The Search For Dale's Plane: Finding Spiritual Meaning in the Wake of Tragedy

20

Amber

Twenty-year-old Amber was the youngest of the group. Her favorite things when she was thirteen years old were clouds, rain, storms, water, Alaska, bald eagles, forests, wilderness, dolphins, Christmas, space, soccer, chocolate, and mashed potatoes. At the age of twenty, her favorite things remained the same, except for one addition, Jonathan. She really loved Jonathan.

Born February 17, 1993, Amber was the third of five children of Dale and Janis Smith. She was always her own person, doing the things she loved best regardless of what everyone else was doing. Her birthday gifts represented that. When she was six, she wanted a Polaroid camera. When she was nine, she wanted a night scope and walkie-talkies. When she was eleven, she wanted spy gear.

She read the entire Harry Potter series, beginning when she was ten-years- old. She tallied how any times she read each book. She loved math and completed 156 multiplication and division problems in just five minutes halfway through third grade. This naturally segued into her accounting major at BYU-Idaho.

Amber loved children and babies. She minored in child development and her graduation was planned for July 2014.

Amber and Jonathan hiking, a favorite activity.

Amber with the Santa Teresa High School Marching Band

With her special love for children, Amber prepared fun family home evening lessons and loved to play games. At any family gathering, she disappeared with the children, much to the mothers’ delight. She effortlessly found activities, most often outdoors, that entertained her cousins for hours. As a very young child, she also disappeared outdoors with her special friends, building a playhouse or fort, gardening, or cooking.

Amber graduated from Santa Teresa High School in May 2011. Her high school years were filled with wind ensemble and marching band (where she played the saxophone), track and field (where she did the pole vault, high jump, long jump, and triple jump), a singing group called Zion Youth Choir, and LDS girls’ camp.

At girls’ camp, she loved to rock-climb. She scaled rock walls, where the only thing you grab onto is a crack. Jamming her fingers in the crevices, she pulled herself up. On the climbing wall, she even got over the obstacle where her legs dangled in midair while she pulled herself up with the strength of her arms. Amber swam the lake at girls’ camp all six years she was there.

Their engagement photo at the dunes.

Amber was adventurous and had a bucket list to rival her father’s. She often accompanied him, flying cross-country to the Osh Kosh Annual Fly-In, and hiking three miles to the Diamond Creek Hot Springs, where she slid down the slippery stream with her dad and brother. This past year she had checked many items off her bucket list while attending college and helping her sister through cancer treatment. She visited Harry Potter World, went to Malaysia and swam with the dolphins, attended a Taylor Swift concert, sewed a dress, loved the Subway Hike in Zion National Park, and got engaged to the man of her dreams. Amber glided between girlhood and womanhood, dancing into Jonathan’s heart. Competitive, athletic, resourceful, studious, and with high values, and decision-making skills she was on the pathway to success. She and Jonathan planned to be sealed in the LDS Oakland Temple on January 4, 2014.

Baby Jonathan

Elder Norton in Northern California

Jonathan loved soccer

Jonathan’s engagement photo Age 24

Jonathan

Amber’s twenty-three-year old fiancée, Jonathan Norton, possessed the same high values and strong work ethic that she did. As a young boy, Jonathan loved Pokemon cards, micromachines, Legos, Star Wars, camping, hiking, soccer, and riding his bike. When Jonathan’s college belongings were sent home to his parents, they found a box full of Star Wars books, a Jedi light saber and a mint-condition Charizard Pokemon card. The little boy in him never left.

Jonathan was born with lots of curly black hair on January 17, 1989 in Minnesota. He lived in six different states before college. With two younger brothers, Jonathan was the oldest grandchild on both sides of the family.

He had excellent strategy skills that he claimed were developed by playing hours of Warcraft and Starcraft. In fifth grade he put those skills to practical use and during an Early American simulation, he was elected governor of his colony, which won the entire project.

Jonathan was always interested in playing on computers. He bought his own Totally Awesome Computer from Super Dell when he was twelve with money from his Deseret News paper route.

In high school he played on the varsity soccer team as a defender in Billerica, Massachusetts and in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. He graduated from Sun Prairie High School in 2007. That summer his parents dropped him off curbside at Chicago O’Hare Airport and said, Good luck, and off he went to start school at BYU-Idaho.

