Uncle Darrell – Part I, A Beginning

Darrell Skeen Peterson is my grand uncle – or as we more commonly call it, my great uncle.  Uncle Darrell is my Grandpa’s younger brother.  Over the years my Grandpa told me a few things about Darrell.  Nothing was ever a secret, but it wasn’t until well after my grandfather’s death that I started finding bits and pieces of Darrell’s life.  Pieces that opened my eyes to the full import of his story.  Darrell has no posterity to tell that story so over the next few weeks, I will.

Let’s start at the beginning.

Darrell Skeen Peterson was born 22 February 1933 in Ogden, Weber, Utah at Dee Hospital to Rulon Powell Peterson and Naomi Skeen.  Darrell was the fourth child and second son born to Rulon and Naomi.  His middle name is his mother’s maiden name.

My great grandfather Rulon wrote this about Darrell’s birth:

“When Darrell was born on February 22, 1933 I was in the Cattle business, buying and selling, and our only means of transportation was a stinky old truck with a cattle body on it, so when the time came that we proceeded to the hospital it was our only conveyance.  It was in the evening and Darrell wasn’t born until midnight or after.  At about 2:00 a.m. after his birth, I was leaving the hospital to go home and found my banker, O.C. Hammond, high centered with his big car in the ruts of a snow bank.  I quickly backed my truck up to his car, took the lariat that had been hanging on the side of the truck, and pulled him to where he could proceed home.  He pulled out his wallet and offered to pay me, but I responded, “Oh no, Mr. Hammond, you have already paid me.”  Until that moment he hadn’t recognized me.  He then said, “What are you doing up here in a cattle truck this time of night?”  I told him of the birth of my son and that I had no car.  He said, “You mean to say you brought your wife to the hospital in this truck?  Why don’t you own an automobile?  You have money enough to own a car.”  I said, “Yes, but if I spent my money for a car, I wouldn’t have enough to transact my cattle business.”  He said, “If you need help, come in and see me.”  We had already had a good relationship but this experience enhanced it.”

“Darrell was a beautiful, big, read-haired baby and I recall how proud I was when I announced in Priesthood Meeting that I was the father of a new, prospective basketball player and all he needed was time to grow.  Darrell grew to be a fine young man with one of the sweetest dispositions I have ever known.  Unfortunately, he never was able to become that basketball player I had promised him to be because of his heart ailment.” [1]

to be continued…

1 – Peterson, Rulon Powell. Personal History. pg. 51. https://familysearch.org/photos/documents/4021615?pid=KWCS-TFJ&returnLabel=Rulon%20Powell%20Peterson%20%20%28KWCS-TFJ%29&returnUrl=https%3A%2F%2Ffamilysearch.org%2Ftree%2F%23view%3Dancestor%26person%3DKWCS-TFJ%26section%3Dmemories