Page 20 - Amarillo Senior Link Magazine Summer 2021 - Online Magazine
P. 20
Exceptional
SENIORS
Today's Moments Are
Tomorrow's Memories
Joan and Dean Douglass
By Kaitlin Mosley
’ve always had a special to conversation, which
relationship with my helped to establish our
Igrandparents, Joan and Dean special bond. Some of my
Douglass, known to me as Mimi and recent favorite moments
Papa. My best childhood memories with Mimi and Papa are Joan and Dean Douglass celebrating
their 60-year wedding anniversary
were spent in the New Mexico talking at the dining room
mountains, either baking with Mimi table, drinking tea and and Papa before graduating college,
or skiing with Papa. I learned many eating a warm, baked treat. I met back up there with my high
life lessons on the ski slopes and in school sweetheart, now husband.
the kitchen. My favorite thing Mimi My first memory with my We were engaged and then married
would make when I visited was grandparents in the NM mountains in those mountains. I sometimes
Belgian waffles topped with a berry was at the A-frame cabin Papa built think to myself that, if it weren’t for
compote and whipped cream. Food in Angel Fire, NM. As the story my grandparents, I wouldn’t have
always seemed to open our door goes, Papa saw a building being
torn down in Amarillo and the life I do now, and for that I am
offered the owner $500 for forever grateful.
all the materials. He hauled Their advice for a successful life is
it up to Angel Fire and built to always have a purpose, work to
their second home there achieve your goals, laugh at your
in 1979. After Papa retired mistakes, and have fun on your life
in 1995, they decided to journey!
build their dream home
and start their “retirement My favorite story of theirs is how
job” of operating a Bed they met. Papa is originally from
and Breakfast. They built Stevenson, Washington, and Mimi
Wildflower Bed and is from Buffalo, New York. Mimi
Breakfast in 1996, when I spent summers in North Carolina
was 10 years old. Growing with her mother. In July of 1958,
up, I spent weeks with Mimi and her sister were floating on
them in the summer and air mattresses at a local lake when
winter, helping with B&B two young men swam up beside
operations and enjoying life them. As you might have guessed,
in the mountains. Angel Fire one of them was Papa. Papa was
will always hold a special a paratrooper in the United States
place in my heart. My last Army and was stationed in Fort
Joan and Dean - August 1958
summer spent with Mimi Bragg, North Carolina for the
20 Amarillo Senior Link
