recognize that my work was outstandingto any such degree. Guess as how my reports must have been beyond the ordinary.Heh-heh....

Sincerely, as ever - Dad.PS - Mommy come home.

Ladd come home.Larry come home.QUICK, ETC.

.. .Keep your chins up at all times and keep on trying. You will be proud of thosegrades and the future rewards. The whole world will come to your door someday ifyou keep on.

April, 1945Hello Ladd and Larry: ... Larry, I want to congratulate you on all your successes. Iknow you earned the promotion, and further earned the right to be sent to the finesthospital in our Country. There is an old saying which goes something like this: "Allthings come to the deserving." Anyway, I think it is just grand, and I know that youwill go thru there with the banner waving high....

Ifn you have the notion that yore Pap is an old man -just wait until you come home,and I'll show you how the old man can bring in the rainbows, big bucks, and top-knotquail. I have the fishing tackle in order, and the guns are all well oiled —justwaiting for the happy day. By the way, I have subscribed for the New Mexicomagazine for each of you. Will also order some other SW magazines for you fellers.

God's Country, New MexicoSunday morning, 5/6/45

Howdy Boys:When you boys come home, I will have the pack outfit ready, and we will eat

beef and galletos con las truchas y otras animales until our hearts are content. Thatday is drawing nearer each and every day....

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Ladd, you asked me about the future of range men and foresters. Well, Icould write reams and volumes on this subject, but here is the essence: The woodsand ranges will be filled with BS degrees on of these firstest days, and a fellow wouldhave to have a lot on the ball to meet the competition. Of course, that goes for anyprofession. The trouble is going to be somewhat as follows: The eastern colleges aregonna manufacture students overnight. They will flood the Sanctum-sanctorumequally fast. They will have political pull as strong as BS (?). Of course, all theywill have will be the educational angle of this work, but that is the craving of theCivil Service, and the old style rancher is rapidly being replaced with the easterndude type. (Hell, I was borned about 50 years too late. I can't stand thistransfiguration). Birds of a feather will naturally gravitate together, so the West as Ihave had the privilege of knowing it will fade from sight almost immediately after thewar. Not a very purty picture to paint, but I must use the colors as I honestly see it.Ladd, the old West will be gone before you know it. Already this country is filledboots and spurs, but sadly, on the feet of drug store punchers, and running horses arereplacing the type of ponies which I have caught wild and broke to be honest togoodness cow horses. Am sending one of my recently made pictures of an honestcowman on a real cow horse. Larry saw me rope a big saucy cow last summer offthe same horse. When this fellow and I have taken the long ride over the sunset trail,and gallop into the land of the waving blue grama and unbranded calves - the oldrange man, forester, and pioneer will merely be a legend. The moral of all this maybe summed up with this true story: When I was a little fellow, and believe it or not Ionce was, I was riding a pony along side of my Dad. He turned and looked intentlyat me sitting on my horse. Finally he said, "Son, what are you going to be when yougrow up?" I replied, "I'm gonna be a cowboy. " He had seen the handwriting on thewall even in that day long passed, and almost with tears in his eyes he said, "Son,when you grow up, all the cowboys will be plowboys, and you will merely be inmiddle age when the boys of the trails will be legend." That time has come to pass.

From now on, things will be different in the mountains and on the prairies.Different men are coming. You fellows are of true pioneer stock, and I know betterthan you do just what the call of the West means. But honestly, my sons, take heedand prepare yourselves for the call which can be established in your blood, and be apioneer in something better than that for which I was intended. Neither of you knowperhaps that even before you were born, that Mommy and I were building dreams foryou. I do not wish that you endure the hardships which I have encountered in life,but rather that each of you equip yourselves for the fullest use of the splendid mindswith which you are endowed. (You got only muscle and guts from me, your talentsare from your Mommy).

Well fellers, this epistle is getting lengthy, and the call to cook dinner is uponme, so — this ends the hablos por este tiempo.

Adios, ninos de mio. Vaya con Dios siempre.Siempre suya, Daddy

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5-10-45Dear Ladd- ....We had a letter from Larry - and $25.00 this A.M. to add to hissavings. We are surely proud of you and Larry and so grateful that you both are sofortunate. Never falter being right on your toes where your work is concerned, andalways be careful and be sure to keep clear of trouble....

Love and Best WishesMother

Here - Tuesday p.m. 5-15-45Hi Ladd- Daddy and I rose at 4:30 this A.M. and hied away up to Tajique Canyon &started fishing at daybreak - opening of trout season. It was surely cold up there -creek running good but clear. I had quite a time trying to get wet wood on fire, butafter about an hour's effort and using every match I could rake up, the fire finallywas started - - then after about 30 min. of enjoying my fire, the rain began again -lightly, and I got into car. Just sat there a bit and was becoming sleepy when I sawAndrew coming thru the shower - He had 11 nice trout. We cooked 7 right away - heate 5 &I ate 2....

Love and Best WishesMother

Sunday, 5/27/45. At homeHello Larry and Ladd: While Mommy is cooking somethings, I will occupy myself bymaking some visit with you. It would really be more better ifn you were here, butsince you aren 't, I spect as how the best substitute will be by scribbling some words...

...We are coming along grande. Had planned to go trout fishing over the week end,but after studying the moon for a spell, I decided to postpone the fun for a couple ofweeks. The moon will not be so bright then, and the high waters will have recededsomewhat by that time. The Pecos will be rather murky even two semanos fromtoday, but try I must. My flatfish lures for fly rods will be here by that time, and Imust see what will happen when a monster and I attack one another. Irrespective ofwhat really does happen, you may be reassured that I will have a special lieregarding the one that got away...

The fishing calendar indicates that most all of August will be fine trout weather.Larry may be able to get leave about the same time and really help with those bigones. I cannot think of anything, with the exception of the end of the war, that Iwould prefer than having you two fellers here on a real fishing tour of the Sangre deCristos and upper Pecos drainages. Anyway, you can depend on me for havingeverything ship-shape for the recreation...

I banded some squabs this AM. We shore do got lots of racing pigeons. All of themare loose in the yard now. The best looking young bird that we have is from a pairLarry got in Safford. He is big and strong looking. I may fly some of the young

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birds this summer.Always, Pap.

6/03/45God's Country New Mexico

.. .A piano tuner came along yesterday, and Mommy made arrangements with him totune ourpiany. He arrived about 12:30 and tuned on it for a long time. Hours laterhe called Mommy and said "play a tune, and then we can hear the improvement."She say, "I can't play," and he say same thing. Now the piany is tuned (I guess),and no one here to make play on it. Now the morale of all this is something asfoilers — You boys just gotta come home fast. Of course Mommys Scotch bloodarose to the call just before the tuner say, "$10.00 pliz." Know what she do? Welljust listen: She tell the tuner that she has a splendid violina upstairs, all in goodshape, excepting the como se llama being loose. The tuner, also Scotch, rose to thebait and said, "I often repair violinas, and perhaps I can make the necessary repair."Well, she gets the violina and tell him that it cost a heap of dineros, but even in spiteof the fact that her lone sailor doesn't care to entertain on it anymore (due to the factthat he ain Y here) she still would like to have it repaired. He say, "Lady I will repairit for ten buckaroos." She reply somethings like this, "You want as much to repair it,as I consider it worth." Finally he say somethings like this, "Tell you what I'll do -1will just call the piany tuning bill of $10.00 square, and recheck the piany the nexttime I am thru here, for the violina." She sorter reluctantly accepted, but when hehad gone she tell me that she bought the violina for $6.39 years ago. Now somemorals: If you fellers fail to get rich, and have a lot of fun doing it, about all I haveto say is that it wont be my fault -1 gave you a smart Mommy - heh, heh."

And continuing:

... Now about this cold in the goozle: Last Saturday I insisted that Mommy go on atrout expedition with me to Cowles, on the upper Pecos. Well, to make a long storysomewhat short, she finally loaded the car with almost everything except thedavenport and cookstove, and finally we arrived at the last cabin on the Panchuelaabout two hours afore dark. Naturally I had visions of a lot of monsters all fried to aturn for supper, so I took the rod, reel, flies, spinners, and everything and pulled upthe canyon. I soon saw the righteousness of Mommy's argument that the water wouldbe too high to catch the fish, but after a lot of wading ice water, and bruising oneshin in a beaver dam, I finally envegieled one little feller to get sorter close to myflies. When he was just right I jerked, and believe I snagged that truchas in the side.(I ain't told Mommy the straight of this episode, she think I caught him legal like.)Later, and woe-begone, I stumbled into camp, bearing in my hand the fruits of thetrip. Now here is the beginning of my neck cold. She tell me that a Ranger had beeninto camp on his horse, and told her that ifn we had a dorg that we better keep it incamp, because he had set so many lion, cat, and bear trap in the vicinity for to catchvarmints which were in turn killing all the fawn and turkey. Well we talk lions and

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bears for a long time after going to bed. I couldn 't go to sleep very good (she hadthe air mattress), so in my restlessness I finally felt a lion jump from the bluff justback of camp on my bed. I shook him off, and found my pistola, and while sitting upin bed looking for the marauder to return, Mommy say, "silly, lie down and go tosleep." I felt foolish. I sorter dozed off some more agin. Believe this true part of theepisode, - without a warning note the car horn (which was about ten feet distant frommy ear) suddenly began to blow long and loud. I didn't think, I just acted (like a trueGordon) and assumed that the booger had returned and was trying to steal the car. Iran over thorns and tent stakes, and all the time beating heck out of the car with mypillow. I finally got the battery cable loose, and stopped the noise which was almostas loud as the Panchuela. Mommy she shore does roast me over fighting lion andbear with a feather pillow instead of my pistola. The frost had fallen, and ice wasforming, so you can understand why the sore neck. Moralls of this is: don't fish untilMommy say ok, and use a gun instead of a feather. You had better just come homeand take care of an old man in his dotage.

