The following pages are for contributions from Jeff's family and friends. We invite you to add your comments, messages, memories, and tales of Jeff to help enrich his sons' memories of their Dad.

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I have only known Jeff for 4 years, but my master has known him and his family for many more. I thought everyone could use a chuckle so I decided to post this note. I go to the groomer the 1st tuesday of every month, and once I am placed into my car seat which Jeff used to make fun of as only he could do I would hear the loud big brown truck, and I'd get all excited, because I knew within a few minutes this hand would reach into my side window and pet me. my master used to panic thinking I'd bite the hand as it reached into the car but I never did. You see I am blind, but I go by smell and sound, and I know an animal lover when I sense one. Well I have been sitting here waiting as I continue to hear the big brown truck but you're not here anymore. My master talks to me to calm me down because I get soo excited thinking you're still coming to see me, but it has been 4 months now and I understand and I cannot wait until I get to actually see you in the afterworld, I know that I will know who you are by the kind and gentle man you were while you were here on earth. I must admit I have shown your boys and Lisa and Ron my ferocious big bad dog side just to keep them in line. Jake never moved so fast, but now I think they do it to keep me on my paws. I really love them and look after them for you. You know I'll be 16 next month 4 years over my laso breed live expectancy, but I think my master is calm knowing that when I too cross over you'll be there to meet me, and I'll be causing havoc with you!
Your buddy Spudz of Modesto

To Uncle Jeff (and as he used to say in all modesty, "the best looking uncle I've got"),

I will never forget the relationship that I have had with you. You meant so much to me. It still doesn't feel real - I keep expecting to hear that giant truck in the driveway on the weekends. There's no way I'm ever going to be able to express the shock, disbelief and heartache of losing you. None of us can accept it.

I've taken so long to write this because I didn't know what all to say. There are so many things I want to talk to you about and things I want to share with other people about you. I am so thankful to have so many memories. On our last trip we sat up talking about how we were going to do things to take care of Dad and how we would show the dogs together. Bonnie (the dog that you told me not to get) was V1 rated at my first show the other weekend. Ha. It was the first dog show I was entered in and the first show without you there. I wanted to say, "I told you so!" when she won but I couldn't. The first thing I thought of was you and how proud you would have been anyway.

Thank you for every memory you've given me. Every snow trip war, every time I was thrown in the pool, every time you would flip me when I was little, every road trip in the middle of the night, every time you dealt with Dad when he was cranky, every joke, every time you made my friends feel like they were family, every Fourth of July we set off car alarms, every camping trip, every four-wheeling trip, every time you went with me to Joeri's, every Christmas that will never be the same, every pancake that can never be duplicated, everything that you've ever done that I could never come close to explaining in this list.

For everything you will always mean to me.

I love you.

-Lisa

We live on Park Avenue in Antioch, Illinois, which is where Lloyd and Helen Hoselton live. Many of us didn't know Jeff very well, but we always looked forward to their annual summer visits. The kids in the neighborhood, there are about 20 of them, always have a great time when Lloyd and Jake come to visit. Whether they are skateboarding, swimming, jumping on the trampoline or just "hanging out", the summer is not complete without their visit.

We were all so saddened to hear of Jeff's tragic death and, of course, immediately did whatever we could to help Lloyd and Helen through those numbing days. Also, our thoughts immediately turned to the boys and our thoughts and prayers are with them.

Lloyd and Jake, please know that all of your friends here on Park Avenue are thinking of you and hope to see you again next summer!

FRIENDS FROM PARK AVENUE
ANTIOCH, ILLINOIS

I thought it would get easier with time to come to this site, but with every new picture and every new story it just gets harder and harder. I’m saddened mostly by the fact that I missed many opportunities to be with him when he was alive. And now that he’s gone I’ll never see him again. I kick myself now for brushing off invitations so nonchalantly, saying to myself, “There’s plenty of time to go to the snow; if not this year, next year.” or “ They live so far and I’d rather sleep in tomorrow.” or “I can’t get two weeks off work to go on the road trip to Illinois”

He was my uncle since the day I met him. I’ve never felt so much love from a stranger. Of course he’s not a stranger now. Everytime I’d see him he’d hug me as if he hadn’t seen me in ages; and it probably had been ages. I don’t remember every snow trip or every camping trip I went on with him but I was invited to all with open arms.

