Posts Tagged ‘Family Photos’

Some of my favorite old photos are those of my maternal grandfather.  I especially love the photos we have of him in uniform.  Unfortunately, some were not stored very well and are damaged.  I suppose it just adds patina.  Right?

Grandpa & Unknown Girlfriend

That’s my Grandpa with some unknown woman.  He’s 20 years old in the photo.  I’m not sure if it was taken in the states or if it was taken in Europe.  The Kewpie dolls lead me to believe it was taken in the U.S.  at or after some type of state or county fair.  The woman isn’t the French girlfriend he had while stationed overseas.  My Grandmother always referred to that girlfriend as “his Alsatian Floozy.”  (She was from Alsace, apparently.)

Grandpa in Morocco or Algiers

That’s Grandpa during WWII, and we believe this was taken in either Morocco or Algiers.  He was part of Operation Torch, and we know he was part of the group that landed first and setup the infrastructure to support the other Allied Troops during the invasion of North Africa.  I’m pretty sure he’s sporting a patch on his uniform that puts him in Morocco at the time this photo was taken.

Grandpa the Mechanic

This is how I remember my Grandpa.  After the war, he worked as an auto mechanic specializing in frame repair.  I’m not sure if that uniform is from when he worked at the Ford dealership or the Dodge dealership.  There’s a funny story with that too.  While my Grandpa was working at Ford, he bought a Dodge for himself.  Well, that didn’t set right with the owner of the Ford dealership, and he fired my Grandpa.  When my Grandma found out, she was pissed off.  She called the owner, cussed him out, and said “I work at Bell Bomber, but I don’t drive a damn airplane, you stupid son of a bitch!”   LOL!  Hey, at least I come by my sharp tongue honestly.  The owner of Ford, sensing a possible lawsuit, called and offered my Grandpa his job back, but Grandpa had gotten a new job the same day at Dodge after he told them what happened.  Neener neener neener!

He was the best frame man in town.  Based on his reputation, he was hired by the local  Shriners to create those funny little cars they drove in parades.  The cars at our local Shriner’s temple were trick cars; some could raise off the frames, like a jack would raise a car, but still drive.   I sure wish I could locate some pictures of those things.  They are just one of the many creative things my Grandpa could do with mechanics.  I would go so far as to say he was a genius when it came to designing and building things.

During my trip home for Thanksgiving, I was delighted to find that my family had uncovered some photos of the Cherokee side of my family – my Grandpa and mother and siblings.  These photos are few and far between.  For starters, my Grandpa and his relatives were not keen on being photographed.  I don’t know why.  I don’t know if it was due to some Cherokee belief or if they were simply too poor to afford a camera and professional photography.  So, whenever we find a photo of them, it’s a precious thing.  I plan to have some of these framed so I can display them in my house.  Also, I think old black-and-white photos are way cooler than modern Glamour-Shots style pictures.  They  make your house seem vintage and sophisticated!

This is my Great-Grandmother Effie.  She was Grandpa’s mother.

Great Grandma Effie

This is the only known portrait of Great Grandma.  Grandpa said he remembered that coat and muff because it was the nicest piece of clothing Effie owned, which is probably why she chose to be photographed in it.  This portrait was in my Great Aunt Irene’s house for the longest time.

My Great Aunts

That’s my Grandpa’s sisters: Irene, Florine, and Laura.  They were so young in that picture!  I don’t know what was going on with Aunt Irene’s hair; I think she might have tried to dye it or something because I always remember it being very dark, like in the picture below:

Great Aunts Irene & Martha

That’s her above with my Grandpa’s other sister, Martha.  Both had black hair, dark skin, and dark eyes.  Great Aunt Irene married an Irish dude with flaming red hair.  What is it with all the Cherokee relatives marrying Irish people?  Behold, Uncle Red:

Aunt Irene's Husband

I love that picture because he looks like a gangster thug.  LOL!    Then we have photos of my Great-Aunt Laura and her son.  She was so beautiful, as were all of the women on that side of the family.  I didn’t inherit much of their Cherokee beauty and have always been envious of women with black hair, dark skin, and dark eyes.  *sigh*

Great Aunt Laura & Her Son

ROBBED – I was robbed, I say!