Dad

God,s Country, Pap's DayJune 17, 1945

Hello Boys: Just a note to tell you that I received the Father's Day card, and I thinkit's grand. Swell of you to remember the old man. We have surely been receiving aheap of swell letters from you boys. We always enyoy them. From the way the waris going, there is little doubt that we will all be together during the most of 1946. Wewill celebrate in a big way - all the holidays, and other important days when youfellers are released. I tried out the flatfish in the Manzano lake this morning. WhileI did not catch any truchas, I did catch several nice bluegill. Lots of small perchstruck many times at the lure, but their mouths were too small too catch. I am of theopinion that these lures are just the things for the monsters at Stewart Lake. ...Well, I started out just to say "hello and how", so guess I had better be riding along.

Dad

God's Country, Tuesday 6:00 PMJuly 31, 1945

My dear boys: I have just returned from the office, and have with me Larry's lastletter. With Ladd and Mommy gone far far away, it surely is lonesome hereabouts.

Ladd, I just want to tell you a thing that I forgot to tell you before you left today: Isurely enjoyed every minute of you visit with us. You are a swell fellow, and if youwill continue to be the same fellow, the world will long remember you. I know thatthings are not too pleasant for you during the war period, but all this will blow away,and there will surely come that day of which you have so long dreamed. Come homeagain, Ladd. I shall always welcome you, even tho you did catch the most andbiggest fish. I shall count the past two weeks as the hi lights of my life. Thanks forbeing here and showing me a splendid time.

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Larry, Thanks for your letter which I received today. There remains only one regretabout Ladd's leave, and that is because you were not here with us. We have hadsome fine times together, and I will reassure you that you and I will have some more -bigger and better than ever, just as soon as someone makes a mistake and signs aleave slip for you... Ladd surely thinks the Ranchitos is a fine piece of land. Wehave looked it over twice, and he and I think more of the possibilities all the time.When you come home I will discuss all the details of it's development with you.

The war news sounds better every day, and I will stick with my guns with the thoughtthat the war is rapidly coming to a close. The Air Force and the Navy apparentlyhave little opposition, and can almost come and go at will these past few days. I amcurious as to the role Russia may play in the war against Japan...

I will bring this to a close for this time. I sincerely hope and pray that the war endsbefore you have to read many more of these communications...

As always, Daddy.

Laddie Boy: Nite is coming on, and I miss you a great deal. Wish you were hereonce more to play the piano for me. Hurry home - to Dad.

Sulfur, OklahomaAugust 4, 1945

Dear Ladd, ....I had a letter from Larry yesterday that Daddy had forwarded to me. It is a

swell letter. I am very anxious to go home. Am busier than I should be. This hotweather hurts, as I'm not accustomed to it at all. But there are several things herethat I must get accomplished before I can leave. All the electric wiring needschecking. I must tack the paper up overhead in kitchen, and the gas heater must beinstalled. The plumbing needs to be checked and repaired, but I'll not be able to getthat done....

The news yesterday stated that Japan is now blockaded to where the peoplethere were getting less than 1/2 enough food. It won't be long now!...

Love and Best Wishes, Mother.

God's Country, New Mexico,Tuesday evening about dark.

August 7, 1944Hi Everybody: Well I be sorter happy tonight inasmuch as I received letters from thetwo swellest sailors in the world.

First of all I want to congratulate Larry on the fine promotion. That is grand, and Iam certainly proud of you. It all goes to show that boys who try to make good inspite of the obstacles of warfare can do it. When you come home I will really tell you

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how proud of you I really am at all times....

... You have each heard a lot about the atomic bomb by this time. It was perfectedjust north of the Bandelier Monument across the Rio from the Caja del Rio, and thefirst bomb fired was set off on July 16 between the White Sands and Fort Bliss. A onequart bomb rattled windows in Gallup. The light from the explosion was visible inAlbuquerque. The concussion alone knocked down men more than 7 miles away. Nowonder that after the first bomb was dropped on Japan those rats said it wasinhuman. They have a choice, and I predict they will get out in preference to massnational suicide. Them calling a little friendly bombing and inhuman act, makes oneponder their actions of the early days of the war. They appear to have forgottenPearl Harbor, Corregidor, the death march, and many other cruelties of their own.Drowning rats surely act curious...

... Well, I gotta go to the pigeon loft and check on the birds which I flew this PM.Love and Best of Everything to you, you, and you.

DadLarry: I will endeavor to get a copy of Outdoor Life, and check the land story. Wehave a deed as long as your arm for a lot of land now. More wouldn 't hurt.

Mountainair, New MexicoAugust 8, 1945

Dear Ladd -... Ain't Science Grand? The new bomb discovery has cleared up thewar situation, it appears...

Love and Best Wishes, Mother

August 8, 1945God's Country

Hi Ladd:....Russia's entry in the war, coupled with the new devastating bomb will bring quickpeace to the world. Even should you and Larry be sent to sea - you will never seeany action - just the results of it. I doubt that you or he will be sent any where. I'msurely happy over the progress of the war. In haste,

As always - Dad.

