Mom's Brothers

Uncle Bill,

Mom's half-brother

Born

20 April 1923

Photo with Aunt Thelma

My mom was the only girl in her family. She had two older half-brothers, Lewis & William. Uncle Bill and Aunt Thelma lived in West Covina. I can remember going to their house and visiting them often as a child at Thanksgiving and other events. One day when I was in my 20's he was sitting at our kitchen table, not for anything special just for a visit. He preceded to bear me his testimony of the church. He told me how my father had wrote him when my uncle wasn't living the standards of the church and had fallen into less activity. Dad told him in the letter to come back to church so that he could bless the lives of his family. My dad wasn't a very tactful person so in the beginning, my uncle took offense to his letter but after thinking about it, he knew that he needed to come back to church. He said, "I will always be grateful to your father for taking the time to write that letter.

My mom also had her twin brother Doyle. Doyle died in a tragic car/train accident when he was a teenager. He was very beloved by his family and friends. Mom said he was very kind. Two weeks before his death, he and my mom argued over who would get the car over 4th of July weekend. My mom pitched a fit until my Uncle Doyle relented and said that he would take the car next 4th of July holiday. My mother is still saddened by the thought that it was his last 4th of July alive. She always told us as kids to be kind to each other because you never know what might happen.

Doyle,

Mom's

Twin

Brother

Born 22 April,

1929

Died, age 17

I want to be kind to everyone,

For that is right, you see.

So I say to myself,

"Remember this:

"Kindness begins with me."

Clara W. McMaster