Eulogy of Lamar by Claude H. Despain May 30, 2009

LaRee Brown, who, at the time, was living in Salt Lake City, and I, were married in the
Mesa AZ Temple, Dec. 22, 1955.

We had only a few days together, since I had to report back to my army base, in Fort Ord,
CA, right away. Shortly thereafter, I had orders to go to Japan, April, 1956.

LaRee flew to Japan to join me, for a period of 10 months. During that time, we started
our family...La Mar was our firstborn, and he always told people that he was "made in
Japan", and I can say that SOMETHING GOOD DID BEGIN IN JAPAN!

We rented a studio apartment just a few blocks away from where I was stationed, at
Tokyo Ordinance Depot. We lived there the 10 months LaRee was able to be in Japan.
My tour of duty would not end until May, and I couldn't leave before that date. The
regulations, with all concerned, made clear that LaRee had to come back to the states in
her 7th month, at the latest, in her pregnancy.

We decided to arrange for her to go stay at her parents’ home, in Monticello, Utah, which
she did. It turned out the baby waited 'til one day after I was discharged, and had traveled
to Monticello. So I was able to be there when Lamar was born. He happened to be 2
weeks late, and the doctor questioned LaRee about being late giving birth. She told the
doctor that he was just waiting for his Dad to be there. I had arrived in Monticello at 2
o'clock p.m., the next day, and our baby was arriving a couple of weeks late...

We then moved to Heber, AZ, and I went back to work for the Forest Service, where I
had worked before being drafted into the U.S. Army. We moved several times during the
next few years. I enjoyed being with my small son, LaMar, every chance I had.

I remember living 20 miles North of Blythe, CA, and running a farm for a man by the
name of Fred Curtis. I took LaMar as I visited several farmers in the area, and after we
were introduced, they always asked LaMar questions, since they wanted to hear him talk.
Later on, if I wanted to mention some particular person's name, LaMar would remember
their name, when I didn't recall what it was... He had a very good memory, and didn't talk
like the small child that he was. (At 2 1/2 years of age). He wanted to be with me as much
as possible, even when I was on a caterpillar pulling a large disc, or harrow -- preparing
the soil for planting corn. Sometimes he would fall asleep on the seat beside me...

Our next move was to Chino Valley, AZ, where I worked for Steven Sherwood, on his
farm and with his dairy. Later my brother, Earl, and I, went together and bought a dairy.
We alternated milking and putting out hay for the cows. LaMar and Earl's two boys
would ride along in the pickup, as we loaded bales of hay on the pickup, and they went
along the outside of the corrals to feed the cows. The boys would help feed the baby
calves their bottles of milk. We worked the dairy for about 6 months...

We were not making enough money to pay the expenses and wages for the families, so at
this time we sold the cows and the base which brought a good price. We paid the bank
off, and then divided the rest. Earl and his family then moved to Taylor, AZ. I purchased
a house and 3 acres in a different part of Chino Valley.

We had fun with LaMar, and also Annette, at Easter time. We hid colored eggs and they
went out in the yard and found them and put them in the Easter baskets we had bought for
them.

Our next move was to Hotchkiss, Colorado, to a farm with approximately 80 acres of
permanent pasture, with some hay. It was irrigated, which helped a lot. I mortgaged my
1962 Chevy Pickup, and bought 5 head of Guernsey cows -- and we milked them and
sold the cream to a cheese plant. A truck would pick up the cream, a couple of times a
week. I was able to enjoy LaMar's company more while we were irrigating, etc..

In the Fall, that year, the sale of our home in Chino Valley went sour, so we couldn't
make a payment on the place in Hotchkiss, Colorado. So we sold our cows and calves.
We then were able to pay off the mortgage we had, with the bank. At that time we moved
to Bluff, Utah, where LaRee's parents lived. I took a job with the Utah State Highway
maintenance department. I also did janitorial work at the local school.
Right away, I learned that 40% of the Navajo children had TB, at least the ones who were
attending school. So we decided we didn't want to expose our children to that.
Because of this, we moved back to Arizona... We rented an apartment in Snowflake, and
stayed there for a while. I then purchased 1 acre of land in Taylor, and built a home there.

LaMar started school in Taylor, and later attended high school at Snowflake High School,
where he graduated. When LaMar came home from school, he would be bored, and asked
his Mom what he could do. She encouraged him to get a book and read. So that is what
he did. As a result he became a very good fast reader, even a speed reader. One time, at
least, I quizzed him about a certain book, asking him to read a little at the beginning of
the book, and then the last part of the same book. He could tell me all about it. He was a
good student and did very well in school.

His senior year in high school he managed to get signed up for work study. So he went to
school ½day, and worked the other ½ of the day, for a local grocery store. The store was
owned by Fred Adams. LaMar talked some about starting a "Cost--Plus--10" grocery
store, but he never was able to do that. He tried his hand at selling Shackley products, and
shoes, in the area -- also light bulbs, but wasn't very successful at that. He and I started a
pig business, but after getting them ready for market we couldn't find a market for them...
LaMar decided to haul a load to Mesa. On the way down, he had a couple of flat tires, on
the pickup, and on the trailer, and as he stopped to change the tires, it was pretty hot and
the pigs began to jump out of the trailer. He had to chase them, and it took quite a while
before capturing them all!! He was one tired boy when he got back home that night, late.
I think that ended the pig business for La Mar... He was kind of like his Dad, in that he
did not like to work for someone else... He then got a permit from the Forest Service to
cut fire wood, and sell it to the local people in town, who burned wood for heat in their
homes. That was very hard work and he soon lost interest in that, even though I would
help him, on my days off from the Paper Mill, where I was working. LaMar finished high
school and wanted to go to college at Eastern Arizona College, where his sister Annette
had finished, two (2) years before. When she was back home, he asked her if she thought
he could take a certain test at the college, which would qualify him to attend there. He did
go to EA and after graduation, he finally married a girl he had met at EA, in the
Arizona Temple. Her name was Victoria Gonzalez, from Morenci, AZ. He got a job in
Tucson with Hughes Air Research, where he worked for several years. After LaMar
married, I didn't have a lot of contact with him. My wife, LaRene, and I did travel to
Tucson, to attend the blessings and baptisms of LaMar and Vickie's children, however. I
feel I was privileged to be LaMar's father. I learned a lot from him, and was impressed
with all the talents he possessed, and especially that he was able to learn the several
languages he did learn on his mission to Johannesburg, South Africa. He had learned
Spanish, to some degree, before he went on his mission. We all have some very happy
and interesting experiences we had with LaMar to remember, and cherish. He was helpful
to all, and enjoyed serving in any position he was called to, in the Church.