My intention in writing this history of my father is not to write a documented complete history of him but to write my version and memories of him and his life. Claudious Bowman was born in Kanab Utah on the sixth of Sept. 1890. His Father was Henry Eyring Bowman and his mother was Mary Gubler. His early years were spent in Kanab.

When he was about seven years old his father was called on a mission to Germany. He sold his interest in the Kanab Mercantile Coop and moved his family to Provo. His boys attended grade school there, Mother Mary Gubler was very resourceful and thrifty and sold milk and butter while the boys worked for neighbor farmers after school and during the summer months. They soon learned to work and learned the value of thrift and saving money. When her husband returned from his mission she was able to give him even more money than he had left for her support.

Grandfather received a letter from his Uncle Henry Eyring inviting him to visit Colonia Juarez where his Uncle Henry was manager of the Coop Mercantile of the Colony. Grandfather Bowman liked what he saw and the possibilities there. He went back to Utah and moved his family down to Colonia Juarez. He bought a controlling interest in the Cooperative Mercantile and later became the manager of the store. When the Railroad came into Dublan they moved the main store to Dublan and built up the Union Mercantile.

My mother relates that, while the Bowmans were preparing and remodeling their home in Dublan, that father Bowman and some of the boys ate their dinners at the Robinson home and that is where she first met Claude.

When Dad entered the Dublan grade school they found that he was more advanced in his schooling than the other kids his age so they moved him up into the seventh grade. Then it was a problem to keep him busy because he learned so quickly. The seventh grade teacher sent him to the principal. While there he would answer the principles questions before the eighth graders could think of the answer. Paul Cardon was the principle at that time and the teacher for the eighth grade. I remember Dad's laugh when he told this story.

Dad and his brothers began to work around the Union Mercantile. One day an ancient Chinese man came to the store and began to purchase his supplies. Each purchase he would bring out and hang on his old saddle while his old white horse was asleep with his head hanging low. This was a little too much for the boys to pass up. One of them slipped out and put some "high life" on the horse's back-bone just above the tail. That poor old horse came to life with a loud snort and went bucking down the street scattering stuff all along the street. The old man came out and ran frantically down the street calling loudly in Chinese to his crazed horse. I don't know the rest of the story because I never heard what happened after that, but if I know Grandpa Bowman those boys received their just dues.

As Dad grew older he was taken into the offlce of the Store and taught accounting and how to keep the books. He liked it so much that he took a course in accounting by correspondence. We have a picture of him sitting in the office of the store with his hat on. Dad was sent to Provo to attend the BY High School. He told us how he had grown 5 inches in one year while in Provo. On his return he worked full time in the Store office and became part of the Union Mercantile Basket Ball team.

Grandpa Henry was a real sports fan and organized a baseball team and a basket ball team. The baseball team won the Stake championship with Leon Pratt as the star Pitcher. Brother W. Ernest Young relates in his journal that Grandfather Bowman would yell and throw his hat in the air and generally carry on at the games. He also said that Grandpa was a good coach and that he, Brother Young, enjoyed playing on his team. Dad used to tell about some of the trips to El Paso to play Basketball. Grandpa would go in his Model T ford taking the team. They would all push it out when it got stuck in the mud or the sand, but when the Ford broke down they had to walk all of the way to Columbus where they took the train to El Paso. They were so tired and footsore that they could not play their best but they still won their game. They won most of their games in El Paso and the El Paso coach would say, "Too much Bowman brothers combination". Dad played Center while Uncle Demar and Uncle Thel played forwards. Uncle Harold, and Uncle Dev played guards. Bobby Done and Emerson Pratt later played with them in El Paso. They made up a team that was really tough to beat. After the Exodus most of these same players played for El Paso and won the Southwest Conference Championship.

When I was a little boy the Dublan Team was made up of Claude Bowman, Harvey Taylor, Loren Taylor, Morgan Hurst, and Jay Robinson. I don't remember who sat on the bench but in my minds eye I can see those five older men playing against the Juarez Academy team.

We used an old adobe building with a very good Oak Hardwood Floor that had been used, to assemble wagons and farm machinery, by the Union Mercantile. They put a very good backboard and a basket at each end and we called it the Gym. Dad ran the electric wires from the Mill over to the Gym so that we could have night games.

The Electricity came from the Hydroelectric Plant that the mill had over on the west side of the river that used the water from the Hot Springs. We grew up playing Basketball and skating on roller skates in that old Gym.

EARLY MEMORIES

My earliest Memory of Dad was when I was about 3 and 4 years old. Dad had gone to the mountains hunting and had killed a big Black Bear. He had the hide tanned and put it in his bedroom by his bed. I slept in a little bed against the wall. That big bear rug was between my little bed and my Parents bed. One night I dreamed that the bear hide came to life and began to growl horribly at me in my bed. I woke up from that terrible dream and could still hear the terrible growling of the bear in the darkness. I huddled down in my bed in fear and dread. I couldn't cry out or move for what seemed a very long time. Finally in the Grey light of dawn I could see the Bear rug lying on the floor and recognized the growling sound as the snoring of my father.

When I was 5 years old we moved from the old Chico Jones home, where I was born, up to the two story brick home that was on the same block as the Mill. Dad bought it from Peter Skousen. Amid the confusion of moving and packing things up I remember that I felt lost and forgotten. Suddenly my Dad came and gave me his new Sunday Felt Hat and told me to take it up to the new house and hang it up. With that great recognition and responsibility I walked carefully up the long block to the new House. I was barefooted and the little path leading into the house was full of weeds and Bullhead Stickers. I finally made it into the house by holding that hat high with one hand and picking the stickers out with the other. When I got that new hat safely hung up I felt that I had helped the family move.

The Bishopric announced a contest for the members of the ward. The family that could do the most to fix and clean up the home would received a valuable prize. We went to work on the outside and the inside. We took out all of the weeds and stickers and hauled in river dirt for the new lawns. We hauled in Adobe dirt, from the flat, for the walks and driveway. We leveled and planted the lawns and rolled down the walks, the driveway and the sidewalks. I say we because Dad had procured from somewhere, a roller. It was made from a ten inch pipe six Ft. long, filled with cement with a bolt in each end. We put a wire loop over the bolt with a stick handle in one end of the wire to pull it with. . Bob was on one end and I was doing my utmost on the other. We would wet down the dirt then roll it down with that roller. I was a husky little boy, 6 years old, and was very proud that I could help Bob with that roller. We cut the front ditch on both sides with a string so that it would be straight. We planted Maple trees along the ditch bank. Bother Warren Longhurst gave us the Maple trees from his nursery. He offered to give Maple trees to anyone of the ward that would plant and take care of them. I remember Dad working with Claudius and Bob to put windows in the upstairs bedrooms. They poured cement for the casings around the windows. We knocked the mud plaster off the walls and the ceilings and replaced it with mortar plaster. We trimmed the trees around the house and planted flowers and a rose arbor. We planted a garden with grapes along the fence. We planted a Raspberry Patch against the east wall of the Garden with grapes fencing in the Raspberry patch.

I remember going with Dad up to Pearson to get the big cast iron pipes and corrugated culverts to put in for bridges for the ditch across the streets. We also got a cast iron modem bathtub and a flush toilet. Dad brought a hot water tank and pipe to install it with. He put a coil of ¾ inch galvanized pipe in our wood stove fire box to heat the water.

Well, Dad won the contest and the prize was to be a flock of Silver Laced Wyandot Chickens complete with two huge Roosters. Dad went to work and built a Chicken Coop of Adobe complete with a big run planted to alfalfa. The roosts had grooves in them that were padded with felt that could be soaked with oil to prevent the parasites from infesting the chickens. The nests were also painted with crude oil to keep out the parasites.

When all was in readiness the beautiful Chickens came to their new home, they were Dad's pride and joy. I remember gathering the big brown eggs and enjoying them for breakfast. We didn't have any chairs so Dad had the Carpenter at the mill build us some four legged stools. These were simple but effective. They were made with a four by four block about 8 inches long forming the center. The leg was put on each of the four sides at an angle with screws. The top or seat was a 12" x 12" x 1" piece nailed on the top. We used these strong stools in our kitchen for all our meals for many years.

DAD AND MOTIHER'S ENGAGEMENT

Dad, even when he was very young had strong convictions and ideas of what he wanted in life and especially about the purpose of marriage and family life. I remember Mother telling about their courtship and marriage. Mother said that when he would come down to court her they would sit in the Parlor and visit always in hearing distance and under the watchful eyes of her parents and family. She would giggle and say that when he would leave she would stay outside and could hear the hoof beats of his horse as he galloped up the back street and turned into the barn of his home. We were especially interested when she told us of her engagement. She said that Dad asked her if she wanted to marry him she shyly answered "yes". He asked, "why"? Mother giggled and told us that she was flustered and didn't know what to say. Finally she said, "I guess because I love you". Then she countered with, "Why do you want to marry me"? He answered with conviction, "Because I want you to be the mother of my children."

