19	Winter	91
PO Box 522	PAMPA, TX	79066-0522
Volume 1	of the family, by the family, for the family	Issue 3
806 669 6009	From Plumber... | Chicken Thief? Old Fashioned Christmas | Watts Missing Corrections | Turtle's Excuse | Think Idaho	puzzler1@uswestmail.net

From Plumber to Pumper I don't know who all has heard the story of my getting dad started in the Plumbing business. The incident I a refering to is when I was two or three with a fascination for stopping up the commode for some odd reason. I accomplished this, I'm told, by putting potatoes in it. Dad tells me he got pretty aggravated with me. Not only did the potatoes cause havoc at the most inopportune moment, once retrieved, they avoided the kitchen table. Looking back we can now laugh but I must admit I felt ashamed inside the first time I heard the story. After years in the Plumbing Business, dad became a wanted man. Wanted for Plumbing that is. Seems Malcolm Henckel had eight Plumbers working for him at one time, dad being one of them. Most of the calls Henckel got for plumbing requested dad for the job. Thus, with this kind of following, dad decided to stirke out on his own starting up "Pete Watts Plumbing." I was curious about the profession as were most of my brothers. It's been said Danny and Louis at one time were capable of obtaining a Journeyman's license. Roy Dean did and Terry was well on his way. We don't know if Bobby thought he was being punished or if he was just being onerous or if dad couldn't quite make himself clear. However, there are some humorous moments. Take, for instance, a time when dad took Bobby out on a call to the Hospital in Canadian. Dad had his mind set on getting the job done as quickly as possible. Dad said he was standing on a laddre waist deep into the ceiling with his head up against the roof when he called downn to Bobby "Go fetch me a plum bob!" After a spell dad gave up waiting and went after the item himself. He finished that task and proceeded to the next. Later Bobby returned saying "Dad, I can't find a plum on that truck no where!" The incident, no doubt aggravated dad but he can now look back and smile. Even in the life of a Plumber there are moments that can be hilarious. However, crawling under houses, up in attics, even the digging is back breaking work. When dad went to having back problems we all worried about him. Roy Dean and Terry had their ears open while out on plumbing jobs. Whether it was the high prices charged for pumping or if the work seemed to be less back breaking, pumping caught their attention. We're uncertain which one came up with the idea first but it was presented to dad and dad helped them get a business started. The camper pickup got promoted to pump truck. Dad came across some three foot diameter tank ends and a six foot by ten foot sheet of metal. A lot of the parts were acquired by barter. Most people need plumbing done sooner or later. As with any other idea, it is impossible to foresee all difficulties. The pump truck was no exception. However when the turck went awry, they determined why and made changes to alleviate the problem. The truck was working out well for pumping grease traps of restaurants and small septic systems although the brakes kept wearing out on them. A one and a half ton pickup became the next truck. The brakes held up better but the truck wasn't feasible for the larger septic systems. The work available wasn't enough to support the business so Roy Dean and Terry pulled out leaving the Pumping as a supplemental business to dads Plumbing. Keeping an eye open for a truck, dad came across an ugly one with a recently overhauled engine. The asking price for the truck was $3,000 but after negotiating they agreed to $1500 for just the bare chassis which was all dad needed. The bed winch and reservoir were removed and dad spotted a thousand gallon tank with a rusted bottom. This tank was delivered for a bit of dads plumbing. A 3/8" plate was used to patch the hole and Louis, a certified welder in Oklahoma, did the welding. For the welding, dad gave Louis the blue truck he had been using for plumbing. The ugly truck was sand blasted and repaited (pictures were taken before, during and after completion by ma). By the end of October 1988, the truck was ready for service. The last weekend that year, dad had an emergency call from the Coronado Center. The sewer had backed up and was running across the parking lot. Dad would get a load pumped, hauled to the treatment plant and barely make it back in time to keep it from overflowing again. Once the treatment plant closed however, dad was faced with a dilemma. After discussing it with the proper officials, dad was allowed to dump into a nearby gutter. They added, "Just keep it off the parking lot!" Forty-eight hours later, dad was able to relax. Dad still does a little bit of plumbing but he can now turn down the back breaking jobs. Roy A. Watts Chicken Thief? Rumor has it that my Aunt Monta Faye is a chickenn thief! Seems there was a time when Uncle Ed was laid up with a broken leg. Grandma gave him a bowl of chicken soup and Aunt Monta had asked Uncle Ed for a bite. Uncle Ed refused to let her have one. Grandma, it is said, had chores to tend to and had left a butcher knife up on a counter. Monta was only one and a half at the time but somehow managed to reach up andd retrieve the butcher knife and threatened Uncle Ed. Uncle Ed screamed bloody murder. If anyone can verify this story I'd greatly appreciate it. Anonymous Old Fashioned Christmas Guess what everybody! There really is a Santa Clause! HER name is Virginia. I have just returned from Idaho where I spent the holidays with T.J. and Virginia. I had a marvelous time. Their cat even made me feel welcome. They say she doesn't take up with people very well, so I really feel honored. T.J. is doing just really well, recovering from his stroke of December 1990. He has made remarkable progress since we last saw him in June. I am so proud of the tremendous effort he has made and of course, he did not do it alone. There has been a lot of tough love from family members along with moral support in every form for a person to make the degree of recovery he has made. Roger flew in from Chicago to Salt Lake City and drove on home Christmas Eve and Shannon was home from college. Barbara and Dennis, of course, lives in Blackfoot, so the whole family was there for Christmas. Shannon's personality