Recipes for Living Deloris Sutton

I was born on May 20, 1937, to Ephraim and Lois Osborn. I have a sister, Delaine, who is 18 months younger than I. Our home was seven miles west of Osceola and I lived there from the time I was born until I married Merrill Thornton in 1957. We established our home a few miles north of Woodburn until 1967, when we moved to a farm on highway 34, about four miles east of Osceola.

I grew up being very aware of and close to my relatives, because family was always very important to my folks. We often went to see my grandparents and great-grandfather. Dad's folks lived north of Murray and my grandparents Neff lived north of Osceola. Dad came from a family of 11, and Mother had one sister, so we also had great-aunts and -uncles, most of who lived around Osceola. They often came for family dinners. They always seemed to flock to Dad because, if they had problems, he didn't take sides. He was a happy man who saw good in everyone.

We began going to country school, "Cornfield College", but there were only three in the whole school - Larry Reynolds, Delaine and I. Understandably they closed the school and we went to Ward Center, where there were always quite a few in our class. We went there through eighth grade and I remember particularly one of teachers, Charlotte Kelly. She was a very special person who made each child feel special. There were lots of hugs in our school, and Mrs. Kelly encouraged whatever talent any of us had.

During the summer months Delaine and I took piano lessons from Mrs. Martin in Murray. I still have the hymnal with pin holes in it where Mother used to pin the $1 that was the charge for both our lessons. Mrs. Kelly always let me play the piano in school.

Music was always important to me. Dad could play the piano and violin, and had a good singing voice. Delaine and I sang duets at neighborhood get-togethers. I joined the Osceola Methodist church in 1951, and when I was a freshman in high school and became eligible to sing in the church choir, Beulah McComas invited me. The folks took me to her house each Wednesday night so that I could ride with her and they picked me up afterward. In high school I sang in chorus and did solos. I was never a bridesmaid at any of my friends' weddings because I was always asked to sing.

Merrill and I started dating when I was a junior in high school. I chose to take a business course and after I graduated I worked at Clarke County State Bank for five years. Merrill and I were married in 1957 and began our family in 1960, when Greg was born on June 18. Kathy was born March 21, 1962; and Amy came along April17, 1971. Kathy said she had always prayed for a baby sister, which I told her was o.k. but not to pray for too many.

Amy was born with a cleft palette and cleft lip, which required four surgeries. She had her first surgery when she was three months old, her second at nine months, her third at two years, and her last one when she was five years old. At that time they didn't do this surgery in Des Moines, so we went to Iowa City where Amy became part of a research program. We went twice a year for updates, which lasted all day. Her appointments began at 8:30a.m. The program included seeing specialists in speech, dentistry, and hearing, as well as the surgeon. They kept all kinds of records that would be helpful with future cases. Granted, it made some demands on the family for those years, but it was all worth it because the problem was completely corrected.

After 24 years of marriage, Merrill and I agreed to be divorced. Greg and Kathy were both grown by then. Kathy had gone to DMACC (Des Moines Area Community College), and Greg stayed with his dad to help on the farm. Amy and I moved into Grandmother's house on North Main in Osceola.

There were unexpected aspects to adjusting to the new situation. Kathy remembers when I started looking for a job after being a wife and mom all those years. I was asked for a resume. We laughed and wondered, "What resume?" I didn't think they wanted to know how many loads of laundry I'd done, dishes I'd washed, lawns I'd mowed, gardens I'd tilled, meals I'd prepared, or the miles of taxi service for my children that I had provided.

I began working at Four Comer Standard for Con Smith. When he moved to Colorado, I took a job with Saylor Realty. I earned my realtor’s license and worked as office manager until 1989.

I continued to be active in the United Methodist Church. For 10 years I taught the Sunday School class for three-year-olds, and was involved in starting the Sunshine Class for the mentally challenged. After lots of planning meetings, I taught until Wavalene Holt took the class.

I met Walt Sutton in 1983 and we were married in August 1985. It is a wonderful experience to be married to my friend. Walt was originally from Indianapolis, and he followed in his father’s footsteps when he went into the heating and air conditioning business. Walt had established a business in Des Moines but came to Osceola because his brother, Gary, and Gary's wife, Jeanie, live here. They operated a day care on South Park. Walt and I met through Gary and Jeanie.

Among Walt's qualities is that he is kind and loving. Amy was still at home when we married and it is not easy for teenagers to accept step-parents, but he was very considerate of her and is really good with my children and grandchildren. By that time Greg had married Vallie Chastain, and their children, Dakota and Cheyenne, were born in October 1987 and July 1990. They were living on an acreage they had bought southwest of Osceola. Greg's business was Thornton & Swan Excavating.

Kathy went to Austin, Texas in 1982, and worked for Robert Half Accountemps, a job placement firm. She started as the receptionist and retired as the office manager in September 1997, when Tyler James was born. At that time she chose to be a fulltime mom. She married Jim Albrecht in 1996. He is Chief Financial Officer for Entrogen Therapeutics, Inc., which is involved in cancer research through gene therapy.

Amy married Todd Siefkas in 1990. Their son Zac was born in December 1996 and Jacob in 2000. Todd's business is Des Moines Painting, and he paints residential and commercial property. Amy works for Kirke Van Orsdel Insurance Company.

