Houston man recalls baby-sitting woes

June 16, 2006

By DAWN DE BUSK

Frontiersman

PALMER - In a booth at Valley Hotel's coffee house, Lee Rimes retold events that happened almost 30 years ago when he was raising three sons by himself and driving an ambulance for a living.

It was 10:45 p.m. in Dallas, Texas, and a call went out to a very familiar address.

&#8220I said ‘Dang. That's my apartment.' We got there a little faster than I should have. The landlord said my kids were OK, and they were in the back yard,” Rimes said.

The boys' baby sitter, who was in her mid-60s, had been sneaking her boyfriend into the apartment, where they drank wine. The boyfriend had dropped a cigar on the couch cushion, which eventually erupted into flames and spread to the curtains and the rest of the dwelling.

&#8220I could write a book about baby sitters, from the very old to the very young and the ones in-between,” he said.

Another regular baby sitter included a 17-year-old girl who lived on her own. The girls' mother and Rimes were amiable. This baby-sitting arrangement seemed perfect until the mother and daughter knocked on the door with a birthday gift and card for Rimes. He read the card. The girl had written that her whole family loved him and she was hoping they could get married.

&#8220I thought, ‘I gotta be nice and slow and gentle about this. And get her out of here.' ” Rimes said. &#8220Years later, we were still friends.”

About 25 years ago, Rimes traveled to Alaska to visit his brother and rack up some fishing trips. Like so many folks, he stayed.

Rimes brought with him his love of serving his community. Although he spent a decade as a Texas law officer, his choice of service continued to be as an emergency responder.

Nowadays, he also wears the hat of photographer and liaison for the Houston Fire Department. He advocates for residents to volunteer for their closest fire department.

&#8220No matter what you do with the fire department, no matter how small it seems, like rolling up hoses, it's important,” he said.

He found roots and meaning in the communities of Meadow Lakes and Houston.

He helped get an elementary school built in Meadow Lakes. As vice president of the Houston Fire Auxiliary, he stresses the vitality of fund-raising events.

&#8220I stay busy, believe you me,” he said.

He enjoys sitting at the Mile 49 restaurant, drinking coffee and talking with longtime friends. He owns an attic full of stories to dust off and tell.

In Anaheim, Calif., Rimes and his partner, Roy Adams, were first on the scene of a 12-car pileup. A woman had been thrown from her vehicle and was lying in the road. She kept repeating that her baby was dead. Rimes surveyed the automobile that looked like a pressed accordion.

&#8220We were suppose to wait until the roof was peeled back, but I busted the back window, crawled through the crumpled up car, reached around the console, cut the car seat strap and pulled out the baby,” he said.

The 4-month-old infant wasn't breathing, and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation was failing. Finally, Rimes held the baby by its ankles and slapped its bottom. Like a newborn, the baby took a breath and began to cry.

&#8220That was like birds chirping in the morning time: to hear that whimper and know I helped save a child,” Rimes said.

About a year later, the thankful mother called to say she was pregnant with a boy and would name him Lee Roy, in honor of Rimes and his partner.

Contact Dawn De Busk at 352-2252, or dawn.debusk@ frontiersman.com.