The Autobiography of Ruth Tagg Caley

I do not ever remember of Dad talking about his family when we were young. He was inhis late 30's when he came to the states, as a convert to the church. Information gained formdown under cousins said that he was the oldest and helped to support his brothers and sistersafter grand dad died. This he kept doing until us kids, his family started coming along, at thattime he told grandma that he would no longer be able to help with the financial care of thebrothers and sisters.My earliest recollection of dad was during the Second World War. Everything wasrationed and in short supply. We had what was needed to keep us going, in the way of food andclothing and shelter. Each family was issued ration stamps for their basic needs. Dad was alwaysgiving our excess stamps to those of the ward that did not seem to have enough for themselves. Iremember him giving our tire stamps to an older gentleman to get tires for his car as he did nothave a job and needed them more than we did. Dad did not have to far to go to work and the tireswere not in too bad of shape on our car.Dad seemed satisfied with the way things were as long as the necessities of life were therefor his family. He spent many hours living the religion he left his home country for. He spentmany hours doing for others that which they could not do for themselves. I think that is where alot of the family funds went, almost to a fault with mother. He put electricity and plumbing intomany of the window’s homes in the ward. He helped with the construction of the Scera theater,which was also used as a stake center of the area. In return for the time and donations given hereceived in return some coupon books that allowed a reduced rate for the movies shown there.He was very gentle man but also seemed very serious most of the time. He did not seemto fool around with jokes and such. He was always there for his family but did not stand for anyfoolishness. For me he seemed to convey that children should be seen and not heard. Oneshould speak if spoken to, other than that we were to keep quiet and stay out of the grownup’sway. In all the years I never heard him speak against anyone. He and mom never had anyarguments to my recollection.One time the neighbor kids called the Morgue and told them that dad had crashed the carand was killed and the body needed to be picked up. At the time John and I were out with thecar, guess it scared mom quite bad. However Dad never go over the look on the mortician’s facewhen Dad opened the door, he often got quite a chuckle out of that when he thought of it.Dad liked to experiment with many things, radios and may things. He once put together ahome made blower on the old car to give it more pickup and acceleration.Dad enjoyed the things of nature and puttered with the garden and fruit trees, attemptingto graft one kind of fruit to another tree. We had the first nectarine tree in the neighborhood. Itwas a cross between a peach and a plum.When he was displeased with something we had done it was evident but I do notremember him ever raising his voice to mom or us.Ruth Tagg Caley pg 63