MY TRIBUTE TO MY UNCLE, VERNON ROSS HIATT
BY LYLE CURTIS MILLER
Ross Hiatt was one of the finest, kindest men I have ever known. He was a notable role-model to me from my earliest life-memories until the present; his modeling will continue with me throughout eternity.
My earliest memory, (I was less than three years old) of Ross goes back to “Hideaway Lodge,” the Hiatt Family home on the banks of the Jocko River, east of Arlee, MT. There was an open fireplace in what was probably the main room where family gathered. On each side were andirons that became very hot when a fire was burning; his father, my grandfather, Corrie Hiatt was sitting in an easy chair near the fire, and he cautioned me (my earliest memory, also, of Granddaddy Hiatt) to stay away from the fire and andirons. I didn’t, and immediately reached out to touch the andiron, which mildly burned my hand. Ross gently plucked me further away from the fireplace and engaged me in playing with small toy cars; a skillful distraction for me, when Ross was around nine years old-a forecast of his destiny to be an outstanding educator in the Seventh-day Adventist educational system.
Easter Sunday, 1938, Granddaddy Corrie wrote his last known letter, to my mother, Cora Lynn, relating in a caring, folksy way the recent happenings at Hideaway Lodge. Corrie, raised in the Quaker tradition, came into the house of a Friday evening, before sundown, announcing to his wife his intent to become a seventh-day Sabbath Keeper; that was three weeks before his sudden death. My parents and I had very recently moved to Salt Lake City; mom and I quickly traveled by train to Hideaway Lodge. Being too young to understand death, I remember sitting in a vehicle, with Ross, during what I later learned was Corrie’s funeral. Again, Ross was tender and kind to me, though his own heart was breaking with his own grief-I will never forget that experience (there is an old photo still extant, of Grandma Hiatt, her daughters --Cora Lynn, Joelle, and Jean-Ross and myself, posed in front of Hideaway Lodge; I believe it was taken when we returned home from the funeral).
When Corrie passed to his rest, Hideaway Lodge and acreage (80, I think) was quickly sold for the grand sum of $1800. Grandma Bonita and Ross packed to move to Portland, to live with Joelle, who was in nursing school, or recently graduated as an RN. There was butter churn (have one like it on a display shelf in my home now, just took a look at it) made of a large gallon glass jar, a geared hand-crank to that turned a wooden paddles that churned cream into butter. There was a “family chant” sung when the cream was being churned: “Jean, Jean had a machine; Frank, Frank turned the crank; Joe, Joe made it go.” Ross and I probably churned the last cream ever in that churn; we took turns cranking and chanted together. On that occasion Ross added another chant, as he cranked away, “We’re going to Portland, Portland, Portland.”
While Ross, Grandma, and Joelle lived in Portland, my family relocated to Orange, CA (where Disney Land now is). When Joelle was married, mom and I drove in a Plymouth (’40 or ’41) to Portland. I was Bible Boy in the wedding. I don’t remember the role Ross had, usher maybe? It was at that time, on the ball diamond on nearby Mt. Tabor, that Ross patiently taught he how to play ball-how to hold the bat, swing it, and (sometimes) connect with the ball. He and I played a lot of “catch”-throwing the ball back and forth.
Ross came to live with us in Orange, after the wedding. I was two years younger than the norm for 1st grade. Yep, bullying happened way back then, too; but Ross was my protector and guardian. We made crude “Rubber Guns” roughly in the shape of a pistol; at the grip end we nailed an old fashioned spring-loaded clothes pin (some of you may remember them); we fashioned the ammo by cutting strips from an old inner tube (some of you may remember those, too, pre-tubeless tire vintage). Neighbor boys formed into two “Armies” which faced off in a nearby park playground. My gun was a “single-shot;” some of the other guys had two, even three, clothes pins. During one “battle” I expended by short-supply of ammo, wandered into “no man’s land” between the opposing forces, to retrieve some of by ammo. A bigger kid from the opposing army ran out into the same no man’s land, and at point blank range fired right into my eye. It was painful, producing a real “shiner.” Ross came to my rescue, giving the bully are real thrashing, telling him “You ever do that again, and I’ll really knock your block off so far away you’ll never find it.”
Ross became a “Paper Boy” delivering the L A Examiner to homes, week days, on a fine Schwinn (sp ?) Racing Bike, while I somehow obtained a crummy old used bike of a frame, handle bars, some sort of seat, no fenders or the likes of any “extras”. In “Happy Sabbath” messages to family, over the past 2 years, Ross and I exchanged “barbs” at each other, around the “fact” (my declaration) that he exploited child labor (me) in violation of child-labor laws. On Sundays he settled me on a key street corner down town Orange, to sell papers for him. He made five cents on two cents on every paper, that sold for five cents. I might sell about 25 papers a Sunday (2x25=50cents profit for Ross!), and at the end of the day he would give me a paltry five cents! One Sunday I revolted, left papers on corner, rode home on my bike. Came the next Sunday, Ross parked me at the corner, deflated my bike tires of air, and left. He came back a couple weeks later (probably two hours), collected the money of my sales from me, pumped up my tires, gave me my paltry nickel, and we went to the local kids movie house to watch whatever was showing-usually a shoot’em up western (Roy Rogers, Tom Mix, Red Ryder, Hop-a-long Cassidy). One Sunday afternoon we must have watched the “show” at least 3-4 times; when we didn’t show up at home by dark, mom came looking for us, and had the move usherette search us out and fetch us out. Those were the days, folks, in the “good ‘ol days.”
When Ross acquired a ’37 Ford, he put the Schwinn under the Christmas Tree for me-that would have been around ’43-’44. I had sold my ‘ol clunker bike the summer before, for $5, so I could go to Youth Camp at “Cedar Falls” in the San Bernadino Mts-my school buddy drowned at camp that summer; Ross comforted me when I came home from camp. I was wheel-less until Christmas, when he gave me his bike (not completely wheel-less; Ross had given me his out-grown metal-wheeled, clamp-on roller skates)-as I have been trying to say, my uncle Ross was about the kindest guy I ever met. I really miss him, now, tearful as I write this.
I could ramble on and on, ad inf, with more memories: the summers he spent at my folks place, in the foothills of the coast range, west of Eugene-he was really the carpenter that built my folks home, named Linda Vista. Ross and I built a rough log raft to fish from, on a nearby lake; we also went fishing in a stream a few miles away. I remember when my family left S. Cal to move to Oregon, Ross went to La Sierra College, near Loma Linda. As he and Grandma Bonita set out in the ’37 Ford, I remember Ross said to me “Well, once again I am without a home.” He had lived with us off-on ’40-’46. He left home at an early age-setting the pace for when I left home at age fifteen. He modeled me well for that, having left me a good work ethic that has stuck with me to this very day.
