Uncle Richard's Girls

In response to a recent article on our BLOG called Vanishing Treasures, we have been given a wonderful opportunity to become acquainted with more of our family. Samantha Vance read the article and realized that she is related to us. Samantha is one of Uncle Richard's daughters. She gave me permission to post her picture on our BLOG in hopes that we would get a chance to know her better. She really didn't get to know her father very well because he died when she was a little girl. Samantha's mother remembers talking with our mother, Gatha many years ago. Her mother remembers going out to Colorado for funeral of one of her dad's brothers, she thinks it was Earl's funeral.


Samantha has two children, Kaiden Richard Vance named after his grandfather, and Natasha Jeanne who is is three years old.

Samantha's older sister is Angela. Angela is married and has three children, Daniel age eleven, Makenzie age four, and Elizabeth age three. Her little sister is married and has two step children and two of her own. Her children are Kiley age ten, Brendon age four, Salina age nine & Sasha age two.

Samantha sent two pictures one below is of Samantha's younger sister, Barbara, and her family. The picture below is of Samantha's children and all her nieces and nephews.

I have invited Samantha to join us as an author on our BLOG. I am hoping that she will tell us more about herself, her sisters, and their families.

When I wrote the article, Vanishing Treasures, I never dreamt that sharing my feelings would bring me in contact with people so closely related to us. I can look at the two pictures above and see the family resemblence. I am grateful that they have been willing to share with us and am very anxious to pull them into the family circle.

Grandpa Bingham--62 years ago

Today is the 62nd anniversary of the day my dad died. It is really hard for me to even think of that time. In June Arlo and I drove him to Alamosa to enter the hospital as he was having surgery the next morning to repair a hernia.

We went to Ruth and Bill's and had supper and then went to a movie. He had the surgery and there were complications. He had pains from adhesions from a former surgery. They operated to remove the scars, but that was not successful either. He developed a bowel obstruction and it progressed to the point that it burst.

The day he died, Keith sent a telegram that he had been released from the Navy and was on his way home. We tried to find him, but were not successful. Some of the aunts and uncles met every bus and train that came into Alamosa. He was home in time to go to the funeral.

We no longer had a home and Keith wanted to buy back the farm and take the four (Leon, Barbara, LaRue and Doris Faye), to raise them. He didn''t have the means to do that. After the funeral, Leon went to Farmington, New Mexico, Barbara went with Ethel and Don, to California, LaRue stayed with Grandma and Grandpa Dunn. Doris Faye went home with Arlo and me. Keith went to Los Alamos, New Mexico and lived with his friend Bud Richarson. He found work and remained there to marry Erma Rae and to raise his family.

The years go by, but the facts don't change that there was no place to go home again. After a year Leon went to Grandma and Grandpa Dunn's home. After 6 years Doris Faye also went to Grandma and Grandpa's home. Barbara was the last one to go to Grandma and Grandpa's home. All of them graduated from Manassa High School. I will forever be thankful to Grandma and Grandpa Dunn. They were a great blessing to us.

Keith's Funeral

I spent Thursday night at Bonnie's. Leon Picked us up there at 4 A.M. and we drove to Kanab and picked up Don and Gloria. We drove to Belen, New Mexico, where we had 2 motel rooms reserved.

When we arrived there, we talked to Erma and she told us that The ward had prepared a meal for the family and we could come and eat with them. after we got cleaned up we went to the church and Keith and Erma's family were mostly all there. They have 70 members of their family. We had a very nice meal and got acquainted with members of their family that we hadn't seen in many years.

The viewing followed in the Relief Society room. The day Keith died, Erma asked Kelly if he could build a casket. Kelly said "no way". The other sons and three grandsons, said they would help him and together they got to Kelly's barn at 8A.M. and stayed late into the night, sometimes as late as 1 A.M. and made a beautiful casket. It was white pine with Cedar panels. The girls made the linings. It was a work of art. Keith looked good. He was thin after so much sikness, but he looked nice.

LaRue and Harold and Doris Faye and Bert came to the viewing. That was special. we took a lot of pictures.

We went back to the motel and prepared to leave at 7 A.M. the next morning to go to LosAlamos, where the funeral was held.

Barbara came for the funeral and all of my immediate family was there. That was special. We haven't all been together at one time since Barbara was sealed in the temple.

At the viewing, Cheryl and Elwood Cardon and Aldred and Gay Schofield were there. I only have 4 living cousins on Dad's side of the family. Cheryl, Aldred, Charley, and Winona are the only ones. It was good to see them. Keith and Erma's family was all there and it was good to see all of them too. The funeral was special. I will send you a program. All of it was their children, except the bishop gave a short talk. . It was a beautiful funeral. The tribute to Keith was wonderful. We stayed for the meal after and visited with my sisters and brother.

We started home at 4:30 in the afternoon and arrived in St George at 4:30 in the morning. It was a good time. everyone was so nice and I felt that being with family was great.

Our Family vacations

The one thing that we enjoyed together with Arlo being there was time spent in the mountains. When Kent was less than a month old we went to the mountains and camped out. We slept in sleeping bags and cooked on the camp fire. I don't remember the place that we camped but I do remember being in the mountains. We spent a lot of time camping out and then later spent time at the cabin. The cabin proved to be a great investment for us. I still like to go there. Our reunion there was great. We have owned it for many years.

One time Barbara, LaRue, Doris Faye and I took all of our children in one car and went to Los Alamos, to visit Keith and Erma. That wouldn't be possible today because of seat belt laws.

One time we took the VW pickup and went to Pueblo to visit Nona. The car broke down and we had to find a ride home.

When Bonnie Lynn had to go to Denver for a check up at the hospital, I took all of you children and we went several times. We went to the movie in a round theater, "It's a Mad Mad World". All of us laughed so hard we cried. Sometimes we went to a resturant where there was a toy train running around the room, near the ceiling. Can any one remember other things that we did?