Today, my mother turns 88. She was born in 1919 in northeastern Nebraska to Perry and Emma, and grew up in the town of Ewing. Ewing was, and is a small town where her father was the rural US Mail carrier. He was dedicated and went so far as hiring an airplane to drop mail and food to rural farmers after blizzards closed all roads.
She worked for the War Department during WWII, and she and my Dad adopted me from the Nebraska Children's Home in 1951 when I was 3 months old. My Dad traveled most of my early life as a Railway Mail Service clerk sorting mail on trains from Omaha to Cheyenne, Wyoming, Me and Mom had lots of time together, and I'm glad for that!
My folks liked the outdoors, and they made sure I learned about nature and the outdoors. We car camped all across the USA, especially in the western states. Dad made a cool box to house cooking and eating utensils, and the old Coleman gas stove was the heat source Mom used for our hot meals, and almost every meal was hot.
We hiked and camped in the Rocky Mountains, and I'm pretty sure it was Mom that talked Dad into letting me go on the ranger led hike into Grizzly Bear country in Glacier National Park around 1962. When I was diagnosed with cancer and nearly "bought the farm", Mom was there when I needed her most too. Dad died a couple years ago after a long illness, and they had discussed going to Alaska for many years but never got it done. Margie and I offered, and Mom agreed to go to Alaska with us last summer. Our Alaska Journal.
I could go on for hours about great experiences I remember from my childhood and my mother, but a simple "Thank You Mom!" will have to do. You helped me learn a deep appreciation of the outdoors and all of nature, and we wouldn't be living, camping, and traveling in our RV if it wasn't for lessons learned from you.
She worked for the War Department during WWII, and she and my Dad adopted me from the Nebraska Children's Home in 1951 when I was 3 months old. My Dad traveled most of my early life as a Railway Mail Service clerk sorting mail on trains from Omaha to Cheyenne, Wyoming, Me and Mom had lots of time together, and I'm glad for that!
My folks liked the outdoors, and they made sure I learned about nature and the outdoors. We car camped all across the USA, especially in the western states. Dad made a cool box to house cooking and eating utensils, and the old Coleman gas stove was the heat source Mom used for our hot meals, and almost every meal was hot.
We hiked and camped in the Rocky Mountains, and I'm pretty sure it was Mom that talked Dad into letting me go on the ranger led hike into Grizzly Bear country in Glacier National Park around 1962. When I was diagnosed with cancer and nearly "bought the farm", Mom was there when I needed her most too. Dad died a couple years ago after a long illness, and they had discussed going to Alaska for many years but never got it done. Margie and I offered, and Mom agreed to go to Alaska with us last summer. Our Alaska Journal.
I could go on for hours about great experiences I remember from my childhood and my mother, but a simple "Thank You Mom!" will have to do. You helped me learn a deep appreciation of the outdoors and all of nature, and we wouldn't be living, camping, and traveling in our RV if it wasn't for lessons learned from you.
Happy Birthday Mom! - I Love You - Brian
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