Walking in Vaughn's shoes
A long time ago (about 26 years ago actually) in a land far far away (Jamaica to be exact) a beautiful maiden met a handsome-young-prince-of-a-man-with-an-awesome-British-Accent. Her beauty overwhelmed him; his accent and good looks made her swoon and the rest, so they say, is history.
However, before this handsome-young-couple made history they met and became friends with Vaughn and Mary Soffe. Vaughn and Mary were lively, exciting, fun and loved everyone they met. They had come to the land far far away from a small corner of the world known as Murray, Utah, to serve a mission. Less than a year later, the handsome-young-couple traveled to Utah and married. Due to many circumstances beyond their control the handsome-young-couple found themselves unemployed and homeless in Utah. Vaughn and Mary quickly offered the handsome-young-couple a room in their delightful apartment above the Jenkins-Soffe Mortuary. The handsome-young-couple soon found jobs and their own delightful apartment just one block away from Vaughn and Mary.
As the young couple spent more time with Vaughn and Mary they learned many wonderful things. It turned out, that Vaughn and Mary were not only wonderful people who owned a respected business, but that Vaughn had been the Mayor of this small part of the world, and had served on many boards. Because of Vaughn's activity in the community and winning personality it was difficult to travel anywhere without meeting someone who knew Vaughn and Mary.
A few years later Vaughn and Mary accompanied the handsome-young-couple on a trip back to the land far far away. They visited old friends of both couples, and several tourist sites, as well as the family of the young-prince-of-a-man-with-the-awesome-British-Accent. Everyone had a wonderful time. On the way home from Jamaica the two couples visited Epcot center in Florida and of course Vaughn ran into people he knew. Mary assured us that no matter where they had traveled in the world, Vaughn inevitably ran into someone he knew. Vaughn passed away in 2004 at the age of 91, but we are sure he is still meeting and greeting people he knows in Heaven.
Over the past few years the beautiful young woman, who is now a beautiful middle-aged woman, has realized that her not-so-young-prince-of-a-man-with-the-awesome-British-accent has followed in Vaughn's shoes. He has not been the mayor of any city, but has served his community well and he cannot seem to go anywhere without running into someone he knows. This past weekend, the not-so-young-couple escaped from their family for a few days of relaxation and continued to run into people the not-so-young-prince-of-a-man-with-the-awesome-British-Accent knew: At the Burger King in Nephi, he ran into a Salt Lake City Bailiff and his delightful family. At the Tai Pan Trading store in St. George, a man he had prosecuted in court. The man wanted to tell the not-so-young-prince-of-a-man-with-the-awesome-British-Accent that he felt he had been treated fairly even though he lost his case and was pleased that the not-so-young-prince-of-a-man-with-the-awesome-British-accent had been very nice to him. And finally at Cove Fort (a remote fort in Millard County Utah built in 1867 or 8) he ran into a former judge he knows who is now serving a mission at the Fort.
It seems the not-so-young-prince-of-a-man-with-the-awesome-British-Accent is indeed following in his mentor's shoes, and they aren't such bad shoes to walk in, but they are certainly hard to fill.
However, before this handsome-young-couple made history they met and became friends with Vaughn and Mary Soffe. Vaughn and Mary were lively, exciting, fun and loved everyone they met. They had come to the land far far away from a small corner of the world known as Murray, Utah, to serve a mission. Less than a year later, the handsome-young-couple traveled to Utah and married. Due to many circumstances beyond their control the handsome-young-couple found themselves unemployed and homeless in Utah. Vaughn and Mary quickly offered the handsome-young-couple a room in their delightful apartment above the Jenkins-Soffe Mortuary. The handsome-young-couple soon found jobs and their own delightful apartment just one block away from Vaughn and Mary.
As the young couple spent more time with Vaughn and Mary they learned many wonderful things. It turned out, that Vaughn and Mary were not only wonderful people who owned a respected business, but that Vaughn had been the Mayor of this small part of the world, and had served on many boards. Because of Vaughn's activity in the community and winning personality it was difficult to travel anywhere without meeting someone who knew Vaughn and Mary.
A few years later Vaughn and Mary accompanied the handsome-young-couple on a trip back to the land far far away. They visited old friends of both couples, and several tourist sites, as well as the family of the young-prince-of-a-man-with-the-awesome-British-Accent. Everyone had a wonderful time. On the way home from Jamaica the two couples visited Epcot center in Florida and of course Vaughn ran into people he knew. Mary assured us that no matter where they had traveled in the world, Vaughn inevitably ran into someone he knew. Vaughn passed away in 2004 at the age of 91, but we are sure he is still meeting and greeting people he knows in Heaven.Over the past few years the beautiful young woman, who is now a beautiful middle-aged woman, has realized that her not-so-young-prince-of-a-man-with-the-awesome-British-accent has followed in Vaughn's shoes. He has not been the mayor of any city, but has served his community well and he cannot seem to go anywhere without running into someone he knows. This past weekend, the not-so-young-couple escaped from their family for a few days of relaxation and continued to run into people the not-so-young-prince-of-a-man-with-the-awesome-British-Accent knew: At the Burger King in Nephi, he ran into a Salt Lake City Bailiff and his delightful family. At the Tai Pan Trading store in St. George, a man he had prosecuted in court. The man wanted to tell the not-so-young-prince-of-a-man-with-the-awesome-British-Accent that he felt he had been treated fairly even though he lost his case and was pleased that the not-so-young-prince-of-a-man-with-the-awesome-British-accent had been very nice to him. And finally at Cove Fort (a remote fort in Millard County Utah built in 1867 or 8) he ran into a former judge he knows who is now serving a mission at the Fort.
It seems the not-so-young-prince-of-a-man-with-the-awesome-British-Accent is indeed following in his mentor's shoes, and they aren't such bad shoes to walk in, but they are certainly hard to fill.
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