Samuel C Engelking

Family Rocks A Tribute to Samuel C. Engelking In the corner of a guest room, in many homes over time, has always stood the handmade family rock cabinet. It tells the story of men who were dreamers and the courageous women who stood by them. It tells the story of my father, Sam Engelking, and the family who made him the man he was. The rocks and shells collected tell the stories of generations that molded who my brothers and I are today. Small glass vials of sand tell of 9 year old Heinrich Engelking, who collected the sand from every river he crossed from Germany to America. I wish I knew what drove his father, mother, and brother out of their homeland to a strange new world in 1875. A vial of red clay tells that the family crossed the US and settled on a farm near Lincoln, Nebraska. After his mother, Sophia, died, the two sons did not fare well with their new stepmother and set out to find adventure. Christopher went to the silver mines of the west; Heinrich, sought gold in South America. Heinrich didn’t strike it rich and he settled down in Lindsay, California where he became an orchardist with his wife Abigail and 8 children, one whom is my grandfather Carlyle. The wanderlust hit Carlyle, in a different way. He graduated from San Jose Bible College and entered the mission field. The Engelking family (Carlyle & Alfa, Sam and his 3 sisters), started churches in Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, and California. Those kids were constantly on the move and changing schools. Traveling and singing gospels was a way of life for them. Sam enjoyed playing school sports wherever he could: football, basketball, baseball. Dad didn’t escape from wandering. In 1957, he was attending San Jose Bible College, like his dad did, when he was drafted into the army. He came full circle back to Germany, patrolling the streets of Berlin as The Wall was built. He crossed those same rivers as his great-grandfather. I will never forget his face decades later as we watched the news while The Wall was torn down and the Cold War ended. Dad was also a dreamer. He never gave up on his dream of becoming a fireman. Soldier, tree climber, truck driver, church leader, store manager, finally, he fulfilled his dream at age 45. It was a proud day when he was hired by Atascadero Fire Department. He sure looked good in that uniform. Yet, there was sorrow when they weren’t able to resuscitate a choking infant. And I will never forget the tales of the Las Padres Fire with its fireball that flew over his truck on the road. It showed me a strength in my father that inspired me. He also taught me that with determination, dreams can come true. While being a dreamer sounds very romantic, it’s actually tough on relationships. The women with these men had to have great courage and strength. The women of this family, Aunt Connie and Aunt Sharon especially, have taught me a toughness that is hard to beat. While the men were dreaming and adventuring, the women were holding everyone together and collecting bits of history in the rock cabinet to record their adventures. One such lady was Mattie Carter’s mother during the Civil War. While the men were at war, she ran a Way Station in Missouri. It is said that Jesse James stopped there to purchase supplies. He handed her some money and she recognized it as counterfeit and called him on it. He eventually paid her with real money. That was one tough lady! All the while, the rock cabinet has stood in a guest room of many homes throughout generations. Abigail collected shells from Rhode Island to Morro Bay, scraps of cloth from Scotland dated 1775, Alfa added rocks and crystals of every type. That counterfeit confederate 5 dollar bill is still there to remind me of a very strong woman who didn’t put up with any mischief! I wish I knew all the stories of the hands that have touched the artifacts. Some stories will be lost forever. But what I will always have is the heritage of dreamers and the faith that sustained them when times were hard. My brothers and I are made of the stuff of dreamers, adventurers, and believers. This family rocks! Steve Engelking, Shelly Keller, and Sheldon Engelking