Melvin Castleton

• Name: Melvin Castleton
• Born: March 14, 1900 Salt Lake City, Utah
• Died: June 2, 1998 Tremonton, Utah
• Related through: Dan's grandmother Melva Castleton

I was born March 14, 1900, to Arthur Robert and Ellen Woolley Castleton at the home of my mother's sister, Aunt Stella Snowball, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

My father, Arthur Robert, was the seventh child of James Joseph Castleton and Francis Sarah Brown. James Joseph was born January 25, 1829 in Lowestoft, Suffolk England. He was a rope maker and fisherman in England. Francis Sarah Brown was born in Pulham Market, Norfolk England, the fourth in a large family of fourteen children. It was necessary for her to work out as a servant girl in Lowestoft where she met and married James.

They were converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and in 1863, immigrated to America. They sailed on the ship Amazon to New York Harbor, and took a train to Florence, Nebraska where they joined the Ricks Company to cross the plains. It was a hard trip with four little boys and Grandma expecting her fifth little one; there were very few wagons and they walked every step of the way. They arrived in Salt Lake Valley on October 4, 1863, and Grandma gave birth to her fifth son in December.

Grandpa (James) became a gardener for Brigham Young. Father (Arthur), their seventh child, was born May 16, 1868 in Salt Lake City. He often told of seeing and speaking with Brigham Young and taking vegetables to his wives, who he said were "fine" women. Grandma Castleton and her older boys opened the first Castleton Store in their home, with the help of her very young son Arthur Robert. At first they just sold things that women use in sewing and some dry goods. Later a store was built on the corner of L Street and 2nd Avenue which supported them after Grandpa's death in 1882. They also had a family orchestra and played for dances. This love for music carried over in my parents' home. Grandma was a wonderful woman, very strong in the Gospel.

My mother, Ellen Woolley was born in Leicester, Leicestershire England to Emanuel Woolley of Leicester and Ann Cheney of Blaby, Leicestershire England. Emanuel had been raised Catholic and joined the LDS church when he was seventeen years old. Ann and her mother Mary Goodman, who was a widow, had joined the church when Ann was a young girl.

Emanuel and Ann married and had a large family. Mother remembered that they always had missionaries in their home in England. She also remembers that their relatives disliked the "Mormons" but one uncle was friendly to the daughters of the family and would give them fruit from his fruit stand. I remember Grandfather as a real student of the Bible, and Grandmother as a sweet quiet little lady.

The Woolley family emigrated from England in 1880. Grandpa Woolley worked at the shoe store at ZCMI. They lived in a little house on 27th and L Street set in the back of a yard full of roses. Although mother was only twelve years old when she came to America, her speech reflected prominently her English background. She was a refined, cultured lady who read a lot and held spiritual values.

This pretty English girl walked past the Castleton Store where Father worked, and finally they met. They had a lot in common; they both loved music and sang in the Tabernacle Choir when Brother Evan Stevens was director. They loved the gospel and had a happy courtship. Arthur and Ellen or Nellie as she was called, were married May 29, 1890 in the Logan Temple. Grandma Woolley was a wonderful cook and gave a nice little reception at the Woolley home.

Soon after their marriage, Mother and Father bought a lot that was at one time part to Brigham Young's apple orchard. It was near 7th East and 12th South. (21st South is now where 12th South was then) They build a lovely little brick home and lived there about ten years. They attended the Forrest Dale Ward where Dad was the choir leader.

Art, Harold, Ruth and Wilford were born there. I was born at Aunt Stella Snowballs' home in Salt Lake City. As Mother's health was poor, the doctors advised her to move to a high, dry place. Father had always desired to farm so we sold our home in Salt Lake and moved to Idaho.

I was about a year old when our family moved to a small farm in Pleasantview, Idaho, about eight miles west of Malad.

My first memory of the farm at Pleasantview was a brick home to which we added several rooms. It was a pretty area with a pond, green meadows and trees. We bathed in a round bathtub in the kitchen; Mother mixed bread; we played games of hard ball and horseshoes and we caught crawfish and frogs from the pond. We had chores of feeding livestock, milking, and carrying water to the house from a fresh spring by the creek. When we were real small we went to the little white one room schoolhouse on the hill.