TEACHING US TO WORK

Dad had a firm conviction that his boys needed to learn to work. He always had plenty of work for us to do and saw to it that we did what we were told to do. We had big lawns that encircled the house except for the Flower garden in the front. There was a walk that went from the front door to the front gate with a flower garden on each side. During the dry season of the year when there was no irrigation water from the ditch, we had to water the lawns using our Pitcher Hand Pump. Dad made a wooden V trough that hung on the spout of the pump and carried the water to the lawn. Dad told us to keep that pump going all day. There were four of us Claudius, Bob, Wesley and I, we would take turns at the pump. Wesley and I were littler so we had to use all of our weight to be able to pump. At first our hands would get sore but they soon got toughened to the pump and we could do a pretty fair turn. While one was pumping the others would play and have jumping contests. Those games got so interesting that at times the one at the pump would run to join in the game. It seems Dad had it timed just right and about that time he would step around the corner of the mill and yell, "Get on that pump." We would all jump and run and line up at the pump.

During the summer we had two big gardens that were planted to all kinds of vegetables. They were watered regularly so the weeds would really grow and infest the garden. Dad assigned us to hoe weeds eight hours a day. That would be from 7:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. with one hour out for breakfast and one for lunch. We learned to make each hoe stroke count and bob taught us to keep a clean place between us and the weeds so as to not leave any weeds that were not hoed. After 5:00 O'clock it was our free time. We usually worked hard on the weeds until five then run down to the river. We had a perfect swimming hole that we called the Cardon hole because it was on the Cardon land. This swimming hole kept a constant level of water because of a dam just below it. It was deep starting next to the east bank and didn't start to slope up until it reached the west bank about 30 ft. across. The hole was about 100 Ft.. long so there was plenty of room to swim and dive. There was a big white, weathered stump that extended over the deepest part of the hole. The stump extended up about 8ft. above the water and it was easy to walk up the stump as it sloped up over the water from the bank. It was a perfect place to dive from. Bob didn't allow us to just swim around, we had to practice diving and practice perfecting our Johnny Weismeuller Crawl. I am sure that Dad knew that if we worked hard that we would enjoy our free time more. We certainly didn't get bored and we always had many things planned for our free time. We became expert at Marbles, Tops, Yoyos and Baleros and practiced walking on our hands and learned to turn flips. The neighborhood boys were always on hand to join in the fun.

Claudius was not with us at this time because he was working up on the Riquena farm with Uncle Harvey. He was put to cultivating com and beans. He enjoyed working with the big Percheron Draft Horses that we used on the farm. He would leave very early with Uncle Harvey. He would always carry his Lunch kit and wouldn't get home until after dark.

THE SCHOOL BUS

Along about the time Wesley was ready to go to High School Dad decided that Dublan needed a bus for the Dublan kids to travel to Colonia Juarez to attend High School at the Academia Juarez. He got the people enthused in a project and they bought a Bus. When they brought it in it didn't have any seats in it. I guess they got it cheaper that way. They went to work and built four long seats the length of the Bus. One on each side and two in the center back to back. I remember Wesley in the bus installing those seats. They padded the boards and covered them with green leather from the Tannery. Those seats served us for many years and hauled a lot of students to School. I remember that we had to sit generally boy, girl boy, girl because the boys are wider in the shoulders and the girls are wider in the hips. Each row of seats was facing each other so the girls sat with their legs together between the boy's spread legs in the opposite seat. It took over an hour to travel to Juarez on the dirt road. We passed the time singing. We learned many of the old songs and harmonized well. All of us that road the Bus during those years have fond memories of singing together and enjoying our time on the Bus.

WORKING IN THE MILL

When Wesley was in High School he was little for his age. Dad decided to keep him out a year and have him work in the Mill as a packer. There were three packers Wesley, Ventura, and Fidel Flores. They each worked an 8 hour shift as the mill operated 24 hours a day except Sunday. The shifts were from 7:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. from 3:00 P.M. to 11:00 P.M. and from 11:00 P.M. to 7:00 A.M. I remember Wesley became the best packer the mill ever had. He taught me all of the tricks of the trade. The summer after my freshman year at the Academy I went to work in the mill as a sweeper. I had to keep the mill clean from top to basement and pick up and sack all of the flour spills that occurred when a tube would get clogged. Whenever I could I would go and help Wesley stack the flour in the bodega. I admired his strength and agility in wheeling the two wheeled hand truck up the little incline into the big warehouse.

When I began my sophomore year, the bus stopped one evening in Casas Grandes. Taylor Abegg and I got out and bought ourselves each a Soda Pop and drank it. Very soon we both came down with severe cases of Typhoid Fever. I remember the terrible headaches and alternating chills and fever. Mother, day and night would wipe my face with a cold wet towel or cover me with blankets to get me warm. I remember that Dad would bring Dr. Martin Del Campo to give me injections. I was kept in Dad and Mother's bedroom all during that terrible time. After three weeks of high fever it finally subsided and I remember how good the food tasted.

I was very weak. I don't know why but I suddenly had a relapse and was again very ill for three more weeks. I vaguely remember that Dad and someone else laid their hands on me and administered to me. This gave me courage and faith to get well. All of this time Taylor was undergoing the same terrible fever. I was so weak that I had to wait to gain enough strength to walk again. I decided to go down and visit Taylor and see how he was doing. I walked slowly along the Sidewalk until I came to the head of the Coon lot where they had a ditch across the sidewalk. This ditch had a gentle slope down in and up the other side. I coasted down into the ditch but was too tired to make it up the other side. As I sat down to rest Taylor came along and coasted down into the ditch but couldn't make it up the other side. We sat down there and laughed at our weakness and had a good visit.

I remember I slowly regained my strength so that by Christmas I was doing pretty well. That Christmas I remember Dad gave all of us boys a beautiful Remington Pump 22 Rifle. We each received a packet of ten boxes of 22 bullets. Wow what a Christmas. I would take that wonderful 22 and go hunting down along the river and over to the Warm Springs. At Dad's suggestion I would leave in the morning and walk most of the day hunting to get my strength back. I really enjoyed these long walks and hunting trips.

They lasted about a month until Dad decided that it was time that I got back to work and he put me in the mill as a packer for the rest of that school year and summer until the fall. When I started to work at the mill I weighed 45 kilos, the same as a sack of flour. At first I had to have help with the two wheeled hand truck loaded with six sacks of flour, but as I gained strength I was able to take the truck into the warehouse. After a few months I was able to lift a sack of flour over my head and throw it to the top of the stack ten high. I even learned to sew the sacks of flour expertly by hand. I will always be grateful that Dad sent me to the mill to be a packer. It gave me the confidence that I needed to go back to school and really study and enjoy all of the activities.

TAYLOR AND BOWMAN

As long as I can remember Dad was in a partnership with Harvey Taylor. They called it Taylor and Bowman. They worked together in harmony and congeniality and our two families were very close and we learned to call them Uncle Harvey and Aunt Mary. They called Dad and mother Uncle Claude and Aunt Jennie. Taylor and Bowman owned Stock in the mill and they owned the Riquena Farm. Dad worked in the mill and Uncle Harvey ran the fare. They always worked together with mutual respect and honesty. Later they bought land on the flat and the Ranches.

THE MILL

Dad upgraded the mill with new machinery from Germany and really took pride in installing it. Don Manuel Rivas was the mill carpenter and he built the wooden tubes to carry the different grades of Flour, Bran and Shorts from the top to bottom of the mill. When the silks from the sifters would wear out Dad would bring them home for Mom to replace them with new silks on her Sewing Machine. I loved to help her by working the arm of the treddle to make the machine run. Mother got so good at sewing that I could make that machine really hum and she could keep the silk folded and sewing onto the canvas edging as fast as I could make it sew. We would stop at each corner, sew around the comer and then hum down the next side. Each silk was a different grade to sift the different grades of flour as they came from five different Roller Mills.

