Roy L. Tandy had quite a sense of humor, he was my father, so I’ll be
polite, others may describe the sense as a lack, or, just down right
nasty. In naming a son, most times a “Roy” will be a son of a “Roy” a
unique way of being “favored”. That explains my naming, the good news
for me was that I wasn’t a “junior” as well as a Roy. Roy L. thought that
one Leverne perching in a family tree was enough.

 Roy L’s compassion was all used up when his second born (and his last)
arrived, SHE was named Gordon, for the second son that never would be,
and for the memory of a grandfather that wasn’t anymore. Great grandad
would’ve been happy, but goodness knows that Mama wasn’t, and I suspect
that there were some times when Gordon wasn’t thrilled either. But,
worse could’ve happened and as it turns, Gordon grew up tough, smart
and beautiful.

 Her toughness grew, as we all did, from the family treasure, our land.
Roy L. and Mamie Marie provided both food and life lessons from that
treasure, and those lessons learned had the required cost of pain for the
profit. Even the gentlest of gifts, love, will sometimes make you pay.

 A name is one of the three great gifts that a parent can bestow on a
child. It will be as much of your outward identity as your voice or the
way you walk.  Gordon may have beenbe the name supplied out of a father’s
hopes and frustration, Roy may have been the name given out of his need for
immortality, but love was what was shared by a family.

Roy B.