When I was about three years old, Mother took me visiting in Salt Lake City. Mother was a good friend of a daughter of Wilford Woodruff. We went to visit her in her home and she insisted that we spend the night. Mother was always so proud and felt it such an honor that we slept in Wilford Woodruff's bed.

Mother often told of an incident concerning me that took place at Pleasantview. I had fallen into the pond and when I was finally pulled out, was given up for dead; my family had great faith and through the power of the Priesthood my life was preserved.

It was here in our pond that I was baptized March 14 1908 by William Camp into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints.

A salesman came along and wanted to sell us a piano for $500. Mother said she would buy it if he would throw in a violin. Ruth took piano lessons and I got the violin. Art played clarinet, Harold the trumpet, and Leonard the sax. Later Ruby and Don played the piano also. We had some great times; we really brought music into those hills of Idaho.

Father was the choir leader in this ward, also. It's often told how he would tie his horses to the fence at the church, go in and teach the Primary children a song, then go back to his plowing. Another story tells that as he led the singing he would pump the organ with one foot while Ruth played, as her legs were too short to reach the pedals.

In my younger years before I graduated from the eighth grade I spent some summers in Salt Lake City where I helped in the Castleton Brothers Store. I stayed with my brother Art at Uncle Frank's home. I remember that my Uncle Jimmy was caretaker at Liberty Park, and he taught me to ride a bike there. During these summers I was able to take some violin lessons from a Mr. Shepherd. He gave me a lot of encouragement, as he felt I had a lot of potential as a violinist. I really enjoyed playing with an orchestra of young people in the Forest Dale Ward while there; I loved playing the violin and I've always had an interest in good music.

Father worked hard to give us the necessities; we were always clean and dressed neatly. We were not poor, but we were not the most prosperous. Father's endeavors as a farmer were not very successful, so he spent several winters in Salt Lake working at the Castleton Brothers Store. He was also employed at Waldron’s Store at Samaria, Idaho, his family still trying to run the farm. Harold was Mother's right hand man, as my oldest brother, Art, was going to school and working in Salt Lake City.

I have such fond memories of Pleasantview; three babies were born there; we had good friends and of course our music, we had some wonderful times.

In 1913 Father sold the farm in Pleasantview and bought a dry farm at Holbrook, about 20 miles west of Malad. This was a very isolated area, so we also had a home in Malad and attended school there. In Holbrook we didn't irrigate but had a well. Our home was a frame lean-to with a windmill in back; we had a few sheds and a stable.

My best memory of that place was a pony which I claimed as my own. It was born kind of immature; it was a scrub and we didn't think it would live. I babied it along and finally got so I could ride him. I was with him every chance I had; I really loved that pony. On the picture of the Holbrook house, I am on my pony.

I remember the entertainment at the church; again we had a little orchestra where I enjoyed playing my violin. Being an isolated farm community, we were very close and had great times together.

We sold the dry farm in Holbrook in about 1918. Malad was our home from then on. We lived in a house on the hill about four blocks north on the east road leading from town. There was a steep hill with poplars growing on it leading to the gravel pit where we often played as kids.

It was about 1913; I was the oldest going to school and was to take Ralph, Leonard, and Ruby to school for the first time in Malad. We were just green kids from the country, so I took each of them right to the class where they looked about the age of the other pupils. Then I went to class where I thought I belonged. Very soon E. M. Decker sternly called me out of class, demanded to know who I was, where I came from, and where the other kids were that I had brought with me. He put us each in the right classes and all turned out well.

In my school I was never a star, but I was an above average student. I went to school with Herbert Thomas, Mary Ward, Annie Evans, Eva Jones and I guess my best friend was Owen Howard. He lived just a few blocks from us; I knew him all my life. He was a reliable guy and we did a lot of things together. My brother, Harold married his sister, Hilda.

I remember a fad of the girls wearing hobble skirts. One girl in particular always liked to be in style and was one of the first to get a tight hobble skirt. She came strutting along and fell flat. A bunch of us boys sat and couldn't help but laugh before we finally helped her up. One day after school I had to stay in and draw a map. When I finished I went running down the stairway when out of nowhere E. M. Decker appeared. He grabbed me by the back of my collar and every button popped off my shirt. I was really nervous about going home, I didn't know how I would explain this to my mother. I still remember how it felt when he yanked on your hair right at the back of your neck. We always liked to play marbles, when the girls didn't bother us.They always came around begging to play with us.