O! I miss Uncle Ross-and am tearful again. I have not seen him for many years, but am thankful for the last phone conversation we had around Thanksgiving, last. I am thankful for all the emails we exchanged. I am thankful the many “Happy Sabbaths” we co-authored and kibitzed each other, trading verbal punches, all in fun. O! how I will miss those emails. He was great at forwarding to me some of the best things-on politics, history, historic pictures, family history, beautiful nature and animal scenes (again I could ramble on ad inf). Now, my tears are flowing, and I can hardly see the screen as I type. On December 14, last, Ross sent me a flurry of excellent forwards-the last I will ever receive from him. I have saved them to a special file, but will still leave them on my email page; he will remain on my email contact list; he will remain in my memory, even as he exists now only in the memory of God, who will instantaneously re-create him, giving him immortality at the “blink of an eye”-according to the apostle Paul-on that great Resurrection Morn.
Going back to paragraph before last, above, and Ross’ remark he was once again “homeless.” Well, family and other folks who will read this, Ross and I both knew that this “world is not our home, we are just passin through” on our way to the Promised Land, above. I know Ross never stopped grieving the loss of his beloved wife, Ree. I know he stayed in Hawaii to be near her crypt at the Punch Bowl Cemetery. I know he longed to join her there, until the longed-for great Resurrection Morn-Maranatha, even so come soon, very soon, Lord Jesus; whenever You come, Lord, it will not bee soon enough. In the last phone conversation, Ross and I promised each other we will meet on that great and wonderful, longed-for Resurrection Day.
My Dear Family-Ross will be there, Ree will be there, Joy and I will be there; we plan to have a great Hiatt Clan Family Reunion, there; my question to each of you is: Will YOU be there?
So long, Uncle Ross. I will never forget you, and how you blessed my life. Be seein’ ya soon.
With abundant love, your nephew,
Curtis
Subject: NO HAPPY SABBATH MESSAGE
Date: 12/28/2012 8:11:05 P.M. Mountain Standard Time
From: curtnjoy@hotmail.com
Reply To:
To: hiattkawa@gmail.com, valerienelson62@hotmail.com, drakjen@gmail.com, cjrec41@att.ne, brokefarmer@hotmail.com, larryandy@aol.com, melodyjdrake@yahoo.com, garypatlar@cs.com , drakerachel@gmail.com, drakre@gmail.com, drakerick@gmail.com, rtwoca@mac.com, ryan.hiatt@firstgroup.com
29 December 2012
Dear Family, It was my intent to write a TRIBUTE TO MY UNCLE ROSS (most, if not all, of you know he passed to his rest until Jesus comes, 12-15-2012), but this has been a very trying week, with Doxie Lexie having to be watched/kept from walking, jumping, etc., on someone's lap or small enclosed space; with my struggles with back pain/numb feet; preparing sermon/readying to baptize a person; computer problems ad inf . . . i am simply worn out and will postpone it until early next week. I am to be annointed after the church service tomorrow @ 12:30 pm Pacific Time--would appreciate your prayers at that time, if you are available. Love & Blessings, cm =
Ross has sent many letters, messages, stories and history of himself, families and life of others. I have amassed enough to make a book so far from him. Will include in the files copies of his writings. So very interesting, faith with works and legacy. His families have been very active, in different Faiths, in missionary work and doing great works of faith to help others in many corners of this world.
17 October 2012
Hi Larry & others....... I toured PH twice. Each time the destroyer. O'Bannon was berthed there. That destroyer, during WW2 engaged by surprise a sub from the Imperial Navy and captured it when US sailors tossed potatoes at the snipers firing from a disabled sub ( its conning tower hatch was disabled by gunfire from the ship and it couldn't submerge.) The US sailors couldn't find the key to the small arms locker but they found a sack of potatoes near the galley to toss, the enemy sailors thought they were grenades and jumped into the water for safety. The O'Bannon lowered a small boat to capture the enemy. A line was secured to the sub and the destroyer entered a friendly port towing an operational enemy naval unit.
In our church is a man who helped weld steel fuel tanks inside the ground in hollowed-out giant chambers in Red Hill, a naval residence area near Tripler Hospital. All fuel for the Pacific military is stored in gigantic tanks deep inside Red Hill, camouflaged and secure from attack. I came to Oahu in 1951 and I remember the fuel storage tanks in full view of the surface streets.
O'Bannon is the name of a Marine officer that led a patrol in Northern Africa during the time of President Tom Jefferson when we went after the Muslim pirates. ...... See the Marine Hymn for the musical remembrance
On Oct 17, 2012, at 10:39 AM, LarryAndy@aol.com wrote:
#AOLMsgPart_1_196a45c0-8672-41a8-8e9b-bd73657e1481 td{color: black;} @font-face { font-family: Calibri; } @font-face { font-family: Comic Sans MS; } @font-face { font-family: Bookman Old Style; } @page WordSection1 {size: 8.5in 11.0in; margin: 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; } #AOLMsgPart_1_196a45c0-8672-41a8-8e9b-bd73657e1481 P.MsoNormal { MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman","serif"; FONT-SIZE: 12pt } #AOLMsgPart_1_196a45c0-8672-41a8-8e9b-bd73657e1481 LI.MsoNormal { MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman","serif"; FONT-SIZE: 12pt } #AOLMsgPart_1_196a45c0-8672-41a8-8e9b-bd73657e1481 DIV.MsoNormal { MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman","serif"; FONT-SIZE: 12pt } #AOLMsgPart_1_196a45c0-8672-41a8-8e9b-bd73657e1481 A:link { COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; mso-style-priority: 99 } #AOLMsgPart_1_196a45c0-8672-41a8-8e9b-bd73657e1481 SPAN.MsoHyperlink { COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; mso-style-priority: 99 } #AOLMsgPart_1_196a45c0-8672-41a8-8e9b-bd73657e1481 A:visited { COLOR: purple; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; mso-style-priority: 99 } #AOLMsgPart_1_196a45c0-8672-41a8-8e9b-bd73657e1481 SPAN.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { COLOR: purple; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; mso-style-priority: 99 } #AOLMsgPart_1_196a45c0-8672-41a8-8e9b-bd73657e1481 SPAN.EmailStyle17 { FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; COLOR: #4f81bd; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; mso-style-type: personal } #AOLMsgPart_1_196a45c0-8672-41a8-8e9b-bd73657e1481 SPAN.EmailStyle18 { FONT-FAMILY: "Comic Sans MS"; COLOR: windowtext; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; mso-style-type: personal-reply } #AOLMsgPart_1_196a45c0-8672-41a8-8e9b-bd73657e1481 .MsoChpDefault { FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-style-type: export-only } #AOLMsgPart_1_196a45c0-8672-41a8-8e9b-bd73657e1481 DIV.WordSection1 { page: WordSection1 }
A very important piece from son Kent. Thx for sharing. Love to all, geo