Dad helped the people of the whole region by extending credit to those who needed it. All during the year the farmers came in for flour and money to live on and plant their wheat with. They would sign a little "Vale" and take what they needed. When they harvested their wheat they would bring it into the Mill and settle up their debts and leave the rest for credit for the coming year. This system acted as a banking system for the farmers and they were able to operate their farms in this way. Many could not have lived without this help from Dad. Dad knew each one of them and their integrity and capacity to pay. When a new person came in they usually brought a known signature as a guarantee for their payment. All of the farmers for miles around knew Dad and loved him. They called him "El Mocho Gumar" and knew that he was a fair and honest man. They called him "Mocho" because when he was a young man he cut off his thumb while sawing Lumber in the Carpenter Shop. For many years he was the lifeline and help for the farmers and gave them an invaluable service. There were no banks or any place they could procure a loan to operate their farms on. Back then Wheat was the main crop and it supplied the flour for Tortillas and bread. It also supplied the cracked wheat for mush and the bran for the dairy cattle. Many of the poorer people used the shorts, which were cheaper. The shorts were a grade of flour between Bran and white flour and had a sweet taste. I remember the delicious taste of tortillas made of shorts. Many of the older farmers have told me that times have changed and that they missed being able to go to the mill and get flour and money on credit. They are having a hard time because they can't get credit at the Banks. They say they really miss their good friend "El Mocho" and the mill. He helped them when they really needed it.

FAMILY TEACHINGS

Dad was very well self disciplined and he wanted each of his family to develop Self Discipline also. He would not allow any face cards in our home and didn't want us to play any kind of games with face cards. He taught us to strictly observe the Sabbath Day. We were not allowed to go joy riding on Sunday or play any kind of games. As soon as we were old enough to fast we were taught that fasting was 24 hours without food or drink. We were taught to always be on time to our meetings and to always be where we were supposed to be when we were supposed to be there. We were taught to be willing and eager to fulfill all of our obligations in Priesthood and in the church and community organizations. Dad and Mother lived so that we could follow their example.

Dad taught us to play Chess and the goal for us was to be able to beat Dad but we never did reach that goal. He also liked to compete with us in skill games such as darts and bean bag toss. He would even play Basketball with us in one bank games of 21.

Dad and Mother were very hospitable any and all that needed a place to stay or happened to be around at mealtime were invited home. I remember Brother Edwin McClellan lived in our home while he was making our kitchen cabinets. Brother Dare LeBaron lived with us while he was painting the house. The German Engineer lived with us when he came from Germany to install the new Mill Machinery. The Old Mennonite Miller lived with us while working in the mill teaching the millers how to do the milling.

The Old English Man by the name of Mr. Brown stayed with us many times when he came from Galeana to bring his wheat or buy flour. Any stranger who Dad met and that needed a nights lodging was welcomed in our home.

For 21 years while Dad was Stake President, he drove to Columbus N.M. to pick up the General Authorities of the Church and drove them down to conferences. They always stayed at our place and were given the best we had in lodging and meals. It was a great blessing for all of us to associate with these Apostles and Prophets of the Lord. We visited with them and felt their Spirit and they prayed with us and left their blessing in our home.

Many times in the evenings, when the visitors from Salt Lake would come, Dad would say. "Go get the boys and come and sing for us". We would go invite our friends that sang with us to come and entertain the visitors. The group was made up of Nacho Ruiz with his Guitar, Severo Ruiz with a wash tub for a drum Cachin Ruiz with an empty cardboard string cone with a tissue paper over the end for a Trumpet, Tomas Ruiz with a washboard for a Guagira and Wesley and I to harmonize with Nacho. Some times Armando Solis would come. He had a very beautiful singing voice that we all loved to hear. We would all congregate in the front room and with our band would entertain the visitors for and hour or two. We would sing many of the old Mexican songs in three-part harmony and really enjoy those times.

MOUNTAIN TRIPS

My earliest recollection of the mountains was a big Rodeo in Mound Valley. Our family went in Dad's "Star Car". It had a little truck bed instead of a Rumble Seat. I remember lying in my bed in the back of that Star Car and listening to the high pitched mooing of the cattle that were being used for the Rodeo. I also remember wondering about the mounds that dotted the valley. I was told that they used to be Ancient Adobe Houses of the people that inhabited this valley. I remember thinking about the book of Mormon people living in that beautiful valley with a clear mountain stream running through it.

Dad loved to go to the mountains to hunt and he went about every Deer Season and every Turkey Season as I remember. When I was about ten years old Dad took me with him on the big fall Deer hunt. I remember traveling forever. it seemed, in the back seat of Dad's car, I was nestled among the bundles of food, camp equipment and bedding. Dad was driving and Uncle Harvey was in the passenger seat. Uncle Harvey greeted me with, "Well Keithy (he always called me Keithy) we're going on a big hunt." I just grinned and was very happy that I had been invited to go along. I remember that we packed up three Packs on horses and four horses were saddled ready to go. Uncle Steve Farnsworth let me ride a little brown horse and told me that he would take care of me. We road out of Garcia just as the sun was coming over the eastern hills. We rode west over the Continental Divide and down across the Gavilan River. After riding all day through beautiful pine forests and grassy Mesas we came to a little grassy camp by a clear mountain stream. Uncle Steve confided that we were camped on the Bald Mesas just a little north of Bull Peak. We unpacked just before sundown and hobbled the horses out for the night. Dad told me to get a fire going. He was going over to the Rim to watch the big Bucks parade along the Rim after sundown. Uncle Steve came back to camp carrying a two point Buck on his shoulder and immediately began to cut up the liver for a supper of liver and onions. After a long day without eating I really enjoyed that meal of fresh fried liver smothered in onions.

The next morning before daylight I woke up to a busy camp. The horses were being saddled and the Tenderloin of Venison was frying in a big iron skillet. After a hasty breakfast of Venison and bread washed down with hot Postum, we mounted up and rode out into the frosty morning just at daylight. I remember my hands and feet were so cold that I thought they were going to drop off. We rode single file, Uncle Steve in the lead with Uncle Harvey, Dad and me following close behind. The horses seemed to walk silently through the tall grass.

Uncle Steve stopped and pointed ahead of us. There on the trail that wound up and around Bull Peak was a sight that made my heart pound. Nine big White Tailed Bucks were lined up along the trail. The three men dismounted with their guns in their hands discussing, in whispers, which Deer each would take. Dad handed me the bridle reigns of his horse to hold. They all got ready and at the count of three the shots rang out as one. Two big Bucks jumped and fell rolling down the steep hillside. One just humped up and ran slowly down the hill and lay down about fifty yards from where we were. Dad pumped another bullet in his 30-30 Rifle and took careful aim and fired. The Deer flopped over and lay as if he were dead. Dad walked down to where the Deer lay with me following close behind with the horses. He straddled the Deer, took a firm hold on one him and began to cut the Deer's throat. Suddenly that Deer came to life and began to jump and thrash around and paw Dad with his sharp hoofs. Dad tenaciously held on and continued to saw on the Deer's throat. Finally the Deer kicked it's last spasm and Dad stood up he was bruised and bloody from head to foot and the front of his shirt and pants were tom and bloody. Dad was grinning triumphantly but Uncle Harvey and Uncle Steve were really laughing.

They each cleaned his Deer and tied it on his saddle and we went back to Camp to hang up the Deer and relax while Dad got cleaned up and changed his clothes.

One day as we were riding along on a high ridge covered with giant pine trees, our horses hoofs began to make a booming sound on the ground. I turned to Uncle Steve and asked if it was hollow underneath us. He answered that he thought that it was a clay ridge and that was why it made that booming sound. In my imagination I was not convinced and I could imagine a deep cavern directly under us.

At the end of this wonderful hunt we hung up nine big Bucks in the trees west of Garcia. We had finished eating the Two Point Buck for camp meat. Later that night after dark we went back in the car and retrieved the Meat in the car and distributed it around the town for people to eat.

I remember when Dad was Stake President he had as his Counselors Brother Wilford Farnsworth and Brother Moroni Abegg. They would visit the different wards in the Stake including the Mountain Colonies. They were Colonia Pacheco, Colonia Garcia and Colonia Chuhuichupa. I accompanied Dad many times on these trips.

One time I went with Dad and Brother Farnsworth to Colonia Garcia. We left early Saturday morning and arrived in Garcia in mid afternoon. On the way Dad told Brother Farnsworth that he would like to take him Turkey hunting that evening. Brother Farnsworth said that he would like that since he had never hunted Turkey.

When we arrived in Garcia Dad went to see Albert Beecroft and asked him to take us Turkey hunting since he was a very good Turkey Caller. We went in the Car up on the Continental Divide West of Garcia and walked to the edge of a deep canyon. Here Dad gave Brother Farnsworth the Shot gun with instructions how to operate it. Albert began to chirp on his Wing Bone and we all listened intently. Soon we heard a lusty Gobble that came from across the canyon. The big Gobbler came into view strutting and gobbling. Albert told Brother Farnsworth to get ready because the Turkey was going to fly across the canyon. That beautiful bird took off with strong beating of his wings and sailed across the canyon straight toward us. In the excitement of that moment Brother Farnsworth stood up and began pumping the mechanism of the Shot gun. When the Turkey saw us and heard the chuck, chuck of the gun, he banked steeply and sailed back down the canyon and was lost to sight. Brother Farnsworth asked excitedly, "What! What! Happened"? Dad answered saying, " Wilford! you never did shoot". We all looked down to see all five unfired shells lying on the ground. That Turkey flying directly at us was exciting!

