Buttering Up: Harry Van De Riet, Sr.

Here is a lovely picture of Grandpa Harry and Grandma Bess on their wedding day. I wish I could have known these two. My Grandma always spoke of her parents in such worshipful tones, so I'm sure I'll be sharing several of stories about them. For now, though, I want to share a glimpse of what it would have been like to be part of this family. I think a lot of my own family's sense of fun came from these two.

Here is an excerpt from "On Becoming a Van De Riet", by Ruth Van De Riet.

(Me--Dad--LaVonne--Harry Van De Riet)

"I was duly introduced to the rest of the family and very early on I realized that here was a force to be reckoned with! For example, at my first dinner with the family, Grandpa Harry passed me the butter and shoved it so my thumb stuck in it! Since things like that continued to happen frequently, I soon knew that one had to be on their toes.

Jack was recalled to active duty for the Korean War in August...We were married in Choteau. At the reception following the ceremony, brother Harry [Jr.] removed two shotgun shells from his pocket, handed them to the minister and said, "I guess we didn't need these after all!" I am sure we could all write a book full of such antics and remarks. Here I was, an only child, now part of this large fun family--and I loved it!!"

The Van De Riet family, Back row:  Jack, LaVonne, Harry Jr., Bonnie, Ray, Norma.  Front row:  Harry Sr, Bess

I need to start buying butter in the cube instead of the tub so I can do this to my daughter. She needs a little teasing.

Poison Apple: Jack Drake Haynes

I thought it would be great for my first story apple to post a story about apples! Our kids are going to hear this story tonight for family home evening. I'm going to include a scripture from the Book of Mormon, Alma 44:4, as the theme for the lesson. "Now ye see that this is the true faith of God; yea, ye see that God will support, and keep, and preserve us, so long as we are faithful unto him, and unto our faith, and our religion; and never will the Lord suffer that we shall be destroyed except we should fall into transgression and deny our faith."

Here is an excerpt from a personal history written by Jack Drake Haynes, (who I am named after).
(Me-->Dad-->Jack Haynes)

"Around this time [first grade], Seth [his older brother] and Wayne K. and I went out to Wayne's orchard to pick apples. I climbed up in the tree and tossed apples down. I didn't know the apples had just been sprayed with arsenic to kill bugs! I ate 2 or 3 apples...after a while I started feeling yucky! I lay down on Wayne's lawn and looked at his house. It was spinning round and round! It got blacker and blacker...and I was soon unconscious. I don't know if anyone figured out what was wrong with me, because Seth and Wayne didn't get sick. Someone took me home, but no one called a doctor! I was unconscious for several days! Finally, Dad and Brother Petersen gave me a blessing and I woke up. About a month later, my black hair turned bright red. Another month and it all fell out! I was bald as a billiard ball. I had to start school, (second or third grade) without any hair. My hair did finally grow back dark and wavy."

I've heard Grandpa tell this story a few times and one thing he usually mentions is that they figure Seth and Wayne didn't get sick because, having both hands free, they rubbed their apples clean on their shirts and didn't suffer the effects of the poison.

Glen, Verl, Seth and Jack, a few years after the apple incident.