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Show Page 8 The Ogden Valley news Volume XXI Issue V June 15, 2013 Remembering Father on Father’s Day 2013 Men who become fathers accept their role with varying degrees of success; some wholeheartedly with enthusiasm and responsibility; others, not so much and still others—not at all. Most fathers will, at some point, be looked upon as the “worlds’ greatest” or “super Dad” through the loving eyes of their offspring; at least for part of their fatherhood. Dads have their own way of interacting with their kids. My dad was a “chin chucker,” a trait that has nothing to do with boxing or any of the martial arts; it was about pure entertainment. He chucked the chins of his children, nephews, nieces, grandchildren and some adults—anyone brave enough to stick their chin out and answer a question or two. “What’s your name,” he would ask with his index finger firmly beneath your chin and thumb grasping the upper chin. When you began to answer, he moved your jaw up and down rapidly. The answer came out Pa- pa- pa-pam-ela, or Sha- sha sha-sher-il. It also worked with the names David, Joe, Amy, Allison, John (2), James, Stephanie, Hugh, Kent, Alan, Rene, Steve, Susie, and Greg—his grandchildren. They all loved this little inter- action with grandpa, a prolific chin chucker. Once the chucking began, it was normal for one of the kids to plead, “grandpa do my chin,” and he would willingly oblige. Cyril (Bit) Holcombe Reynolds was a middle child of Frank and Nora Reynolds of Kynesville, Florida. His father showed signs of an active sense of humor when he called the baby “my little bitsy man,” and the nickname “Bit” stuck. His mother called him “Bitsy” all of her life, and so did the rest of his family and friends. Bit found his way to Columbus, Georgia in the middle of the Great Depression; his father had died in 1922. His mother would return to Florida, remarry, and live on a farm a few miles from the old family home. He met Winifred (Winnie) King and they married in 1934, had five children, and struggled through tough times including WWII where he was a low draft risk with three children and flat feet; instead, he worked at a Fuse Plant during the war. They managed through economic good and bad times. He started keeping a diary, a gift from his DYERS WOAD cont. from page 3 • • • • • • • • • • • • Alpine Pizza – Ten, $10 gift certificates Carlos & Harleys – Two, $20 gift cards Club Rec – One, $150 rental gift certificate Diamond Peak Bike - One Bicycle tune-up Eden Coffee & Cocoa – Coffee Eden Park Gage Froerer Real Estate – Lunch at Eden Bowery Harley & Bucks - Coupons for $5 off $25 purchases Jackson Fork Inn – One, $20 gift certificate Ogden Friends of Acoustic Music - 30 tickets The Ogden Valley News Representative Gage Froerer children, on Christmas day 1944 and continued writing for some forty years, making brief daily entries. Most of his comments in the journal were about family, church, and work. He would sometimes write in the margins something humorous he had heard or seen on TV. A famous comic of the 1950’s said, “I put a bar in the back of my car, now I’m driving myself to drink.” He appreciated the humor even though he was a “teetotaler.” Looking back, there are many things I wish I could change and appreciate more about my father. I also wish I could again see him hit a baseball into the centerfield at a church men’s ball game; see him, his brothers and their wives playing cards and hear the men celebrating a good hand they played; see and hear him decked out in a Santa suit saying, “HO, HO, HO” and asking the children if they had been good and what they wanted Santa to bring them for Christmas, the toddlers looking up in awe and the older kids whispering, “That’s grandpa.” Wish I had been more respectful, more agreeable, more understanding with him. Ours wasn’t an outwardly affectionate family although some of that changed when I married an Italian/American girl from Brooklyn. She injected a little more openness in the family and she wasn’t afraid to hug anyone and often did so. She won the hearts of my parents, that’s for sure, and most of the family. But love is shown in many different ways even if unspoken at times. And nothing says love like a little chin chucking. I’m sure that when we meet again he will be surrounded by family, and someone will ask, “Grandpa, do my chin, please.” Even if your father wasn’t a chin chucker, this is a time to remember all of his good qualities, the good advice, and the love and care you received from your dad. And don’t be surprised if you discover ways that he helped you that you never even knew about. Happy Father’s Day to eachand every one, and to fathers to be. It’s a great job with priceless benefits that you will earn with your own blood, sweat, and tears. • Snowbasin - Two adult-value season passes • Summit - Ten Powder Mtn. lift ticket certificates • The Oaks – Five $10 coupons • Valley Hair & Co. - Three haircuts courtesy of Heather Holbrook, Jennifer Duke, & Heather Marvel • Valley Market – Food products for the luncheon • Wolf Mountain - Four lift tickets munity donors and others who have been instrumental in making this annual event a success: Weber Pathways; Weber County Commissioners, Sheriff’s Office, James Park with Weed Control; the U.S. Forest Service; and many dedicated and committed friends and neighbors in the community. The best way to say thank you is to give them your business! This three-day event was hosted in correlation with National Trails Day, and sponsored by Weber Pathways, the U.S. Forest Service, Weber County, and Ogden City Trails Dept. Please take the time to thank our com- John W. Reynolds, Pleasant View Woad warriors Paul Delong and Ellen Fowers. WANTED! VALLEY RESIDENTS WILLING TO HELP! What you can do to help: • Begin now to eradicate dyers woad by pulling, spraying, or cutting down dyers woad on your own property, and in front of your property along roadsides and in neighboring empty lots. It seed pods are already forming, bag the weed and dispose of it appropriately. • Organize your own neighborhood or homeowner’s association to ensure woad is removed from all areas of your neighborhood. • Contact your Weber County Commissioners, asking them to enforce state law requiring property owners to remove dyers woad. • Gently remind your friends and neighbors to do their part to remove dyers woad from their property. • If you have a neighbor who needs assistance in clearing dyers woad, offer to help; perhaps a youth or scout group could lend a hand. Community members at this year’s woad roundup. |
