Poppie and Dad, men who ask nothing but would give you the shirt off their backs.

I meant Poppie when I was, 19, I was full of my self, as alot of 19 year old are, I thought I was so much smarter than he was. I loved him in an instant and knew that he needed me, somehow I think now that it was me who needed him. My dad had always told me that I better marry a man that I could boss around cause if I didn't one would beat me up for my bossiness. Poppie allows me to "boss" him only until he is done with my bossiness and then we get on with being equal partners. It took me awhile in my early marriage to figure out that I was smarter on an intellectual level but I was not smarter than Poppie. He is flat out the smartest mechanical person I have ever meant. You can give his a machine, of any kind, and he can master driving it in about 3 weeks time. He can fix almost anything that has a motor. He can no longer do that kind of work due to his back injuries and disability but he can still help you fix anything if you are willing to do most of the physical work on the motor. He and I complete each other in most of our thought process, as we come at most things from a different point of view.

Over the years I have had people, who don't know us very well say I have no idea what you two have in common, but the reality is that we want the same things in life, and always have, some one who loves us for us and nothing more. When we got married Poppie had nothing so did not know how to share the nothing he had. He took to sharing what he had, when he had something to share, like a duck takes to water, any one that knows him now knows how generous a man he is, he gives to anyone in need. My dad is the same way gives with out hesitation to anyone in need, however neither like to ask for help for themselves.

I recall at time when I was 7ish that my dad brought a man home that he had picked up along the road when he was on his way home from work. I remember the man being ancient, but I am told he was only around 40 but had lived a hard life. The man was plain and simple for the times, a bum, now we would call him homeless. He smelled horrible, and I now know that part of the smell, that was terrible to me, was alcohol but then I had not had opportunity to have smelled it, he was filthy, painfully thin and decrepit. My dad brought him home, he sat him at the head of our table with all of us kids seated at the table around him. He had wanted something like 1.82 cent to begin with from my dad but my dad would not give it to him, not that he didn't have it but it was the exact amount for a bottle and my dad wouldn't buy him a bottle. He brought him home and feed him chicken dinner and then loaded us all up in the car and took him 90 miles to Riggins, Idaho to the bus stop. It was the middle of the week, he had to work the next day and we had school, he needed to help the man in a way that he could live with without contributing to his problem. I still remember watching that man choking on whole chicken bones as he tried to swallow them in his hurry to eat a meal he hadn't had in a long time. I will never forget the man, and my dad's kindness to him.

Poppie, when my older kids were very little, was going to the local gas station to get gas when he came across a car steaming, along the road, with two people standing looking into the hood. He stopped to see if he could help, there was water pouring on the ground and the motor was boiling. The lady was signing to him, Poppie doesn't understand sign so she got out a little tablet and ask him. "if we drive the speed limit can we make it to Deerlodge". Poppie was at a loss for what to say, number one they must have not being do the speed limit when the problem occurred and the vehicle wasn't going to make it to the gas station, a block down the road, little own Deer Lodge, about 100 ish miles or so away. Poppie tried to speak to the man, but he was an illegal alien and couldn't speak English, except to say "cigarette?". Poppie gave him a cigarette and tried to make the girl understand that she wasn't going anywhere. She just kept writing "can I make it to Deer lodge?" Poppie was so at a loss as to what to do, he finally loaded them in our truck and brought them home. He loaded up me and the kids, got his trailer and went back to the car and loaded it on the trailer. We took them to Deer lodge, and dropped them off at the girls families home. It was early in the morning when we got home. Poppie got no real sleep before he had to be at work. The kids luckily weren't in school yet. I again will never forget the kindness to complete strangers that made Poppie help them.

I am proud to say my Dad and my dear Poppie are humble, Godly men, they give so much of themselves and never ask for anything in return. I have benefited from knowing both of them in my live, and I know my children will take their examples of kindness with them throughout their lives...... tomorrow.