Jonathan served an LDS Mission from 2008-2010 in the California Santa Rosa Mission, came home for three days, then was off to BYU-Idaho to finish his degree as an accounting major.

He loved economics and was a student of Austrian economics. He was thrilled to receive a full-ride scholarship to the Ludwig Von Mises Institute during the summer of 2013 in Auburn, Alabama.

Jonathan loved Amber. He was complete, happy, and at peace when he was with her. When he wrote to tell his parents about their first kiss, he used his Yoda voice and said, Hmmmmm, power in that kiss, there was! He truly felt loved.

Jonathan possessed the skills and drive to survive great physical hardship, his mother knew, and he could help others survive also.

I was confident that Jonathan would know how to stay warm, his mother said, "and if needed, walk the miles necessary to find help. Jonathan was tough and smart.

"In the early spring of 2004, Jonathan with a group of twelve boys and two leaders hiked to the top of King’s Peak in Utah, an elevation of 13,528 feet. The boys on this trip were left on their own to see how they could survive the harsh conditions while learning to work together. Jonathan was so pleased with how he and another boy made the perfect snow cave. He said the other guys were not interested in working hard to dig a snow cave and consequently those boys spent a miserable cold night on the mountain while Jonathan and his friend were dry and warm. He later told me that several of the boys had to be taken to the hospital due to severe frostbite. Jonathan said that he could be anywhere in the mountains and if he had snow, he could stay warm.

"Jonathan’s scouting experience was probably typical within the church, and that meant it was either feast or famine when it came to organized troop activities. He learned some skills here and there and had some good hikes and campouts along the way. His scouting activity spanned from the Great Salt Lake Council-Utah, Longs Peak-Colorado, Yankee Clipper Council-Massachusetts, and finally Glacier’s Edge Council-Wisconsin, where he earned his Eagle Scout award.

"I am certain that one scoutmaster in Colorado probably wanted to strangle Jonathan, that is, if he could catch up with him. The scoutmaster was trying to keep all the boys together during a fifty-mile backpacking hike in the Rocky Mountains so no onewould get lost or hurt. However, Jonathan did his own thing and walked miles ahead of everyone. He said everyone else was way too slow and he didn’t want to wait. That was just like Jonathan, always ahead of the group. He walked fast, especially if there was a desired goal to attain, even if it just meant getting to the end of the trail.

Jonathan in Yellowstone National Park

"Even on his mission he was known to walk fast. I know that some of his companions didn’t always like the pace, but again, Jonathan said he didn’t want to waste time. There was important work to do.

Knowing how driven Jonathan was to learn and progress, I can’t help but envision that very soon after a traumatic landing, Jonathan would have grabbed Amber’s hand and said, ‘Let’s go!’ To him it would have been so matter of fact. Why linger here when there was important work to get themselves and the others with them out of their situation.

Baby Sheree

Sheree blossoms into a lovely lady

Sheree graduates from High School

Sheree’s wedding day

Sheree

Sheree Anne Chalmers Smith, the wife of my oldest grandson, Daniel, was also a resourceful, hearty family jewel. I met Sheree during her first trip to San Jose, California. Their engagement party was the main event. Dale, in his usual creative mode, had big plans. Also, as usual, he would need the help of every family member, including yet-to-be family members, to get things ready. Their backyard had not hosted a major event for several years, and needed crucial detailing. The pond and waterfall needed repairs and cleaning. Bales of hay were hauled to the top of their hill for a cupid’s archery game complete with life-size photos of Daniel and Sheree. Lots of yard work beckoned with repairs and cleaning up.

Assigned to break up solid oak pallets into firewood, Sheree wielded a sledge hammer and crow bar like a pro. Soon the task was completed. Her next job was to set bricks in front of a storage shed to form a small porch. Done! All day she tirelessly climbed up and down the substantial hill in her fiancé’s back yard. When asked where she got all her stamina, she replied that one of her favorite activities was rock hunting in the remote areas of Montana with her dad.

Sheree also had the high values, the strong work ethic, and the independence of a member of a large family. From a small, remote community, her family, like the Smith and Norton families, served in church callings for long hours. She knew and understood the value of service—to her family, to others, and to her Heavenly Father.

