I Remember Ed Sheldon

Loren Edward Sheldon Obituary

Published in the San Jose Mercury News on 1/12/2007.

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MY FORMATIVE YEARS

REFLECTIONS ON GROWING UP, AND THE KEY INCIDENTS IN MY LIFE THAT SHAPED MY ADULT YEARS AS LINGERING IN MY MEMORY

By Ed Sheldon

I was three at the time, with only a rudimentary vocabulary. Mother was out of the house. My little brother decided it was time to rob the refrigerator, and climbed up on a chair to do so. He fell from this high perch and split his head on the floor. With blood everywhere, I learned that it was bad to take. In later years I saw this as ok to receive but not to steal. We were living near LaVerne, California, at the time, and my other major memory of those years was going out in the orange orchards with my father real early in the morning to set smudge pots to save the trees from the frost.

I started the first grade in Kuna, Idaho, but fell sick with lingering pneumonia and had to restart the first grade the next year in a small one room school in the farm community of Riverside, Southwest of Caldwell. Mrs. Farmer was my teacher. One time she beat me with a garden hose so badly I was humiliated by wetting my pants. I didn’t do what she accused me of doing, but I was afraid I would get another beating by my Dad when I got home. Dad never learned about it. There are times when it is better to remain quiet. However, I remember Mrs. Farmer for teaching me the poem, “Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase)”. When told by the Angel that his name was not on the list of those who love the Lord, he replied, “Write me as one that loves his fellow men.” The next night, when the Angel came again and “showed the names whom God had blessed, and lo! Ben Adhem’s name led all the rest!”. I worked hard that year, learning the Palmer method of hand writing as a first grader, but that poem led my learning experiences.

The spring winds would blow across the Idaho prairie, and I built kites and sold them to my neighbors as well as running across the wheat stubble in my bare feet flying them. One day the string broke and I watched as my kite was borne on the winds across the Snake river to land far away in Oregon. I also built miniature hay derricks and stacked grass clippings as one would stack hay.

In the third grade, living near New Plymouth, Idaho, after my parents lost the farm in the great depression, I attended Sunday School at a small church in town. I was asked to make a pledge, which I did, that has helped to guide me throughout life. Among other things it included, “Do not take the Lord’s name in vain.”. My Uncle Don gave me my first job at 25 cents a day to look after the cattle in the pasture out behind the apple orchards. I took this job seriously, and tried regularly to ride the bull. He always threw me off jumping the irrigation ditch. I learned not to ride bulls unless I wanted to cool off in the water. On Uncle Don’s back porch was his ham radio gear on a table. Out of curiosity, I would take it apart. When Uncle Don discovered the pieces, he calmly threw me some “Radio Craft” magazines by Hugo Gernsback, and told me to learn to put the radio back together. I studied hard, and, before the summer was over, his radio was back together. I have been into that kind of technology now for all of my life, more recently with computers.

One day, while standing along side the road near New Plymouth, Idaho, road crews started work on the road. What had been a dirt road was being paved. I learned that this was a part of Highway 30, a ribbon that extended from Astoria on the coast clear across the country to Philadelphia. I stood in awe, as I watched this nation wide link help bind our country together with the help of trucks, graders, and paving equipment.

We lived with my grandparents just South of New Plymouth after we lost the farm at Riverside. We had to give up when there was no market for our crops, and the sheep herders wanted us to pay them to bring their flocks down to graze in our fields. Uncle Don’s house was just across the road. Uncle Don and my Dad were brothers, and my mom and Aunt Ina were sisters. It was here that I completed the 3rd and 4th grades.

But it was time to move on and try to recover from the ravages of the great depression. So we loaded all we owned, including the kitchen range, on a 4-wheel trailer my Dad had made from a Model T chassis, and headed West. Crossing the Blue Mountains, we took the long down hill (I remember this as Rice Hill) into Pendleton, and continued on to Yakima. There, we rented a one room cabin near the town of Selah. We set up a tent for my brother and I, and my Dad went to work as a ditch rider for the local irrigation company. I started going to Sunday School once again at a church in Yakima.

