My mother said when I was born that I was entirely different from the rest. I had a missionary spirit of doing for others. If someone was sick, I would try to get my mother to make them soup. I would want to share my shoes with children who did not have any. My mother said that she had to watch me to keep me from giving everything away.

I tried to make my learning, as little as it was, a benefit to others. On Sunday afternoons I would share with the farm children for miles around whatever I had learned during the week. I would share with them things like poetry, readings, songs and so forth. I tried to give as often as I got.