Sheree was also inquisitive. If there was anything she wanted to do, she would figure out how to do it. When her dad took her to Bring Your Daughter to Work Day when she was eight, she was so interested in everything and asked so many questions that none of the workers could get anything done. They said it would take five fathers to tame that one daughter.

The happy couple in the place closest to Heaven.

Sheree was born in Melbourne, Australia on July 27, 1990 to Jennifer and Barry Chalmers–the fourth of eleven with six sisters—Melissa Flood, Janet Stanley, Kari, Janine, Adele, and Alana Chalmers and four brothers—Gareth, Jared, Troy, and Jeremy; all of whom would do anything for her. Her parents waited until she was old enough to fly before coming to the United States when she was six weeks old. She graduated from Glasgow High School—working at Dairy Queen all through high school and college at BYU-Idaho. In school she was in choir, and speech and drama. She was the president of the Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America chapter. She won Patriot’s Pen, a youth essay contest for grades six through eight fostering patriotism, three years running and went to Chicago as the state representative for Jobs for Montana Youth.

She loved to go rock-hounding with the family, swimming at Fort Peck Lake, and sledding–the best part being to come inside and get warm with hot chocolate. She was always good with people and championed the underdog.

Sheree and Daniel were married in the Rexburg Idaho temple on October 9, 2010. They loved each other so much and wanted to spend every moment together. Naturally, Sheree’s family all came to love Daniel as if he had always been a member of the family. They loved playing games and having fun together. They both worked at Dairy Queen and Albertson’s together and most recently had both worked for Sheree’s father at his business in IT. All their church callings were together as well–they were the best nursery leaders.

Sheree at the Rexburg Temple

Amazing Daniel

Daniel, Eagle Scout, age 13

Daniel 2013

Daniel on his mission to South Africa

Daniel

Daniel loved history, computers, and people. Whenever he could bring those things together, he was happy. If you needed help setting up a new computer or debugging an old one, he was there. If you wanted to discuss history, especially the Civil War, he was there. If you needed someone to talk to, he was there.

Daniel came into the world April 16, 1987 at seven pounds ten ounces. Everything about him was amazing–his smile, his easy-going attitude, and the fact that he took his first steps on Christmas Day when he was just eight months old.

As Daniel got older, he was the best big brother anyone could ask for. When he was eight, his two-year-old sister pulled his hair straight up on the top of his head. Rather than retaliate, he called his mother to do something with this aggressive little sister. He was patient and kind, and before they could walk, he held his siblings on his lap and taught them how to turn on the computer and play toddler games.

Daniel was an entrepreneur at an early age. At the age of eight, he took orders, baked cookies by himself, and delivered them for eight dollars a dozen. They were big, loaded with chocolate chips, and delicious!

Daniel used his love of computers and helping people to complete his Eagle Project. After refurbishing computers for the Taylor Elementary School computer lab, he earned his Eagle in December 2000–at thirteen years old.

Daniel, like his dad, could fix anything and didn’t mind making do with what he had, but he was very quiet about it. He completed a fifty-mile bike ride on a very heavy old bike when he was 13 years old. Most of the other boy scouts had lightweight street bikes. But Daniel, without complaining, just did it!

A part of the bot ball team as a freshman in high school, Daniel designed a robot that could play soccer and compete against other teams.

A calm, cool, cunning strategist and problem solver, Daniel loved games–board games, video games, card games, any kind of games. He was a formidable opponent–yet, he was loving and patient. He once beat his mother in Quick Chess in just three moves.

Daniel tried many different sports in his life–soccer, football, basketball, swim team, scuba diving, fencing–but his favorite was badminton. Impressive, he made his high school team. The other kids trained for years. Their parents had hired private coaches and purchased $80 rackets. Yes, Daniel purchased an $80 racket also. Although he lacked the years of private coaching, he was quick, agile, and successful on the court. He interacted well with his teammates, making lifelong friends.

Daniel graduated from Santa Teresa High School on June 6, 2005, and went straight to BYU-Idaho. It was the perfect choice for him, and helped him prepare to honorably serve in the South Africa Johannesburg Mission in 2006. BYU-Idaho is also where he met the love of his life, Sheree Chalmers.

They were sealed in the LDS Rexburg Temple on October 9, 2010. From then on, they were inseparable and completely devoted to one another. There was nothing Daniel wanted more in life than to make Sheree happy. Together, they left BYU-Idaho and moved to Glasgow, Montana. Currently working with Sheree’s father, Daniel loved being in a job using computers, and working in this positive environment with family.

In sixth grade, Daniel stated this goal for himself: I will make a difference in the world, if not the universe. He did make a big difference in our universe!

One of the happiest days of Daniel’s life.

Dale on his mission to Columbus Ohio

Dale returning from Utah 2013

Dale in first grade

Dale’s Family

Dale

Dale saw his potential at an early age. Throughout his life he lived what he loved. He loved tinkering, being outdoors, engineering, flying, giving service, Zion’s Camp, his family, and the Savior Jesus Christ.

Tinkering and inventing occupied every spare minute of Dale’s youth. He loved anything with wheels–planes, bicycles, go-karts, roller blades, motorcycles, and old cars.

He was an avid outdoorsman. With brothers eight and fourteen years younger, he was fiercely independent and content with his inventions and adventures. He was barely seventeen when he graduated from high school. That summer he climbed the middle Teton. An August snowstorm marooned friends at the top, where hypothermia threatened the ill-clad group. After kneeling in prayer, their adult chaperone stood up to find a set of ice crampons sitting in the snow beside him. Dale returned home with a testimony, but not until after he had canoed the Louis and Shoshone Lakes enduring headwinds, and backpacked from the Beckler Ranger Station to Old Faithful. Dale was a physically fit youth and maintained his conditioning into adulthood. He loved gathering his family and friends for outdoor adventures.

My son slipped into the BYU-Idaho electronics engineering technology program with a natural affinity, graduating with his AA degree on his nineteenth birthday. Electronic repair equipment went on his mission to Columbus, Ohio, to use on p-day. After marrying Janis in the Oakland Temple, he graduated from BYU with a degree in Electronic Engineering Technology, beginning a career of designing, manufacturing, and marketing electronic test equipment with seven patents or patents pending to his name.

He started his first electronics company, Data Transit, in 1990, three years after he graduated from BYU. Its humble roots were a home business with a wave solder machine in his garage. His wife, Janis, handled the finances, took orders, attended classes in how to ship overseas, and juggled Dale’s business needs with the needs of their three-year-old son, Daniel, and their infant daughter, Crystal. To make their new business look larger than it was, Janis used her maiden name, Janis Hansen, on her business cards. They painted a van with their bright business logo, giving their company prominence in the parking lots of customers when Dale made deliveries. They hoped their customers thought that van was just one of a fleet.

Their family grew to include five children as the company grew even faster and larger to include thirty-five engineers. Designing, manufacturing, and selling the Bus Doctor line of protocol analyzers and the PacketMaker traffic generators, Data Transit became the world’s largest provider of analysis tools for complex development environments such as network servers and storage area networks. After signing a three-year noncompetition agreement, Dale and Janis sold Data Transit to Finisar in 2004.

With time on his hands and money in his pocket, Dale pursued his dream of learning to fly. Attacking the acquisition of a private pilot license with all the energy he had poured into the development of Data Transit, it was a short time until he soloed and acquired his first plane, a six-passenger Beach Bonanza with tail #N36ML, in 2005.

Dale’s first cross-country flight began his long history of service using his plane. On October 3, 2005, just three months after acquiring N36ML, he flew five of us to the heart of the Hurricane Katrina devastation.

As an Aeromedicos of Santa Barbara volunteer pilot, Dale flew dentists, translators and hygienists to a clinic in Mulege, Baja Mexico. As an Angel Flight pilot, he flew medically fragile people to appointments far from their homes to see specialists. He also introduced boy scouts to flying.

A beloved tool, 36ML flew the family to out-of-the-way places for a week at a time, numerous times a year. Mexico, Oregon, Arizona, and Utah became favorite playgrounds. When the children had days off from school, they were off on a family adventure. He flew every chance he got, but as much as he loved to fly, Dale still loved tinkering and engineering.

At the end of his three-year non-compete agreement, he jumped at the opportunity when two former employees approached him, proposing they form a new company together. With two partners, he thought he’d spend only a third as much time at work, leaving more time for service and family. They started SerialTek in 2007. Like Data Transit, it provided the tools companies need to keep up with the fast pace of the information age by making analyzers faster and friendlier.

Shortly after starting his second company, Dale began to serve on the board of the Advancement Council for Engineering and Technology (ACET) at Brigham Young University in Provo. The mission of ACET is to support the college in developing men and women of faith, character and technical ability who can quickly rise to positions of responsibility within their professions. Each member is a recognized leader in fields impacted by technology and innovation.

Dale loved working with the youth and the camaraderie of working with other dedicated men. From the time his sons were in diapers, his 1942 Dodge Weapon’s Carrier, loaded with happy boys, wound her way behind the pack every year to father-and-son campouts–and sometimes even made it all the way without a breakdown. His Ford Expedition, loaded to capacity with materials, headed to Zion’s Camp for the last thirteen years.

Zion’s Camp, a weeklong young men’s summer camp put on by the San Jose South Stake for twelve-to-eighteen-year-olds, focused on fun high adventure activities, supporting the boys on their trail to Eagle Scout, and helping the young men develop spiritually by strengthening their relationship with their Father in Heaven. Dale’s land luge activity (similar to a soap box derby), well thought out, inventive, and reserved for the fourth level boys (fifteen-and-sixteen-year-olds)–was one of the activities most looked forward to at camp. The younger boys looked on, anticipating the year they could make one.

Dale annually built a legendary activity on the pond at camp based on the TV show Wipe Out. It was an obstacle course race that involved navigating a zip line over the pond onto a floating trampoline, walking across a balance beam while dodging wet sponges, then engaging in a jousting match between gladiators on 4-by-4 foot platforms on inner tubes. He designed a land-based waterskiing system and extreme water slingshots with a capture game.

Darin Graves commented, "Over the years our contact was incidental, but it was enough for me to get to know him, and I had a strong respect for him. As our two sons moved into the cub scout program, this introduced the Pinewood Derby into our relationship and changed everything. This annual race kindled the kind of competitive spirit that exists between brothers in which you love them, but you really want to beat them at all costs, within the rules. Competing against Dale, you couldn’t rest on last year’s success. You had to improve!

The Elders’ Quorum once held a ‘big kid’ Pinewood Derby–without rules! My first thought was I had better bring my A game because I knew Dale was a formidable opponent. True to form, he didn’t disappoint. During this friendly competition, Dale’s rocket-powered entry blasted past every other car, except Darin’s. However, when Darin’s car boldly and speedily jumped every rail of the track, Dale won.

Dale loved music and the technology that allowed him to have and play a digital piano and electronic drum set. During the ensuing years, he wrote love songs to Janis, organized numerous family talent show acts, put scripture mastery selections to music, and most recently, programmed the music to family video clips.

Dale loved the Savior. Along with his tools for tinkering, his other regularly used tools included deep prayer, a keen knowledge of the scriptures, and temple attendance.

I will never forget the business lawsuit against Data Transit that dragged on and on. Dale knew he was in the right. He knew that if it could be brought to court, he would prevail. He also knew he would run out of money for attorney and legal fees before he could bring his case to justice.

Driving up to Oakland together, Dale and Janis sought the solace of the temple. Dale opened the Book of Mormon to a random page while waiting for their session to begin. His answer lay before him. Published in the Ensign Magazine in February of 2008 as A Battle of Pride, Dale wrote:

"The book fell open to Ether 15. As I began reading of the battle between Coriantumr and Shiz, I was overcome by the Spirit, recognizing that the story was about proud men sacrificing everything in a battle of cunning and power. I read how millions had been slain in the battle and how Coriantumr, in remorse, sent an epistle to Shiz offering to give him the kingdom so that his people might be spared. But Shiz, in his pride, refused the offer unless Coriantumr would allow himself to be slain. I recognized the similar impact of pride and emotion in my own conflict as I read how the people of Coriantumr were angered by the counter-offer and how the battle continued. After more battles, Coriantumr again tried to surrender the kingdom in exchange for the lives of the people, but the fighting continued until both armies were dead.

