HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Peter and Ida Haugland and family. Mom is standing center.

Mother's Day is coming up. I wish Mom were here alive for the celebration, but she passed away unexpectedly in 1996. We had hugged her good-bye at her home on Camano Island, Washington, and moved away to the Ozarks to begin a new life. We were followed not only by Mom's love, but by her dream of stepping back into time and living a simpler life in the country. She told me that she'd like to join us here in the Ozarks, saying it's like the idyllic life she's read about in books, and we had just begun happily searching for a house here for her when the call came that she was gone.

When Mom was a little girl, she happened into a field of sheep and was attacked and knocked down by the ram. She was so mad that when she got to her feet, she grabbed that big ram by the horns and yelled at him. He knocked her down again, and her frantic parents yelled at her to lie down and play dead. She did, and after sniffing at her, the ram strutted off and Julia ran to safety.

When her large family was traveling across the prairies from Minnesota to Washington State, young Julia thought that squatting to relieve oneself was crude, so she made a portable toilet out of a large wooden box, not with only one hole, but with two; and the family made good use of it.

When she was seventeen, she fell down a mountainside while on a hike, but she'll tell you about that herself. She survived, but all her life she bore the scars from the little stones that pounded into her forehead.

When I was beginning high school, Mom was driving on the Chuckanut Highway in Dad's little Ford Anglia when a drunk ran a stop sign and drove right in front of her in his pickup. Mom didn't even have a chance to slow down, and smashed into the side of the truck. This was in the days before seat belts, and after slamming into the steering wheel, which knocked out all her breath, she fell onto the floor of the car and lay there. She was stunned and breathless, but fully conscious, when the gas station man ran out and looked into her car, and said aloud to his co-worker, "She's dead."

But Mom lived on, and pampered us with her love until dying in her easy chair less than three weeks before turning 87. Her plan was to write an autobiography entitled "From Pillar to Post," but did no more than begin it:

It was during a howling snow storm that I was born in 1909. The doctor tramped his way through snow drifts and howling winds to get to my mother's aid in her difficult struggle to deliver me, her first born, on February 10. 

The apartment building, Pratt Courts, is still there in Evanston, Illinois. It is located near Northwestern University where my father, Peter Olaf Haugland, attended Garrett Biblical Institute to prepare for the ministry. I was born in a second floor apartment. 

My parents looked forward to my birth with great anticipation. Papa built a sturdy box with a hinged cover and rollers (casters) in which Mama could keep my baby things. When it was completed, Papa's joy and anticipation took over. He sat on it and scooted around on the uncarpeted floor, shouting "Yahoo!" Let me explain that Papa was a little man but strong and full of "vim, vigor and vitality." The landlady was up to our second-floor apartment in a jiffy to notify my parents-to-be that if that noise continued they would have to move. They continued to live there and it became my birthplace.

On November 22, 1986, Mom mailed the following true story to "Capper's Weekly":

"GIRL MIRACULOUSLY ESCAPES DEATH"

That was a front page headline in the Seattle newspaper. When I was 17 years old I was a mother's helper in Morton, Washington for a family with 5 children. One nice day in late August one of sons, Bud, 11 years old, and his cousin Ruth, 15, and I were given permission to climb up to Cutler's Rock on Morton's "mountain." Our way up was rough because the thorny Devil's Club vines grew in profusion, making crawling on our hands and knees necessary to avoid thorns as much as possible. 

Finally we reached the top and hiked over to Cutler's Rock from where we could see Morton and far beyond. In vain, because of wet matches, did Bud build the promised signal fire on the Rock to let family know our location. So he tried to use his high-pitched voice to call. Did they hear? We were so high up we could not distinguish people below. 

It was getting late (almost 6 P.M.) so we decided we better start back. There was a creek bed nearby. We decided it would be a shorter way to get down. The problem was who should straddle the large rock and start down first. I was afraid for the others and decided that being the oldest I should go first. So I carefully approached the big rock in the creek bed, sat down to ease my way onto it and suddenly slipped, and down I rolled and rolled, hitting my head, arms and legs on the rocky descent. Miraculously, I stopped rolling on a small level spot. 