I remember back about 4 years ago, maybe 5, Lisa invited me to go out to the snow with them one weekend. I was so excited, even though I didn’t get off work Friday night till about midnight. So I drove out to uncle Jeff’s house after I got off work and he was there waiting up for me when I arrived around 2am.

I remember doing the poker run one weekend about 2 or 3 years ago. I didn’t get to ride in uncle Jeff’s scout; he was so popular that there were no seats left. I think it was him who paid for everyone’s meal tickets. If not, then I don’t know, but I know I didn’t shell out any money for anything. He made sure me and my boyfriend didn’t have to.

I remember going to the waterslides in Manteca last year for Jake or Lloyd’s birthday. Uncle Jeff dared me to go down the longest waterslide. And of course I had to do it to prove to him that I wasn’t a scaredy cat. I knew he was teasing though.

I’m sure there’s more to be said, but that’s all I can think of right now off the top of my head.

Damn I’m going to miss him. In fact, I already do.

-Rose Rios
(best friend of his only niece)

I met Jeff back in Turlock, California at the Turlock Car Show and Swap Meet. I think it was the summer of 1990. I was trying to sell an IH pick-up and when he stopped and looked at it, I thought “maybe he’ll buy it”. He soon revealed that he was a Scout guy and just wondered what I spent to rebuilt the engine. He and Kathi had driven his Scout to the show and soon we became friends. I was relatively new to Internationals and Jeff began to teach me everything he knew about them.

I spent alot of time over at Jeff and Kathi’s house during the next few years until I moved to Tennessee in 1992. I visited the Hoselton’s twice since I left. I called Jeff in the fall of 1998 and asked him if he would be in my wedding. “Kathi and I will be there!” was his immediate response. No thinking it over, just yes, when and where. He flew out in March of 1999 for the wedding. He was into Harleys so we went to Bumpus Harley-Davidson in Mufreesboro, went and got fitted for tuxes, proceeded to modify a Scout axle for my Scout II and then went four wheeling over at a friends place the day before the wedding. I put him to work and I had so much fun working on Scouts again with him. He even gave his approval on my Scout when we went wheeling and noted that it worked really well. I took this as a major compliment from a friend that had run some really great trails all over the country and knew how to make a Scout perform. The master taught me well. I haven’t seen Jeff, Kathi or the boys for 6-1/2 years but I felt like I was still there every time I talked to Jeff on the phone. We built a lot of Scouts over the phone in the last 13 years. The best thing about Jeff was no matter how weird my ideas were he never put me down. He always added his insight about the subject and made me more informed.

I will never forget Jeff. It’s really hard to. I just look around my shop and see him everywhere. From the 392 motor in my Travelall that he helped me find and install, to the diff covers that we bought at Pic-N-Pull in Modesto back around 1997 when I came to see my parents, to the custom spring plates he made for me, to my buddies steering box that Jeff found for me, to the hood scoop we found, the axle that he helped me build, and the list goes on and on.

One of the first things I noticed on Jeff’s Scout when I first met him was the cool turn signal lever and tilt wheel control. It was camo. I told him I’d like to have that on my Scout. He took an old aluminum camo arrow shaft off the table and cut a piece to length. He took the knob off the turn signal lever and slid the arrow shaft on and put in knob back on. I thought that was the coolest thing in the world..That was the first modification that Jeff helped me make to my Scout. So simple but so meaningfull. I still have that piece today, 15 years after he made it.

I dearly miss Jeff and getting to share things with him. I have so many great memories and and I’ll cherish those forever. He taught he about Internationals, shared his time with me, and was always there to help when I needed it. You couldn’t ask for a better friend than that.