I never knew this!!! .... Tour boats ferry people out to the USS Arizona Memorial in Hawaii every thirty minutes. We just missed a ferry and had to wait thirty minutes.. I went into a small gift shop to kill time. In the gift shop, I purchased a small book entitled, "Reflections on Pearl Harbor " by Admiral Chester Nimitz. Sunday, December 7th, 1941--Admiral Chester Nimitz was attending a concert in Washington D.C. He was paged and told there was a phone call for him. When he answered the phone, it was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on the phone. He told Admiral Nimitz that he (Nimitz) would now be the Commander of the Pacific Fleet. Admiral Nimitz flew to Hawaii to assume command of the Pacific Fleet. He landed at Pearl Harbor on Christmas Eve, 1941. There was such a spirit of despair, dejection and defeat--you would have thought the Japanese had already won the war. On Christmas Day, 1941, Adm. Nimitz was given a boat tour of the destruction wrought on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese.. Big sunken battleships and navy vessels cluttered the waters every where you looked. As the tour boat returned to dock, the young helmsman of the boat asked, "Well Admiral, what do you think after seeing all this destruction?" Admiral Nimitz's reply shocked everyone within the sound of his voice. Admiral Nimitz said, "The Japanese made three of the biggest mistakes an attack force could ever make, or God was taking care of America . Which do you think it was?" Shocked and surprised, the young helmsman asked, "What do mean by saying the Japanese made the three biggest mistakes an attack force ever made?" Nimitz explained: Mistake number one : the Japanese attacked on Sunday morning. Nine out of every ten crewmen of those ships were ashore on leave. If those same ships had been lured to sea and been sunk--we would have lost 38,000 men instead of 3,800. Mistake number two : when the Japanese saw all those battleships lined in a row, they got so carried away sinking those battleships, they never once bombed our dry docks opposite those ships. If they had destroyed our dry docks, we would have had to tow every one of those ships to America to be repaired. As it was, the ships are in shallow water and could be raised. One tug can pull them over to the dry docks, and we can have them repaired and at sea by the time we could have towed them to America . And I already have crews ashore anxious to man those ships. Mistake number three : every drop of fuel in the Pacific theater of war is in top of the ground storage tanks five miles away over that hill. One attack plane could have strafed those tanks and destroyed our fuel supply. That's why I say the Japanese made three of the biggest mistakes an attack force could make or God was taking care of America . I've never forgotten what I read in that little book. It is still an inspiration as I reflect upon it. In jest, I might suggest that because Admiral Nimitz was a Texan, born and raised in Fredricksburg , Texas --he was a born optimist. But anyway you look at it--Admiral Nimitz was able to see a silver lining in a situation and circumstance where everyone else saw only despair and defeatism President Roosevelt had chosen the right man for the right job. We desperately needed a leader that could see silver linings in the midst of the clouds of dejection, despair and defeat. There is a reason that our national motto is, IN GOD WE TRUST Why have we forgotten
12 Oct 2012
Aunt Lena made a scrapbook for each of Corrie Hiatt's children. It pictures the photography of Lena Hiatt. She was a professional photographer, proponent of airmail, historian, stamp collector. Quaker-turned-Nazarene minister and traveler. The majority of the pictures are hers some are picture I have added ......Mary Freshower who stood by me when the sons of Indians that Dad arrested when he broke up stills threatened me....and shots of the house I built for my sister while I stayed with my family in Junction City, Oregon while I worked for a construction company to pay my tuition to La Sierra University. (it took me 3 summers to dig the foundation and frame the house and wire some of the electricity, plus build some of the cabinets with tools that I scrounged from the neighbors. Email me your questions about Aunt Lena and Dad's brother, Uncle Joe. Joseph P. Hiatt built radios when radios were newly invented. He was a world traveler (twice around the world and conversed with the deposed queen of Hawaii on the German liner. Bremen). The Bremen was used by the Nazis as a troop ship in WW2.
I have seen on the internet a picture of an autogyro taken when Amelia Earheart visited Richmond, Indiana in 1920. I have learned that Amelia was a Quaker who visited the Adventist land of Battle Creek (Western Health Institute and launching point of health food business by John Harvey Kellogg.) My Uncle Clarence, the first Adventist Missionary to Portugal in 1904. rh
12 October 2012
10-12-12
Happy Sabbath to Family, Friends, and Colleagues!
As the set of sun is upon us, here in Lebanon of the mid-Willamette Valley, I am reminded of another sunset many years ago, in Abadan, Iran, just across the Schatt el Arab strait from Basra, Iraq, and north of the Persian Gulf. I had flown there from Beirut, mid-Friday afternoon, expecting to be met by a Pakistani SDA pastor-the 1st one of his country to serve as a “missionary” in the old Middle East Division.
About a whole month prior I had written Habib that I would be coming to visit him for a few days, both to hold meetings in the small ½ handful of members we had in our church there, and to be encourage him and his small family who had few persons with whom to fellowship. I certainly believed a letter sent to his PO box number (I had no other address for him, and he had no phone) a month in advance would reach Habib in plenty of time to tell him my flight # and time of arrival, and to have him reserve a hotel room for me.
But alas! No one met my flight. It did not take but a few moments to search the very small air terminal and it’s environs-but I found no Habib. What to do? I could think of no way to find Habib. I waited several hours before finally hailing a rickety cab; the driver and I had no common language (I knew only a few words of Farsi, i.e. hello and how are you), but he did understand “hotel” to which he quickly drove me. It was quite humble, with barely room for a bed; a small wattage light bulb dangled from the ceiling. I turned back the sheets; they were grimy, for many ME small-town hotels change the sheets once a week, and Friday was not the day.
I sat down on the bed to think, finally deciding to sent a telegram to our Iran Mission Hqd, asking if our workers there could help me locate Habib. Knowing it would arrive on Sabbath, when our mission was closed, I did not expect a reply until Sunday-and that’s the way it happened.
It was one of the loneliest Sabbaths I have ever spent, in a very small room with a very small bed, and sheets as they were. I had my own SS Lesson Sabbath morn; preached a sermon in my mind (may have even spoken a bit of it out loud, so as to hear a friendly voice, even though it was my own. I always traveled with books to read, which I did; but it was a challenge in a windowless room and the feeble light bulb there was. I did go out to a hole-in-the-wall restaurant; the rice and lentils tasted quite good, as long as one did not glance into the small kitchen of questionable cleanliness, and ignored the waiter who wiped my plate before setting it before me, after which he wiped his sweating face; I wondered if he had also wiped his face prior to bringing my plate?
I concluded a man alone with self can be in the worst of company, but a man alone with God can be in the best of company; I chose to be in the latter category, and did experience that a quiet Sabbath alone can be a blessing, as I reviewed a couple of my favorite Bible chapters and texts, such as Isa 26:3 wherein God promises to keep us in perfect peace as we keep our minds stayed on him; and Matt 28 is always a comfort when Jesus says, “Lo, I am with you always . . .”
Sunday came; Habib had received a telegram from the mission office, telling him where to find me. We had a good fellowship as fellow missionaries, and fellowship with our few members, when I preached, was also a precious experience.
