Random Flashback for Friday 12/23/16

Tonight's theme for the 26th batch of photos of my father's that I inherited when he passed is "black and white finale reprise" -- because although I said the last time that it was the end of the black and white photos, I found a few more in a different place -- a family history folder I started back in college.  And what with this being the last post of this kind in this year, it just seemed like a good a spot as any to supplement what I was doing -- which means photos of color will definitely start in two weeks ... in 2017.  As for these, let's call them ...

#126:  another family gathering (probably Easter based on the lilies on the table) with my dad and his dad (my grandpa) seated at the head and assorted (unknown) family all around
#127:  my father's father (my grandpa Paul) at a Memorial Day picnic, with "daddy" and "May 30 1966" written on it in my father's handwriting
#128:  the newspaper announcement for Paul and Esther (my father's parents -- my grandparents) about their 50th wedding anniversary in the Reading Eagle dated Oct 31 1971 (a few months before I was born)
#129:  a picture of my dad's mom's parents (my greatgrandparents) sent to me by cousin Suzanne MC, with the elderly man's helper dog prominently featured
#130:  a garden child wedding scene (why I have no idea) featuring, according to my dad's writing on the back:  Tommy, Evelyn (my aunt), Buddy (my dad) and Junior (my uncle) ... I'm guessing Tommy was a family friend, making the whole wedding scene between siblings less creepy -- by the age of my father, this picture is probably from the late 20's
#130b:  another view of the same scene
#130c:  a close up of the four kiddies, with the assumption that my dad is the one with the crooked bowtie on the second from the right

Random Flashback for Friday 12/9/16

Tonight's theme for the 25th batch of photos of my father's that I inherited when he passed is "black and white finale" -- because, 25 sets after I started, I have indeed reached the end.  Well, the end of the black and white photos, that is.  I'll be doing this with photos of color all into next year (and maybe longer, seeing as how I only do five at a time).  Tonight's a bit of a mix and match, with some holiday appropriate ones:

#121:  wide decorated tree, with a stamp on the back that says '47
#122:  another shot of a wide tree, also stamped '47 on the back, but I think it's different as it has a different tree topper and doesn't quite reach the ceiling like the first one does

#123:  my dad's mom and dad (Esther and Paul) in what looks like a nursery, stamped as Aug 66
#124:  my dad's brother Fred and wife (says Fred and wife 2 on the bottom with a CA studio stamp) and back says "May 28, 1971 Fred and Shirley" and "will write more later" on it in my dad's handwriting
#125:  cutest little round faced baby with "William's Studio 619-621 Cumberland St in Lebanon PA" stamped on back and "Troy" written on it --not 100% sure it's me, but if it is, that would make it a photo from early 1972

Random Flashback for Friday 11/25/16

Tonight's theme for the 24th batch of photos of my father's that I inherited when he passed is "turkey day" -- which only seems fitting for this holiday weekend.  I've always thought of my people as "chicken folk", but I've learned through these postings and the stories that have been told that we apparently had a thing for turkeys first.  And there's something about the post WWII family gathering in the last photo that makes me want to be able to listen in to the conversations that day.  As for those turkeys:

#116:  turkey closeups (although front turkey is blurry)
#117:  turkey pen (view 1) says "Dad's turkeys" on the back
#118:  turkey pen (view 2)
#119:  table set for a holiday gathering
#120:  table FULL for a holiday gathering (date of 47 stamped on the back) -- not the best quality with the scratches and the shadows, but I think I can make out (Uncle) Fred down on the left and (Uncle) Paul (Junior) down on the right

Random Flashback for Friday 11/11/16

Tonight's theme for the 23rd batch of photos of my father's that I inherited when he passed is "rare Ralph".  Interestingly enough, this whole concept first crossed my mind about a year ago when I posted a mini-collection of his WWII shots for veteran's day 2015.  Recently, I found a folder full of family history research that I had done in college, and these rarely seen photos of him were in with that paperwork.  Again, they seem to prove that we are genetically connected, and also that whereas my go-to outfit is a wife-beater, Ralph's was clearly a white t-shirt (as seen in almost every picture):

#111:  Ralph somewhere flooded, possibly in his WWII uniform
#112:  Ralph eating watermelon (a family tradition of ours), with "July 29" written on it
#113:  Ralph on the ball field at a picnic, with "July 29" written on it as well
#114:  Ralph in a jeep at "Allen's camp" from "June 1966"
#115:  Ralph in the woods from "June 1966" (likely also at Allen's camp)

ALSO:  Any family members know if my middle name of Allen is in honor of whomever this guy was who had a camp?

Random Flashback for Friday 10/28/16

Tonight's theme for the 22nd batch of photos of my father's that I inherited when he passed is "cousins".  Now there's no possible way I could possibly show ALL of them seeing as how I only show five photos a week, but here are a few -- and, as you'll see, even I don't know how many are represented in these photos:

#106 -- the photo says "Jimmy brother's boy", as does the next one ... I'm guessing that this one might be Jeff (the younger of the two) ...

