James was the finest man I have ever known and loved & miss him more than anyone will ever know. Chesaw is the beloved heritage we hoped it would be. Thank you for sharing the photos... Truly he is loved by many. Hold tightly & stay in touch with each other regularly.. My beloved James... Your Lorna Ann

James Norris Maher, my Dad, my first love and a man whom I have always loved and respected and will continue to do so, even beyond the grave. Isn't that why families are intended to be eternal? I am grateful for this opportunity to create a public tribute to him, so that others reading this might get a glimpse into the impressions he has left upon me prior to his departing this world in June 2016.
I was the oldest of his five kids. A girl who was a pretty active tomboy in her younger years. I remember feeling a bit left out of all the "fun" activities that boys got to do - hunting, fishing, outdoorsy stuff. However, my dad knew of my desire to do the "boy" things, so he didn't hesitate or make me feel like I was "out of my league" when I got permission to tag along on a few outings!! Yippee! My earliest recollection was a fishing trip on Lake Desire. There was my dad and three of my mom's brothers along, and I think maybe my dad's brother Howard too. We had a boat and went around and around the lake. Every time we turned at the far end of the lake, my pole bent with the weight and fight of a trout! My dad proudly helped me scoop it up at the boat's side and place it in a cooler. My uncles and dad didn't catch ANYTHING. We circled the lake at least 11 times, because I got a total of 11 fish! When we pulled ashore there was a Game Warden waiting for us. He had noticed that I caught over my limit and gave my dad a ticket. Dad was so proud of me and happily wrote a check out for $25, which was a lot of money back then!
I remember tagging along for deer hunting. I don't remember where, except that it was terribly cold and wet!! I remember the smell of tobacco and freshly brewed coffee over a campfire, red and black flannel shirts and sleeping bags. I was in the woods with dad and a few others and noticed a deer raise its head several yards away. LOOK DAD! THERE'S A DEER!!! I excitedly yelled out. Uh - well, there WAS a deer. Dad was never angry about my chasing off a deer. I don't think I went on another hunting expedition because it was wet and cold, not because Dad didn't want me along.
I was a horse crazy girl at 7-8 years old. Dad grew up on a farm in North Dakota, so he was very happy with my interest in horses!! To satisfy my new found love of animals, he took me riding at the Aqua Barn Ranch several times during those years. I remember riding a horse named Peaches, and going on a trail ride with Dad and others. I loved it! I wanted a horse so bad! Surprise - on my 9th birthday Dad bought me my first horse!! He was a dark brown and white Appaloosa gelding we named Patch. We did not have a horse trailer or knew of anyone who did so in order to get the horse to our home in Renton, Dad had to ride the horse ALL THE WAY FROM WOODINVILLE. It was 40 miles! I remember piling into the yellow Ford Galaxy car with mom and my siblings and we looked for dad along the designated route. We found him. Mom had prepared something to eat for him, plus apples for the horse. Dad and Patch eventually arrived very late, way past the time the sun went down. Dad had built a small shed and a fenced area for Patch prior to his arrival. We had many memories riding him and jumping the ditches in front of our house!! I was a little afraid of the horse and only rode him after my dad got home from work. We didn't have enough money for lessons or a saddle - most of the time we rode bareback. I think we borrowed a saddle at some point. It wasn't long before our neighborhood zoning changed and we could no longer keep him there. We had to move him to a pasture and pay a monthly fee to keep his there. I know it was a financial burden on my parents, and eventually we had to sell him. One day towards the end of our owning him, my sister Veronica and I were with dad at the pasture where he was located. Dad was riding him. Suddenly the horse reared and dad fell off backwards. I remember him lying on the ground moaning and groaning. Veronica and I screamed and cried and ran towards him, not sure what to do. Thankfully there were other people nearby that helped my dad up. I don't remember much after that, but I'm sure that dad was in a lot of pain for a while.
One thing about my dad that made him so extra special is his love of family. He would do anything for anybody. He was my protector and I felt safe and secure when dad was around. Everyone felt that way about dad. I do not know anyone who didn't like him. He was loved by all, even my mom's family after their divorce. In fact, a testament of that statement is the amount of people who showed up at the open house memorial service we held for him. Over 70% of the people who showed up were from mom's side of the family!! He made a lot of friends who were there too.
Dad will always be alive to me, because I know that part of him lives in me. There are actually 23 of us that can blame our biological genes on him! I know how much he loved growing up on a farm. I know how much he loved the property he owned in Chesaw Washington, and how it made him feel young again, and useful, as he worked the land and provided a place for all of us to go to. At the time he owned the property, I was a young mother with an active family and could not actually go up there to live (like he wanted us to), but we did visit on multiple occasions and my kids loved all of it!! They got to shoot guns, hike up the hill in the tall grass, and watch the beautiful sunrises and sunsets. And spend time with grandpa! Dad's love of farming, family and God were dad's most cherished virtues. We were not taught religion in our home, but we were taught religious values, which prepared me for later in life when I would embrace Jesus Christ as my Savior. He was always supportive of my going to church.
So now, I live in North Texas, on a large farm/ranch where I will continue the legacy of what my dad instilled in me. I am thankful my brother Jeff saved some of his ashes for me, as I seek for just the right spot for them to be placed with a special memorial tree/plaque. We are in the process of setting aside a family graveside plot on our land where my husband and I will be buried. Dad's ashes (and his spirit) will be there too, so if I want to go to sit and talk to him, I can do that anytime I want. Dad never visited our farm in Texas, although he really wanted to. His health caused him to feel that he had to stay close to home. I know that dad's spirit is here with me.
Dad, you are the best. A loving father and grandfather and great grandfather, a protector, an example of what dedication is to family, our country and our God. I miss you terribly, but I know I will see you again. I know that you are learning a lot where you are now. I will continue to do my best to carry on your love of farming and family. Thank you for all you have given me to make me who I am today.

