A Father's First Years!

The Baby Book...
After my mother passed away, my father married again...a lovely lady named Gerry.  Her health is not good, so they are preparing to move to her home town of Chicago to be closer to her children and doctors.  Dad is trying to de-clutter his life, so he brought me several tubs of books, pictures and papers to go through.  I found a lot of photos and keepsakes that I hadn't known existed.  In one of the tubs...a disk with Dad's personal history files was something I was very glad to find.  Now I can edit them into a book for my siblings.  But the sweetest and most precious discovery...the gold at the end of the rainbow...was Dad's Baby Book.  The book was a gift from one of Grandma Zetta's oldest and dearest friends and in its sweet pages I caught a glimpse of my father's life when he was very small.

Tad's Story Begins...

In  June of 1932, newlyweds Melvin and Zetta Devey moved to Fort Canyon, above Alpine, Utah, so Mel could work in William Andrew's apple orchards.  They stayed in a few rooms of Mr. Andrew's old home.  Zetta was expecting her first child in August.  But though her mother traveled from Ferron, Utah to be with her, the baby was stillborn.  Zetta was heartbroken.

The Old Wingenfield House

Two years later, in March of 1934, the couple moved further up the canyon to the Wingenfield Farm and later purchased it.  Two months later, on Saturday, the 26th of May, at 10:40 p.m., Thomas Albert (Tad) Devey was born in the Wingenfield house.  His nickname...Tad...is from his initials, T.A.D.  He weighed 10 pounds! 

Gifts and Visitors...

I don't think Grandma Zetta had a baby shower...most likely folks brought a gift when they came to pay their respects to the new arrival.  The gifts were quite modest...this was during the Depression. Dorothy Elliot, who gave Zetta the book, was an R.N who became one of the highest ranking nurses in the U.S. Army during the Second World War.  Dorothy and Zetta met at Yellowstone where Zetta was working at the Old Faithful swimming pool. Dorothy's family spent the entire summer at the Park.  The two became lifelong friends.

It's so much fun to see the names of my great-aunts and old Alpine neighbors written in his book.

Milestones...

First Outing...

"June 16, 1934...Aunt Fern, Gale, and Mother took me for a walk to the creek and back.  I really didn't enjoy it much because they had me bundled up too much."

First Tooth...

"Nov. 2, 1934...Tad was discovered to have cut his first tooth, the left front on the bottom."

First Steps...

"June 1, 1935...took three steps for his Daddy, when he came home at noon."

"June 13...Walked all over, at times sitting down very hard...Can get up in middle of floor by himself."

First Words...

"Yes"

"What is it Mama?"

"Kitty"

"Nov. 17, 1935, Tad says his full name...'Thomas Albert Devey'. He isn't quite 18 months yet."

Favorite Toys...

"Rattle...with rabbit face...with bells.

Brown Bottle

Mickey Mouse

Pasteboard Boxes"

Pets...

"Kitty...Tom

Dog...Coalie"

Christmas card from "Aunt" Dorothy...December 1934

One Year Old...

At 78...Dad still wears this expression when he's irked about something.

First Birthday...

"May 26, 1935...Thomas Albert celebrated his birthday by going to Provo.  Stopped at Training School to see Stanley.  However he was asleep, so Stanley just got a peek at him for first time.  No cake.  Presents...Green sun suit from Gale and Ina. And blue material for suits from Blanche P. 30 cents from Daddy...overalls from Mamma."

Two Years Old...

Card from "Lola."

Second Birthday...

"May 26, 1936.  While asleep, I made his cake.  Got white icing, candies, blue holders and yellow candles.  Rode down to store.  Mrs. Marsh gave him ice cream cone.  Health fine.  Cutting double teeth.  Will soon have full set."

Tad's baby shoes.

When Grandpa Mel got the reward for finding the Lost Plane...he was asked what he would do with the money.  One of the things on his list was new shoes for Tad.  These little shoes were in one of the boxes Dad brought...the toes have been cut out to accomodate growing feet.  The Depression made it hard for parents to be able to buy shoes for their children.  More than one little boy went barefoot for most of the summer.

Another cute picture from the book.

And on to Five...

Fifth Birthday...

1939 was the year when Tad finally became a big brother.  On June 6, his baby sister Elizabeth Jane (to be known as Jane) was born at 1:30 a.m. in American Fork Hospital.  On September 5, he started Kindergarten at the old Alpine School.  His teacher was Miss King.

Cute Little Tad...4 Years Old

And So On...

These were the first few years of the life of Thomas Albert Devey.  This is a story not found in Dad's personal history, but on the pages of a little pink book in the careful handwriting of a loving mother.  Zetta lost another baby boy in 1936...his name was Aldwin, after her only brother...who also died young.  Zetta and Mel would have liked a large family, but their two children brought them a lot of happiness and pride.



Happy Father's Day!

Daddy, I am so glad you're still here...

I will miss you when you move away.

All my love,