Gerald Patten
submitted by: Anna Daniels
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All My Grandpa Wanted For Christmas Was His Two Front Teeth
When my grandpa was a crazy baby chipmunk, one day his mom was changing one of his "double duty dirty diapers." His name was Gerald Patten. He was on her bed. His mom was not back for a "long time" (about 6 seconds or more). He was bored. Grandpa decided to "impress" his mom. So he rolled. "GYMNASTICS!!!!!" He did it again. And again. "GYMNASTICS!!!!! OH NO!!!" He rolled too far. He didn't feel the nice, comfy bed, that was like a cloud underneath him! He was falling! "Thud!!!" Bang, crash, right on the floor! His mom came quickly. He cried, and his mom stopped the bleeding. She quickly found two teeth on the floor. They were HIS two front teeth. For the next 7 years, he would not be able to bite an apple, or a carrot or hamburger very well. The popular song of the day was "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth." Grandpa and his dad would sing that song, missing his teeth very badly. Quotations and stories came from Childhood Memories, by Gerald Patten.
Better Than Stairs
Grandpa's mom needed to wear glasses. There were no stairs in his house. He and Brubber (his brother) would put on their mom's glasses. Nothing would be in the same place! IT WAS CRAZY!!!!!!! Then, Brubber had an excellent idea. Then they would put on their mom's high heels. They crashed, laughed, then got up again. That was how they did it.
Other Things You NEED To Know
My grandpa had other things in his life. Like the time when he and Brubber knew that they were getting a bike for Christmas. And when he was cooking pancakes, and he forgot the flipper. So he used a plastic fork, and it melted in the batter. The pancake tasted SOOOOOOOOO good. He also loved to doodle. His favorite food was OJC on vanilla ice cream. OJC is short for orange juice concentrate. He collected coins growing up. A good friend growing up was Chuck. "Max" lived close to Chuck. Grandpa invited Max for a sleepover. He said he would eat 20 pounds. He weighed himself. After dinner and some snacks, he weighed himself again. Grandpa's family and himself were surprised. Max was HAPPY. He ate 20 pounds.
A Teenager - Late Teenager
Grandpa LOVED his parents. Most teenagers don't think their parents are awesome. He had a pretty decent life, messing around, and having fun. Went camping and loved his family VERY much. And of course, he still does. Grandpa played softball and basketball. He, of course, went on a mission for The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints when he was about 18 or 19. After that, he met Cathy Knudson at a beach party. Soon, they got married.
Marriage
My grandpa loved his new wife. Grandpa grew up in Santa Monica, California. The young couple stayed in Santa Monica for a time. After their 3rd child was born, they moved to Centreville, Virginia. The order of their children went like this: David, Nathan, Rebecca (my mom), and Stephen.
Being A Dad
My mom, Rebecca, loved her backyard. She didn't have very many friends growing up, so the backyard was her VERY best friend. Mom loved playing with rolly pollys (armadillidiidae). She loved worms, dirt, and mud. Now, there were many squirrels in her backyard. So she would dig a hole and do what squirrels do. The squirrels wouldn't touch the nuts. They could smell human.
Easter
Easter would be so fun! It would be a LOT more fun when it was on Sunday. General Conference day meant waffles and ice cream for breakfast. And General Conference was always on Sunday.
Running
My grandpa loved to run. When my mom was older, he and my mom did a marathon. Timothy Daniels was mom's brother's roommate. Mom and my future DAD (Timothy Daniels) met at that race.
Utah? Yes, Utah (And A Mission)
After all the children moved out of the house, they had a nice, peaceful life. Years went by, and they decided to move to Enoch, Utah where me and my family were living. Cathy, my grandma, never went on a mission. The year 2023, my grandma and grandpa, went on a mission together, at the Salt Lake City Family Search Center, at Temple Square. They are there right this second and having a good, great, fun time.
THE END!!!!!
Sincerely,
Anna Daniels