Dec 8, 2011

Doug Hansen's birthday party

When Hansen’s first moved to Duchesne to be school teachers and administrators they lived just over the bridge at the east end of town. They had three sons and one just a little older and one just a little younger. The older of the two was named Doug. I think in an effort to have friends for their sons the Hansen’s threw a birthday party for Doug not long after they had moved into town. Well to get to their place I walked from our home a half mile to Spencer’s (Then owned by someone else but I can’t remember who) and then a quarter mile down the road between them and Rasmussen’s. From that point I turned west on the road to town until I got ner the edge of the hill upon which we lived that was above town on the east side of the river valley where Duchesne had been built. At the edge of the hill I turned south and walked along a trail that led to where it would go down the hill at an angle and almost right into Hansen’s backyard. I was very familiar with that trail because of the number of time during the summer when I had walked to primary and home again using that trail. At the bottom of the hill to get to primary I would then cross the bridge and walk to the church which was about five more blocks from there. At the south east end of town.  Once I got to the party we had a great time playing games inside and outside of the house. The Hansen’s became very close friends as they continued to live there the rest of the time that we were growing up. Donna became a cub scout and blazer leader for me and Ray became my scoutmaster. Ray was a hero of mine and had such an influence for good over my life that I later gave his name to Loren as his middle name. I don’t remember a lot about that party other than the hike to the edge of the hill and how far it seemed to a small child, I was probably 6 or 7 at the time, and how long it was of a walk back home. It was always a long walk but now to my grown up legs it seems so much shorter. I don’t remember a lot about the party but I do remember gaining a couple of friends who are still friends to this day. Don still lives in Duchesne and I have lost track of Doug but I will always be thankful for their friendship that started mostly that day.