I moved to Great Falls MT to work with my brother
whole-saleing dry goods to grocery stores.
I married in 1957 and I have 4 children from that marriage.
I changed my occupation in 1962 when I went to work for
Prudential Insurance as an agent. Then I became a staff manager, a
sales manager and a district manager for the State of Montana and WY.
I ended my career as a marketing director and I retired in 1995.
I have been active in the LDS Church and have enjoyed serving as
a Bishopric member two times, once in Great Falls MT and once in
Clearfield UT where I now life. I still have property in MT on Canyon
Ferry Lake and in Montpelier. I lost my wife, Patty, to cancer in
2010.

I'm sure everyone has heard about the "Lewis and Clark" expedition to find the origin of the Pacific Ocean. But, not too many have heard about the "Sparks and Holmes" Bear River and Lake expedition in Dingle bottoms.
In the summer of 1953 Ferris and Greg decided to explore the Dingle swamp area called "Dingle bottoms". Greg had access to a small wooded flat bottom boat, small enough to fit into his car trunk. And Ferris had a 1/2 horse outboard motor. The motor was little more than one feet tall and the prop blade was only about three inches in diameter. They had one gallon container of gas, a gallon bucket to bale water from the boat, but no paddles or life jackets.
Their destination was to see the animal life along the way to Bear Lake. The morning of this adventure started in Bear River at the bottoms of Dingle and journeyed upstream to Mud Lake, which they crossed to the road between Camp Lifton to the Bear Lake Hot Springs. They had been gone from home more than four hours by this time.
Being adventurous young men, at the cross-over from Mud Lake to Bear Lake they decided to take the journey into to Fish Haven on the West side of the lake, where they danced every Saturday night. They made portage (carrying the boat) across the road into the lake.
All went well with no worries until half way across the lake the motor quit!!!! The little one pint fuel tank on the motor was empty!!! This was the first concern they had about their condition. More fuel was available in the can but WOULD THE ENGINE restart.
Meanwhile ...... back at Greg's parents home. Worry had set in. The day was growing shorter and Greg's softball team mates would be looking for him as he was their pitcher. An airplane search was being considered after a car search proved unsuccessful.
Back at the Lake ...... more gas was put into the fuel tank on the small engine and it started right up!!! The adventure continued to Fish Haven where Greg called his parents just before the plane search. From Fish Haven they hitch hiked to Montpelier. Where Greg was in time to play the ball game. Leaving all parents wondering WHAT-EVER-POSSED-THEM to take such an adventure.
If you would ask them today if they would repeat this trip, they would say NO WAY not even with a larger boat with all the modern conveniences.