Friday, April 19, 2019
I have many pleasant memories of Uncle Jr. (Lem). I will share 2 of them.
When I was quite little (3 or 4), he drove a gas truck for McAllister and he took me on an evening haul. The truck was so loud, we had to shout at each other to be heard. When we passed the gold athletic dome at the Ogdensburg High School, I shouted, "That's where the hippies live." He laughed so hard that he cried.
I am sure I won't be the only person to recall his incredible physical strength. When I was 15, my father and I were breaking a trail into the woods to gain access to additional trees we planned to cut for fire wood. We had a large sluice pipe that we hauled out on a trailer. My father and I could barely lift it off the trailer. Uncle Jr. hooked a shovel in the end of the pipe and moved it into place with one hand. When he saw the look of awe on my face, he said, "That's a pretty good shovel, eh?"
My condolences to the Chapin kids on the loss of this honest, humble, hardworking gentleman, I will miss him a great deal. -Chuck Patton
