Christmas Dollar

Little Gracie received a dollar bill from her grandparents on Christmas Day. Just before Christmas a year later, her beloved grandfather had a stroke and was dying. Gracie drew a small picture of the baby Jesus on the face of the Christmas Dollar and gave it to her grandfather. He added a few words on it and gave it to his wife, whose name is also Gracie, declaring his love for her. The cherished Christmas Dollar was later stolen by a murderous burglar who pitches the dollar bill in a dumpster where it was found by Sudsy Randolph, a homeless man. The dollar fell into other hands after Sudsy became critically ill. Grandma Gracie Christensen befriended Sudsy and learned that he had two children that he hadn't seen in over ten years and she initiated a nationwide search to locate them. What follows is tense drama, danger, and a couple of miracles, the last one involving the Christmas Dollar several years later and the now grown up Gracie.

Clair M. Poulson was born and raised in Duchesne, Utah. His father was a rancher and farmer, his mother a librarian. Clair has always been an avid reader, having found his love for books as a very young boy. He has served for over forty years in the criminal justice system. Twenty years were spent in law enforcement, ending his police career with eight years as the Duchesne County Sheriff. For the past twenty-two years Clair has worked as a justice court judge for Duchesne County. Clair is also a veteran of the US Army where he was a military policeman. He has served on various boards and councils during his professional career, including the Justice Court Board of Judges, Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, Utah Judicial Council, Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, an FBI advisory board and others. In addition to his criminal justice work, Clair has farmed and ranched all of his life. He has raised many kinds of animals. Clair has served in many capacities in the LDS church, including fulltime missionary (California Mission), bishop, counselor to bishop, young men president, high councilor, stake mission president, scoutmaster, High Priest group leader, etc. He currently serves as a Sunday School gospel doctrine teacher. Clair is married to Ruth, and together, they have five children, all of whom are married: Alan (Vicena) Poulson, Kelly Ann (Wade) Hatch, Amanda (Ben) Semadeni, Wade (Brooke) Poulson, and Mary (Tyler) Hicken. Between them they have given Clair and Ruth twenty-three grandchildren. Clair and Ruth met while both were students at Snow College and were married in the Manti temple. Clair has always loved telling his children, and later his grandchildren, make-up stories. His vast experience in life and his love of literature has always contributed to both his telling stories to children and his writing of adventure and suspense novels. Clair would love to hear from you at his website: clairmpoulson.com.