March was a complete blur. Last I remember there was still snow on the ground here in Pasco. Now, the snow is long gone, the trees are budding, and the temperatures have warmed. I’m amazed I got any eWillys updates completed last month.

Speaking of updates, here are a few ….

The Funeral:

I wanted to say a final thanks to everyone who sent us well-wishes on dad’s passing. Anyone who has followed his story on here probably understands that, ever since his close call with death in 2011, all the years and time together since then have been a bonus. So, we were fortunate to have the extra time with him.

Thanks to perfect weather, my oldest son Karson and I drove Patterson to the funeral. The fact it was all back roads made it possible. I hadn’t driven the jeep that far since the Alaska Highway, so I didn’t really know what to expect. Still, we all agreed it was proper to have a jeep there, so we ignored the chance for a breakdown and drove anyway (but carried tow equipment just in case). The engine water temp gauge acted hot right away, so that made me a bit nervous on the drive, but there were no overheating signs, fortunately.

Just to make things interesting, the brakes were pulling to one side, so that made stopping all that more ‘fun’. And, the steering box was a little looser than I’d like, as I’d back off the ross box screw for towing it (but had forgotten about that), so we wandered a little. Still, the drive and purpose were worth any of those inconveniences.

I gave a short eulogy at the funeral (a little longer than the piece I published here) and managed not to crack with emotion as I read it. That was a win. Then, Karson and I managed to make it all the way back home without breaking down. Another win.

All-in-all it was a relatively happy event. We all understood where Dad was at in life, so there were more smiles than tears.

The Memorial:

I know some of you will be joining us at Dad’s Memorial. It is tentatively set for May 11th (a Saturday). The location has not been determined just yet.

Travels: 

The only travel plan we have marked in our calendars is a visit to Utah in early May. My daughter Kasia is graduating from college with a Chemical Engineering degree. She already has a great job in California lined up working for a long-established industrial insurance company (so we’ll be in the bay area at least a couple times over the next two years).

Kasia’s birthday just happened to be the same day as Dad’s funeral.

After that, we do not have any large trip planned (other than the White Rim trip below), though we are considering a September trip to Iowa to attend Dan’s FC Jamboree in Iowa. We haven’t traveled east that late in the year, so we thought it might be a nice change.

Canyonlands White Rim Trail:

My son Karson has invited me to join him on an exploration of the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands National Park in early May, so after Kasia’s graduation, we’ll head down there.

He’s biked the length of the trail, but he thought I’d like to jeep it. So he offered, as an early birthday present, to rent a jeep in Moab and have us drive the trail’s 100 miles together. It was a very thoughtful present and I jumped at the chance.

Image of the White Rim Trail from Wikipedia.

I guess that’s all for now. I hope everyone is close to putting winter behind them and looking forward to some Spring weather!

As I read it, this photo of Jimmy Stewart and other service members from WW2 was taken in 1944 and reproduced on January 15, 1954 (or maybe just used on that date?).

View all the information on eBay

“Well-preserved 1944 Associated Press 8×11 glossy photo of Jimmy Stewart, an Army major, driving fliers to their planes in Britain less than two months before D-Day. A pencil mark appears above Stewart’s head. On the back is an “Associated Press Wirephoto” stamp.”

Tuesday’s funeral went well. My oldest son Karson and I drove Patterson (1956 DJ-3A) to the service as a nod to dad. No time for updates until Thursday morning.

Naturally, no funeral is complete without a quick engine check on the jeep …

Updates will resume Saturday, then get interrupted again by a return to Seattle with my kids for Tuesday’s funeral. After April 3rd things should return to normal.

I discovered after dad’s passing that he had saved (thanks to his mother) most of the letters he sent home while he was in the Navy (1952-1955). I spent the last two days reading and scanning them. So, I ran out of time yesterday for most updates.

When he entered the Navy, Dad owned (most likely) a WWII jeep that he drove all over, including up to Brighton to ski (which is still a ski area above Salt Lake … the letters detail just how ski crazy he was .. and, he would work at Brighton after his Navy stint). Anyway, he left the jeep in the care of his parents and two brothers. In various letters, he advised them to be careful with it, to run it, to maintain it, and finally, as this letter shows, he asked them “Don’t wreck my jeep.” … a few months later, my grandfather sold the jeep for a Dodge PowerWagon, with dad’s blessing.

The account below was during his second week of basic training in San Diego. He was 19 at the time:

The letter reads,

Dear Mom,

We have started on our second week and things are still a little hard. I got your letter about the electric razor and stamps. You can send me both of them. Also, you can send me some cookies and candy. I am glad to hear about Carl, give him my best. I hope the weather is better out there than down here. It is hot in the day and cold at night. Say hello to everyone for me,

Love Karl

P.S. Don’t wreck my jeep .. write soon.