Person Page - 134

Citations

1. A Celebration of the life of Louis Leslie Main. Written by his sister, C. Chris Main Gardner. (BEGIN QUOTE) In Helena MT, on January 30, 1956, Louis Leslie Main was born to Elmer Lou and Norma Haffey Main. He was the 5th child of 7. I was the third kid, and age six at the time, but I remember how fragile he was. He was born two months premature, which put him in peril of his life, but also he inherited Hydrocephalus or 'water on the brain' which is related to the Spina Bifida that our Mother was born with. The Medical book I consulted about this condition says the baby must have surgery within birth to 6 months of age in order to survive. I remember how we all had to wear masks on our faces to prevent contamination and be around him. We were not allowed to pick him up.
   
   One day there were a lot of people around in our house in Helena, I don't know why there were so many, but I remember Louie was in an infant seat on a couch. My younger sister, Sandy, picked him up as she was forbidden to do and Mom, seeing this and unable to get to him, yelled at her to put him down. She must have been about three years old and she panicked, throwing him as we all held our breaths. He flew across the room and landed in a recliner just as softly as if he'd been carried by angels! Isn't it weird how some things stand out in our memories. I always hear from my children the things that stand out in their memories are sometimes things we'd rather forget!
   
   At 1 month old Louis reached the big weight of 5 pounds! He continued to grow and progress , but Mom said that he didn't have a normal appearance in his eyes or head. His head continued to swell with extra fluid and the Doctors were watching it trying to get him stronger for the surgery that would save his life. It was said he may not live to be even three years old. The family continued to love him and pray for him. When he was six months old, a special prayer service was held for him, and faith was exercised in his behalf, that he would be healed of the infirmities and live a normal life. The Good Lord was petitioned and when they went home to Louis they noticed a change in his eyes, the got more color and clarity right away. It was a few months before the Doctors would admit that his head was no longer growing faster than the rest of his body. As he approached a year they could find nothing wrong with him! He was blessed to outlive all expectations and dire predictions that were made about him. He was slower than other kids, and walked late, as well as not speaking clearly until the age of 5.
   
   He was joined in the family by two younger sisters. In 1958, after he was about 2, we moved from Montana to the Phoenix area. He was in fragile health and his younger sisters remember helping to care for him. The business that brought us to the Phoenix area failed and we moved into Mom's present house in Maryvale in 1959.
   
   In 1961 we lost our Dad, he was only 39, with seven kids left behind ranging in age from 14 years down to 9 months old. There became two groups of us, the big and responsible ones and the "3 little kids". Sandy, just above Louis, was kind of a floater in the middle of the family. Lorn, Don and I took turns missing elementary school to watch and care for the little ones since Mom now had to work to support us. It meant we had to work hard to keep up with our studies in between childcare duties at home. We learned responsibility at young ages.
   
   When it became time for Louis to be in elementary school, he was tested and went to CW Harris on the bus. We told him he got to go on the bus cause he was special! He seemed to thrive and was determined to make getting an education a priority.
   
   He was 12 when I went as a newlywed to Shreveport, LA for my husband to do his duty in the USAF. During the summer of 1969, Lou came and spent the entire summer with us. We had a lot of fun going fishing in some of the many lakes and rivers around the USAF base. The only thing that was cheap enough to do for entertainment was fishing and the Base Theatre movies. Louie acquired the name "Garbage gut" from the appetite he had while staying with us.
   
   In October 1973, we had the misfortune of losing our 1st and only baby so far. Artie left a huge hole in our lives and hearts, and we had Louis live with us again for several months. We lived back in Maryvale by that time, just a mile or so west of this building. Louis wasn't that far from home and he was hanging out with friends one night and came home past curfew. We had gone to bed and he saw the lights off and in an effort to enter silently he hopped the back fence, attempting to enter thru the doggie door. I heard him and awoke Fred and asked him what we should do someone was entering the back of the house. He's my big protector and hero and he said shh I'll get my gun! SHH is not one of my strong points, and as he was fumbling for the loaded gun from its hiding place in the closet or something, I turned on the light. Good thing I did it was then we discovered that Fred had the loaded gun pointed right at my little brother! I don't know why but Louis decided he'd go back to Mom's after that, don't know if it was self preservation or missing everyone at home that he made that decision. He was on the 5 year plan at Maryvale and persevered for that length of time and graduated at the same time as his younger sister, Lily.
   
   In 1988 we heard the story of how Louis had forced his way into an old girl friend's home and rescued two small children that were there suffering from very serious mental and physical abuse. It was said by the doctors that if an intervention hadn't been done, one of them was about 12 hours away from death. It was by Louis's kindness that these two children were saved from a very early death. They are our two adopted and sealed children and we are grateful for the miracles that they brought into our lives. We were their foster parents for three years before the adoption was final.
   
   Lou was kind to all children and animals as he struggled through life. He had a variety of jobs and worked very hard when he had the chance to do so. He had lots of callouses on his hands from the hard labor he did in many different situations. Many people were kind to him and got great joy from helping him in work and in gifts. We as a family appreciate all of those unseen heros who helped him in this life.
   
   This year on August 14th around midnight he was just walking home after his usual Friday activities and was assaulted by an unknown man. He was deemed ok by the Pheonix Paramedics, and they walked him home about a block away. Unknown to anyone he had a bleed in his upper left brain and it continued until the morning of the day after that. I was called on Sunday and I checked him and called 911 and he started to get the finest care available in the nation at Barrows Neurological Institute. He continued to receive excellent care but the clot had taken out too much of his brain function and he left this life at 11:15 on the 27th of August. I hope I have conveyed my feelings of love and admiration for my brother and his struggles with life. He will be greatly missed. Thanks to all who have given our family your love and support. (END QUOTE).