Memorial Day Tribute

In the Newcomer family, we have had warriors who have served their country. Fortunately, I don't know of anyone who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country. I'll start with my great grandfather, Frederick Fectic Newcomer who served as a drummer boy in the Civil War. He stayed with the Army after the war and came out west with the calvary. He was stationed at Fort Phil Kearney and in December of 1866 was dispatched to go to Fort Bridger to get supplies for the garrison. On December 21, 1866 was the famous Fetterman Massacre when 79 soldiers were led by decoy over the top of Trail Lodge Hill (Sheridan County Wyoming) and ran ito 2000 Sioux and Cheyenne indians. The massacre was devastating, but FF Newcomer was doing his assignment and didn't get a scratch. After he retired from the army he married Mary Frances Maguire from Missouri and ended up on prairie dog creek in Sheridan County. He was a stone mason and probably helped build the Fetterman Massacre Memorial that sits on top of the ridge where the massacre happened.

My Uncle Earl Newcomer (my dad's brother) served in the Army during WWII and didn't get harmed. My cousin, Bruce Brock was a paratroope during the 1950's but didn't have to serve in any action.

My brother, Ted, flew RF-4 jets during the Viet Nam War. He received the silver cross for photographing a heretofore unknown SAM site, avoiding enemy fire and returning to the base with the pictures.

I was elegible for the draft during the late '60's and early '70's but my lottery number was too high. I wanted to serve in the Air Force and I applied for an Air Force ROTC scholarship in my senior year of high school. However, my eyes were too bad and they kicked me out.

I truly honor all those men and women who have willingly served their country, and owe a deep debt of gratitude to those who paid with their lives. I hope that my children and grandchildren understand that the freedoms and liberty that we enjoy were paid for by the blood and sacrifice of millions of people. We need to honor them and their families for their sacrifice.

I think it is a travesty that politicians and actors decry the efforts of our current military and are doing things that in previous years would be considered treasonous.

May God bless our country and freedom loving people everywhere.

Our Anniversary

It was 33 years ago that Debra Kay Sprague became Debra Sprague Newcomer when we were sealed in the Idaho Falls Temple. In attendance at our sealing were: Ed and Wilma Newcomer, Corlet and Jack Thornton, Thelma Sprague, Vera Sessions, Chuck and Cheryl Cozzens, Brother and Sister Laurence Pearson, Beth and Kim Cazier, Kevin Tonkavich, Larry Seawright, and Golden and Ina Snell. Since that day, we have graduated from BYU, lived in five states, raised six children, attended the temple weddings of five our children, met and enjoyed the friendships of hundred of people who still live in some of those states.

But most of all, I have been priveleged to live with a wonderful women who strives for perfection in all that she does, who counsels me with the fervor of a dear friend, enjoys my company, feels guilty when she hears someone talk about what we should be doing and acknowledges her own weaknesses. I couldn't have found a better person to spend eternity with. She is the love of my life, and though we haven't had a perfect marriage, we have learned to say I'm sorry and forgive one another. It is a miracle how we came together and some would say it is a miracle that we have stayed together. But stay together we have and I would change very few things about the life's experiences we have shared. I owe it to her, for I am a better person than I was. She has helped knock off the many rough spots that I have had.

To all who read this, be assured that a marriage for all time and eternity doesn't mean that everything will be easy, it means that people don't bail out because life becomes a challenge. The most important attribute in marriage is the willingness to help each other, to forget the small indescretions, and forgive each other as often as possible. In 1970 a movie called "Love Story" came out. At the end, the quote, "Love means you never have to say your sorry" set a poor standard for many couples of that era. In my experience, true love means you say you're sorry for a bad attitude, poor choice of words, or making a wrong choices.

For my wife Debbie, I love you more than anytime in my life, for my children: Trevor and Ellen, Sam and Cathy, Ryan and Elissa, Randy and Rebecca, Lacey and Ryan, and Derrick; your mom is the greatest mom in the world and I wouldn't trade her or you for anyone else in this world.

Love,
Dad

New Job

It is almost embarrasing to announce that I have a new job. We will be moving from Evanston to Powell Wyoming. It seems that I'm getting further and further from civilization. From 6 temples to 1. Deb and her mother are thrilled to be going back to Powell. During all of our years in moving from coaast to coast I never thought we woul be moving to Powell. It wasn't where the action is. But I trust the Lord and everything will work out. Actually, I'm grateful to have a job where I can use my skills and abilities to help this really small business grow and expand. The owner is a former classmate of mine (both graduated from Worland High School in 1971) He joined the church in 1975, served a mission, married in the temple and has 6 children (2B and 4G) so he and his wife have a little more diversity than we did. We looked for houses yesterday and the prices are so high. It is still a sellers market and I'm not sure what's going to happen. My first thought is that we will put our house in Evanston up for sale, pack everything and bring it to Powell and put it into storage. We can then live with mom sprague until we can find a house. We'll list our house in Evanston with a real estate agent so we don't have to be there. Anyway, our life has been a life of being topsy turvy. We are getting too old for this sort of thing. Actually, it is getting rediculous. Sometimes its hard to look at what is around the corner. If we never take the opportunity to look, we miss a lot of adventures.

Thanks for reading.
Fred

May 13 - Anniversary

One year ago, Deb and I watched as Randy and Rebecca had to make a gut wrenching decision concerning little Hollis. Randy consulted with his parents, his siblings, his closest friends then took it to the Lord. With tears in his eyes, he announced what the answer was. For me it was hard because parents are not supposed to have to bury their children. I had no level of experience to comfort Randy and Rebecca. At the last, all of Randy's siblings were there, their Bishop and the Baptist pastor were there, and their closest friends. We all stayed there until 4am in the morning. It was a long night but all in all it demonstrated to me that family is the proper and strongest organization to comfort the grieving and help succor the feeble knees of those who are struggling with life.

May 12

We had a wonderful Mother's day weekend. Ryan and Lacey brought their little Hailey to Wyoming for the first time. She is such a cutie pie. Ryan and I rebuilt a gate into our back yard and it took most of Saturday. Lacey took mom to Park City for the some girl time and clothes time. Lacey bought mom some "hot" jeans and other paraphernalia. Sunday for breakfast I made a coffecake that I used to make when we lived in Kennewick, then we were late for Church. Which is bad when one is the chorister....but oh well. Deb and I took a long time to get home from church and when we got there Lacey had made a sumptuos dinner. Mom received phone calls from all the kids and some of the grands. It was a great day.

This morning, we woke up to 3 inches of snow on the lawn. KSL that snow would fall at 7500 ft. and we're at 6600. So what's up with that? Like I told the kids, you can't live in Wyoming and be a sissy.

Now for the politics, I'm so dismayed for everyone that thinks they can be president of our great country. Talk about not having the best and brightest running for office. I'm not stupid enough to not vote, but it will take some serious thinking and observation on my part to feel good about any one. It's a sorry point in our history when religion plays a part in the fear of electing a person that has personal values and who is not afraid to talk about them.

Until later.....