"TWICE BAKED POTATOES"

I GUESS YOU'RE WONDERING ABOUT THE SUBJECT LINE "TWICE BAKED POTATOES". WELL, IT'S A LONG STORY, BEAR WITH ME PLEASE.

BACK IN SEPTEMBER OF 1952, I ARRIVED AT SHEPPARD AFB, IN THE GREAT STATE OF TEXAS. I HAD JUST FINISHED MY BASIC TRAINING AND HAD BEEN ASSIGNED TO AIRCRAFT & ENGINE SCHOOL.

WE FOUND A TRAILER PARK JUST OUTSIDE THE BASE IN WICHITA FALLS. WE PULLED UP AND STARTED TO GET OUT WHEN THIS GRIZZLED OLD MAN CAME OUT TO THE CAR, WALKED AROUND IT, AND SAID "I SEE YOU'RE FROM UTAH. YOU'RE NOT ONE OF THOSE MORMONS ARE YOU ?"

WELL, I WAS ALMOST TO ANGERLY REPLY "SO WHAT" WHEN HE SAID, "FOLLOW ME". HE TOOK US TO THE FIRST TRAILER IN THE 10 TRAILER PARK, KNOCKED ON THE DOOR, & INTRODUCED US TO CLYDE & LUCILLE FARR WHO WERE MORMONS FROM BATTLE MOUNTAIN, NEVADA.

WE WENT DOWN THE ROW, STOPPING AT 7 MORE "MORMON" TRAILER HOUSES BEFORE HE WAS DONE. WE MOVED IN, SET UP OUR TRAILER, AND SPENT THE NEXT 18 MONTHS IN ONE SPOT.

IT TURNED OUT THAT HE LIKED TO RENT TO MORMONS BECAUSE THEY NEVER GAVE HIM ANY TROUBLE & PAID THEIR RENT ON TIME. THERE WERE 4 RETURNED MISSIONARIES AMONG THE GROUP OF 8 MORMON FAMILIES. WE ATTENDED A SMALL BRANCH ABOVE A BAR IN DOWNTOWN WICHITA, FALLS. WE BECAME QUITE ACTIVE, GOT OUR TEMPLE RECOMMEND & WENT THROUGH THE SALT LAKE TEMPLE IN DECEMBER OF 1952 WHILE HOME ON LEAVE.

I WON'T BORE YOU WITH THE REST OF MY AIR FORCE STORY, BUT NEEDLESS TO SAY, IT WAS AN INTERESTING TOUR OF DUTY.

AFTER MY DISCHARGE, I ATTENDED THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH, GETTING MY B S E E, GOT MY FIRST ENGINEERING JOB AT HUGHES AIRCRAFT CO. IN FULLERTON, CALIFORNIA, MOVED TO NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION IN DOWNEY WHERE I DESIGNED INSTRUMENTS TO GO TO THE MOON & BACK, MET THE ORIGINAL 7 ASTRONAUTS,THEN TRANSFERRED TO MC DONNELL DOUGLAS IN HUNTINGTONG BEACH TO WORK ON THE MANNED ORBITING LABORATORY.

WE STRAYED AWAY FROM THE CHURCH DURING THAT TIME & STAYED AWAY FOR THE NEXT 25 YEARS OR SO.

EVENTUALLY I TOOK A JOB WITH MTN BELL IN SALT LAKE. TRANSFERRED TO PHOENIX IN 1987, THEN TOOK EARLY RETIREMENT IN 1990, MOVED TO SANTA CLARA, BUILT A SMALL HOME & LIVED HAPPILY-EVER-AFTER.

NOW FOR THE "TWICE BAKED POTATOES" STORY - - - WHEW ! ! !

WILMA WAS OUTSIDE DOING YARD WORK WHEN THIS GUY (BRO. SCOTT LEE) STOPPED BY & ASKED HER IF WE WOULD TAKE 1 OF 3 DINNER ASSIGNMENTS TO FEED THE FULL TIME MISSIONARIES THAT WERE ASSIGNED TO THE SANTA CLARA STAKE. SHE REALLY DIDN'T WANT TO COMMIT TO ANYTHING UNTIL SHE TALKED TO ME, BUT SHE THOUGHT "WHAT IF SOMEONE TURNED TYLER DOWN (OUR GRANDSON WAS SERVING A MISSION IN CALIFORNIA AT THE TIME), SO SHE SAID, "SURE, WE'D BE GLAD TO".

