Verne and Lori May: Chesterfield Reunion July 2012

Verne and I flew to Utah on the 13th of July. Heidi did not want to travel since she was so far along with her pregnancy. The boys took a dip in the pool and True took time to show her chicken skills.

On this visit, we went to Hill Air Force Base near their home. We were standing in the shadows of these gigantic mechanical wonders that were used to liberate, and defend; one in particular caught our interest. It was a Douglas C-54, Sky Master. Nothing was particularly unique about it, except on the side of the plane it read Col. Gail Halverson. It front of the plane stands a weathered plaque. The plaque read, in part, these planes served with distinction during the Berlin Airlift. Col Gail Halverson flew a c-54 like this one during the Berlin airlift. During which he earned the nickname (the candy Bomber), for dropping candy by small parachutes to the children of Berlin in 1948.

We inquired at the information desk in the museum about this candy bomber. We found out Gail Halverson is a member of the church, a Utah native and U.S. Air Force pilot who became famous as the candy bomber for his benevolence during the Berlin airlift of 1948-49.

We drove to Chesterfield, Id on the 14th to meet together with the May’s and Loveland’s for a reunion.We drove Heidi's and Ryan’s. While we were there we did some service to clean up the grounds and since True went with us she helped. She a so much fun helping and making friends with relatives she never met. Cohen was not feeling well so he stayed home. This is the 1890's power plant that is in an old cellar, north of the Chapel. It has all of the hardware still in tact, after more than 100 years. The batteries are made of glass, and were filled with hydrochloric acid. The engine is a one cylinder “hit and miss”, John Deere mad a lot of these from the 1850’s up to the late 1940’s. The engine has a magneto that is heavy, and when a drop of kerosene is fired, it spins the big wheel. It will spin 10 or so times, before it fires again. Seems very efficient to me. This engine turn a small generator, that charge the batteries. The Chapel used just a few light bulbs, and this system supplied the power for them. I am sure the members were so excited to stop burning whale oil, or kerosene in lamps, to light the Chapel.This is the foundation of Grandpa and Grandma Loveland's first home in Chesterfield. You can still see the outline of the foundation. I brought home a rock that was used to build it. It is sobering to me to know that my Grandfather carried this rock to this sight, mixed mortar, and set this rock in the foundation , to build his home. He was only 19 years old when he built this home.

This couple in the back, are friends of Grandpa Loveland's. Grandpa and Grandma spent their honey moon, living with them.Now the reunion……Velva Tolmans sister. Velva was Uncle Judson wife, who is Grandma Loveland's brother.