Walt and I like to do restoration and in 1986 we bought the old Gamer Hotel. We leased the restaurant until I took it over and it became the Quilt Patch. It was fun for the first years. It was good to be with the customers and to have travelers come back and stop in. We were open for Sunday buffets at the beginning and did lots of rehearsal dinners and special parties. However, as time went on, it became totally absorbing. It was not only all the hours that we spent there, but we found that the restaurant was all we thought about. We were closed on Mondays and often went out of town to get away, but we talked about the restaurant the whole time we were gone. We were constantly looking for ideas to implement at the Quilt Patch.

When we ate out, we examined menus to see if there was something in them that we could use. After nine years of this total absorption, we decided we had had enough and leased it to an employee.

During that time we also renovated the hotel. From separate rooms, we made 16 apartments. We plan to continue working on it, which is necessary with all Old properties. The next step will be carpeting. There is always something more that needs to be done and it requires a lot of financing. Ken Baker mentioned recently that he noticed we were putting on storm windows. I asked, "Didn't you know that? You provided the money!"

Anyone who has rental properties knows there are some problems inherent in that business. We are pleased that presently we have quite a few Mexican renters and they are wonderful! On the first of each month, if I am not around to take their rent money at the hotel, they are at the door of our home to pay me.

We built an addition at the back of the hotel for a shop where Walt has his business, W.H. Sutton Mechanical. He needed more space for his sheet metal work.

There have been some very traumatic times in my life. Dad died in 1980 of a malignant brain tumor, and in July 1995, a car accident took the life of Vicki Mason, who was like a daughter to me. She and her two children, Jennifer and Gary, lived next door from 1981 to 1985 and became a part of our family. For Mothers' Day this year, Amy and Todd gave me a stepping stone with this verse on it. It is exactly how I feel about Vicki:

If tears could build a stairway
and memories a lane,
I'd climb right up to heaven
and bring you home again.

Also in 1995, in August, Greg had an aneurysm. It was first thought that he had a stroke because his blood pressure measured extremely high. The problem was leakage in a blood vessel behind his right eye. To relieve the pressure, Dr. Boarini performed surgery that night and again about four days later. Greg was in a coma for two weeks. He was paralyzed on his left side. When he had recovered sufficiently, he was transferred to the rehabilitation unit of Methodist Hospital. He had to learn to walk again and to feed and dress himself. He was in Methodist Rehab for four months, until Christmas, and I can't say enough about how wonderful the people working in that unit are.

One reason I wanted to tell this story was to praise the wonderful town of Osceola, who rallied behind us during this trying time. They held fund raisers and had prayer chains. There was a benefit at the fire hall and another at the church when the Homeland Trio came from Carlisle. The Eagles had a dance where they raffled a quilt. The girl who won it gave it to me. The number of people who called, the young people Greg's age who came to ask about his condition - all the thoughtfulness was simply overwhelming. Vallie and I stayed with Amy and went to the hospital every day until he regained consciousness. Our wonderful employees took over the restaurant and the business went right on. Rev. Churchman was there whenever we needed him, and undergirding all this were the prayers, which I sincerely believe are what brought him through.

Greg discovered that he was very much loved and respected. Through all that time and since, Greg has never said, "Why me?" He has said there must be some reason why he is still here because so many die of the same type of problem. I raised my children to know that God doesn't punish us, but helps us through the rough times. My favorite of all hymns is

IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL
Horatio G. Spafford
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
when sorrows like sea billows roll;
whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul...

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
let this blest assurance control,
that Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
and has shed his own blood for my soul...

My sin, oh, the bliss of the glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
is nailed to-the cross and I bear it no more,
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, 0 my soul...

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall see sight,
the clouds be rolled back like a scroll;
the trump shall resound, and the Lord will descend,
even so, it is well with my soul...

Greg turned 40 years old on June 18, 2000 and had been rather depressed at having reached that age. But I've reminded him, "You're alive!" Dr. Boarini calls him his miracle patient. He had not given us any hope that Greg would live. Of course, I would have given anything to have spared him this, but I am grateful for some of the gifts I have been given because of it. He and I have time to be together, and he has time to be with his sisters and children. He is so thoughtful! He sends me cards and tells me he loves me. I know he always did, but he was so busy and had so much on his mind that he didn’t say it.

There are a lot of benefits in my life now. Walt and I love old homes and antiques, and we've loved having the house on West Cass that was built around 1870. We are continually working on and restoring it. We notice people who drive by often stop to take a picture. Last week a couple from Washington State stopped and asked questions about the history of the house. It has been fun to get it ready for the Tour of Homes, which I helped institute. This Christmas will be the third year we’ve had the opportunity to be part of the tour.

Since I have retired I get to play grandma a lot. My granddaughters spend lots of time with me, and I love attending their activities. Jacob had double hernia surgery when he was only four months old and I was so glad that I was free to be with the family. He seemed so tiny to have that done, but he got along beautifully. Kathy comes to Osceola to visit and I go there once each year. I was in Texas for Tyler's first birthday. He and Kathy often go with Jim, whose work requires considerable traveling. Tyler is a good little traveler. In February, 2000, I kept the boys while Kathy, Amy, and their husbands went on a Caribbean cruise. These are treasures for a grandmother's heart.