Affected by the past

On Saturday, two of my sisters and myself sorted the last of my Dad's stash of photos and miscellaneous from their old house.  It was amazing to waltz through the past and see photos I'd never seen before.

Since an aunt had asked for a lot of the old family photos on my Mom's side, I took a snap shot with my camera to save them for us.  So a LOT of the photos below are just of my Mom's side of the family.  I'm sure my paternal cousins were wondering, HEY!  on FB.  

I'll scan some in of that side of the family soon.

This is my mother's father and aunt when they were just kids.  Weren't they sweet?

Again, them a little older.  My grandpa looks so much like my cousin's sons...

Here is my grandmother at fourteen years old with her god child.

Then a little while later at nursing school.

I did find some great pics of my dad as a child.  Besides the one that I SO love when he was accosted as a baby in front of these very bushes, here he is with my other grandmother at probably age 3-4.

My maternal grandma, a little while older on her wedding day with the little boy from the first photo.

From what I've been told their reception was a bunch of watermelon on the lawn of the church.

SIMPLE yet memorable.

Here she is some years later.

This is my dad and a brother that died too early.  I can't remember if this is the brother that died while swimming and getting caught in underwater weeds or died of a brain embolism on a hot summer morning. 

But I love the smile on Dad's face! I love to hear him laugh too.

Then my mom as a young girl with her siblings.  She's the second from the right. Second oldest.

LOVE these stair step photos of the kids.  She's second from the left.

Then the whole family a while later.  The family resemblances of my aunts and uncles and their kids are uncanny.

And especially in the more casual shots!

Is that my aunt Dorcas wearing JEANS???! Scandalous!

Then that mysterious family.  I reread the back last night with Maddy (YES SHE'S HOME FOR THE WEEK!!! YAY!!).  My mom wrote that this was a minister and a few of his kids.  Family friends of her family and how one of these kids ATE her ex-lax during a visit.  

Not sure how much, but yikes...

Lock your medicine cabinets!

And then when Mom was probably twenty or so on a family vacation.  Grandma must be taking the picture.  The kid on the bumper could EASILY be confused with my cousin Danny, but it's his dad as a teen.

Then Mom on her wedding day.  My sister said that back in the day, brides would get their photos taken professionally ahead of the wedding, then give these as gifts to their new husband on the wedding day itself.  Sad how it transformed into modern day boudior sessions...

 

Then after the first baby!  My sister Tammy.

Then a couple MORE kids! I love how dad was wrestling with them!  I don't remember rough housing much with dad.  The older ones must have worn him out and he passed that responsibility off onto the older kids and wow were they good at it!!!

And my Grandpa!!!  Dad's father.  He divorced from Dad's mom when Dad was just a baby.  He came back into Dad's life later and I'm so glad.  I have fond memories of him.

This is Dad's great grandmother on her 100th birthday in 1956.  Wow...  We've got some longevity in our blood!!!

My grandparents and their kids and and a few grandkids.    I think my older sister is being held by my dad in this one.  I'm probably not born yet. I recognize the pointy hat coat from previous pics I've seen of her.

But here I am in the middle.  As always...  One of my siblings, probably Teresa, made this for 4H.  She's the face on the bottom.  I remember it hanging in our living room for a LOT of years.  I think my youngest sister, the top face, wants it, so I may give it to her.  It could sure use some restoration, huh?

 And last but not least, my maternal grandma again.  What a sweet kind woman!  She and Grandpa lived just a few miles from us growing up and Grandpa was our minister until he couldn't anymore.  So we got to see and know them really well. 

Grandma Gertrude had several bushes of peonies next to the front stoop at their parsonage.  And I planted several next to my porch in memory of her.  She passed away when I was 12 or so.

And even now, I'm getting teary eyed typing about her...

Anyway, off to another day!  You have a good one!!!