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Wendell met Sallie Little when she was 16. He patiently waited for her to turn 18 in November, and they were married December 11, 1954. Soon after their family began. Wenette was born the following October, Freda the next September, Jerry the following August, and Tom the next November. Yes, the children were 11 months apart with Tom 14 months later. Their hands were full. Sallie was busy with babies and Wendell with making a living. He worked for Barker Bros for a time and tried his hand growing hay with Randall Rankin. He landed a job at Davies Machinery as a mechanic and learned about Caterpillar engines. He stayed with the same company for 38 years retiring as the manager of the truck, engine, and lift division. The names of the company changed over the years from Davies to Wallace Machinery and finally Quinn Company. Wendell was known to hire many Wasco residents looking for a job. He furthered his education by attending classes in Peoria, Illinois. He was commended by the President of Caterpillar for his expertise in identifying problem areas in newly developed equipment. Wendell was the only manager to receive a generous retirement dinner sponsored by Caterpillar. The former Caterpillar Vice-President called Wendell last year to check on him during his retirement.

It was important to Wendell and Sallie to take their vacation time and travel. Wendell bought a little two-person trailer and they hit the road for two weeks every year. Wendell and Sallie in the trailer and the children camped out in the station wagon. Their first trip was to Yellowstone in 1962. Traveling with a 4, 5, 6, and 7-year-old must have been okay because they traveled every year until the children were in high school. As they grew so did the size of the trailer. A 19-foot Prowler became the vacation hang out. Trips were taken with friends and family and included Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Oklahoma., to name a few states. The Don Galloway Family and the McGuire family spent many hours on the road. The Hatleys, Massengales, and Rutledges joined the group occasionally.

Once the children were grown and married Wendell and Sallie continued to travel and bought a fifth wheel and then a 32 ft Airbus motor home. Longtime friends Bob and Thelma Hale and Willie and Martha Bennett traveled the United States together. They would be away for as long as 6 weeks at a time. In 2001 they were on the way from Niagara Falls to Washington, DC when 911 occurred. They had to change their plans to circumvent Washington, DC. The trips continued until Sallie was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome and passed away in 2011.

Wendell was all about family. He retired early and spent the next five years driving his mom to and from dylasis appointments in Bakersfield. He cleaned and cooked meals for her everyday. Wendell moved his children from house to house over the years and traveled to visit the ones far away. He was quick to loan money when necessary always willing to share. Wendell was the rock and voice of reason on many occasions. He was definitely a realist. If you complained about paying taxes, he’d say, “Be glad you made enough money to have to pay taxes!” Wendell barbecued pounds and pounds of tri-tip for every family occasion. He smoked all kinds of meat, too. He shared his loved of cooking sending food home to many family and friends. Wendell was so proud of his grandchildren and then his great-grandchildren. He would tell anyone, even in the grocery store, that he had 27 great-grandchildren! He stayed current with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren always asking “What’s going on?”.

As with everyone, it was difficult during the covid isolation. Wendell missed going to the coffee shop every morning at 4 am. He would catch up on the news of Wasco with Leeman Parker, Jerry Arnie, and Mike Martin. Wendell was known for his garden facing Palm Avenue. Nineteen Tomato plants, squash, cucumbers, bell peppers and okra could be seen by those driving by. Many times, there was a knock on the door asking to pick some tomatoes.