Don's son Ralph Scoffield's remarks from the funeral service



 A scripture has kept coming to my mind the last month or so and I couldn’t figure out why until dad had a stroke and passed away.

Ether 12:27     "And if men come unto me, I will show unto them their weakness.  I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

Dad used to complain about the two hour Utah Mormon funerals-well rest easy dad-today we are going to have a one hour Montana Mormon funeral.

Two weeks ago dad and I were loading fifty yearlings on Tuesday for the sale on Wednesday, not bad for an 83 year old guy.

We sure had a lot of fun fixing fence and moving cows even though it didn’t seem like fun at the time.

Thank you for coming to help us say goodbye to dad and celebrate his life.  I think he is probably mad right now because he can’t visit with each of you.  My dad loved to talk.  Thanks to everyone for the food, cards, and help with the funeral. 

As people have called this week, one thing they said was "Don was like a father to us." When he asked about your family he really wanted to know, he loved people, he wasn’t perfect but a good man.

I’ve heard dad say many times, "When Brigham Young said this is the place in Utah, well Brigham was about 500 miles too far south" because dad thought Three Forks "is the place." He loved the area, he loved the people, he loved to farm and ranch and he was good at it.

One of dad’s greatest gifts from God was the gift of gab, he didn’t know a stranger.  When I was a boy I remember dad was offered a job at a car dealership in Bozeman, at the time I thought we would be loaded because of this gift. He turned down the job, his heart was in farming and ranching.

One of dad’s happiest times was when dad worked at the vet clinic in Three Forks for Jack and Hester Rea.  I think he got to use that talent of his there, the gift of gab.  Thank you Jack and Hester for taking such good care of dad.

Many in the world aren’t as lucky as we are, many suffer from hunger and the break up of the family.  Dad and mom provided a good home life for us and I can’t ever remember a day when I went to bed hungry during the last 59 years.  Thanks mom and dad.

 Dad used to say, when I pass, just shove me under the ice in the river by his house.  Well sorry dad, there’s no ice this time of year.

Ever since I was a boy, I’ve dreaded this day.  I thought dad was invincible until I was twelve and he was hurt out in the corral.  Guess what he was doing?  He was working with a young horse and it whirled around and kicked him in the chest.  I thought he would die.  Mom told me to go get the Ford station wagon.  We loaded him up and mom took him to see Doc Bertagnolli.  The day is finally here.  Dad, we love you and will miss you.

One thing I’ve wrestled with for years has to do with three little words.  I Love You.  For 59 years I can’t remember him saying those words to me. Why was it so hard? It’s just not the Scoffield way.  I do know he loves me and I know he loves you grandchildren, too.  Think of all the ball games he came to see and all the things he did for us.  He loves us.

I can remember back about 55 years, mom and dad always took us to church.  Up until last week dad sat over here somewhere each week.  He was the Branch President here three different times serving 5 years each time.  He believed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and tried to live it.  He was always doing something for someone; plowing a garden, helping Sister Tinjum with her heater, he just liked being busy. He’s a good example for me, I wished I was more like him.  The sign of a true disciple of Jesus Christ is the way they treat other people.  Dad loved people.  He loved to visit with them and he loved to help them.

He loved the gospel of Jesus Christ and has shown us the way to work out our salvation by church attendance and temple attendance and by being Christlike to other people.

He showed us the way we can return and live with God in family units.  Now it’s up to us whether or not we will follow his example.

I have a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and believe this church is where we can perform the ordinances of salvation for ourselves and our ancestors so we can live in the eternities with God in family units.

I love you dad---until we meet again.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen