O is for Owen

Owen was her first-born, the only son, and very dear to her heart. In all, Gail and Clyde had six children, which was probably more than they could afford to raise. Originally they’d wanted a dozen.

Here’s Mom and Dad with their baby boy, Owen.

Dad spent long hours earning a living, so didn’t really get to enjoy much time with his children. Mom, a full-time homemaker, devoted much of her energy to developing her children’s interests. That fascinated her much more than mopping floors or even getting dinner on the table. Those were just chores she had to do that took her away from raising her kids.

As a den mother for Owen’s Boy Scout troop, she escorted the boys on a short train trip. They learned crafts and she helped them make Plaster of Paris neckerchief slides in the shapes of wolf and bear heads. I remember the creative effort she put into turning a huge cardboard box into an elephant when the troop had a circus. Owen fit into the hole cut into the top of the box so it appeared that he was riding the elephant.