Years before, I had wondered why the gruesome battles between Coriantumr and Shiz were included in the scriptures. Now I understood that, among other things, this story could teach me important lessons about conflict and priorities. Through them, I realized that my own pride was clouding my ability to weigh the costs of fighting this legal battle. I learned that sometimes settling a conflict can be more important than winning it.

Settle the lawsuit, even though the terms are not what you prefer, was his answer. Dale followed the Lord’s admonition and felt the confirmation that he had done the right thing. During the next few months his business experienced a surge of prosperity that covered the costs of settling in a mere four months. He was able to put it all behind him.

Dale’s creativity and dedication were never more evident than when he taught seminary for seven years. He was the king of fun games that taught gospel principles. His Family Home Evening lessons were never boring and were often thought up minutes before he gathered his family for their weekly get-together. I can truly say that I have never met anyone as creative as my son Dale!

Most of all, Dale loved his family. He honored the love, the trust, and the wonderful marriage he shared with Janis. He regularly planned fun adventures with his kids–out of the box, adventurous, often physically taxing, and always fun. He welcomed new members into his family as his children married. He recently said to me, Mom, I am so ready to be a grandparent!

Because of Dale’s love for the Savior and the goodness and dedication of the other family members, this intact family is only separated for a short minute in the eternal scheme of things.

The Search for Dale’s Plane

Finding Spiritual Meaning in the Wake of Tragedy

High Flight

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth

of sun-split clouds,—and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of—wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,

I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air.…

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue

I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace.

Where never lark, or ever eagle flew—

And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod

The high untrespassed sanctity of space,

- Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

John Magee

The aircraft abruptly dropped off the radar and lost all radio contact. Just below, shrouded in clouds, lay the Johnson Creek airstrip. To the east, the direction the plane was flying, lay the vast Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. The date was December 1, 2013. The time was 1:02 p.m. MST. Snow clad and remote, the steep Snake River Mountains reached upwards as if they wanted to pluck the plane from the sky. The pilot was my son.

I’ll call you when I land at Butte, Dale promised his wife, Janis, after kissing her goodbye.

Just four days prior, my son and his wife, Dale and Janis Smith, had rented a ranch near Baker City, Oregon. They spent Thanksgiving Day with Dale’s father and stepmother, Steve and Terri Smith. The holiday weekend was over and Dale was returning his son and daughter-in-law, Daniel and Sheree Smith, and his daughter and her fiancé, Amber Smith and Jonathan Norton, to Butte, Montana. There they’d pick up their cars and drive to Glasgow, Montana and BYU-Idaho in Rexburg, respectively.

In their traditional group hug, the Smith family embraced in the foyer of the Baker City Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that morning.

Clear! Dale shouted through the open window as the engine caught on the first turn and purred its familiar rhythm. As 36ML taxied and took off, only one thing was unusual. The red beacon on the tail failed to flash its usual pattern. Those watching from the ground as the plane soared ever higher made a mental note to mention the taillight to Dale upon his return in four hours. It was probably just a burned-out bulb.

The plane became a tiny bird flying in the distance, then a pinpoint among the clouds, and finally was gone.

Five boarded the plane, two drove to Provo, UT and three waited for the plane to return.

[Left to Right] Craig, Janis, Dale, Nathan, Amber, Jonathan, Michael, Crystal, Daniel, and Sheree.

After spending Christmas with Sheree’s family in St. Marie, Montana, Daniel and Sheree would head to California for Amber and Jonathan’s wedding.

Upon completing finals at BYU-Idaho, Amber and Jonathan were headed to Wisconsin to spend Christmas with Jonathan’s family. They would attend Jonathan’s younger brother’s wedding in Nauvoo, Illinois, two days after Christmas. They also planned for their own marriage and sealing in the Oakland Temple on January 4, just a month away.

Crystal and Michael Christensen, Dale and Janis’s daughter and son-in-law, began the long drive back to Provo, Utah. Twenty-three-year-old Crystal had completed her tough yearlong cancer treatment just two weeks previously. Michael would graduate from BYU later that month followed by a family Christmas vacation in Brazil and attending Amber and Jonathan’s wedding.

Twelve-year-old Nathan and seventeen-year-old Craig, Dale and Janis’s two youngest sons, waited in Baker City with their mother for their father to return. He was to