Lessons I learned from My Fathers Personal History

I was rereading my father's, Thomas Burgess Slade, personal history and realized that there are a lot of life lessons for his descendants in this history. So I though I would share some of these lessons:

Tom Slade as a Boy

Lesson 1: Make Friends with Your Enemies

After his family moved to Durango Tom was about 12 years old. He spent a lot of time on a horse guiding herds through town and taking prospectors out to their claims. He tells about some trouble he ended up in. "There was a couple of brothers ... who had it in for me because they wanted an old motor my father had and he wouldn't give it to them. One time they tried to steal it and I noticed them and told father & he turned them in, so they didn't like me and every chance they had they would gang up on me and give me a licking, so every time I was on a horse and caught them out I would rope them and drag then around for awhile. This went on for quite a while but finally we became friends and I sure was glad because I believe I was getting the worst of the deal."

Lesson 2: Don't Mock the Teacher 

Old Schoolhouse similar to one in Kline

"I attended the first four grades of school at Kline and enjoyed the small school house very much. We only had two teachers for the eight grades. One day during the morning recess we were mocking the teacher just outside of the building and she happened to overhear us and became very mad and expelled all of us and sent us home. My father happened to be home when I arrived and after a good spanking I went right back to school again and along with the rest of the boys we told the teacher we were sorry and all was forgiven."

Lesson 3: Surround yourself with Family

"When mother was alive she and dad used to spend the winters with me and all the kids living within driving distance would come and spend weekends at my house. This was enjoyed by all." Note that my father had 6 sisters and they were all married. Only one of his sisters lived outside the driving distance and that was his sister Clara that lived in Los Angeles, CA, so I expect my father had a very full house on many weekends. During this time my dad was single and 33-38 years old so it could have been a very lonesome time for him but instead he surrounded himself with family. 

Lesson 4: To be happy, marry a "Mormon Girl"

"In 1946 I met Hazel Bowman and in April of 1947 we were married at Phoenix Ariz. We were married only a year and divorced. We were just not meant for each other. I think our main troubles was that she didn't belong to any church and when I tried to keep active that brought up an argument. I made up my mind then and there if I ever married again it would be to a Mormon girl." 6 years later Tom met Dorothy Haws and they were married and lived happily every after.

The full Personal History of Thomas Burgess Slade is located on FamilySearch.org and can be read at Thomas Burgess Slade Personal History