family
I don’t remember my grandmother, Anna Spencer, because she died when I was just over 2 months old. I have seen movies of her holding me, but my real memories of her ended there. Nevertheless, in my Uncle Bill Spencer’s family history, I learned most of what I know of my grandmother. She was a strong woman, who raised four children, mostly alone, because my grandfather, Allen Spencer was often away working on the railroad, or in the lumber industry. Grandma kept things together on the home front. She made life good for her children. They might not have had much money, but they were rich in love.
Grandma was a capable woman. She ran the farm, stacked hay, grew vegetables, canned vegetables, and so much more, but she was also a beautiful woman with soft expressive eyes, that told you she loved you. She loved her family so very much, and her children were her whole world. She worked so hard to make a home for her children, and she was so proud of them…her two beautiful daughters and her two handsome sons. She raised capable kids who grew into responsible adults and made their mother proud. All of them grew to have families, and gave her and grandpa 13 grandchildren, and the numbers of people stemming from grandma and grandpa’s union is still growing.
Grandma struggled with rheumatoid arthritis in her later years, and was often confined to a wheelchair, but her sweet spirit, and loving nature never changed. Her children did their best to care for her until the day that she went to Heaven, and their love for her never ceased. I wish I had been able to know this incredible woman, 
because I know in my heart that I would have loved her very much. I think that I and many of her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and beyond, carry that same tenacity and stubborn drive to succeed against all odds. Some things are passed down through the genes, while others are passed down through teaching…and some are a combination of the two. Grandma used both to help her family become the wonderful people they are. Today is the 136th anniversary of Grandma’s birth. Happy birthday in Heaven, Grandma. We love and miss you very much.
My nephew, Sean Mortensen is a dynamic character. He is always on the go. Summer finds Sean and his family at Seminole Lake as much as possible, while winter and fall finds them in the mountains. Sean excels at just about every kind of extreme sports. I love seeing all the pictures he posts about his escapades. Sean is fearless, no matter what sport he is doing at the time. I must say that I think some of my favorite pictures are of the disappearance of the machine into the snowbank. That is strange, considering the fact that I don’t really like snow. Nevertheless, Sean and his friends do make it look fun. Sean also loves to do other sporty things, like fishing, and he has been blessed with some great catches. He and Amanda also love to hang out with a great group of friends on the weekend for some fun…and really goofy times. 
This year has been a different kind of year for Sean and his partner, Amanda Reed, as their daughter Jadyn went off to college, and will be gone for four years or more. They are a closeknit family, and when one member moves away, even if it’s just for college, you really feel the void in the family unit. Plus, you never know if your child will move back home, or if their career choice will take them somewhere else. Nevertheless, Sean and Amanda want Jadyn to be happy in her career choice, and they want her to have a great time at college. Sean and Jadyn have always had a close bond, because she was an early birthday present for him back in 2004, when she was born the day before her dad’s birthday.
Sean loves his “playtime,” but he isn’t all about playing. A couple of years ago, Sean bought Triangle Heating and Air, LLC, and while he might never have thought he would be a business owner, that dream has come true 
for him. He loves being his own boss. As the name states, Sean’s company repairs and installs heating and air conditioning units. The company has been in business since August 18, 2006, and Sean purchased it on October 18, 2021. Owning a business really makes a person feel like they have accomplished something, and Sean has worked hard to get to this point in his life. We are all so happy for him. Today is Sean’s birthday. Happy birthday Sean!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My grandniece, Jadyn Mortensen has just completed her first year of college at the University of Wyoming, where she is studying mechanical engineering. Jadyn was given a full scholarship as part of the University of Wyoming Barrel Racing Team, and she has really been enjoying college. She missed her family, of course. Jadyn is very close to her parents, Amanda Reed and Sean Mortensen, and the family does just about everything together whenever they can, but this year at college, while hard work due to a heavy load, was also an amazing learning and personal growth experience for Jadyn.
