A Father's Love for His Son

Ralph Eugene Owen  (1950-2016)

Ralph Eugene Owen (1950-2016)  passed away on February 17, 2016 at the age of 66. I was thinking about what a wonderful reunion happened in heaven that early morning.

Ida Ellen Fish Owen holding Ralph Eugene Owen in Burley, ID.

Ralph was probably welcomed back by his Mom, Dad, Grandmother Owen and then met for the first time his namesake, his paternal grandfather.  The Moulton grandparents, Lillian and Hyrum were there as well as his nephew Brandon Portnoy.  It was surely a joyous "welcome home."

Nine Owen children at the time of Teresa's baby blessing at Portland 12th Ward LDS Chapel on Harrison St.

Three years before Jim died in 1979, he began to write a brief narrative of the births of each of his children.  Although he was father to nine children, only this one was written up.

There are some precious memories in this five page document that recently surfaced because of Ralph's death.  I felt it appropriate to scan the original so all could enjoy it.  (You will find the scanned document at the end of this post.)  Here are some of the highlights.

Ralph in 1950, Burley, ID

Ralph was the first child of James Austin Owen (1921-1979) and Jim was so proud of his firstborn son. Dad wrote, "We named you after my dad who died when I was seven--a great person dedicated to making this world a better place in which to live--a heritage that I know you will carry on in your time."

Grandfather Ralph Eugene Owen in 1909 with his new bride, Ida Ellen Fish.

Jim talks about the sacrifice the Mom (Reva Maxine Moulton Owen) made to bring each of their nine children to earth.  Doctors had told her that she would never be able to have children.  She proved them wrong and lived to be a 93 year old great-grandmother.    Jim wrote, "I humbly give thanks to my Heavenly parents for the honor of having Maxine for my Queen."

Located at the corner of 16th Street and Hiland, the Cottage Hospital staff provided medical care until 1960.

Head Start Program currently uses the old Cottage Hospital.

He writes about Ralph's birth on a storming, snowing January evening in Burley, Idaho.  Dad was in the waiting room with another expectant father who was a good Kirby vacuum cleaner salesman.
Before Dad knew it he was the owner of a new Kirby and the father of a new son.

Kirby vacuum sold to Dad on day Ralph was born.

Mom stayed in the Cottage Hospital for three days and then they were ready to go to their "new" but incomplete castle.  The windows in the bedroom were covered with cardboard, but they "had a good wood stove in the front room."   (It reminded us of the cardboard insulation in the home in Leeds, UT.)  The seminary principal refused to let Owens take their newborn to that unfinished, unheated house, so they went to Brother Allred's home for 2-3 days where they were treated royally.

Ralph was a happy, healthy baby boy. He was "in general a superior baby".  He had his first teeth and walked before others thereby proving his superiority.   Dad writes, "I romped and played, tossed you up, bounced you on the bed, laying on my back bouncing you on my stomach--all the things good fathers are supposed to do."

This 1978 building replaced the old Seminary Building from the 1950's

Ralph was given a name and a blessing by his father in the recreation room of the Seminary Building (the Burley chapel hadn't been built yet).  It was a March 5, 1950, and the snow was coming down and winds were howling when "the lights went out and they delayed the meeting while someone got some candles--and you were blessed by candlelight!"

Ralph and Cynthia with Mom in 1953-near the time Dad had polio.

In November 1952, at the age of 31, Jim was rushed to the hospital in Twin Falls with polio.  Ralph was not quite 3 years old.  he was in an iron lung for five days and then transferred via ambulance to the Veteran's Hospital in Salt Lake City.  It was Thanksgiving day.  Mom followed in the car with Ralph and I in the back seat (no car seats), traveling over snowy, icy roads and arriving at the Moulton home to have some warmed up Thanksgiving left-overs.

After three weeks in the VA hospital, Mom took Ralph and I to go visit Dad in the visitor's area.
Dad remembered, "When you saw me, you wanted me to play with you and I couldn't so I told Maxine to set you not he edge of the stretcher.  Instantly, you had straddled my belly and started to bounce up and down the was we used to in bed.  Man, kid, you almost killed me before Maxine could get you off."

Ralph loved the magic of Christmas!

At Christmas, Dad was able to come home for the day.  He writes tenderly, "We had bought you a little play school table and chair with all the pegboard accessories.  When I awakened that morning, I honestly felt that I got the most wonderful gift a father could receive.  There you were, quietly sitting there playing with your new toy, so as not to awaken me.  When I saw that love and respect and concern from a not quite 3 year old--I just thanked God.  When I spoke to you, oh, how your face lit up and you came over and kissed and hugged me and said thanks for the gift.  That was truly a great Christmas and no one will ever know how hard it was to leave you all and go back to that hospital-but there was no other way."

Dad went back to the hospital for 6 more months and then had to report for therapy treatments after that.  One time, Ralph saw a picture on the back of a magazine of a man paying with his son, tossing him high in the air.  Ralph said, "Daddy, do that to me."  Dad remembers, "I struggled to get up off the couch and held out my arms and you held out yours-and I lifted you up and held you close so you couldn't see the tears in my eyes.  I guess I knew that in this life I'd never be able to do that type of playing again--lifting up over my head."

Four year old Ralph on train to Portland, Oregon.

When Ralph was four, he took a trip with Dad to Portland, OR to see his Uncle Harold (Jim's brother) get married.  They traveled on a train down the beautiful Columbia River Gorge.

Uncle Harold with mother, Grandma Ida Owen, and brother, James Owen.
Probably before the boys were married.

Aunt Velma (Jim's sister) and Uncle Pete Rohman also lived in Portland.   Later, at five, Ralph went with Dad on a car trip to check out a Chiropractic and Naturopathic School in Portland.  "You were a good companion and it was your job to stay awake and talk to me to keep me awake to satisfy my ego and drive a non-stop trip of 800 miles--even though it took 19 hours--and you did a good job."

Ralph, outside Grandma Moulton's home in Salt Lake City, 1953.

It was fun for me to read these precious memories.   Dad closes with his paragraph:

"I love you, Ralph, and have enjoyed so much reminiscing and thinking about these early recollections from our "Treasure Chest of Happy Memories."  You are most fortunate to have a beautiful soul like Melanie as your wife, and for sweet Angela, who has brought such a change in your life.  We are so pleased with the course you are now pursuing and know it will lead you back to our Father and Mother in Heaven and provide peace, happiness and contentment in your life now, and in the eternities.  Love, Dad."

Ralph Eugene Owen, about 1956.

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