Kelly's History written by his mother, Sally Huffman

Kelly's History written by his mother, Sally Huffman

KELLY WADE HUFFMAN

Kelly Wade Huffman was born March 17th 1960 to Kenneth Lovell Huffman and Sally Anderton Huffman at the Cottonwood Maternity Hospital in Murray, Utah. He was the fifth child and forth boy in this family. Kelly was a good baby except he had a problem when it came to eating, it seems as though he was in a hurry and would eat too fast, and all of a sudden it would spurt forth out of his mouth like a geyser. Any anyone too close would get splattered, so it didn't take long for the other kids to keep their distance when I was feeding him.

We brought Kelly home to our home at 1085 Taffeta Drive in Rose Park, Utah where he only spent nine months of his life. We then moved to 4100 Westlake Avenue in Granger, Utah, where he was to spend the next six years.

It seems as though Kelly was prone to sickness and accidents. When he was about a year and a half old, he had pneumonia and it was very scary as his breathing was so labored. I put him in a steam tent and sat with him through the night, and by morning when I took him back to the doctors he was much better, but still remained in the steam tent for several days and nights. Then when he was two, he was a very curious child. He always wanted to know how to do things. He was following the man who was there venting the new clothes dryer, and he fell down the basement stairs. That was his first of many stitches. It was a laceration just above his eyebrow. A couple of days later he developed a lump behind his ear, which I thought was the mumps. The doctor said no, but didn't know just exactly what was causing it. The poor boy had penicillin shots for a whole month. They were going to lance it when it suddenly disappeared. At one time when waiting in the outer office, he very loudly voiced, “Doctors are ICKEY.” Our doctor agreed with him. Even at this young age he could win over others that he met.

Again, another of his hold over traits of running around in the bare, was started when he would go out in the front yard in just a diaper, and the next thing I knew he had pulled the diaper off. A neighbor across the street used to get a big kick out of this and took a picture of him that he was going to show him when he was older.

One day he started a fire out beyond our backyard, and somehow, in trying to put it out, his ear got burned, which for years after he would get rashes on.

Always thinking he was helping me, he decided to bring the milk in from where it was delivered on the front porch. In the process, since the bottle was heavy, he dropped it. It broke and his finger was cut - more stitches. I really think I spent more time at the doctors with Kelly than all five of his siblings put together.

My brother, Bob, was Kelly's favorite person to have around. Bob was always tinkering with radios and televisions, and Kelly was right there watching everything he did. They were so much alike in so many ways that it was really kind of eerie.

One day I came home from shopping and Kelly was really upset, and when I asked him what the problem was, he replied that daddy had taken my love rings. I was kind of upset myself as I couldn't figure why he would do that. It turned out okay because he took them to have them reset.

From the time of about three or four Kelly's big interest was tools. I remember when on his seventh birthday, I got him a watch, when all he wanted was this toy tool bench and tools. I felt so bad because he was so disappointed,

In February of 1967 we made our move to California, first renting in Cypress where Kelly was in second grade. He was actually behind as in Utah they were not as advanced, I really should have had him put in the first as I believe he would have done better as his school years went by. He had only been to school a few days when I got a call that he had been hurt. I don't know if he jumped off the benches or they fell, but he had a tee cut that went across his nose and down it. Being new in town I had to ask a neighbor where to take him. More stitches.

In August we moved into our home at 803 Del Sol Lane in Diamond Bar, where Kelly was to finish his growing up. These were good days and we were happy in this house and area. When Kelly was about ten years of age, I came home from work and he came out to the car and informed me we had to go the hospital. I could see he had a towel up to his forehead, and when he took it down for me to see, I knew for sure he needed attention. That called for more stitches plus a stay in the hospital for several days as he also had a fractured skull.

Kelly went to church and seminary, and learned to be more of a leader. He was quite active in the Boy Scouts, and went to camp several years. He had patches for the 50 mile hike and other awards. His artistic abilities began to emerge. I have always wished he had continued to draw and paint. When he was in the sixth grade and Kris was in fifth, Kris took a picture to school for parent teacher conference, and told the teacher he had done it, but she knew that it was Kelly’s work. It was a great drawing of a motorcycle. I really wish that it had been saved.