With the school year behind her, Jadyn came home to Rawlins for the summer, and found a seasonal job with KC Harvey. She and 
her team partner were tasked with the job of spraying properties in the area. On their first day, Jadyn and her partner had a little bit of trouble in the form of a flat tire. They were not in the best place for that to happen, but Jadyn told her partner that she could change the tire, if they had a spare tire. As it turned out, they did, and before long Jadyn had the tire changed and they were back to work. At the end of the workday, their boss asked them how many properties they had finished. The girls told him they only finished ten properties. The boss said, “Let me get this straight. You sprayed only ten properties.” The girls cringed thinking their boss was upset with them. Then he said that most teams finished only 5 properties, and here the girls had finished ten properties and they had also changed their own flat tire. He told them, “That’s amazing!! I’m very pleased with you both!!” These girls got the bosses praise on their very first day!! Most people have no idea what to do on their first day…much less get it right!!!!
Jaydn has about four years of college left, but I’m quite certain that her summer jobs will be secure for as long as she wants to work at . Not bad for a young lady of just 19 years, but then Jadyn was raised by parents who taught her to be independent, and a dad who taught her to know her way around a vehicle. Jadyn is a tough young lady, even though she is very much a lady. She is as at home on a horse, snowmobile, motorcycle, jet ski, as she is in a pickup. And when she dresses up, she always looks simply stunning. She’s quite a lady. Today is Jadyn’s birthday. Happy birthday Jadyn!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My grandniece, Zoey Iverson is a very special girl. From her birth, as her mother, Cassie Franklin’s second child, Zoey was the “oldest” child, because her brother, Lucas Iverson had Down Syndrome and would need a lot of help. Zoey was just the girl for the job. She is a very loving and caring little girl…and mature for her age. It’s just in her nature. She is a true mother’s helper.
Zoey has changed so much since she was six and seven. Eight has been a landmark year for her, as she has really grown up a lot. Some kids make that transition as they turn ten, or even eleven or twelve in some kids, but every so often, you find one, usually a girl, but not always, who matures at eight. It’s usually because they are the big sister, and often because their siblings need some extra help, such as special 
needs kids. For Zoey, it’s not just her brother. Zoey has a new little sister named Alicen, and Zoey is absolutely thrilled about that. She loves to help her parents with the baby, and Alicen really loves her big sister. They are best friends, and Alicen wants to be with Zoey all the time.
Zoey’s family loves to forage in the woods near their home for things like mushrooms, apples, herbs, and flowers. Zoey’s mom, Cassie Franklin makes and sells candle and soaps, as well as resin dishes, jars, and some jewelry. The things they collect during their forage trips are used in cooking and in Cassie’s products. It’s fun for the whole 
family, and they give everyone lots of outdoor time. While Zoey is really enjoying the summer, she also really loves school, and she is at the top of her class. She loves being “class leader,” which allows her to go around the room and help the other students when they don’t understand the work. Who knows, maybe she will grow up to be a schoolteacher. From what I have seen of this little girl, she would make an excellent teacher. While Zoey is easy going in many ways, she can also be stubborn. Having a “stubborn” child, who is also such a sweet and helpful child is really a blessing, and not a hardship at all.
I have had the great pleasure of watching this little girl grow up from the day she was born, and while some might call me biased, because I am, after all, her great aunt. She is a wonderful young lady, and I know she will grow into a wonderful adult someday. Today is Zoey’s 8th birthday. Happy birthday Zoey!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
John F Kennedy, who at the time was still our future president, had to “fight” his way into war. His father believed it would make his son more “marketable” for a political run that would eventually land him in the White House. Joseph Kennedy wanted one of his sons to eventually be president, and I’m not sure he was particular about which one it was. He just knew that to have a chance, the “candidate” would have to have a military background. The reasons for his entrance into World War II really don’t matter now, because while he was in the service, he did his country proud, and even saved the lives of his PT-109 crew after a Japanese destroyer rammed them on August 2, 1943.
