Another visit

 My cousin Dale stopped by to pick up the photos of his parents and siblings.  We had a good visit.  He is thinking about retiring next summer, he says he needs some quality fishing time and will build a shouse not far from us.  ( A shouse is a shop/house combination that is becoming quite popular.)  He has a bunch of old farm tractors to work on in retirement. 

Brothers; My Dad on the left and Dales Dad on the right.  Filling the silo on the farm where I grew up September 1952.

Far Side

Funeral Saturday

My cousins funeral was on Saturday morning.
One of those long Catholic services.   There were plenty of places to sit so we sat in the back of the church…not much perfume there although the candles burning and incense was a little hard to take.
 
The Priest had quite a cough and kept stopping to cough and blow his nose…I was thrilled that we were so far from the front of the church.

Immediately after the service we headed to the Cemetery.

We had an escort. 

It was a dull gray day… the Cemetery is way north of town just outside of a little bump in the road village.

You know you are there when you see the street sign that says Cemetery Road.

The lopsided funeral spray bugged me, I guess I should have walked right up and straightened it out….but it reminded me that Lyle was a bit different all his life…and wonky flowers on his casket wouldn’t have bothered him.

The Deacon said a bunch of prayers while the wind roared through the tall pines behind us and the snow on the heavily laden trees went airborne….it was a tad chilly with fine snow landing on us.  Lyle’s grave site is just a little west and south of his sister’s grave and west and north of his parent’s graves.  I will visit in the spring to make sure there are some kind of flowers.

We headed to the Osage Community Center where a funeral lunch was waiting.  Sloppy Joes, ham sandwiches, potato chips, pickles and bars of all kinds…and coffee….Lyle’s favorite foods.  There was much visiting with cousins. Lyle was never married, but he had three nieces and a nephew that were very special to him.   

I remember when Lyle was born a bright eyed little guy! I remember him after he was brain damaged some of that light went out of his eyes.  I can only imagine how brightly those eyes must have lit up when he saw heaven all spread out before him…and his father, mother, sister and brother waiting for him there…I can only imagine.

Wistful Wednesday: Cousin Lyle

My cousin Lyle died last week.  Lyle was the third son of my Uncle Andrew and Aunt Joan.  They would have three more children later…for a total of six.  My Aunt Joan died in 1987 and my Uncle Andrew in 1997.

Aunt Joan and Uncle Andrew

Before my Uncle Andrew got married he lived with us, and he worked construction with my Dad.  Anyways…then he got married. ( I was heartbroken that he didn’t pick a gorgeous blonde to marry….but no one would have been perfect for him in my eyes.)

When Lyle was little they lived at the edge of Ponsford in a house way in the back.  ( Mary Ann my Aunt Joan’s sister lived on that property most recently but now she is gone too.)  Anyways…Lyle suffered some brain damage…from a plastic bib or a dry cleaners bag…depending on what version of the story you recall, I have heard both.   Shortly after that incident they moved to the farm kitty corner from us…on Far Guy’s Maternal Grandparent’s old farm. 

Lyle was just a little younger than my other baby brother Jody.  Lyle’s speech was damaged by the lack of oxygen, he was hard to understand. It was frustrating for him.  He was in the Special Education class in School…I think he was mainstreamed a few times…and he graduated from High School. 

Lyle was a farmer and a fisherman, he often stopped by with his Dad for coffee after a day of fishing in the winter. My Uncle took good care of him, then my Uncle died…Lyle lived on the farm with his brother Mark ( they called it a bachelor pad), when Mark died Lyle went to live with another brother.  Eventually Lyle entered the nursing home…that is where he was when he got pneumonia and was taken to the Emergency Room and died in Intensive Care.

I remember how he struggled when he was little to keep up with the other kids his age,  I remember when he was older and the Doctors told him he had to walk…you would see him walking back and forth on the dirt road east of the farm.   He loved the farm but he was wary of all animals.  He didn’t like my dogs at all.