It was a Happy Sabbath way back then, c1968, and I pray a Happy Sabbath upon each of you this evening.
I realize it has been a long time since I have sent out a Happy Sabbath. I will only say that the several months prelude to spinal surgery was painful, keeping me flat most of the time. The recovery is going slower than I would like-it’s been 6 weeks now. I endeavor to follow doc’s orders: back exercises and 2 45 min walks a day. The back pain has greatly decreased, but it appears there was pre-op nerve damage that causes my right foot to tingle and tingle; prognosis is that with walking and the back/leg exercises may/not cause it to go away over time. Will trust the good Lord to bring me thru, with thankfulness that in this life I have had only this one real illness. I still have to put up with a dog nestled on one shoulder, a cat by the opposite hip, and the other cat, that weighs ½ ton insists on camping on my legs, during times I am horizontal during this time of recuperation; thankful when night comes and they each go to their own bed!
Oh! Yes-my computer was hacked 3x and down for weeks at a time. Having always despised computers, it was, in a way, a blessing to be free of it for a time, especially when I was not supposed to sit up! Grandson Reggie is coming to visit us later this month, and he assures he will cure my computer and put all kinds of protection on it (?). There are several of you that I need to exchange emails; will address that asap.
God has blessed us by the selling of our motor home in timely manner-for which we give him manifold thanks. Looks like we will be staying pretty well close to home.
Remember, you are each, daily, in our hearts, thoughts, prayers, and love,
‘Ol Man Miller & G’Ma Joy
P.S. Some of you have been receiving these Happy Sabbath messages for quite a while, and some of you may be bored with them and would just as soon be cut from our message list (don’t be concerned, we don’t wear our feelings on our shoulders about things like this), but if you do wish to stay on the email list, please reply requesting to stay on. cm
Re: Miller book Date: 9/17/2012 3:25:05 A.M. Mountain Daylight Time From: hiattkawa@gmail.com
Reply To:
To: LarryAndy@aol.com
Hi, my friend, William Miller was active long before there were people called SDA's. I fact he was never a proponent of seventh day sacredness. He was a Bible scholar much like the Jesuit priest in South America. They both independently concluded that Biblical writings pointed to the second advent of Jesus in the mid 1800's. This was the age of religious awakening and they were right about somehing happening but wrong about the event. That required more study. Ellen Gould White spent years after the Civil War trying to bring all the Millerites to unity. My grandfather's farm in Iowa was a place where she stopped to rest during her search. That's why my mother was from a Millerite family. E G White had been a Methodist before she became convinced of Sabbath sacredness ( Mainly because of what a Seventh-day Baptist Millerite lady said of the followers of Wm. Miller..... You have a good message but you are overlooking the Ten Commandments. Millerites studied more and became convicted that the Sabbath was the day the Lord rested and called His followers to call HOLY. It is a matter of conjecture that Miller would ever see that fine point of worship. As soon as I get the repaired copy, I will survey the pages to see a bit of this itinerant Baptist preacher that looked into Biblical writings with such gusto. Mahalo nui loa, rh
9/17/2012 2:26:20 P.M. Mountain Daylight Time
Mother: Bonita May Rentfro, born Sigourney, Iowa, May 3, 1892 married Albert Corrie Hiatt on Christmas Day, 1912, probably Missoula, MT. Dad was born to Quaker parents, probably Indianapolis....Lived in Chester, IN. Mom was born to the Millerite, Sgt. James Allen Rentfro. When my grandfather passed. Aurillla Rentfro homesteaded in Montana. Lived in Missoula. Made a home in Arlee, MT and raised a family, Cora Lynn, Joelle, Jean, and Ross. CL became a teacher, Joelle & Jean were RN's trained at Portland Adventist Hospital. CL had a son named Curtis. He still lives at Lebanon. OR.... only 5 years younger than I. He just missed seeing you earlier. He has some history of the Miller- Hiatt family. Another relative is sort of a genealogist, Pat Wical, of Saratoga, CA. Pat has the Rentfro history. Pat is nearly my age but still lives near my daughter, Ronna in Santa Clara. Her Grandmother was my Aunt Bess who went to Shanghai, China with Uncle Winfred in 1907.
Mom made such a good home for Dad that on the day that he passed he told the nurse at Thornton Hospital when he was asked what religious choice he preferred, "I go to the same church as my wife"..... Dad was the administrator in charge of the Jocko Agency of the Flathead Indian Reservation. He was also a US Marshal looking for illegal whiskey stills in Montana when he met Mom and told her that her fiancee'was dealing in bootlegging while he pretended to be helping the SDA pastor in Missoula. When the fiancee skipped out via Canada. Dad stuck around to court Mom. If you want Pat's email address, I can supply it. Curtis has had his email hacked, so I'm still waiting to see what he has corrected. Any questions?? rh
Subject:
Re: Package Date: 9/5/2012 8:22:17 P.M. Mountain Daylight Time From: hiattkawa@gmail.com
Aloha, Like my nephew, I'm in a struggle just to live. I have sleep problem and the doctor isn't giving me much help. Curtis fell several times and for an old timer that is not good. I have to be careful when I transfer from my wheelchair to my lazyboy. When I fall it is armageddon. My bones just don't work in my favor
Ree Jackson was watching over me for 52 years. Ree was born in Spokane on Dec.22, 1929. She was an accountant and a secretary of the highest order. Her mother was Anastacia Hartsock, a teacher in Adventist schools all her life. She had relatives involved with the Union (Josephus Hobbs ) in the Civil War My relatives were predominately Federals but some were Confederates due to their place of living. The Hiatts & the Rentfros seemed to collect in Iowa. Sigourney ws the location of the Rentfro farm about the time of the The Kelloggs of Battle Creek when the Adventist brethren were squabbling over religious affairs. The books have yet to arrive.....( I guess you mean the papers of Elder William Miller. ) Mahalo rh
On Sep 5, 2012, at 11:33 AM, LarryAndy@aol.com wrote:
Hi Ross, hard time getting this email to work today for some reason, just asking if the books arrived, how is all going, sure would love to hear more from your sides of families and chance to fill in all the missing cousins too. Keeping busy with kids going back to school, hope to have more time with genealogy now though. Love to hear more, sincerely, Larry Anderson
19 August 2012
Larry, old top, I was a teacher for 42 years in Adventist schools. My relatives are enriched by SDA MINISTERS. My mother's brother was the pioneer SDA missionary to Portugal in 1904. My mother's sister was married to a missionary pastor in Shanghai in 1907. I know William Miller, an itinerant Baptist minister. My grandfather was a Millerite who volunteered to serve the Union. He greatly admired Lincoln. It was on his farm in Iowa that Elder & Mrs. White tried to round-up fellow Millerites to unite and ultimately form the SDA Church.