Future President Kennedy could have avoided the war completely, because he had back issues which were likely caused from a football injury. In addition, the fact that he was from a wealthy family could have been a big help in any effort he might have used to stay out of the war. He didn’t use the family’s money or influence to stay out, however. Before entering World War II, Kennedy graduated with honors from Harvard, and then still chose to serve. After being drafted to by the Navy, the physical toll on his back increased, including the physically demanding couple of days when the ship he commanded sank and he literally helped his crew survive.
Later, while he was serving as a young senator, Kennedy’s doctor prescribed a rocking chair to be used during his service in the senate. No matter where the pain initially started or what exacerbated the issue, by the time 
John F Kennedy was in the office of president, he was in constant pain. When he began using the rocking chair in 1955, Kennedy finally found a way for his muscles to relax by constantly being forced to expand and contract while sitting. The rocking chair he chose was made by P and P Chair Company, and Kennedy grew to love it. He finally found some relief, and he actually insisted that the chair be brought aboard Air Force One when he traveled. Later he just purchased many different chairs for his various residences. So impressed was Kennedy with this chair, that he also gifted dozens of the same chair to friends and colleagues. You might say that the rocking chairs from P and P Chair Company were unofficially known as the presidential rocking chairs.
Dustie Masterson, my grandniece, Raelynn Masterson’s mom, says of her daughter that she is “sometimes an enigma wrapped in a mystery.” Now, that is saying something, since enigma means a mystery. So, Raelynn, is a mystery in a mystery. I find that a very interesting thought, and really, one that is true of Raelynn. She is often quiet, keeping to herself, and listening to her own thoughts. Raelynn, can often be a deep thinker, searching a matter out in her own mind before she makes up her mind on it. Dustie tells me that she is “the sweetest and easiest to get along with until…she has made up her mind.” Raelynn never strikes me as a stubborn girl, but then she doesn’t strike me as a pushover either. She simply has a quiet strength and determination about what she likes and where she is going.
It’s strange that her mom says Raelynn is a lot like her in that way…not that she is like Dustie, which I would agree with, but rather that Dustie, like Raelynn, doesn’t seem to have a huge stubborn streak in her either. They both seem to be easy going and soft hearted, not at all stubborn, but I suppose that is a side of them that they keep to themselves mush of the time, and it would be their close family that would see that side of them, and not their aunt.
Raelynn is very comfortable “in her own skin” so to speak. She doesn’t worry about being “cool” but rather just does what she likes, whether others see it as “cool” or not. Her stubborn streak mostly presents itself, when she has made up her mind <strong>not</strong> to do something. Nothing is going to change her mind, and no amount of pressuring will change the situation…especially if she doesn’t think it’s moral. That is a trait her mother truly admires about her.
Once, when she was in 5th grade, as she was leaving school, she fell and chipped her front tooth. Dustie took her to the dentist, who said she could fix it as soon as the swelling and pain went down. Raelynn decided that she didn’t want to do that. It wasn’t a fear of the shot or the procedure, but rather that she felt like it was a “badge of honor” of sorts. She didn’t want it fixed. She liked the look of it. There was no pain or shots involved with getting it fixed, she just chose to wait a good 5 years or so before just deciding to do it.
Raelynn, and her younger siblings Matt and Taylor too, really should never have been born. She and her siblings are miracle children. Her dad, Rob Masterson, didn’t think he was going to want other children after his 
oldest daughter Christina was born, and the marriage to her mom failed, so he had surgery to prevent any future children. In addition, Dustie, although they didn’t know it at the time, had some health issues that should have prevented her from having children. Nevertheless, God had other plans, and they were blessed with three children together. Dustie says she can’t believe that it has been 20 years already. Raelynn is no longer a teenager. Time goes by so fast, especially when you are living out the greatest blessings God has to give. Raelynn isn’t certain what she wants to do in life, but once she has it in mind, Dustie has no doubt that she will accomplish it. I agree. Determination and perseverance will always win in the end. Today is Raelynn’s 20th birthday. Happy birthday Raelynn!! Have a great day!! We love you so much!!