Friday p.m. August 10 -1945.Dear Ladd:... This appears to be VJ day, regardless. Of course, battles are stillhappening, but such are apt to occur in out of way places for perhaps months.Guerilla bands will not learn for some time that peace has been arrived at, even whenit is officially declared...

Love and Best WishesMother

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August 11, 1945Hi Ladd: Well, it looks as though this is the day for which we have so long waited. Iwasn't kidding when I told you that it was "bout near" over, and that you nor Larrywould ever see action in the Pacific Theater. I'll snap my pistola, and yell "Ohhappy day" just as soon as its definite.

Larry may be here 'bout Wed. I'll be glad.In haste, Adios, nino de mio

Daddy

Sat. P.M., Aug. 11 - 45Dear Ladd - I'm keeping one ear tuned to radio to not miss any developments. Peaceseems to be assured. I've had a feeling - all summer that it would happen soon. Imean to celebrate someway: like chewing an unusually large piece of wax orsomething. Daddy intends to shoot his gun...

I've been reading all I can find in Chemistry texts about radioactivity andUranium. It is. interesting.

Love and Best Wishes, Mother

God's CountryAugust 13, 1945

Dear Ladd: ...Gosh, boy I'm excited. The news just flashed that Japan had accepted the

terms. Mom said "shoot your pistol!" I did, all five times. Hope its all true insteadof another rumor and caused me to waste 1000 grains of lead. Commentators nowsaying mebbe it ain't so - dunno. The siren down town is trying to tear it self topieces anyway...

Sped as how Larry will be here about Wednesday. I'll show him how to fish -as I did you - when you were here. Heh-heh! Anyway, it wont be long now until wecan all be together again, even if the radio did just now pull a premature "boner."The true announcement is coming - before you receive this.

Yours - always,Daddy

August 1945Monday, 6;30 P.M.

Dear Ladd; Just a line to say "hello", and to warn you that you may not hear fromany of us for 3 or 4 days. We are leaving in a minute or four for the Upper Pecosand the wide open places. Wish you were here to help Larry and me at Catherine orStewart Lake. We will camp below Cowles in the Rio Pecos late tonite, and may fishthere tomorrow...

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Too bad the war news flashed out, but in a few hours it will be true pronto.The time when we can all fish together is not far distant now.

Well, my boy, keep your fingers crossed, and hope that Larry and I catch aheap of monsters.

As Always,Dad

God,s Country, New MexicoTuesday nite, 9/3/45

Hello Larry andLadd:...... / have been expecting and Australian Captain of the Royal Aussie Air Force hereas a visitor for the past ten days. I finally met him at Barton yesterday morning. Wegot along fine, did a heap of visiting, fought the war all over again, and saw a lot ofmy bailiwick. ...1 enjoyed the Aussie very much. He is the most highly decorated manI have ever seen. He saw service in both theaters of operation, and has surely hadsome great experienced. Wish he could have stayed with us longer.

I am planning to attend the Scottish Rite reunion in Santa Fe next week for two orpossibly three days. I will check on the last land bid while up there in an effort toexpedite action toward conclusion of the purchase of the remainder of the Ranchitoslands.Have not located a satisfactory man to operate the farm land. There will be the rightfellow show up one of these days, and we will then undertake starting.

We are very hopeful that you boys will be released about next spring - or even beforethat. What ideas do you have on the subject of discharges at this time? We willmake some sound plans for your future educations as rapidly as possible after yourreturn home. I have hopes of being transferred about the time the elm leaves becomethe size of a mouses ear.

Love and best wishes to both of you - always. Dad.

9-15-45Dear Ladd

The radio has just announced that the Americans have smashed thru theSiegfreid line east of Achen on a wide 24 mile front. So 'twont be too long now.Love and Best Wishes,Mother

God's CountrySunday Morning, 9/16/45

Good Morning: ....It surely seems that each of you have been fortunate by so long over-staying

the normal assignment at your present stations. The only reason by which I canaccount for such action is that are each doing more than is normally expected of a

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fellow. That type of pursuits will go to the end of the rainbow in life for you. Keep itup, and I will assure you that the rewards to be reaped will far exceed your greatestexpectations... I dreamed last nite of camping with both of you at the lakes in theSangre de Cristos; therefore, I fell that such happy days are merely in the offing...

Fall of the year is here... Deer season will soon be here too. Wish you werehere to shoot a buck with me and thereby save me some hard climbing...

Love and Best WishesDaddy

Mountainair, NMOctober 12, 1945

Dear Ladd:..... .1 must build Chad a nice dog house tomorrow. Also dig a cess pool for the kitchensink....

Love and Best Wishes, Mother

Thursday nite in God's CountryOctober 13, 1945

Howdy fellows: ...Mother and I returned from Santa Fe Tuesday nite. I enjoyed the Scottish RiteDegree work a great deal as usual. Some day, before long, I surely hope that each ofyou will avail yourselves of the opportunity of receiving that fine Masonic work.While there Mother spent most of the time in the Capitol building preparing data forthe final procurement of the remainder of the Ranchitos land. We hope to have thedeed within the next two or three weeks....