After eighth grade I spent a summer at Brady, Montana working for the Great Northern Railroad, with my brother Art. He was the agent and taught me telegraphy. I thought I wanted to be a teacher, so I returned to school that fall. After high school money was scarce, so there was no thought of further education or a mission. I went back and worked on the railroad.

Our home was a place where our friends always felt welcome. Each Sunday night friends would gather after Sacrament Meeting and sing, eat, and have a good time.

Our family had a lot of fun; we had very high standards and were religious. I will always remember that when I was a young man, Joseph F. Smith came to speak in Stake Conference in the old Malad Tabernacle. He was the President of the Church, and walked in slender and tall in a white suit, with his long white beard. The congregation stood and sang "We Thank Thee Oh God for a Prophet". I felt very impressed that he was a Prophet of God, this has always stayed with me.

Father was a strict disciplinarian who liked things in order, but was very cheerful and a lot of fun. He kept a beautiful garden and yard, umpired baseball games, and called out the numbers each Wednesday night at the picture show on bank night. He was Justice of the Peace for thirteen years. He inspired people to sing; when he got up to lead you'd better sing! He was an honest religious man. Mother told how he gave our milk cow to the Bishop for tithing. The Bishop credited him for the cow, then told him to take it home and use the milk for his family. Later they were able to buy the cow back and complete their tithing. Father loved music, sports, gardening, his family, but most of all he loved my mother.

Mother was a gentle gracious lady. She had a delightful sense of humor and always took time to give us her attention. She read to us, told us stories and helped us whenever we needed her. She was a clean person, but things didn't worry her; people were more important. She loved everyone and never ever said an unkind thing about anyone. She was always cheerful and when she felt that Dad was worried or had a lot of pressure she would leave the family to eat their supper and meet him at the gate with a picnic lunch for two. She always kept her genteel English ways; we loved to tease her because she never caught on to a joke.

It was about 1920 when I left Malad. Jobs were hard to find, and I hired on at Union Pacific Railroad. I started at Garland and lived at Bishop Munns' home. Art was the agent there at that time. It wasn't long before I was bumped and moved on to another place. I worked at Garland, Utah, Emmett, Idaho, and Glenns Ferry, Idaho. I liked to take my violin with me but my practicing wasn't appreciated at some of the boarding houses. I believe the Railroad gets into your blood, as I still get a kick out of playing with a telegraph or seeing a train.

In the spring of 1928 I came down to visit Leonard, who was living at Landvatters and working for O.P. Skaggs in Tremonton. Leonard played saxophone with an orchestra at a dance in Corrine at the Masonic Hall. This is where I first saw Ruth. She was wearing a red dress, and she was the most beautiful girl I think I'd ever seen. She and Grace Thompson had come with Ben and Gladys Elleson. When they walked in, Ruth asked who the guy was with Herman Landvatter. Grace said, "Oh, just some traveling salesman." During the evening Ted Hone, an old friend from Malad who with his wife Lena, was now living next door to Grandma Getz went over to Ruth and told her that there was a guy over there who wanted to meet her. We met and danced several dances. After that we corresponded, and I came down more often to visit. Two years later we were married.

Sunday February 16, 1930, was our wedding day, I came down on the train to Deweyville, where Ruth and Ike met me. There to surprise us were Ben and Gladys Elleson, Ben and Mamie Winzler, Grace Thompson and Ann Miller. Ben Winzler was wearing a ten Gallon hat and tried to lasso me; I came very near running right in front of a big freight train going at high speed on the next track. I was pretty nervous that day.

We drove Ike's car back to Malad and we were married at my folks' home by Bishop Thomas D. Evans. Mother cooked a lovely family dinner. We returned to Tremonton the next day where Ruth's friends had a reception for us. Thursday we left on the train for our new home at Glenns Ferry, Idaho. I had rented an apartment, but in the meantime had been bumped, so we went to a one room apartment in Minadoka. I worked nights for the railroad, but was soon bumped again and was sent to Nampa. We were in Nampa three days when I found there was a vacancy in Emmett so we packed up and moved again. We were there two and a half months when we were bumped again. We had a pass to use up our vacation, so we went to Utah for two weeks and had no idea where we would be after that.

