Grandma Florence never had a selfish bone in her body. Yes she fought for everything she had, and she fought for everybody. When ever she went somewhere without us physically near by we were always in her heart and mind. Sometimes she dreamed of having castles in the sky as life was rough on her. Everything she ever did was with all of her children and grandchildren in mind.

She has no need to have any regrets for anything she ever did in life, it was never selfish. The only selfish thing I ever saw her do was invite herself and her harmonica band to play at places where they might not have been invited, but everyone seemed to always enjoy the light hearted and happy spirit which this busy body brought. She was always busy doing something productive. Making quilts, canning cherries, practicing the piano, taking care of grandchildren, serving a mission, working, there was never an end to her active mind, it just kept on moving.

One of my dad's favorite stories (what son in law wouldn't like to have at least one to tell) was when I was called to serve a mission and was visiting with her to her ward the day before going into the Salt Lake Training Center. She had her Bishop call me from the audience, with no warning, to give my testimony so she could enjoy her bashful grandson. I was embarrassed and somehow squeezed out a few words. After sacrament was over everyone was out in the foyer visiting. I approached her and the Bishop amongst several others and said real loud, "Bishop my Grandmother still drinks coffee". Dad is still laughing cause of course a mother in law always has plenty on the son in law, but the son in law doesn't have much on mother in law.

GRANDPA NOT DEAD

(Another one of my dad's favorite stories to tell)

When Gene, Tommy, Danny and I were small boys, we were staying in the Loa house about one year after the death of Grandpa June. Dad (Tom) and mom (Lababe) were in the side bedroom and we were sleeping in the living room on couches, etc. In the middle of the night, dad heard a noise in the living room where we slept. He lit a light and came out to see what was the matter. He said he saw grandpa Junes spirit standing over us and looking at us. He said grandpa was wearing the same stained hat he always like to wear. Dad said he could read grandpa's mind just by looking at his face. He said grandpa June was very upset because he could not be with us while we grew up, but had to go home at an early age.

VERY SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

Whenever I spent the summer with Gene, Grandma would have us kneel down beside the bed and pray. Sometimes as we laid in our beds and forgot to pray, grandma would still make us say our prayers out loud, whether we wanted to or not. I will never forget being taught to pray by her, as she would say hers first and then insist that we had a relationship with our Heavenly Father. No matter where you are on this planet, or how lonely or left out you feel, what a blessing it is to have a close relationship with our Creator.

GRANDPA & GRANDMA SPENT THE SUMMER

One year when our family was building a house in the middle of an orange grove in California, grandma Florence and grandpa June came to spend the summer and help build the house. If the family went on a side trip somewhere and one of the children was ill, grandpa June would always find a silver dollar or some candy to give to the ill child to make him feel better.

One day we were standing to the back of the house and it was a hot day. We had no running water and had to carry buckets for a 5 acre walk. June got thirsty and all of a sudden he quickly walked to the back of the house, picked up the dogs water dish and drank the water in it. We tried to stop him, but being a practical man, he said it looks clean enough to me. Guess it was cause he never died from it.

Noel Rentz, Grandson of Junius & Florence Covington