Sam and I were over in the edge of the Gallinas country this afternoon. We stoppedat an isolated windmill for a drink, and while there I had to look around to determinewhat type of game was watering there. I found deer tracks a plenty, and to mysurprise I found that a large bunch of turkeys are watering regularly there too. Thetracks are small - all of which indicated that there was a late hatch, and the birdshave not yet reached maturity. I have a good notion to sleep there about Saturdaynite when the season opens and when the coconionos come in to water along aboutsunup to scatter a couple loads of number 4s right in the middle of the biggest bunch.Wish as how you were here to back me up with your shot guns on either side. Nextseason we will harvest some big bucks and gobblers as in the days of yesteryear.OK?....

Well, mommy is insisting that I look over the material she prepared on the last bid. Itinvolves approximately 432 more acres of the valley.

Come over - some day - soon, and play with me. Forever - Daddy

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Saturday P.M. October 13, 1945.Dear boys, both: ...The R.E.A. will put electricity in our ranch neighborhood before many more months,and we can get a hook-up from it. We can operate a drinking water supply from anelectric pump on a deep well by our house. We will build the house of stone andadobes. Stone can be secured for the bed of that arrayo that is just south of thebuilding sites. We can make our house of stone up to the base of the windows, orslightly higher, in a sort of irregular pattern... We could be smart and pay off themortgage after a few crops of calves, etc....

Love and Best Wishes, Mother

Monday nite, October 15, 1945God's Country, New Mexico

Hello Ladd and Larry: ...While we were at the Ranchitos today, one of our tractor operators caught his hand ina drum between heavy cable, and resulted in the amputation of three fingers, andpossibly a crushed arm below the elbow. Sam dashed him off to the Maytag hospitalin Albuq. He has not returned, and now I am anxious about him. Troubles alwayscomes in big quantities...We have been doing a lot of thinking and planning about you fellers of late. Whilewe have only a remote idea when you may be released from the Navy, we desire totake this opportunity to say "hurry home and help us make u[ a heap of practicaldreams for your futures." ...

Love and best wishes, Daddy

God,s Country, New Mexico.October 17, 1945

My dear boys: .......Fall of the year is here, and October's bright golden days are again with us. This

fall brings range surveys, soil terracing programs, and best of all - hunting season.The mountains are orange and red with splotches of yellow in the tall aspen thickets.The mesas and valleys have taken on the somber hue of fall. I had a view of theWhite Mountain and the Sangre de Cristos today, and they too have taken on thecolor of fall and winter - the most beautiful season of the year. Fall, resplendent withher robes of change is a gentle reminder to me that while nature is becoming dormantfor a time to be, that she will bloom forth again in a little time - after a while. Sogoes life in its complexity....

There is no news or recent developments regarding the ranch. We hope to have theremainder of the deed before long. I am still looking for a satisfactory farmer.... Thebrand department would not approve our old brand because someone else had a nearduplication. The Three A's suits me about as well anyway.

Well, we noticed in today's paper that the Navy is lowering discharge points. Whey

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will continue to lower point systems month by month, and before you know it, you willhave your sea bags and hammocks thrown across your shoulders and be headed forthe wide open spaces, and a hearty welcome home and to the things you love.

Faithfully, Daddy

God,s Country, New MexicoSaturday afternoon, 10/20/45

Hello Boys:....Remember that I wrote to the REA in Socorro a few days ago regarding electricity forthe ranch? Well I have a reply from them wherein it was stated that the new line willrun from Socorro to La Joya and Contreras. The line will parallel our property alongthe east side. I am surely proud that we will have a power line for all futuredevelopments. That line will increase the value of the ranch considerably....

Ladd, what do you think of the battlewagons which you have seen there in the bay?Did you have an opportunity to go on board? I should like very much to see one ofthe modern ships. Ifn you see a sub-chaser you can imagine how I won the other warwhile serving in the mosquito fleet in the Gulf of Mexico....

Love and Best Wishes, Daddy

Dear Ladd and Larry -I'll have to tell you about the skunk. Yesterday about 5:30 A.M. the small pup

ran into the skunk. The skunk really sprayed him a bit and the pup really howled andran into a small hole under the house. He stayed under there till about 10, cryingand whimpering. He was really embarrassed or something. He smelled bad, too.Perhaps he will know better next time...

. ..Save all the money you can. 'Tis smart to be thrifty, 'cause a fool and hismoney is soon parted. 'Tis foolish to form prodigal habits about money, you know.

Much Love and more Good WishesMother

In 1945, I had escorted a patient from the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda,Maryland, where I was stationed as a Pharmacist's Mate, to the hospital at the Naval AirStation, Pensacola, Florida, where Ladd was stationed as a Pharmacist's Mate. Dad wrote:

God's Country, New MexicoFriday nite.

