DocAndersen
My father’s father passed away in 1972. We were living in Thailand. Before Grandpa died, dad went back to the US to say goodbye. The rest of us, school and other things, stayed in Thailand. That was, at that time, home. Dad got to say goodbye, but he was back in Thailand with us when Grandpa died. I remember as mom and dad told us, the song Alone Again, Naturally, was playing on the radio. Our apartment in Thailand had three bedrooms. One at the front of the apartment and two at the back. We were in the back bedroom where I slept (the furthest back bedroom was where my parents were) when they told us. I know I was sad. I know I cried.
What I didn’t realize then was how much my Grandfather had been around. In looking at the pictures and slides my father left me, I realized his father was often around when I was little. My father’s father was older than my grandmother by quite a bit. He, my father’s father, had served in the 101st Cavalry in WWI. Although he never left the US. He joined the army right before the war ended. I still have his cavalry saddlebags. The pictures today are from Racine, Wisconsin. They are pictures that were taken the last year he was alive. My grandparents, my father’s parents, had moved from Wisconsin Dells to Racine Wisconsin. It is about 150 miles, maybe a little less between the two.
We, on the other at that point, we’re down in Bloomington, Indiana. So we visited them in the Dells, and the next time we went up, they were in Racine. The number of pictures my Grandfather took went way down when they moved to Racine. In Wisconsin Dells Wisconsin, he had the Wisconsin River as his muse. In Racine, it was far less to see for him, I suspect. I know that I have more memories of the Dells and my Grandfather than of my Grandfather in Racine, although I do remember sitting with my Uncle and watching the Chicago Bulls play a basketball game. In the living room of my grandparent’s house in Racine. It was an old Black and White TV. I remember Racine more after we got back from Thailand.
Thank you for sharing these.
snow reason not to share them! 🙂
Great shot, it looks like it could of been taken today. There she is!
thanks – it is one of the better preserved of the pictures.
Forever photo memories, what good times you had Doc.
i was 15 before I realized my grandmother rarely smiled. She did when we were older, but not often when I was little.