I had 46 cousins on that side of my family, 5 are gone that leaves 41 of us. Leonard died in 1958 he was 15 years old, Randolph died in 1961 he was just 36 days old, Mark in 2008 he was 49 years old, Rosemarie or “Rosie” died in 2012 she was 41 years old and now Lyle in 2016 at the age of 54.

Me, my baby brother and cousin Lyle

April 12, 1991.

The photo was taken at my parents resort on the north end of the lake, my baby brother flew in for my Uncle Arnold’s Funeral.  We were gathered for coffee later that day or the next, Uncle Andrew was there with Lyle when someone said “take a photo of the cousins.”

I am sad, I think that is normal when a relative younger than you dies.  I can only imagine how happy my Uncle Andrew, Aunt Joan, Mark and Rosie were to see him again.  Half their children are left on earth and half of them are in heaven.

Soldiers/Decoration Day

My Dad was in Korea, in fact he was there when I was born.  He found out about me through a Red Cross Telegram.

My Dad and my Mom  in 1950.

Dad was injured by shrapnel and he has photos taken in Korea that substantiates his injury.  All the records burned in St. Louis so he never received his Purple Heart.  I won’t say he came back unscathed, because he has nightmares often especially in the winter.  From what I have heard he didn’t even have an extra pair of socks or winter clothing yet was sleeping in foxholes in sub zero weather.  He survived conditions that are unimaginable to me.  Dad is 88 years old.

*****

These are my father’s brothers, my uncles;

Uncle Hugo was wounded, sent back to the States, endured surgeries and therapy and lived out his days with bullet fragments in his body.

Uncle Hugo and Mia never had any children together.  Mia had children from a former marriage.  They had a Grandson that they raised as their son.  I take flowers here because no one else does…and because I held his hand many days up in the VA Hospital before he died.  He died of Prostate Cancer.

Uncle Andrew

I had not been to Uncle Andrew’s grave in a few years.  Two of his children are dead now…there are a few children left but I wonder if they visit…perhaps a granddaughter visits.  She would have been the apple of his eye.  He was a wonderful man, I still miss him…he lived with us when I was little.  He died of Bone Cancer and Lung Cancer.

Uncle Arnold in Havana Cuba

My Aunt Sharon is still alive and she will take flowers there. Uncle Arnold was another wonderful Uncle taken from us too soon by a swift heart attack in the night time.  He died in the house where he was born.

Uncle Arthur

Died in the Invasion of Italy in 1944.

*********

On a personal note I want to thank my husband for the 26 years he spent in the service.  My baby brother for the time he served in the Navy and my nephew Ben who is currently serving.

Years ago Memorial Day was known as Decoration Day.

Wistful Wednesday: Deer Hunting

I grew up deer hunting, first with my Dad just for an afternoon.  Later I got my own “stand” at Uncle Adolf’s place.  I had the campfire.  Uncle Adolf, my Dad and Uncle Andrew and various cousins would show up to check on me and warm up their sandwiches in the fire.  At the end of the day Dad would show up and unload my rifle and count the bullets…you only got so many.  Even with the shotgun I got three shots that’s it.

One year..I was old enough to have a Driver’s License and I was supposed to drive back into the farmhouse with Dad’s pickup…not sure why?  I cased my rifle and put it in the bed of the pickup.  Along the way I ran onto my cousin Hilda who was hunting squirrels.  I asked her if she wanted a ride..she did so she put her 22 in a case in the back of the truck.

I didn’t drive very far when a Game Warden stopped us.  The questions began. He checked my license and questioned Hilda at length about small game.  Then he wanted to see our weapons..fine…the only thing is they were loaded. (Ditzy girl hunters anyways.)  He gave us tickets and took our guns.  Oh boy…we had to show up at his office in Park Rapids a few days later with a parent.  He let us off easy with a warning and gave us our guns back.  He said “I hate to discourage young ladies from hunting…but next time unload your guns”  Ya…thank goodness we got off without a fine and the rifle I was using was my Mothers…I knew it would be back to the old shotgun for me.

In later years I would hunt with Far Guy.   We loved to be in the woods and we appreciated the venison.  Now we live in the woods and I hunt only with my camera.