does so much ffor those around her and will carry her far in her endeavors. Virginia made everyone's favorite cookies, candies and pies. Dennis only eats the ugly cookies. (They were all ugly!) Everything was so yummy. She tried to send a pecan log and a date nut log home with me. It took temendous effort on my part to refuse. But I had already counted the calories in them; 6 pounds worth of calories per ounce of candy. I also know me well enough to know that I can't eat just one piece and leave it alone. I can hide it and will still call my name. In addition to holiday preparations for her own family, Denis' mother, who is alone, and myself, Virginia boxed up several boxes of 'goodies' to share with others, a box of home made cookies and candy here, a loaf of home made bread there, a made from scratch pie somewhere else. They shared Christmas in the spirit of love, with so many people and I am very thankful that I was there. I 'felt' Christmas. It was Christmas from the heart, it cannot be bought at the mall. It is a Christmas I will long remember and treasure. I spent a couple of nights with Barbara and Dennis. They have a neat house with a full basement. Barbaara has her 'craft room' in the basementt. She is so talented. I took several pictures of various things she had made to show everyone. I'm sure many of us has talents, if we would only take time to develop them. I did bring a large box of homemade bread home with me that is so good and the recipes to make more. I also got home with renewed perspective, and uplifted spirit and I am ready to takcle next semester. I will be doing clinical, so hopefully my brain won't feel quite so befuddled. Oh yes, I did pass. Everyone has assured me that the worst is behind us. Only ten survived this semester. It was not easy, and I really feel sad for those who didn't make it. We have been together since day one in this program and we formed close friendships. I hope everyone had woderful Christmas. Love Monta Boyd Watts Missing It all began, as my old daddy used to say, "Once upon a time," a man, his wife and four sons came from England to settle in North Carolina. As each of the sons chose a wife, the old man and sons built the newlyweds a house on a portion of the original homestead. Three of the sons married proper, meaning their own nationality, stature, etc. But the last son to get married, for whatever reason, love probably, married a smallish dark headed woman of French or Spanish origin. He didn't have the old man's blessing, and a house was not built for them. So, in the wee morning hours, this young man and his dark headed bride hitched a team of horses to a wagon, loaded what little possessions they had and headed elsewhere, west, probably, never heard from again... our mysterious missing relatives. However, as the Watts moved (migrated?) westward, what happened to the other two brothers? I never did think to ask dad where they went, or if I did ask, I don't remember the answer. Kenny (Dale) Watts Corrections In the last issue I inlcuded an article containing corrections Aunt Monta sent to me. I need someone to verify if those corrections and the corrections that follow are correct. 2441 and 2442 Jeanne is younger than Sharon who is divorced; 2452 Roger's middle name is Louis or Lewis; 2463 Lewis should be Louis; 24661 Adrianna Lynn (not Christina); 2467 Mikel. 2471 Karen Daye; 2472 Loretta Flo married Robert Daniels and have two daughters 24721 Heather and 24722 Meagan; 2473 Gaila Marie married Brandt Smith and they have three children 24731 Justyn, 24732 Nathen and 24733 Whitney; 2474 Bruce Dwayne; 248 Monta Faye married Hershel Marchbanks and they had two short lived sons 2481 William Lane (10APR1957-12APR1957) and 2482 Russel Erwin (21FEB1959-21FEB1959), Monta later married Paul Boyd and is now divorced. Maiden naames, birthdates, dates of marriage and dates of death would also be appreciated. Next issue I'll run a listing. Roy A. Watts Turtle's Excuse My brother keeps bugginng me about writing something for the newsletter. Okay, he only asked me once! But anyway I thought maybe I could tell everyone about myself since I didn't make it to the reunion. The past four years I've been in Tucson, Arizona trying the regular struggles of life. I had a hyperactive thyroid gland and kept getting the flu in Colorado, and Tucson seemed to be a land of opportunity. Sure, it gets hot in the summer but the winters are mild. Just drink plenty of water and replace minerals gets me through the summer. I work as a loader in a window factory, hard work but the pay is fair, not the kind of work you can get ahead on but we live and we learn. At home I've been trying my hand at building furniture. I get my wood at work, perfectly good wood, except it tends to build up around there, so they just throw it away anyway. My love seems to have always been music, wrote a few songs, get stage fright, just a hobby. I'm a christian and yet I've tried backsliding from it. It doesn't work. Just made me miserable. I feel God has always felt I was somewhat sincere about living for him and while living down here I have come to realize the more sincere I am about keeping his word the way it is printed in the KJV (King James Version) and not trying to change it to suit my lifestyle, the more the truth is revealed to me. It is a slow hard process because like most Watts', I am stubborn. As far as the KJV is concerned, it has been good enough for us for the past 300 years. There are so many modern translations that it is hard to tell what is right and what is wrong. I would rather stick with the winner! Terry K. Watts alias, Turtle la Tortoise Think Idaho! The Idaho relatives suggest the 1993 Reuinion be in Blackfoot, with a caravan traveling to Blackfoot starting at Wheeler with stopovers every night 250 to 350 miles. If not enough participation, the group wanting to go to Idaho might consider a different gathering another time of the year. Oh yes, my pictures turned out horrible this year, my eyes maybe, but the back lighting was so bright that at the next reunion, I am thinking of stringing a tarp between a couple of trees or columns in the pavillion for a darker background maybe with a "WATTS 92" banner across the top or something, might even talk the Wheeler area Watts' into making a couple of different height benches for people to stand on. Kenny

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