10-28-45Howdy, How anyway?Mother and I were delighted this morning when we received letters from each of youand learned that you boys had a three day visit. I know each of you enjoyed oneanother a great deal. One of these first days we can all have a real visit together,

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and then if you write from school we will know that all's well....

While in Querque yesterday, I visited Dick Strong in his office. He invited me to huntturkey and deer with Cass Goodner and himself on the Ojo del Espirito Grant. Hesaid they had pack horses and everything ready. And there are lot of game there nowon the west slopes of the Naciementos. I had been planning to hunt in the Gallinas,but this invitation may change my mind. The Gallinas are between here and theCapitans. Cass has killed two bear this fall. He has some hound dawgs with whichto hunt los osos del montanos. Would you like for to make some chase of bear aboutnext fall??????????

Mother went with me to Chilili this morning. We came back by Glenn Williamsranch. I have bought a big calf from Glenn to butcher this fall. I will hang it up inabout two weeks. We are having ice every night now, but the days are quite warm,and keeping the beef this early would necessitate keeping it hung up all the time,wrapped in a tarp during the day, and unwrapping it at night in order that the coldwould strike deep...

Write soon, lots and often.Sincerely, as ever. Daddy

In 1945, Dad's supervisor with the U.S. Soil Conservation Service wrote:...He is a hard worker, conscientious and dependable, and exhibits and carries

over to others his enthusiasm for any job he tackles. Mr. Gordon has always beeneminently successful in his contacts with farmers and ranchers of all types, and he isable to secure their interest and cooperation in large measure because of his ability tounderstand their problems...

Early in 1946, my parents were appointed the first Ranch Managers and Ranch Fatherand Mother for the New Mexico Boys Ranch, which was a few miles north of their ownRanchitos land near La Joya, New Mexico. At that time, the Boys Ranch was just a conceptand a location. My parents supervised construction of the first buildings, drilled the firstwater supply and irrigation wells, commenced farming some of the land, acquired livestock,re-planted some of the grazing land, and fenced the property. My parents acquired some ofthe original land for the ranch directly in the name of the ranch from their personal funds.

New Mexico Boys RanchBR

La Joya, N.M.April 3, 1946

Hi Ladd: Well, this - another day, brings you nearer home, and also deletes one fromLarry's time....

Mother and I are coming along first rate. We are making plans for our trip to

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Amarillo tomorrow. Mother has a new dress to wear - with the new toothies! I'llleave my horse Indio with Ulibarri (our neighbor on the south - he speaks english)while we are away...

Have 3 men working, and more will come as soon as their spring plowing is over...Love y Best Wishes, and Hurry home, Dad

The house in nearby Veguita in which Mother and Dad lived while developing theBoys Ranch was a small two room adobe with dirt roof and floors. Sometimes things gotboth hectic and wet when it rained. There was no electricity or plumbing and, during thewarmer months, the nearby irrigation ditch served as the family bath after the dark of night.Ladd arrrived home in April 1946, and I arrived home after being discharged from the Navyon Independence Day — July 4, 1946. I hitched a ride to Bernardo after arriving on thetrain in Belen, and walked the several miles on a clear moonlit night from Bernardo toVeguita. Our family was home and together at last following WWII! This "home" inVeguita is now only a gently raised mound of melted adobe with no indication that a happyand grateful family once lived there. Ladd and I returned to the University of New Mexicoin September, 1946.

While I was attending the Graduate School of Public Health at the University ofMichigan and my parents lived at Amber Acres, our farm-ranch near La Joya, Dad wrote:

La Joya, New Mexico,Tues, AM. Sept. 29, 53.

Dear Larry:....The transition from a position back to the halls of learning are often radical

changes, so make the best of it.

We are coming along first rate. Mommy has the fire place just aboutcompleted. It looks grand! However, the test will come when she lights afire one ofthese cool mornings. She has made it in accordance with all the well regulatedspecifications, so it should work. It's purty!

Well, the tractor D-8 has worked in the bosque for several days, and you justwouldn't recognize the area north of the house. That Cat walks through the brushjust like a bear through buckwheat. Of course the big job is yet to come in the rakingand burning..Am going to wait until the brush is dry this time, and I hope to have atleast a 90% burn the first time over the area. The lake is dry, and I have harrowedpractically all of the flooded portion, so it looks good at this time.

Guess as how Nedra and all the little Gordons will move from Santa Fe toAlbuquerque about today. We are anxious to run up and see them one day thisweek — about Friday I 'spect. I know you surely would love to see that little fellerKent. We have been able to see him the one time, and he wasn't quite so big, but hereally did entertain us royally by looking our way, showing his hand, and generally

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just showing us a good time. From the vantage point of looking thru a damned glasswindow, I'd say he just about looks like his Dad, and somewhat like his G-Dad — ,ahem, etc. Anyway you will be the happiest fellow in the world when you see him thisXmas time or before. In the meantime, I will make a point to tell him all about hisdad, and sorter keep that little Debbie gal remembering you too.

