My Admissions

We sat at his kitchen table overlooking the Main Street of Absaraka, the bird clock on the wall tweeted the passing of time. An occasional Burlington Northern train lumbered its noisy way through the tiny town - a swirl of snow rising from beneath its heavy steel wheels. The winter passed quickly as I learned about the life of Roy Faught. Snowy days became hot summer forays into the Dirty Thirties as Roy struggled to harvest a wheat crop stunted by the extreme drought. Scrawny heads bravely standing on stalks mere inches tall. The loud clack of pool balls and scent of beer mingled with tobacco as he described his pool hall days - clamoring with excitement after the fresh repeal of prohibition. Roy's eyes sparkled with laughter as he remembered the sweet rhythmic beat of a local band luring friends and neighbors into a two-step as they danced the night away upon a creaky hay loft floor at the original Faught farm in 1924.

Sharp of mind and able bodied, Roy Faught is quite the character. In fact, Roy comes from a lineage of characters. His grandfather, Phillip H. Faught served in the Civil War and evidently enjoyed life along with a few shenanigans. According to a Civil War diary post dated July 29, 1862 it was "reported that P.H. Faught is in the guardhouse for running his horse." I'll bet that was something to write home about!

Roy has many memories, both good and bad but the most memorable for him is the people that have touched his life. This wise man states, "I have been lucky! I've been lucky to have known these people. It gave me a good impression of humanity. Perhaps a person doesn't think about it at the time but later on, you start realizing what certain special people have done for you."

Perhaps the greatest memory is of his wife, Dacotah. The friendship blossomed quickly and grew into a marriage that lasted 73 ½ years. Roy had lost his father when he was 12 yrs. old and relates, "When you lose a parent like I did, I was looking for friendship."

The wisdom and philosophies of a man who has experienced so many things during the 99 years of his life comes alive within the true stories of Roy Faught. And now, in his own words is "My Admissions"