Steve Hood's Life Story

from Penny's warped perspective

1950's

Steven Craig Hood was born to Kenneth and Delores Seip Hood on August 1, 1955 in Caldwell, Idaho. The couple and 8 year old Rodger and 6 year old Marilynn Kaye had just moved from the Nebraska/Wyoming area where Kenn had farmed with his family. Delores' parents had relocated to Wilder, ID earlier, which was the reason for choosing eastern Idaho. Steve was raised on a small farm in Kuna. Early on he helped with chores, which is what developed his strong work ethic that all of his bosses and co-workers always noticed in Steve. Chores included milking cows, gathering eggs, feeding livestock. Steve liked to brag that he was driving the truck at age 8 to and from various fields his dad was working in. Delores worked in town, so Steve and his dad usually prepared the famly dinner, which explains why he was such an accomplished cook.

1960's

Steve attended the Kuna schools. His first school was a tiny building in the country. He had a bad experience with his first grade teacher. That was about all he would mention about his early school years. It seems all of his teachers were older, because he was teased a lot because they would call him Marilynn, after having his sister 6 years earlier in class. During these years Steve developed life-long friendships. The most enduring one was with Pat Oliver. Steve did not really enjoy education until high school, where he became very talented in choral performance and sports. Large all through his life, Steve's strength and amazing speed caused him to be playing on the high school team in 9^th grade. He lettered in football and in wrestling. As the school's Heavey Weight leader, Steve earned his way to district every year, and state at least once. The Kuna football team was so powerful that Steve enjoyed many victories, some over much larger schools. His gifted singing voice probably is what kept him in school – he loved choir. Kuna, although a small and poor district, was always hiring young teachers who always moved on to bigger things. One particular young educator encouraged Steve to perform in musicals and at choral competitions. All through his twenties he was asked to sing at church, weddings and funerals quite often. Steve and Pat sang a duet at their 1973 graduation ceremony. One last outstanding experience from high school that Steve cherished was being Student Body President of Kuna High. He gained many leadership and administrative skills that year that he applied in his life's work and church service. I have to add that the other thing Steve gained from being Pres. Was the ability to come up with many excuses to leave campus for “student body” tasks. I'm not sure he learned much more than that his senior year.

1970's

His teen years on the farm included increased chore responsiblities and a merger of Future Farmers of America (FFA) as part of the Kuna High extra curriculum. Steve was proud of his ability to raise hogs and spent a few summers at the Boise Fair showing his swine. During those years he was field boss to crews of hired teens to pick sweet corn and “top” seed corn. This was hard, hot work and Steve was noted for being a hard worker. As one of his hirees, I can attest that he was a born boss. Between checking on crews he also did custom tractor work for area farms and ran truck loads of sweet corn to Boise stores to sell. Steve did not know what having summer fun was unless it was to have a water fight in a ditch to cool off from 103⁰ heat.

Steve was called “Hugger” by classmates. Due to his wrestling holds, and to his ability to attract and hug the pretty girls. I think his most romantic relationships were with girls older than him, so when they went to college he tried dating classmates who were just friends. He claims he didn't date every girl in his small high school, but only most of them.

This leads me to the story of how I entered his life. Steve loved it when someone would ask him how we met. His response was, “We met in bed”. That would get a shocked look and a laugh from him. That is pretty close to the truth... I was introduced to the Nampa First Baptist nursery as a newborn when he was 11 months old. We figure at some point we were near or in the same crib. And we have been in each other's life ever since. Growing up in towns over 15 miles apart, we were more like brother and sister. Same Sunday School class, same youth group, etc. Him and my brother, Robbie were hunting and fishing buddies, so Steve spent many Sunday afternoons ( yes, the Hood family did honor the Sabbath rest ) over at our house. But he was just another obnoxious boy to me. Then a few things happened. During my junior year I had asked the boy I had a huge crush on to take me to the Sadie Hawkins Dance – girl ask boy. About a week before the dance he turned me down. I was devastated. I think my mom suggested Steve as a back-up. He said “Sure”, but we both wish he had said “No”. The weekend of the dance Steve wrestled in a tournament and dislocated his shoulder. Being the man of integrity he was, he picked me up and suffered the evening at the dance at my school while in pain. I made fun of his dance style, not knowing he actually was an awesome dancer – just not with a dislocated shoulder. He took me home not speaking to me – and it stayed that way almost a year.

Steve bought a Honda motorcycle the next year after he graduated. He brought the cycle over and offered me a ride. Well, something special happened when I wrapped my arms around him and hugged Hugger close. I started having daydreams of his kisses and actually became shy around him ( an annoying behavior I had with all of the boys I liked ). The November of my 1974 senior year Steve asked me out. He took me to one of our football games then we drove the 20 miles to Boise for a Pepsi. Back then gas was not an issue, nor was getting home early with a guy my parents loved as their own son. At Ann Morrison Park, I got my first kiss from Steve Hood, and enjoyed ever one of them for 35 years! Near that same park on June 13, 2005 he proposed to me at the old Boise Railroad Station sitting on a blanket overlooking the city lights. I don't think any of our parents were surprised. But my dad's response was so amusing that we talked about it often. When he asked for my hand in marriage, my dad took Steve into the living room and lectured him for what seemed like an hour on taking care of me, etc. In closing Mom and I laughed when we heard Dad say, “Well, if she's going to marry someone, it might as well be you”. The next 3 months were full of planning for our August 22 wedding. Steve claimed his dad kept him in the fields that day until about 4 pm when he finally asked permission to go take a shower and get ready for his 7 pm wedding. It was so hot that night that the pastor had a fan turned on behind Steve to keep him comfortable. Back then the ceremony wasn't a huge production, and neither of us remember many details. But we did honor and obey our vows to the letter. To spare you everything I would love to tell you about our early years together, I will just say that the Lord hand-picked a man who made me feel special almost every day after that.

Our first home was a single-wide 45 foot long old trailer in the middle of a corn field. During the year we were there our first child, Craig Caleb was born August 8, 1976. Even as a young daddy at age 20 Steve was a Deacon in our church and was known by almost every farmer in a 10 mile radius. Him and his dad expanded their custom farming jobs and almost daily went for coffee to BS at a local cafe'. Those years we were poor as mice, but too much in love to care. Special treats were Sunday dinners at one of the mom's homes or my parents treating us to a late Saturday night pizza. On September 7, 1978 Larissa Colleen was born. At that time we lived in a tiny 2 bedroom house that was so infested with mice that Steve once beheaded 3 of them just by opening a door quickly! By then he had purchased his first grill and we started to develop our team work of entertaining friends and family. The spring of 1979 Steve took a job in produce at Smith's Food King in Boise. He was now on the other end of selling sweet corn and loved it. He could not walk through any grocery store without critiqing the produce tables. The store chain was sold in 1980 and in May he took a job as Circulation Manager for the Lewiston Tribune. We moved to the pretty town of Moscow, Idaho.

TO BE CONTINUED

My sweetie for life.