I can remember many successful Turkey hunts with Dad, In Chuhuichupa with Cliff Whetten and in Garcia with Uncle Steve Farnsworth. When I was eleven years old Uncle Steve gave me a Wing Bone out of a Turkey Hen and taught me how to use it, I began to practice diligently and learned to use it well. That started me on my long career as a Turkey Caller.

On our scout hikes at twelve yeas old I called Turkey for my fellow scouts but those are other stories.

DAD AS A BUILDER

I remember when I was in the first grade we attended school in the old Relief Society Building out on the flat. We were using that building for all church purposes at that time. They got permission to build a new chapel with the church putting up 50% and the Dublan Ward to put up the other 50%. We could put up our 50% in labor and some of the materials. Dad was head of the building committee and he spent a lot of time and effort getting everything organized and supervising the actual building.

They went to work to make all of the brick needed for the building. I remember watching how this was done. They made a big mixing box with a big log in the middle. This log had iron bars driven into it that stuck out all around and up and down the log to act as mixers. The log was secured at the top and bottom so that it could turn around and around to mix the brick material. A long pole was fastened to the top of the log and extended out and a horse was hitched to the end of the pole to turn the mixing pole around in the mixing box. They would fill the mixing box with the right proportions of sand and clay then add water as needed to mix the brick material to the right consistency. The horse would go around and around in a circle at the end of the pole and mix the material until it was ready to put into the brick molds. As soon as the bricks were ready, dried by the sun, they were stacked in such a way as to form a big brick kiln to be burned into beautiful red brick.

The kiln as I remember had three tunnels under the stacked brick to provide a place for the fire to burn the brick. The wood was hauled from the mountains in wagons. I remember seeing Uncle Jay Robinson and Uncle Lee Robinson bring wagon loads of Oak and Juniper wood with their teams and wagons. I remember that I went down at night to see the brick kiln aglow from the red, hot coals that filled the three tunnels. I could see the glow and the fire coming out of the sides and the top of the kiln. The bricks were stacked in such a way that the fire could heat each brick and turn it into a bright red burned brick. I remember that Charles Taylor was tending the fire when I went down there.

I remember watching Dad mixing the cement with the other men to pour the floor of the basement of the new building and the wide ramp that led from out side down into the basement. The whole ward pitched in and when the building was finished it was beautiful and very well constructed. The floors of the whole building were installed with imported Oak flooring. All of the doors and windows were very well made and beautiful. The big stage was in the south end of the big hall. The building was large and very adequate for all of the needs of the ward and the School. I attended grade school there from the 3d grade to the 8d' grade.

Later when I was made principal of the grade school I taught school in that building for 5 years. We used the building for all of the purposes of the ward and community. All of our dances, dramas, operas, conferences and church meetings were held in that building. Some of the fondest memories of my life are centered in and around that wonderful old building which is no more.

Dad loved to dance and attended all of the dances with us. We used to have a dance nearly every Friday night. Brother Robinson, who was Mr. Dance of the church, came down to teach dancing to the members of the Stake at our Stake Conference. For a time the soldiers from the old Regimiento 20 came to play for the dances. They had a big Marimba and could really make music with it. Three soldiers all played at the same time and filled our hall with wonderful dance music.

For many years Brother Oliver and Sister Agnes Bluth played for the dances. Sister Bluth played the piano and Brother Bluth played the Saxaphone. They usually invited two or three musicians from Casas Grandes to play with them and they provided our dance music for many years. The dances at that time were for all of the members of the ward and stake from 12 years and up. All of the family came together and usually danced every set. Dad was a very good dancer and inspired us to really try to dance well.

THE TENNIS COURT

Dad loved to play tennis and was very good at it. He said to the family one day, "We are going to build a Tennis Court". Dad bought a Transit to stake out and level the court area. We hauled in the dirt from out on the flat and leveled up the court. We installed a water tap on one side of the court about at the middle and dampened down the leveled dirt with the hose. We would sprinkle the dirt just enough for it to pack then tamp it down with heavy tampers. We used sand to keep the dirt from sticking to the tampers. After it was tamped enough to support the roller we started rolling it down. The Roller was very unique and very heavy. It was an iron pipe about 4ft. in diameter and 20 inches wide filled with cement and had a 2 inch pipe in the center through which the pipe handles were placed to push it with. We had to grease the center frequently so as to make it easier to push. We would sprinkle the area where we were rolling and throw sand in front of the roller so the dirt would not stick and pick up. We would roll back and forth the length of the court leaving a very smooth hard packed surface on the court. To paint the lines we used a lime solution in a can with a hole in it and moved along a string line as a guide. Once in a while we would get a spot too wet and the roller would tilt dangerously to one side. If it ever tipped clear over it was a major operation to lift the roller back up and repair the damage to the court. We learned to be very careful not to let it tip over.

We made a high wire fence on the north end of the court that joined the Chicken Coop on the north east comer of the court. We extended a high fence from the top of an Adobe wall on the south end. The wall joined the Barn on the southwest comer of the court.

We installed the net posts with a Rachet Tightener on one side. Dad brought in a good net and some good Tennis Rackets and balls from El Paso. Later Dad brought us a restringing outfit and good strings. We would restring our own rackets and did for many years.

Dad taught us all to play Tennis and he taught us all of the rules and how to keep score. We all worked right along with Dad and partook of his enthusiasm and learned that you can do anything you really want to do. We all practiced with each other and Dad played with each one of us to show us what we had to do to be able to beat him. We had many family Tennis tournaments. We were all fairly evenly matched but we never could win against Dad. Some times we could win a few games but not a set against Dad. He was always very competitive.

Dad supervised each step of all of the work and worked along with us helping us to learn how to do it. We later put up a Backboard and a basket at each end of the court and some big lights on each side of the court so that we could play Basketball and Tennis at night.

We had to roll down the court and repaint the lines about every two weeks but that only made us appreciate the good playing surface all the more. I remember that Kathleen and Dorothy learned to play Tennis with all of the rest of us. This project really united our family and helped us to work and play together.

I learned to play Tennis on that court and when I was teaching in the Academy in Col. Juarez I won the Tennis Tournaments against the Alumni and then won against the Tennis Champ of the School. I was able to do this every year until I developed a tick that would close my left eye at critical times so I couldn't judge the ball. I remember that Greg Bowman was the Student that beat me the last year I played in the Tournament.

THE DUBLAN GYM

Dad decided that we needed a Gym in Dublan. I don't know how he got this unprecedented project approved by the Church authorities but it was approved and Dad went to work and with the help of the Ward and built the Gym. This was an enormous undertaking. This included buying in the US the flooring, steel beams, and many other things that were not available here. Dad bought the materials and got them across the border and had them hauled to the building site. The members of the community did all of the work under Dad's supervision.

When it was finished it was probably the best gym of it's kind in the state. Dad Arranged to have the State Basketball Tournament here in our Gym to inaugurate it. All of the best Primera Fuerza Teams came to the big inauguration. Dad coached our Dublan team at this time and we all loved to play for him. We won the State Tournament that year for the first time in the history Basketball in Dublan.

Dad, with the help of the other coaches made the selection to go to the Nationals in the City of Puebla. Most of the Team flew down to Puebla two days early but Dad had some pressing business so he and I flew down the day that the Tournament was to start that night. When we arrived at the Gym we found that the Governor had put Agustin Garcia in as Coach in Dad's place and Agustin had put Cherokee, a Chihuahua player, in my place. We lost to the Mexico City team by I point.

Dad taught me a great lesson when he didn't show any animosity or resentment for having been pushed aside out of his being the coach of the team representing the State of Chihuahua. Seeing how he took it helped me to swallow my pride and resentment.

When the Gym burned down Dad was already in Mexico City working as President of the Mexican mission. Bishop LaSelle Taylor put Ashton Longhurst as the head of the committee to rebuild the Gym. Brother Chato Bluth and Brother longhurst with the help of many other members of the Ward rebuilt the Gym. It was an extremely hard job because the big beams had been twisted by the fire and had to be straightened. Finally it was completed and was again our beautiful Dublan Gym. We decided to celebrate by hosting the State Tournament here again.

