Blonde Hair and a Golden Horseshoe

This story is a heartfelt memoir recounting my father-son between my son, Michael, and me.

Blonde Hair and a Golden Horseshoe is a story full of my heartfelt memories of my son, Michael, and the Wilford Harris Finn family reunion. Most notably, within its contents, I recount the trip my boy and I took in our minivan in August of 1996 to the Finn Fun Family Reunion near Felt, Idaho. Therefore, this book is dedicated to my son, Michael Jay Olsen, his mother, Jaylene Olsen, and to the Wilford Harris Finn family. I was inspired to write this story because of the tremendous joy God has blessed me with in having Mike as my son forever and in enjoying his marvelous companionship. To familiarize readers with Michael, the following preface offers a brief sketch of some highlights of his life.

Michael Jay Olsen was born April 11, 1982, in Idaho Falls, Idaho, to his mother, Jaylene Olsen, and his father, David Wayne Olsen. He came into this world on April 11, 1982, as a beautiful, round-faced, blue-eyed baby boy who seemed to be born with a smile on his face that never went away. He grew and developed quite normally, walking and getting into everything like all toddlers do. Then he began to stumble and fall - first a little and then a lot. By the time he was 4 years old, he was this happy, smiling little Pooh Bear. Then he and his family were able to go to Disney World, and a couple of years later, to Disneyland, and he had a wonderful time at both places. In fact, he was thrilled as Winnie the Pooh and many other Disney characters approached him during our trips to these famous theme parks. Mike was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and held the office of Teacher in the Aaronic Priesthood. However, when he was first made a Deacon, he was so excited to pass the sacrament, which he would do in his wheelchair. Many members of our LDS ward, Sandcreek Ward, told me they were thrilled to watch him pass the sacrament and see his big smile. Although he was limited to participating in young men's and other church activities, he regularly attended sacrament and Sunday school meetings. That's what Mike did the best - he made the best of his circumstances, and he endured his difficulties so well to the end of his life.

He experienced discomfort and insomnia during his final night. As his mother and I took turns being with him and trying to make him comfortable, he would tell us, "It will be all right, Mom. It will be okay, Dad." And I know everything is okay with you now, Mike, that you can walk and run and do all the things you always wanted to do.

Michael left this life quietly at home on April 14, 1997 - a round-faced, blue-eyed 15-year-old boy. I love you, Mike, and everyone who knows you in this life will miss you. We thank you for sharing your special spirit with us for just a while, and we look forward to seeing you again someday. We also thank you for teaching us about patience and long-suffering, and about smiles and the joy of living.

With this brief history of my son's choice of life, I introduce my readers to the account of the marvelous adventure my boy and I experienced during our trip to the Finn Fun Family Reunion. My special thanks for my undaunted desire to write this book is given to my great parents, Wayne and Yvonne Olsen, and my wonderful Grandparents, Alfred and Sarah Alvey. My entire life, they have instilled in me the importance of family, and the strong unity in the Finn family is the main reason I love attending the family reunion every year. I also want to thank the entire Finn family for much of the inspiration to publish this story - especially all of the marvelous fun times we have had at the reunions. My only hope is that as you read this story, it will bring you peace, as my son still brings to me.
Special Acknowledgments
Michael's life sketch was contributed by his Grandmother, Yvonne Olsen.

Part II

It was a beautiful Friday morning in August 1996 when my 14-year-old son Michael and I began our great father-son adventure to the Finn Fun Family Reunion. This family reunion was the social highlight of the summer and is held every year to honor the ancestors of Wilford Harris Finn, my great-grandfather.

Many descendants of Grandfather Finn gather each year during the first weekend of August at the reunion campground near the town of Felt, Idaho. As one big family, several families such as Adams, Alvey’s, Browers, Finns, Moore’s, Tolley’s, and others collectively rendezvous and celebrate our ancestry to the Finn family. So, my boy and I were looking forward to making a trip to the reunion. Our journey started at our home in Idaho Falls, and our leading destination was the reunion campground near Felt.

