Thank You, good
evening. Welcome.
00:00:59.28\00:01:01.17
Well, the journey we'll
share together tonight is
00:01:01.62\00:01:04.75
certainly my favorite.
00:01:04.78\00:01:06.87
I'm going to
introduce you to the family.
00:01:07.41\00:01:09.35
I'll show you the smartest
grandkids in all the world.
00:01:10.29\00:01:13.63
Exercise my bragging rights.
00:01:16.00\00:01:18.20
Let's go.
00:01:19.47\00:01:20.45
There they are.
00:01:24.05\00:01:25.22
Beginning on your right is
our eldest, that's Tammy Lynn.
00:01:27.38\00:01:30.37
In the middle is Terry Lee.
00:01:31.47\00:01:33.31
On the left is... I'm sorry,
in the middle is Troy Lyle.
00:01:34.30\00:01:38.50
I knew better when I said it.
00:01:38.53\00:01:39.91
And then Terry Lee,
the boy who passed away
00:01:41.84\00:01:45.01
last September.
00:01:46.34\00:01:47.69
Well, I'm going to show
you where we raised the kids.
00:01:50.33\00:01:52.85
When I go to Florida
and other places, of course,
00:01:52.88\00:01:56.55
this is more meaningful,
I suppose, than it will be
00:01:56.58\00:01:59.38
for you folks from here
in the Northwest, but Boise
00:01:59.41\00:02:03.24
is our capital city,
of course, from Idaho.
00:02:03.27\00:02:07.02
And our home for 26 years
was north and just a touch
00:02:07.05\00:02:12.09
to the east, a little
place called Garden Valley.
00:02:12.12\00:02:16.26
And in the center of Garden
Valley, there is a little town
00:02:16.90\00:02:19.91
called Crouch and I've always
wished that before Hee Haw
00:02:19.94\00:02:24.42
went defunked they would
have saluted my home town.
00:02:24.45\00:02:26.95
I could just hear it,
"Hee Haw salutes Crouch, Idaho.
00:02:26.98\00:02:31.24
Population 81 during
the tourist season. "
00:02:31.27\00:02:34.66
"Salute. "
00:02:34.90\00:02:36.60
Ah, there is the
place in the winter time
00:02:36.63\00:02:39.90
there in Garden Valley up
on the side of Garden Mountain.
00:02:40.35\00:02:44.05
And then I think we have a
backyard view, there it is.
00:02:44.08\00:02:48.84
We would have to get
the backhoe out often
00:02:48.87\00:02:51.79
to dig the windows out
and dig into the back door.
00:02:51.82\00:02:55.07
And oft times, the kids
would ride the snow machines
00:02:55.10\00:02:57.95
right up over the house.
00:02:57.98\00:02:59.30
There's some fat guy shoveling
off the boat shed there.
00:02:59.33\00:03:02.42
And here is the camp
trailer. Can you see it?
00:03:02.45\00:03:05.55
It's in there somewhere.
00:03:05.58\00:03:07.41
We would often get as
much as 15 feet of snowfall.
00:03:08.10\00:03:11.86
Never that much at
one time, of course,
00:03:11.89\00:03:13.86
but as much as
4.5 or 5 feet of snow.
00:03:13.89\00:03:16.80
And this is the view from the
front yard in the summer time
00:03:16.83\00:03:21.64
looking up at Garden Mountain.
00:03:21.67\00:03:23.21
About 5 miles
distance, actually.
00:03:23.81\00:03:26.24
By the way, you
get there on the roads.
00:03:26.27\00:03:28.02
Not that far as
the crow would fly.
00:03:28.05\00:03:30.26
And here's the same
scene in the winter time.
00:03:30.29\00:03:32.82
Often in the winter
time, the snows would come and
00:03:35.36\00:03:39.18
the flakes would be so large
and the air would be so still
00:03:39.21\00:03:43.89
you could hear the
snow flakes hit the ground.
00:03:43.92\00:03:46.97
I've told folks of
that before and they find it
00:03:47.00\00:03:49.78
hard to believe, but I
tell you it's the truth.
00:03:49.81\00:03:52.39
You really can.
00:03:52.42\00:03:53.52
And it was a
really nice situation here
00:03:53.55\00:03:57.53
when the storms would move in,
to curl up beside the wood stove
00:03:58.53\00:04:02.35
with a good book and
a good bowl of beans.
00:04:02.38\00:04:06.46
Maybe some fried Idaho taters.
00:04:06.49\00:04:09.06
Now these are Elk.
00:04:09.09\00:04:10.81
Beneath the ground up
here, there is hot water
00:04:10.84\00:04:13.83
and we'll see more evidence
of that in a little bit.
00:04:13.86\00:04:15.95
I went down to the Philippines
and I showed these pictures
00:04:16.97\00:04:20.48
down there and I said to
the people, "These are moose. "
00:04:20.51\00:04:24.20
Now I knew better
but I just misspoke.
00:04:24.23\00:04:26.13
And the people said,
"Oh, moose? Uh-huh. "
00:04:26.16\00:04:28.69
And here are quite a few
more where they've been feeding
00:04:29.73\00:04:32.25
them in the winter time.
00:04:32.28\00:04:33.61
Now please don't get the
idea this is our backyard.
00:04:33.64\00:04:36.23
This is a hot water
swimming pool owned by the folks
00:04:36.26\00:04:40.42
of the subdivision.
00:04:40.45\00:04:41.61
And there are tennis courts that
have hot water running under
00:04:41.64\00:04:45.18
them, and 9 holes of golf, and
then across the road another 9.
00:04:45.21\00:04:48.91
I'll begin to show you
then, the kids over the years.
00:04:48.94\00:04:52.51
There's our eldest again,
Tammy Lynn and her three girls
00:04:52.54\00:04:56.19
and their daddy, Robert.
00:04:56.22\00:04:57.35
And there she is
again, Tammy and Robert.
00:04:58.52\00:05:01.77
This then is Terry,
our boy who passed away,
00:05:02.36\00:05:04.78
and his wife Brenda.
00:05:04.81\00:05:05.85
We went up to Canada,
British Columbia, Canada
00:05:05.88\00:05:09.73
to hold meetings like
these several years ago.
00:05:09.76\00:05:12.90
And Terry had been home
for the summer recuperating
00:05:12.93\00:05:18.86
from a really bad car accident
and he wasn't completely healed
00:05:18.89\00:05:23.51
at the end of the summer so
he went with us up to Canada.
00:05:23.54\00:05:25.93
And he met this girl and
it took me 10 years to get him
00:05:25.96\00:05:29.51
back to the states.
00:05:29.54\00:05:30.72
They married up there
and then moved back over
00:05:30.75\00:05:34.09
to eastern Oregon
just a few years ago.
00:05:34.12\00:05:36.72
There he is.
00:05:36.75\00:05:37.73
I've had folks say to
me, "You know, he reminds
00:05:37.76\00:05:41.19
me of Tom Selleck. "
00:05:41.22\00:05:42.19
And I always say,
"But he's better looking. "
00:05:42.20\00:05:44.49
And there's our
baby then with his wife,
00:05:44.52\00:05:47.10
Troy and Tammy Lorraine.
00:05:47.13\00:05:49.46
We named our kids Tammy
Lynn, Terry Lee, and Troy Lyle.
00:05:49.49\00:05:55.56
And then this guy, Troy,
goes off and marries a girl
00:05:55.59\00:05:59.18
by the name of Tammy Lorraine.
00:05:59.21\00:06:00.75
Now what are
the chances of that.
00:06:00.78\00:06:02.66
There are Troy and Tammy again.
00:06:02.69\00:06:05.36
And here is their first
baby. That's Kayla Renee.
00:06:05.39\00:06:09.19
Before she was born,
I said to her parents,
00:06:09.78\00:06:13.23
"If it's a little boy,
would you please name him Lyle?
00:06:13.26\00:06:15.83
And if it's a little
girl, name her Lyla. "
00:06:15.86\00:06:18.10
And they did just like you're
doing, they laughed out loud.
00:06:19.25\00:06:21.71
And then the baby came
and they named her Kayla.
00:06:22.12\00:06:24.21
Now you tell me how
Kayla is better than Lyla.
00:06:24.24\00:06:27.56
Pure prejudice, don't you think.
00:06:28.23\00:06:30.23
There she is at about 2 years.
00:06:30.90\00:06:33.20
These kids have the biggest
brown eyes you have ever seen.
00:06:33.73\00:06:37.50
And a little after
this, her baby brother came.
00:06:37.53\00:06:40.74
There's ole Matthew.
00:06:40.77\00:06:42.30
Mat Man, I call him.
00:06:42.33\00:06:43.84
I tell him, he's
like batman but better.
00:06:43.87\00:06:46.02
Now I want to tell you about
this little guy, particularly.
00:06:46.78\00:06:49.27
All of these kids are
smart, I mean really brilliant.
00:06:49.30\00:06:52.55
And their mom is really
smart, and my boy is no dummy.
00:06:52.58\00:06:57.10
He's a Registered Nurse.
00:06:57.13\00:06:58.19
And I credit Peggy for
the intellect that came from
00:06:58.22\00:07:02.59
our side of the family totally.
00:07:02.62\00:07:04.18
But at any event, this
little guy has an IQ that's
00:07:04.21\00:07:07.08
almost off the chart.
00:07:07.11\00:07:08.53
And he was in
school down in Kennewick
00:07:09.87\00:07:12.19
and the teacher
would give him assignments
00:07:12.22\00:07:15.60
and he'd have the morning's
work down in 15 minutes.
00:07:15.63\00:07:19.36
And then he was after all of
the rest of the kids, you know,
00:07:19.39\00:07:21.86
and the teacher would say,
"Matthew, if you don't settle
00:07:21.89\00:07:24.71
down, I'm going to have
to send you to the principal.
00:07:24.74\00:07:26.28
You must settle down. "
00:07:26.31\00:07:27.54
Now this kid has
had a grown-ups mind
00:07:27.57\00:07:30.46
since, I don't
know, he was 6 months.
00:07:30.49\00:07:32.77
I mean, he just thought like an
adult and never met a stranger.
00:07:32.80\00:07:38.29
And if he would meet
you, he would call you
00:07:38.69\00:07:42.35
by your first name.
00:07:42.38\00:07:43.35
He'd meet you and hear your
name once and he'd have it down
00:07:43.36\00:07:45.76
for the rest of
his life, I suppose.
00:07:45.79\00:07:48.03
But at any event, he
would call you Bill or Sam
00:07:48.06\00:07:51.49
and his folks would
say, "No, that's Mr. "
00:07:51.52\00:07:54.26
But he never got over it.
00:07:54.29\00:07:55.57
So at school, his
principal was named Tom Smith.
00:07:55.60\00:07:59.90
And his teacher said,
"If you don't settle down,
00:07:59.93\00:08:03.52
I'm going to have to
send you to Mr. Smith. "
00:08:03.55\00:08:05.40
Well, he acted out again
and she said, "Alright Matthew.
00:08:05.43\00:08:10.13
You go to the principal
and don't you come back
00:08:10.16\00:08:12.42
until he tells you
that you may come back. "
00:08:12.45\00:08:14.40
So in about 15
minutes he was back.
00:08:14.43\00:08:16.41
"Did you go to
see the principal?"
00:08:16.44\00:08:17.70
"Yes ma'am, I did. "
00:08:17.73\00:08:19.32
"Well how was it?"
00:08:20.44\00:08:21.41
"Oh," he said, "I
think Tom feels a lot better.
00:08:21.42\00:08:23.22
Any time he's feeling
down, I'll be glad to go
00:08:23.25\00:08:25.01
talk with him again.
00:08:25.04\00:08:26.01
He's better now. "
00:08:26.02\00:08:27.03
And then Peggy and I bought
an old 5th wheel camper trailer
00:08:30.30\00:08:36.96
in Kennewick that we
were going to take back over
00:08:36.99\00:08:39.97
to our mountain
place in Baker, Oregon.
00:08:40.00\00:08:42.71
And I had not a hitch to
pull it with, didn't have a
00:08:42.74\00:08:45.51
5th wheel hitch in my pickup.
00:08:45.54\00:08:47.09
And so I parked it behind
the Adventist church over in
00:08:47.12\00:08:50.07
Kennewick and just a
stones throw from there
00:08:50.10\00:08:53.39
was Matthew's school.
00:08:53.42\00:08:54.75
And one noon hour, the
teacher caught Matthew with
00:08:54.78\00:08:57.24
two or three of his little
friends headed out the gate.
00:08:57.28\00:08:59.57
And she stopped him and
she said, "You can't leave
00:08:59.67\00:09:01.14
the school grounds.
00:09:01.17\00:09:02.14
Where are you headed?"
00:09:02.15\00:09:03.20
He said, "I was going to
take my friends over to see
00:09:03.23\00:09:05.44
my grandpa's camper. "
00:09:05.47\00:09:06.89
"Well," she said,
"you can't leave. "
00:09:07.69\00:09:08.93
She said, "Maybe after school,
your mother can take you and
00:09:08.96\00:09:11.83
your friends over, but you can't
leave the school, not now. "
00:09:11.86\00:09:14.94
She said, "Is that
the camper over there?"
00:09:16.32\00:09:17.85
"Yes. "
00:09:17.88\00:09:18.85
"The one right
behind the church?"
00:09:18.86\00:09:19.89
"Yes, that's my grandpa's. "
00:09:19.92\00:09:21.73
"Well," asked his
teacher, "does your grandpa work
00:09:22.23\00:09:25.02
for the church, or something?"
00:09:25.05\00:09:26.13
"Yeah," he said, "my grandpa's
the Pope or something. "
00:09:26.16\00:09:28.59
"Some of my good
friends call me the Little Pope,
00:09:30.76\00:09:32.64
and you may if you like. "
00:09:32.67\00:09:33.88
There he is, ole Mat Man.
00:09:34.32\00:09:36.23
These are my parents.
00:09:36.26\00:09:37.48
My dad, he's
gone to sleep in Jesus
00:09:37.51\00:09:39.28
and my mother's not a bit well.
00:09:39.31\00:09:42.23
But there they
were in happier times.
00:09:42.26\00:09:44.41
Oh, there's a new member
of the family from not so
00:09:44.44\00:09:47.55
terribly long ago.
00:09:47.58\00:09:48.72
That was Peggy's baby.
00:09:48.75\00:09:50.86
There's grandma, my
mother, and I think Troy
00:09:51.64\00:09:55.50
riding in the tubes
behind the snowmobile.
00:09:55.53\00:09:59.68
In the summer time, we
would ride in the boat or
00:10:00.80\00:10:03.70
on our motorcycles.
00:10:03.73\00:10:05.04
And in the winter
time, on the snow machines.
00:10:05.07\00:10:07.66
This is Payette lake, for those
of you that might be wondering.
00:10:07.69\00:10:11.20
We would, traditionally,
when the kids were teenage,
00:10:11.23\00:10:14.89
and even after that, spend
about a month up in and around
00:10:14.92\00:10:18.55
McCall fishing and
swimming and boating and just
00:10:18.58\00:10:21.49
having a good time.
00:10:21.52\00:10:22.49
There's some kind of a creature
from the Black Lagoon, I guess.
00:10:22.50\00:10:26.26
Kind of scary looking.
00:10:26.29\00:10:28.64
On occasions, we would
strap our sleeping bags
00:10:29.04\00:10:32.37
behind our motorcycles, throw
in some granola or something,
00:10:32.40\00:10:36.34
and then take off into the
back country and be gone maybe
00:10:36.37\00:10:39.47
for 2 or 3 days seeing the
wild country and just having a
00:10:39.50\00:10:43.79
wonderful fellowship together.
00:10:43.82\00:10:45.37
Now I need to explain
this picture to you just a bit.
00:10:45.40\00:10:48.34
Peggy had gone off to see here
mother over in eastern Oregon,
00:10:49.61\00:10:53.74
but Troy and I were involved
in some building project, as we
00:10:53.77\00:10:57.62
often were
during the summer time.
00:10:57.65\00:10:59.84
And we didn't go
along with Peggy.
00:10:59.87\00:11:02.22
A couple of days
later, we finished our job and
00:11:03.05\00:11:05.59
my boy Troy said, "Dad, let's
hook the boat on behind the
00:11:05.62\00:11:09.49
pickup and just
through the tent in the back.
00:11:09.52\00:11:12.45
We won't need to take the camp
trailer or make two trips. "
00:11:12.48\00:11:14.84
He said, "Let's go fishing
and camping and water skiing
00:11:15.24\00:11:20.53
and have some
fun up at McCall. "
00:11:20.56\00:11:21.85
I said, "One condition,
son. If you'll do the cooking. "
00:11:21.88\00:11:25.12
He said, "I'll do the cooking
if you'll do the dishes. "
00:11:25.15\00:11:27.30
So we shook on it and took off.
00:11:27.33\00:11:29.15
This is the morning
after the night before.
00:11:29.18\00:11:31.02
Does that look
like a happy camper?
00:11:31.05\00:11:33.17
Sleeping on the rocks, and
about the 3rd or 4th burned
00:11:33.42\00:11:37.41
grilled cheese
sandwich, you know.
00:11:37.44\00:11:39.65
If you think this guy
looks like he has indigestion,
00:11:39.68\00:11:42.88
have a look at my cook.
00:11:42.91\00:11:44.61
So Troy said, "Dad, let's
call mom and see if she won't
00:11:47.52\00:11:50.45
come and cook for
us for a day or two. "
00:11:50.48\00:11:51.88
And we did and she did,
and then we had some fun.
00:11:51.91\00:11:55.05
Now that boy, Troy, our
last, grew up on the road
00:11:55.55\00:12:00.97
in a camp
trailer, and then in a bus.
00:12:01.42\00:12:03.72
His mother was his teacher until
he went away to boarding school.
00:12:03.75\00:12:07.01
And he would work at meetings
like these operating the sound
00:12:07.04\00:12:10.00
machinery and the public address
and recording, and all of that.
00:12:10.03\00:12:13.66
And I would pay
him a little bit.
00:12:13.69\00:12:14.90
And every fall when we'd
hit the road again, he'd make
00:12:14.93\00:12:17.93
me give him a raise.
00:12:17.96\00:12:19.23
And he saved his money
like a pension, or something.
00:12:19.26\00:12:22.97
And I asked him one day, "For
what are you saving your money?"
00:12:23.00\00:12:25.18
He said, "I'm going to
buy me a fat fendered Ford. "
00:12:25.21\00:12:27.69
Well, this is the fat
fendered Ford after we worked
00:12:28.21\00:12:31.03
on it about 5 years.
00:12:31.06\00:12:32.73
It's not quite finished yet.
00:12:32.76\00:12:34.53
1953 Ford and we put, let's see,
a 500 cubic inch Cadillac engine
00:12:34.56\00:12:41.47
that we punched out 30,000
and then bolted it up to a
00:12:41.50\00:12:45.89
9 inch Ford rear end.
00:12:45.92\00:12:47.21
The only problem we have
now is trying to idle away
00:12:47.25\00:12:50.39
from a stop sign.
00:12:50.42\00:12:51.59
Hey, that's a
drawing of Lyle's first car.
00:12:51.99\00:12:54.20
That's a 1950 Ford Crestliner.
00:12:54.23\00:12:57.85
I'll tell you more
about that after a while.
00:12:57.88\00:12:59.68
I think, ladies and
gentlemen, we have the privilege
00:13:00.47\00:13:03.00
of living in the most
beautiful part of the world.
00:13:03.03\00:13:06.18
I have been, as the
song says, everywhere.
00:13:06.21\00:13:09.11
Hank Snow sung
it, but I lived it.
00:13:09.14\00:13:11.41
And I've been everywhere.
00:13:11.44\00:13:12.82
About 62 countries and
all of the states, nearly.
00:13:12.85\00:13:16.45
But there's nothing quite
like the Pacific Northwest.
00:13:16.48\00:13:19.58
It is so beautiful.
00:13:19.61\00:13:21.16
And I want you to join me in
keeping it pretty and lovely.
00:13:21.19\00:13:24.53
We have so much
to be thankful for.
00:13:24.56\00:13:26.97
We're going to
discontinue our travel just now.
00:13:27.37\00:13:30.42
It was 108 years ago when
my grandfather, John Albrecht,
00:13:32.84\00:13:36.46
came to this country from
Russia with two sons, teenaged.
00:13:36.49\00:13:40.77
In the old country, he'd
buried a wife and a little girl.
00:13:41.09\00:13:44.76
His forbearers had
gone there at the invitation
00:13:45.96\00:13:48.92
of the government to
teach the Russians how to farm.
00:13:48.95\00:13:53.16
But after a couple of
generations, there came a
00:13:53.19\00:13:56.34
Czarina who
knew not the Germans.
00:13:56.37\00:13:59.16
And their lands were taken from
them and it was at that time
00:13:59.19\00:14:01.70
that there was a great
migration of the Germanic people
00:14:01.73\00:14:06.20
from Russia, and from
Germany for that matter,
00:14:06.23\00:14:08.63
to the United States.
00:14:08.66\00:14:10.39
John Albrecht and the two boys
came across the Atlantic Ocean
00:14:10.42\00:14:14.70
and landed in New York
City and matriculated through
00:14:14.73\00:14:18.16
Ellis Island like hundreds
before and many, many afterward.
00:14:18.19\00:14:22.62
After they'd passed all of
the tests, health and otherwise,
00:14:22.65\00:14:25.94
they asked, "Where is
this land that's available
00:14:25.97\00:14:28.74
according to the Homestead Act.
00:14:28.77\00:14:30.85
Where is this free property?"
00:14:30.88\00:14:32.70
And someone said, "Mr.
Albrecht, if I were you,
00:14:32.73\00:14:35.36
I would take my boys and
go to North or South Dakota
00:14:35.39\00:14:39.85
or somewhere along the
border of the two states. "
00:14:39.88\00:14:42.68
And so, John loaded the boys
on the train and they traveled
00:14:42.71\00:14:45.69
west into Nebraska
and then turned it north.
00:14:45.72\00:14:49.12
And somewhere on the
border of South Dakota,
00:14:49.60\00:14:52.30
they got off the train and
John bought a horse and a wagon.
00:14:52.33\00:14:57.67
And they loaded their few things
in and continued to move north
00:14:57.70\00:15:01.57
until they came to the border
of North and South Dakota and
00:15:01.60\00:15:05.75
the little county of Campbell
and the little town of Pollock.
00:15:05.78\00:15:11.98
John went down along the
Missouri River and with a
00:15:13.27\00:15:16.74
hatchet, he cut some Willows
and from those he made stakes.
00:15:16.77\00:15:21.83
Beside the wagon, he drove one.
00:15:21.86\00:15:23.75
And then he turned north
and walked up the banks of the
00:15:23.78\00:15:26.64
Missouri on the east side
for several hundred yards,
00:15:26.67\00:15:29.59
and there he
drove another stake.
00:15:29.62\00:15:31.12
And then he turned toward
the east, walked several hundred
00:15:31.15\00:15:33.76
yards and drove a stake.
