August 24, 2020
August 24, 2020
I imagine like many young men I met Joe while picking up one of his beautiful daughter's for a date. I arrived a bit early and we talked while I waited. "Can she bait a hook?" I asked. A fishing trip to a mountain lake was on the day's agenda and Joe replied that she could. While chit-chatting he started a sentence with the phrase "Well you know girls today..." that has stuck with me all of these years. I took that to be the quiet voice of wisdom from someone with a clear view of the world and not just some old guy's ramblings. Susan and I didn't catch any fish, not for the lack of trying, and we decided to stop at my parent's home which was on our way back to American Falls. My late father, an avid gardener, took notice when Susan said that her father had developed a variety of potato he had heard about. He wrote "Butte" in his note book and asked for Joe's name and phone number. In the following years, during conversations with my father, he would mention that he had phoned Joe to ask for advice on growing potatoes or how to treat some infestation or another. He liked talking to Joe about potatoes and fishing and I believe that they actually met once in person. I ended up in Twin Falls and only saw Susan a few more times before we drifted apart. As things turned out the talk that day in the driveway in American Falls would be the only personal interaction I ever had with Joe. I can only imagine the memories the kids have of Joe and Sylvia so to Susan, Mark and the others know that I'll never forget him. My prayers are with you.