I was not hurting yet -- the nerves were numbed. I had descended 60 feet, I was told later. I called back up to Bud and Ruth not to try it, and that I would try to get back up to them. A very treacherous climb it was, holding onto weeds and dry branches that only God could hold in place for me, and His protecting arms held me safe as I crept around a huge rock. I did reach the top. My bleeding head and knees and torn clothing shocked Bud and Ruth. We managed to hike back to a dilapidated cabin where we lay down on the old tables to rest. It was dark by this time and we wondered about bears and prayed that someone would find us. Suddenly we heard voices in the distance. We called out, "We're here! We're here!" until the search party of five men found us. They sounded off three gun shots to signal the town of Morton that we were found. That was 60 years ago and I still have the scars. 

If I had not landed on the little level area in the creek bed, the descent would have been steeper and the rocks larger and sharper! I'm so very thankful for a real miracle!

If not for this miracle in 1926, you would not be reading this, because I would never have existed, nor would be Eunice, Paul, Gloria, Linda, Cheryl, Gloria, Don, Ken, David, Luca, Mark, Joshua, Tom, Tami, Terri, Todd, Steve, Ronda, Leif, Sam, Andy, Glory, Julia, Disa, Rachel, Caitlin, Drew, Laura, Rachel, Caitlin, Drew, Laura, Jerad, Zach, Alex, Rachel, Joe, Cami, Kyle, Kory, Megan, Caleb, Denee, Kayleigh, Erika, Sienna, Theo, Byron, Camryn, Alex, Tyler, and all their descendants to come.

Mom's grandson Luca and his wife Traci once gave Mom a booklet to fill out about herself. The booklet was for grandchildren to give their grandmother, but I altered the wording a bit to make it just as well a book given to a mother. Because of Luca and Traci's thoughtful gesture, and Mom's cooperation, we now know more about Julia Lund than we ever would have known, and I am so thankful to them!  Some of the questions in the booklet seem lame and naïve, but that's how they were published, so what can you do? Here are the questions and answers:

JULIA SERENA LUND,
Daughter of PETER OLAF HAUGLAND, born in Bergen, Norway, on August 24, 1878;
and IDA KRISTINA (JOHNSON) HAUGLAND, born in Vetkam, Sweden, on May 12, 1882.

CHILDHOOD

Where were you born?
Date:   February 10, 1909.
Hour:   About midnight.
Place:   Pratt Courts Apartments in Evanston, Illinois.
Weight:   Maybe 8 lbs.
Length:   Maybe 19 inches.
Eye color:   Blue-green.
Hair color:   Light brown.
Temperament:   Happy and noisy sometimes. I guess I was a "Daddy's girl."

Were you named after someone, and why did they give you that name?
I was named Julia Serena after my two grandmothers because my parents loved them and liked the names.

How old was your mom when you were born, and were you the youngest of her children?
She was 27 years old. I was her first baby and my parents were very excited and happy to have me.

Who did they say you looked like?
I think I looked mostly like my mother.

Did you have a nickname?
Sometimes Julie, and my little sister called me Ya-Ya.

What important news event happened the day you were born?
I just know a terrible snow blizzard hit that day, so the doctor had to walk fast through the very deep snow to get to my parents' apartment to deliver me! My mother needed him fast.

Did you have any brothers or sisters, and what are their names and birth dates?
Evelyn Lydia - November 5, 1910
Dagny Elizabeth - June 8, 1912
Oliver Wesley - March 19, 1914
Miriam Linnea - October 14, 1916
George William - February 28, 1918
Elizabeth Jane - February 20, 1920
(My mother died a few hours after Elizabeth was born.)

Did you ever fight with your brothers and sisters? Who treated you the nicest and who the worst?
I don't remember fighting any one of them. I was "big" sister and helped my mother the best I could, and later my stepmother.

Did you have to share your room and your things?
Yes, we girls always shared our rooms. We usually had our own toys (very few). I especially loved a little baby doll I found in a Salvation Army box. I had to hunt for the doll's arms and legs so I could put her together.

