Sons—Frogs and Snails and Puppy-dog’s tails


Joy said that the titles for this and the last writing are sexist. I apologize to any I have offended, and if you were not offended, I will try to get around to you later. I really don’t want to offend anyone; the titles are just thoughts going through my head.
Carl C. Stubbs
Joy and I were married June 23, 1967 and Carl Christen Stubbs was born fourteen months later. I was worried that we might never have children. I thought that it would just happen immediately but it took five months to get pregnant. The day for his birth finally came, and even though husbands were not allowed to be in the delivery room at that time, I was allowed to be there with Joy as Carl was born. How blessed we felt. He was a healthy strong baby boy. He was always there with me when I worked on projects. When he was very small, he helped me fix the interior of an older van we had purchased. It had been a bread delivery van. He was able to look and see what needed doing. He helped me tar the roof of our home so that the carport wouldn’t leak. He wasn’t all that keen on going to school, but I think he must have overcome that because he is now a principal of an elementary school. He enjoyed the outdoors. He worked at Maple Dell Scout camp, and as an adult, he ran Clear Creek camp owned by Alpine School District. He served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Brazil. When he returned, he finished college and during that time married Jennifer Dawn Ellsworth. They have been blessed with four beautiful children.

Andrew James Stubbs
Our second son was a twin, his name was Andrew James Stubbs. He was born June 18, 1970. He had an encephalocele that had to be removed. He was sent up to the hospital at University of Utah. He was a fighter to keep on living and was able to come home sometime later. His and Anna’s births were the only ones that I missed. I was working in Nevada and Joy was in Utah. Her mother was with her to help with the newborn babies. Some of his siblings used to sit with him and talk to him about their problems. He was a good listener. He loved music and would get excited in church when everyone was singing. He wasn’t supposed to live long enough to come home from the hospital, but he struggled to live for eleven years before he passed away from pneumonia. He lived part of that time at the Utah State Training School, and part at home with us. We were told that the problem he had was probably hereditary, and so we had decided not to have any more children.

Our third son was a surprise and delight. Joy gave birth to a perfect little boy. How grateful we were
Marcus with his father Mark Joseph Stubbs
to have him come to our home. He was so bright, intelligent and loving. Mark always did well in school, but often questioned his ability to do things. He went to school at the same place I worked, and he really wanted his independence. He was on the swim team and went to state and placed. When he went to college, he had some credits he had earned while in high school. He enjoyed the river and was a guide for Tour West on the Grand Canyon, Salmon, and Cataract Canyon. If I could choose who would run one of the boats with me, it would be Mark or his brother Carl, and if it was to be a fantastic trip the two of them would be there. Mark could read instructions and know what needed to be done. That is something I would have liked to do. Mark served a mission to Denmark for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He graduated from BYU and went to work for Dillard’s in management and then later to Citi Group where he works today. His family is the most important thing to him, and he works very hard to help them. He has so much love in his heart for them and for others. He has four talented children.
Nathan Leonard Stubbs with Kathleen Kenny looking on

Our fourth son is Nathan Leonard Stubbs. The name means “He Gave.” He has always been very loving and supportive of all of his family. He really didn’t like school and had an idea of the kind of education that he wanted. Drama is one of his great strengths, and that is how he earns a living. He teaches acting and improv along with his wife. He is married to Kat, that would be Kathleen Kenny. They have one child named Scout. They got her from a rescue pound. He has been involved with the Bob Carter Theatre for many years. He was in a couple of the plays put on by the University of Utah. He has been my helper for a very long time. He calls me every day to check and see how I am doing. Now that he calls on video, he can see that I am talking to him from bed. He has been such a blessing to Joy and I. I am grateful for his involvement in our lives.

Our fifth son is Stephen James Stubbs, the all-around can do or fix anything. As a child he would take
Stephen James Stubbs in battle gear
things apart to see how they worked. He did have trouble sometimes putting them back together. It seemed like he could just look at an object and tell you what was wrong with it and then fix it. He has a son who is very much like him. He has worked as a mechanic and has taken care of our vehicles in the past. He is a warrior and makes shields and weapons for fighting each other, of course never to cause death. A few years ago, he had to have brain surgery. He had a tumor which they were able to remove. He needs to be careful of his head because they removed a portion of his skull. He is like the energizer bunny; he just keeps going. It has been great to have him be so close and able to help us when we need it.

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