Windows into the past
My husband recently posted two WWI photos from his mother’s archives–one showing his grandfather in a group of POWs in a German prison camp, and the other showing his grandfather’s brother in his Seaforth Highlanders unit. It seems remarkable to us that we can actually look at these images of times and places that seem as remote as an almost-forgotten dream. Do you have old family photos of grandparents, great-grandparents, or even more distant relatives? What kinds of scenes do they depict? Happy family gatherings, stern portraits, picnics or outings? Share some of the stories of these photos and of the people in them whose lives, losses, trials, loves, and triumphs helped create the family you have today.
July 2nd, 2007 at 5:56 pm
We have only a few photos of my father’s brother Ray Foreman, who was killed in WWII in the Pacific. He looks so young and happy that it’s heartbreaking to think of how soon his life was ended. One poignant story my dad told of his brother was the time Ray went to a Duke Ellington concert in Fresno. My dad needed the car they shared–which was in the parking lot at the concert hall–but Ray had the only set of keys. My dad called the theatre and asked if they could make an announcement at one of the breaks and page his brother. In between songs Duke Ellington himself read the announcement, saying, “Ray Foreman, please meet your brother out in the parking lot.” Ray came out to where my dad waited at the car and he was so excited he could barely contain himself. “He said my name! The Duke said my name!” Now when I look at those faded pictures of the young man I never met, I think of him that night and of that shining moment of glory.
July 2nd, 2007 at 8:55 pm
My late brother Steve was a wonderfully gifted actor (and an all-around wonderful man). He died when my younger daughter was only three, but she feels as if she knew him because she has seen many of his performances on video, and has also spent time paging through albums of our old family photos. As a musical theater major and patron of the arts she feels a special bond with the uncle she did not really get to know. It makes me happy that she has that connection. (It also makes me both happy and sad to watch videos of his shows. Mostly happy, though.)
November 21st, 2007 at 5:13 pm
When my 2 year duty at Umnak Alaska were up we were sent to a camp Pinedale which was located just out side of Fresno Ca and one day in 1945 I heard that Vaghan Monroe’s orchestra was playing some where near bye so I hitch hiked to where he was playing and introduced my self to Vaghan and told him I was Edwin Shedosky’s brother becasue he was a member of Vaghan’s band before he was drafted and sent to an army band at the air force acadamy at Colorado, we just shook hands and Vaghan asked how he was, they must have had a close relationship as Edwins children called him Uncle Vaghan.
November 22nd, 2007 at 10:11 am
That’s an interesting story. Vaughn Monroe had a beautiful voice, and I think he was unusual in that he was a true singing bandleader. It seems like I remember hearing somewhere that the armed forces distributed some of his records to the troops to keep morale up. Did you ever have any?
November 24th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
To rebeka, No, and I am ashamed to say that because Edwin was my youngest brother and he was a trumpet player and has passed away 8 years ago, of course Vaughn Monroe passed away also.
I didn’t know too much about it because I was in Alaska and we didn’t even have a radio so we didn’t hear much music or news.
I did find out later in life that Vaughn and Edwin were very close, they used to fly a small plane together, that made me jealuous, you know big brother and all.