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- NOVEMBER 20, 1938 - APRIL 28, 2006
Harold was born in the old St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction and lived the early years of his life with me and my sister Phyllis and our parents in a tar paper shack at the bottom of the Bookcliffs at the Thomas Coal Mine and then in a rock house at the Farmers coal mine. As very small kids we spent a lot of time on the slack piles in the winter as they were warm from smoldering fires inside them. Our mother had a time trying to keep us clean and out of trouble. Once she saw us high on a narrow ridge crawling after our dog. Then one time I threw a ball past Harold into the mines Donkey corral, so he went after it and the donkey's chased him (they were very mean & would bite you) so we both ran, as we passed the house my mom saw them chasing us so she came out and beat them with her broom, they ate the broom and chased her back in the house while we escaped.
Later when my dad was hauling logs off of Grand Mesa for Burkey Lumber, we would ride on top of the load down the Lands End Road. We used to swim in the Colorado River down from my Grand Mothers house on Struthers Ave. I worked real hard getting this log into the river to float on and Harold stole it, so I pushed him out into the main river they finally caught up with him below the Fifth Street Bridge. He did save me though when I got stuck in the tunnel at the bottom of the Ten Story caves, he had to go back in at the top and pull me back out.
During our High school years our dad had a gravel and landscaping business, I think we dug most of the Connected Lakes. That is where we learned to operate the dozers, the dragline and loaders and drive trucks.
Harold must have really liked it and it became his way of life. We used to take bucket off the dragline and use it to swing each other out over the ponds and drop off. We also had a red gravel pit near the Fruita end of the Monument. On one boring day we dug a tunnel inside the bank of the pit , then we tied three Cherry Bombs together and did our first blasting project, but Harold didn't get out of the tunnel fast enough and it caved in on his head, so I had to pull him out. It was amazing we made it to adulthood.
He and my brother Carmen went to driving truck hauling uranium for Moab Trucking and Schooley while the U.S. Navy snagged me for the next twenty years. Harold was known at every mine in Colorado and Utah as he made sure he was there for mealtime.
In 1975 when I retired for the first time from the U.S.Navy, I went to work with Harold (Stafford Construction) as a pilot and Heavy Equipment Operator, truck driver, office worker, parts chaser sometimes foreman, working all night on job bids. It was no change from the Navy where they had me doing all kinds of jobs too.
We went from the small $20,000 land leveling job and freezing Nebraska no money project to the early 80's 14-17 million dollar project at Ticaboo (Bull Frog) in just 5 short years. We had 12 – 15 scrapers and equal number of dozers and lots of loaders and blades, rock trucks, two airplanes and a couple hundred employees by then. He was asked once about how he got in the earth moving business, he told the guy, when he was little and we were digging in the dirt with a spoon, he knew then he would grow up to be a dirt digger.
Harold said those big jobs scared him since the money just came in on one hand and flew out faster from the other hand. But we had lots of fun and worked hard. It was rewarding to be able to complete such large projects and help all those people take care of their families. Harold had a core of fulltime people during those years that were the best. Harold just seemed to attract the best and make them long time friends.
He and I were not only brothers but were best friends and buddies. We fought for and with each other, no one picked on one without having to fight the other as well. Not good for them as we had training in Golden Gloves Boxing. This kept the fights to a minimum in school.
At first there was just a half brother Lowell Gene, Phyllis, me and Harold (Bally) in our family but later there was our brother Carmen (Butch) and finally three more sisters, Carol (Cookie), JoAnn, and Shirley (Most of us had nicknames). There wasn't any extra food at our dinner table, you had better be on time for meals! We were very protective of our sister Phyllis, We followed her where ever she went on her first date to make sure no one would be kissing or messing around with her. She went home crying to Mom. Harold was totally devoted to our mother always making sure she had everything she needed. Including the Chrysler convertible that she only drove once with him. I think she scared both of them with her driving!
Harold had a really big sense of humor, he liked to pull practical jokes on family, friends and acquaintances, even strangers;
He dressed up in his ugly mask one night and we scared the devil out of brother Carmen. He was holding the door closed and screaming for his wife to bring his gun. Harold hit several places that night.
His best trick was calling some stranger or acquaintance and telling them he was from the IRS and was coming to audit their books he scared the pants off a poor guy in the gravel business from Canyon City.
You also need to ask about Marvin's shotgun wedding at the spring on the mountain.
Harold and my sister Phyllis took guitar lessons from artist and musician "Van Muncy". Phyllis on the Hawaiian Electric Steel and Harold on the Spanish Electric. There was always a battle when they played together but they were great and performed on T.V. in Denver. They met Hank Snow Copeco Dance Hall. Hank came home with them and they had a jam session. They played the Mexican Hat Dance while family danced around a hat. Hank's advice was, "You don't have to be good just loud!" But they did play good. Harold was a perfectionist.
Harold gave music lessons to pay for his tuition at Mesa Jr. College, and also formed a rock band, the "Rebel Rouser Trio." They played at many teen dances in the valley.
Jake, Jacque's dad hired Harold to do some dozer work on the ranch. I think he built Sheep Creek Road. Ask Jerry about the buzzards, and the firecrackers. He met and fell in love with Jacque. I heard he chased her all over the mountain until they were married in August of 1960.
Mark Harold Wayne was born on Aug. 11th, two days before their 1st anniversary.
April of 1963 Martin William, joined the family. Last but not least in Nov. of 1969 Marvin Jake arrived.
They bought the farm on 22 Rd. when Marvin was a year old. Harold loved his family unconditionally, and began to teach his young boys the value of hard work, and to always do their best.
Harold was an entrepreneur. He started Stafford Trucking and later Stafford Construction. Doing large projects for Wyoming Coal at Trinidad, Cotter Corp. in Canyon City, Union Carbide in Uravan and G.E. at Ticaboo (Bullfrog) UT. He loved operating heavy equipment and driving truck.
Harold was always there with help for his family, extended family, and friends. No matter what the need or problem he put his whole heart into taking care of it. He was our Mighty Oak, greatly loved, and left some very large shoes to fill. Floods of memories fill our hearts and minds, and will keep Harold alive as we can share those memories.
Ask Jack Leach about the infamous trip to Texas and Gilley's.
Harold, Jacque and boys traveled extensively, seeing all of the US and a trip to England and Europe.
He attained most of his life goals and has family and friends who loved him dearly.
He and Jacque have opened their home to many including strangers who needed help to get on their feet. For all he has done for us, meant to us, the good times as well as the bad. We say thank you lord for the time he was with us. We miss him already!
I am sure Harold is with his Mom, Dad and other family and friends who have gone before; Heaven had better be prepared for his practical jokes.
God bless you all! Keep the Shiney Side UP Harold! (That is a joke from my flying with Harold and Dave Davis!)
Love you Brother and I will miss you a lot!
Darold J. (Jim) Stafford
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1938 - 2006 (67 years)
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