What memories do you have of your father (his name, birth date, birthplace, parents, and so on)?
Dylan:
Heather: My Dad is Glen Baird Harston. He was born September 3, 1967 in Lovell Wyoming to Cathern Baird and Ray Richards Harston. He has 5 siblings, plus one adopted sister. Growing up my Dad owned his own business, Current Electric, and had a home office, but was mostly gone on service calls. I remember him coming home in the evenings and we would run to welcome him home. He was the "tickle monster" and always took time at the end of his exhausting day to wrestle with us. He would also bring us to work with him sometimes. I loved to play with the scrap wire while my Dad worked in people's homes. My Dad has a very soft heart and liked to help everyone. On multiple occasions he would take a service call even though the person couldn't pay him. He got paid in home canned goods, a trampoline, and one time, a boat! He didn't cook, but when he did is was egg noodles with a can of cream of mushroom soup heated up and poured over. He has a great smile, a wonderful laugh, and is filled to the brim with "Pop Corn" (Pop's corny jokes), but to be fair, he comes by it honestly. When my Dad was younger (but after he was married) he got in a really bad motorcycle accident. He flew over the handlebars of his bike and went head first into another vehicle. Luckily, when he hit, his body was perfectly aligned, or else he most likely would have broken his back. Unluckily, in compressed all the spongy pieces in his spine, making him 2 inches shorter! When he was recovering in the hospital, instead of bringing chocolates or flowers or a card or something like that, my Mom brought him a new tool set he had been wanting (that's my kind of romance!). My Dad received some money from the accident, and my parents used that to place a down payment on 5 acres, dig a well, put in a septic system, get electricity out there, and put a single wide mobil home on the property. We lived in that house (with an addition added years later) until 1998, when my Mom was pregnant with Scott (child #9, and the last child) when we upgraded to a triple wide manufactured home. Last year my parents sold that property and are now building a house on Camano Island, on my oldest sister's property. My Dad loves to share his skills and talents. His enthusiasm for his interests is contagious and he loves to get the family involved. When I was younger he was really interested in SCUBA Diving. So he learned how, and my older siblings (with the exception of Kimberly! So, Steve, Lisa, Kyle, and Natalie) and me all got our SCUBA licenses as well so we could go out as a family. Although by the time I got mine the older kids were out of the house.....we didn't get out much anymore. But at that time, we really go into sailing, and Dad, William, Keith, Scott, and I all took sailing lessons together. He loves to take his boat out on the lake or out crabbing and it is always a big family event. He also loves bicycling. My Dad has gotten the majority of the family involved and we love to talk bikes, cadence, nutrition, and miles. My Dad can be stern and at times quick to discipline, but is also incredibly loving and compassionate. He really is a big softie and is moved by a lot of the hymns. He is a gentleman to the core and has always been (and still is) a great example to me of what a father and husband should be. I've never heard him raise his voice to my Mom or ever say anything disagreeable about her. If they didn't agree on something (I'm sure it happened) to my knowledge it was calmly discussed behind closed doors so my parents could be a united front. As a Grandpa one of his favorite activities is to read to the kids. As many grandkids as will fit pile onto Grandpa's lap with a stack of books and he reads to them (until he falls asleep....) I feel so incredibly blessed to have Glen as my Dad. He has always been a source of strength and comfort to me, and even at times when I was a difficult child I never once doubted his love for me, and I knew (know) I can always rely on sound advice from him. I love my Dad so much and am so grateful for the plan of Salvation that allows us to be sealed together for eternity.