As we left the City of Idaho Falls in our minivan, Mike had a big smile on his face and a sparkle in his eye. He was a pleased young man who truly enjoyed his life to the fullest, even though he had physical limitations, and it showed. He was almost always cheerful, except during occasional disagreements with his sisters. For most of his life, he had a beautiful, radiant smile that attracted people to him. He had many friends because people knew that the happiness my boy displayed was completely genuine. I experienced much joy that morning as I watched my son's youthful enthusiasm. That summer morning, my blonde-haired teenage boy talked with great anticipation of us getting to the family reunion as soon as we could. Mike was also a very inquisitive boy who always asked everyone he knew many questions about nearly everything he saw in the World, especially things that fascinated him. That morning, he was so excited that he asked me many questions about the trip, such as which towns we would go through and which sites we'd see during the reunion. While we were talking, he also asked me many questions about the Teton Dam and if we could go to see the remains of the collapsed dam. I answered all his questions and told him we could go to the old dam site.

My son and I had a wonderful time talking as we traveled down the highway to the old road that led to the dam. We drove up close to the ruins of the Teton Dam and viewed its remains with fascination. As I mentioned, Mike was in awe of the outdoor world, especially the scenery of mountain ranges, lakes, and, particularly, dams. So, I told Mike the story that on June 5, 1976, the Teton Dam failed, sending 80 billion gallons of water into Rexburg, Idaho, and the valley beyond. Severe flooding and destruction occurred when 16 tons of debris swept down the Teton River. As a result of the flooding, 30,000 people were evacuated from their homes, and eight people were killed. The communities of Rexburg and Sugar City, along with the large farms surrounding the area, suffered devastating consequences from the flood. Much of Rexburg was destroyed, but within two years, the areas were cleaned up and rebuilt.

Mike was completely glued to every word of the story I told about how the earth dam failed and the disaster that ensued. We also had fun looking at the fallen structure and describing what we thought it looked like. After a moment, we decided the remaining mountain of dirt looked like a lopsided Egyptian pyramid. As we looked to the Southeast, a short distance from the original dam, we could see a couple of large concrete pieces from the structure that the flood had washed away. When the dam collapsed, it was remarkable that the spillway of the dam, a large all-concrete slide for overflow, remained intact against the East wall of the canyon. The Teton River was the only natural resource left from the large reservoir of water the dam once stored. We really enjoyed discussing every detail we knew about the old Teton Dam and its collapse. The moments we spent together at the dam were high-quality, high-quantity time - especially since we had so much fun there and it was highly educational! But the minutes went by so fast that before we knew it, we realized it was getting close to lunch time at the Finn reunion, so we needed to get back on the road again and travel to the reunion campground. Therefore, I drove the van back to the old road that had led to the dam to the main highway. Then we traveled on the road to the reunion campground near Felt, Idaho.

The small community of Felt, Idaho, is in the Teton Valley, which is along the eastern border of Idaho and near the 13,000-foot peaks of the Grand Teton Range. With the jagged, snow-capped Tetons as a magnificent backdrop, my blonde-headed son and I traversed Idaho Highway 33 in our minivan. It was a beautiful August day, and our next destination was the Finn Fun Family Reunion being held in a campground near Felt off Highway 32.

Once we were back on the highway, we climbed in elevation, passing large farms for several miles, and then began descending into Teton Valley. Across the valley floor, we saw scattered farmsteads and the town of Tetonia in the nearest distance. We were getting excited because it was only a few miles to our family reunion. Mike and I soon spotted the highway we needed to turn off onto to get to Felt, so I turned onto it, and we headed for the small town. After a short distance, we arrived at Felt, and then we traveled a little further until we turned onto an old dirt road that led us straight to our destination, the Finn Family Reunion campsite.