Vinnie (Lavinia) Ream was born in a log cabin in Wisconsin on September 25, 1847, like many people of her day. In a time when many women grew up to become stay-at-home moms, because they were not normally accepted in most other professions, Vinnie chose to go to college instead. She attended Christian College in Missouri, which is now known as Columbia College. One of her lesser-known accomplishments was that she played the harp to entertain her family at home, but her greatest talent and the one for which she is most well-known was in sculpture. On July 28, 1866, when Ream was just an 18-year-old girl, she became the first woman in the United States to win a commission for a statue. She was commissioned to sculpt a statue of the recently deceased President Lincoln. The statue was destined to become her most famous work, and to this day, it resides in the Rotunda of the US Capitol.
Ream didn’t start out as a sculptor, but rather began her groundbreaking career as one of the first female US government employees, working at the post office. However, when she was just 16 years old, Abraham Lincoln posed for her for 5 months during the middle of the Civil War. Perfecting the statue would take her several years to complete, including travel to Europe. She opened a studio on Broadway, but quickly moved back to Washington, DC to open a new studio there. In Washington DC, she sculpted a statue of Admiral David Farragut 
in the Washington Navy Yard, and it resides appropriately at Farragut Square. Another great work of hers is the statue of Sequoyah, the Cherokee Chief that created the Cherokee alphabet. That was the first free standing statue of a Native American, and it is on display at the Statuary Hall in the US Capitol. As Ream became more and more famous, more and more opportunities opened up for her. George Custer posed for a bust, and Ream made a model of a statue of General Robert E Lee. She considered it an honor to be able to preserve so many historical figures in her sculptures.
Vinnie Ream died on November 20, 1914, and she is buried with honors beside her husband at Arlington National Cemetery. She was also honored with a US postage stamp and actually has a town named after her…Vinita, Oklahoma. She was also the subject of at least 3 well known portraits of herself.
During the largely unsuccessful Norwegian Campaign of World War II, the Allies were in a fight to stop the Germans from fully occupying Norway, but it didn’t work in the end. The Norwegian campaign was carried out from April 8, 1940 to June 10, 1940, and involved the attempt by Allied forces to defend northern Norway coupled with the resistance of the Norwegian military to the country’s invasion by Nazi Germany.
The Norwegian Campaign was planned as Operation Wilfred and Plan R 4, prior to the actual German attack, which the Allies knew was imminent, but had not yet happened. On April 4th, the battlecruiser HMS Renown set out from Scapa Flow for the Vestfjorden with twelve destroyers. The Royal Navy and the 
Kriegsmarine met at the First Battle of Narvik on April 9 – 10. The British forces conducted the Åndalsnes landings on April 13, thereby putting everything in place for the actual operation. Germany’s strategic reason for wanting Norway was to seize the port of Narvik and guarantee the delivery of iron ore needed for German steel production. In any war, steel is necessary for much of the weaponry.
During one part of that campaign, in an air fight over Norway, a British fighter took down a German plane over a densely wooded area. Unfortunately, the British aircraft crashed as well. As it turns out, both crews survived the crashes, and while trying to get to a safe place, they encountered each other in the wilderness. In most situations, this could have been bad for one or both of the crews, but even though they were struggling against a language barrier, the rival airmen agreed not to turn on each other and instead, to team up in order to find 
safety. They stayed in an abandoned hotel and shared breakfast. It wasn’t peace exactly, but they formed an uneasy truce, while they waited to see which side would show up to help first.
Instead of the British or the Germans, it was a Norwegian ski patrol that showed up to rescue the British soldiers, and of course, to take the Germans as POWs. While that one battle seemed to indicate that the British were headed for a victory over the Germans, that was not to be the case. The Germans did finally take over Norway in its entirety. Of course, as we all know, one battle is not a very good indication of who will win the war, and in the end, it was Germany that took a great fall, losing the entirety of World War II.
