January 29th 1984

January 29th 1984

I was 20 married with a 18 month old child and unemployed. I would do odd jobs for my father-in-law to pay the rent and put a few meals on the table. One of the jobs I did was to drive out to his ranch and take care of his cows and other farm animals he kept in Yelm Washington about 25 miles from where I lived. It was easy work and I enjoyed being on the ranch and working with the animals.

On this day ( January 29th 1984) we had snow. This made driving into Yelm that much more interesting. I owend a 1972 Ford Pinto at the time with a 1600cc engine that I thought was the do-all go-all car on the road. Because I only had a AM radio I listened to the news on my 25 mile drive into Yelm. The news was reporting a murder/suicide in the Univercity Place neighborhood and interviewing people that had witnessed gun shoots the night before. I payed close itention because I had family in this area and I was concerned. The news guy kept reporting they could give names because the family hadn't been notified of the murders.

When I got to the ranch in Yelm I went into the house and built a fire in the fireplace and made coffee. I made my rounds,breaking ice out of water troffs and spreading hay and grain for the cows in the uppper fields. I returned to the house for coffee and to get warm.

It was about 10am when I decide to check the barns on the lower ranch. I wanted to see how my Pinto would do in the deep snow so I drove out into the snow toward the barns. As I started the car the radio came on and the news guy again talking about the murder/suicide in Univercity Place anounced the names of the family that was murdered. In shocked silence I heard my sisters name then my nephews name then my nieces name. I was shook with disbelief.

It was several days before I could cry....Its been many years later and I still do.

Weekend Activities

I didn't hike this weekend. Susan wanted to do something different so after a late night out Saturday with friends we slept in and headed into Seattle to the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field.

Weekendhiker's Journals

January 29th 1984

Weekend Activities