 

Me and my Dad’s deer during hunting season about 1953.

Wistful Wednesday: Soldiers

Soldiers..we had a few in my fathers family over the years.
My Paternal Grandparents had twelve sons, five who would serve in the Armed Forces.
My Grandmother must have been beside herself.. the worst news came in 1944  May 20 my Uncle Arthur died and was buried in Italy.  He was killed during the invasion of Italy. He was in the Army 1943 to 1944.

Arthur born in 1920 and died in 1944.

Twenty four years old..seems like so young to die.

My Uncle Hugo served most of his time in Sicily during WW2 where he was wounded.  His left heel was shot off and he had numerous shrapnel wounds in his back near his spine. He was in the Army from 1942 to 1944. Some of that shrapnel remained embedded near his spine until his death in 1987.

My Dad was in Korea when I was born. He was in the Army from 1950 to 1952. Dad was wounded when a round hit his helmet..he didn’t want anyone back home to worry so he never put in for a Purple Heart..but we have photos of his bandaged head.

My Uncles Arnold and Andrew served almost at the same time.  Arnold was in the Navy from 1952 to 1956 mostly in Cuba, and Andrew was in the Army from 1953 to 1955 mostly in Hawaii.
This photo was taken when Arnold and Andrew came home for their Mother’s funeral in June of 1953.  She died of a massive heart attack.
I often wonder..Arnold enlisted in the Navy so that perhaps Andrew would be passed over for the draft. Andrew was a sickly child and teenager..frail..and his Mother worried about him.  ( I think that he was also one of her favorites.)  She died shortly after he was drafted, coincidence..maybe..maybe not.

Anyway..this is the photo I wanted to share today.  My Uncle Andrew on the left with one of his buddies.  Look how close to the White House they are…I bet they strolled through the grounds and probably went inside too.  President Eisenhower would have been in office then..a Military man.  The entire inside of the White House went through a renovation during the Truman years 1945 to 1953.

I can date this photo from 1953 to 1955 because of my Uncles time in service.

We should remember our soldiers not only on Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day.. but other days as well.
Lately the subject of women in the battlefields is being debated.  I say ask the women if they want to go to the front lines..if they want to go then let them..I am sick and tired of a bunch of men telling women what they can and cannot do:)

Update: There is some discussion,  is this the White House or not..I have searched for photos of buildings with columns in between the windows to no avail..if it is not the White House what building is it? 

Wistful Wednesday: Uncle Andrew

My Dad had lots of older brothers, and two younger brothers. One of those younger brothers was my Uncle Andrew. He lived with us off and and on, he spoiled me, we played card games and went for ice cream, he was fun to have around. I adored him. One day he wanted to talk, so we went upstairs at Grandpa's, he had something for me. I sat on the edge of the bed, he gave me a beautiful scarf and said "I want you to have this." It was from Hawaii where he had been stationed during the last part of his stint in the Army. I was so happy, then he lowered the boom, he had met a girl, and he said "I am going to marry her." I asked "Who?" So he told me, I was expecting some glamorous movie star blonde, he was so dreamy looking, and he was so sweet and kind, and I loved him so. I knew this girl he wanted to marry, she was pretty, not quite pretty enough for him, but I suppose that no one would have ever been that special. I thanked him for the scarf and gave him a big hug, and wiped my tears with the scarf he gave me. He did get married, but he always had time for me, he always had a hug. I always wanted to ask him, how many scarfs he brought back with him, and wondered how many other girls he had to let down gently with the news of his nuptials. I kept that scarf for years and years, neatly folded up in my second dresser drawer, I hardly ever wore it, it was a huge slippery scarf mainly white with a red border with Pearl Harbor on it and some other Hawaii stuff, it was one of those scarfs that you used to wear on windy days..remember when you tied the scarf in a big old knot and centered the knot right on your chin? Very glamorous.. One day I packed it away in a box, I was moving all my things from my parents house to get married. The scarf ...it ended up water damaged and moldy when we moved to Florida. It was a very special childhood memory for me:)