Staying in Touch

Douglas cousins, Cecil Jr., Bob and Bruce behind LeRoy on "Pet." Old Pet was very sway-backed but looked pretty good if you got enough kids on her! Uncle Cecil’s station wagon that they used for their trip from Utah to Missouri is in the background of this picture 

Photo by

  
Margaret Walls  

Written by 
LeRoy Walls 
CEO 

In the 1950’s three of Mom’s brothers (Leland, Walter and Herbert) lived close to Grandpa and Grandma Douglas. We lived about 20 miles away in Cabool. Uncle Cecil’s family lived in Salt Lake City, Utah. Aunt Lois’ family lived in Phoenix, Arizona. Aunt Gladys’ family lived in Japan, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Seattle, Washington, because Uncle Warren had a career in the U.S. Army.

At Grandma and Grandpa Douglas' house at Christmas time after presents were opened, we then drew names for the next year. This helped us to know their names and ages and kept us more in touch with each other. Sometimes the gifts from Utah, Arizona or even Japan would arrive in our big mailbox several days before Christmas. If my name was on a present, it brought lots of guessing and anticipation until Christmas arrived. We couldn’t open the gifts until the "Douglas Christmas" when everyone else was exchanging their gifts.

During the rest of the year - - letters, telephone calls and photographs were some of the other ways we heard what was going on in Cecil’s, Lois’ and Gladys’ families.

Summer visits by these three families back to Grandma and Grandpa’s were the greatest of all ways for staying in touch. I have many pleasant memories of my cousins and me catching lightning bugs, playing sheep in my pen, exploring Grandpa’s barn and farm, eating his watermelons and putting a cherry bomb in his milk tank.

I know that Cecil, Lois, Gladys and those in their family scrimped and saved, some worked extra jobs and gave up vacations (to other places) just so their families could stay in touch with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. We can’t turn back the clock to those great days, but I appreciated all their efforts to find ways to stay in touch.

Whether Woodpro customers, friends or family - - staying in touch has little to do with distance and much to do with commitment and how much we care.

12/31/1999