I haven't heard from Laddfor some time. The Gila country is ablaze somemore again, so I imagine he has had smoke in his eyes for days. The Fair is on inAlbuquerque, and it is possible they may drive over this way some day this week.

Felipe, the Isleta Indian Cat skinner, came very early this morning, and hetold me a while ago that there was ice hanging on the canvass water bag this morn,so guess this valley will soon be turning amber colored once again, taking on thebeautiful hues of autumn.

Well, I have often heard that a feller isn't a man until he has planted a tree,built a house, and been the father of a fine boy, so — / salute you! Hasta luego yAdios.

Dad.

Both my parents offered sound advice and support throughout their lives. Forexample, when I was considering resigning my position as Director of the AlbuquerqueHealth Department due to the antics of a harassing boss, Dad wrote:

Las Cruces, New MexicoSunday AM, 1-26-60

Dear Larry ... Have been thinking of you and your problems a heap all week, and ifyou will take my pencilled words in the thought they are offered — / scribble some foryou to think on—.

/ have a similar problem --, never was free from it, and probably never will beas long as it is necessary to work with and for people. The only consolation I secureis my knowledge that "all the monkeys are not in a zoo." Wade Cooper's type iseverywhere. You and I could be the same if we tried hard enough. We are toostraight forward, honest and sincere! I know things get under your skin - they do for,me -, as I work under men just as Cooper; however, if you were to quit and moveelsewhere, you would find the same type there ahead of you. I work under men whowouldn't know a cow from a bull elephant, but the powers that be like that type.Such has been the case in government work through all my experience, and men longretired have told me that it always prevailed as such, It's in the Pentagon, Army,Civil Service and related work. We all like approval of our endeavors and we doreceive much, not always from the boss but from the public. I believe - and this hitsme too - if you and I were to use more patience, and perhaps more tact or diplomacy,we would be better off in the final analysis.

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True, we could transfer elsewhere and get away from the face or the name, butnever from the type that causes knot in our tummies. I've thought a lot on this! Ifyou or I were transferred, say, east of the 100th meridian, we would never be happyand would return to the sunshine both sadder and wiser. I've come to the conclusionto just tough it out as long as my salary will make ends meet, and by doing withoutmany of the superfluities, accumulate some for old age, and try to be content.

Lets get together some week end soon and go catch a trout.Love and the best of everything to you.

Siempre, Dad

(I took Dad's advice, and did not resign. Subsequently, it took me two more years toget the position occupied by the incompetent boss abolished by a unanimous vote of theAlbuquerque City Commission.)

Other things I will remember include;

My parents'joy upon finding two silver dollars in a trunk during the depression.

My parents' taking us on frequent weekend trips to fish, hunt quail, swim in a stock-tank, or just enjoy the great outdoors of the magnificent southwest.

My parents' belief that an occasional justifiable whack on the rear of children leads torapid improvement in behavior.

My parents' happiness when Dad could visit while he was attending the University ofNew Mexico in the early 1930s and my mother was teaching six grades at an isolated oneroom school near Coolidge, New Mexico.

My parents asking grade school arithmetic and spelling questions for my brother andme to answer after we were all in bed at night.

My parents fly fishing beside a mountain stream or lake while instructing my brotherand me in the art of fly fishing at an early age, thus beginning our lifelong love of fly fishingin beautiful remote areas.

My parents' belief that God was with us whether beside a noisy mountain stream orin a church.

My parents helping me with my school work even after I was in college. While atthe University of New Mexico, I was having trouble with my papers for an English class.Dad and I sat on a log in the Sandia mountains while he dictated my next two papers. Thatwas the best lesson I ever had in composition and dictation, and has helped me ever since.And Mother had the intellect to help me with such subjects as math and chemistry even after

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I was in college.

My parents' gift of a new saddle which they could then ill afford while they werebuilding and developing the New Mexico Boys Ranch when I returned from the Navy in July1946.

My parents' enthusiasm and toil, and Dad riding his horse "Indio", while he and mymother developed and managed the New Mexico Boys Ranch.

My parents clearing the land and developing their farm-ranch near La Joya, NewMexico; and the smell of sourdough permeating the one-room shack where we lived as webegan developing our La Joya property.

My parents mixing and pouring adobe mud into forms to construct the variousbuildings at Amber Acres, their farm and ranch near La Joya.

My parents' admonitions that:"If I Had A Problem, I'd Get Rid Of It!""The Harder We Work, the Luckier we get","A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned","Don't Swing on Other People's Gates, and Don't Let Them Swing

on Yours", and"God Helps Those Who Help Themselves."

My parents' sweat and toil as they remodeled and maintained their various rentalproperties.

My parents' daily phone conversations with me for the past twenty years. After theybecame infirm, these were converted into almost daily visits until the day before my fatherpassed away.

My parents' emphasis on morals, ethics, hard work, loyalty, and education whichenhanced the lives of all their children and grand-children. They were always proud andsupportive of all achievements of their family members.