As we arrived at the Finn Fun Family Reunion, many of our immediate relatives greeted us, including my grandparents, Grandpa and Grandma Alvey, and Grandpa and Grandma Olsen, as well as my parents. A special friend of Mike's, Mitch DeChamp, also came over and talked to him for a long time. Mitch was a 96-year-old gentleman, yet he displayed youthful enthusiasm for life. He was an extremely friendly and outgoing person in public. It was evident to me that his marvelous exuberance for living led him to form some very close friendships at the reunion - especially with my son. So, he talked to Mike about where he went to school and what he liked to do at home. Then Mitch boldly told Mike he had a surprise gift for him and said he would give it to him after we ate lunch at noon at the reunion. A huge smile came over Michael's face, and he asked him what present he was going to give him. Mitch told him it was something special and he would find out soon! But then his Grandma Olsen came out of my grandparents' camping trailer and dished up some delicious food on a plate for Mike to eat. He ate a couple of sandwiches, some potato chips, and drank a pop. His Grandma Olsen also gave him some treats, such as cookies and a chocolate brownie. So, while he was eating his lunch, my fourteen-year-old boy's big appetite temporarily caused The Finn Fun Family Reunion to forget about the surprise. After he finished eating, my boy asked me again about when he was going to get the present Mitch had for him. I quickly glanced around the campground, and I saw Mitch coming toward us with something bright that shone like gold.

As Mike saw Mitch approaching, he became very excited and wore a big smile. Mitch stood in front of the blonde-haired teenager, and he handed him a beautiful golden horseshoe. He told him the horseshoe wasn't really made of gold; it was only painted gold, but to my son, it was made of gold. Mike said he was the luckiest boy in the world as he held the horseshoe close to his body, as if guarding his most prized possession. He then took a moment to thank Mitch for the special gift he had given him.

After receiving his lucky horseshoe, Mike and I went over to the tent some of the family pitched for us to sleep in that night, and we put our clothes and sleeping bags into it. We spent the rest of the afternoon having wonderful conversations with Grandpa and Grandma Alvey, Olsen family members, and other relatives at the reunion. Then in the evening, we roasted traditional American hot dogs over an open campfire and ate them in hot-dog buns, along with salads and other good foods.

For the rest of the evening, we stayed close to the warm campfire with other members of the family, and a few people sat directly around it. Mike and I really enjoyed the campfire atmosphere and the conversations we had with other relatives. But as the evening grew late, we grew tired, retired to our tent, and went to sleep.

The night passed quickly, and we awoke Saturday morning, anxiously looking ahead to the fun events planned by members of the Finn family for the day. The biggest event we looked forward to that day was the horseshoe-pitching contest held in the afternoon. The horseshoe pitching competition is held every year at the Finn Fun Family Reunion at a pit constructed by family members, and it was no different that August afternoon. Although most contest participants were men, anyone else could pitch horseshoes in the contest. There were often some women, teenagers, and children who also played horseshoes. It was a great family sport we played at the reunion solely for fun, recreation, and enjoyment.

Horseshoe pitching was an enjoyable sport at the reunion, since most of us wished for good luck rather than relying on the merits of our limited skills. In my view and the viewpoint of others, I was one of these fun-loving, unskilled pitchers. There were times I was lucky, and I threw a horseshoe or two that scored some points, but generally, when I threw a horseshoe toward its target, the peg could end up falling anywhere. Since I was unpredictable, I feared hitting someone with a horseshoe, and so when I tossed one, I would immediately yell, "Heads up, everyone, get out of the way!" Thus, when I yelled, everyone moved. But each year, there was nearly always a couple of competitors at the horseshoe pit who pitched them skillfully and accurately. My Grandpa, Al Alvey, was one of these people, although today he would claim it was merely luck and he would humorously deny his pitching skills.

Along with his son, Lavar Alvey, Lamar Brower, Jim Finn, and many others, my grandpa was a skilled and accurate horseshoe pitcher. Over the years, he won the horseshoe-pitching contest many times at the reunion and its accompanying trophy. It is not essential to this book for me to state who won the 1996 horseshoe contest or which years my grandpa won it. The main reason is that none of the participants appeared to be "totally obsessed" with winning the trophy - particularly since most of us pitched horseshoes for fun. To most people, it did not matter who won the contest each year, as long as we all enjoyed playing. What was most important to me was that it didn't matter whether my grandpa won the trophy every year, because he was always the winner to me.

