Vern Yates was barrel-shaped, like his wife, Ethel, and almost toothless. He often didn’t wear his dentures, because, as he explained it, they were uncomfortable. Without his teeth it was hard for us to understand anything he said, but he didn’t talk much, so it wasn’t something we noticed a lot. He always ate soft food that Mrs. Yates mashed for him specially. Mr. Yates’ skin