Thursday, June 17, 2010

pics from mom's family

I've been collecting pictures from Mom's side of the family as well as Dad's (on posts about Grandpa).  Here are a few:

This is one of my favorites.  Back in the day, you had to go downtown to do your shopping.  Milling among the shoppers on the sidewalk were photographers who would offer to take your picture for a fee.  This is Mom and her oldest younger brother (she's the oldest of six).  Aren't they cute?!  The pose of Mom's feet looks like she's standing on the red carpet.  And I love her brother's big pants cuffs, suspenders, and belt.



Going back in time a few years, this is Mom with her mother, grandfather, and great-grandmother:



This is Mom with her Grandma and Grandpa Wadlow (her mom's parents).  Grandparents Wadlow played a big role in Mom's life, and she was very close to them.  They also meant a great deal to Dad as well, particularly for their role in Mom's life; I didn't realize how much they meant to him until the day of Grandma Wadlow's funeral.  Dad and I were home, Brad and Mom were at the donut shop (I'll talk about the shop some other time).  Dad was going to perform the eulogy, and with that and his grief he was a bit preoccupied, and when it was time to go pick up Mom and Brad and go to the funeral, he left without me.  I called Mom at the shop:  "Uh, was I supposed to go with Dad?"  I don't know if Dad figured out for himself that he'd left me at home, but I did eventually get picked up.  At the funeral, as Dad sat down after speaking, he began to weep.  It made a big impression on me, because I'd never seen him do that before (or since).  His love for Mom and her grandparents, and Mom's love for them, took on a new meaning for me.


This is Mom with her parents, 1946-47-ish:



And here's an extended family picture from the same day:



Mom in grade school:

                                                  


Mom and her sibs standing in order by age, 1970 (go polyester, plaid, and beehive hairdos!):



And another 4-generation picture, with Mom holding me:

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