My mother came from this heritage and my father was from the Quaker Hiatt heritage. My missionary uncle to Portugal learned his vegetarian ways from the Adventist doctor at the Battle Creek Hospital that began the cereal business in the US, Dr. Kellogg. his patients included Henry Ford, Amelia Earhart, JC Penny, and William Post. Post was a patient who became a strong business rival. Mahlo nui loa rh I collect old things, too.
On Aug 6, 2012, at 3:14 PM, LarryAndy@aol.com wrote
Dear Russ:
7 Aug 2012
I believe you told me you are an Adventist minister, right? Do you know who William Miller was? Or did you hear of the books published, I have an 18972 version of The Day Star. AN interesting book, I like it because of it's age too. BUT if this is of value to you for your religious identity, I would like to send it to you. If this is something you would like please let me know, it is of little real value to myself, just old, ha. I have always collected old things. Thanks for sharing all your stories too. Sincerely, Larry Anderson
Larry Anderson If you are interested? I have finally lined-up my ducklings ad have some control over snapshots of my past. When y wife passed away in 2002 I figured I would last only a few years so I packed my memories in a wooden briefcase my dad built and stored them.
I have been writing some history of my life ( Several family members plus a dear friend have encouraged me to not quit yet, My dear friend is one of Hawaii's First Ladies, Lynne Waihee, an English teacher in a school where I served as business manager until I retired in 1993 ). I am giving things a whirl and I am writing tales of my life. I have placed on my computer picture album a flock of pictures given to me by my aunt and my nephew. My Aunt Lena Hiatt as a photographer and Indiana historian. Because of her devotion to stamp collecting and the desire for US air mail growth, she became acquainted with Amelia Earhart and photographed an autogyro on display at an Indianapolis airport when Amelia was present. Lena M. Hiatt gave each of her brother's children a scrapbook featuring some of her photography. My book is intact but in such fragile condition that my son-in-law, a software engineer, has put the pages into my photo album. I am forwarding some samples for you to peek into. Lena was a Quaker girl.
My nephew was a pastor for the Sevnth-day Adventist Church in Istanbul when I was a La Sierra University student. He has provided some family pictures that have survived in his possession. They, also, are in my computer photo album. I now have a mixture of Hiatt and Rentfro pictures to organize.
Above you see a mixture of Hiatt & Rentfro snaps.
My Uncle Joe ( Joseph P. Hiatt ), was not a farmer but he was a designer of radios in a day when radio was young. (Our family radio in my Montana home was built by Uncle Joe). In 1912 and in 1922 Uncle Joe sailed around the world on the German liner, Bremen. He became acquainted with the deposed monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii, Queen Liliuokalani on his first trip. As he made his way up the gangplank to board the Bremen in Honolulu harbor in 1922, Joseph Hiatt became aware that a person already on the Bremen was hailing him. It was the deposed monarch of Hawaii. She stepped forward and greeted my uncle with a greeting that included Joseph P. Hiatt. Was my uncle impressed or what!!!!! A royal person remembered him by name after a 10 year intermission. "Lil was his table mate as they sailed to Oakland. (My friend, Lynne Waihee, was the Hawaii governor's wife. She lived in Washington Place and kept the memories of Queen Liliuokalani alive for tourists. Washington Place was the queen's home. I was the teacher of the Queen's paperboy's son, Jonah Kumalae II. Jonah Kumalae III spent his life working for Risk Management for the headquarters of Seventh-day Denomination in Maryland.
Both Jonahs were the descendants of Jonah Kumalae I. Jonah Kumalae, the first, was the Hawaiian musician who made the ukulele world famous. He entered his creation in the 1915 World Exposition (San Francisco) where his ukeleles won first place. Jonah I also had an ukelele factory in Honolulu. He was responsible for educating the Kamaka brothers in ukulele making. I went to the Kamaka ukelele factory as principal of a school where a teacher taught ukelele in grade 2. I bought the instruments for $ 30. ( Today the same instrument will cost over $100 ).
I asked George Kamaka why his instruments have 2 K's on the tuning board, "Is one K for you and one for your brother?" He responded, "No, one K is for Kamaka. The other is for Kumalae."
Uncle Joe not only was active in radio design, he also was an inventor of sorts. He visualized an automatic shifting device for auto transmissions. ( They became a reality when Chrysler introduced the pushbutton selector in the 1957 Plymouth transmission I owned.) Uncle Joe did not succeed with his visualization. When the GM engineers gathered to witness his "invention". It failed to work that day.
When these picture were scanned, the scanner picked-up a picture of my uncle from the maternal side of the family. The last picture is a shot of my mother's brother, Clarence Emerson Rentfro. Uncle Clarence was the son of a Civil War soldier from Iowa. He went to Portugal as the first Seventh-day Adventist missionary to that nation in 1904. Because he spoke Portuguese, Uncle Clarence was called to Brazil to be the head minister/ administrator for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He learned to be a vegetarian from Dr. John Harvey Kellogg of the Western Health Institute. Dr Kellogg created health foods at Battle Creek when a patient named Charles Post was at the Institute trying to regain his health. Charley Post watched Dr. Kellogg closely and by-and-by POSTUM and Post Bran Flakes appeared on the US market. Post Toasties competed for a place at the table with Kellogg's Corn Flakes. Kellogg's brother, W K Kellogg, began the companies that now market dry cereals and health meat analogs today. The Kellogg brothers ended not friends in this food business. J C Penny, Amelia Earhart, Henry Ford, and several great Americans also made stops at Western Health Institute.
I have, now, a long list of Hiatt / Rentfro pictures......If you have an interest. My Hiatt background is from the John Hiett / Mary Smith Quaker migration in 1699 via William Penn's influence. I think your line descended through William. Mine seems to have come by his brother, John.
Larry Anderson folder /
You have opened the flood gates.You will have to say "UNCLE" when you have had your quota of my propaganda or you will have to exercise your waste basket option liberally. Now that I've pulled family items together and have
items on my iMac, I can run rampant in my little world of novice genealogist. This color shot was our Christmas card picture in 2001. This is the last photo showing a great Ree Jackson Hiatt, my wife of 52 years. She & I were married on August 27, 1950 at Forest Lawn Memorial Garden in Glendale, CA., Church of the Recessional.
At that time we were students at La Sierra College (Now La Sierra University) in Riverside, CA.
Pictured here you see our grandson, Corrie Alexander Hiatt, in the arms of his father (my son) Ryan Ross Hiatt, Anastacia Ree Jackson Hiatt (my sweetheart), Vernon Ross Hiatt, (behind), Randy Sato, and Ronna Ree Hiatt Sato (my daughter). The bananas are Thompson variety bananas.......they taste like Bluefields but grow on a shorter stalk & suffer less wind damage. Bluefields are like Chiquita Bananas from Central America. ( I rode the school bus in Montana and dreamed of the person who could give a banana to little kids ) I actually did grow into a big kid that had banana plants of several varieties and I could give bunches of fruit to friends and sell fruit to raise money for community services. ( Bluefield's, Thompson's, Apple bananas, Ice Cream bananas )
Corrie is named in honor of my father, Albert Corrie Hiatt, a not s good Quaker boy, born in Indiana. He has the name, Alexander, because his mother is Greek. Alexander is a big Greek name tracing back to Alexander, the great.