#107 -- ... and that this one (which also says "Jimmy brother's boy") is his older brother Jimmy (named after his dad, my father's brother) -- UNLESS they are the same baby at two different times, which could also be possible

#108 -- this one says "Marian Shober sister girl" but I'm going to have to have someone from that part of the family chime in, because I'm wondering if maybe it's Marian Shaub (see next photo) or *Melissa* Shober (Evelyn's grandchild)

#109 -- in the summer of '79, Evelyn's youngest Marian Shaub graduated and my dad must have got the announcement 

#110 -- this group photo was slipped into the graduation announcement, although the ages of all of these women seems more varied, so I'm not sure if it got linked to the graduation event in error and really is something else, especially since I don't recognize a single woman pictured

Random Flashback for Friday 10/14/16

Tonight's theme for the 21st batch of photos of my father's that I inherited when he passed (we're almost done with the black and whites!) ... is "Carol and kids" -- as in Carol Ann, my oldest half-sister, and two of her kids (for some reason, there is no similar photo of her middle child Brent), including the one about whom I remember always saying made me an uncle even before I was born!

#101 -- my half-sister Carol Ann ("Carol taken 1960" it says on the front, and "Carol Neidermyer, Feb 1960" on the back)

#102 -- Carol's son (my nephew born 3 years before me) Robert ("Carol's baby Robert Furnier" it says on the front, and, in what I think is Carol's own writing on the back:
"Robert Eugene Furnier II, June 7, 1969, 8lb 51/2oz, 20 long, 15 chest, 14 1/2 head")

#103 -- Carol's daughter (born the same year as me) Sue Ann ("1972" written on the front, and, in what I think is  Carol's own writing on the back:  "Sue Ann Furnier, August 19, 1972, 9lb 1oz, 20 1/2" long")

#104 -- my father Ralph smiling with a laughing woman on a love seat with "May 1966" written on it ... is that Carol Ann again?  or a picture of Ralph with his first wife Betty shortly before he met my mother?

#105 -- my father Ralph with "me 1972" written on it (the year I was born), in what looks to be a lumber yard?  maybe a job between the concrete plant and the chicken plant?

Random Flashback for Friday 9/30/16

Tonight's theme for the 20th batch of photos of my father's that I inherited when he passed (yep ... we're up to 100 and there are many more batches to go) ... is "LateFifties" -- with a few from a holiday get together in the new year for 1957, and two more random pics to close out the decade ...

#96 -- "supper time" written on the back -- the family feast table AFTER the meal when the adults are left drinking coffee, the younger kids are all playing and the older kids stick behind staring longingly at the can of Reddi-whip (stamped Jan 57)

#97 -- "Darlene helping me to unwrap my present" written on the back -- my grandma (dad's mom Esther) getting help from Darlene, who is my dad's brother Junior's daughter ... (stamped Jan 57)

#98 -- "full house" written on back -- with many many kids and one adult having taken over the living room (and that looks like Jessica N to me in the chair on the left ... but it's the wrong decade for her to be in the photo!)

#99 -- summer flowers in front of sheet drying on the line at ye olde homestead ... (stamped Aug 23 of '58 on the back)

#100 --  "Bonnie Lynn Cauler" ... new baby! ... except I don't know whether this Bonnie is family (since the last name Cauler doesn't mean anything to me) or just a friend of the family (as I suspect)

Random Flashback for Friday 9/16/16

Tonight's theme for the 19th batch of photos of my father's that I inherited when he passed ... is "MidFifties" -- what with these either being officially stamped or handwritten with a year from that decade.  And who knew there was a "blizzard of '58" (except maybe those who were alive during that time ...)

#91 -- "Grandma" Peiffer ... who was my dad's mom's mom (stamped January 1953), which makes her one of my four great grandmas ... whom I never met
#92 -- girls lined up in a row (handwritten 57 on back)
#93 -- pretty sure this is Carol Ann (my Dad's oldest girl [my half sister]) despite the fact that it says "mother" and year 1956 written on back)
#94 -- "snow at cold room" and "blizzard of 1958" written on back

#95 --  shadow man and dog in blizzard ("wimp and tiny at shop at back end" is written on the back ... I assume tiny is the dog, but I don't know who "wimp" is)

Random Flashback for Friday 9/2/16

Tonight's theme for the 18th batch of photos of my father's that I inherited when he passed ... is "1950 - 1952" -- because I finally have photos with time stamps on the back.  This week, all five have the date on them as Kodacolor prints and they also all have a slightly yellow hue (that's not a filter).  But other than that, I'm not sure who or what is in the picture.

#86 -- boys going to back to school in new shoes with car in background (week of Sep 11 1950)
#87 -- girl with woman -- maybe Grandma Esther or maybe not -- and chihuahua -- maybe one of Uncle Carl's (week of Sep 11 1950)
#88 -- boy with car on dirt road (week of Sep 17 1951)
#89 -- family gathering with lady in bright lipstick (week of Sep 17 1951)
#90 -- giant flowers -- or small house? (week of Aug 11 1952)

Random Flashback for Friday 8/19/16

Tonight's theme for the 17th batch of photos of my father's that I inherited when he passed ... is "1947 and 1949" -- which makes sense, seeing as how the first three are dated '47 on the back, and the last two are dated '49.  A few more details ...

#81 - family picnic get together, with kids getting to play with a puppy -- and we've seen that girl with that haircut before [is it Joyce B?] (developed by James Lett Co on Sep 17 1947 as per stamp on back)
#82 - unknown smiling boy in a ladder with high waisted shorts, likely fashionable at the time (developed by James Lett Co on Sep 17 1947 as per stamp on back)
#83 - big bushy cat on a couch (47 on back corner)
#84 - Uncle Bob (handwritten on back) with other man, also written was:  "taken 1949 at Lititz at Reunion" (enlarged by Eastman Kodak Stores Inc Philadelphia as per stamp)
#85 - a somewhat blurry bunch of puppies in a field at feeding time -- at least I hope that's what they're all doing in that huddle (developed as Kodacolor Print Feb 10 1949 as per stamp)