We were pretty tired of railroad life! On our way back to Emmett we had a layover in Boise, so we went to Safeway's head office. Fortunately they had an opening the next day in Ontario. We went back to Emmett, packed our things, caught a train to Ontario, and walked the streets looking for a place to stay. I even worked a few hours that night! We enjoyed three months at Ontario; then Safeway transferred us back to Emmett. We loved Emmett and were happy to be back among friends again.

On January 7, 1931 Melva was born, and on May 26, 1932 Maxine arrived. There was no hospital in Emmett, so they were delivered in our little apartment by Dr. Cummings. With each baby Grandma Bertha Getz came and helped us for a couple of weeks. Our recreation was putting the babies in the buggy and walking down to the depot to watch the trains. We couldn't afford a show; which were 25 cents each, plus 25 cents for a babysitter. We made some lifelong friends there.

After two and a half years in Emmett we moved down to Tremonton, Utah where I worked for Safeway again. The depression had hit hard, Grandpa Getz and Mary, Ruth's sister, were out of work. Ruth was able to get on at J.C. Penny's, so Grandma and Mary cared for the children, Ruth and I paid for groceries and house payment, while Erv and Ike paid for coal and lights. They had a large home and garden so we made out very well. Times were so bad. Many weren't able to make their house payments, therefore losing their homes. We were happy to make it through and keep the house.

The Getz’s were of Swiss-German descent, and spoke the German language a lot in their home. They were members of the Apostolic Christian Church, but had no regular minister as most of their people had moved back East where they had come from. Ministers often came from the east, and church was held in the Getz living room, the sermons and songs were in German. They were strict living, good Christian people.

Grandma Getz was a large, good-hearted woman. She had a lot of boarders and worked hard cooking big meals and keeping up her big home and garden. She loved our children and they loved her. Grandpa Getz was a softspoken, kind, white haired gentleman, reminding me of a distinguished senator. He kept busy with a large garden, a cow, and chickens. They cleaned many eggs and sold them to the Poultry Plant.

After living at the Getz's for two years, we bought a small home south of town from Aunt Hulda Meister for $l,500.00. I was making $20.00 a week and, our house payment was $20.00 a month. In those days a loaf of bread cost 4 cents, eggs were 15 cents a dozen, butter was 30 cents a pound; bananas and oranges were a real luxury. I was working until ten or eleven o'clock at night six days a week at Safeway. I was offered a job at Gephart's for $80.00 a month, and I thought I'd like the change. I was working with Fred Gephart and his son Wes.

On June 1, 1938 Gary arrived. He was delivered by Dr. White in the Getz home. I finally got my boy and I thought I was about the happiest guy on earth.

About this time, I wanted to get back into grocery business, so I went to work for Gus Forsberg in Garland. We bought Getz's 1934 Plymounth; this was our first car. After driving or riding my bike to and from work about a year we bought a lovely home in Garland. We enjoyed our neighbors Art and Ruby Felsted, Gus and Margaret Forsberg, Charley and Bell Woods, and the Elmer Jenson family. The kids made a lot of friends and enjoyed school there. We were close to Gus; we picnicked together, and our girls tended their babies. I was known as Shylock and Gus as Little Ceasar. We did a lot of practical joking and I enjoyed my work a lot.

I remember well the Sunday the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Many friends and nephews were called to serve in World War 11. The U.S. had joined the Allies against the Central Powers of Europe. Our lives changed; war was everywhere, in the newspapers, movies and radio, causing much fear and hatred. Our business was affected. There was a great shortage of tuna, marshmallows, bananas, pineapple, and many other luxuries we had become accustomed to. Rationing of sugar and gas was put into effect.

In 1943 I decided I would like my own grocery store, I thought if I could make money for someone else, I could make money for myself. We bought a store in Logan on 4th East and Center. The family lived in the back and again we made many friends. However things were not on the up and up; there were legal entanglements, back taxes and payments, therefore we were unable to get a clear title. Realizing the overwhelming problem, we got out of it and moved back to Tremonton.

Back in Tremonton I managed American Food Store until the former manager came back from the war. Then I started working for John Laub and his sons Merrill, Max, and Rex at O.P. Skaggs. The store was located a few blocks west on Main Street. The Laubs were great people, making this the best move I ever made. We had such good times. As always Ruth pitched in and helped, going to work at J.C. Penneys again.