That winter, I attended the 5th grade in Selah. On the long cold nights sleeping in the un-heated tent, I started reading Science Fiction. The Doc Savage stories especially attracted me. One weekend there was a parade in town, and my mother fixed me up with her fur cape serving as a coon-skin cap. I won third place. I sold subscriptions to The Saturday Evening Post in order to ear a baseball mitt, as baseball attracted me. The first game in which I used the mitt, I left it in the back of our car and someone stole it. I did however continue serving as pitcher on my school teams until I completed the 8th grade. While at Selah, I had a horned toad as a pet. To keep him in out of the cold of winter, I let him have the run of the house. Unfortunately, my Dad stepped on him in his bare feet early one morning. When school was out that year, we packed up once again and crossed the Cascade Mountains to Olympia, Washington. This was made possible when the Roosevelt administration issued a bonus to all World War I veterans.

When I reached my twelfth birthday, we were living near Olympia, Washington, where my folks managed to acquire some land in the farm community of Delphi, where I attended another one room school. My father purchased this land at $5 an acre. After blowing out the candles on my cake, Dad said he had a special gift for me. He had signed me up in the Boy Scouts of America, and handed me my first Scout Handbook. As a lone Scout, I read that handbook from cover to cover. I was particularly impressed by the stories of the “Knights of Old”, and the concept of honor. I learned the “Scout Law” and the “Scout Oath”, and “Do a good turn daily”. Having learned the “Golden Rule” and the “10 Commandments” earlier in Sunday School , these new found words to live by – along with “love my fellow man”- rounded out my personal code of conduct.

When we arrived near Olympia, I was put to work. We cut trees and hauled them on the trailer to a local mill where they were sawed for “half” . With this lumber, we built our house. I had the job of splitting cedar shakes for the house. This new home cost only $60 dollars, for hemlock flooring and electrical wiring. I help dig a “hand dug” well, but never did reach water. It wasn’t until after the war that a driller found water. We used the 4-wheel trailer with barrels to haul water from the creek at the Southern corner of our property. It was here that I discovered the annual salmon run, which helped to supplement our meals. I milked our ten cows morning and night, and hauled butterfat to the down-town creamery. The cows were on open range, and daily I had to go find them and bring them home to our pole barn.

In all my growing up years, I was taught grace at every meal, and prayers every evening as I went to bed. The Psalms shall never vanish from my lips. They comfort me and they lift me and give me strength as I walk the path of life. The 23rd Psalm especially.

After being a Lone Scout for a year, I joined Troop 2 on the West side of Olympia, and rode my bike – a new Western Flyer – nine miles each way every Tuesday to go to troop meetings. My Scoutmaster, Mr. Smith, once stopped me as I was passing the flag, reached out to touch it and said, “Have you ever seen a more beautiful representation of what our nation stands for?” History came alive, as he described the meaning of the red, white and blue of our flag and its symbolism of what it means to be an American citizen. At this time in our history, Germany was overrunning Poland and all of Europe was becoming engulfed in war. Our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution, our Bill of Rights all took on special meanings and to this day gives me goose bumps of joy for helping to be an ambassador of human rights to people everywhere. Add to this that Mr. Smith once wrote a poem, that starts out, “ I would rather be small than big and tall, for the spirit it greater than all the thoughts to the men who are great and wise”

In my Junior year at Olympia High School, located next to the Court house across the street from the State Capital, I was attending church one Sunday when another incident occurred that pronouncedly affected my life. A drunk came in from the street during the Services. All services immediately stopped while the church elders removed the man from the church back onto the street. Here was a man with a need, and consciously or not came to the church. We were not able to help this person in his time of need, and this has bothered me all of my life.

While in the Scouts, I was attracted by the mountains. I interpreted from the 24th Psalm, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein…Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place?... The Olympic Mountains especially attracted me, and I spent many a time camping and hiking in what I saw as “The palace of the Lord.” Likewise, I joined the Sea Scouts, and ventured on many a boating trek on Puget Sound. I crossed under the Tacoma Narrows Bridge the day a wind storm brought it down. It taught me a basic civil engineering, or physics, lesson.

Then Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and the United States was embroiled in a world wide conflagration. I wrote a poem that started out, “We may lose the minds of self, by the loss of this our war.” My father enlisted in the US Navy, and went off to the Pacific theatre on a destroyer. When my brother and I finished High School, he went on the Annapolis and I joined the US Navy Air Force. The war ended as my brother finished Annapolis as a Navy officer, but later served in Korea and Vietnam. My father, who had been in the Army in the first World War, returned after the War but stayed in the reserves and was recalled for the Korean conflict. My mother worked for Westinghouse in Philadelphia during the war, and returned home when Dad did.

While on Navy leave during the war, I went back to visit home town Olympia and some of my old Scout cronies. I also visited my High School girl friend. We reminisced on the Senior Ball, where I took her on the bar of my bike. My brother had use of the car that night. Dorothy lived about 12 miles out of town near the village of Littlerock, and it was a long ride on the bike. She wore a beautiful orange and black gown. Going home it started to rain, and we holed up in a late night restaurant for the rain to blow over. I will never know why, but Dorothy’s parents showed up at the restaurant and took her home. As we visited during my Navy leave, we went to the milk bar at Capital Creamery where we ordered a Chocolate Milkshake. I capitalize this, as we only had money for one and with two straws we shared it. At some point, I commented, “I guess this constitutes an engagement.” Without batting an eye, she replied, “I guess it does.” So, we became betrothed.

When Japan capitulated, I was in San Diego with Squadron 13 preparing for the anticipated final battle of the war. Dorothy came down to visit me. We hadn’t planned it in advance, but the First Methodist church in town was beckoning, so we became married. I finished the war at Farragut, Idaho where I worked with German Prisoners of War until I was mustered out of the service. Dorothy worked as a short order cook at the bus depot.

Later, I attended college at Bellingham, Washington, and Eugene, Oregon, where I picked up degrees in Mathematics, English, and a Masters in Education. Dorothy picked up that most coveted of degrees, her PHT (Putting husband through). We finished college with two wonderful daughters, and I started teaching High School when our son arrived. I spent many long hours in the college library researching and studying theology.

I spent the next 36 years as a teacher in High School and in industry. While teaching, I received a calling by my church. After three days of oral exams, I was ordained in the Hudson River Association of The Congregational Church. I served a number of years as a minister in Kingston, New York.

For 42 years, I was a Scoutmaster in troops in Washington State, New York, and California.. I am regularly visited by persons from Scout Troops from everywhere I have lived..

When Dorothy and I took our vows back in 1945, we took on that task of love and honor until death do us part. For 55 years, she and I shared our lives and our trials and tribulations. We became bonded on that bike ride to the Senior ball, at the start of a relationship that shall have no end. Our children now have their own lives as we had ours. Dorothy was called by our Lord in the year 2000, but she is still a part of me in everything I do.

Today, I try to hold together the “Crisis Line for the Handicapped” that Dorothy founded a quarter century ago to serve the needs of others. It is her legacy to the world. I work with the Boy Scouts, trying to teach those principles that I learned as I grew up. I serve as Secretary for a Kiwanis Club, further helping to serve others. I serve as chaplain wherever I am called, teaching the gospel as I know it in the “love of my fellow man”. For over 40 years, I have been spending my summers as chaplain at Boy Scout Camp.

My life has forever been a blessing to me.

Memories Submitted of Ed:

Submitted by: Jamie Rogers
"To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity."
-- Donald A. Adams

"Our souls are not hungry for fame, comfort, wealth, or power. Those
rewards create almost as many problems as they solve. Our souls are hungry
for meaning, for the sense that we have figured out how to live so our
lives matter, so the world will be at least a little bit different for our
having passed through it."
-- Harold Kushner

Submitted by: Joseph Sinn
I know Ed from: Camp
My memory of Ed: As the sun rises over Dodge Ridge and shines into the valley of the Tuolumne we give thee thanks oh Lord for the beauty of this earth and for the opportunity for each of us to share it with thee..

Submitted by: Charlene Sheldon
I know Ed from: I am his 1st born daughter
My memory of Ed: It's impossible to sum up a lifetime of memories in a few words. If I had handpicked a father, I couldn't have picked a better one. At his knees I learned what a man truly is. I learned love, love of country, love of God, love of family, love of community. Watching my mom and dad, I formed my ideal of romantic love. I learned what it meant to live a life of service. We had our differences, but love won in the end. Only the body is laid to rest, Love lives on.

Submitted by: Scott Gillette
I know Ed from: Camp Hi-Sierra
My memory of Ed: is one of cheerfulness. Ed always had a smile and a kind word for anyone he met. No campfire at CHS will ever again be complete without his telling the story of Old Jim and the Tribe of Hi-Sierra by the last remaining embers.

Submitted by: Jeff Alden
I know Ed from: Camp Hi-Sierra, BSA, etc
My memory of Ed: When you go to camp, most boys focus on boating, shooting the rifles and arrows, riding the bikes, etc. But if you ever went up the trail to the chapel, and participated in the scout vespers with Ed, you often found something that went beyond fun. You always ended up closer to your fellow scouts, closer to God, and closer to Ed. It will take another heaven and Earth to pass before we meet someone like Ed again.

Submitted by: Mark Corniuk
I know Ed from: Scouting, Camp-o-ree
My memory of Ed: In all the 12+ years I have been associated with Ed I cannot recall even once that I seen him speaking ill of anyone or anything. Ed's tolerance for mankind was a true inspiration.

Submitted by: Nick Castellanos
I know Ed from: Boy Scouts, Troop Charter Representative...
My memory of Ed: Where to start! I met Ed when I first joined Scouts in 1997. He was our Charter representative, our Chaplain and an all around good guy. We camped on his ranch many times, one of which I was instrumental in feeding crickets to our adult leaders. In 1999 I staffed CHS and I worked in Shooting Sports with Ed as the Rangemaster. It was a great time, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There was a long running inside joke going with a few scouting friends where Ed would say "Uh huh, alright, mmkay, wanna dance chump?" I think Tim Flynn did it the best...

It is sad that he is gone, but Ed lived a very full life, and I am glad to have known him. He is in a better place now, and he knows that his friends will miss him. Good bye Ed, and thanks for everything.

Submitted by: Jonathan Ulrich
I know Ed from: C amp Hi-Sierra
My memory of Ed: I was teaching the shotgun class one day and Ed walked up to me and was helping me demonstrate the correct stance for shooting a shotgun. Ed had me go into the stance and proceeded to tell the class how much kick a shotgun has and how it correlates to boxing. He goes into telling the class about his boxing career and how to roll with the punches. Then, suddenly, Ed punches me in the shoulder with all his might and practically knocks me to the ground. This is no more than 5 years ago. Ed was always a very strong person for his age.

Submitted by: Dylan Hendrickson (originally posted on http://www.yourtruehero.org)
The question has long been proposed through out history as to “what makes a hero?” and “what is a hero?” Sadly the answer to that question will never be answered fully. This however does not mean that the identification of a hero is not possible. There is something intrinsic, something unidentified, that is inherent in the characteristics of a heroic human being.

Attributes that are generally denoted to a human being who exemplifies humanity are those which best describe the definition of a hero. These attributes range from holding fast to ones ideals through thick and thin, to always showing respect to others no matter the situation. A hero can almost universally be agreed upon within the context of their cultural surrounding.

In these modern times it is more difficult for the entirety of humanity to agree on a common ground as to which to judge human kind. This leads to the concept that it is impossible to ever fully identify what designs a hero must have within our society or within the world’s view. This however does not mean that a hero cannot be identified.

The hero that I propose to be recognized is Loren Edward Sheldon, or Ed for short. Ed is the chaplain for a Boy Scout Camp. This Camp is Camp Hi-Sierra located in Long Barn California. Ed has been faithfully serving at the camp for a total of 40 years counting last summer and he has given his heart to the service of others. There is always a certain air about him that makes him comfortable to talk with and express your problems to. Ed gives his time and effort to the scouts of the camp for free and donates all of his pay to worthy charities and back to the Boy Scouts...

...When Ed found Camp Hi-Sierra he became the Range Master, in charge of the rifle and shotgun ranges. He also took on the role as Chaplain as stated before. In his duties to both he has made learning a priority. Even up until last year he did not advocate the usage of firearms within the social setting. Ed expresses that the reason the Boy Scouts of America have a range is to make sure that safety is learned in the usage of firearms through out the United States in accordance with out constitutional rights.

