Sunday, April 18, 2010

Uncle John was an artist

It takes a plane trip home to Utah and its mountains to remind me of my roots. This trip was to attend Uncle John's funeral. Uncle John was Dad's youngest brother. I took this picture of Antelope Island to remind me of Burton family roots in that one of Grandpa Burton's sisters settled out here.
This picture of John and Evelyns backyard put into perspective the few rocks I have stolen from Dad's yard and place in my yard here. Jan and Jay both mentioned in their comments how Uncle John loved to go rock hunting.

Aunt Evelyn remembered me and caused me to remember playing catch with her. I thought she was so cool when I was a young little leaguer and my Aunt would play catch with us when we visited Provo. She is still cool and I'll bet she can still play catch. It was good to spend time with Lenore and my brothers and sisters. There is a picture of us together (but not on my camera). It was good to see them and to be together. We missed Elaine.


Did I say Uncle John was an artist. This is the shed in the back yard. B asked John to paint the shed one day and when she came home... I grew up with Uncle Johns painting on our walls or the billboards of Salt Lake City. Ask me about Jay's story of Uncle John's whiskey billboard... what a classic!
It was good to see Jay and Jan again. Its been too long. Too bad its takes a passing to bring us together. Yet our faith says we will all be together again. Its about family and we are family.



3 comments:

Harmony said...

It was good to see you for a minute at the funeral. And it was a good celebration of a life well-lived. I think what I appreciated most were the stories about how much Uncle John cared about people, even people he'd never met before. Those stories reminded me of Grandpa and caused me to think of how I can be more like both of them in that respect.

Janet S. said...

Howard, it is Robert Burton's wife, not a sister who lived on Antelope Island. Sarah Anna Garr's father Fielding built the adobe home on the island that is still there!

Janet S. said...

By the way, thanks for posting the photos of John's yard and his shed. I don't think it was like this last time I saw it. The Burton gardens are amazing!!!