MY BROTHER "ZEKE"

Crab Hunting Back in the 70's one summer day Zeke & I  got bored and decided to go to Negro Bill Canyon crab hunting.   We grab some pails and off we went.  After a few hours of playing in the creek we probably caught around 6 crabs.  We brought our catch of the day back home in our buckets.  When we got back home I said to Zeke "Now what are we going to do with them?"  Zeke's answer "Put them in mom's fish tank"!.  My next question "Won't they eat mom's fish?" Zeke's answer "No the fish were to big".  (At this time mom only had a few gold fish maybe 2" - 3" long, they were as big as the crabs.)   So into the tank they went!!!  Well over the next few days I guess all went well (one of mom's gold fish had disappeared - hum don't know where).  Ah Saturday day morning the day to sleep in - not!!!  The house was wakened with a blood curdling scream followed by Zeke John  - Debbie Ann  (oh the dreaded middle name - no good ever comes out of middle names).    We both jumped out of our beds and headed to the family room to find mom setting on the back of the couch.  Picture this - she reached down to pick up her coffee cup off the floor and setting next to it was one of those cute little crabs.  (Oh  ya - the crabs had discovered how to escape.)  In the end mom was ok; she had the hebe-geebes for awhile, the fish tank was short a few fish (hum don't know where they went) and Zeke and I had one heck of a good laugh as we returned the crabs back to their original home. My Big Brother Oh my big brother Zeke - what a character.  No one could be more opinionated than my dear brother although when I think of it I think in runs in the family. Sometimes I feel like I could never do anything right to please my big brother; but as we all take each other for granted I always knew that when ever I needed him he would be there.  You know it's sad you never realize what you have till it is gone!  As I think back Zeke & I had many good times together; oh we had our ups & downs as all brothers & sisters do; but we did have a lot of really great times.  I guess as far as brothers go;  I was lucky to have been blessed with two great ones!!!  (They are as different as hot & cold, but both special in their own way). Our Last Words The Saturday before Fathers Day was one of those not sure what your doing days.  We have them a lots with two teenagers.  Maralee & Zeke came home from SLC that afternoon and Maralee invited us all out for supper; "Rib Eye Steaks Zeke's new favorite meal.  I know this sound dumb and as much as we love Rib Eye,  Lee & I felt like they needed family time so we declined but said we would come by later for a visit.  My kids were out doing there thing and in the spur of the moment I turned to Lee and said lets go for a motorcycle ride to heck with waiting on kids!  So Lee & I took off on our motorcycles at 7:00 for a nice ride up around the Sand Flats onto the Loop Road and back down by Pack Creek; a really nice ride but took a bit longer than planned.  (To think we gave up Rib Eye for an apple and piece of Jerky).  Anyways it was dark by the time we got to Zeke's.  Zeke was in his favorite chair looking pretty comfy.  We talked awhile; some about the garden; since he hadn't got his in I was sharing mine with him.   Said the tomatoes weren't doing all that hot the weather hadn't been hot enough.  He of course said that will change soon which it did.  He was pretty tired and seemed like he was dosing in and out so we figured it was time to go.  I bent down and gave him a kiss on his forehead and said  "I Love You"  and  he said  "I  Love You Too"!!!   And that was our last words.  I guess if you have to have last words you can't do better than that!!! One Month Ago June 18, 2008 a day not ever to be forgotten!!!  The day I lost my big brother, my mom lost her oldest child, Maralee lost her soul mate, eight wonderful kids lost their father, my brother lost his brother; grandkids lost their grandpa, several kids lost an uncle, brother-in laws, sister-in laws, son-in laws & daughter-in laws have all lost; many many people lost a friend; oh so many of us have lost something in losing Zeke.  Although the day will come and we will all be together again we will all feel a void in one way or another.  However: through  memories and laughter and lots of hugs we will all get through this together for that is what Zeke would want!!!  Lost to us for now  - but never Forgotten!!! (Now him and dad can re-share all there opinions again - oh poor heaven!!!) Wow, I'm doing the same thing today that I did one month ago - irrigating!!! Little Sister "Debbie" July 18, 2008

Memory of Zeke

I've probably already told you this memory but it's always been special to me. 

 

Zeke offered to babysit back in the late 70's when we just had 2 children and before he was married. He had the brown beard and hair then.

 

We took little Lisa and Bruce Jr. over to his house (Clara's house).  After the evening was over and we got the kids loaded into the car, little Bruce asked me,  was that Jesus?

 

I know it had something to do with the brown beard and hair, but after getting to know Zeke a little more through the years, it must have been the kindness and love he felt too.

 

You feel that around your whole family....affectionately called "the Franci"  by the Louthans because it's plural for Francis and there's always more than one of them!

 

We love you all,

 

Vonda Louthan

Valentine's Day Sweater

Zeke stayed with us on Valentine's day because the school had a wrestling match. He came home that evening, and said, "I got something for Addison." Then he pulled out this adorable white sweater trimmed in red with hearts at the bottom. It was so sweet! And it wasn't the last time he bought clothes for her. You could tell whenever he was around her that he just adored her! And Addison loved him too. Whenever she saw him she would yell, "Pop Pop!" And now, every time she sees a picture of a man with white a beard, she points and squeals, "Pop Pop!"

-Rebecca (Daughter-in-law)

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