I believe the whole family enjoyed being home in Tremonton. We lived in an apartment in the back of Burgess Plumbing Shop, one door south of the First Ward Church. The kids enjoyed school and being with old friends and their Grandma and Grandpa Getz.

The war was still raging. Many foods were scarce so I would keep my eyes opened bringing Grandma Getz coconut or pineapple on occasion and she would make me a pie. The war finally ended in Europe in May 1945 and in Japan, August 1945. There had been no fighting on our shores, but there was much fear and many lives lost. Harold's boy Stan was killed and many friends and neighbors lost their lives. Some of the men had been in prison camps and many returned wounded. It was such a wonderful feeling to finally be at peace again.

In 1945 we bought our home at 352 N. Tremont St in Tremonton. It was located across the street and up the block from the Getz home and just through the block from Sam. We agreed to pay $5,700 for it without even seeing the bathroom, as Mr. Olsen was taking a bath when we were going through it! This has been a wonderful home for us.

The next few years brought a lot of changes to our lives. Ruth left Penney’s and started to work at the Post Office, her parents passed away. Grandma died on the 24th of December 1945 and Mary moved from Peoria, Illinois to live with Grandpa and Ike. February 23, 1950 Grandpa died and Mary returned to Peoria. Ike built a small home on the lot in back and to the north of the old home. He became more and more crippled, then he was hit by a fire truck on Tremont Street in front of our home and was in braces and in a wheelchair until he died. Ruth helped him a lot with canning, mending and laundry. I helped him in and out of bed and with his bathing, he would sit in a wheelchair all day. Sam's wife, Mary died in 1949 so Ruth helped him a lot also. The kids all finished school at McKinley and graduated from Bear River High School. They played in the band and orchestra, and Gary and Maxine sang in the choir. Melva received a scholarship to the Nursing Program at the Thomas D. Dee Hospital in Ogden and has lived there since.

On June 21, 1950 Maxine and Gary were baptized in Tremonton, and on March 4, 1951 Melva was baptised in Ogden. For several months Melva's missionary friends from Ogden, Clifton and Maurine Rhead, drove to Tremonton each week to teach Ruth the missionary lessons. They were wonderful people and taught the gospel beautifully. I will always remember the night Ruth asked for baptism; Gary threw his arms around his mother and sobbed, "Now we will be a family!" I had always known this would come about some day. On August 1, 1951 I baptized Ruth and on February 16, 1955 we were sealed in the Logan Temple for time and eternity.

Father (A.R. Castleton) and Mother were in poor health for several years. Don and Elaine lived with them and cared for them; as their children came, they moved to a place of their own, but were still close enough to help. Ruth and Roy moved back from California to live with Mother and Father, and care for them along with Roy's Mother, Victoria Davis. Mother and Sister Davis did a lot of reading together and enjoyed each other a lot. Each Wednesday Harold went up to Malad and each Saturday I would go up to give Ruth a hand. On January 31, 1956 Dad passed on, and on November 4, 1960 Mother joined him. We felt much love and peace in their passing; they lived good lives and were sweethearts to the end.

After graduation Maxine married Roger Taylor, and the next year they gave us our first grandson, Jay. We were thrilled, and enjoyed him so much. They moved to California and Barbara and Bruce were born there.

Melva graduated from the University of Utah, with a bachelor of science degree from the nursing program. On March 4, 1955 she married Lynn B. Crookston, a dentist from Logan. They live in Ogden and have twelve children: Wendy, Becky, Miriam, Sarah, Peter, Wayne, Paul, Elizabeth, John, Emily, James and Michael.

Gary served in the Southern California Mission. On June 28, 1963 he married Marilyn Call. He finished school at Utah State University with a degree in civil engineering. They moved to California where nine children have been born to them: Amy, David, Laura, Denise, Heidi, Melissa, Daniel, Rachael, and Deborah.

In 1959 I was hired as City Clerk. After a few years I went out to Thiokol and retired when I was 65. I couldn't stand retirement so I got on at D&B Electric, where I've worked part time in the last few years. DeVerl Payne, the owner, says he'll tell me when I can retire.

We have enjoyed many nice trips and outings with our friends. One summer we went back to Michigan with Les and Dee Garfield to pick up their new car. On the way back we stopped to visit the relatives in Peoria.