00:15:33.79\00:15:35.18
And then turned toward
the south and drove another,
00:15:35.21\00:15:37.33
and then back to
the point of beginning.
00:15:37.36\00:15:39.51
And when he got back to the
wagon, he and the boys stood
00:15:39.54\00:15:42.25
up in the bed and
viewed the landscape.
00:15:42.28\00:15:44.98
Here was their opportunity,
here was their chance
00:15:45.01\00:15:48.01
in the promise land.
00:15:48.04\00:15:49.70
But one day, John left the
boys in the fields and went
00:15:49.73\00:15:52.78
into the town of
Pollock and into the bar.
00:15:52.81\00:15:56.59
He began to ask the question,
"Does anyone have an idea
00:15:56.62\00:16:00.90
where I might find a wife?
00:16:00.93\00:16:02.60
My boys need a mom and
I need a cook and a wife.
00:16:02.63\00:16:05.48
Anyone have an idea?"
00:16:05.51\00:16:06.67
And someone in the bar
said, "John, if I were you,
00:16:06.70\00:16:09.85
I would go over to Bowdle.
00:16:09.88\00:16:12.04
I understand the Jacovo family
has a niece that's recently
00:16:12.07\00:16:15.08
come over from the old country.
00:16:15.11\00:16:16.65
You might check her out. "
00:16:16.68\00:16:17.84
And so the next day,
John hitched up the horse
00:16:17.87\00:16:20.94
to the wagon and went
over to Bowdle, South Dakota
00:16:20.97\00:16:24.40
and found the Jacovo
place and asked, "Is it true
00:16:24.43\00:16:27.53
you have a niece?"
00:16:27.56\00:16:28.53
"Yea, yea. "
00:16:28.56\00:16:29.99
"Well, can she cook?"
00:16:30.02\00:16:30.99
"Well, John, why don't you
stay and eat with us and see. "
00:16:31.00\00:16:33.77
Evidently, he was impressed
because after the dishes
00:16:33.80\00:16:36.13
were done, he asked Christine to
marry him and she said, "When?"
00:16:36.16\00:16:40.35
He said, "Tomorrow.
" And she said, "Yea. "
00:16:40.38\00:16:42.47
The next day, he
took Christine home.
00:16:44.82\00:16:47.03
And she, not only did the
housework and the cooking,
00:16:47.06\00:16:50.05
but when she had a bit of
free time, she went out into the
00:16:50.08\00:16:52.81
fields with John and
the boys and did planting
00:16:52.84\00:16:56.37
and did harvesting.
00:16:56.40\00:16:57.75
And as the family
grew and prospered, so also
00:16:57.78\00:17:01.21
did the ranch, and vice verse.
00:17:01.24\00:17:04.01
Before too many years had gone
by, in addition to the two boys
00:17:04.04\00:17:08.05
who'd come with their
dad from the old country,
00:17:08.08\00:17:09.80
there were 14 new Albrecht's.
00:17:09.83\00:17:13.42
Of course, now they'd long
since outgrown the old soddie.
00:17:14.02\00:17:17.15
But with God's blessing and
hard work, they were able to
00:17:17.18\00:17:20.18
build for themselves a two-story
farmhouse with screened in
00:17:20.21\00:17:24.13
porches on all four sides
where the kids could sleep
00:17:24.16\00:17:27.34
during good weather.
00:17:27.37\00:17:28.72
They had the first rubber tired
tractor in Campbell county.
00:17:31.94\00:17:35.49
And there is some
debate, some say, "No, the first
00:17:35.52\00:17:38.66
indoor plumbing was
down at the gubernatorial
00:17:38.69\00:17:41.50
mansion in Pierre. "
00:17:41.53\00:17:42.65
Others said, "No, it
was at the Albrecht farm
00:17:42.68\00:17:45.95
up in Campbell county. "
00:17:45.98\00:17:47.40
I'm not sure. It doesn't matter.
00:17:47.43\00:17:49.15
I know this, that many
a neighbor and many of the
00:17:49.18\00:17:52.35
folks from the little town
of Pollock would, on Sunday,
00:17:52.38\00:17:55.67
crank up the Model T
or hitch up to the buggy
00:17:55.70\00:17:59.48
and go to the Albrecht farm.
00:17:59.51\00:18:00.88
They wanted to see
a couple of things.
00:18:00.91\00:18:02.26
They wanted to see
the indoor outhouse,
00:18:02.29\00:18:04.14
and they wanted to see John
flip the switch and watch the
00:18:04.17\00:18:07.58
electric lights come on inside.
00:18:07.61\00:18:09.82
One day, the two older boys
came to their father and said,
00:18:10.99\00:18:16.13
"Dad, if we're going
to stay ahead, we need to
00:18:16.16\00:18:18.61
upgrade the cattle herd.
00:18:18.64\00:18:20.05
What we need is a
registered bull. "
00:18:20.08\00:18:22.15
And grandpa John said,
"Boys, if we make some money
00:18:22.63\00:18:25.85
when we sell the grain
this fall, we'll go buy us
00:18:25.88\00:18:27.84
a registered bull. "
00:18:27.87\00:18:29.21
And the boys said, "Dad, the
wave of the future is credit.
00:18:29.24\00:18:32.24
The neighbors
are already doing it.
00:18:32.27\00:18:33.98
If we're going to
keep up and keep ahead,
00:18:34.01\00:18:35.93
we could go now and the
banker would give us the money.
00:18:35.96\00:18:39.23
We could get the bull
now and upgrade the herd. "
00:18:39.26\00:18:42.20
And John said, "Boys, surely you
remember from the old country,
00:18:43.10\00:18:46.94
we don't spend
money we don't got. "
00:18:46.97\00:18:48.80
But the boys were influential.
00:18:48.83\00:18:51.44
And so John reluctantly
went to the bank, signed papers
00:18:51.47\00:18:55.14
he could not read, was given
cash with which he immediately
00:18:55.17\00:18:58.65
went over to the livestock
auction and bought a bull.
00:18:58.68\00:19:01.92
Tied him behind the wagon
and led him home and turned him
00:19:01.95\00:19:04.94
loose in the fields.
00:19:04.97\00:19:06.76
Six weeks later, the
stock market crashed.
00:19:08.73\00:19:12.38
And a few months after that, the
banker came asking for money.
00:19:13.73\00:19:18.51
And John said, "You
know we got no money.
00:19:18.54\00:19:21.22
We're like all the
rest of the neighbors.
00:19:21.25\00:19:23.31
But I'm an honest man.
00:19:23.34\00:19:24.57
Soon as I have money,
you'll have your money.
00:19:24.60\00:19:26.69
Just be patient with me. "
00:19:26.72\00:19:28.46
And the banker said, "We
can't go on like this forever. "
00:19:29.17\00:19:31.83
I want you to hold that
thought in your minds and let me
00:19:33.43\00:19:36.01
tell you about a visit that I
made in search of my own roots.
00:19:36.04\00:19:39.56
I was holding meetings like
these in Bismarck, North Dakota
00:19:39.59\00:19:41.93
and when our day off came,
Peggy and I and our boy Troy
00:19:41.96\00:19:45.93
drove down to Campbell county
and found the little town of
00:19:45.96\00:19:49.39
Pollock and drove right
to the end of Main Street.
00:19:49.42\00:19:52.26
You must, at the end of
Main Street, stop because the
00:19:52.29\00:19:55.17
Main Street itself stops.
00:19:55.20\00:19:56.89
And you must either
turn right hand or left.
00:19:56.92\00:19:59.20
And I saw at the stop
sign, pointers that went this
00:19:59.23\00:20:03.51
direction and this.
00:20:03.54\00:20:04.71
One said, the Van
der Hoeven's this way,
00:20:05.32\00:20:07.44
and de Slava's that way.
00:20:07.47\00:20:09.05
And then one said,
Albrecht Bay this way.
00:20:09.08\00:20:12.06
And I parked and ran
to the nearest house and
00:20:12.09\00:20:14.20
knocked on the door.
00:20:14.23\00:20:15.20
And I asked the gentleman,
"Tell me about Albrecht Bay.
00:20:15.21\00:20:18.09
What's that all about?"
00:20:18.12\00:20:19.09
"Well," he said, "there was an
old pioneer who came from Russia
00:20:19.12\00:20:22.11
by the name of John Albrecht.
00:20:22.14\00:20:23.67
And he built a
ranch house down there.
00:20:23.70\00:20:26.30
And now," he said, "of
course, the river is dammed.
00:20:26.33\00:20:30.18
Down at Pierre, there is a dam.
00:20:30.21\00:20:31.90
But where the ranch house
use to be, that's where we
00:20:31.93\00:20:34.67
dock our boats, so
the name Albrecht Bay. "
00:20:34.70\00:20:37.75
I said, "Was that John
Albrecht with a lot of kids?"
00:20:37.78\00:20:40.88
"Yea," he said,
"yea that was the guy. "
00:20:40.91\00:20:43.14
I said, "Did you know him?"
00:20:43.17\00:20:45.29
"Not well," he said.
00:20:45.32\00:20:46.53
"I was only a kid myself. "
00:20:46.56\00:20:48.59
"But," he said, "we had
the grain elevators and we
00:20:48.62\00:20:51.34
bought his grain.
00:20:51.37\00:20:52.54
And I always heard he
was a good honest man. "
00:20:52.57\00:20:54.77
I asked, "Is there anyone
else still alive around here
00:20:54.80\00:20:58.84
that might have
known him personally?"
00:20:58.87\00:21:00.71
"Yea," he said, "Go down to
the pharmacy and see Mr. Lovo. "
00:21:00.74\00:21:05.14
So I went down to the pharmacy,
and inside I found behind the
00:21:05.74\00:21:10.28
counter, a lady and I
said to her, "I'd like to meet
00:21:10.31\00:21:13.77
Mr. Lovo, if he's in. "
00:21:13.80\00:21:15.07
She called out,
"Mr. Lovo, please. "
00:21:16.07\00:21:18.48
And he came out of
the back room waddling.
00:21:18.51\00:21:20.69
He was about that high
and he was about that wide.
00:21:20.72\00:21:25.13
And he had real thick glasses.
00:21:25.58\00:21:27.47
And I introduced myself.
00:21:27.87\00:21:29.12
I said, "Mr. Lovo, my
name is Lyle Albrecht.
00:21:29.15\00:21:31.97
And I understand you may have
known my grandfather, John. "
00:21:32.00\00:21:36.33
"Yea, I knew him good," he said.
00:21:36.36\00:21:38.85
"Knew him good. "
00:21:38.88\00:21:40.29
"Well," I said, "I want
you to tell me all about him. "
00:21:40.32\00:21:42.75
"Well, what I can
say. I don't know.
00:21:42.78\00:21:44.87
He was good man, I
guess. I don't know. "
00:21:45.17\00:21:48.85
"Oh," he said, "what I
can say to you about him.
00:21:49.75\00:21:52.63
He was just a short
fat little German. "
00:21:52.66\00:21:54.81
Now somehow I had the
idea that my grandfather, John,
00:21:54.84\00:21:57.48
was tall and broad shouldered
and narrow at the waist.
00:21:57.51\00:22:00.28
I said, "Mr. Lovo, maybe we're
not reading off the same page.
00:22:00.91\00:22:04.08
I'm talking about the John that
built the farmhouse out where
00:22:04.68\00:22:07.99
they dock the boats
now and homesteaded there
00:22:08.02\00:22:10.89
and raised a big family. "
00:22:10.92\00:22:12.01
"Yea, yea. Yea,
same one," he said.
00:22:12.04\00:22:14.49
I said, "Do you mean he was like
you described, short and... "
00:22:14.52\00:22:18.55
He said, "He was a
short fat little German
00:22:18.95\00:22:20.86
about like you are. "
00:22:20.89\00:22:22.09
I said, "Could you tell
me where he's buried, sir?"
00:22:28.46\00:22:31.12
"Yes," he said, "go to Mount
Hope cemetery up the main road
00:22:31.15\00:22:34.64
and about half way on the
right hand side, there you
00:22:34.67\00:22:37.66
see the family plot. "
00:22:37.69\00:22:39.01
And so I went
there with my son, Troy.
00:22:39.04\00:22:41.20
And I found the grave
of my grandfather, John,
00:22:41.23\00:22:43.75
and some of the other
children who died prematurely.
00:22:43.78\00:22:46.80
And I knelt there beside
the grave and prayed that on
00:22:47.20\00:22:50.50
the day of the first
resurrection, I'd have the
00:22:50.53\00:22:52.39
privilege to be caught up
together with my grandpa John.
00:22:52.42\00:22:56.00
A few weeks after the banker's
first visit, he came again
00:23:01.60\00:23:05.48
with a demand.
00:23:05.88\00:23:06.87
He said, "I can't carry
you on credit any longer.
00:23:06.90\00:23:09.86
You haven't even made a
payment against the interest,
00:23:09.89\00:23:12.07
let alone the principle. "
00:23:12.10\00:23:13.16
And John said, "Yea, but
as soon as we get money. "
00:23:13.19\00:23:15.56
And the banker said,
"That won't work, John. "
00:23:15.96\00:23:18.37
And a few days later he
came again and took, not only
00:23:18.84\00:23:21.29
the bull, but all of the cattle
and all of the farm machinery.
00:23:21.32\00:23:26.93
And when he left with the
cows and the equipment, he said,
00:23:27.43\00:23:30.60
"It's not over yet, John. "
00:23:30.63\00:23:32.13
And a few days later, he
came back with the sheriff
00:23:32.16\00:23:34.70
and an eviction notice
and took the section of land
00:23:34.73\00:23:38.85
and the farm house
and the whole thing.
00:23:38.88\00:23:42.45
John Albrecht did come
to this country with nothing
00:23:43.96\00:23:45.96
but calluses on his
hands and a dream in his heart.
00:23:45.99\00:23:48.30
With a lot of hard
work and prayer and faith,
00:23:48.33\00:23:51.17
he built what, for him
and his family, was an empire.
00:23:51.20\00:23:54.19
And in just a few days,
for reasons he would never
00:23:54.22\00:23:56.82
understand, he'd lost it all.
00:23:56.85\00:23:58.61
And it was more than
he could stand and he died
00:23:59.40\00:24:01.56
of a broken heart about
6 years before my birth.
00:24:01.59\00:24:05.22
When he died, he left
nothing but unpaid bills
00:24:08.29\00:24:10.51
and hungry mouths.
00:24:10.54\00:24:11.89
And one day, a couple
of the older boys from the
00:24:13.39\00:24:16.14
second marriage came to
their mother, Christine,
00:24:16.17\00:24:18.79
and said, "Mother,
things are better out west.
00:24:18.82\00:24:22.05
We're going to take the
old Model T pickup and we're
00:24:22.45\00:24:25.39
going to go out west and
get jobs and we'll make money
00:24:25.42\00:24:28.12
and we'll send it back to you. "
00:24:28.15\00:24:29.61
And my dad at age 15
overheard this conversation
00:24:29.64\00:24:33.23
and he went running up
and he said, "I'm going to.
00:24:33.26\00:24:35.26
I want to go with you. "
00:24:35.29\00:24:36.27
And the older brother
said, "No, Walt, you're going
00:24:36.30\00:24:38.38
to stay right here.
00:24:38.41\00:24:39.38
You're nothing
but a snot nosed kid.
00:24:39.39\00:24:40.42
You're going to
stay right here. "
00:24:40.45\00:24:41.86
And my dad said, "Look,
if you'll let me go along,
00:24:41.89\00:24:45.32
I'll ride in the
back, I'll be no problem,
00:24:45.35\00:24:48.30
and if we have any flat
tires, I will fix them all. "
00:24:48.33\00:24:52.67
Now that was a
bargain too good to pass by.
00:24:52.70\00:24:55.50
Now I love old
cars and antiques.
00:24:56.64\00:25:00.29
It was Ray Charles
who put it to music.
00:25:00.99\00:25:03.89
He said, "I love antique
autos and old Eldorado's.
00:25:03.92\00:25:07.97
When I was pastoring in
Weiser, Idaho, I found a
00:25:11.06\00:25:13.46
1936 Chevrolet and I bought
it and began to restore it.
00:25:13.49\00:25:17.05
And I was having some
problem with the knee action
00:25:17.08\00:25:19.63
on the front end.
00:25:19.66\00:25:21.17
And I knew my dad once had one
and knew about it mechanically.
00:25:21.20\00:25:24.95
And he would often come over
with mom on weekends to hear
00:25:24.98\00:25:28.01
me preach and to
spend a day or two.
00:25:28.04\00:25:30.29
And so I asked him one
Sunday, "Dad, would you come out
00:25:30.32\00:25:33.74
in the back and look
at my old Chevrolet?"
00:25:33.77\00:25:36.81
"Not now, not now. "
00:25:36.84\00:25:39.14
And so I let it slide.
00:25:39.17\00:25:40.87
It happened another time
or two, and finally one day
00:25:40.90\00:25:43.73
I confronted him.
00:25:43.76\00:25:44.73
I said, "Dad, what do
you have against old cars?
00:25:44.74\00:25:47.58
You won't even look
at my antique Chevy. "
00:25:47.61\00:25:50.23
And my dad told me
about the strip in the back
00:25:50.26\00:25:52.33
of the Model T.
00:25:52.36\00:25:53.48
He said, "En route
between South Dakota and Idaho,
00:25:53.52\00:25:57.17
we had 15 flat tires and my
brothers made me fix every one.
00:25:57.20\00:26:01.96
Jack it up by hand and take
off the tire and take it apart
00:26:01.99\00:26:06.40
and take out the tube and
patch it and put it back in
00:26:06.43\00:26:09.61
and put it on the wheel and
pump it up and put it back on.
00:26:09.64\00:26:12.48
Don't talk to me
about old cars. "
00:26:12.51\00:26:14.63
When the three Albrecht boys
arrived in Idaho, it was the
00:26:16.43\00:26:19.12
fall of the year and the fruit
was hanging heavy on the trees
00:26:19.15\00:26:22.53
and they immediately got
jobs in the fruit harvest.
00:26:22.56\00:26:25.40
They were given two
or three big meals a day
00:26:26.10\00:26:29.38
and one big silver dollar
each at the end of every day.
00:26:29.41\00:26:32.76
And they stayed there in
the Caldwell Marsing area
00:26:32.79\00:26:36.29
until the fruit had been picked.
00:26:36.32\00:26:38.71
And then they asked
around, "Where might we go?
00:26:38.74\00:26:41.31
What might we do
throughout the winter?
00:26:41.34\00:26:44.16
Do you have any suggestions?"
00:26:44.19\00:26:45.88
And one fruit farmer said to the
Albrecht boys, "If I were you,
00:26:45.91\00:26:49.10
I would go to the Camas Prairie
and get a job feeding cattle
00:26:49.13\00:26:53.27
during the winter.
00:26:53.30\00:26:54.27
They may not be able to pay
you much, if anything at all.
00:26:54.28\00:26:56.80
May not pay you but you'll
have good meals and you'll
00:26:56.83\00:26:59.66
have a good warm place to
hang out for the winter. "
00:26:59.69\00:27:02.71
And so the boys loaded into
the old Model T and drove to the
00:27:02.74\00:27:06.68
little town of Fairfield near
the ski resort of Sun Valley.
00:27:06.71\00:27:10.62
In the bar, they went and asked,
"Do you have any suggestion
00:27:10.65\00:27:14.36
about a rancher that
might be able to give us jobs?"
00:27:14.39\00:27:16.52
And the owner of the bar
said, "Boys, if I were you,
00:27:16.55\00:27:20.54
I would go... " and he told them
a name and gave them directions.
00:27:20.57\00:27:22.93
And they went and the
rancher said, "Yes, of course.
00:27:23.03\00:27:26.04
I can put you to work
feeding, I can't pay you much.
00:27:26.07\00:27:29.45
But you'll eat well. "
00:27:29.48\00:27:30.93
And he said, "We'll go into town
a couple of times a week and
00:27:30.96\00:27:33.47
have a few beers
and shoot some pool. "
00:27:33.50\00:27:35.94
It happened that there
was a son of the rancher
00:27:36.66\00:27:39.97
the same age as Walt, my dad.
00:27:40.00\00:27:42.99
And so the three Albrecht
boys and the ranchers son
00:27:43.56\00:27:47.20
would, in the morning, get
up early and go out and pitch
00:27:47.23\00:27:50.71
the hay off the loose
stacks onto slips or sleds
00:27:50.74\00:27:54.89
in the winter time.
00:27:54.92\00:27:55.90
And then take it out through
the fields and throw it off
00:27:55.93\00:27:59.04
to the hungry cattle.
00:27:59.07\00:28:00.17
Break the ice on the ponds and
creeks so the cows could drink.
00:28:00.20\00:28:04.39
And then, nothing else to do
until or unless it was a real
00:28:04.42\00:28:08.76
bitter winter day and
they'd do the same thing
00:28:08.79\00:28:11.24
in the evening time.
00:28:11.27\00:28:12.77
And at least once a
week, and sometimes more,
00:28:12.80\00:28:15.14
the rancher would take the boys
into the town of Fairfield and
00:28:15.17\00:28:17.96
into the club cigar store
where he'd buy them a few beers
00:28:17.99\00:28:21.39
and they'd play
some poker or shoot pool.
00:28:21.42\00:28:24.79
When the spring came,
the two older Albrecht boys
00:28:26.11\00:28:28.92
learned that there were
good paying jobs on Swan Island
00:28:28.95\00:28:33.17
in the Portland, Oregon area
in the ship building business.
00:28:33.20\00:28:36.00
And so they left Fairfield Idaho
and went to the Portland area.
00:28:36.03\00:28:40.53
But Walt stayed behind.
00:28:40.56\00:28:42.22
He'd found a family
and a boy his same age
00:28:42.25\00:28:45.46
who was much like a brother.
00:28:45.49\00:28:46.91
He put up hay that summer
and fed cattle the next winter.
00:28:47.56\00:28:51.03
And the next summer, he was
putting up hay when at the end
00:28:51.06\00:28:54.58
of a long day, the rancher
took the two boys into town
00:28:54.61\00:28:58.67
and treated them to some
beer and some poker games.
00:28:58.70\00:29:03.71
The owner of the bar came
over to my dad and he said,
00:29:04.87\00:29:07.91
"Walt, I've been
looking for a bartender. "
00:29:07.94\00:29:10.71
Walt was 17 years of age now.
00:29:12.01\00:29:14.80
"I've been looking for a
bartender for a good while. "
00:29:15.40\00:29:18.31
And he said, "I think
you're the guy that I want.
00:29:18.34\00:29:21.53
Everyone likes you and you have
such a wonderful sense of humor,
00:29:21.56\00:29:24.40
and you'd be in out of
the heat in the summer and
00:29:24.43\00:29:27.99
out of the cold in the
winter, and I could pay you more
00:29:28.02\00:29:29.60
than you're making on the farm.
00:29:29.63\00:29:31.09
Would you come to work for me?"
00:29:31.12\00:29:33.27
And Walt said, "Mr. Hutchinson,
evidently you don't understand.
00:29:33.97\00:29:36.94
I'm not even old enough to
be in here, let alone old enough
00:29:36.97\00:29:39.78
to be a bartender. "
00:29:39.81\00:29:40.86
But the boss man
said, "Don't worry about it.
00:29:40.89\00:29:43.21
No one ever comes, and if
they do, I'll take care of it.
00:29:43.24\00:29:45.59
Come to work for me. "
00:29:45.62\00:29:46.59
And so my dad went to
work tending bar at age 17.
00:29:46.60\00:29:50.98
Having lived through
the depression, he developed
00:29:51.59\00:29:54.37
an attitude that
he took to his grave.
00:29:54.40\00:29:56.45
You don't waste anything.
00:29:56.48\00:29:58.90
If you take it on
your plate, you eat it.
00:29:58.93\00:30:01.42
He said, "It seemed such a waste
when the loggers or the ranchers
00:30:02.17\00:30:05.35
would come in and
order up a beer and say,
00:30:05.38\00:30:07.46
"Walt, I want you to
put a good head on it.
00:30:07.49\00:30:09.94
I don't want
half a mug of foam. "
00:30:09.97\00:30:12.99
Seemed such a waste to watch
the foam spill over the side
00:30:13.02\00:30:16.17
of the mug and
go down the drain.
00:30:16.20\00:30:18.04
And so over the drain he
placed a can, a metal can,
00:30:18.07\00:30:22.40
that would capture the foam
and it would return to liquid.
00:30:22.43\00:30:25.14
And he always had a beer,
then, to share with his buddies.
00:30:25.17\00:30:28.25
And by the time he
was 20 years of age,
00:30:28.28\00:30:30.84
my dad was a
confirmed alcoholic.
00:30:30.87\00:30:33.97
At about the time he
turned 20, he began to notice
00:30:37.72\00:30:40.46
a girl in the
little town of Fairfield.
00:30:40.49\00:30:43.53
And she'd just been a kid
when he arrived, but suddenly
00:30:43.93\00:30:46.84
she was a young lady,
00:30:46.87\00:30:48.84
and pretty, and her
name was Virginia Cox.
00:30:49.27\00:30:52.71
But she was very different
from Walt in many ways.
00:30:54.16\00:30:56.75
She was native as
her forbearers had been
00:30:56.78\00:30:59.46
for generations.
00:30:59.49\00:31:00.47
And more than that, while Walt
had no religious background,
00:31:00.50\00:31:03.86
she had come from a
family whose roots went way deep
00:31:03.89\00:31:09.77
in a religion that's very
prominent in southeastern Idaho
00:31:09.80\00:31:13.47
and over in Utah.
00:31:13.50\00:31:14.74
The Church of Jesus
Christ and Latter Day Saints.
00:31:15.10\00:31:17.59
Your friends, the Mormons.
00:31:17.62\00:31:19.51
And when Walt and Virginia
began to date, her parents
00:31:20.81\00:31:23.48
began to show their nervousness.
00:31:24.08\00:31:27.59
They said, "Virginia,
don't get serious about Walt.
00:31:27.62\00:31:30.63
He's not a Mormon.
00:31:31.28\00:31:32.78
And more than
that, he's an alcoholic.
00:31:32.81\00:31:35.31
He's great and a lot of
fun, I know, when he's sober.
00:31:35.34\00:31:37.52
But he's an
alcoholic. Don't get serious. "
00:31:37.55\00:31:39.59
But over family objections,
Walt and Virginia married.
00:31:39.62\00:31:43.84
About a year and a half
later, there came a baby boy
00:31:43.87\00:31:46.26
whom the named Lyle.
00:31:46.29\00:31:47.35
Three years later, there came
a baby boy whom they named Max.
00:31:47.38\00:31:50.94
Two more years and baby
girl whom they named Diane.
00:31:50.97\00:31:54.48
At about the time
Diane came, there came a
00:31:54.51\00:31:56.87
business opportunity.
00:31:56.90\00:31:58.20
The county was going to allow,
not only beer and wine, but
00:31:58.23\00:32:01.47
also whiskey and mixed drinks.
00:32:01.50\00:32:03.85
And my dad saw the opportunity.
00:32:03.88\00:32:05.75
There was a building
one block off Main Street
00:32:05.78\00:32:08.36
that if remodeled would make
a wonderful night club and bar.
00:32:08.77\00:32:13.65
And so he went to a rancher
and made with him an agreement
00:32:13.68\00:32:18.73
that if the rancher would
put up the money, dad would
00:32:18.76\00:32:21.16
oversee the construction
and they would be partners
00:32:21.19\00:32:24.26
in the bar business.
00:32:24.29\00:32:25.82
Now my earliest
memories, ladies and gentlemen,
00:32:25.85\00:32:28.19
are of the refurbishing of
that building into a night club.
00:32:28.22\00:32:32.20
I need not even close
my eyes and I can see the
00:32:34.12\00:32:36.85
recessed lighting that glowed
in the tops of the glass topped
00:32:36.88\00:32:42.06
coffee tables, or cocktail
tables we called them then.
00:32:42.09\00:32:45.67
There was over stuffed
furniture around the peripheral
00:32:46.33\00:32:48.67
and in the very
center, there was a dance floor
00:32:48.70\00:32:52.29
with dance wax upon it.
00:32:52.32\00:32:55.06
The boys were just coming home
from the war that had ended.
00:32:55.86\00:32:59.46
Lyle, about 4.5 or 5 years
of age, would be stood upon
00:33:00.25\00:33:04.91
the bar by the G.I.'s and taught
some dirty little lyric or song
00:33:04.94\00:33:10.04
and as soon as he could
repeat it, they'd buy him a Coke
00:33:10.07\00:33:12.72
or an ice cream cone.
00:33:12.75\00:33:14.47
By the time I was 6 years
of age, I had a sewer mouth.
00:33:14.50\00:33:18.28
And I'm not proud of that.
00:33:18.31\00:33:19.82
It was only the gift of
God that took it from me.
00:33:20.49\00:33:23.07
My mother would take my brother
and sister, leave them with
00:33:26.39\00:33:32.69
grandparents or with an
aunt, her sister, while she
00:33:32.72\00:33:36.97
tended the bar or
tended the tables.
00:33:37.00\00:33:39.94
When school was out in the
afternoon and other kids were
00:33:41.22\00:33:43.48
going to their farms or their
homes in town, I would come
00:33:43.51\00:33:46.11
back to the bar and stay
there and be entertained by the
00:33:46.14\00:33:51.89
attendees until about 6 o'clock
when mother would take me
00:33:51.92\00:33:55.50
by the hand, go by grandparents
place or by her sister's place
00:33:55.53\00:33:58.90
and pick up brother and sister,
take us home, feed us, bath us,
00:33:58.93\00:34:01.88
and put us to bed.
00:34:01.91\00:34:03.13
Dad would close up the
bar at about 1 o'clock.
00:34:03.86\00:34:07.95
By law he was required to do so.
00:34:07.98\00:34:10.15
Then he'd begin to sweep up
after he'd pulled the blinds.
00:34:10.56\00:34:13.73
For tomorrows
business, he would get ready.
00:34:13.76\00:34:15.84
But without exception,
there would come a knocking
00:34:16.73\00:34:19.23
on the door and he'd
peak through the shutters and
00:34:19.26\00:34:20.93
there were some of
his very best friends.
00:34:20.96\00:34:23.06
"Open up, Walt, open up.
00:34:23.09\00:34:24.59
We'll have just one
drink, we'll buy a bottle.
00:34:24.62\00:34:26.99
We'll play a few
hands of cards. "
00:34:27.02\00:34:29.10
And so my dad would
open the door, get a bottle,
00:34:29.98\00:34:33.35
and with the boys,
go to the back room,
00:34:33.38\00:34:35.13
and there he'd spend the
night drinking and gambling and
00:34:35.16\00:34:38.64
losing everything, generally,
that he'd made during the day.
00:34:38.67\00:34:42.42
At about daylight, he'd come
staggering up to the front door
00:34:43.71\00:34:46.73
to our little home.
00:34:46.76\00:34:47.91
Back then no one
locked their door.
00:34:49.67\00:34:51.40
He would come
inside and become abusive.
00:34:51.43\00:34:55.31
Some folks drink and get happy
and others drink and get ugly.
00:34:55.34\00:34:59.27
And dad, tragically,
was in the latter category.
00:34:59.30\00:35:02.53
Mother put up with it
for quite a long while.
00:35:03.16\00:35:05.53
And then one day, she
decided it was time, perhaps,
00:35:06.33\00:35:10.50
to put an end to it.
00:35:10.53\00:35:11.70
So she went over to
her parents place and said,
00:35:11.73\00:35:14.42
"Walt's and alcoholic and
he gambles and drinks all night
00:35:14.45\00:35:17.19
long and then comes
home and is abusive,
00:35:17.22\00:35:19.29
verbally and often
physically, and I'm sick of it.
00:35:19.32\00:35:21.70
For the kids sake, I'm
thinking I ought to divorce him.
00:35:21.73\00:35:23.70
What do you think?"
00:35:23.73\00:35:24.70
And my Mormon grandparents
said, "Don't, Virginia, don't.
00:35:24.71\00:35:28.95
You made your bed.
00:35:28.98\00:35:30.32
One day he'll
find a spiritual need.
00:35:31.56\00:35:33.15
One day the bishop will
be able to relate to him.
00:35:33.18\00:35:35.64
One day the homeroom teachers
will be able to share with him
00:35:35.67\00:35:39.79
and he'll become a Mormon.
00:35:39.82\00:35:41.43
So just be patient. "
00:35:41.46\00:35:42.84
And mother was
patient and it only got worse.
00:35:43.61\00:35:45.95
And one noon when dad sobered
up and was getting ready to go
00:35:49.21\00:35:52.40
back to the bar,
mother laid down the law.
00:35:52.43\00:35:56.30
She said, "Walt, if
you can't come home sober,
00:35:56.33\00:35:59.08
please don't come home at all.
00:35:59.11\00:36:01.08
You come in and
the kids run and hide.
00:36:01.97\00:36:04.36
You're abusive and fearful. "
00:36:04.39\00:36:08.59
And my dad made a speech he'd
made, I'm sure a dozen times
00:36:09.37\00:36:12.02
prior and always meant,
"I'm sorry, I'll be home on time
00:36:12.05\00:36:14.93
tonight and I'll be sober. "
00:36:14.96\00:36:16.90
And she said, "You'd
better because if you don't,
00:36:17.89\00:36:20.75
you're going to
find the door locked.
00:36:20.78\00:36:22.74
And you can just turn
around and go back to the bar
00:36:22.77\00:36:25.31
and sleep it off on
the cot in the back room. "
00:36:25.34\00:36:27.91
And dad again said, "I'll
be home sober and on time. "
00:36:27.94\00:36:31.22
And he was sweeping the
floor that night after business
00:36:31.25\00:36:34.06
when the knock came and the
boys said, "Just one hand, Walt.
00:36:34.09\00:36:39.15
Just one drink. "
00:36:39.18\00:36:40.15
And against his better judgment
he opened the door and with the
00:36:40.16\00:36:42.99
boys and a bottle went to the
back room and spent the night.
00:36:43.02\00:36:45.67
And the next morning, a
bit after daylight, he came
00:36:46.24\00:36:48.42
staggering up the little
pathway to our front door
00:36:48.45\00:36:51.63
and reached out, as he'd
done a thousand times prior,
00:36:51.66\00:36:54.23
to open it but mother
had kept her word as well
00:36:54.26\00:36:57.34
and the door was locked.
00:36:57.37\00:36:58.95
And like it was this
morning, I can hear the war that
00:36:58.98\00:37:02.05
raged through the glass.
00:37:02.08\00:37:03.49
Dad on the outside cursing
and turning the air blue with
00:37:03.52\00:37:06.28
rotten epithets, and mother on
the inside shouting back through
00:37:06.31\00:37:09.49
the glass, "No,
I told you no more.
00:37:09.52\00:37:11.85
You just go on back up to
the joint and sleep it off. "
00:37:11.88\00:37:14.62
And after about 3 minutes
of this talk fight, my dad
00:37:14.65\00:37:18.47
doubled up his fish and
put it through the glass
00:37:18.50\00:37:20.86
in the upper half of the
door, reached in and unlocked,
00:37:20.89\00:37:23.57
and came in and it was ugly.
00:37:23.60\00:37:26.99
Two days later, there came
a knocking on that same door.
00:37:31.68\00:37:35.79
Where the window had once
been, there was now a piece of
00:37:36.75\00:37:39.50
cardboard box
taped in its place.
00:37:39.53\00:37:41.93
And because she couldn't see
through to see who was outside,
00:37:42.90\00:37:46.48
mother asked, "Who is it?"
00:37:46.51\00:37:47.59
And a man said, "It's Brother
Hayes with Christian books. "
00:37:48.13\00:37:52.70
Now back in that time and place,
anyone that introduced himself
00:37:52.73\00:37:55.25
to you as "brother" or a lady
introduced herself as "sister",
00:37:55.28\00:37:58.27
you knew they were Mormons
because 92% of the community
00:37:58.30\00:38:01.36
was Mormon, and that's the way
the brothers and sisters talked.
00:38:01.39\00:38:04.55
And so mother took off her
apron and through the cardboard
00:38:04.72\00:38:08.00
she said, "Just a
minute Brother Hayes. "
00:38:08.03\00:38:10.07
She fluffed up her hair a
little bit, dusted her dress,
00:38:10.10\00:38:13.49
and then opened the
door and in came a gentleman
00:38:13.52\00:38:16.30
with a little satchel.
00:38:16.33\00:38:17.85
He placed it on our little
chrome dinette and opened it
00:38:17.88\00:38:21.23
and pulled out
some children's books.
00:38:21.26\00:38:23.85
Uncle Author's Bedtime Stories.
00:38:23.88\00:38:26.57
"Wouldn't you
like to have these?"
00:38:26.60\00:38:28.03
And mother said, "I
don't think so, not now. "
00:38:28.66\00:38:31.40
He put them away and
reached back into the valise and
00:38:32.23\00:38:34.75
pulled out what I still
call, "the doctor book. "
00:38:34.78\00:38:37.87
It was called, The
Modern Medical Counselor.
00:38:37.90\00:38:40.73
In the little town of
Fairfield, we had no hospital.
00:38:41.90\00:38:45.12
It was 36 miles to a
hospital and to decent medicine.
00:38:45.15\00:38:48.53
And so he showed my
mother, "This is what you do for
00:38:49.39\00:38:51.63
snake bite and this is what
you do if you're bleeding here.
00:38:51.66\00:38:53.99
This is what you
do for pneumonia.
00:38:54.02\00:38:55.86
Would you like this book?"
00:38:55.89\00:38:57.73
And my mother said,
"Yes, I would but I have
00:38:57.76\00:39:00.07
a couple of problems.
00:39:00.10\00:39:01.50
I don't have any money here.
00:39:01.53\00:39:03.72
And even if I did and bought it
without my husband's permission,
00:39:04.12\00:39:06.64
I might know his displeasure. "
00:39:06.67\00:39:09.46
She said, "Why don't
you show it to my husband.
00:39:09.49\00:39:11.16
This you may do,
take it up to Walt's bar,
00:39:11.19\00:39:14.39
they're just one block
off Main Street, and show him.
00:39:14.42\00:39:16.28
I'll bet he'll buy it. "
00:39:16.31\00:39:17.49
And so Brother Hayes put
the books back into the valise,
00:39:17.52\00:39:20.28
went out to his car and drove
up to Walt's Place, parked,
00:39:20.31\00:39:24.38
took the valise, opened the
door and walked right inside.
00:39:24.41\00:39:27.50
Now I don't promote Christians
going into a bar, but not a day
00:39:27.53\00:39:30.97
goes by except I
thank God that on that day
00:39:31.00\00:39:33.90
ole Brother Hayes did.
00:39:33.93\00:39:35.35
He didn't just push
the door open and call in,
00:39:36.94\00:39:39.33
"Walt, could you
come out for a minute?"
00:39:39.36\00:39:40.92
He, as we said in beer
parlor parlance, went inside and
00:39:40.95\00:39:45.66
bellied up to the bar.
00:39:45.69\00:39:47.21
And he opened his valise
and pulled out the doctor book
00:39:47.76\00:39:50.84
and showed my dad.
00:39:50.87\00:39:52.29
And my dad asked one
question, "How much?"
00:39:52.79\00:39:55.25
And when he was told, dad opened
the till and took out the cash
00:39:56.49\00:39:59.00
and just kind of
tossed it across the bar.
00:39:59.03\00:40:01.81
And ole Brother Hayes
wasn't just a salesman.
00:40:02.75\00:40:06.25
He was a literature
evangelist in the finest sense,
00:40:06.65\00:40:09.41
and more than that
he was something of a
00:40:09.44\00:40:11.55
barnyard psychologist.
00:40:11.58\00:40:13.88
I think he had no more than 7
or 8 grades of formal education.
00:40:13.91\00:40:17.89
But God had given him
wisdom and a love for people.
00:40:17.92\00:40:21.21
And so while he was
writing his receipt, he said,
00:40:21.89\00:40:23.72
"Walt, do you know
anything much about the Bible?"
00:40:23.75\00:40:26.86
And my dad sarcastically said,
"Well you can look around and
00:40:27.85\00:40:30.51
count the bottles and know I'm
not a scholar, can't you now. "
00:40:30.54\00:40:33.23
"Oh," he said, "I know enough
about it to know the Mormons
00:40:34.20\00:40:36.18
have it all wrong,
I know that much. "
00:40:36.21\00:40:38.15
And ole Brother
Hayes picked upon that.
00:40:38.18\00:40:40.11
He said, "The next
time the bishop comes by,
00:40:40.14\00:40:42.51
how would you like to be able
to open the Bible and show him
00:40:42.54\00:40:45.24
what the Bible says?"
00:40:45.27\00:40:47.19
And my dad had a
flash, mental revenge.
00:40:47.22\00:40:50.37
"How could I do that?"
00:40:51.56\00:40:53.04
Brother Hayes said,
"You just sign this card.
00:40:53.07\00:40:55.29
I'll put it in the mailbox for
you on the way out of town. "
00:40:55.32\00:40:58.08
And dad signed the card.
00:40:58.11\00:40:59.75
And about two weeks
later, there came from
00:41:00.17\00:41:03.22
Box 55, Los Angeles
California, a manila envelope
00:41:03.25\00:41:08.65
with three Bible guides.
00:41:08.68\00:41:11.35
What is that
address, by the way?
00:41:11.38\00:41:12.90
The Voice of Prophecy.
00:41:13.83\00:41:14.81
The oldest continuest
religious broadcast in the
00:41:14.84\00:41:17.01
United States of America,
originated by dear old Richards
00:41:17.04\00:41:19.59
and followed on by
his sons and now by
00:41:19.62\00:41:22.49
Lonnie Melashanko, my buddy.
00:41:22.52\00:41:24.19
I had the privilege, by
the way, of being an evangelist
00:41:24.94\00:41:27.19
for them for 3 years.
00:41:27.22\00:41:28.73
The night that the lessons
came, dad, instead of going into
00:41:33.16\00:41:36.17
the back room with the
boys and the bottle, brought
00:41:36.37\00:41:38.46
the lessons home, sat
down at the chrome dinette
00:41:38.49\00:41:42.35
and opened the Bible, emptied
the coffee pot and filled an
00:41:42.38\00:41:46.92
ashtray with ashes and
cigarette stubs, and filled in
00:41:46.95\00:41:50.08
all three lessons that night.
00:41:50.11\00:41:52.04
And when he finished
the last one, he put a PS,
00:41:52.07\00:41:54.33
"Send me more lessons.
00:41:54.36\00:41:55.56
Save me time and
yourselves as well. "
00:41:55.59\00:41:58.09
A few days later,
there came a thick envelope.
00:41:58.12\00:42:01.00
And that night, my dad
came home and filled out
00:42:01.03\00:42:03.84
a bunch of lessons.
00:42:03.87\00:42:05.01
You know what happened to him.
00:42:05.66\00:42:07.24
The Holy Spirit of God
took control of his life.
00:42:07.76\00:42:10.81
And those habits that held
him in a vise grip for years
00:42:11.60\00:42:14.68
and years fell away.
00:42:14.71\00:42:16.04
That filthy mouth
was cleaned up over night
00:42:16.07\00:42:18.68
and from that day until he died,
00:42:18.71\00:42:21.51
I never heard
him use a slang word.
00:42:22.96\00:42:25.51
And tobacco habit, 3 or 4
packs a day of Lucky Strikes
00:42:26.20\00:42:30.63
or Camels, and rolling
Prince Albert in between,
00:42:30.66\00:42:34.06
gone overnight.
00:42:34.09\00:42:35.48
And alcoholism that had
held him in the enemy's grip,
00:42:36.09\00:42:39.92
gone instantly.
00:42:39.95\00:42:41.85
No one had to convince me
of the power of the Holy Spirit
00:42:41.88\00:42:44.76
and the word of God.
00:42:44.79\00:42:45.76
I saw it in my dad.
00:42:45.77\00:42:47.37
And he began to take
brother and me fishing
00:42:50.40\00:42:52.60
and while we fished, he
talked to us about Jesus.
00:42:52.63\00:42:55.37
"He's coming back but we need to
clean up our lives and change.
00:42:57.08\00:43:00.37
That's why I don't
drink or smoke any more. "
00:43:00.77\00:43:03.09
Then he began to explain to
us one day that he discovered
00:43:07.16\00:43:10.86
in his Bible study that
the Lord's Day was not Sunday,
00:43:10.89\00:43:14.87
but rather was Saturday.
00:43:14.90\00:43:16.95
And he began to keep
the Sabbath thinking he was
00:43:17.35\00:43:19.57
the only one, perhaps one
exception that he knew of.
00:43:19.60\00:43:23.32
The only one that was
observing the Saturday Sabbath.
00:43:23.35\00:43:27.32
The cupboards were
now completely bare.
00:43:31.77\00:43:33.91
I can remember mother
calling me for school now,
00:43:33.94\00:43:37.37
"It's time to go to
school, son, get up.
00:43:37.40\00:43:39.52
It's time for breakfast. "
00:43:39.55\00:43:40.52
I'd sit down at the
table and there on a plate
00:43:40.54\00:43:44.24
were two sections of soda
cracker and a little puddle of
00:43:44.27\00:43:47.70
brown Caro syrup.
00:43:47.73\00:43:48.99
That's all we had in the house.
00:43:49.02\00:43:51.22
And that was nearly gone.
00:43:51.95\00:43:53.17
And mother said to my dad, "I'm
going to take that 50 cent piece
00:43:53.20\00:43:56.55
and buy some flour and things
so we can make some bread.
00:43:56.58\00:43:59.00
And my dad said, "Not with that.