SHE CAME INTO THE HOUSE & SAID "GUESS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO NEXT THURSDAY". WELL, I'M NOT CLAIRVOINT, SO I DIDNT HAVE A CLUE . AFTER SHE INFORMED ME THAT SHE HAD COMMITED ME TO COOKING DINNER FOR THE MISSIONARIES, I GOT DOWN TO PLANNING WHAT TO FIX.

THE MISSIONARIES WERE SUPPOSED TO COME AT 6 PM & STAY FOR AN HOUR. SIX FIFTEEN, NO MISSIONARIES, SIX THIRTY, STILL NOT HERE, SIX FORTY-FIVE STILL NOT HERE. AT TEN TO SEVEN, KNOCK, KNOCK. OPENED THE DOOR AND STARED AT THE CHEST OF THE TALLEST GUY I'VE EVER SEEN. STANDING BEHIND HIM WAS THIS LITTLE PIPSQUEAK OF A GUY THAT REMINDED ME OF CASPER MILQTOAST FROM THE COMICS.

'SORRY WE'RE LATE, BUT OUR FIVE O'CLOCK APPOINTMENT RAN LONGER THAN ANTICIPATED. WE'VE ONLY GOT A FEW MINUTES TO STAY FOR DINNER".

"THAT'S OKAY, I WAS GOING TO SERVE YOU A GARDEN SALAD, BACON WRAPPED FILET MIGNON, ASPARAGUS TIPS WITH HOLLADAIS SAUCE, GARLIC-CHEESE RED LOBSTER BISCUITS & TWICE BKED POTATOES. FOR DESERT YOU WERE GOING TO HAVE YOUR CHOICE OF 2 KINDS OF PIE, CHOCOLTE CAKE & ICE CREAM, BUT I'LL JUST FIX PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY SANDWICHES TO GO."

"WELL, MAYBE WE CAN CALL OUR NEXT APPOINTMENT & RE-SCHEDULE IT FOR LATER."

ABOUT 8:30 THEY FINALLY HAD ALL THEY COULD EAT, WE TOOK LOTS OF PICTURES, E-MAILED THEM TO THEIR PARENTS (DI CASTRO WAS FROM SAN PALO, BRAZIL & SULLIVAN WAS FROM WEST VIRGINIA).

THEY LEFT A TAPE WITH US WHEN THEY WENT HOME, & CAME BACK A FEW DAYS LATER TO PICK IT UP.

"BY THE WAY BRO BEELER, DO YOU HAVE ANY PIE OR CAKE LEFT?" THIS WENT ON FOR ABOUT 3 WEEKS THEN THEY WANTED TO PICK US UP THE FOLLOWING SUNDAY TO GO TO CHURCH WITH THEM.

"I KNOW WHERE THE CHURCH IS, I CAN FIND MY WAY THERE BY MYSELF".

THE NEXT SUNDAY WE ARRIVED AT CHURCH TO BE MET BT THE 2 MISSIONARIES, BRO LEE & BISHOP NIELSEN.

"BREAK OUT THE HARD HATS BECAUSE THE CEILINGS GOING TO FALL DOWN AS SOON AS WE STEP INSIDE THE CHAPLE."

BRO LEE INVITED US TO 'THE GOSPEL ESSENTIALS' CLASS THAT HE TAUGHT AT THE TIME. AFTER CLASS HE INVITED ME TO PREISTHOOD MEETING. WE CAME INTO THIS ROOM WITH ALL THESE ANCIENT MEN SITTING IN PLUSH CHAIRS, HALF OF THEM ASLEEP. AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES I REALIZED THAT I WAS IN THE WRONG CLASS. THIS WAS THE HIGH PRIESTS QUORUM & I WAS AN ELDER WAY BACK WHEN. I RAISED MY HAND & SAID "I THINK I'M IN THE WRONG ROOM", "OH NO, WHEN AN ELDER IS AS OLD AS YOU ARE, WE INVITE HIM TO ATTEND THE HIGH PRIEST'S QUORUM."

THE BISHOP TOOK PITY & ORDAINED ME TO THE OFFICE OF HIGH PRIST A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER .