YOUR FAVORITE UNCLE

Uncle Herbert Victor Astley was my favorite uncle. He was my mother’s, mother’s (Grandma Flint) brother. He married Aunt Piney. She was my favorite aunt.This is what made him special to me, when our family joined the Church he and Aunt Piney (who were members-I didn’t know them up until now) came to our baptism and they gave each of us our own copy of the Book of Mormon.

Later I found out how they met. She had been married twice before. One of them she was sealed to. I think one husband was abusive and the next died. What type of abuse he used, I’m not sure.

Uncle Vic was a postman. She had 2 small children. She had gone to the post office and her children, as children do, were playing with the combination-dials on the post office boxes. She knew that bothered some people and was trying to discipline them without losing her place in line when Uncle Vic said it was okay, they were just acting like normal healthy kids. Her heart then softened toward him.

I don’t know the rest of the details of how it all came to pass, but I know that he showed interest in her, wanted to date her, she allowed it, but made it quite clear that she couldn’t be any more than a friend for her heart was set on having the Priesthood in her home and he wasn’t a member.

He took the missionary discussions, joined the Church, and they were married civilly in the Temple. He eventually became a Bishop in Long Beach. He's since died. She's since died. In one of their son's last talks, which was published in book form, Carlfred Broderick said that he had been sealed to the only dad he ever knew as a dad-Uncle Vic-his step-dad. Yeah-step dad, step child, means nothing in matters of the heart. Maybe that's why I think of my daughters-in-law as daughters.