In 1958 we again hosted the State Tournament here in our Gym. Lester Skousen was our coach that year. Again we won the State Championship and, with the Dublan Team as the base, we made the Selection for Sate Team that was to represent the State of Chihuahua in the National Tournament. This Tournament was held in Chihuahua City. We won the National Tournament and we proudly brought home to Dublan the big National Trophy in Feb. of 1959. I have a photo of that Team and I will use it to try and remember the players on that team.

This was less than a year after Dad was killed in an Automobile accident While serving in his mission but we all felt to give him credit for making this possible. He coached the Dublan team even before the Gym was built. He had us practice on our dirt court at our house and we played many games against Juarez in the old Gym in Colonia Juarez. Every time I meet Harold Brown even now, after fifty years, he tells me that he remembers those games in Juarez. He tells me that My Dad used to yell, "Give it to Keith give it to Keith"! Then Uncle Lorin Taylor used to yell "Give it to Selle give 'em hell!"

LEAVING HOME

The morning after I graduated from high school, in May of 1941, we were eating breakfast around the kitchen table and Dad asked, "Well what do you want to do now"? I answered, "I want to go to school at BYU. Dad said with a little laugh, "I'm not holding you'. He then said that he would take me to Jacob Lake to work for Uncle Harold Bowman for the summer to get me started. Dad realized that a good part of my education would be to work my way through school without any help from home. I left home with just the clothes I had on to begin the great adventure of working my way through college. I didn't have any baggage or any money at all but I did have the knowledge and confidence that I could go to school and I knew how to work. Dad had confidence in me and knew that I could do it. The Details of this adventure are written in detail in another story but this is about Dad and my memories of him.

I was living in the Dorm at the Y that Sunday morning Dec. 7, 1941 when we heard President Roosevelt declare war on Japan because of the attack on Pearl harbor. Many of my friends and fellow Students from the Dorm went down and enlisted in the Armed Forces. I was required to register with the Draft Board as a Non Resident Alien with a Visa to go to school. Dad sent me word that I should stick to my purpose and continue in school. Then in 1943 when the pressure from the Draft Board and the people in general got worse I called Dad and asked him about enlisting arid he told me that he wanted us to go on a mission.

At the end of the summer of 1943 Dad picked me up at Jacob Lake and sent Donn, Dan and Me to the mission home in Salt Lake City. After our training and preparation there we came home for a few days, then we all three went on the train together to Mexico City to begin our missions. Dad sent us Money each month to sustain us on our mission but we were required to send home each month a detailed report of every peso that was spent and what it was spent for. This was good training and helped us to try to spend only what was necessary for the work of the mission.

When I was stationed in Mexico City I was playing Basketball on the team that was sponsored by the Secretaria De Agricultura. It was the best team in Mexico City at that time and President Pierce had told me to play basketball. He sent Elder LaSelle Taylor to introduce me to the coach of the Team. I would work in the mission work during the day and play in the games at night.

One night we were playing against the Phillips 66 team from the USA. I remember that as I stepped to the sidelines to throw the ball in during the game I looked and saw Dad, President Pierce and Harold Pratt sitting on the front row right in front of me watching the game. I really played my heart out after that knowing I had the approval of Dad and Pres. Pierce and Pres. Pratt. After the game they took me to supper and we had a good visit.

DAD AND OUR MARRAIGE

When Donn, Dan and I were released from the mission we all came home together. We arrived home on Donn's birthday Feb. 9, 1946. Dad informed us that we were to report our missions in Stake Conference in the first part of March.

I remember I went to the Sunday morning Conference meeting early prepared to give my report. I walked in the door of the big hall and looked down to the end of the hall. There in the light of the window was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. I stopped and stood still and so did my heart. I said half aloud, " There she is! Naoma Haynie"! I knew that she was the answer to my prayers. I continued on to the stage where I was to give my report.

After the meeting I invited, according to custom at conference time, two young high school girls to go home with me to have dinner in between the two sessions of conference. I had my guitar out and was singing some romantic Mexican songs to the girls while waiting for dinner to be served. Naoma came in, to my surprise, carrying food for the table. When our eyes met I became embarrassed because here I was a returned missionary, a 24 year old, singing romantic songs to the two very young High School girls.

At the last of the afternoon session of the Conference it was announced that there would be a meeting held in the Relief Society room to organize an Ex Mexican Missionary Club. For some reason I was delayed and went into that meeting a little late. I hurried to the back and sat down and discovered that I was sitting by Naoma. I remember the feelings I had when I reached over and held her hand and felt the response when I tightened my grip on her hand. I learned later that she had a ring on her finger and that it actually hurt her hand when I squeezed it.

I don't remember anything about that meeting except that I was holding that lovely little hand. After the meeting as we walked out together I said in a way of making a date, "I will probably be down to see you this evening". Naoma answered in her usual direct way, "Are you coming or not? I am not going to wait if you are not coming". I said hastily, "Yes I will be there". The next scene in my memory opens with the Bowman family around the big dining room table with Dad at the head of the Table and Mother at the foot of the table nearest the kitchen. Along one side Elder Thomas E. McKay was seated in the middle with Maurine on his left and Naoma on his right. Donn was sitting next to Maurine and I was sitting next to Naoma. Elder McKay turned to Maurine and commented, "So you're the new Daughter in Law". Maurine giggled and answered, "Yes". Then he turned to Naoma and asked, "What about you are you going to be the next Daughter In Law"? She answered hastily, "Oh no, I am going on a mission, I just came down to say goodbye".

After supper Naoma and I had to walk back down to Elaine Bluth's home where Naoma was staying because Donn was using the family car to take Maurine back to Colonia Juarez. We walked out into the cold, windy March night and walked hand in hand down to the Bluth home and found a refuge out of the wind by a window on the north side of the old Bluth home. There we huddled together and talked of our feelings and when I kissed her I knew that I wanted to marry her and that I was falling in love. By the time I went home about 2:OO A.M. Naoma and I had decided to be married.

I am telling all of this in order to set the stage for Dad's reaction and his part in it. The next morning rather late I came down stairs and was in the bathroom washing up for breakfast and Mother stepped in and asked, "What do you think of Naoma"? I answered, "She has more spark in one night than any of the others had in a year". Later during breakfast I told her that we were engaged to be married. She immediately told me that I had better go talk to Dad about it. When I went over to the mill office and told Dad the good news he was not pleased and told me that he didn't want me to marry and that it was too soon and gave many other reasons why he thought that I shouldn't marry Naoma. I was shocked and saddened and as I was always the obedient Son and wanted to please my Father I decided to break it off.

The next Sunday morning I went into Sunday School as they were singing the opening song. I hurried in and sat down in an empty seat near the door. I looked up and there in front of me I saw Naoma looking more beautiful than ever. She was dressed in a lovely Dove colored suit and I fell in love all over again. She was sitting between Her sister Dorothy Jean and Elma Jane Jones. My heart sank as I realized what I had to do to please my Father.

I suffered the rest of that day and avoided going to see Naoma. That night I was to give a fireside and talk to the young people of the ward about my mission and show them all of the pictures I had of my mission. After the fireside Naoma and I walked silently up the street from the old Call home to the Jones home and on past a little way to stand under a giant Cottonwood tree. There under that tree and holding hands she asked tensely, "OK what is wrong". I began by saying, " Well in the first place I love you very much". She countered with, "That is all that matters, isn't it"? My heart was breaking and I realized that yes that was all that mattered really, no matter what the consequences. As I held her in my arms that night I realized that the Lord had told me that she was the one that I was to marry and that I really loved her with all my heart.

The next day I went over to the mill office to face my Father. I told him that I had decided to go ahead and marry Naoma. I could see his anger mount as he realized that I was disobeying and going against his will. In anger he said, "If that is what you want, you can just get out". I sat back silently considering all of the implications of leaving home and destroying all of our plans of working the ranch together and spending my life in love and harmony with my family. Especially it hurt to be disobedient and receive the disapproval of my Father after being so close to him and having him as my ideal.

After what must have been an hour of silence between us, each considering the terrible implications of what had been said, I finally choked out, "Dad I don't think you really mean that". He answered gruffly, "No I guess I don't. If you have made up your mind to do it then I will help you".

Then I saw Dad as he really was. He could control his anger and strong feelings even in a situation where he had to back down from his position and very strong words. The purpose for telling this long detailed account was to show Dad in his true strong self. He often told me that in Church courts he would rather err on the side of leniency than to err in judging unjustly.

DAD'S HELP AND GUIDANCE

True to his word Dad helped us in every way. He took us to the Temple to be married. He invited us to live in the upstairs apartment of the Bowman home. He helped me get started to work the land on the flat and took me in to work for the mill when it fell down.