After all the dinner preparations were completed, the entire family gathered near the campground shelter, and a family member offered a blessing over the food. Everyone's appetite was bursting, so we lined up in two long lines on each side of the huge buffet tables to choose from an enormous smorgasbord of dishes. Among the delicious foods available were traditional potato salad, macaroni salad, Jell-O, and green salads. There were also finger foods available, such as fresh vegetables, potato chips, dips, dressings, and toppings. Then there were the main courses: Dutch oven potatoes, baked beans, and roast beef. Finally, there were many desserts for us to choose from, including cherry cheesecake, apple pie, and chocolate brownies. To Mike and me, every bit of cherry cheesecake, apple pie, and chocolate brownies. To Mike and me, every bit of the food sitting on the table was mouth-watering!

The big buffet dinner was also a very enjoyable time because I helped Mike get a plate of food since he could not maneuver his motorized wheelchair into either of the food lines In fact, when I was getting him and me our meals, it was very humorous to me when one of the family asked me, "Hey Dave, why are getting two big plates of food?" I started laughing hard, and I said loudly, "It looks like I have more than enough grub for both Mike and me!" The person then responded, "Sure, we know all that food is mainly for you!" Indeed, this was an ideal time for me to get extra food; furthermore, I had occasionally found myself in this blessed circumstance with my son at other dinners before this one at the reunion. But all that mattered to me right then was that we were having fun: the food was plentiful and delicious, and my boy was happy. It was pretty evident that my son was enjoying himself, as he had that typical glowing smile. And that's all the assurance I needed.

With the annual horseshoe contest completed, the time was fast approaching when the entire Finn family would gather for a big dinner. It was late Saturday afternoon, and many women of the Finn family were finishing preparations for an assortment of fantastic foods. Several family members subsequently transferred various prepared foods to a couple of large picnic tables in the campground's shelter area.

Another activity of the reunion that ensured enjoyment for my son and many others was the entertainment program, held Saturday evening. It was early evening, only a short time after we had eaten a delicious dinner, as the entire family gathered near the campground shelter and around the campfire. But this time, we met together and enjoyed the entertaining talents of various family members. Talented family members would present songs, skits, dramatic readings, and a life history of Wilford and Sarah Finn. A family member explained the fascinating story of my great-grandparents and how and where they met, married, and raised their children. Then, other family members performed their talents for the group. Foremost in my mind concerning this special little talent show at the reunion of 1996 were the marvelous gifts of music, dance, and oratory several people shared with us. Some of the most notable performances of the program: Garin Brower recited humorous cowboy poetry, Dillon Finn displayed his guitar and singing talents, and my mother, Yvonne Olsen, shared one of her great comedic readings with us.

Down the Road Again and Reunion Memories Never End

It was a wonderful time for Michael and me, as we thoroughly enjoyed the entire reunion program and all its brave performers. We also loved being able to participate in many of the other activities I have mentioned, the horseshoe contest, eating great food, and particularly, the times we spent with great relatives. I believe everyone who attended the Finn Family Reunion that August will remember having lots of fun, laughter, and a sense of tremendous family togetherness. I know I did! But after the entertainment ended, the 1996 reunion activities concluded. Some families traveled, returning home, while some of us stayed over Saturday night until Sunday morning.

Sunday morning, Mike and I left the reunion campground, and I drove our van down the highway again with our new destinations as the Palisades Dam and the Ririe Dam. These sites would be fun to visit, and they were not too far away to reach by van. Besides, our primary goal was to see as many of the world's fascinating things as we could together. But although the reunion was over this year, it wasn't ever over for my boy and me. We talked at length about the awesome fun we had during our travels to the reunion. We laughed about how much great food we'd stuffed ourselves with, and we were happy to have become acquainted with many wonderful relatives there. My son and I both agreed our adventures to the Teton Dam and the reunion located so near the majestic Tetons were the best times we had ever had as a father and son.

The Finn Fun Family Reunion from that year has passed into the last century; however, I will never forget the marvelous memories and the great fun we had. But the thing I will never forget is going on an adventure with my son and seeing a blonde-haired boy with a big smile and a golden horseshoe in his hand.

Final Thoughts to Readers

I hope that this story, together with a special photograph of Michael, touched your hearts. May the peace of Christ be with you wherever you travel.