Edwin Robbins
Bradyville, Tennessee

This is from the YO Ranch, Jeff, Kathi, and boys made the trip in the Scout to attend this event. Although it has been a great while since we have seen them, we regard them as dear friends and wonderful people. My husband Bryan and Jeff always stayed in touch through the years and we were deeply saddened by his early passing. The miles between CA and TX did not stop Jeff from reaching out and keeping a friendship going.
~Bryan and JoLynn Bortle

Jeff and I were science camp counselors together three years ago (with Lloyd’s class.) We were also chaperones together on the recent DC trip this past April. Jeff loved going to DC and was looking forward to going with Jacob’s class next year.
The boys in Jeff’s group loved him. He made learning so much fun, getting down on their level. Jeff would always make sure the boys were respectful, especially towards the females, allowing them to get onto the bus first. He would also ask the boys to load the luggage onto the bus so the girls didn’t have to lift the heavy suitcases. He always made sure the boys were well behaved, paying attention to what was being taught. Jeff was such a positive influence.
I do have something funny to say. One of the students (on our DC trip) who was from Taiwan (Hank) would always call Jeff "Mr. Lloyd’s Dad!" It was very cute!
Kathi, Lloyd and Jacob, my heart aches for you. I can’t even begin to imagine the pain you are experiencing. Jeff was definitely a man of integrity and loyalty. He was loved by everyone who knew him because of his contagious smile and warm personality.
May the memories you have of Jeff give you peace in the days ahead. My prayers are with you, asking the Lord to give each of you comfort and strength as you lean on Him.
Kris Lewis
Ripon

Oh, how to begin......Jeff was my UPS driver for many years on actual road....my name is Pam Meek. I'm the owner of contemporary legal services. What a guy...all my employees mostly(girls) would tease Jeff about his tan...or his cute little butt...he'd always walk away with a big smile jump back up in is brown truck still smiling..every time I'd see him on the road there was always a great big smile with a wave...I'd talk to Jeff about him going to Sturgis he was so excited about going...I'd ask him how he got so tan he said he'd go across the street to the apartments and lay out buy the pool for his lunch of course....he would talk about his two boys with great pride...I remember his love for east china town were him and another driver would park there trucks by my office and go in to eat..I'd say do you get a lunch break today ha!!! ha!!!! He'd say yup I do today...then in 2004 I moved my office over to Glass Ct of McHenry Ave. I told Jeff can you be are UPS driver over there, he said maybe if I get into any more trouble on this route they may ship me over there . . . of course with his boyish smile...what a great loss to his family and friends. My heart is broken for all of you.

Dear Jeff,
As a friend of Kathi's you've always made me feel welcomed at the Hoselton home. You've always extended open invitations to me with your family and you always had an open ear for shop stuart advice. In the past few years, I've grown to Love your family, including your dogs!!! I can't say enough about your awesome boys, who will one day grown into handsome men, resembling their father. They both have such amazing, individual spirits and they will both miss you deeply.
Kathi struggles everyday and misses everything about you (from your cute little nose to the way you use to hold her hand at family movie nights). The simply little things that she will always hold dear in her heart. Kathi is an amazing woman and above all a wonderful mother. You two made a great parenting duo, and now she must remain strong and continue without you. Kathi has always had a never ending devoted love for those boys, your boys, always putting the boys first in her life. She will continue to put them first, for they are all she has now.
Jeff, The last time I saw you, you had stopped by the office to visit with Kathi and the very first thing you did was come to my cubical and offer your condolences to me for the loss of my cat. And I was so touched that a grown man could very sincerely be so compassionate to my loss of a cat (who was like my child) but you were. I've heard stories about your lost loved one's, Whiskey and Zane, and I hope you're reunited with them ... watching over Kathi and the boys. They miss you and love you so much!
Those who live in our hearts are never really gone.
Paulina
Modesto, CA

My name is Brenda Phillips. My son-in-law (my only son) Ed Robbins was a friend of Jeff. I was impressed with the kind of friend he was when Ed and my daughter Sunshine got married here in Tenn. and Jeff and Kathy went to the time and expense of traveling all the way to Tenn. and being here for Ed at that special time. It meant a lot to Ed and to all of us that he was blessed with such a good friend. We will be thinking of you and praying for you.

More Tales, Messages, and Memories . . .