Ya Gotta Meet this Gal

Faith Hiatt Reynolds is my first cousin.  She is 98 years old and as sharp as any 25 year old. I visited her in her nice senior facility in Hillsboro, Oregon, where she only recently moved from her home in the little town of Vernonia near where my father was born.  

When I bragged that my sister, Carol, was still driving at 90 years old, Faith launched into a full-fledged lecture about the evils of putting other people at risk by driving when you are too old.  So I had to back off and admit that on longer trips Carol let's her daughter drive... ha.

A more distant cousin, Millie O'Conner, lives close by and keeps in contact with Faith.  Millie helped me arrange this delightful visit and joined us there. 

You guessed it!  I am in the middle of enjoying a "family-and-friends-visiting-type-vacation" which has taken me back to my roots in Portland, Oregon.

Faith is the daughter of my Uncle Elmer, who was one of my father's 10 brothers.  My Grandfather William Frank Hiatt, a circuit ridin' preacher and his wife Malinda had only 3 girls.  But they had ten boys!  I'm sure I have Hiatt cousins with their kids that I have never met all over Oregon and Washington.

Faith told us that when she was 45 her daughter received her college degree.  But Faith had never been able to go to college... so now she did at 45, graduating with a degree in education... and becoming a school teacher at age 48.  And I have no doubt that she was a good one, too.

I couldn't resist shooting a picture of this portrait that stood on Faith's dresser.  Now that is a hat! I assume that the mountain of feathers on top were of wonderful colors, but the person that tinted her face so nicely couldn't do much with dark feathers.  The pretty lady under the hat is Faith's mother, Ethel Maude Galloway Hiatt.

From there I visited my Sister Joanne and her husband Don Stradley in the hills near Yamhill.  

They wave goodbye after we had enjoyed lunch and a great time together.  Don and Joanne are delightful Christians and have been successful in winning their neighbors for Jesus.  

They are a few years older than I and now in their retirement years have purchased this hillside farm where they raise llamas.  Why not?

As I drove out their 1/4 mile long driveway I shot this view of their barns.

I am staying in Boring, Oregon with Frances' sister Nancy and her husband Arlan who is busy splitting and stacking wood for their heat during the coming winter.  

Isn't God good to give me such a wonderful family?!

Ralph