Earliest Childhood Memories

Ouch – Randy recommended that we write about a childhood memory this evening. So here goes…

Leland Keith Meitzler - as a child at Lake Tipsoo in Mount Rainier National Park. As a very young child (under 5), our family (Theodore, Virginia, Beverly, Steve, and I), went to church every Saturday at a very tiny Seventh-day Adventist church in Enumclaw, Washington. I can’t remember for sure where it was in town, but it kinda’ seems like the church may have been on Harding (or was that the little white school house?). Anyway, two of my earliest memories stem from experiences at that little white church.

The first is one where our family was sitting on the front row – and it seems like I wanted to sit by my mother. I made a big fuss, and dad took me down the aisle of the church to the small foyer and taught me me keep my mouth shut in church. Another memory is out front of the church, following a service. For some reason I got into it with my friend, Fred Epperly, and I bit him. That was not approved of by the Meitzler family. Mom warned me that things were not going to be pleasant when I got home – and sure enough, I got a good spanking; one that I remember to this day.

Yes – my folks believed that line about “spare the rod and spoil the child.” They didn’t spare the rod, that’s for sure, but looking back, I think I was still a bit of a brat.

Okay – how’s that for earliest memories?

About Leland Meitzler

Leland K. Meitzler founded Heritage Quest in 1985, and has worked as Managing Editor of both Heritage Quest Magazine and The Genealogical Helper. He currently operates Family Roots Publishing Company (www.FamilyRootsPublishing.com), writes daily at GenealogyBlog.com, writes the weekly Genealogy Newsline, conducts the annual Salt Lake Christmas Tour to the Family History Library, and speaks nationally, having given over 2000 lectures since 1983.

One Reply to “Earliest Childhood Memories”

  1. Leland I have memories like those also. Only I went to the Damm with my cousin and I could not swim well. WE rode the raft and started back to house when DAD caught us. OUCH

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