August 21st, 1954 Donald G Marsh and Eleanor Mae Grant are married. Schooled in computer science, Don pursued the field of computer programming in the days when DOS was the rage and computers occupied a whole building!

In the spring of 1955 Linda Ann was born and was soon climbing over into the next crib to visit sister Susan who arrived in October of 1956. Shortly thereafter the Marsh family moved west to California to the San Fernando Valley. Son David was born there in January of 1960 and the house in Canoga Park began to ring to the patter of feet and silly laughter of children....Mom remembers looking out the window one morning and seeing her two little girls running around like jay birds in the front yard! (OOPS) Two years later they were blessed with another little boy, Douglas Grant who would be a wonderful pal with David.

Selling the house in Canoga Park to Uncle Bill and Aunt Marian made it not so hard to say goodbye to childhood memories. We moved a few miles away into Woodland Hills and added another room to the house when we were blessed with our surprise of Laurie in December of 1964. The house was full and bursting with lots of energy. Mom was "BUSY" running us to piano lessons, swimming lessons, special ed lessons. Dad and the boys joined Indian guides and we acquired a stray dog, Cindy and Felix a stray cat, a fort in the tree, a rabbit and 2 ducks, Ronald and Donald who had to be set free.....because we couldn't bear to eat them! Who will ever forget the camping trips and the dingwitty? I can still see Dad frantically trying to close the tent zipper as we all screamed "Daddy it's raining!" We had set up in front of an automatic sprinkler that turned on at 9:00 and was spraying straight across the front of our dingwitty!

Mom, forever a teacher made us keep journals and practise multiplication tables on the road as we visited the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, The Continental Divide, Hopi Indians, Sturbridge Village, Concord Bridge................

White Oak was our church at the time with pastor Tornell. Remember the day that Susan (mimicking a very grown up voice) forgot about how the pianist usually played an opening line and belted out in opera form "What a friend ........" The pastor had a hard time with composure that day!

The years went on and we all began to grow and as we matured, life began to take different directions. We became a part of a church fellowship in Granada Hills and in the summer of 1972, Linda, Susan and David went out east to spend the summer at Ware Farm. Douglas and Laurie became good friends during those years..... Doug 10 years old, would take off the bathroom door while Laurie was in the shower and she couldn't get out till he put it back on!   Friday was the day to go out and eat and call on the watts line to Ware Farm. We would gather and wait for the call to come in, that was family time! Summer turned into two years and then in 1974 mom and dad called...."We are going to move to Alaska!...It's time to come home and join us."

Who would ever think of driving up the Alcan Hwy in the middle of December? This was back when the road was still narrow and there were no "facilities" for long stretches of road. We had the camper, a car and a tight squeeze! Dad fitted a board to go over the gas and brake pedals so that Douglas had a place to sleep. In the morning, the propane was lit, the hot chocolate started, the condensation would begin to drip and the eggs would be cold before they got to our mouths. But we were healthy, dressed in layers and all 8 of us would pile into the camper for breakfast. (The 8th person was John Hanthorn a friend who helped drive.) Arriving in Copper Center December 21st, 1974 on the shortest day of the year, at -50 below only added to the allure of the north!

After months of sharing a house with another family, Dad, David and Doug started laying the foundation and building our own log cabin which was to be our home for 7 years. Bears left their mark upon the walls...we hauled our own water.....and oil lamps and propane lights were the way of living. After building the house dad once again found work with Alyeska and traveled into Anchorage to work and provide for not only his family, but for the christian community we had come to be a part of.

It has been 30 years since our venture north to Alaska and it really has become our home. In 1979 Don bought 80 acres of land in Delta Junction at an auction. Douglas who became a wonderful carpenter went up and began clearing and building a house and in 1981 we moved up to the Delta Junction property where we still live. We are still a part of the wonderful community of believers we first came to be joined to.

The Lord took our beloved Douglas home to be with him in 1991. We don't always know the reasons why life takes such turns, but we cherished the few days that we had with him as he slipped in and out of a coma, sharing and praying together around his hospital bed. The pressure was so great in his head, that had he survived he would have been blind and deaf. God gave us grace to rest and release even as we gathered around Doug's bed and prayed. Dad, as the head of our house prayed and released Doug into the hands of the Lord and quietly Douglas moved on.

Dad has retired from computer programming and has become a farmer...and loves it! WOW! 76 years old and bringing in the hay, raises steer and helps mom teach English as a second language. Mom at 74 is still going strong and teaching multiple classes of Russian students, raises tomatos and works the garden and flowers.

Linda, Susan, David and Laurie all married and have families and have made their homes in Alaska...close to mom and dad. The days ahead are now filled with grandkids and the hope of things to come. We have been blessed with a rich heritage and a living faith that has seen the faithfulness of God.