From Howdy to Y'all

After graduating in 1972, I left home to attend Ricks College. Now, I can confess to all of you that I went there to get my MRS degree. Having said that, I had no idea how to achieve it -- only knew that when people left Glasgow and went to BYU or Ricks, they returned engaged. I will shamelessly admit that I wanted a temple marriage, a reception in Glasgow, and a yellow lady quilt from Sister Rahlf. I even said I would "never" fall in love with someone that wasn't LDS. Never say never.

After three years in Rexburg (I thought it was a two-year school, Dene), I moved to Minneapolis, MN then to Lubbock, TX to attend court reporting school. The time in Texas gave me an opportunity to get to know the Marricle side of my family. When a job offer came to work for the courts in Pensacola, FL, the plan was to stay for a couple of years, get some experience, and then return to Montana to work.

Enters Barry Brooke, handsome, young investigator in the State Attorney's Office. After introductions and a little matchmaking from friends at work, Barry and I started dating and were married in a little Baptist church in Gulf Breeze, FL. After a year of marriage we became land barons with the purchase of 2 1/2 acres, living in a trailer for nearly 5 years. We now have 4 acres which is almost equal to the Ponderosa in this area.

We have two great children . . . Whitney Susanne (25) and Cody Raymond (22). Whitney is so much fun and much more confident and accomplished than I was at her age. She has an undergraduate degree in Public History and a Masters in Public Administration. Currently she is in South Carolina working for the Department of Justice in the Office of Legal Education.

Cody is one of those people that everyone is drawn to, old and young alike. You could say "everybody loves Cody Raymond". He is attending the University of Florida majoring in Environmental Studies.

In 1984 I started working for a judge who later was appointed to be a Federal Judge by President George H. W. Bush and asked me to come to Federal court with him.

I made a choice years ago to attend the Baptist church to create unity within our family. During that time I had amazing visiting teachers and home teachers. In 2004 the church we were attending had a split in their congregation, and I decided then to go back "home" to my own church. Two weeks after returning to a small branch, I became the RS compassionate service leader -- right before hurricane Ivan devastated the Gulf Coast. What a way to get to know the members, some of whom lost their homes or had extensive damage!

Barry has been very supportive of my going back to church. He has developed a real green thumb as a result of a garden I started for a YW Faith project. It is a much better, and bigger, garden than I had. I call it "Barry's work hard -- eat well garden". As empty nesters we spend time doing home projects and renovations.

Memories of Glasgow: Walking from Southside school to Primary on Thursdays -- Wednesday night Mutual -- riding my bike from Ken's trailer park to Rahlf's Gardens to help pick corn at 5:00 a.m. (I got to carry the bag for Brother Rahlf every time. When it got too heavy for me, he would throw it over his shoulder and we would continue down the row just visiting.) -- riding my bike to town to swim -- going to Comb's Drug Store with a quarter in my pocket to buy a chocolate coke and some candy -- and yes, walking to school in the snow uphill both ways.

I miss the drive-in theatre, the Hi-hat, Eugene's Pizza and ice skating on the Milk River. So many memories, and you are all a part of it -- the best part. Thank you for sharing that time with me, and including me now.