I got a message from Carrie Collier Martinez via facebook asking me to call her so that she could tell me what happened to her Dad. My curiosity got the best of me and I called. I had sent her some genealogy some years ago, but it was returned and I thought I had lost contact with her.
Carrie told me that Delbert had passed away on the 29th of October in Iowa. Carrie's family brought him home to Salt Lake and he's buried there close to his family.
The picture to the right is of Delbert and his mother, Betty Laraine Vance Luster.
The picture to the left is of Delbert, Donnie, Uncle Richard and Grandma Vance. I suspect that this picture was taken in 1946. I don't know where the picture was taken. Possibly, it was in LaJara. I believe this is the only picture we have of Grandma Vance.
Delbert was the oldest of the Vance grandsons. RaeDean Barber (Howey), and Norene Summers were older than him.
Delbert was the oldest of the Vance grandsons. RaeDean Barber (Howey), and Norene Summers were older than him.
Donnie is the only person in this picture that is still alive. Uncle Richard's son, Gerald lives here in Colorado Springs. I ran into him recently when Betty and I were out shopping.
Mom's photo albums had this page of pictures of the Luster Family. Delbert it lounging in the center.
Delbert's sister Diane died some years ago as did his brother, Ronnie. I don't know anything about Harold.
These pictures bring back a lot of memories to me of the Luster home south of LaJara, Colorado. We spent a lot of time with the Lusters. Sometimes, we had fun, and sometimes we got into trouble. When we got into trouble, Delbert always got the worst of the punishment. I never could understand why things had to be so hard for him.
For a while, Delbert stayed with Mom. He really fought depression.
I was really grateful when Delbert's family came to a family reunion in Sandy, Utah and we got an opportunity to know them. I wish we knew them better.
