Marshall &Kay Family Histories
1986 - 1987
B. Vaughn Marshall
LAST YEARS AT THE SURVEY
While all these things were going on Vaughn was still doing some fieldwork for the Survey. He wasn’t going up north anymore but he was going out mainly for short trips to Nevada, California and Oregon. I found something he had written which expressed the way he felt during those last years working at the Survey. I found it in a binder where he kept all his poetry and writings that he thought were important. It is sad to read, but I include it as an example of his strength.
“I’ve come to replace you.
He said it with many actions, though not really with words.
Younger than I by more than twenty years.
Single without kids. He had just himself and his own career to occupy his time and energy.
(I noted that especially as I inwardly resented his presence.)
He’d been put in a position parallel to mine in several ways,
and situations that I thought I could walk into, he did instead.
He was better (more recently) schooled than I.
My responsibilities had changed over the last few years and I needed to keep learning and adapting.
It was challenging, but a family man and with six children, my time was divided.
Those demands were great and important too.
It was apparent also that I could be replaced with new, fresh, unattached young men, quicker (faster) than I could absorb new information and skills.
When we worked together he just took charge with an air that suggested he was always in control of things and knew everything that was important.
His self-confidence overflowed.
Our supervisors seemed to help set up my subservient role;
”It would help me get familiar with new procedures,” they said.
I couldn’t argue with them even if I was of that nature because the logic leading to their directives was good.
Also it was true; I was not as valuable to them as he.
It was easy to be hurt, thinking of the many years of service I’d given –
The many times I’d frozen my butt and back and hands and whatever, gathering field data for them (mostly).
As I said though, we’re going a different direction now.
What was done yesterday, was for yesterday.
What counts today is being done now.
Well, that makes sense, and I know I must produce more too.
It’s just that, well, other things are different as well.
I seem to be more tired; it’s harder to concentrate anywhere; and as the children have gotten older some of their problems are more complicated.
Balancing the budget is a juggling act each month; tax increases and inflation more than equal any raise in pay I get.
I tell myself that even so my budget is in better shape than the federal government?
Of course my wife has had to go to work to help with college costs and other debts.
He doesn’t have these distractions. He just paid cash for a new car.
I suppose it sounds as if I don’t like him.
There are things about him I like, and I try to not be resentful.
He never had to go into the military, nor did he give any of his time for service to others.
All of his time has been devoted to himself. The product is efficient, partly likeable and self-centered.
I used to see various tack and harnesses for the horses in my grandfather’s barn.
They were beginning to be out of date when I saw them years ago.
They were very useful in their day – they were not discarded over night either. But they’re not used today.
I feel very much like that horse harness.
Do you know the feeling?
If you were never a horse harness then you don’t really know --------
Like I said, I’m being replaced.”
In my opinion it took a great deal of strength to overcome his sad feelings and always be “ there” for his family. He was always the Patriarch; the strength we needed. He was there for me and for all his children through many difficult times. He was a special father figure and example to his son-in-laws also.
GOOD-BYE CUPERTINO
We come to late 1986 and early 1987 now. Vaughn was preparing to retire in June 1987. He had done his homework and with all the information he had collected it seemed that the best place for us to retire was in Washington State .We had made trips up there for a few years on our vacations. Our son and his wife were living there and would show us all around the area. Our oldest daughter and her husband had moved there in 1986 so we looked forward to having some family there. It looked as though our money would go much farther there than in California also.
Getting the house ready to sell and choosing the right realtor was a big deal. I know that Vaughn was lead by the Spirit as so many big and little decisions were made. He always made sure that I was with him in all these decisions. It seemed that he had thought of so many things that I had not. I don’t remember his ever making a decision that I was opposed to. It took some work to get the house in the condition that the realtor suggested, but when we finally put it on the market it sold in the first weekend. We were certainly blessed. Then the packing began in earnest. Needless to say, lots of things were given away and thrown away but there was so much to pack. Vaughn hired a moving company to get our things to Washington and we needed to pack everything in boxes. If it didn’t run on wheels, it was packed in a box. Everyone was busy packing. They all had their assignments.
Our fourth daughter and her boyfriend (then) had become serious about marriage by that time. Her boyfriend(then) spent a lot of time at our house which Vaughn and I encouraged. We felt it was better for them to stick around since they saw so much of each other. He was ok with that. I think one of the reasons he was, was because Vaughn tried to make him feel comfortable about being in our home. He often invited her boyfriend to read scriptures with us too. They decided to be married in October, which meant that they would miss each other for a while because our daughter was moving to Washington with us in June.
Our third daughter was planning to go on a mission (for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) We were all excited when she received her mission call to Ecuador. She was so excited about the call. She had the extra challenge to pack for her mission and then pack the rest for us to take to Washington and store for her.
The last few weeks before we moved were so busy and stressful. In about a week and a half our two youngest daughters graduated from high school, and had their graduation party. Our fourth daughter gave her vocal recital. Our Third daughter had her missionary open house, and gave her farewell talk. Vaughn made a trip to Washington to look for a rental home for us. And we packed and packed! The last few days we hardly slept at all because we were so busy trying to get all the boxes packed before the van arrived. I remember worrying about Vaughn because he needed to sleep so that he could drive and he wasn’t getting enough sleep. Our son and his wife flew down to help and to drive a car that our her dad had given them back up north. Our son and third daughter took turns driving one of our cars up north. In two days we arrived in Marysville, Washington and had the vans unload as much as possible in the rental home and the rest in a storage shed we rented. Vaughn’s mother had stayed with Elaine(Vaughn’s sister) during our preparations and trip. She arrived in Marysville a couple of days after we got there. Then we sent our daughter off to the mission home in Provo, Utah.
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