And lest I forget the magic of a little town called Chesaw and the ranch up on Gafvery Creek that we owned and farmed together as much as possible. He lived up there and I visited as often as much as air could. Aside from spending one winter up there (we didn't get a long very well living in such tight quarters, darn it), I must have made over three hundred trips up there. I couldn't wait to leave my job on a Friday, make the five and one-half hour journey, and step in the door of the cabin to see Dad with a big happy smile on his face coming towards me, so very happy to see me, and i with an equally big smile on my face and happy to see him. We would soon be discussing life and the gobble of the Wild Turkey bottle would resonate as we saluted each other and the mountains we were in.
My Dad grew up on a farm in North Dakota and because of the hard times there his Dad packed everyone up and moved to Washington State for a better job opportunity. It was always one of my Dad's biggest wishes - to get back on a farm and experience that life.
He made this happen with the ranch in Chesaw, up on Gafvery Creek, I believe he purchased it in 1984. I never thanked him enough for this opportunity. It meant a lot to him to have that place and I know he knew how much it meant to me.
This ranch was the place where my Dad and mines' passion lay - in the mountains, up and out of the way of everything and everyone else. Deer, and coyote were always about the land and the occasional Bear or Elk would appear and just freeze us in our tracks. Those were amazing times. I remember one night in July, it was late, we were both asleep and we were awakened by the grunting and snorting of a Bear in the heavy brush in a coulee down by the old well house.
Dad said,
"Did you hear that Bear?"
I said,
"Yeah, that was a bear?"
"Yeah It probably just made a kill", he said.
Sure enough, a couple of weeks later we were knocking around in that brushy area and we found part of a deer carcass. My Dad knew everything!!
We shared many a bottle (many, many) of Wild Turkey and Old Crow up on Gafvery Creek and had many laughs and very, very special times sitting up until two or three in the morning at times.
We took turns plowing and planting the fields in the spring and then cutting, bailing and stacking it all in the summer.
This is where he wished his ashes to be strewn and this will be done in the spring of the year of this writing.

He also accomplished another one of his lifelong dreams he has had since a teenager, and that was to purchase a 1915 Model T. He was so proud and excited to drive it around town here in Startup and to give rides to family and neighbors. The Model T will be in the family forever as a testament to Dad and his dedication to his past and simpler times. He was your old fashioned farmer next door, at heart.
The rest of my life is dedicated to my past with him and the values and examples he impressed on me. These are other things I did not thank him enough for, but I know he knew about it. Occasionally I would tell him I loved him and I am so glad that was never something that I had a problem with.

Thanks, Dad.

And lest I forget the magic of the little town called Chesaw and the ranch up on Gafvery Creek that we owned and farmed together as much as possible.
My Dad grew up on a farm in North Dakota and because of the hard times there his Dad packed everyone up and moved to Washington State for a better job opportunity. It was always one of my Dad's biggest wishes - to get back on a farm and experience that left.
He made this happen with the ranch in Chesaw, up on Gafvery Creek. I never thanked him enough for this opportunity. It meant a lot to him to have that place and I know he knew how much it meant to me.

This ranch was the place where my Dad and mines' passion lay - in the mountains, up and out of the way of everything else. This is where he wished his ashes to be strewn and this will be done in the spring of the year of this writing.

Thanks, Dad.

My Dad. He was the greatest man I ever knew. I love him very much.He lived with so much grace and had the ability to make people he didn't know feel as they were old friends.
When I was younger he took me to work and I was able to see the engine rooms in the boats he worked on. The smell of grease and the humming of those huge engines and watching my Dad work his magic with them are things I will always remember.
He was a master mechanic and would always be the go-to-guy if anyone had questions about an engine of any kind.
I went up to Alaska to be with him when he lived up there. We went to gun ranges up there and hung out at his house.
He loved dearly his Family, his Country and his 1915 Model T Ford.
He knew God was real and that Jesus was sent by God. Dad is in heaven and is finally able to be with his Mother.
I miss him so very much. He will always be close to my heart.