To know John Carson was to love him. I remember the first time I saw him. We were living in Blanding and I had come to Lehi for medical help for my son Sydney who was not doing well. In those days the trip from Blanding to Lehi was a long arduous one especially when traveling with three small children. It was late and I was tired, but Barbara was there and she wanted me to see "my little baby brother!" I tried to talk her out of going to her home until the next morning, but Barbara and her tears had a way of melting the hardest of hearts. I went to see "my little baby brother." It was worth the effort. John was a beautiful baby and my sister Blair was so proud of him. We had a wonderful time comparing the wonderful feeling of being the mother of sons. I had a little edge on her as I had three sons of my own.

As he grew John was a charming child. Maybe that is not the right word to describe a boy, but it is an apt one. John, even at that early age had spirit and presence that was unique to him. Looking back, he was never a robust or active child, yet he made his presence known. Everyone thought he was special. He continued to progress slowly but he was always alert and cheerful, and no one suspected that his activities were not exactly normal. He loved toy cars and trucks as most boys did and when playing with them made all the appropriate noises. He played with them though, while laying on his side and pushing them around.

It was our brother Evans who first alerted Blair that his actions were not quite normal. Whenever he was sitting and tried to stand, he had a way of climbing with his hand up his legs until he was erect, then throwing his head back until he was upright. Blair and Ray and all of us saw nothing wrong with this just thought it was John's little habit. Evans who was a pre-med student suspected something was wrong.

I was with Blair when she took John to see Dr. Eddington. The doctor watched John as he tried to get on his feet. He gave him a good going over, and then left us alone in the room. It seemed like a long time before he came back. He had a young doctor working with him, and the two of them gave Blair their diagnosis. John had muscular dystrophy - a rare disease where the muscle tone was not normal. They told her there was little known about it and there was no cure for it. John would get progressively weaker. The prognosis was that he would not live past teenage. They showed us pictures of children in wheelchairs - who were very obese. That last did not fit John as he had always been skinny.

Blair took the news calmly outwardly, but you could see her suffer inwardly. I felt sorry for her, but I have never been one who could express that sorrow to others. From that day on Blair and Ray made it a life's work to do all they could for John. I don't think they or any of us realized how serious it was, but as the years went by all could see how devastating it was. Blair and Ray handled his growing up well. They did all they could for him, but not to the extent of spoiling him. There could have been the making of a spoiled pampered child, but this wasn't the case. Maybe it was because John wasn't spoilable. His cheerful disposition and sense of humor made him a joy to be around. When he was small he couldn't do many of the things other boys did. He never could ride a bicycle but as a small boy he had a tricycle. In the summer, the town had a children's parade. Blair made a float for John to pull behind his tricycle. She made a little cart and had one of Barbara's dolls dressed as a "queen". He won a prize and was really happy.

John learned to cope with his handicap.(I have never thought of John as being handicapped.) He had so many fine qualities that made others seem inadequate. He managed to make do with what he had. Others had roller skates and he wanted some. When he got his he couldn't stand on them so he put them on his feet, squatted down and propelled himself with his hands. Soon all the other kids in the neighborhood were roller skating sitting down. At school one time the children were acting as animals in the zoo. That was no problem for John. "I'll be a spider," he said, and was the hit of the show. Blair was a master at creating costumes.

As a child for a while he was always testing himself-trying to see what he could do. He would challenge my boys to "rassle" (wrestle). I did my best to see he wasn't embarrassed. If they were outside I'd say, "Don't do that you're getting your clothes dirty." If they were in the house, the answer was, "you can't do that in my house, you'll break something." But he kept trying his strength, and when he found his limitations it did not get him down. He just didn't try any more. He learned to drive a car and got a license. He was in heaven. One day he took the car out, and as he turned a corner he could not control the car and drove on somebody's lawn. He came home, gave his mother the keys and never tried it again--but if he felt bitter and unhappy he kept it to himself.

He must have been about nine or ten when he found music. Blair and Ray had moved from Lehi to Salt Lake. Blair found a music teacher who liked to work with children---if the children liked to work. John came to like music naturally. Both his mother and father played the piano. John loved playing the piano and would practice without being forced. The old music lady liked that and taught him not only the notes, but music theory. He and his mother liked to play duets together. When my son Bill went on a mission they played in his farewell program.

John liked school and was a good student. He was a favorite among his schoolmates. The school house was an old two story building. When they had fire drills all the larger boys wanted to be the ones to help John down stairs. When he went to high school he chose East High as it had an elevator. On day he came early, and when questioned he said he couldn't open some of the doors. Again he realized his limitation but it didn't stop his education. The school sent tutors to his home and he graduated from high school. He attended the University of Utah for several years. Again his physical limitations caused him to quit, but he never stopped learning.

He had many hobbies. Ray made him a desk in his room where he could make things. He worked with plastic, silver and wood. One of my prized decorations is one of his wood pictures. He made model cars to race, and this was a hobby his father could enjoy. They went to races all over the city. Ray would go any time or place to take John.

John had many friends who loved to be with him. His birthday was Jan. 1, and every New Years eve his friends gathered at his home for a night of good eats and cards. Even when these boys might have been dating they came to John's birthday party.

As his body became weaker, his spirit seemed to become stronger. When his mother died he seemed to become stronger trying to comfort his father. The two had a rare relationship.

John loved his brother and sisters. There was always some sibling rivalry between Barbara and John, but it was more prevalent in Barbara, and as she grew older she realized how important John was to her. He and Lynn loved each other and took great satisfaction in each others accomplishment. The twins, much younger than he, was a source of pleasure to him. When they, his siblings, married and had children those children were a constant delight to him. It was common to see John in his work desk with a nephew or niece on his lap.

The last few years of his life was spent teaching disadvantaged children about computers. This was a volunteer project and the parents and children loved him. Ray let us read some of the letters these parents wrote when John died. Some were so illiterate you could hardly make them out, but you could read the love in them.

John was a rare and special person, with traits, talents and attributes not found in everyone. There is a passage in the bible, "He builded better than he know." Blair and Ray "builded better than they knew." As I said at the beginning...to know John was to love him--and I knew John.

As a tribute to my aunt, I'd like to say that we could well stop here and let her tribute of John suffice----many of the entries later will have repetitions of this one, but all are written by others who knew and loved John too....each one well worth reading.

My next caution would be this: Just as you would court a new friend a little at a time, that is how I think the reading of this compilation ought to be .....read little at a time. Too much of a good thing (even John Carson) can be too much all in one sitting.