uncle dorlin

Because my father died when I was young, I did not get to spend as much time with his brothers as I wished.

It was not an evil plot, it was just how it was.

Dad had three brothers. His mother (Mother May) choose unusual names sometimes. My dad was Hoyd, then there was Cletus, Dorlin and Wayne. Their only sister was Ruby. Dorlin is the name of a village in England, but family legend is that he was named after Mother May’s friend Dora, only since he was a he she had to change the name a bit.

What I know about Dorlin is mostly what I heard from other sources. When I did see him, we did not talk about family or his life. His middle was Knowles (as was his fathers) and he was known as DK. I really only saw him a double handful of times. He was born in Oklahoma, like his siblings. The family went to California during the dust bowl days, and then ended up here in Idaho.

Dorlin served in the Army in WWII. He was an unarmed medic who saw heavy action in the Philippines. I remember a breath of an idea that he served with some velour under heavy fire, but I cannot confirm that story. My guess is that it is true. He never talked about it.

He learned the plastering trade, probably from Grandpa Mud. He became a licensed contractor in California, something he was pretty proud of, but much of his plastering career was between terms as a college student. He had a family to support.

He married Connie about 1940 and they had four children. After the war he went to college on the GI Bill. With a young family, he had his hands full. Toward the end of his career, he went to Ethiopia to be president of a college. He was there when the communist took over the country, and he was held at gun point and then prisoner for some time. He was never quite the same afterwards.

While in Ethiopia he contracted a disease that eventually took his life. He was 69.

I remember a bit about his oldest son. His initials the same as mine: DWG. He went to Vietnam as a medical helicopter pilot. Again the word was that he served well in a very dangerous assignment. I had so hoped to meet him, but he died a few years ago.

Dorlin began his career as a pastor in California then went to southern US, where he worked mainly as an educator.

His wife Connie was Spanish. She was always extremely beautiful, a super fine woman and a superb cook. When I was 6 or 7 we made a trip to California where I was introduced to Aunt Connie's sisters. They thought I was cute (that is actually what mom said). My memory is that there was a bunch of them and they were the most beautiful women ever. I was mesmerized.

As a struggling young pastor, Connie's dad once told him to go down to the Chevrolet dealer and pick out a car. It was a gift of appreciation. Aunt Connie came up to Idaho to visit her sisters in law a decade or so ago. That was the last time I saw her. They all knew it was the last time the three of them would get together.

At that time Aunt Connie was living with family in Georgia, Aunt Barbara was the widow of the youngest brother: Wayne. She lived near here for a few years. The third was the sister of their husbands:Ruby, who lived here in Idaho.

Dorlin and his family were dearly loved by all who know them. I always enjoyed being with them.

I do wish I had known them better. It did not happen.