00:43:59.03\00:44:00.47
That's not ours,
that's God's money. "
00:44:00.50\00:44:02.83
And he went and picked it
up and put it in his pocket.
00:44:02.86\00:44:05.22
And the next day he
went to church and put it in
00:44:05.25\00:44:08.40
a tithe envelope.
00:44:08.43\00:44:09.88
And while he was in
church, some saint filled the
00:44:10.28\00:44:13.64
back seat of the
car with groceries.
00:44:13.67\00:44:15.66
And when they got home,
there was in the mailbox
00:44:22.38\00:44:26.00
a little note from
the Idaho power company.
00:44:26.03\00:44:28.19
"Come in for a job
interview, Walter. "
00:44:28.22\00:44:30.28
And so on Monday he
went to the power company.
00:44:32.95\00:44:35.73
And the man said, "We've
been looking for a long time.
00:44:36.36\00:44:40.06
I have read your application.
00:44:40.09\00:44:42.38
I've, for 6 months, been looking
for just the right man and I
00:44:42.79\00:44:45.92
believe you're the one. "
00:44:45.95\00:44:47.13
My dad said,
"There's just one think, sir.
00:44:48.39\00:44:50.38
I can't work on Saturday.
00:44:50.41\00:44:52.83
It's not that I
won't, it's that I can't.
00:44:54.35\00:44:56.48
It's one of the
ten commandments. "
00:44:56.51\00:44:58.41
"Oh," he said, "if there's
a power outage, if there's
00:44:58.70\00:45:00.39
some problem, if the power
goes out, I'll be glad to work
00:45:00.42\00:45:03.33
all Friday night and all day
Saturday for nothing, no charge.
00:45:03.36\00:45:06.11
But for the ordinary
mundane things, I can't come in
00:45:06.14\00:45:09.11
on the Sabbath. "
00:45:09.14\00:45:10.16
And the boss man leaned back,
he said, "That's a problem.
00:45:10.19\00:45:12.85
There's no way I can make the
other men come in on Saturday
00:45:13.75\00:45:16.16
and give you the Saturday's off.
00:45:16.19\00:45:17.39
That won't work.
00:45:17.42\00:45:19.34
But I want you, Walter.
00:45:19.84\00:45:21.67
I'll tell you what I'll do.
00:45:21.70\00:45:23.26
I'll give you one Saturday off
and then you come in the next
00:45:24.08\00:45:27.33
and the next off.
00:45:27.36\00:45:28.40
You come in two
Saturday's a month.
00:45:28.43\00:45:30.28
How about that?"
00:45:30.31\00:45:31.49
And my dad said,
"No sir, I can't. "
00:45:31.52\00:45:34.31
And the boss said,
"Walter, I'll go this far.
00:45:38.63\00:45:41.95
I shouldn't but I'm willing.
00:45:41.98\00:45:43.63
You come in one
Saturday morning a month,
00:45:45.08\00:45:49.21
just once a month.
00:45:49.24\00:45:51.70
And you hit the time clock and
then you go into the back room
00:45:52.25\00:45:56.13
or in the restroom and
hide out for a few minutes
00:45:56.16\00:45:58.58
and then leave and go to church,
do whatever you want to do.
00:45:58.61\00:46:01.26
You just come in for a
few minutes once a month.
00:46:01.29\00:46:04.26
You'll do that. "
00:46:05.87\00:46:07.20
And my dad said,
"No sir, I can't. "
00:46:08.34\00:46:10.78
And the boss straightened
up in his chair and he said,
00:46:11.66\00:46:13.71
"Let me make sure that
I understand you, Walter.
00:46:13.74\00:46:15.97
You told me that you don't
have anything to eat at home and
00:46:16.00\00:46:18.69
the kids don't have decent
shoes and you won't come in here
00:46:18.72\00:46:22.40
for 15 minutes once
a month on Saturday?
00:46:22.43\00:46:24.60
Is that what you're saying?"
00:46:24.63\00:46:25.64
And my dad said, "Yes
sir, I guess that's it. "
00:46:25.67\00:46:27.54
"Good," he said, "you're hired.
00:46:27.57\00:46:29.34
For months and months, I've
been looking for an honest man.
00:46:30.62\00:46:33.44
Our men have been stealing
from us out of the yard.
00:46:34.71\00:46:37.26
And if you won't
violate the 4th commandment,
00:46:37.66\00:46:40.03
you won't steal or let
anyone else ever do it either. "
00:46:40.06\00:46:42.33
And my dad got the
best job he ever had.
00:46:42.36\00:46:44.85
And after a few years, 2
or 3 only, he was able to
00:46:46.81\00:46:50.96
put a payment down
on a little farm between
00:46:50.99\00:46:53.05
Payette and Weiser on the
Idaho side of the Snake River.
00:46:53.08\00:46:56.21
And now I was a teenager.
00:46:56.61\00:46:58.21
And we would chase
water all during the day and
00:46:58.94\00:47:01.39
dad would be in town.
00:47:02.23\00:47:03.83
He'd set the water in
the morning, we'd milk early
00:47:03.86\00:47:06.01
in the morning, and then
he'd go into the power company
00:47:06.04\00:47:07.95
and put in 10 or 12
hours, and then he'd come home.
00:47:07.98\00:47:10.20
And we'd put up hay by
the moon light and milk cows
00:47:10.23\00:47:13.33
until about midnight.
00:47:13.36\00:47:14.98
And then fall into bed
and then start about 4:30
00:47:15.01\00:47:17.77
the next morning.
00:47:17.80\00:47:18.79
And too much of a
good thing is a bad thing
00:47:19.91\00:47:21.65
and after about 3
years on that program,
00:47:21.68\00:47:23.92
my dad's health broke.
00:47:23.95\00:47:25.65
I was now 15 years of age.
00:47:26.21\00:47:28.55
He went into a doctor in
the little town of Payette.
00:47:29.41\00:47:32.01
And the doctor said, "Walter,
if you're going to get well
00:47:32.04\00:47:34.76
quickly, you need to
go to a warm dry climate.
00:47:34.79\00:47:37.60
I would suggest somewhere
down around Phoenix, Arizona. "
00:47:37.63\00:47:41.22
And so my dad got together
with mother that day and they
00:47:41.25\00:47:44.26
talked it over, and at
the dinner table that evening
00:47:44.29\00:47:47.72
they made an announcement,
"We're moving to Arizona.
00:47:47.75\00:47:50.23
We're going to have a
farm sale and auction,
00:47:50.26\00:47:52.15
and we're moving to Arizona. "
00:47:52.18\00:47:53.59
And I said, "Goodbye. See ya. "
00:47:53.62\00:47:56.38
In addition to working on
the farm, I'd been working in
00:47:58.13\00:48:00.27
the fruit harvest to earn enough
money for my first automobile.
00:48:00.30\00:48:03.00
And when I had a few
hundred dollars saved up,
00:48:03.03\00:48:04.96
my dad said, "I'll
help you to buy a car.
00:48:04.99\00:48:07.48
I know where there's a
1948 Ford 4-door Sedan,
00:48:07.51\00:48:10.60
one owner, good shape,
and I believe you have enough
00:48:10.63\00:48:13.05
money to pay for it. "
00:48:13.08\00:48:14.29
And I said, "No thanks, dad.
00:48:14.32\00:48:16.46
I've already found my automobile
and it's not a 1948 Ford.
00:48:16.49\00:48:21.08
It's a 1950 Ford, not a
custom, not a club coupe,
00:48:21.11\00:48:25.40
but a Crestliner. "
00:48:25.43\00:48:27.16
The sport model of the year.
00:48:27.19\00:48:28.86
They only made a
very few of them.
00:48:28.89\00:48:30.78
And so I purchased
my first automobile.
00:48:34.02\00:48:36.46
What the factory
hadn't done, some really wise
00:48:39.05\00:48:42.45
young man had completed.
00:48:42.48\00:48:44.16
He'd lowered her down until
it barely cleared the tracks.
00:48:44.56\00:48:47.59
And put on the rear end of it,
a continental kit, a real one.
00:48:49.72\00:48:54.06
And real twin
aerials on the fenders.
00:48:54.09\00:48:58.05
And then he'd taken
the chrome off of the hood
00:48:58.86\00:49:01.24
and off of the
trunk and lettered it in.
00:49:01.27\00:49:03.50
And then best of all, he
put 12 inch fiberglass pack
00:49:03.53\00:49:08.60
cherry bomb
mufflers under the thing.
00:49:08.63\00:49:10.97
Oh, oh I tell you what.
00:49:11.00\00:49:13.81
I was never big enough to
play basketball or football.
00:49:13.84\00:49:16.74
I was a pretty good baseball
player and nobody cared.
00:49:16.77\00:49:19.10
And back then, if you
didn't have at least two stripes
00:49:19.13\00:49:21.09
on your sweater,
you couldn't buy a date.
00:49:21.12\00:49:23.08
If, on the other hand, you were
a letterman and your face wasn't
00:49:23.11\00:49:25.53
one big zit, you could
go with the prom queen.
00:49:25.56\00:49:27.58
But I couldn't, you see.
00:49:27.61\00:49:29.21
And then I found my equalizer.
00:49:29.24\00:49:32.20
Yea, my customized
1950 Ford Crestliner.
00:49:34.46\00:49:38.12
And so I would drive that
thing to the school parking lot
00:49:38.15\00:49:41.40
and when the last bell rang,
I'd make a mad dash for the lot
00:49:41.43\00:49:44.35
and fire it up and come
around and park right in front
00:49:44.38\00:49:47.28
of the main doors and put her in
neutral and mash the accelerator
00:49:47.31\00:49:51.25
and here they'd come, like ants
out of an ant hill for sugar,
00:49:51.28\00:49:54.15
the beautiful
little Idaho girls.
00:49:54.18\00:49:55.69
"Lyle, could I ride with
you? Would you take me home?"
00:49:55.72\00:49:57.75
"Yes, you here and
you here and you here.
00:49:57.78\00:49:58.97
I'll be back for you. "
00:49:59.00\00:50:00.16
And in that context, my folks
said, "We're going to Arizona. "
00:50:00.71\00:50:03.10
And so I said, "Goodbye. "
00:50:03.13\00:50:04.49
And I stayed in Payette,
Idaho and went to high school.
00:50:06.62\00:50:11.12
And about Thanksgiving
time, my mother sent a card
00:50:11.15\00:50:14.84
and in the card there
was a check for 30 dollars.
00:50:14.87\00:50:17.47
She said, "We want you
to come for Christmas. "
00:50:17.50\00:50:19.41
Now I'd been to
Boise a time or two.
00:50:20.65\00:50:22.89
I'd been across the Snake River
bridge into Ontario a few times.
00:50:22.92\00:50:26.11
But that was about the
extent of my journeyings.
00:50:26.14\00:50:28.15
Go to the big city of
Phoenix for a few days?
00:50:28.70\00:50:31.21
Alright.
00:50:31.24\00:50:32.76
Mother said, "I want you
to bring all your clothes.
00:50:33.26\00:50:35.09
I want to be sure that
they're all in good order. "
00:50:35.12\00:50:38.39
I should have caught on.
00:50:38.42\00:50:39.81
"Oh and by the way,
dad said to take your car,
00:50:40.67\00:50:42.75
He's made arrangements
for you to park it in
00:50:42.78\00:50:44.61
the Bassford's garage.
00:50:44.64\00:50:46.12
But he said to be sure and drain
the radiator and the block. "
00:50:46.15\00:50:50.53
Now I should
have picked up on it.
00:50:50.56\00:50:52.86
You've heard about
folks that don't quite know
00:50:53.26\00:50:55.14
what's going on.
