Box of Shells and Sand

Box of Shells and Sand
Another of my box's

Shells in a Box

Shells in a Box
Ocean dead life

things I have received from theOCEAN

things I have received from theOCEAN
STUFF

Live ~ Love ~ Laugh

Live ~ Love ~ Laugh

Orin George Dexter, My HERO my FATHER

I am the oldest daughter of and proud to be of Orin George Dexter, my father was a proud man and he lived till 86 years and raised me my two sisiter and 4 other siblings.

My father taught me to love my country, respect my country and to honor it and be a proud American, there is never a time that the flag is raised that I am not overwhelmed with the gratitude for what America stands for. What my father and his brothers fought for, what so many men died for and are still dieing for.

Our veterans are the very back bone of this country. If they had not fought and millions died and are still fighting and dieing, we would not have the freedoms we have, we owe them our honor, we owe them our respect, we owe them to stand up when our flag is waving, and not let our country be beaten down. Stand up for whats right, stand up and speak your truth our countries truth. Do not be ashamed to be an American.

He was born to a poor mother and father, Vernon Orin Dexter who married Hannah Rose Degraw, in 1917, in Nebraska, they had 10 children. Line up, Orin, Wanda, Jimmy, Martha, Vale, Verna, Eugene, Lougena and Andrew. One baby girl died at birth.

He was born in Bridgeport, Nebraska, their first year of marriage, October 26, 1918, his father never worked much it was poor times and they moved from Nebraska while he was young, they trekked across the states from Nebraska to Wyoming to Colorado, and landed in King Hill, Idaho, for a period of time. They finally stopped in Oregon.

When Orin was 14 years old he had to leave home and go to work in the coal mines in Teluride, Colorado, and send his pay home to help raise the siblings that were younger than him. He went to work in the CC Camps for a while and then enlisted into the Army. He inlisted for 2 years and served 5, in WWII, he had four brothers who also all served in the service. At one time his parents had three of their sons fighting in in the war.

When he was honorably discharged from WW2 he came home and partied and met a woman who introduced him to her sister whom he married, Helen Maxine Buell (Taylor) Dexter, my Mother. Mom had 4 children when she married my dad, Maxine, Jackie, Chuck and Larry Taylor.

He had trouble finding a job so after marrying Helen, he went back to the small town of King Hill, idaho where his family had stopped and where he and his brothers had joined the war movement.

I was born in King Hill, I was very impetuous even at birth and had no patience, so mom didn't even have a chance to get to the hospital. My Nana help mom and I was born at home.

I had two sisters behind me Derryll And our baby sister Orina. (I will bolg later about them and my older siblings.)

My father owned his small service station business in King Hill, Idaho and we lived there until I was 11 years old. He did a very succesful business until the freeway was put in and diverted the traffic f miles to the north of King Hill, the town fell into obscurity, and is not a functioning town now. Glenns Ferry, Idaho is five miles west, and is the closest town to them now.

I never heard my father complain, he went to work all his life and everyday of his life, I remember not one day that he stayed home sick.

He worked hard at raising his 3 children and the 4 children of the woman he married to give them all the things that he had never had and had no opprotunity to have. I never remember being hungry, starving like I remember him telling us that he had days when eating was only a slice of bread.

I took these things for granted and I don't ever remember telling him how thankful that I neveer went hungry, I never went without cloths, new ones even, shoes, or all the toys and things that I wanted. I feel humbled looking back at the difference between his life and mine and how I took it for granted and never thought much about it.

I find that my life has been a life of selfishness. Totally absorbed in me. and what I want and I look around and see that I have not been the only one and that the next generation is even more selfish and demanding and with a me first attitude.

But I also have learned that I don;t want to stay that way so I am making the changes to my life that will make me a better huam being, one that can live today with out regret and shame for who I am. I thank my father for all the things he taught me.



Oldest daughter, LaVerne Ann Dexter Family

Oldest daughter, LaVerne Ann Dexter Family
Orin, My son James and me and My granddaughter Melissa in 1989