GROWING UP

What was the best birthday you ever had? Why?
I don't remember any special birthday. There were too many of us to have a party on our birthdays. But I'm sure we had something special like a cake.

Can you remember your favorite birthday present?
Yes, I think I was ten years old when I received my first Bible and an "Eversharp" pencil to hang around my neck. I would even get up in the night to look at them because I was so happy.

How much did the tooth fairy leave you for a tooth?
Nothing.

How old were you when you got an allowance and how much was it?
Never got an allowance. Never heard of it. Got a penny now and then to buy a piece or two of candy or a stick of gum.

How did your parents punish you? Did they spank you? Who was more strict?
I remember only one time my mother threatened to spank me, but I don't remember why. If we would say, "Forlate mig, Mama" (Forgive me, Mama), she would.

What was the naughtiest thing you ever did?
I can only remember the above threat had something to do with some keys.

What were your favorite games and toys?
My favorite toys were my little baby doll, and my roller skates, and jump rope, and swing and merry-go-round my father made, and a playhouse and sand box he built for us.

What games or sports did your mom and dad play with you?
They had no time to play games with us. But they saw to it that we had ways to entertain ourselves.

Did you get to stay up as late as you wanted to, and watch TV or listen to the radio or records?
We had no TV those days (no radio or phonograph either).

Did you ever argue about your bedtime?
No. It wouldn't have helped, anyway.

Did you ever go to the hospital? Did you have stitches or break any bones?
I was in the hospital with scarlet fever once. No, I've never had broken bones. Had my tonsils taken out.

Were you scared of doctors or shots?
No.

What kind of transportation did you have? Did you ever ride in a plane, bus, train or boat? What else?
I remember when we had a horse and buggy. In 1918 we had a new Ford. In 1923 we came to Washington State in a 1923 Chevrolet touring car with just snap-on shades for bad-weather days.

Did you ever run away from home, or just hide from your mom and dad? Why?
No. I don't remember ever wanting to run away from home or hide from my parents.

Where was your favorite place to go when you were angry?
I would read a book if I could be by myself for awhile -- like sit on my bed.

What chores did you have to do?
Make beds, wash and dry dishes, sweep the floor, dust furniture, and take care of my sisters and brothers.

When you were given money, what did you spend it on...toys, candy, etc.? What could you buy for a quarter?
Twenty-five cents would buy about 25 pieces of "penny candy." A nickel for a package of gum.

Did you have a pet, and what was its name?
I don't remember any special pet. Once we had a cow when we lived where there was a barn. We moved so often (every one or two years). My father was a Methodist minister and those days ministers were moved often.

What did you like most about your best friend? Did you have fights and secrets?
When you have several brothers and sisters there's not much time or chances to have a best friend, and we moved often. But I had best friends in high school and college.

Did boys ever tease you? Was there a bully who picked on you?
I can't remember being teased by boys or picked on by a "bully."

MY HOME WHEN I WAS SMALL

What did your house look like?
We had so many houses to live in, because we moved so often. One year we lived on a South Dakota prairie where my Daddy built a one-room shack for us. No trees as far as we could see.

How big was your yard?
We usually lived in the "country" so we had woods to play in. I loved to play house with trees for "walls."

How many rooms did it have? Did it have an attic or a creepy room that scared you?
Every house had a different number of rooms. But we always managed to fit in. Once we had to live in a church basement while my Dad built a house for us. It's still there in Bellingham, Washington.

What kind of appliances did you have to cook with, wash clothes and light the house?
We usually had a stove that was heated with wood or coal.

How big was your room, and what did it look like?
Always different. One time my room was a closet big enough for a narrow bed. I loved it because it was cozy and I could be my myself to read, knit or crochet. My Mother taught me how to knit and crochet.

How many people lived at your house?
There were always many of us -- usually eight. We had a big family.

How did you keep your house warm in the winter and cool in the summer?
We usually had a heater for burning wood or coal to heat the house. There were "registers" in the downstairs ceilings so heat could go upstairs to warm the rooms on the second floor.