It seems that whatever was broken he could fix it. In the ninth grade he took a class in photography. It was something he enjoyed, and he got pretty good at taking pictures and also developing them. It seems as though Tiny, our collie dog, was his favorite subject to photograph.

He still wasn't free of accidents. When fourteen, Kelly, his dad and Kris were on their way to Big Bear for a father's and sons’ outing when they went over the cliff. When I was called from the clinic in San Bernardino, all they mentioned was Ken and Kris. With my heart in my throat I asked what about Kelly? 1f I had I known how bad the accident was I would probably had been even more frightened. However, the doctor assured me Kelly was okay. But he carried the scar on his face forever after.

Then at about the age of 17 or 18 he was on a motorcycle and had an accident with a truck, which messed up his legs.

Kelly was a good worker and held many different jobs in his working years. His passion for being a truck driver was his downfall was trying to keep up with the long hours so he got hooked on drugs which cost him a great deal.

When Kelly was nineteen years old, he went to Utah to visit a friend, and while there went skiing. On a ski slope, he fell and broke his leg in three places. He spent a week in the hospital waiting for the swelling to down so they could set it. He was still in the cast when his appendix decided they needed to be removed, so it was back to the hospital. The next day after surgery the nurse came in and told him it was time to get out of bed. Well no way was he going to get up. So, she came in a little later and told him that Dr. Basham was across the hall and was dying of cancer, and that he would sure like it if Kelly would come over and visit with him. Being the compassionate person he was, it didn't take long for him to get out of that bed and go across the hall to see the Doctor. Kelly had a lot of bad faults, but enough good ones to offset them. Only six months later he was to have another terrible accident. This time being burned from the top of his head to his waist. The doctor was very concerned with him maybe losing his one eye and one ear. But he was blessed with every thing coming out in a positive sense.

It was only a few months later that he was to meet Shelly and fall in love. He would tell me I sure do love her but I'm not good enough for her. I would tell him you know you could change your ways. I'm not sure he changed his ways but they were married on September 12th 1981.

Kelly was so proud and happy when Brandon was born and joined thire family. One night as they left our house to go home, Brandon was asleep and I said why don't you lay him on the floor of the back seat of Kelly's car, but thank goodness Shelly didn't listen and put him in his car seat in her car. Kelly was broadsided and knocked out of his car, and went sliding down the road, and the car being driverless came back and hit Shelly's car. I

shudder to think what might have happened to Brandon.

Kelly, in his later years, suffered with back and leg problems due to earlier injuries. In a short time, Justin joined the family. His lungs collapsed, and his dad was frantic. I don't know whose idea it was for him to have a blessing, but Uncle Peter and a friend were to go to the hospital and give him the blessing. Now there were two little darling boys to take care of and love, and Kelly did love them.

Four years later little Jorden came to join the family,

and now Kelly could refer to the boys as his three sons. He was so proud of all three of them, and when they started school, and were students of the month he couldn't wait to call us and let us know. He enjoyed taking them with him and oh the things theywcould do together.

Because of the drugs Kelly was to leave his family, thinking they were better off without him. When he overcame his addiction it was too late to go back. l don't think he could forgive himself for what he had put his family through, and never really found happiness again. In talking to him, Shelly and his boys were everything to him. Not being able to be with them I think is why it made it so hard for him to call. I know that after he had talked to them he would be in tears, and would clam up until he could get himself composed.

Kelly liked to joke around and had such a hearty laugh. I miss that.

It didn't seem to matter who called and asked him to help them, he was there. To all who knew him, they had only good things to say about him. From a little boy to adulthood he was a sensitive person. His feelings could be hurt very easily, and he could cry and show his emotions without being ashamed of his softness. Kelly had a big heart and cared about others

Maybe as his mother I paint him too good, but this is the way I see him, and I feel that our Heavenly Father sees him this way too.