GETTING TO KNOW YOU . . . Bob Boice

Today I had a Stake Primary meeting to attend.  When I left dad/grandpa was sitting at the computer trying to figure out a new 'online' journal program called "JRNL" (I highly recommend this program).  I took a 'second' to help him with it and off I went to my meeting.  When I returned home 1.5 hours later, he was still sitting at the computer!  The following are the fruits of his labors.  I was tempted to edit his composition but decided to leave it as it is - raw and hot off the press (sizzle!!!):

I was born in St. Anthony, Idaho on October 23, 1944. The hospital was right on the Snake River where a Maverick gas station is now. I don't remember much about my birth but I am sure I put my Mom through a lot of pain. My parents were Elwin and Elda Hanks Boice. They decided to give me an "E" as a middle initial from the e in both of their names. I was their second child. Lawrence Fay was their first child and following me came Gwendolyn and Lenard. Of course I was the most beautiful child that they conceived. They were in Idaho because the war was on and Dad was 4F due to a shoulder injury and could not serve in the military. Mom had family in Idaho and as soon as I was born I went to a small home in Parker, Idaho. Dad had work in the potato industry but after six months they decided to move to sunny California.

The first home I remember was in East Los Angeles I think off of Olympic Blvd. We were in Belvedere Ward. I don't have many memories of my life from birth to five years old. I think we moved to Montebello then but I am not sure when exactly. We moved into a new home across from an orange orchard. It was probably 900 sq. ft. at he most. It had 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, kitchen and living room. I remember when it rained hard we had to put sandbags around to prevent flooding. This house was located at 1111 So. Montebello Blvd. , Montebello, California. I can remember Dad had three jobs while I was growing up. He managed a Shell gas station and had a battle with the corporation to not stay open on Sundays. The next job I remember was with Jones & Laughlin Steel. I am not even sure what he did with them. The last job he had was with Montebello School district as a bus driver. He really loved that job. Dad really loved his parents and we would go to Pasadena very often to visit his Mom and sister Melba Kunz. Larry and I would go out and mess around with Uncle Fays trucks that he used in his business. He was very successful and had a beautiful home. I think he helped Mom and Dad with money from time to time. We would visit other members of Dads family from time to time usually on Sundays. Mom had Uncle Had the banker and Sid a brother in Monrovia. Unlike today we visited relatives quite a bit and enjoyed it. Mom worked as a teachers aide for some special education students.

 I can remember we didn't have much money for anything. The only money I can remember was Mom crying in the kitchen one day and saying Dad only made $400 a month. I can remember one Christmas getting a pair of pants and a t shirt and that was it. I remember Mom having horrible asthma and having a puffer but gasping for air to the point I thought she would die. Mom was a great budgeter. She was faithful at keeping a budget and stretching a dollar. She always made sure the tithing got paid first. She sure helped me learn to budget my money. Dad fought a smoking addiction. He would quit for a while but then we would catch him by our house at a cafe that had pinball machines. Mom would get mad because we didn't have money and he was blowing it on those machines and smokes. Dad never smoked where we could see him and that created problems because he was always nervous hiding his habit. He worked very hard but as I look back on it I am not sure what skills he had. I enjoyed elementary school and had a very good neighborhood friend Ben Richardson. He was like a brother and we did have fun growing up together. I remember we raised rabbits and would slaughter them for Sunday dinner. We thought they were chicken. We had avocado trees and would hit the rabbits behind the head and then tie them up in the tree to butcher them. We never went without anything but I can never remember going out to eat or going on vacation other than to Barton Flats and camping with friends. I can remember camping and Dad would come up later because he had to work. We always had a great time at Barton Flats. My friend was Rick Gerber and Leon Hill.

We went to Greenwood Elementary school. We lived close enough that we could walk to school. We crossed Washington blvd. and it was a major highway. I can remember getting sent to the principal once but can't remember for what. I can remember having fun at recess playing different sports. I then went to Montebello Jr. High. Mr Collins was principal. Why I can remember his name I will never know. I was never in trouble because I didn't want to go home and tell Mom what happened. I can only remember one time that my Dad spanked me with a belt. I can never remember my Mom spanking me. She was a very positive influence in the home. We always went to church and were raised in a God fearing home. I just remember Dad being tired from work and can not remember him doing many activities with me. Mom taught us the gospel in the home not with books but by example.

I remember working at an early age. I had a job fixing the baseball diamonds at Greenwood and can remember getting in trouble tearing a kids shirt because he was scuffing up my field after I had it in perfect shape. I remember playing church softball with teams and doing quite well. I remember playing little league baseball on the Dodgers but would not play on Sunday and didn't do real good because I kept getting hit with the pitch. I also worked in a furniture refinishing plant when I was 14. I had to ride my bike to work and I think it was about 5 miles one way. I also had a paper route when I was very young and did quite well. One day I was collecting my money and a Mexican kid pulled a knife and took my money and made me give him a ride on my bike. We lived by some gang areas and we rarely even drove into them in a car. I kept the paper route into High school. I went to Montebello Hi school. I remember I looked good in Sunday clothes because we would get hand me downs from my cousins the Fullers that lived in Glendale. Paul and Ruby that had the house in Parker also. We never had too good of clothes and I remember one kid in Jr Hi (Lawrence) telling me I stink. I was a good sized kid and can't remember getting bullied in school and for the most part had a good experience. I had very good attendance always only missing if I was deathly ill and that didn't happen very often. I remember in Jr.Hi working hard on spelling and to this day it has helped.

I think entries like this really help you to know a person a little more and what makes them who they are!  Hope you enjoyed this and there will more to come.

Love you all . . . Mom