Thoughts of Veyo by Grant Leavitt written in 2003

Thoughts of Veyo

One of the first things Grant remembers about Veyo is that it felt like one BIG family.  Everyone seemed to take care of each other. He remembers that Steven and him were always together and always in trouble especially for racing. Dad (Ken) and Uncle Leo bought a couple of old horses for Steven and Grant. They had some old army saddles that they modified for them.  They’d run the horses up and
down the streets. Lila and Belle and anyone else that could catch them would stop the race. At their ages (4-5 years old) they didn’t know the danger.

Grant being 4 or 5 years old remembers one day going into Aunt Lila’s place on the way to Grandma Susan Leavitt’s house. He told her he saw all these fish in the irrigation ditch. The next thing he knew, she had all these big buckets gathered up and had Grant filling them with all those fish. He doesn’t remember her helping filling the buckets, she was probably watching out for all the “fish cops.” The whole town was invited to a big fish fry that night.

Uncle Jim use to take grant and Steven fishing all the time. He remembers Uncle Jim coming around to get Grant and they had to go dig some worms. It was fairly early in the summer and Grant’s mother had an early peach tree growing. Uncle Jim stopped to pick him a peach. Grant warned him he’d be in big trouble with his mother (since he was threatened himself). Uncle Jim said he wasn’t afraid of her. Grant thought Uncle Jim was a very brave man!

Grant remembers Uncle Jim going to Baker Dam with him and Steven. Grant and Steven were quick learners with nothing to do with fishing. They would climb up and down the rocks on the dam and Uncle Jim would yell to them to get away from the water. His health wasn’t very good then but continued to take those two fishing even though they were so disobedient. Those were good times with Uncle Jim.

When Uncle Jim died they held the viewing at Aunt Lila’s house. They wouldn’t let any of the younger children go into the viewing and Grant felt really bad. Uncle Jim was not just an Uncle but a very special friend.

Vera Jones was Grant’s babysitter. Grant couldn’t understand why Vera married Emerald Seitz since Grant was a lot cuter than Emerald!!