"Come, Meet Jesse" Part II

This blog's post is number two on the life of Jesse Draper.

In the quiet, early morning hours, while sitting at my computer desk, I came across the caption:

 "Every person's life matters. It's never too late to celebrate."

 Truly the statement applies to our Uncle Jesse Draper.  

Jesse became a talented music man who enjoyed playing the violin, not only for his own enjoyment but to give service to others with beautiful, soul felt melodies. The many hours he practiced and performed his God given talent, truly enhanced the gift ten fold.

The above picture is an Ocarina

The Ocarina, also known as the "Sweet Potato" caught Jesse's fancy, because of its shape and it could easily fit into his pocket.  The unusual gadget belongs to an ancient family of wind instruments, believed to date back over 12,000 years. Today, the modern European Ocarina, dating back to the 19th century, originated from Italy. Jesse loved his blue musical device with its soft hallow tones. His niece, Lou Jean, wrote an endearing memory regarding Jesse's talent with his "Sweet Potato."

"He would play his "Sweet Potato" and we would sing.  He also liked to play the same music when we would stop for a cold drink, from the spring in a cave, while driving up Logan Canyon.  He would walk around the edge of the water to the very back of the cave, and I can still hear the beautiful notes echoing through the cave from that instrument."

Yes, our Uncle Jesse, with his musical talents, enjoyed being a sincere and delightful entertainer.

Uncle Jesse loved to camp.  Maybe it was the Boy Scout spirit in him. Whatever motivated him, he truly set a legacy for all of us to honor.  He lived the Boy Scout motto, BE PREPARED, and always carried "dry matches" with him, and used them, among other things, to build a large and crackling bonfire.

The family would sit around the camp fire and sing songs.  Perhaps there would be camping tunes like "She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain" or "Down in the Valley" and of course all would be accompanied by Jesse and his Ocarina.  There would be memories formed of being together and united in feeling the warm, "Hotface" effect on rosy cheeks; the biting smoke in ones eyes; sitting on heavy, rough logs circled around the fire pit; while experiencing the cool, damp night air of the canyon; and hearing the gurgling of the nearby stream.  As the fire tamed itself, those watching the dancing flames would appreciate the dry, withered, fire scared wood.  The wood had years and years of energy soaked up from the sun, wind and rain all to be released with hisses, sizzling pops, and a thick smell of time burning away.

Jesse would prepare his scrumptious, original "Honky Tonk" soup, which he made for family and his scouts at the campground on an open fire.  Uncle Jesse started early cooking his recipe, and he would keep a watchful eye as all ingredients simmered together for two hours (the same recipe can be made in ones own kitchen and it will cook-up just fine).

What a treat, at the campsite, to hear the sizzling of the meat and smell the tangy aroma of onions while they cooked and blended together.

The ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef browned and seasoned with salt and pepper

1 medium onion chopped and added to ground beef until tender.

Add remaining ingredients.

3 28 oz store bought chopped canned tomatoes or 2 bottles of home canned tomatoes

1 teaspoon Thyme

1 15 oz can Peas including liquid

1 15 oz can Pork and Beans

Recipe serves 4-6 people.

   

Home made bread would be a nice addition.

The meal would be served on enamelware camping dishes.  The color of the dishes were white with a thin black edge; giving them a touch of class.  

A side note from Google:

The enamelware dishes were made with a lighter steel, then coated with a smooth enamel coating. The advantages of enamelware were its low cost, light weight, smooth surface, and glossy finish. Unfortunately, the enamel surfaces were also prone to cracking and chipping, which would expose the metal beneath, causing it to rust.  This tendency was so widespread, a company called Mendets had a successful business in selling patch kits.   

After the hot, hearty meal, fresh wood would be added to the glowing embers and Jesse would begin his story telling.  Before the evening came to a close Jesse, would point out stars and constellations in the dark night sky, and tell his captive audience the name of each one. We could say our Uncle Jesse dabbled in astronomy.

Jesse Hyrum Draper's life, on this earth, came to a close, 27 April, 1943.  His niece, Darlene Draper Kunz wrote, "I was only 8 when Uncle Jesse died and he was sick for several years.  I do not have any memories of Uncle Jesse except he was wonderfully kind and loved to be outside in his yard. I also remember Uncle Jesse in his casket in our front room, as was the custom back then, and the black wreath on our door."  

With sad hearts, family and friends bade Jesse farewell.  

We as his relatives, are proud to call him our "Uncle Jesse" and know the time will come when we will sing with him and enjoy his robust spirit and gentle love again.

Dear readers, until the next post remember, 

"Every person's life matters.  It's never too late to celebrate."  

May I encourage you to celebrate your own life...and write about it!

Thanks to June Draper Sivers for her encouragement and skill in editing and adding her valuable insight to the project, and to Robert Miland Draper for his request to write a blog highlighting Jesse Hyrum Draper. Also my appreciation to Lou Jean Draper Scadden and Darlene Draper Kunz for sharing their knowledge and experiences with their Uncle Jesse.