What was your favorite thing in the whole house? Do you still have it?
We had a treadle sewing machine that I liked and kept for years to sew on. It's still in our family.

CELEBRATIONS

What did you usually do on Thanksgiving?
I'm sure we always had a special dinner and sometimes relatives came.

Was your mom a good cook? What did she make best?
She was a wonderful cook. She even made sausages, also bread.

Did you live where they had snow? Did you make snowmen?
Yes, we had lots of snow in Minnesota, Illinois and South Dakota. Yes, we made snowballs and snowmen.

Did you help make Christmas cookies and candy? What were your favorites?
I don't remember making cookies and candy while I was very young.

Do you remember a special gift you made for someone?
On May Day we used to make May baskets to hang on neighbors' door knobs and run away to hide so they wouldn't know who gave them the flowers.

Did Santa come to your house?
I don't remember Santa coming in person to our house.

Did you ever see or talk to him?
I don't remember ever seeing Santa in stores those days when I was very young.

Did you hang your stockings and what did Santa leave in them?
We just waited for Christmas Eve to open our Christmas gifts. I don't think we knew about hanging up stockings those days.

Did you have a tree?  How did you decorate it?
Yes, we always had a nice Christmas tree. We used to have holders for real candles to light. But we were always afraid of a fire starting so didn't use them much.

What did you usually do on Christmas?
We always had a part to do in our church Christmas program. After the program we would receive a bag of candy and fruit to enjoy when we got home. It was very exciting and a happy time. Then on Christmas Eve we could open our gifts at home. Our Daddy would make us wooden things. One Christmas he made a doll cradle for me.

Did you make cards to give on Valentine's Day?
Yes, we always made pretty valentines for our school friends and for our parents.

Did you ever get flowers or candy from a boy?
I don't remember any boy ever having the courage or money to give me flowers or candy.

Did the Easter Bunny ever leave you a basket? Did you have an egg hunt?
One time I hid an empty strawberry box (4x4 inches) under our house through a window opening under our new house, hoping a "bunny" would fill it. Was sent to the store for coffee -- came home and saw a newspaper over the box, which upset me. So I went and grabbed it off.  Lo and behold -- it was full of red candies! I ran into the house all excited. I know my Daddy filled it. He laughed and we were all happy.

Did you and your family have a picnic on the fourth of July?
I'm sure we did but I don't remember any special times. We had "firecrackers" to hit with a hammer.

Did you have firecrackers or sparklers?
Yes, we loved the sparklers.

Did you dress up on Halloween? Did you ever make your own costume?
No, we never dressed up for Halloween. I don't remember trick or treating. Just worried about soaped windows and tipped out-houses.

Did you have a party or play tricks on anyone?
We were so many we couldn't each have a birthday or any other kind of party those days.

Were you ever scared of ghosts or witches?
I don't think we ever saw a ghost or witch to be afraid of. If we did our Dad would comfort us.

What traditions did your family have? Did you have any ethnic celebrations?
We used to celebrate the 17th of May -- a Norwegian holiday. There would be a "May pole" dance (a pole with several long ribbons attached on top). We would each (many of us) grab a ribbon and dance to music around the pole.

Did you ever have a big family reunion?
We would have church picnics. One I especially remember, having my turn at sitting on a heavy strong blanket with at least a strong man holding each of the four corners. They would raise and snap the blanket and I went high into the air and then come down, and safely landed on the blanket. What a thrill!

SCHOOL YEARS

What schools did you go to?
Grade School:  Went to a different school every one or two years. I remember 8th grade in Milan, Minnesota best.
High School:  I attended two years at Whatcom High School in Bellingham, Washington, and last two years at Stadium High in Tacoma. Graduated June 1927.
Others:  Attended the University of Puget Sound for two years.

Did you get good grades?
I got best grades in spelling, grammar, art, geography and arithmetic.

What subjects did you like?
Arithmetic, spelling, art and grammar.

Which ones did you hate?
Physics.

