Excerpts from The Winthrop News........... It has been said that if we write but one book in our life, let it be our autobiography. Lyle Tempus, of rural Aurora, did just that. He recently completed his self-titled narrative, "Memoirs of the Old Ditch Digger," for family and friends who attended a 60th wedding anniversary party in February honoring his wife, Sevilla, and himself. "I'm a storyteller," says Lyle. "I love to tell a good story, and when friends told me I should write some of those stories down, I took their advice and did." Lyle opens his heart and shares bits and pieces of his 82 years of life in a 114 plus page memoir that took him a couple months to get on tape. At times the entries are humorous as they're described through Lyle's dry wit and tone. It covers his earliest memories at approximately three years of age through present day...."and I STILL keep remembering things," he says. Within the manuscript, are many detailed and interesting accounts of his family's self-sufficient lifestyle during the Depression Years. The title of Tempus' memoir comes from the fact that he's dug trenches and laid tile (for drainage of water from farmland) most of his working life, in addition to farming. He's been a pilot, a bee-keeper, and done a lot of traveling over the years. Lyle writes in his dedication to his wife, "We have walked the Path of Life together with joy and sorrow, dealing with trials and tribulations, and being there for each other in sickness and in health. I have been blessed to have my partner in life understand me and stand by my side. We have shared as much as any couple can in a lifetime...I will always love My Valentine..."
