A walk through memory lane

​First thing Monday, we went to Crown Hill Mortuary (map), where Gay is buried. We took pictures of his headstone and other family member's in that cemetery. We bought some flowers and secured vases for Gay and his parents. Elaine has a spot next to him. We met some nice people who were visiting a grave of their family member and offered to share some water for the flowers we brought for Milton and Thelma (Gma's sister). 

Next, we went to Fairmount cemetery to find the Smith graves. Jessie is Elaine's mother, and we found her stone and others in the family, including her parents and husband.

Elaine wanted to show us where she grew up, so we drove down to southeast Denver to Franklin street where Elaine spent her childhood. Her father built their home and the home next door, both of which they lived in for a time. The former they stayed in for about a year, while they lived in the latter for 20 years or so. We met a neighbor woman there named Mary Lou Smith. She talked and visited with us and went back in the home to find a special picture of the original owners of her home. She brought her husband out to see us and told us the original Chipotle was just down the road, where we then decided to have lunch naturally.

We drove around Denver University and took pictures, then continued to Washington park. Both the are located near Elaine's home. Elaine recalls that her father wanted her to walk to the Denver University, rather than going to CU (Colorado University was where Elaine wanted to go, supposedly). It occurs to me that one decision can alter lives path now and for years to come for each one of us and our entire posterity. She met Gay at DU. We also drove around Washington Park and went to the church where Gay and Elaine were married.

Finally we went to the Denver Temple and took pictures. It was closed but the gates were open so we went around the grounds and took pictures. We visited with the security guard there and came back to our apartment. They moved us into a non-smoking room, which was much better.

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Elaine wrote the following:
My father was a Carpenter and Contractor. He built many homes in the Denver area. Some were close to where we lived. He built a house on 1411 South Franklin Street which we moved into when I was a few days old my father than built a house next door at 1415 South Franklin and we moved there when it was finished. I Lived there until I was married in 1952. Other houses were on South High Street, South Race, Josephine Street and one or two in North Denver. When walking home from grade school I would go where he was working on High Street and collect nickel plates that came off electrical outlets and wait until my dad would quit work and ride home in the car. He was a hard working man and had skin cancer most of his life which started from a bruise on his finger by hitting his hand with a hammer. Three fingers were amputated from his left hand and about every ten years the cancer would break out at other parts of his body. His left leg was amputated from his knee down. He had a prosthesis for both his arm and leg. He lived until 1950 and died when the cancer affected his liver.

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Elaine told us that her family were church members in the Washington Park Community Church, and she was baptized there and attended primary classes while growing up. She was also married to Gayward Neal Mann in that church June 8, 1952. We drove around Denver University and took pictures, then continued to Washington park. Both were located near Elaine's home. She recalls that her father wanted her to walk to the Denver University, rather than going to CU (Colorado University was where Elaine wanted to go, supposedly). It occurs to me that one decision can alter life's path now and for years to come for each one of us and our entire posterity. Elaine met Gay at DU which changed our lives. We also drove around Washington Park and visited the church where they were married.

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​Finally we went to the Denver Temple and took pictures. It was closed, but the gates were open. So we went around the grounds and took pictures. We visited with the security guard there and came back to our apartment. They moved us into a non-smoking room, which was much better.