Did you walk to school or ride a bus?
Walked. Visiting in North Dakota with friends one year, I got to ride on their truck to visit a one-room school. I really enjoyed that and wished we could be in a one-room school in the country.

Did you ever tease your teachers or play jokes on them?
No, I never dared to disobey or play tricks on a teacher. We were taught to respect authority.

Did you ever play hooky?
No, I never knew about playing hooky and wouldn't have dared to skip school anyway.

Were you ever on a school team?
No, not on a team, but I enjoyed sports.

What sports did you participate in or watch?
Except for gym period in school hours, I never watched games. I liked the games and exercises in gym, though.

Did you get lots of homework from your teachers?
Not a lot. We had to do most of it in school -- grade school, especially. In high school and college I did have lots of homework.

PLACES I'VE VISITED

What was your favorite trip?
I don't remember where I was going, but when I was about ten years old I was allowed to go by train all by myself to another town to visit some friends. I was so happy to be wearing a new black hat with a brim all around, and a black ribbon on it hanging down the back, and carrying a new and shining black patent leather "vanity" purse.

Did your family go on vacations?
The only "vacation" we, as a family, went on was a Christian camp meeting for several days. We slept in our tents.

Did you go fishing or swimming?
Not fishing, but one time my father and some of us children went camping by a lake. I was wading one day in the lake (Minnesota) when my father saw a black creature (a "blood sucker") on my leg. He came in a hurry and brushed it off my leg and explained why. I was afraid to go back in the water.

What is the longest distance you went on a trip?
When we moved to Washington State from Minnesota. My father had to have his appendix taken out in Fargo, North Dakota, so we had to stay with friends there for three weeks 'til Papa could drive again. There were eight of us in a Chevrolet touring model car, plus an over-loaded trailer!

Did you ever take a trip by yourself? Did you get lonesome?
I already told you about the train trip I had all by myself to visit friends. Not a long trip, but fun to think my parents let me go alone. No, I did not get lonesome.

Did you go to the State Fair or amusement park?
I went to a "Chattaqua" one time -- something like a circus. I don't remember ever going to a fair those days. We went to a zoo one time. I had a nice dress on (brown silk!). While we were watching the elephants, one of them came over and spit on my nice dress. I was very upset.

TEENAGE YEARS

How old were you when you learned to drive?
I did not learn to drive until I was 24 years old.

Did you have your own car?
No car until I got married. My father-in-law gave us his car.

Did your parents ever ground you? What for?
I don't remember ever being "grounded."

What did you and your friends do on weekends?
We would roller skate, play "jacks" and "Auntie I over" and jump rope and play "hop-scotch" at home.

Did you ever have a pajama party? What did you do at them?
No, we didn't know about "pajama parties" those days.

Did you get to talk on the phone as long as you wanted to?
No, if we had a phone, we children were not allowed to use it.

What time did you have to be home at night?
We never were allowed to go out at night. My father said I could not "date" until I was 17 years old, and even then I didn't "date."

How old were you when you started dating? Do you remember your first date?
I was about 19 years old. I was working in a private home for my room and board while attending college. The people I lived with took me with them to visit a Navy ship in Tacoma. A nice sailor talked to me and got permission to come and see me. The next evening he came and took me for a walk to a near-by cafe and then back. We sat on the front steps and talked. He kissed me on the cheek and left. The next day or so, my father came to Tacoma from Vashon Island and ordered me not to go out with the sailor again. I was sorry. The people I worked for took me on a camping trip after that for several days. The ship had left Tacoma while I was away, so that was the end of my first "date."

Mom's High School Graduation Picture, at 18

WHEN MOM AND DAD WERE DATING

Where did you first meet Dad?
I met him in my church in Tacoma. Our minister made sure we were introduced to each other. We got better acquainted at Institute (our church youth camp) the following week.

Were you serious from the start, or did you still date other boys?
I was invited to visit his parents in Everett soon after that. They loved me and made me feel at home right away.

Where did Dad take you on your first date? What was he like?
The visit to his parents' home was the first date. Then his parents and I would visit their friends. We never went to movies or dances and never wanted to do so.