My son, Ryan, was a manager of Colorado Rapid Springs Transit at that time ( Ryder and Laidlaw )
Ree Jackson Hiatt was the secretary for the plant manager of Del Monte Foods & plantations, Honolulu Hawaii and Coral Gables, Florida
I was the business manager for a private school, Hawaiian Mission Academy, built on the property of Princess Abigail Kawanakoa when she passed away and the estate site was sold. (Princess Abigail passed away on the same day as President FDR). Her estate was sold to the Hawaiian Mission of Seventh-day Adventists because of their commitment to educating the children of Hawaii since 1895.
Randy Sato is a software engineer for National-Semi Conductor in Sunnyvale, CA.
Ronna Ree Hiatt Sato was, at that time, a teacher for a private school directed by the Four Square Church ( Aimee Semple McPherson's followers ), Ronna next was principal of Miramonte Adventist School in Los Altos, CA.
Ronna was married to Al Warren Ganir, a schoolmate. until that union dissolved, partly because Al could not handle being married to a highly devoted teacher. Al was an engineer at National Semi-Conductor until National cut staff. There are no children in these marriages. JUST classroom kids......
Ronna was born at San Jose, CA, City Hospital on Dec. 26, 1958. Ryan was born at O'Conner Hospital , Catholic Hospital, San Jose, CA on Oct. 13, 1960. Ree was born in Spokane, Washington on Dec. 22, 1929 at a Spokane hospital. Ross was born in a house on the Flathead Indian Reservation headquarters, Dixon, MT on his father's birthday, Feb. I , 1928. Now, you know a bit about bananas and the Hiatts of Kailua, Hawaii.
Greetings Friend, Larry...... It is refreshing to know you!
It is encouraging to hear that you recognize Satan as a threat and a real deceiver. He is not comic strip character but rather he is active enemy that delights in the fact that puny mankind considers a devil to be a joke. This makes" evil" easier to prevail amid the activities of mankind.
I often wonder what great things I missed during my haste to mature. I failed to recognize the fantastic resource I had with my parents.
Did Mom & Dad know of the great things that made our family outstanding? And, a cut above the average...... I well remember how she would sit with me while I used scissors and blank pages tied together (bound) into booklets with yarn. I would use flour & water paste to fashion any narrative of my choosing. I was fascinated by her revelation to me of the mischief Uncle Joe could cause with a tiny Bible
What can you tell me about he entertainer, Wayne Newton. Has he spent bundles to establish his relationship with Pocahontas? I see is identified as Cherokee Indian. I also see that Charles Curtis (Hoover'VP) is part native American. I get strong vibes that Indian girls, such as Matoaka and Sacajawea, were highly intelligent little ladies.
By this time and after viewing some photos in Lena Hiatt's scrapbook that have no markings, you can see that I built Cora Lynn a house. I am not an "akamai" woodworker but I gave helping my sister "get out of living in the barn" a healthy whirl. Dad was much more clever than I when he built Hideaway Lodge.
Lynda Vista was good but Hideaway was much more complicated. I did run the wiring and the plumbing in Lynda Vista but I had access to modern building materials. Dad made modern amenities from pure inventiveness and fortitude, it seems.
On Oahu, I have helped church volunteers build several "Habitat for Humanity" houses. I even had a hand in
building the sanctuary where we step aside each week and worship. The Japanese worshipers built their own House of Worship on the site of the of Judge Henry Cooper's mansion in Manoa Valley. Judge Cooper was involved with rebels who overthrew the monarchy and he had built for his family, a mansion from Australian granite, brought here by empty merchant sailing ships before 1619. Crewmen unloaded the granite ballast and left it when they loaded sandalwood. The ballast prevented the empty tall ships from capsizing in heavy seas.
The church members worked long & hard. I noticed that the Japanese folk worked diligently but they were not good at keeping record. I began writing tales of my observations of our work on the sanctuary and I did have it published for the 50th Anniversary of our church. "Nuf said," ' Tis a pleasure to be able to chat with you. I have former students and family in Idaho. A hui hou rh
Aloha Cuz,
Sleep eludes me. It is mid-night in Honolulu. It is 2 hrs different from California time and 3 hrs different from your Idaho locale.
I'm happy that I have been able to isolate and forward files that are in this iMac. When my kids came to see me in December I made a few strides in computer education. Now, I have better control of things past. This evening I reopened a set of papers sent to me by my cousin, Pat Moran. I thought I would find matter on Rentfros.
Rather, the contents revealed info she had on Hiatts, Pat is the daughter of my cousin, Beryl Hankins Wical. Beryl was the the daughter of my Aunt Bess. She was a girl who lived with Pastor & Mrs. Winfred Hankins when they served as missionaries in Shanghai, China, in 1907. They were in China when Mom's brother, Clarence Emerson Rentfro, was a missionary in Portugal and Brazil.
I do regret that I am shallow on knowledge of on the Hiatt and Rentfro lines. I am struggling now to nail what I missed. I did venture into Iowa country when my son was transferred from managing Ryder's unit at Winter Park, Colorado, to managing a school bus unit in Chicago's northern reaches.
Ryan drove a large, black Lincoln SUV while towing a Ryder U-Haul trailer. I sat in the vehicle with my wife, his wife, my new born grandson, and 2 black Labrador Retrievers. While we drove I processed for mailing, a letter I had written to Hawaiian Mission Academy alumni my latest pitch for the endowment the HMA alumni gave the school. ( I am an honorary alumnus of the academy I served as teacher / business manager for most of my years of employment. )
In 2011 the money I hunted grew to the million dollar level goal alumni set for the endowment gift. We gave the gift when the association had nothing so I worked with graduates of the school to raise and invest money to reach the million dollar level. We did.
It took more years than I expected but HMA now has a million dollars. It can enjoy the interest income for years to come. I mailed a bundle of letters in Des Moines, Iowa, that long ago morning. We all had breakfast in Denny's dining room.
The only other time I ventured into the lands of my relatives was when I was traveling by train at the behest of Uncle Sam from Pearl Harbor to Camp Pickett, VA, during the Korean War. I learned things about being a medic before I landed at Fort Benning, GA. A hui hou Ross Hiatt
On Jan 26, 2012, at 8:41 PM, LarryAndy@aol.com
:
Thanks for this session, very interesting, such an exciting life. I will have to go thru this a few times, seems more to enjoy by closer reading then to find some of that family history and names mentioned too.