00:50:55.24\00:50:56.35
I wasn't even suspicious.
00:50:56.38\00:50:58.08
And so I did as they described
and put my things in a little
00:50:59.95\00:51:03.47
suitcase and I caught the
Greyhound bus and I rode for
00:51:03.50\00:51:06.33
most of three days
to Phoenix, Arizona.
00:51:06.36\00:51:09.30
And I got off and my
family was there to meet me.
00:51:09.80\00:51:12.39
And I knew no one else.
00:51:12.42\00:51:13.87
And all during those holidays,
my folks were softening me up.
00:51:14.27\00:51:18.51
"Why don't you stay here?
00:51:18.54\00:51:19.89
Why don't you go to school here?
00:51:19.92\00:51:21.60
There's a Christian school
right out here, high school,
00:51:21.63\00:51:23.96
and they'll teach you to fly.
00:51:23.99\00:51:24.96
It's called
Thunderbird Academy. "
00:51:24.97\00:51:26.61
I said, "But my equalizer,
my Ford is up there a thousand
00:51:26.64\00:51:29.99
miles away in a garage. "
00:51:30.02\00:51:31.47
And my dad caught on, he
said, "Son, if you should happen
00:51:32.39\00:51:35.62
to get a date," I'm pretty
sure that's the way he said it.
00:51:35.65\00:51:38.55
Least that's the
way I remember it.
00:51:38.58\00:51:40.87
"If you should be
lucky enough to get a date,
00:51:40.90\00:51:43.08
maybe I could loan you the
family car from time to time.
00:51:43.11\00:51:46.05
Now at that time, my dad
had a 1956 Pontiac hardtop.
00:51:46.08\00:51:51.18
And if you'll remember those
days, you remember that Pontiac
00:51:51.21\00:51:53.23
was one of the
fastest things around.
00:51:53.26\00:51:55.32
"Alright," I said.
00:51:55.94\00:51:57.38
And so the first of January, I
went out to Thunderbird Academy
00:51:57.41\00:52:00.63
and registered and
matriculated and I knew nobody.
00:52:00.66\00:52:04.12
And the first ones to
welcome me and take me in
00:52:04.15\00:52:06.73
were the wrong kind.
00:52:06.77\00:52:08.43
And I got in with a fast
crowd and I was way over my
00:52:09.53\00:52:11.82
head and I knew it.
00:52:11.85\00:52:13.28
And I was homesick
for Idaho and for my Ford.
00:52:13.31\00:52:16.41
And as soon as
spring came, I got a job.
00:52:17.42\00:52:19.52
School was out and I got a
job in a boat shop and earned
00:52:19.55\00:52:21.70
enough money for a ride
on the bus back to Idaho.
00:52:21.73\00:52:25.41
And there I ran down, left
my bags at the bus station,
00:52:25.44\00:52:30.58
ran down 6th Street, and
there I opened the garage door
00:52:30.61\00:52:35.17
and rolled my '50 Ford out,
lifted the hood and filled the
00:52:35.57\00:52:40.44
radiator and put the
battery charger on her.
00:52:40.47\00:52:43.50
And while she was charging, I
washed her and waxed her down.
00:52:43.53\00:52:47.08
And then I cranked it up
and those glass pack mufflers
00:52:47.11\00:52:50.99
sang my song and
I knew I was home.
00:52:51.02\00:52:54.20
If you want to know
absolute pure unadulterated joy,
00:52:54.76\00:52:58.49
ladies and gentlemen, you
drive, during the happy days,
00:52:58.52\00:53:01.35
your '50 Ford down Main Street
and you stop right in front
00:53:01.38\00:53:04.73
of the rock and roll radio
station, KPID Payette, Idaho,
00:53:04.76\00:53:08.53
and now you put her in
neutral and mash the accelerator
00:53:08.56\00:53:11.52
until the windows in the
radio station begin to rattle
00:53:11.55\00:53:15.00
and you hear your own
pipes on your radio in your car.
00:53:15.03\00:53:19.38
And the disc jockey said,
"Guess who's back in town.
00:53:19.41\00:53:22.71
Lyle's here. "
00:53:22.74\00:53:23.73
And all of my boyfriends
and a lot of girlfriends came
00:53:23.76\00:53:26.47
down to Main Street.
00:53:26.50\00:53:27.47
I was home.
00:53:27.48\00:53:28.45
But I had some bad habits.
00:53:28.46\00:53:30.08
Someone phoned or wrote or
called my folks, I don't know.
00:53:33.86\00:53:38.33
But they told them, "Lyle is
going down a bad road full born.
00:53:38.36\00:53:42.34
If you care, you
better come back. "
00:53:42.43\00:53:44.65
And so they sold out and
moved back to Payette, Idaho.
00:53:44.68\00:53:47.38
And I moved back in with my
family and I had these habits.
00:53:47.41\00:53:51.20
And my dad said, "Look,
there is a Christian school
00:53:53.12\00:53:55.54
over at Caldwell, it's
called Gem State Academy. "
00:53:55.57\00:53:57.82
And I said, "I know your
worries dad, and I know where
00:53:57.85\00:54:01.48
you're headed here.
00:54:01.51\00:54:02.48
But I'm never
going to leave my Ford.
00:54:03.17\00:54:04.88
I will not go without my Ford. "
00:54:04.91\00:54:07.12
And so my dad called the
principal and then he hung up
00:54:07.94\00:54:10.49
and he said, "The principal says
you may bring your Ford, but
00:54:10.52\00:54:12.82
you must give the
keys to the boys dean. "
00:54:12.85\00:54:15.90
I thought about that long.
00:54:16.68\00:54:18.51
I had keys wired glued magnet,
I had a dozen sets of keys.
00:54:19.11\00:54:22.05
Give the dean a set
of keys? Not a problem.
00:54:22.08\00:54:23.96
And so I loaded up my few things
and went to Gem State Academy
00:54:23.99\00:54:27.13
with my '50 Ford.
00:54:27.16\00:54:28.92
And I was only there
days, I think, when I caught a
00:54:30.56\00:54:34.32
vision of loveliness.
00:54:34.35\00:54:35.90
Oh, there were pretty girls
in Payette, and some pretty ones
00:54:37.47\00:54:40.41
down in Arizona, but
this girl was something else.
00:54:40.44\00:54:44.43
I mean, she made Dolly
Pardon look like a little boy.
00:54:44.83\00:54:47.66
But more than that, she
was sweet and good and funny.
00:54:50.39\00:54:54.70
And I began to ask
around, "Who is that girl?
00:54:55.51\00:54:57.59
What's her name?
Where's she from?"
00:54:57.62\00:54:59.11
"Oh that's Peggy Hopkins, she's
from over in Baker, Oregon. "
00:54:59.14\00:55:02.19
"That's not so far away.
00:55:03.79\00:55:05.03
What is she in,
what does she talk about?
00:55:05.06\00:55:07.17
What are her interests?"
00:55:07.20\00:55:08.55
"Well, she loves
horses. I know that.
00:55:08.58\00:55:11.40
She has her own quarter horse
and she draws pictures of him. "
00:55:11.43\00:55:13.90
I said, "That's it. "
00:55:13.93\00:55:14.99
And so I made my way
up to Miss Peggy Hopkins.
00:55:15.29\00:55:18.49
And I said, "I'm Lyle Albrecht.
00:55:18.52\00:55:19.81
I'm from just over at Payette,
not so far from where you live.
00:55:19.84\00:55:22.72
And I understand
you like horses. "
00:55:22.75\00:55:24.07
She said, "I do, we have
a cattle ranch and I have my
00:55:24.10\00:55:27.17
own quarter horse. "
00:55:27.20\00:55:28.26
I said, "What a coincidence.
00:55:28.29\00:55:29.70
My dad and I
have an Arabian ranch.
00:55:29.73\00:55:32.09
What do you know. "
00:55:32.53\00:55:33.70
"You do?" "Yea. "
00:55:33.73\00:55:35.43
"Well," she said,
"we must ride together.
00:55:35.46\00:55:37.06
Come over and
we'll ride together. "
00:55:37.09\00:55:38.88
"Alright," I said.
00:55:39.28\00:55:40.60
I had no idea
what side you got on.
00:55:41.03\00:55:44.99
But I was willing to
learn, I'm a fast study.
00:55:45.47\00:55:47.48
I went down to the barns
and I took a crash course
00:55:47.51\00:55:51.82
on horse riding.
00:55:51.85\00:55:53.31
And I remember the man there
said, "I have one question.
00:55:53.34\00:55:57.04
Tell me, which
style do you prefer?"
00:55:57.07\00:55:58.94
I said, "What do you mean,
I want to ride horse style. "
00:55:58.97\00:56:01.15
"Well," he said,
"there's English style and then
00:56:01.92\00:56:04.49
there's Western style. "
00:56:04.52\00:56:05.91
"Well what is the difference?"
00:56:05.94\00:56:07.24
"Well," he said, "the
Western saddle has a horn. "
00:56:07.27\00:56:09.70
I said, "That's the one for me.
00:56:09.73\00:56:10.84
If anyone gets in my
way, I'll blow the horn.
00:56:10.87\00:56:12.87
I mean business. "
00:56:12.90\00:56:14.54
And I made that
riding appointment.
00:56:17.10\00:56:19.04
And I began to work on that
girl, convinced her that she
00:56:19.78\00:56:22.80
couldn't live without me.
00:56:22.83\00:56:24.12
And when we
graduated, we married.
00:56:26.43\00:56:28.00
I don't promote
teenagers getting married.
00:56:28.03\00:56:31.66
But if I had it to
do over again, I'd do it
00:56:33.42\00:56:35.04
just the same way.
00:56:35.07\00:56:36.71
Maybe sooner.
00:56:37.92\00:56:39.21
It's been the light of my life.
00:56:40.42\00:56:42.22
The mother of my babies.
00:56:43.58\00:56:45.30
My constant companion
00:56:47.02\00:56:48.85
for lo, these 37
years of ministry
00:56:51.04\00:56:53.80
and vagabond living.
00:56:54.82\00:56:56.65
I spoke to you a few Sabbath's
ago about the importance
00:56:59.85\00:57:02.58
of the home and the family.
00:57:02.61\00:57:03.80
And I had something in my
notes to share with you and I
00:57:05.62\00:57:08.14
forgot it so I'm
going to tell you right now.
00:57:08.17\00:57:10.10
That girl that I met so long ago
00:57:11.60\00:57:13.98
has made an agreement with me,
00:57:14.77\00:57:17.38
not only are we
spending a lifetime together,
00:57:18.98\00:57:21.25
when we pass away, if
Jesus doesn't hurry back,
00:57:22.78\00:57:25.61
we're going to be cremated.
00:57:26.31\00:57:27.94
And we made the kids
promise to mix us together.
00:57:28.98\00:57:32.11
Would you pray with me.
00:57:36.84\00:57:38.13
We thank you,
Lord, for Your mercy.
00:57:39.14\00:57:41.37
We thank You for
Your deliverance.
00:57:46.94\00:57:49.16
The power of the gospel
to change lives completely.
00:57:49.98\00:57:53.62
Thank You for what
You've done for my family,
00:57:55.08\00:57:57.57
my dad and my mom.
00:57:57.60\00:57:59.16
I thank You for Peggy
00:58:00.84\00:58:02.43
and our kids and grandkids.
00:58:04.93\00:58:06.83
May we spend
eternity together with them
00:58:08.45\00:58:10.95
and with all of these that
we've come to love here as well.
00:58:11.48\00:58:14.11
In Jesus' name we ask. Amen.
00:58:14.14\00:58:17.46