What was his favorite place to take you on a date?
To church or to visit friends. We were not able to see each other for a year when he went back to Evanston, Illinois, to continue his Seminary (studying to be a minister). He had two more years left to finish Seminary after we met.

Did your parents like him right away?
I think they did. At least they knew he was a Christian and didn't worry.

Did you ever have a big fight with him while you were dating?
I quit writing to him for about ten days. I lived in Tacoma and he lived in Everett. I just wanted him to prove he really loved me by calling me or writing, which he did not do.

When did Dad ask you to marry him?
We almost "broke up" that time, because instead of worrying when he didn't hear from me, he was angry.

What was your first answer to his proposal?
I told him I'll let him know later. On our next date I said "yes."

What was your wedding like? When and where was it?
We were married June 24, 1933 in the little Norwegian Methodist Church in Everett (no longer there), which filled with people 'til it was over-crowded -- no room for us to go down the aisle after the ceremony! Had to walk out with me ahead of him, and then across the street to our reception in the Lutheran Church.

Did you have a honeymoon? Where did you go?
We had a three-day honeymoon up in Index, Washington, at the foot of the Cascade Mountains.

Where did you and Dad first live? Where was your first job?
In Aberdeen, Washington, to serve our first church appointment at the Norwegian Methodist Church there. That was our first job after we were married.

Were you a good cook and homemaker when you first got married? Did Dad help around the house?
Yes, I had lived in several homes so I learned many things about cooking and house-keeping. No, Dad was not much help around the house. He was his parents' only child for many years, so quite spoiled.

What is your favorite funny story about the first year you were married?
It was during the "Depression" years, so we had very little money. When we needed gas for our car, we could get only a dollar's worth. I can't remember anything funny that happened that year.

When and where were your children born?
Eunice was born in Aberdeen, Washington.
Paul was born in Bellingham.
Gloria was born in Seattle.
Linda was born in Bellingham (we lived in Nooksack).
Dale was born in the Army hospital in Fort Ord, California.

COOKING

When did you learn to cook?
After my mother died, we children were home alone and I cooked a pork-chop dinner for us. I was eleven years old.

What did you first learn to cook?
I don't remember. Maybe it was "mush" (cooked oatmeal or cream of wheat).

What was your biggest cooking disaster?
Trying to make a jelly roll after my mother died. I was eleven.

What is your favorite recipe?
Quick White Layer Cake
1 3/4 cup flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
Sift together into bowl.
Break 2 eggs into a 1-cup measuring cup and fill with milk to make 1 cup full. Add to flour mixture. Beat well.
Stir in 5 tbsp. melted shortening and 1 tsp. vanilla.
Pour into 2 layer cake tins.
Bake in 425°F. oven 10 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick.
Let stand and cool 10 minutes before tipping out of pans.
Frost with chocolate icing.

What is Dad's favorite recipe?
Whipped Jello Dessert
Dissolve 1 pkg. Jello in 2 cups hot water.
Let it stand 'til it starts to set (about 1 hr. 20 min. if in refrigerator).
Have 1 can evaporated milk chilled.
To Jello add 2 tbsp. lemon juice.  Whip 'til fluffy.
Add 1/2 cup sugar and mix well.
Whip canned milk after well chilled.  Fold jello and whipped milk together.
Cover bottom of 10x15x2 inch pan with Graham cracker crumbs.
Carefully pour Jello mixture in, and spread top with Graham cracker crumbs.
Keep in fridge.

FAVORITES

What's your favorite
color?   Pink, purple, green, brown.
book?   Christian romances.
movie?   "Sound of Music."
song?   "God Will Take Care of You."
sport?   Volleyball.
hobby?   Needlework.
vacation?   Visiting on a farm.
season?   Spring.
holiday?   Christmas.
flower?   Roses and lilacs.
candy?   Divinity fudge.
cookie?   Oatmeal.
ice cream?   Vanilla.

