Progress on the big sort

 I am done bringing totes into the house to sort.  The last two totes came home with me today.   I am not going back to my Mothers's storage garage to get anything else.  Far Guy says "ya sure."  He also asked how long I thought the big sort will take.   I do not know.  I am done sorting new cards ...I think...there are hundreds of them.  I started working on the photographs. 

My Mom and her older brother Alfred who was killed in a car accident when he was 19 years old in October of 1947. His death made my Mom the oldest in the family. 

Far Side

Wistful Wednesday : 1947

On this date in 1947, my Mothers older brother was killed coming home from work. He went off of the road and ended up in the bottom of Dead Horse Hill. A huge hill, with a creek at the bottom. As a kid I always thought it was pretty spooky, especially after I heard what happened there.

 

Alfred, on his confirmation day.

My Mother says "Alfred was killed in a car accident on Dead Horse Hill on October 21, 1947. We were all very sad, especially Aldon who was just three years old. Aldon took his little wagon to meet Alfred everyday after he came home from work. Alfred would put his lunch bucket into the wagon and Aldon would open the bucket to see what his brother had saved for him that day. Aldon cried everyday for a long time. Ma and Dad were extremely distraught until one day when they came home from town. They both saw a beautiful gate at the bottom of Dead Horse Hill..the gates opened and they drove through. After that their grief was different. "

Alfred and my Mom..1946.

I do believe my Grandparents in their grief saw something. Beautiful gates opening..possibly...maybe. My Grandfather used to ask me "Have you ever heard the Angles sing?" I have not. My Grandfather has...he said " The day the Alfred died, I heard the Angels singing, I have never heard such a beautiful sound..I knew that something special happened. "

My maternal grandfather was not some religious zealot..he was a normal Grandpa, who believed in God and heaven. He believed he heard the Angels singing..who am I to say he didn't. If he got some comfort from believing he heard them then so be it.

From October 21, 1947 to February 21,1948 is just four short months. ..on that day my Grandma gave birth to a tiny, tiny baby boy named James.. he was born and died the same day. My Mom said "He was so tiny he fit in a shoebox, he was beautiful and perfect..just too little."

These sad times in 1947 and early 1948 are part of my family history..just like the story of the angels singing:)

Wistful Wednesday : 1930

My Mother was born in October of 1929, this photograph must have been taken in the spring of 1930.   She could barely sit up by herself so I believe she was about six months old.   My Mom is in this photograph with her older brother Alfred, he would have been two years old in June of 1930.  He died when he was nineteen years old in 1947.   Since then my Mom has taken over as the oldest in the family.  My Mom had eleven brothers and sisters, only four of them are still living.

Mom was eighty yesterday, she said " Years ago, If someone had told me that I would live to be eighty, I would never have believed them."

What I like about this photo..well first of all, I like to think that someone was holding onto the back of this baby that looks like she is about to topple over.  ( I have done  this on occasion with the grands when they were little)  I like Alfred's knickers and tights, and the big ribbons in his shoes.  I imagine his knickers and vest were blue, and my Mom's dress a pale pink.  At least that is what I see beyond the black and white:)

***I repaired this photo, It had a very large crease in it..of course I can tell where it was..can you?