Max L Wilson-Life Sketch Part 4

Max L Wilson

Life Sketch

Given by President Myron Hancock
15 October 1997

     Max and Joyce were later blessed with four sons.  Ryan, being the oldest, born in 1969; Greg in 1970; Mike in 1972; and Josh in 1978. 

Lynette, Greg, Joyce holding Josh, Max, Mike and Ryan

Max's boys: Greg, Ryan, Mike and Josh

     One time while Max was working at Boise Cascade and I didn't know where he was working at the time, I had the opportunity to go into Boise Cascade for something.  I didn't know anybody in Boise Cascade and I was in there walking, looking around and I could hear somebody hollering, “Myron, Myron.”  I turned around and looked and nobody was there that I knew and I just looked.  Three or four times this happened and finally I just pulled my hat down and was ready to head out the door.  I could hear somebody laughing and I looked down behind the counter and there was old Max down on his hands and knees.  Every time I would turn my back he would stand up and holler Myron and when I would turn around he would duck out of sight. 

Max at Gatorland in Florida

     While he was working at Boise Cascade, he played city league softball.  This was a fun time for him and their family.  Joyce related that they would load up that old yellow Datsun station wagon of their’s and put a port-a-potty in the back, that was just for Mike though, and take off and go to Tautphaus Park or somewhere to watch Max play softball. 

     Before he went back to college, they lived in Ucon and Lincoln and Garfield.  He served as counselor in the Bishopric with Bishop Bird in Ucon and then with Bishop Knutson when they divided the Ucon Ward and made the Milo Ward. 

     They family later moved on to Garfield and he quit his job at Boise Cascade and started a dairy there.  The reason they started a dairy there was he wanted to be his own boss and he wanted to teach his boys how to work.  These were growing times for his family.  They spent a lot of their time in little league, basketball, hunting and fishing. 

     Mike related an experience that while they were there on the farm, it was his job to go and gather eggs.  One time he was gathering eggs and he dropped one.  It didn't really break but it cracked.  He was afraid he was going to get in trouble so he went and hid it.  He was being careful so he wouldn't be seen while he hid the egg.  During the process of hiding the egg, his Dad caught him.  He said his Dad could have done a lot of things to him-paddled him or kicked his pants or whatever.  But instead he took the opportunity to teach like he did with many others.  He taught him that it was important to be honest and always fess up to the things that he had done. 

     After they lived in Garfield, they moved into Rigby where Max went back to school at ISU.  He graduated there in 1987 and started teaching at Ririe High School.  He was the assistant coach there at Ririe High School when Ririe took the state championship in basketball.  He was always really proud of the kids at Ririe and loved them. 

     Before moving to Blackfoot, he taught at the Midway Middle School and helped coach the junior high basketball team.  This came back to haunt him a few years later as this same team was Ty Shippen and Micah Randall, and Brandon Andrews and the ones who beat Blackfoot to go to state. I remember going to the tournament games there.  I saw Max in the stands and there was a place to sit down by him.  So I thought I would just go and sit down by him because he is a loyal Rigbyite.  Josh was either playing that year or the next year. I sat by Max and Ryan through the first quarter, and then went and found another place to sit.  They weren't routing for Rigby.  It was a little uncomfortable being there. 

     Max enjoyed watching Josh play and went to all his games and was his coach.  I know he was to all of Ryan’s games and helped coach him too.  Ryan played on the Rigby team that took State in A2 and then took it again in A1 the next year.