We were sitting at breakfast one morning when we heard a noise and looked out of the window to see the west wall of the mill's wheat bins explode outward spreading wheat across the garden clear to the grape arbor by the lawn. Dad walked out and looked it all over. He turned to me and said, "Get your little team and wagon and start hauling wheat we are going, build it back strong enough this time." With my wagon and teams and with the help of the men I had on the farm we hauled all of the wheat around to the mill intake. Then we hauled all of the dirt and adobes from the garden around to where they were remade into new Adobes to rebuild the Mill's wheat bins. Then we hauled all of the dirt to make all of the adobes that were needed. The walls were rebuilt 4 Ft.. thick with reinforced cement bands about every 2O Ft. as the walls went up. We also hauled the sand and gavel for the Cement and the dirt to lay up the Adobes with.

Dad hired men to make the Adobes and lay them up all by contract and had no trouble to find the men that knew how to do it. They all worked willingly and well under Dad's close supervision until the job was finished.

We lived upstairs in our little apartment for about six years and had our first three children there. Grandmother Eva May Peterson Haynie came to be with Naoma for each birth. She was a midwife and had delivered over 300 babies. I loved to watch her tenderly take care of Naonia and the baby. She would bathe the baby and tenderly rub on baby oil then rub and toast the baby's tiny feet by the fire. The baby would stretch his little legs toward the fire and wiggle his tiny little toes in pleasure.

Keith La Rae was born Sunday April 6, 1947. Dad was about as proud of him as I was. By the time he was 3 months old he could stand straight up balanced on my hand. By 8 months he was walking around. Dad took us to Salt Lake to Conference and to show off our little son.

When Mary was born on the 5th of Feb. there was 5 inches of snow on the ground. She warmed our hearts and our home. She was such a beautiful little girl that all who saw her wanted to touch her face and hair. Dad thought that she looked like My Sister Dorothy and Dad's Sister Maybeth and was a true Bowman.

Just before our third baby was to arrive, our Dublan team was to go to Chihuahua for the State Basketball Tournament. Dad encouraged me to go saying that Naoma was in very good hands and would be taken care of if the baby came. I flew to Chihuahua on the LAMSA airline that came at that time to Casas Grandes. We won our first game that night and stayed in the little hotel near the old "Gimnasio Rodrigo M. Quevedo" where the Tournaments were held.

Very early the next morning I hurried up the street about ten blocks to an old Colonial style building. In the third story of the empty house there was a short wave radio set that I had permission to use. I hurried to the tower room and turned on the set. Dad came on the air telling me that Dr. Ernest LeRoy Hatch was upstairs to help Naoma deliver her baby. We talked back and forth for a few minutes then Dad said excitedly, "You are the father of a little baby girl and Naoma and the baby are both doing fine."

We named this beautiful little girl Naoma Susann Bowman. We called her the Basketball Orphan because when her 8th birthday came along I was supposed to be in Chihuahua for the State Basketball Tournament. Early that morning we all went up to the Warm Springs and built a nice big fire. With Don Marcial de la Cruz as witness I Baptized her in the ditch of warm water that flowed from the Warm Springs. We rushed back in time for me to catch the plane and fly to Chihuahua and play in the Game that night.

We were commenting on this story the other day and Mary Eva said, "Yes you learned to Baptize in the warm water because of me." I was baptized in the cement pump tank and the water was so cold that it made me cry and I was so embarrassed. She was baptized the 5th of Feb. in the cold pump water out on the farm at the orchard.

During those years Mother went frequently to be with her Daughters and Daughter in Law to help them when they had their babies. While she was gone Naoma would take over the downstairs kitchen and assume mother's work. She was very attentive to Dad's needs and he learned to love her and our children. I heard him comment to Mother, "I wish that our other Daughters in law were more like Naoma."

THE RANCHO VERDE

One day Dad sent for me to come to the mill office. When I arrived there, I found President Arwell L. Pierce and his Son in Law, Harold Turley in the office talking to Dad. After the greetings were over President Pierce explained that they owned some land out on the flat and that they wanted to make it into a producing farm. He said that he had talked to Dad about it and that Dad has said that I could do that for them He said that they would pay me a wage of 600.00 Pesos a month to start with then we could work out some kind of a Partnership.

I accepted the proposal and went to work. I hired Glenn Whetten to drill the well with his equipment. We fenced the whole area and began to make ditches and prepare the land for planting. We built a house for our family to live in and we moved out on the farm. We installed running water and Gas lights in the house and bought a butane gas Refrigerator.

We planted the whole farm into alfalfa to build up the soil. Soon there was a beautiful green farm in the middle of the dry flat. As soon as the green Alfalfa began to come up, hundreds of Jack Rabbits would come in at night to feast on the tender green plants. I saw that they had eaten off the first three borders of Alfalfa down to the roots,

Harold Turley had left me and old army Jeep that he had used at the sawmill in Bella Vista so I started to go out at night and shoot Rabbits in the lights of the Jeep. The front windshield would swing up leaving a clear space for shooting. Dad heard about the Rabbit hunting and would come out to the farm every free night to help me kill the Rabbits. We each had a good 22 caliber Rifle and we had contests to see who could kill the most rabbits. We would follow the Rabbit with the Jeep lights until it stopped, then swing up the windshield and put our Rifles to our shoulders and shoot. The one who could shoot first could only count those Rabbits that were hit exactly in the heart to make the Rabbit keel over backwards. If we both shot at the same time to kill the Rabbit we could not count that one. This was great sport and soon diminished the number of Rabbits eating the Alfalfa.

When the back of the Jeep was full We would drive over to the orchard on the Flat where I had an Adobe corral full of pigs. We would throw the Rabbits to the pigs and by the next morning there would be nothing left except a few tufts of fur. I still remember the good times we had together on those Rabbit hunts.

As the work progressed on the farm I would counsel with Dad about the different problems that would come up. Also I went to talk to Tom Jones who was a very wise and prosperous farmer. I learned many things from him about farming and many other things.

The First two years we cut and bailed the hay and shipped it to Cd. Juarez to the lumber Yard that belonged to the company or to the Sawmill in Bella Vista. I put a Hayrack on my rubber tired wagon. I had a little team of mules that I used on the wagon. Their names were Chata and Mischief. I also used a little mule called Tejano. With my little mules hitched to the wagon we would haul the bales of hay to the train station in Dublan. We loaded car after car with hay. I remember we could get 5 cuttings a year. Because of the green fields the farm became know as "El Rancho Verde".

When we were living on the Rancho Verde our Son Samuel Kent was born. He was raised during his early years in our Horse and wagon days. The Old jeep wore out and we made the chassis, axle and wheels into a little covered wagon. On Sunday we would hitch our little mules to the wagon and pile in the family. As we would come out the gate I would speak to the little mules and they would break into a run and we could be into Dublan in 10 minutes.

One spring Uncle Devreau and his friend Jack (the Lion hunter) came down to go Lion hunting with their hounds. Dad told them that I was the one to take them hunting and sent them out to the farm. I felt that I could not leave at that time because Naoma was expecting a baby any day and I was in the middle of watering the fields of hay..

Hilven Cluff was living in Pacheco at the time and was taking out hunters as a side line business. I went to see him in Colonia Juarez. He happened to be there to see his family who were living in their home in Colonia Juarez so that the children could go to school. Arrangements were made and Hilven took them on a good Lion hunt.

Uncle Dev really enjoyed the hunt in the rugged Sierra Madre but Jack came back saddened and disappointed because one day on a chase in especially rugged country they lost two of his hounds.

It was while they were gone on the hunt our little Son Samuel Kent was born. I went and called Dr. Hatch by phone but by the time he got there Mother Haynie had already delivered the little boy and was toasting his little feet by the Gas heater. He was born on the 6th of April 1952.

