This image show mom standing by the snowmobile that she drove, for the first time, from Sundance, up to this staging ares, PULLING a trailer as shown.  In typical fashion, she came prepared, i.e. she just happened to have her aurora parka in the car trunk, along with the mukluks.
       This was the day that the newly invented equipment was the be tried out for the first time on the top of Mt. Timpanogos at 11,000 feet in the middle of winter.  THe operation was complex requiring the coordination of helicopters from 2 airports, men from several staging areas, along with the attendance of the media at specific hours.
       Things were rough here and there but nothing that would hinder the operation.  However, after most of the men and supplied had been lifted from Sundance, the man who was to drive a snowmobile and trailer up to a final staging area for pickup by helicopter, decided that he had got all the photos he wanted. So he turned around and went home. He had promised dad to drive this snowmobile up with the extra gear but said he had changed his mind and was through and was going back to town. Mom saw a major disruption to the exercise.
         In her inimitable fashion, there with no hysteria, just a focus on what can be done to salvage this part of the operation.  So she asked another man who was standing there, “Is it hard to drive these things?” She’d never been on one. He said, “No, not really.” She asked, “So. how do it?”  He showed the starter, the accelerator, the lights, the steering wheel and brakes. She outfitted herself with her parka, mittens and mukluks from the car trynk, got on, turned on, took off, and never looked back. That was the essence of Marie. During his entire life, and particularly during his professional career, she saved him again and again in this simple-minded way.
         So James A got to shine brigthtly on the 10pm news that with his crew and EQUIPMENT up on the top of Timp carrying on about how difficult it was and so on.  But no one knew who grabbed the loose piece at the last moment and salvaged the whole thing. That was my mom Marie. She did that relentlessly and made it possible for him to do what he did.

  The second photo gives you an idea of how small she was. She weighed 105 pounds, wet.  Fearless, absolutely fearless, and when “her Jim” needed something, and she was able to give it to him, she did. Immediately, no question, no complaint.  Just do it. Get it done. Make it so.

Astonishing devotion to another person.

Ceramics   Canvas TeePees   Charcoal Painting   $600 molding   Crab Tent   Snowmobile Ride on Timp

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