Escapees May-June 2024

care

Friendship and Family By CRYSTAL SAULTER #149374, CARE Marketing Manager

Those who live in their home on wheels constantly meet new people and make new friends. Whether it’s at a gathering, RV park or even while fueling up at the gas station. Sometimes those friend ships become much more. At least that is what happened for Don and Marty Small #25634 (Photo at right). D on Small traveled in his motorhome working for Western Electric, now known as Nokia, install ing phone of fi ce equipment for AT&T all over the country. Marty worked in school cafeterias preparing lunches for students. This job freed up the summers allowing her to take her children camping. In the summer of 1990, Marty worked as the activity director at a campground in Monument, Colorado. One day, a motorhome parked on the lot next to Marty and, of course, she would introduce herself the fi rst chance she got. Eager to share information about activities she had planned for guests in the RV park, Marty fi nally saw her new neighbor drive in one evening. So, Marty went over and introduced herself. It was no surprise that her new neighbor was a single man. The surprise was how good looking this new neighbor was. By 1992, the couple married and lived full-time in Tyrone, New Mexico, at Burro Mountain Homestead, an old ranch turned into an RV park and campground, for $600 per year. Don retired in 1991 and Marty in 1992. In 2006, Don and Marty attended Escapade in Gillette, Wyoming. Reluctantly, Marty signed up to sing a song in the Escapade Talent Show, now known as “Escapades got Talent.” Marty loved to sing a religious song “Serenaded by Angels.” After some practice sessions, Marty was told to pick another song that was not religious. Marty didn’t feel comfortable singing any other song so she backed out. Little did Marty know that during one of her practice sessions, Kay Peterson was listening in. When Kay found out that Marty had backed out and the reason why, well, let’s just say some strings were pulled and Marty was back on. Then, she was told she would have to sing acapella as they could

not fi nd the music for that song. Oh no, Marty said “I can’t sing without the music. I don’t have that good of a voice.” But, yet again, Kay Peterson came to the rescue. Marty included “Kay lifted me up and gave me the cour age to go out onto that stage and sing acapella in front of 2,000 people. When I fi nished the song, everyone in the audience stood up and applauded me. Wow, that was a wonderful feeling.” Marty also helped decorate a parade fl oat that year at Escapade. “We arrived there not knowing anybody, but by the time we left; we had made so many new friends,” said Don. By 2012, the couple downsized to a truck camper and bought a house in Basin, Wyoming, in Big Horn Valley, and lived there for seven years. In 2019, the Smalls gave up their truck camper and moved to Raton, New Mexico. Martys says, “Don, being a Nomad moving around was a way of life for him.” In 2021, after the realities of covid-19 settled in, they decided to make one more move. Both of them had always known about CARE but never expected to make it their home. The couple’s last and fi nal move was to Livingston, Texas, as CARE Residents. Marty said “This is the most amazing place and no other place like it. It was the best decision we ever made.”

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May/June 2024 ESCAPEES Magazine