Lawrence DeVed 1913 - 2010

My (Larrie) Uncle Lawrence died on Feb 7, and I attended his funeral services in Vernal, UT on Feb 13.  He was 96. Surviving uncle Lawrence is his wife, Rhoda, who is my father's sister.  Aunt Rhoda is the last surviving Thorne in UT after about 150 years of pioneering that rugged place.  (Once Aunt Rhoda passes, I hope someone in UT will leave a light on for us.)  Please read his obit in the Vernal Express.  [Note: I am late in posting this entry as I had it on the tip of my tongue in UT, but somewhere between UT and Bangalore, clarity was fogged by the reality of returning to India.]

First, a little history....
Lawrence had been in Vernal since the Great Depression in the 1930's.  After his service in the CCC and the US Navy, he settled into a job at my grandfather's photography studio, and after my grandfather retired, Lawrence and Rhoda ran the studio for many years.  Lawrence was interested in history, photography, dabbled in water color art, and he had a hobby interest in firearms.

Vernal is one of those magical places where a young person's imagination is sparked, and being a Thorne in Vernal in the 50's - 60's was akin to having the keys to the place.  Vernal is at the center of dinosaur land and is surrounded by many ancient and magical geologic formations.  My grandfather, Leo, was a photographer and a naturalist, and the family collected many historic artifacts for display in his photography shop.  The collection is now on display at The Uintah County Western Heritage Museum

During my youth, my folks took my sister Rebecca and I to Vernal during the summer.  We spent anywhere from 3 to 6 weeks at the house in Vernal with our paternal grandparents, Aunt Rhoda and Uncle Lawrence, and Rhoda's daughter Kathy.  Also, in Vernal were several extended members of the Thorne clan, several family friends, and whoever happened to be traveling through at the time.

During our visits to Vernal Becca and I were taken on picnics and many other activities by Rhoda and Lawrence, and we both reveled in the magical nature of the place.  I have lived in Idaho, Montana, Minnesota, and now India.  I never bonded with Idaho and do not consider it my home.  I could call Montana my home as the ruggedness of the place calls to me, and Minnesota is just where we store our stuff.  Vernal is ancestral, and due to the times of my youth, it resonates in my soul.  I could not live there, but never the less, it calls to me and draws me to its history with the many stories of adventure and deed from my youth.

What was interesting ...
When I announced to the family that I was coming to attend the funeral, they all seemed somewhat amazed that I would travel halfway around the world to attend the funeral.  I was somewhat amazed at this revelation.  We are all touched by those who attend to us in our youth, and Uncle Lawrence was one of those folks who did just that.  From teaching in the dark room at the studio, to explaining f-stops, to going fishing, or just finding another interesting spot to have a picnic, Uncle Lawrence inspired and tolerated us young'uns.  He took the time to explain things as he understood them, and Uncle Lawrence understood almost everything.

Before marrying Aunt Rhoda, Lawrence lived in a room at the family home in Vernal.  His room was just off the workshop, and was just a single bed in a bigger room.  The room was full of all kinds of artifacts, and if you can imagine visiting a closet at the Smithsonian, his room would be like that.  Stuff was everywhere, and I'm sure it has order, but that order was hidden from the untrained eye.  Treasures like Popular Science magazines from the 1930's could be found there, as well as many other artifacts that inspired young imaginations and documented the history of the inhabitant.

Uncle Lawrence was never a person of much money, but that did not slow down his ability to be.  In his world, he lived large acquiring knowledge and sharing it willingly.  He had a string of vehicles, all of prior use, that provided him many challenges and opportunities to practice his patience, which might explain why he tolerated us kids so easily.  Each challenge was met head on, and circumvented by some new technique to coax yet another trip into the bush of Utah to yield new adventure and treasures.

All of which enabled me to grow up in an environment that fostered creativity.  That is why I chose to honor the passing of Lawrence in person - because of his gifts to me.  It is hard to watch the heroes of our youth age and die, but as long as we remember the gifts they entrusted to us, they will live forever in our memories and will be immortal.

Live long and prosper Uncle Lawrence, you lived well, and we should all aspire to such a life!