I have been hearing from another of your cousins the past few days, Gaynel Davis Gorman, living in Omaha, NE, she is about 70 years of age and is a 1st cousin 3 times removed to yourself. She has sent me some interesting family stories and history too, including obituaries and family data from great grandmother Iva Frances Hiatt who married William J. Wood, of Moravia, Iowa, this family removed to S. D. early 1900's and the families had lost contact with them too. So seems your sides of this family has gotten very active lately, am now putting her families data together too. Thanks again for this exciting history, it is fun that I was able to tell others closer to your lines that you have been sharing, such a wonderful history. Did you ever meet Max Hiatt of Centerville, Iowa area? He was one of the heads of the Hiatt reunions there. Did you ever visit HIiattsville, Iowa just outside Ottumwa, Moravia, Centerville, Iowa? Sincerely, Larry Anderson
(2462.) ALBERT CORRIE HIATT (872.) (231.) (38.) (4.) (1.):
m. 16-2mo-1897, to NETTIE FREEMAN (or Martin?).
Corrie Hiatt is shown as married first to Nettie Freemand, or Martin, Feb. 16, 1897. Sent by Ross Hiatt, Kailua, Hi.
Hiatt home at the Jocko Flathead Indian Agency grounds in Arlee, Montana. Albert Corrie Hiatt was the agency administrator and Lake County, Montana US Marshal. Picture includes A C Hiatt, born 1 Feb 1870, Bonita Rentfro Hiatt, born 3 May, 1892. My parents were wed on Christmas Day 1912.
Jean Hiatt, born May19, 1918
Cora Lynn Hiatt, born Dec. 11, 1913
Joelle Hiatt, born Aug. 25, 1916
Not shown..... Vernon Ross Hiatt, to be born, Feb. 1, 1928 The caboose .......
October 4, 2013
Happy Sabbath to all beloved family, friends, & colleagues,
In the process of settling into our new home in Twin Falls, I have commenced going through my files, mainly to purge un-needed items. This morning I came across a folder of Eagle-Nampa District Newsletters, dating back to the early ‘70’s when I pastored those two churches in the Idaho Conference, after returning from 10-years overseas mission service in the Middle East.
My eye caught the newsletter “Vol. II, No. 9, October 1971 (42 yrs ago!). I choose to reproduce it now, for this Happy Sabbath message:
Old man Price appeared to be a real saint, when I knew him as a student at Walla Walla College (’52-56). I first met him when my mother took me to meet Mr. & Mrs. Price; he was one of the town barbers back in those days. After we left the Price home I was surprised to hear mom say that Mr. Price had never become a member of any church, although his wife had been a SDA member for many decades. Mrs Price was the sweetest little ‘ol lady, and was very much a saint in the church. It was hard for me to imagine ‘Ol Mr. P wasn’t.
Mom know knew the story of his life, and now I will tell you “the rest of the story.” It goes back almost a century now, when my maternal Granddad, Corrie Hiatt, was a U.S. Marshall in western Montana. Mr. P was his deputy and it seems he was sorta courting the same lady the marshall further north thought he was courting.
One day the marshall from the north came storming into Granddad’s office, shouting a warning to Deputy Price to “Keep away from my lady friend.” Deputy Price looked at the Marshall from the north, as he coolly replied, “I’ll court the lady, if she will have me, and you can’t stop me.”
An argument with a tragic outcome occurred: Granddad, who saw it all happen, was the sole witness at the trial. Now my Granddad was a most honest man, whether under oath or not, so I take his word, as he stated on the witness stand, “The Marshall from the north went for his gun first, but my deputy, Mr. Price, was faster on the draw and out-gunned him. I trained my deputy in fast-drawing. He killed the Mashall with one shot, but since the other fellow drew first, I declare that Mr. Price acted in self-defense.”
Mr. Price was acquitted.
Some time later he married a lady, who, like my Grandma, was a faithful Seventh-day Adventist. Both ladies were a constant witness to their husbands. Although my Granddad, who was raised a Quaker, never actually joined our church, three weeks before he suddenly died, he came into his house early of a Friday night. Grandma, who was surprised, asked him, “Corrie, what are you doing home so early?” Granddad replied, “Tonight I begin keeping the Sabbath.” I fully expect to meet him in heaven!
And Mr. Price? Well, as I said, when I met him, he was a barber in College Place. His hair was snow white, and I still hope I will eventually have hair like his! However, he had not gotten around to joining his wife in church fellowship as a SDA. He said, as did my Granddad for many years, “My religion is in my wife’s name.” There were, he said, “a few things I need to doe to shape up in order to join the church.”
After graduating from WW College, I left the area to pastor in Montana and didn’t see the Price’s for several years. In the meantime Mr. Price’s wife passed away. Now in his 80’s, he was alone and very sad. He did a lot of thinking-and weeping.
When I next visited him he announced to me that he had finally been baptized into the SDA Church, but “How I wish,” he exclaimed, “I had been baptized while Mary was still alive, so when she fell asleep in Jesus, she would have the comfort of knowing I was planning to meet her at the feet of Jesus on the Resurrection Morning? Those few things I needed to do to ‘shape up’ weren’t worth a hill of beans.” He wiped a tear as he spoke, because Mary passed away not knowing how Mr. Price really felt about Jesus.
There is a bright side to Mr. Price’s baptism: at least he didn’t wait to commit his life to Christ before it was eternally too late to be saved. Some people do, you know. And I wonder, why? Why do so many of us keep putting off fully seeking the Lord? I mean seeking Him, and walking all the way with Him? Why put it off?
Our Lord has said, “And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”-John 6:37 When we come to Him with all our life’s burdens and problems, we need to truly come to Him, for He has also promised, “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”-Matt 11:28.
We have a hymn we sometimes sing: “Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.”
Let’s make certain we leave it there! It’s like the poem:
YESTERDAY
I BUNDLED UP MY PROBLEMS
WRAPPED THEM UP WITH TWINE
AND HANDED THEM TO YOU LORD
THEN I TRIPPED
OVER THE STRING
I WAS STILL CLUTCHING.
TODAY
YOU CAN SEE
THERE ARE NO STRINGS ATTACHED.
(My thanks to my parishioner, Polly Hiebert, who gave me that poem 42 years ago; she passed away shortly thereafter, only in her 30’s.)
How about it, family, friends, colleagues-hadn’t we all best cut loose the strings that tie us to this old earth as we seek that better home above? I’m tempted to say, “I will, if you will.” But I have a second thought: whether you cut loose or not, G’ma Joy and I are cutting loose. We want to be in heaven, and we pray you will too.
Remember, you are always in our hearts, thoughts, love, and prayers,
‘Ol Man Miller & G’ma Joy
NB--My thanks to Myrna Ferguson, Church Secretary to the Eagle & Nampa Churches that I pastored “way back then.” Myrna originally typed the Eagle-Nampa District Newsletter. She always did a top-notch work of it. (I slightly edited the original article to fit this week’s Happy Sabbath.)
Hmmmm . . . a thought comes to this ‘Ol Man’s mind . . . how ‘bout it, Myrna, would you type up a memory of “those good ‘ol days” in the Eagle-Nampa District and send it to me for the nest “Happy Sabbath?”
Another addendum-I am sending this message out early this Friday, for the Twin Falls Church is in the midst of evangelistic meetings, led by Pastor David Prest, President of the Idaho Conference. I serve as “Greeter” and “Gofer” for the meetings, so must be at the church at 6pm, well before the sundown time I normally send out Happy Sabbath.
(2462.) ALBERT CORRIE HIATT (872.) (231.) (38.) (4.) (1.):
m. 16-2mo-1897, to NETTIE FREEMAN (or Martin?).
Corrie Hiatt is shown as married first to Nettie Freemand, or Martin, Feb. 16, 1897. Sent by Ross Hiatt, Kailua, Hi.
Hiatt home at the Jocko Flathead Indian Agency grounds in Arlee, Montana. Albert Corrie Hiatt was the agency administrator and Lake County, Montana US Marshal. Picture includes A C Hiatt, born 1 Feb 1870, Bonita Rentfro Hiatt, born 3 May, 1892. My parents were wed on Christmas Day 1912.
Jean Hiatt, born May19, 1918
Cora Lynn Hiatt, born Dec. 11, 1913
Joelle Hiatt, born Aug. 25, 1916
Not shown..... Vernon Ross Hiatt, to be born, Feb. 1, 1928 The caboose .......
October 4, 2013
Happy Sabbath to all beloved family, friends, & colleagues,
In the process of settling into our new home in Twin Falls, I have commenced going through my files, mainly to purge un-needed items. This morning I came across a folder of Eagle-Nampa District Newsletters, dating back to the early ‘70’s when I pastored those two churches in the Idaho Conference, after returning from 10-years overseas mission service in the Middle East.
My eye caught the newsletter “Vol. II, No. 9, October 1971 (42 yrs ago!). I choose to reproduce it now, for this Happy Sabbath message:
Old man Price appeared to be a real saint, when I knew him as a student at Walla Walla College (’52-56). I first met him when my mother took me to meet Mr. & Mrs. Price; he was one of the town barbers back in those days. After we left the Price home I was surprised to hear mom say that Mr. Price had never become a member of any church, although his wife had been a SDA member for many decades. Mrs Price was the sweetest little ‘ol lady, and was very much a saint in the church. It was hard for me to imagine ‘Ol Mr. P wasn’t.
Mom know knew the story of his life, and now I will tell you “the rest of the story.” It goes back almost a century now, when my maternal Granddad, Corrie Hiatt, was a U.S. Marshall in western Montana. Mr. P was his deputy and it seems he was sorta courting the same lady the marshall further north thought he was courting.
One day the marshall from the north came storming into Granddad’s office, shouting a warning to Deputy Price to “Keep away from my lady friend.” Deputy Price looked at the Marshall from the north, as he coolly replied, “I’ll court the lady, if she will have me, and you can’t stop me.”
An argument with a tragic outcome occurred: Granddad, who saw it all happen, was the sole witness at the trial. Now my Granddad was a most honest man, whether under oath or not, so I take his word, as he stated on the witness stand, “The Marshall from the north went for his gun first, but my deputy, Mr. Price, was faster on the draw and out-gunned him. I trained my deputy in fast-drawing. He killed the Mashall with one shot, but since the other fellow drew first, I declare that Mr. Price acted in self-defense.”
Mr. Price was acquitted.
Some time later he married a lady, who, like my Grandma, was a faithful Seventh-day Adventist. Both ladies were a constant witness to their husbands. Although my Granddad, who was raised a Quaker, never actually joined our church, three weeks before he suddenly died, he came into his house early of a Friday night. Grandma, who was surprised, asked him, “Corrie, what are you doing home so early?” Granddad replied, “Tonight I begin keeping the Sabbath.” I fully expect to meet him in heaven!
And Mr. Price? Well, as I said, when I met him, he was a barber in College Place. His hair was snow white, and I still hope I will eventually have hair like his! However, he had not gotten around to joining his wife in church fellowship as a SDA. He said, as did my Granddad for many years, “My religion is in my wife’s name.” There were, he said, “a few things I need to doe to shape up in order to join the church.”
After graduating from WW College, I left the area to pastor in Montana and didn’t see the Price’s for several years. In the meantime Mr. Price’s wife passed away. Now in his 80’s, he was alone and very sad. He did a lot of thinking-and weeping.
When I next visited him he announced to me that he had finally been baptized into the SDA Church, but “How I wish,” he exclaimed, “I had been baptized while Mary was still alive, so when she fell asleep in Jesus, she would have the comfort of knowing I was planning to meet her at the feet of Jesus on the Resurrection Morning? Those few things I needed to do to ‘shape up’ weren’t worth a hill of beans.” He wiped a tear as he spoke, because Mary passed away not knowing how Mr. Price really felt about Jesus.
There is a bright side to Mr. Price’s baptism: at least he didn’t wait to commit his life to Christ before it was eternally too late to be saved. Some people do, you know. And I wonder, why? Why do so many of us keep putting off fully seeking the Lord? I mean seeking Him, and walking all the way with Him? Why put it off?
Our Lord has said, “And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”-John 6:37 When we come to Him with all our life’s burdens and problems, we need to truly come to Him, for He has also promised, “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”-Matt 11:28.
We have a hymn we sometimes sing: “Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.”
Let’s make certain we leave it there! It’s like the poem:
YESTERDAY
I BUNDLED UP MY PROBLEMS
WRAPPED THEM UP WITH TWINE
AND HANDED THEM TO YOU LORD
THEN I TRIPPED
OVER THE STRING
I WAS STILL CLUTCHING.
TODAY
YOU CAN SEE
THERE ARE NO STRINGS ATTACHED.
(My thanks to my parishioner, Polly Hiebert, who gave me that poem 42 years ago; she passed away shortly thereafter, only in her 30’s.)
How about it, family, friends, colleagues-hadn’t we all best cut loose the strings that tie us to this old earth as we seek that better home above? I’m tempted to say, “I will, if you will.” But I have a second thought: whether you cut loose or not, G’ma Joy and I are cutting loose. We want to be in heaven, and we pray you will too.
Remember, you are always in our hearts, thoughts, love, and prayers,
‘Ol Man Miller & G’ma Joy
NB--My thanks to Myrna Ferguson, Church Secretary to the Eagle & Nampa Churches that I pastored “way back then.” Myrna originally typed the Eagle-Nampa District Newsletter. She always did a top-notch work of it. (I slightly edited the original article to fit this week’s Happy Sabbath.)
Hmmmm . . . a thought comes to this ‘Ol Man’s mind . . . how ‘bout it, Myrna, would you type up a memory of “those good ‘ol days” in the Eagle-Nampa District and send it to me for the nest “Happy Sabbath?”
Another addendum-I am sending this message out early this Friday, for the Twin Falls Church is in the midst of evangelistic meetings, led by Pastor David Prest, President of the Idaho Conference. I serve as “Greeter” and “Gofer” for the meetings, so must be at the church at 6pm, well before the sundown time I normally send out Happy Sabbath.