My parents' joy and satisfaction when able to help their children and grand-childrenafter becoming reasonably affluent through hard work, self- deprivation and wiseinvestments. Their children and grand-children have an improved quality of life due to theircontinued help and constructive advice. My parents usually ignored giving for the commonholiday and ceremonial reasons, but were inordinately generous with major gifts or sizeableloans when they saw the need.

My parents providing a home and family environment conducive to security, mutualsupport and love. For example, when I joined the U.S. Navy in 1944, my brother Ladd had

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been in the Navy for more than a year. Ladd wrote the following (without attribution) tome:

"For My Brother"

Among life's sadness I findThe one most bitter to my mind,I cannot spare you as you go,One single sorrow you must know.

Much rather would I go againDown the dark alleyway of pain,Than hear the stumbling of your feetIn that bewildering, narrow street.

My wife Nedra and I toured Scotland in 1984. On cornices of one of the old Gordoncastles, we photographed the inscription HENRIETTE STEWART AND GEORGEGORDON. My parents did not represent the first union of Clan Stewart and Clan Gordon.

The last time my parents saw each other was when I helped my feeble father visitMother in the nursing home where she was dying. Dad said, "/ love you," and Motherresponded, 7 love you, too." Those were the last words they spoke to each other in thislife.

My father, though infirm and legally blind, penciled the following with tremblinghands for their joint marble headstone:

FOREVER TOGETHERSIXTY SEVEN YEARS ON EARTHFOREVER WITH GOD IN HEAVEN

We are thankful and we celebrate the fact that my father and mother not only gave uslife, but encouraged and helped us all achieve and live good lives. They ensured a familyatmosphere of loyalty, belonging, comfort, love, security, support, and family roots.

The first principle of living a good life is to choose your parents wisely. In this,Ladd and I have excelled.

My parents lived good, happy, constructive lives.

My parents were do'ers, not complainers.

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My parents had the determination to overome adversity, rather than being victims.

My parents were builders, not destroyers.

My parents were givers, not takers.

My parents were the essential core of An American Family: Not Merely A CoupleWith Children.

Larry J. GordonVisiting ProfessorSchool of Public AdministrationUniversity of New MexicoAlbuquerque, New MexicoJanuary, 1995

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Larry Gordon and Nedra Callender were married in 1950, and live in Albuquerque.They have three children: daughter Debra Dunlap, son-in-law Rick, and their children Danaand Kim live in nearby Placitas; son Kent, daughter-in-law Elli, and their daughter Biancareside in California; and son Gary, duaghter-in-law Terri, and their daughter Celine live inPlacitas.

Larry Gordon retired from state government in 1988 after serving as:

New Mexico Cabinet Secretary for Health and Environment (HED),Deputy Secretary, HED,State Health Officer,Director, New Mexico Environmental Improvement Agency,Director, New Mexico Scientific Laboratory System,Navy Captain in the U.S. Public Health Service, andDirector, Albuquerque Environmental Health Department.

Larry was a founder and two term member of the Council on Education for PublicHealth, and is currently a member of the National Environmental Health Science andProtection Accreditation Council. He has served on numerous national public andenvironmental health and protection committees, and has been the keynote speaker atnumerous national and state public and environmental health conferences and associationmeetings.

Gordon served as President of the American Public Health Association; Chair of theNational Conference of Local Environmental Health Administrators; President of the NewMexico Public Health Association; President of the New Mexico Environmental HealthAssociation; Chair of the APHA Section on Environment; Co-Chair of the APHA ActionBoard; and as a member of the APHA Program Development Board, the scientific arm ofthe American Public Health Association.

Gordon has some 195 publications.

Gordon has received the:

Distinguished Leadership in Environmental Management Award, American Societyfor Public Administration - 1994

County of Los Angeles Breslow Award for Distinguished Service in Public Health -1994

University of New Mexico Alumni Association Zimmerman Award - 1993New Mexico Governors' Distinguished Public Service Award - 1988American Public Health Association Sedgwick Award - 1987American Lung Association Clinton P. Anderson Award - 1987New Mexico Public Health Association Larrazola Award - 1987American Academy of Sanitarians Wagner Award - 1984

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New Mexico Hospital Association Commendation for Leadership in Health Care -1981

Honorary Member Royal Society for the Promotion of Health, London,England - 1981

National Environmental Health Association Snyder Award - 1978New Mexico Public Health Association Award for Distinguished Service - 1970National Secretaries Association International, Boss of the Year Award - 1970New Mexico Sanitarians Assoc. Award for Outstanding Contributions to

Sanitation - 1967Sanitarians Distinguished Service Award, International Sanitarian's Association - 1962Western Branch American Public Health Association Sippy Award - 1962National Environmental Health Association Mangold Award - 1961Samuel J. Crumbine Award for Outstanding Development of Environmental Sanitation

1959

Gordon planned and gained legislative authorization for the:

Albuquerque Environmental Health DepartmentNew Mexico Environmental Improvement AgencyNew Mexico Scientific Laboratory SystemNew Mexico State Health Agency

Gordon developed and gained enactment of numerous state and local environmentalhealth statutes and ordinances.

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