DAD AND TIIE CHOLUGO

I must have inherited my love of animals from Dad. When I was a little boy I was sent out to Mrs. fbarra's to take some ribbon to put on a dress that she was making. I lingered in the shoe repair shop where Mr. lbarra was repairing shoes. While I was watching Mr lbarra pound the shoe he was repairing a strange little animal began squeaking and trying to come to me. I had never seen an animal exactly like that so I asked what it was. Mr. fbarra told me that it was a little baby Cholugo. (Coatimundi) I untied the string he was tied with and cuddled him in my arms. He nestled down in my arms and squeaked contentedly. I told Mr. lbarra that I wanted that little animal. He said I could have him for 13.00 Pesos. I rushed home to plead with my mother to let me buy that cute little animal. I explained all about the little animal in detail. I told her that he had a nose like a pig and paws like a bear and his back feet were like a babies feet, soft and smooth on the bottom. His tail was long and covered with hair and he had little round ears and shiny eyes. I knew he loved me and wanted to come home with me. My mother listened silently to all I had to say and looked into my pleading eyes. She went to the cupboard and counted out 13 Pesos and handed them to me. I rushed out to Mr. Ibarra's shop and brought home my little Cholu. I took of the little collar and string he had on and fed him some warm bread and milk. He ate hungrily. Lapping the milk with his tongue and using his little hand like paw to eat the bread out of the bowl. That night I took him to bed with me. He snuggled in my arms and put his little pig nose in the hollow of my throat and went to sleep. Very early the next morning I was awakened by Cholu. He was playfully nibbling on my toes under the covers of the bed. I threw back the covers and jumped out of bed and ran into the other room with Cholu following close behind. By the time Cholu could climb up on the bed I would jump off and run to the other bed. At breakfast he loved the mush that I fixed for him, with little pieces of toast in it. I fixed it with sugar and cream just like we always ate it.

On cold winter nights we would be sitting in the dining room around the big wood heater that heated the whole house. Dad would be sitting in his chair by the radio reading his magazine. We had a big slate Grey Tom Cat that liked to sit in front of the heater. Little Cholu would run around trying to get attention. Dad would pick him up on his lap and scratch his ears for a while. Cholu wanting to play with the cat and would run and jump on the cat's back and try to wrestle with him. The cat would sit unmoved and dignified. Finally after tiring of these attacks the big cat would turn and give Cholu a slap with extended claws. Poor Cholu would retreat crying and squeaking pitifully. After a moment Cholu would resume his playful attacks with undaunted fury. After about three of these attacks on his dignity the cat would give Cholu another good slap. Each time Cholu would retreat crying and squeaking we would all laugh at his crazy antics. Dad especially enjoyed Cholu's persistence in spite of the painful slaps.

Mother insisted that Cholu had to live outside so I made him a home out of a big box that I put in the big Mulberry tree. Each morning I would take him his mush and toast. During the day Cholu would come to the kitchen door and hook his strong claws in the screen and pull the door open and dash through the kitchen and up the stairs. Mother would go to the foot of the stairs and call sternly, "Cholu come down here". Cholu would come slowly, squeaking in protest, down to look around the corner of the stairs. If Mother did not have the broom in her hand, he would dash gleefully back up the stairs and Mother would have to go get the broom. When she had the broom he would come down sadly and obediently go outside again. When we had visitors Dad liked to show off Cholu's eccentricities. He would take Cholu into the bath room and put a little bit of water in the bottom of the tub and put in a bar of scented soap. Cholu loved to show off. When Dad would put him into the bath tub Cholu would get the soap and busily lather the full length of his long tail. Then he would proudly parade back and forth with his lathered tail straight in the air.

We had a rope tied from the tree of Cholu's house to the next tree. When Dad would say, "Cholu come on walk across". Cholu would obediently go up and try to walk the tight rope. He would manage to walk about 2 or 3ft lose his balance and swing under. He would squeak angrily and go back and try again with the same results. This would continue as long as anyone would stay and watch his efforts.

To show Cholu's ingenuity Dad would take him in on the Kitchen table and place an egg, Cholu's favorite food in front of him. Cholu would hold the egg with his paws and try to bite it but could not get a purchase on it for the egg was too big for his mouth. After a few tries he would push the egg over to the edge of the table and drop it to the floor. He then would jump down and enjoy a good meal licking it all up.

There was a special bond between Dad and Cholu. Cholu seemed to know the exact time when Dad would come home to dinner from the mill. He would run to meet him and jump up and clamp on Dad's leg and cling there while Dad scratched his ears all the way home.

DAD'S LAST HUNT

The first Christmas after Nacma and I were married Dad said that he wanted to take all of his boys on a big Deer hunt. He asked me to send the horses up and insisted that he wanted to take his big Pinto horse from the Ranch. Father Esaias Haynie had sent us a bunch of His best saddle horses and his pet mule Chihuahua. Dad Haynie was selling out of the ranch in Oaxaca and wanted us to have these Animals. All of these animals had been raised and worked in the mountains and were very good in the mountains.

After getting the horses all shod and ready to go, I sent them to the mountains to wait for us in Pacheco. As I remember I sent Chihuahua, Chanate, Coffee, Palomino, Chango, Dad's Pinto and Claudius' sorrel mare from the Poultry plant. Our party consisted of Dad, Uncle Steve Farnsworth, Claudius, Wesley, Hugh Day McClellan and me.

Hugh Day took his truck and arrived in camp just before sundown. He had killed a big four point White Tailed Buck on the way. He said that he had killed it standing on the side of a hill of bare rock that is on the road nearly at the bottom of the grade coming down into the Gavilan.

Uncle Steve got permission from his friend Mr. Mendoza to camp on the south side of the Gavilan River. This campsite was about 500 yards West of where the Elvin Whetten Ranch house is now located.

The next morning early we all mounted up and rode out of camp across a flat little mesa eager for the days hunting. Dad and I rode together climbing steadily up the rugged trail toward the high north end of the Blues. I noticed my Mule Chihuhua prick up his ears and look up the mountain. I looked up carefully and saw a big beautiful Buck standing on the steep side of the mountain looking all around trying to locate what was making the noise. We quietly dismounted with our rifles in our hands. I pointed for Dad to see the Deer but he couldn't see him. We moved back and forth trying to get Dad to locate the Deer but he finally said, "I can't see him you had better shoot". I shot and the Deer fell down the steep side hill sliding and rolling toward us for about 50 ft. We mounted and climbed up to where the Deer was lodged against a tree. I quickly bled him cleaned him and cut of the legs at the knees and hocks. Dad said, "You had better put the Deer on my big Pinto". I replied, "No my mule will do fine". We continued on up the mountain. Chihuahua was used to carrying Deer behind the saddle so we went on ahead quietly looking for a Deer for Dad. I could hear Dad complaining about his Pinto banging his knee against a tree. I looked back and saw the big horse sweating and struggling to climb the rugged mountain.

By the time we topped out on the high north end it was beginning to sprinkle and it was getting very dark and cloudy. Dad said that we had better get back to camp and started toward the South. I protested that we should go to the North. He insisted that he was going North and that he knew where he was going. I took out my pocket compass and showed him that he was going the wrong way. He apologized and said that it was easy to get turned around in the dark cloudy weather.

We traveled down what we thought was a less rugged ridge until we came to a rock cliff just above the bottom of the canyon. We followed this down trying to find a way down into the canyon. Finally we came to a sloping depression in the solid rock that was only about twenty feet from the bottom. I turned my mule into it and he carefully went sliding down to the bottom. Dad called down that he could not get his horse to go down. I left my mule and climbed back up to help Dad. The Pinto didn't want to chance the rock. Dad was pulling on the reigns and I got behind to push, Finally we got him started down. Dad stepped out of his way and the horse slipped and fell and rolled to the bottom After the horse got up and recovered from his roll we continued on down the canyon. By the time we came to the lower mesas it was very dark. My mule kept pulling to the right so I let him go saying to Dad, "My mule wants to go this way." We crossed a little wash and hit the trail to camp. As soon as we could see the light of th campfire we were received with shouts of welcome. As we dismounted Dad commented, "If I weren't so heavy I would ride that little mule tomorrow." I told him not to worry about being heavy that Chihuahua could carry him easy.

The next morning we woke up to about 5 inches of snow on the ground and it was still snowing. Dad decided that we had better get out of there before we got snowed in. I saddled up Chihuahua and went to help the cowboys take the horses as far as Pacheco.

Wesley tells how the vehicles couldn't make it up out of the Oso Canyon and he had to walk over to Pacheco to bring Melvin Turley over to pull them up the hill with a big logging truck that had chains on.

After that hunt Dad was convinced that he should do something about his eyesight. He read someplace about improving your eyesight by exercising your eyes. I remember he began to exercise his eyes and told us that we all needed to exercise our eyes to keep them in good shape. I guess it worked for him because he never did use glasses

DAD'S PRIORITIES

Dr. Bradbury (Mister Los Alamos) called Claudius and asked him to organize another trip into the Sierra Madre in search of Cave Dwellings the he had not seen. Claudius as usual asked me to find such a place and organize the trip. I went to Chuhuichupa to see my dear friend Emilio Burgos for help. He sent me to see an old Indian who's name was Bacho Luna. Emilio said that the old man knew about more caves and dwellings than anyone he knew. I went to the old man's little one room house. I visited with him and I asked him about caves and cave dwellings. He then told me enchanting stories about the many caves that he had found in his wanderings in the mountains.

