Philip G Dylina

Philip Glen Dylina is my father.  He was born the second son, third child of Joseph John Dylina and Amy Aba Noffsinger. He was born at home on the Dylina homestead north of Roundoup on 29 January 1923.  His mother, Amy died at age 34 of uremic poisoning three days after giving birth to twins Virgil and Vera..(both changed names to Larry Robert and Kathryn) when he was eight years old. He told me he remembers the day of the funeral was gray and windy. He said he heard the wind howling in the telephone wires that ran over the top of the cemetary. He thought it was God...also sad that his mother was dead. His memories of his mother are few.  He remembers she was kind, showed affection to all her her children and on each birthday made his/her favorite meal and birthday cake.  One large cake to share with sisters and brothers and one smaller cake just for the birthday child.  Her homemade noodles were fat and delicious and she made them directly from the flour sack...simply adding eggs and milk to a bowl shape she made in the sack and then kneading the flour out to cut noodles.  In the evenings she sat in a rocking chair and mended clothes or darned socks.

Dad graduated from high school in May 1940, in the same class as his older brother, Joe Jr. He enlisted in the Army in Butte MT 10 April 1943 and went to Ft Polk LA for training.  His army serial # was 39617642.  He was called out of the Army after his father, Joe Sr suffered an accident that amputated the lower half of his right arm and lower left leg.  Even though Dad had an older brother serving in the Merchant Marines at the time, Joe Sr wanted Dad to come home to help take care of him and his brothers left at home, both in elementary school.  They were  Leo and Mel. The infant twins had been taken to an orphanage in Helena just days after their birth.  Dad returned home on a hardship discharge from the Army and took a job in Roundoup to support is disabled dad and younger brothers.   He bought the Veterans Taxi Service in Roundup with best friend Don Wildon in 1947 and ran that small business from the basement of the only cafe on Main Street.  Don's girlfriend, Kitty served as the dispatcher during the day.  Their taxi service was restricted to the city limits of Roundup, but dad recalls one fare who wanted him to drive her to Great Falls, 90 miles away.  Dad reluctantly agreed to do it, but only after business hours and after dark.  He got $50 for that fare.  More to be added later....15 July 2011...