There have been a number of problems that have come into Ed Sheldon’s life. He has persevered through them all and has become the stronger because of it. Ed Sheldon lost his wife several years ago. Through the trying times he still upheld his obligations; attending a firearms safety conference in Chicago, being a member of the Santa Clara Council Boy Scouts of America Merit Badge training council, and attending Camp Hi-Sierra for the summer. Ed also had two strokes as a result of losing his wife, one last year and another the year before that. These strokes almost prevented him from attending the camp which, he loves, but they did not hinder his resolve.

Ed Sheldon has been a hero to me for more than his resolute stance in front of the problems that life has thrown at him. I have found my faith because of this man in his seventies. The services that Ed Sheldon provides at camp, Scout Vespers, are non-denominational and preach a lesson more then a means or way. The lesson could be on caring, Native Americans, or words that hurt. I would attend these services even though I had not chosen a way to proceed with my life. Ed Sheldons never ending patience is what helped me to find where I needed to be at in my life.

Next year it will be Loren Ed Sheldon’s forty-first year at Camp Hi-Sierra and even though the first year scouts may not know who he is they will learn by the end of the week. This man who has all the compassion in the world coupled with the strength to show it to all who ask. Loren Ed Sheldon is the man who is my true hero.

Submitted by: Mikol Fajardo
I know Ed from: Troop 234
My memory of Ed: My mom told me that Ed Shelton was sick and had passed away. I felt sad and thought that we would all miss him. Ed was very nice when he came to our campouts and he told lots of good stories. Ed would tell stories about when he was a young boy like us and some of his stories had lessons. My favorite story was about a bandit who always stole the carriage money, which was from the bank. This bandit always use to trick the carriage man by painting brooms that looked like rifles and the carriage man always fell for it. Before the bandit went away with the money he would always reveal his trick by kicking down the broom and using the broom to dust off the carriage. Then the bandit would runaway with the money. The bandit's trick always worked no matter what. In 1984 they found the butt of the rifle in a pioneer cave and it also had the bandits symbol, I can't remember exactly what his symbol was? This story was based on a real person, the bandit was supposed be someone very wealthy and dressed very nice, but he went bankrupt and that is why he starting robbing the bank carriages. But Ed's most unforgettable and giving quality was that he would take the Boy Scouts to his ranch and shared his home. Ed would let us fire rifles and do many other fun things. My mom told me that even though people die they never really leave us because they stay in our hearts and memory. I will miss Ed and I hope that I can someday be like Ed Shelton.

Submitted by: Kevin Osler
I know Ed from: Scouts - Troop 295
My memory of Ed: Mr Sheldon was truly one of the most inspirational men I have ever known in my life. I joined his Troop in 1979 and with Ed's leadership went on to get my Eagle in 1986. I remember Ed's stories that always seemed to be accompanied by the last burning embers of the fire as we went to sleep. Ed's devotion to Boy Scouts and the youth was sincere and left a lasting impression on everyone he met. Now, 20 years later, I find myself pulling on his example as a leader in my Son's Boy Scout troop. On a campout last year as the fire was burning down I told the boys a story that I had heard from "my Scoutmaster". The boy's were just as intrigued as I remember being when I heard Ed tell it so many summers ago.

We don't meet many people like Ed Sheldon in our lives. My only hope is that the people who knew him will try to remember his attitude and take on life as they move forward with their own lives.

Submitted by: Jim, Kay & Nick Becker
I know Ed from: CHS & BSA
My memory of Ed: The day that Nick and I spent with Ed at "the ranch" where Nick earned his Rifle Shooting MB. We got to ride in the old Jeep up the mountain and learned a lot about the ranch's history. At CHS when Ed told to story of "Old Jim" at the opening campfire. Working with Ed on the Tribe of Hi-Sierra, especially the ceremonies. I could go on and on. Ed touched so many lives and set an example for all Scouts and Scouters to live up to. God Bless and keep him.

Submitted by: bill and carol hoover
I know Ed from: Hideout Canyon
My memory of Ed: We knew Ed for a quarter century, as a good neighbor, as a councilor, as a teacher, as a helper, as a friend and colleague. At Hideout Canyon he taught us the mysteries of hydroelectric power, solar power, solar air conditioning, chainsawing, black powder lore, deer skinning, country cooking, and good times. Ed was a gentleman with unbelievable technical knowledge, eager to share and unable to boast. Ed's shoes were large, but his heart was larger still. We do miss and will miss him. We grieve for his family's loss as we do for his friends'.
Bill and Carol, Ruby Valley, Nevada

Submitted by: Dan Sheldon
I know Ed from: All parts of Dad's life
My memory of Ed: I remember Kevin Osler being born, Dad said: another member for out troop! Dad was very proud of him. His brother Bill and I are still friends since early High School(we were in rival high schools) Bill and I would some have Dad take us up on a hill top so we play with our ham radio.(Before we had driver's lincenses) I remember one time Bill and I took Dad'a truck on a drive to the top of Loma Prieta, to "play ham radio" as a young driver, I had little experience in snow and mud (but at that age you couldn't tell me that!) Bill told me stay to the right. Ha, I KNOW BETTER, SO I went left and got stuck. We sent a radio message for help (this was New Year's eve), the reply was:"your a scout,you figure it out". Some years later Bill and I were in a Plane crash in Mexico. Every one was worried, not Dad, He said they are all Scouts, don't worry, Dan's there. ( a few funny stories, ask me some time. I think without scouting it would have much harder on the journey home, including our little hike in the desert. He is not gone, He is in all of use. The body is only ours to be steward of for the life of that body.

Submitted by: George Royer
I know Ed from: IBM Education
My memory of Ed: Ed was a colleague of mine in Education, he at the IBM Main Plant, and I was at Santa Teresa (now Silicon Valley Lab). Ed managed a class in "Programming for Managers" which met off plant site in Carmel at the La Playa Hotel. Ed managed this class for many years, and it was always a pleasure to be invited to participate. I remember Ed fondly for his passion for details and kindness in relating to fellow staff and students.

Submitted by: Jeanne Sheldon
I know Ed from: daughter
My memory of Ed: Text from my memorial talk:First, my family and I would like to thank you for coming here and we very much would like to express our gratitude to the many people who have helped make this event happen. My father loved a ceremony and he loved a celebration - there could not have been a better way to honor him.
A little about my father: I suspect that there are many people here today who learned something or other from my Dad. He always seemed to know quite a bit about a lot of things. Even more remarkable, though, was the way he artfully encouraged you to find your own answers. Here's one example:
About three years ago, I hiked with friends to the top of Mount Si, a peak in the Cascades about 30 miles east of Seattle. When we reached the summit and scrambled over the granite marbles that defined the top of the mountain we were joined by a gray-brown bird noisily announcing its presence. We shared our lunch with the bird - it really gave us no choice. The bird poked through our daypacks and eventually ate apples and peanut butter from our hand. I took thirty or so pictures of it. I had never seen that species before and I was determined to know what it was.
When I got back home, I e-mailed Dad, filling his screen with pictures of the birds and descriptions of its behavior. I told him that I wanted to know what it was. "Sounds like a good hike" he responded. Thinking that maybe he had missed the question in the e-mail, I phoned him. "Dad," I said, "I don't think I can rest until I know what that bird is." "It behaves like a jay," I added, "but it didn't have that topknot thingy on its head." "Uh huh" he answered.
I felt a little sad that Dad's naturalist acuity was slipping a bit, but I continued through the week, first looking at pictures on ornithology websites, then reading local bird watching websites. Finally I found it. Joyous, I e-mailed Dad - "It was a jay after all, Dad: A gray jay, commonly known as a Camp Robber". "Uh-huh" he say, "the Perisoreus Canadensis - sometimes called a Whisky Jack - they are really characters, aren't they?".
He knew that knowledge only becomes precious to you when you work for it. Further, he a deep understanding of people potential that gave him amazing patience to wait for them to discover for themselves. We are all better learners because of that patience. Because of that, I know that he is teaching us still.