There is nothing greater than watching your children grow, and for most of us, that first birthday is the most exciting. That is exactly how the parents of my grandnephew, Ryder Birky are feeling today. Ryder is one today, and he is such a sweet boy. He is learning lots of new things, and of course, his big brother, Jace has been a big part of that learning process. Jace had waited a long time to get a brother, and he was so excited when Ryder finally arrived. For kids, the waiting game is a lot harder, and Jace had a hard time being patient as he waited for his brother, but once he got here, Jace was the best big brother!! Ryder gets to hear stories and play games with his big brother. Jace is a great helper for his mom, and Ryder is well cared for, by his parents, Sierah Martin and Riley Birky, and by his brother. 
Ryder is more and more mobile these days, and before they know it, he will be running all over the house, and they will be chasing after him. The good news is that his older brother has lots of energy, and he can help with all that chasing. Kids grow so fast, and it already seems like just yesterday that Ryder came to join their family. The future will go even faster, and before long he will be off to school, but I guess I should slow down a bit. I’m sure Ryder’s parents would rather not think about that just yet. For now, the usual baby toys, games, books, and song will be all they want to see.
Since Ryder and his family live in Powell, and we live in Casper, we don’t gwt to see them much, sadly. 
Nevertheless, Sierah and Riley are good about posting pictures to keep the distant family updated on how Ryder’s life is going. He loves his big brother so much, and it is a beautiful thing to see them together, playing and just hanging out. It is so obvious just how much these two sweet little boys love each other. And they are such a blessing to their parents. The laughter and little antics that brothers are famous for, fills the Birky household, and puts a smile on the faces of everyone who knows them. Today is Ryder’s first birthday. Happy birthday Ryder!! Have a great day, sweet boy!! We love you!!
As a part of fallout of the Great Depression, and as a product of the “New Deal” ambitions of Franklin D Roosevelt, America came into the new era of Social Security, a plan to assign unique nine-digit numbers to some 26 million US workers. The plan didn’t exactly do what it was supposed to do, in a number of ways, and it has as to “social security,” it has been anything but. Social Security was not intended to be a national ID number, but it has turned out to be exactly that. It has been used by banks and insurance agencies, to track tax returns, and to identify college students. By the 1970s, Social Security numbers indexed a wealth of sensitive information in computer data banks, becoming a severe risk for identity theft, and prompting major privacy legislation. These types of security issues could not have been anticipated by the pre-computer, pre-internet, and pre-hacking America of the 1930s, when Social Security was founded.
In November of 1936, the newly formed Social Security Board set out to assign those unique nine-digit numbers American workers. They called this a task “of a magnitude never before equaled in any Government or private undertaking.” The first Social Security number was issued on December 1, 1936, to a man named John David Sweeney Jr. Sweeney, a 23-year-old man was noted as saying that his retirement was “a long way off.” Since that time Social Security has suffered many types of abuse, and a gross miscalculation in funds, mainly stemming from the fact that with the legalizing of abortion, millions of Americans who would have eventually earned wages and paid into the program, were murdered, bringing a shortage of funds in unprecedented proportions. People will surely argue one or more of the points made here, but the facts remain.
A product of its time, the Social Security Number came about due to the economic wreckage of the Great Depression and the disastrous New Deal ambitions of Franklin D Roosevelt. People didn’t really understand the ramifications of the Social Security Numbers, because the program was overshadowed by the nation-changing program of which they were part. Nevertheless, those numbers would become affixed to nearly every American life over the next century, while spurring new uses of punch cards and filing systems, as well as all the new dilemmas around data and security. In the end, it would probably been better if we had never started it, but then I suppose that some type of national identification system was inevitable. We are a very large nation, and 
in my opinion, IDs should be used for many things, such as voting, flying, re-entry to our borders, and a host of other things that make each of us unique. Maybe Social Security numbers were the only way, or maybe we could have waited on this program until we could have found a more “secure” form of Social Security.