FAVORITE TALES

Can you remember any funny stories about family members?
Eunice jumping up and down in a very long T-shirt to hurry up labor pains to deliver her second baby, Gloria!
Paul and Gloria singing a duet in church and got the giggles in front of the congregation in Blaine.
Linda and Vickie (husband Ron's sister) getting the giggles over and over before sleep one night when visiting me in home on Camano Island. I had to giggle, too -- just hearing them.
Dale and playmate at 3 years of age, walking southward in Everett for many blocks, looking for the huge Santa Claus. Got lost. Police picked them up and drove up and down Everett streets 'til they pointed out where they lived. The police took them to my door. Dale had wet his pants.

Is there a family trait?
Teasing, and telling jokes.

AS TIME GOES BY

What fads do you remember best?
We always wore hats to go to church. Not any more.
High school girls all wanted A-style skirts with poodle embroidered on plain fabric.
When I was in high school our gym suits were black, knee length pants, long enough and full enough to tuck in above our knees to look like skirts, and white tops called "middy blouses."

What did you want to be when you grew up?
A one-room school teacher in the country. I liked to visit a one-room school when staying with friends on a farm, and decided I would like to be a country school teacher some day. But I never did. I became a minister's wife and worked in a hospital, a nursing home and a doctor's office.

Is there anything you've always wanted to do but haven't?
I would like to have lived on a farm. I used to help our farmer friends "shock" wheat, and then help with cooking and serving meals to the threshing crew during harvest time. I would like to have been free to sew for my children and spend more time with them.

Who are the people who influenced you the most? Why?
Our farmer friends. Also, when I was very young I enjoyed going to prayer meetings with my father and go to churches miles from where we lived, to keep him company. We even traveled by horse and buggy sometimes.

How did you feel when you first learned you were a Grandma?
I felt too young to be a grandma. I was even embarrassed when my first grandchild (Cheryl) announced to a clerk in a store, "This is my Grandma!" It was the first time I was called "Grandma."

What advice do you have for me?
Keep on being the good man you are. Set a good example for your own children. Be sure they learn about Jesus and know how much Jesus and their parents love them. "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6
_______

On January 23, 1996, Julia Lund was at her Camano Island home and very sick. She sent me a message on her fax machine, saying that she felt miserable. She also wrote a very practical message for the whole family. She knew she was dying.

And after taking care of business, she passed away that day of congestive heart failure.

_______

I'll end this post with a poem I wrote for Mom's 74th birthday, in 1983:

Who would have ever guessed

That the lovely little miss,

Who, when she fought the angry ram,

Showed no cowardice;

Who, while her family used a ditch

To relieve themselves en route,

Built a proper toilet seat,

And with two holes, to boot;

Who, when her step-mom kept the salt

From her at the table,

Her papa couldn't resist her charm,

And sneaked the salt when able;

Who always worked so very hard,

Although her treatment cruel,

Who mended clothes without reward

And culled cow chips for fuel;

Would one day tumble down a mount

And walk away therefrom,

To fall in love with Clarence Lund,

And so become my Mom?

Her strength continues to this day

From when a little child,

From when the ram met his match,

From when her papa smiled.

For years she cared for all us kids

When Dad was overseas;

And e'en when hard she serves our Lord

With supernatural ease.

And no matter how far-fetched my thoughts

Or what I speak about,

She always with long-suffering sits

To calmly hear me out.

I'll ne'er forget the hospital

In which I almost died,

Where through those scary days and nights

Mom never left my side.

By providence she's here today,

Despite the mountain fall,

Despite the car wreck here she is,

Giving us her all.

No matter where her children are,

She clothes them when they're poor,

She feeds them ere they're hungry,

And prays she may do more.

And I have to smile at her nerve,

When she will ne'er refuse

To play a table game with me,

Knowing she will lose.

How glad I am that Mom was born,

And will ever praise her day;

Julia Lund is my Mom,

I'll fore'er be proud to say.

And I pray the day will never end,

When Leif, quiet as a mouse,

Will suddenly look up and say, 

"Let's go to Grandma's house!"

_____
To see the complete contents of the Butter Rum Cartoon, click here.