Monday, December 24, 2007

Blog 2007 - Christmas edition

Merry Christmas Eve - I'm not sure how many of you will read this before Christmas. But Mom (Grandma) and I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas - may your fondest dreams and wishes come true. We hope to talk to some of you in the next few days. We had a great visit to Washington last week - to the temple and to some of the attractions in our nation's capital. More about that next week. For my Blog this week I wanted to attach a Christmas Story. This story was written by Samme Gardner Taylor - a lady in our ward, about her ancestors. When I heard the story - it brought back memories of my own early life - so I hope you will read it to your children just the way Grandma would do when she is reading to her Grandchildren.
Mine and Jean's connection is thus. At the end of WW II there were many German POW stationed in Cache Valley and were sent out to work on the local farms. Jean's father (Grandpa Ravsten) had responsibility for assigning and transporting the prisoners to the various farms to work. As for me, I can remember, as a small boy (about Matt's age or a little younger) of the rough looking German's coming to our farm to hoe beets. They would be unloaded from big trucks - and marched to the field - there to work, under the watchful eyes of U.S. soldiers, surrounding the field and carrying M1 rifles (that really impressed me!). We would sit on the canal bank and watch them work. There was something fascinating about listening to men speak in a foreign language. We were not allowed to feed or speak to them. But the guards did allow my father to give them milk - the prisoners had to bring their own containers - and a guard with a rifle stood close by a Dad poured the milk into they small containers. Hence this attached story has some meaning for me. Hope you enjoy and once again, MERRY CHRISTMAS
Dad/Grandpa/Elder Cottle

P.S. for the story, check your e-mail

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