<Begin Segment 11>

EG: Well, I was saying -- I was asking what, looking back over your life, is the thing that you're most proud of having done or been a part of. That's not exactly what I asked, but that's kind of what I'm asking.

FS: My oldest son, Kenneth, who was seventy-six years old when he died, and the father and grandfather of a large family, was taken -- I don't know a better word -- in such a... in such a unusual way, that it would seem, it would seem almost contrived, a trap set for him. He was walking up a trail just a hundred yards from his home on Tiger Mountain, above Issaquah, after a 2-foot snowfall a year ago. Last Christmas. When a large branch -- about 8 inches -- of a maple tree overloaded with snow, seemed to be set just for the vibration of his foot, and fell; hit him across the back of his neck, as though he'd been struck by a baseball bat. His neck was broken. He was pinned down facedown in the snow. And he lived, I think, only two or three minutes after being hit. His wife, who was with him, was not hit and she put her jacket under his head and ran back to the house. Called Medic One, and her, their son had a chain saw; but when they got back to Ken he had already died. And actually, it looked like an execution. It was such a bizarre accident that you can hardly accept it as anything but planned. Some people believe that there is purpose in all things. This may be true, but it's very hard to find the purpose in a death like that.

EG: Yeah.

FS: He was very useful person, helpful to everyone.

EG: Yeah. Well, thank you for giving me an opportunity to meet you. It's one of the important things in my life. Thank you very much.

<End Segment 11> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.