Jack Simmons
Work took us to Nevada in 1965 and we now live in
Lamoille. Lamoille is at the foot of the Ruby
Mountains in NE Nevada with an elevation of 6000 ft.
We have a year round creek in the back yard with lots
of trees and gardens. We love the place but too much
cold and snow in the winter. So after several years
of snowbirding in an RV we bought a house in
Florence, AZ where we spend the winter November
through April. We are small town people and Florence
and Lamoille suit us well.
Work has taken me to Central and South America,
Europe and East Africa. We have traveled throughout
most of the US and look forward every year to a 10
day road trip to Montana. Love to drive the blue
highways.
FAMILY:
I married Gaylon Miller a blind date from Morenci, AZ in 1961 and we had two children. Daughter Melissa was born in Tucson in 1962 and son John in Kingman, AZ in 1965. My parents and Gaylon's mother have passed
away but her 93 year old father still lives in the
Morenci area. Melissa and her husband Ron Herzig
live in Fernley, NV and have three children, twin
girls 16 and a son 15. John and his wife Marla live
in Winnemucca, NV and have one boy 16. The Herzig
kids are all athletes and cover multiple sports
throughout the school year. Our Winnemucca grandson
Lane loves to hunt, fish and ride bulls, he is a
daily challenge.
EDUCATION AND CAREER:
I attended the U of A for two years and was about the
same kind of student that I was a Catalina,
underachiever. Probably a good thing for me that i
was raised before the diagnosis of ADD. Tried being
a married student but it was basically a good reason
to leave school. Started working in the copper mines
in Silver Bell, AZ and ended 43 years later in the
gold mines in Elko, NV. I was very lucky that I got
into something I liked and was fairly good at. I
began working in the assay laboratory crushing rock
and finished as the department head with 94
employees. Still working part time consulting for a
laboratory supplier. I plan to continue doing that
until I become an embarrasment to the company.
OPINIONS:
I probably shouldn't share my opinions on either religion or politics. I am registered non-partisan so the only person I can vote for in the primaries is the sheriff. My pet peeves are generally people related. People that use cel-phones in restaurants is a big one. My wife says that I am becoming so intolerant that she will have to hire my pall bearers through manpower temps.
AVOCATIONS:
Still a clumsy oaf so no sports. I love to fish and
have been able to fish in Canada, Alaska and this
year in Costa Rica. Nevada fishing is fabulous and I
have been able to fish in Arizona during the winter.
Gaylon is the "Master Crafter" and has never met a
craft she doesn't like. She quilts, makes rugs,
silver jewelry, pottery, knits socks, gourds and is
darn good at all of them. Spending the winters in an
Arizona +55 community has been great for her with
something different every day.
STORY:
My very best story - Our daughter had been married
for 10 years and could not get pregnant. They had
been tested, gone to fertility clinics and I suspect
even a few witch doctors. They finally applied for a
baby through Catholic Adoption Services. After being
on the waiting list for three years they went in on
February 1st for an annual visit to verify their
information. They were told that 15 babies had been
placed the previous year and they were number three
on the list and should have a baby by June. So the
rest of the story = They picked up four month old
twin girls on Tuesday, March 9, 1993. The following
Monday she discovered that she was pregnant. So that
is how we ended up with three grandkids 16 and one
15. A very big day in our year is "Gotcha Day" that
we celebrate on March 9th. They are all becoming
interesting and wonderful adults.