Submitted by: Mike Wexler
I know Ed from: Camp Hi-Sierra
My memory of Ed: Ed always made time for the little things. For example, I was staffing at Hi-Sierra a couple of years ago, and the little bead that holds the strings together on my hat broke. I asked at the office if they happened to have an appropriate size replacement bead somewhere and they didn't. They suggested I go talk to Ed. So I went over to his cabin and he went through his vast supplies and found one.
Of course Ed, being Ed, wasn't satisified with just solving the problem at hand, but took the opportunity to have a conversation, so we could get to know each other better.

This was my first one-on-one conversation with Ed (I've had several since). Like everyone else, I will miss him dearly.

Submitted by: Scott Morse
I know Ed from: Boy Scouts/ Camp Hi Sierra
My memory of Ed: I have had the honor and privilege of working with Ed in Scouting for 20+ years. I worked with him on training staffs, various camp and other committees. I worked with Ed on Tribe of Hi Sierra and had many opportunities to talk with him one on one and listen to his many stories (many over and over but never the same). I was honored to be asked to do tell the "Ole Jim Story" at Campfires last summer, I simply tried to follow Ed's example. Ed truly lived the Scout oath & Law. Ed led by example and it was always a good one. I know of no one person who has had such a positive influence on so many youth & adults. Ed loved stories about the "Golden Rule" because that is the way he lived his life. Scouting, Camp Hi Sierra and each of us are much better because of Ed's influence. I will miss our many conversations over coffee in the Heath Lodge and Saturday nights dinners at Kelly's. Ed was was happiest when he was teaching adults and helping a young Scout. I know Ed is in a better place now. We will miss him but he will live on in our hearts and lives because knowing Ed has changed us all for the better.

Submitted by: Bobby Yount
I know Ed from: Scouting
My memory of Ed: I met Ed about 25 years ago shortly after I had unexpectedly become a Scoutmaster in the Mene Oto District. While my adult leadership experience had been, to that time, limited to serving as an Assistant Scoutmaster in a troop in North Carolina, I had received the Wood Badge and thus had evolved to a higher life form. I am sure my lack of experience was obvious to everyone (other than myself) with whom I had contact. However, I was blessed to be befriended by Ed in that first year of my Scouting here in San Jose. Ed asked me to serve on a camporee staff at Camp Cheseborough when the place was still a poison oak-infested wilderness. We did manage to pull off a decent (albiet small) camporee there and from that time on Ed and I enjoyed a warm and delightful experience. When I accompanied the troop to Camp Hi-Sierra I spent time with Ed and we discussed what he felt needed to be done to enable Camp Hi-Sierra to become a competitive long term camping environment. Through a series of "twists of fate" eventually I became the Santa Clara County Council Camping Chairman at a time when Camp Hi-Sierra had suffered through years of neglect and under-maintenance. Ed and I agreed to develop a plan for the recovery of the camp and to restore the camp to a safe and fun environment. Ed would "dog" the projects and I would build support from the Memorial Foundation, the OA and the Executive Board to fund the refurbishment of the camp. I doubt that anyone other than Ed could have pulled off this "miracle." No facet of the camp's physical infrastructure escaped Ed's scrutiny. He was singleminded (often stubborn) in his commitment to the project of rebuilding and enhancing Camp Hi-Sierra. What would have taken a decade in most councils was done in three years and Ed was the "juice" that made it a reality. Ed had more respect "capital" than anyone I ever met in the council. Once, when I was a Scoutmaster, I attended one of Ed's merit badge counselor training sessions. One of my troop committee members attended the training with me. When Ed was finished, the committee member leaned over to me and said: "if that man (Ed) was my son's Scoutmaster, my son would become an Eagle Scout." I think no higher compliment could be paid to an adult Scout leader. What Ed possesed was Scouting "countenance." Every person, especially I, who knew Ed was a better person for the experience.

Submitted by: Art Wong
I know Ed from: Boy Scout Leader Training Staff
My memory of Ed: I was on a number of BSLT and OLS training sessions with Ed and will alway remember his telling of the Baden-Powell story for Scout's Own. I remember participants wondering if Ed had known B-P personally. Ed always seemed to know his audience even if he did not meet them before; we had on one OLS several Muslims and a Buddhist participants and Ed covered the teaching of both religions as they related to a Scout is Reverent without missing a beat. On one of the last training sessions, Ed looked a frail and required a little more time to go up the trail to the chapel at Camp Chesebrough, but when he got started on telling the Baden-Powell story, he was like I remembered him the first time I heard him tell it.

On one BSLT session, I made coffee. Apparently it was pretty strong because the participants were diluting their with water. Ed tasted it and said "this is almost coffee..." Someone later told me, it was sort of a compliment from Ed.

Submitted by: Nick Laskowski
I know Ed from: Camp Hi-Sierra
My memory of Ed: Ed taught me that none of us should ever lose our sense of humor, at any age. I remember a moment around 2000 or so when Tim Flynn caught Ed napping for a moment (apparently) at the staff benches while Tim was addressing the Camp Staff. Tim joked about it, and Ed, without even looking up or opening his eyes, replied thoughtfully, "I'm not sleeping, Tim - I'm just tired of looking at your face!" Leave it to a man in his late 70s (at the time) to give us such a great one-liner.

I have to thank Ed, too - my favorite hobby, playing music (guitar, banjo, drums), began due to his favorite activity at Camp Hi-Sierra: attending vespers back in 1993 and 1994, listening to Jeff Brown ("Strawberry") playing quiet tunes of inspiration set me off on a new passion I'll never leave.

Submitted by: Dave Carlton
I know Ed from: Camp Hi-Sierra
My memory of Ed: Ed was a man of amazing character. And a man of amazing one-liners. Late in the summer of 2005 I was priveleged to be on the receiving end of one of these.

That summer Ed needed someone to drive him to different locations around camp. I was sometimes tasked with driving Ed's old pickup truck up to the chapel for vespers service. This was not an easy task for me, and Ed could clearly see that. It involves going up an incredibly steep incline, backing into overgrown roadways, and crossing the river. Every time that truck crossed the river we both bounced around like ping pong balls in the cabin as the truck rumbled over the river rocks. One time, in the middle of the river, I noticed that Ed wasn't wearing his seatbelt. Thinking that Ed was old and fragile and could probably break three bones bouncing over this river, I turned and asked him, "Ed, you crazy daredevil, what are you doing without your seatbelt on?" He looked at me, and said, as only he could:

"Gotta be prepared to jump."

Submitted by: Jason Varrelmann
I’ve known Ed Sheldon for nearly half of my life and I’m a richer person for having known him. I have written a poem in honor of our esteemed friend and I hope that it means as much to you as it does to me.

Who became the man who would be first and gave of himself that he could be all of ours.

Submitted by: Bob Aeroun
I know Ed from: CHS, BSA, Kiwanis
My memory of Ed: I had the opportunity to visit Ed Friday evening before he passed. He was tired and closed his eyes as if to doze off. I mentioned that we would have to get camp ready for him this summer. his eyes popped open and he smiled. I reminded him that we would need to get some Diet A&W Rootbeer and start the coffee so that it would be strong enough when he got there. He smiled again and got that twinkle in his eyes. Then he drifted off and I shook his hand and said good-bye. I'm going to try to get up to camp this summer and leave some soda and coffee for Ed, even if he can't make it, because I'm sure he's there in spirit.

At Camp Hi-Sierra	Camp Hi-Sierra
BBQ	Vespers
	Kiwanis
Kiwanis
Camporee




	Kiwanis
Camp Hi-Sierra

Eagle Court of Honor	Camporee
Camp Hi-Sierra
	Eagle Court of Honor
Training at Chesebrough Scout Reservation	With his daughter Jeanne and cousin.
A visit in the Cascade Mountains near Lake Kachess. He always loved mountains	From his ranch showing off the used Deere he and Dan bought to help do work as he got older.
A picture of Ed for the family. He is the child on the lower right. His brother George is on the front left. George passed in 2001.	Ed at Camp Hi-Sierra telling his famed 'Ol' Jim' story.


Singing Bill Groggin's Goat

Ed at Christmas Party	Ed at Staff Circle

I Remember Ed Sheldon

Loren Edward Sheldon Obituary

A non-denominational gathering to celebrate his life and passions will be held at the LDS Church, 5700 Comanche Dr, San Jose at 3 PM, Saturday, Jan. 13th.

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