Don's father died when he was only 6 and his life from then on was a rapid series of moves from one home to another. Even after he married Evelyn, this pattern continued until late in their life. They were children of the Depression and struggled with economic issues all of their lives. Neither of them had much education; Don made it to the eighth grade and Evelyn the tenth. Keeping body and soul together was always a major concern for them.Don was an alcoholic. As he said, he always was and always will be. That, to him, was just one of the obstacles that he had to overcome.

And he did overcome it with the help of Alcoholics Anonymous. He spent his life learning and growing. Evelyn was the perfect partner for him. They fell in love when they were both 20 and grew together throughout their lives.Four children were born to them. Children who learned early to take responsibility and help with the family. Jeanine, one of the daughters, commented that "we weren't raised, we were jerked up." Growing up with an alcoholic father and a working mother who also suffered from depression was not easy, but it was educational.

This is the story of a family growing together through the trials of life.Things changed over the years. They became active again in the LDS Church. In later years they even owned a home and stayed in one place for years.It was an upward struggle for them during hard economic and emotional times, but they stayed together and grew together. Hence the title Excelsior - always upward, higher or more elevated.This is a true story, the story of my parents. It is a true story written in a fictional form.