Gaylord LaFond has seen it all in his 98 years

Gaylord LaFond can say something that many residents of Phillips County cannot. He is a Malta native born and raised and he has been around for 98 years, since May 14, 1916. When asked if LaFond was a candidate for the PCN's Senior Spotlight, we at the news office wanted to hear anything LaFond felt like telling.

For one thing LaFond has not only seen Malta built building by building, as it turns out, LaFond probably helped produce many of the sidewalks we walk on and buildings you step into on a daily basis.

When asked about his memory of Malta when he was younger, LaFond responded. "There were quite a few log cabins."

He went on to say that the streets were all gravel and many residents had horses and buggies.

"My mother and I used to peddle whistles," he said. "We lived out in a farm five miles out."

Though his family used a single horse with a wagon, LaFond, did not like riding horses.

"I never did like horses," he said. "My sisters used to ride them all the time but I'd rather walk a half mile to get the cows and walk around the hills, but I wouldn't want to ride a horse."

It may be needless to say, but LaFond was much happier when his family purchased their first automobile.

His family's first car was a 1929 Ford Model T. He was around 16.

"We cut the back off. I remember my dad had never drove one before and we went down the old gravel road and he said 'What side of the road do we drive on? Is it the right side or the left side?,'" LaFond reminisced. "Dad didn't drive very much."

Like the debacle of his father finding the right side of the road, LaFond has had many stories that involved him facing danger and overcoming it.

One incident happened in Chinook, while LaFond went to the mines in Chinook, with a friend.

It turns out that a few cables hooked up to a truck were in a bind.

"This guy and I decided to go down into the mine and we couldn't see daylight, it was plum black," he said. "You could hear the guys pecking the coal on the sides."

They continued their trek down the mine and heard someone running a line. He felt the line moving under his leg but couldn't see it, due to the darkness.

"I said 'STOP THAT TRUCK!" LaFond said.

But they couldn't hear his shouts. So LaFond did want anyone else would, he ran. That was a good plan however, LaFond tripped over a railroad tie.

He then thought, maybe he could grab the cable, but the cable was moving too fast and nearly chopped his fingers off.

He got up and kept running towards the opening and ultimately escaped. Even though an overhead railroad tie nearly knocked him out.

Another experience was when LaFond was working on a building and nearly fell five stories off of a 40 foot scaffold, while working on the grain elevator in Loring. That elevator still stands today.

He believes that his close calls with near certain death, was the main reason he came to have a faith in God.

Along with his faith in Christ, LaFond noted that marrying his wife was the most important

LaFond's wife of 73 years was Mae (Svien), who was a Saco Native. The couple met when LaFond worked at Westland, a local gas station in 1940 and were married that same year on October 13.

There is one secret to a successful marriage, according to LaFond.

"Love your wife," he said.

When asked about his wife, who passed away last October, LaFond responded, "She was a good family woman and I loved her the whole time. She helped me with all she could."

The couple had six children together, and today they have close to 60 grandchildren.

As far as the secret to being a great father, LaFond gave a familiar but true answer, "Love your wife again," he said.

His family is his most prized possession.

His wife Mae was an excellent homemaker and was a bookkeeper for LaFond while he owned and operated the Malta Ready Mix, starting in the 1950's. He is the original owner and operator of the Malta Ready Mix and he sold it around thirty years later.

Through that company, LaFond has provided concrete for most of Phillips County and it's surrounding areas.

He was a valuable part of building Catholic churches in Dodson, Saco, Whitewater, Lodgepole, Hays and the bell tower at St. Mary's in Malta.

He also built his beautiful brick house he lives in.

"I worked with a fellow named Jeff Pressley," LaFond told the PCN, when talking about his 35-year career as a carpenter.

Pressley taught him one thing that every carpenter should know.

"He showed me how to read the square," he said.

Without beind able to read a square, you'd have a crooked house, he continued.

One of his favorite hobbies is playing Texas Hold 'Em and LaFond still owns a retail building on 2nd street, that he hopes to sell in the near future.