Jan. 3, 2010

Do you know any other circumstances of your birth (who was present, who delivered, etc.)?

Mother's History records:

Kent was also born in the same doctor's office during the evening of 13 August 1953. I went home the next

morning, had good help, and got along very well. He was our fourth son.

I do not know any other information. I would guess my father was probably there but I have never been told. I do know that when they decided to name me "Kent" that my Uncle Mont (my father's oldest brother) said something to the effect,
Why are you giving him that name, "Don't you know that 'Can't is a sluggard to lazy to try"? I also do not know where my middle name of "Jay" came from however I do remember that Uncle Mont called me "Kentucky Pete" so he was able to find a way around the simple "Kent".

Tomorrow the question is about pictures but I am going to put one in today as well.

This is an image of Uncle Mont, my cousin Lorri and myself.

Clair and Alma have sent me some memories of theirs.

Clair wrote:

Kent, I don't remember a lot, but I do remember that we were allowed to see you through an outside window of the hospital. At least I was, and I think Stan and Alma were as well. I don't know about others.

You are right about Shultz. John Swasey gave that to me. Uncle Mont called me Punk.

I remember going to Nana's place, (grandma Poulson) where she always had cookies in the cookie jar in her kitchen. I used to cut her grass and then she'd give me cookies. Stan and I both cut her lawn and ate her cookies. We used to go there after primary on Wednesdays, usually in the late afternoon.

My biggest memory of Grandpa Poulson involved riding with him in his very old green car. And I remember him cooking lunch at the ranch. I loved his fried potatoes and sour dough biscuits.

Grandpa and Grandma Hansen rode with me and a girl I was dating to Circleville for something that was happening on a Sunday in their family. Later, I took Ruth on a similar trip to Circleville. Grandma pulled me aside and told me that Ruth was the one for me, not the other one. I chuckled at that and still do. She was quite right.

Grandma Hansen was a marvelous cook, and no matter what time I would show up there, or our family, she insisted on fixing and feeding.

Grandpa was just fun to be with. I loved going out to his corrals with him. It reminds me of how my own grandkids like to go to the barn or the corrals or to the fields with me.

On your final request, I don't think we were a vacation type of family. I do remember going to Blanding and visiting ancient Indian dwellings. We rode in jeeps with Uncle Kay and his brother. I can't think of his brothers name at the moment, but he was an author. I do recall that. We also visited Colorado once and got our pictures taken at the State line. That was my first trip out of state.Sorry I can't recall more. Hope this helps. Clair

Alma wrote:

Don't know how much help I will be. I do remember Lynn's birth, since he was the third brother. After he got here, I saw him and decided it was OK that he was a boy (I'd wanted a sister so much). Then Leesa came along. I was extremely thrilled. When you came, I already had a sister, so I was very happy to get you - another little red-headed brother. I was old enough by then to give you better care than I did some of the others. I can remember wondering, when I carried you in public, if people would think you were mine! I hope Clair's memory is better than mine. I have put off my own history because of this terrible memory!

I don't remember anything about Dad's birth. I do remember, however, that Mom was born as the canon was going off on July 4th. I think there's a good bit in her history about that day. There may be some in Dad's, but it didn't stick in my mind if it's there. I'm pretty sure both of them would have been born at home.

Nick names? I didn't have one and can't remember Stan having one, but I remember Clair as "Punk" (Uncle Mont). I don't remember ones for you or the girls, either. I know I tried to get a nickname while I was in college, but nothing ever stuck.

I wish I could still open the CD that has the stories on it (they are WPS files that won't open with programs I have), as that would be much easier than going through the books. The histories should give you a lot of help. I think we each did memories of the Hansen grandparents, although I don't remember whether we did that for the Poulsons or not.

Since I spent my early school days with Nana and Grandpa, I remember the most about them. I loved to hear Nana whistling hymns when I awoke in the mornings. She had a beautiful whistle and a lovely soprano voice. It's no wonder most of us (me excluded) can sing. If she got upset with anything, she would say "It's enough to make a good saint swear!" A few times I think she said "damn", but that was it for the swearing. I remember Jack's dog - was his name Scamp. He was black and white and beautiful. Nana let him in the house, something Mom never did with any of our pets except parakeets or canaries. Nana was a wonderful cook. She seemed to change her favorites every few years, so I remember ones that you, Marsha, and Leesa may not. She went through a wonderful phase of sponge cake, made lots of cookies - often peanut butter ones or sugar cookies. She kept a penny jar in her cupboard just for grandkids who wanted to go to the store and get a penny candy. At least that's what I thought she kept it for. I remember losing my first tooth in her kitchen while biting an apple. Being the oldest, I had no idea what had happened and was scared to death. Nana let me know it was normal and OK and told me about the tooth fairy! We used to have big family dinners at Christmas time, or was it Thanksgiving or both? with the Aunts and Uncles. Nana did a lot of the cooking for those. After Grandpa died, we would bring her to our house on Christmas Eve, and she would spend the night. She made wonderful popcorn balls, which she always brought with her along with gifts - mostly handmade, I'm sure. I don't remember her much without her apron, except at church. I loved to sit by her there and sing, especially after I learned to sing alto and could harmonize with her. She was the best!

Grandpa was my handsome hero. I will never forget how kind and loving he was. To me, he was the arm chair grandpa we all dream of having. I can remember many trips to the ranch where he made delicious meals when he got too old to do a lot of the haying. My favorite was his fried potatoes, taboo in today's diets! I don't remember the coffee Stan and Jack said he wouldn't let me have - he always fixed hot postum for me. I didn't know the men even drank coffee. Guess I was pretty clueless. Another memory from the ranch - Grandpa letting me mix the little color packet into the "oleo" margarine. It was pretty blah until the color was mixed in. I loved his white, curly hair. It seemed a lot like Pres. David O. McKay's to me. I loved going for rides for him and Nana in their old car, a year older than Mom's Ford, I think, and I think his was a Chevrolet. Nana never drove. I don't think she had a driver's license.

Let me know if you can't find the memories on the Hansens in our family history.

I remember the same family vacations you do, as well as the trips to Grandpa and Grandma Hansen's. Were you born when we would all pile into the old Ford of Mom's, with luggage under our feet to the point that they were pretty much straight out during those trips? Hope this helps, and thanks for the little trip down memory lane. You've always been a favorite sibling - can a person have six of those? I've loved that we have kept close, mostly because of your great skills with the camera which has brought you to so many of our family events and keeps my life happy with your daily emails! Good luck with this little project. Perhaps one day I'll get busy with mine! I love you.

P.S. Ask Stan and Jack for help with this. They still have the best memories. We need to get Jack's memories quickly, don't we?