Finally he told me that the biggest and the best preserved Cave Dwellings that he had ever found was a cave that he called "La Cueva de Las Ochenta Casas". I asked him if he would take us there. He considered a moment and asked. "When do we leave". We set up the date for the next week and I made arrangements with Emilio for the horses and pack mules for the trip.

After I bad reported to Claudius and he had called Dr. Bradbury I told Dad about the trip and invited him to come along. He said that he would very much like to go and would take his car as part of the transportation. He then said that he had ward conference in Chuhuichupa the nexi Sunday. Dr. Bradbury arrived with his party of Three. The total party included Claudius, Dad, me. Dr. Bradbury and his Son John and Marshall Bond. Marshall Bond was a member of the California Sierra Club and was a very interested member of the party.

Dad and Dr. Bradbury were drawn to each other and visited late into the night. The next day we packed up all of our equipment and provisions and traveled to Chuhuichupa. We left Chuhuichupa early in the morning with Don Bacho Luna leading on his little old white horse. We were all mounted on Emilio's good mountain bred horses and we were leading three good pack mules. Soon we were climbing a long beautiful wooded ridge into the high Candelaria Mountains. The whole country was covered with majestic Chihuahua Pines and tall waving grass. We traveled the whole day enjoying the beautiful country and seeing many Deer and other animals in the unspoiled country. Just at sunset we came to a little saddle on a long ridge that extended down into the "Rio Aros".

Don Bacho dismounted and came back to talk to the assembled little group. He said that he had shot a Bear and was trailing it from the blood and the Bear had lain down in a little spring here in this saddle. We went over to where he indicated and there in the tall grass was a small seep of water. He indicated that just around the side hill we would find the cave. He had followed the bear there and that is how he found it. We went around on a ledge about 10 feet wide and came into a large cave filled with ancient dwellings. On each side of the large entrance was a large Olla like the one in cave valley. These ollas had been constructed with grass and willows and plastered on the inside and the outside with a clay plaster. The shape of the olla and the smooth surface of the plastered walls were designed to keep out the rodents. Poles had been built in through the Olla at different intervals to act as ladders on the outside and the inside. The ancient dwellers could climb in and out to store and use their corn. They were about 10 feet high and about 8 feet in diameter.

The one on the right side of the cave was made of white clay but the one on the left was made of red clay. I climbed into the white Olla and found some small ancient cobs and plenty of dust. As I went to climb in the other red one I noticed that the poles still had the bark on them indicating that it had not been used. On the white one the poles were used and worn.

We unpacked our mules and unsaddled our horses for the night. Don Bacho went into the back of the cave and scraped off the dust and ashes and pulled out some very well preserved com fodder for our animals to eat. We enlarged the little seep for water and had a very comfortable camp.

Dr Bradbury was enchanted with the two story dwellings that filled the back half of the cave. He counted 80 rooms that were still intact and could see where others had existed anciently. He cut a piece of a pole that made up the floor of a second story room and took it to be carbon dated. He later sent word that those rooms had been built around 900 A.D.

The next morning, from the ledge in front of the cave, I looked down into the cliffed up river far below. To the east I could see where the river came from the south and turned west into the cliffed up area. I could see the water shining in the distance. To the west the river turned south again and again I could see the water as it ran south. I asked Don Bacho what river it was and he stated that it was the Aros River.

The plan was to travel east down into the Chico River that day to visit other caves and dwellings. Dad said that as much as he would like to go he had to return to Chuhuichupa to hold a ward conference. All of the others went on to the Rio Chico Dad and I returned to town to attend the Ward Conference.

It would have been easy to yield to the urging of the others to go on with them but Dad would not miss his appointment.

DAD AND PEOPLE

This soft side of Dad's nature was not known to the general public. To most people he was the stem dignified Stake President. To those who knew him well he was a warm and loyal friend. He understood people and loved them for what they were. When I would accompany Dad to visit the wards in the mountain colonies I could see the love and respect he had for the people and they for him.

When he went to Mexico as President of the Mexican mission he loved the missionaries and he loved the people and received their love and respect in return.

On one occasion Naoma and I visited Wilford Farnsworth and his wife at the mission training center in Mexico City. They were working as Directors of the Mission Training Center for the missionaries in Mexico City. Since Wilford and I had grown up together in Dublan they invited us to dinner at their Apartment' We had an enjoyable visit and a very good dinner. Wilford told me of his part in going to arrange the legal details of bringing Dad back to Mexico City and to fly him home after Dad's death in that automobile accident in Tehuacan Puebla. He told me again and again how he loved Dad and how Dad had changed from when he Wilford knew him when he was growing up as boy here in Dublan. He said that everywhere Dad went people warmed to him and were filled with his enthusiasm and love for the work of the Lord in the mission. He said Dad would go to a branch and talk to the men and fill them with enthusiasm for the work. He would ordain them to the Priesthood and Set them apart to be Branch Presidents and Counselors. They in turn would rise to the callings they had received from the Lord and love and respect Dad for the rest of their lives. Wilford would then say, "I was amazed at the great change in your Dad". Wilford left Dublan after he graduated from High School so he really didn't know Dad as he really was.

Dad had many friends among the General Authorities of the Church. He loved and respected them and they in turn loved and respected him. He spent most of his later life serving the Lord and working in the church. He was able to get many projects approved because many of the Brethren knew Dad and respected him and had stayed in our home. When he was in the mission he was able to get approval for Grade Schools in the small branches of the church all through the mission. Her started the schools and they were a big success and did a lot of good for quite a few years.

He was able to get approval for the project of the big Secondary school in Mexico City. He was killed before he could get the work going on it. Dan Taylor took over that project and the Benemerito has been a great blessing in the lives of hundreds of students. It also developed many leaders that were so badly needed in the church at that time.

Dad became a leader here in the community of Nvo. Casas Grandes. He joined the Rotary Club and later was put in as president of that Club. He was instrumental in establishing the first Bank here and became its first president. He was involved in getting a Meat Packing Plant organized for the cattle men of the area and took on the responsibility of building it without being paid for it. He was known and respected by all who knew him. They all knew that CB, as he was known could get the job done.

When Dad and Mother would come through Dublan en route to Conference from their mission. They usually stopped for a couple of days to visit and enjoy the family. We have a video of Dad sitting on the porch with a group of his grandchildren gathered around him. Some are on his lap and he is smiling and saying, "Hi diddle, diddle the cat and the fiddle. The cow jumped over the moon. The little dog laughed to see such craft and the dish ran away with the spoon.."

He would tell us, "The mission is really great. I would like to spend the rest of my life in the mission". Mother would give a little laugh and say, "Well I wouldn't I would like to come home and be with my grandchildren". It seems that they both got their wish. Dad was killed in an Automobile accident near Tehuacan Puebla. They were returning from a conference in Vera Cruz. An Elder was driving, Dad was sitting in the passenger seat and Mother and two lady missionaries were in the back seat. They were traveling in a heavy Rain Storm behind a Bus. The Elder turned out to pass the Bus just as the Bus turned out also. The Elder swung the car back to avoid the bus and crashed into the rear comer of a big truck, loaded with Pineapple that was stopped on the highway without any warning lights. Dad was killed instantly and the Elder suffered two broken legs and other injuries., Mother suffered a broken arm, some broken ribs and facial bruises. As I remember the two lady missionaries didn't have any serious injuries.

Claudius and Wesley went down and brought Dad and Mother home on the LAMSA airlines, after taking care of all of the legal details and arrangements.

The funeral was held in the Gym. The program was given by the family. I don't remember all of the speakers or the details of the funeral but I do remember Brother Cliff Whetten giving one of the prayers. That prayer went on and on extolling Dad's deeds and history.

The Gym was packed and overflowing out into the street with people from all around the area who knew and loved Dad. Elder Gordon B. Hinkley came from Salt Lake to represent the First Presidency of the Church and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In his talk he read a letter from the First Presidency to Mother and the family.

As the dirt and rocks began to fall on Dad's Coffin Elder Hinkley remarked to no one in particular, "Too bad that such a great man had to be buried in such a God forsaken place". I was standing near by and thought to myself," This is what Dad would want because he had said many times, 'Don't worry about the graves the people are no longer there anyway'".

Uncle Ehno Robinson was also standing near and heard Elder Hinkley's comment and later he commented on it and did proceeded to do something about it. He planted evergreen trees and provided, with the help of the town, a well and a pump to water them with.

These are some of the memories of my Father. I am sure that each one of the family members has a different version and different memories which they should record. I write this for our family and our descendants so they can know a little more about their heritage.

Samuel Keith Bowman Dec. 10, 2001 ~