In 1965 we went to the World's Fair in Calgary, Canada with Grace and Mel Homer, and in 1967 we went to Hawaii with the Bunnell Travel Agency. We had such a great time seeing the sights with Frank and Ada Chadaz and Lee and Evelyn Fuhriman. We have been on several outings with Wes and Lois Dustman, including one to Elko, Nevada, and one to Evanston, Wyoming. We drove to California with Duane and Ellen Crompton one summer. In November, 1973 we took the train to Peoria and drove on to Akron, Ohio with Henry and Bert. Once there Henry celebrated his 70th birthday. We went on with Henry and Bert to Levittown, Pennsylvania for Joan Maria Contento's wedding. In 1982, Elizabeth flew to Peoria with us to Helen's funeral. Most of our traveling is to visit our children. I don't think we have missed a year going to California since Maxine lived there. We have gone with Melva's family to California several times. Lynn and Melva go on a lot of short trips to the mountains, Bear Lake and around in Utah and Idaho so we get to tag along. Roberta Fronk called to see if we would like to send anything to Peoria, we jokingly said "just us," We went along and had a wonderful time.

Back in Tremonton we don't have much time to get lonesome. We have always been very close to the grandchildren. We spend most holidays with Melva's family and it is a tradition to bring a bunch of the grandkids home to Tremonton with us during Christmas and Thanksgiving vacation and also during the summer. Maxine's children visited almost every summer when they were younger. Gary's family has visited each summer and we have been able to enjoy and feel very close to each of our grandchildren. Now we are also able to enjoy great grandchildren.

June 28, 1983 Maxine married Tom Boots in California. Gary married Ruth Robinson on May 8, 1986, so now there is another Ruth Castleton.

Throughout the years we have kept busy and active in the Church. I served as a Sunday School Superintendent when we were newlyweds in Emmett, Idaho and again here in Tremonton First Ward for many years. I have served as a Stake missionary, ward clerk, High Priest group leader, and secretary to the High Priest group leader. Apostle Harold B. Lee set me apart as ward clerk. He looked around the room and said he felt the wives needed a blessing. Ruth was always so pleased to tell she had a blessing from Harold B. Lee, especially when he became president of the church. I was always a Ward Teacher or Home Teacher.

I love my wife Ruth, she is beautiful, fun and she was such a great support in every way. I love my children and grandchildren. I am proud of them and their accomplishments, and encourage them to keep the commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ and love one another. If they do that it about covers everything.

I (Melva) will finish Daddy's last few years.

Mama passed away May 15, 1987. This was rather sudden and Daddy missed her so much. He was independent and lived alone and worked for several years after. He was always in high spirits and had fun with everyone. One day he told me that someone remarked on how well he had taken her passing. He said he missed Mama so much and he hoped we realized how he missed her. He said no one really knows but it wouldn't bring her back if he were bitter and moped around. It seemed he wanted to make others comfortable rather than complain.

He was with us most of three winters. He would call someone in Tremonton almost every day and so many friends called him. He had a lot of visitors, Carl King even brought his mail down to him. Many friends came to see him they almost all brought candy. I would take him up for a visit and to go to church and bring him back again. He was so much fun with the kids and their friends. Our neighbors and members in church made a big fuss over him. Several guys in our ward had known him years before, they had delivered bread to grocery stores and some had even lived in Malad years before and knew him there. Everyone got to know him and enjoyed talking to him. He seemed like a part of our ward.

In June of 1994 Maxine and Tom moved to Tremonton to care for Daddy. He enjoyed being in his home, he became more and more frail.

He finally passed away on June 2, 1998 after being in the hospital 28 days. As we cared for him at the end I told one of my friends that he was so polite and appreciative, how he expressed his love to us even when he was in great pain and not really with it. My friend remarked that this showed his natural goodness to the very core, as he was concerned about our feelings, and tried to make us comfortable. His attitude reflected his love for his fellowman and his Savior.

His funeral truly reflected his life, as friends and grandchildren prayed and spoke. Emily sang "O MY Father" and the Castleton Men, Uncle Don, young Don, Doug, Lowell, Jerry and Gary sang "Jesus Lover of my Soul." Uncle Don remarked that he could imagine Mel, his brothers and his Dad singing along with them from the other side. This was memorable, as the Castleton's always loved to sing when they were together.

Thanks to Grandma Melva for sharing with historty with us.