Jennie Curry

The back of this photo says this is Jennie Curry. I believe they called her Jean as well. I remember she was one of Ruthie's
favorites of the Curries - a very sweet woman.

While cleaning this one up (it had pen markings and rips all over it - plus very faded), I noticed the photo on the table
near her right hand. It looks to be of a large house - perhaps her home in Bedford. Ruthie used to drive out to Tinker Road
(or one of those roads off of 101) and take us past Aunt Mary's. I'm not sure where Jean Sharp lived. Perhaps Jeanne remembers?

The Curry Family and spouses.

Top Row, Right to Left:
George Curry, John Sharp, William Curry, Charles Tinker, Ernest Tinker

Seated, Right to Left:
Agnes Curry, Jean Curry Sharp, Robert Curry, Mildred Tinker (infant), Maggie Tinker, Mary Jenkins

Bob Curry is young boy sitting in front of Robert.

Dad goes to war

Jeanne identified these guys for me - I knew the first man to Dad's right is Forrest, and the next to the last on the end is Gramp, but didn't the other men in the group. According to Jeanne, the third is Homer (Gramps older brother), 5th is Ray Coffman (husband of Velma?), 6th is Virgil Coffman (husband of Cletha?), 8th is Gramp and then Harold. Seems to be a Coolley gathering...not sure who the girl in the window could be, looks about 2 so born about 1939-1940?

I believe this a photo taken as Dad is heading off to war. He would've been in his mid-20's at the time? Jeanne found a distant relative who has identified these men with dad! They are, from left to right: Forrest Coolley, Dad, Homer Coolley, Roy Darrell Coolley (Roy's son), Roy S. Coolley, [don't know who the next man is], Ray Coolley, and Harold Coolley

Who are they?

Anyone care to identify these women? I'm wondering if they are the Curry women.......

Flying to NH

Did Dad fly this big plane to New Hampshire? It seems much bigger than the little planes we flew in when I was around. Maybe Ron will remember......

I remember Ruthie telling me that Dick was seriously fussy during this entire trip "east". He was teething at the time - probably molars or eye teeth by the look of his age (which was around 1 year). And no doubt had an ear infection on top of it since they go hand in hand. Poor baby.

One of the reasons I've always liked this photo is knowing the back story of this particular trip, that apparently the only one who seemed to keep Dick soothed was Gramp Foote. According to Ruthie, he could hold Dick for hours, but if anyone else tried to take over he would start crying again. I wonder what it was about Gramp that settled him?

In this picture, as they are about to leave for Iowa, Gramp Foote stands a little back from the group as if to subconsciously prolong his unique bond with his grandson, (and holding the baby as only a man would!) Dick looked ready to spend the entire flight home in tears!

Also of note, this is one of a very few photos we have of Gramp Foote.

Frannie looks like a fashion model - Ruthie always said she was stylish (and check out the dimples!).

And check out Ron's cowboy boots!

On the beach

What I like about this picture is that it shows my dad at the far left of the frame with his characteristic hands on back of waist stance. I mean, a glance at his figure and I know it's him. 

I sort of remember this vacation. Snapshots of it, really. I believe it was one of the last times we took a small engine airplane out to NH - and what was I? Two? Three? I can't tell, but I do remember staying at the Maker's cabin on the lake, finding a zillion dreamsicle-colored salamanders (and wanting to take the bucket of them that I found home with us), and even the family in the little house next to ours - I played with the kids, who were dreadfully noisy. One night at their house I was so thrown by the chaos and noise that I told the girl I needed earplugs (kiddingly, of course). She pulled open a drawer and handed me a set without question. Seems they were used to that complaint. And ready. I can't remember their names, but it wasn't the McLaine clan - they were on the other side of the woods.

Grammy Foote stayed with us in this house, and I recall a night that we were all in the lake after dark, while she babysat and our parents had gone somewhere for the evening. She called me in and made me sit with her as the others continued their playing in the water. I was so upset! I honestly don't think the woman ever cared much for me, but that could be the memory of tiny kid who felt "victimized" by a overly cautious grandma. She fed puzzles into the fireplace to keep the fire going - puzzles that belonged to the house and its owners. I remember Rootie getting a huge kick out of that. We only stayed in this cabin once or twice early on, and I do remember it a bit. Jeanne and I had a bedroom upstairs and I insisted on a hall light staying on because I was ALWAYS scared of the dark. The last night we were there Jeanne cried in bed and said goodbye to everyone as she lay there in the dark - even said goodbye to Sandy McLaine's horse. I thought that was hysterical.

On the flight out we were fogged in at some stopover airport. I do recall sitting for what seemed DAYS in a waiting room until we were allowed to take off. We were not allowed to move around, but to sit still. How often these days does one see a family of kids sitting quietly for hours? Talk about hard - I remember that it was agony.

The attic dream

I had a dream last night about the house in DM. I wanted to go into the attic and roam through the stuff up there, and then make the area into a loft. Mama thought that was a GREAT idea - yeah, she was there.

The idea of sifting through the attic treasures was an appealing one. I used to love the attic! I would go up there on rainy days and poke through the photo albums and boxes of old crap, all the while listening to the rain fall on the roof. When I think of that timeframe, I see Dick, Ron and Dad looking like this. That old fake fireplace used to sit up in the attic, too, until we hauled it out at Christmas. Old Tippy would sleep in front of it at Christmas as if it actually emitted heat. 

It's funny how I'll dream about that attic room from time to time. Sometimes in the dream there's more space up there over the entry way, and the promise of more stuff to find. How strange that we had to climb into the closet to get to the attic through that window. At the top of the stairs to the second floor was the door to the coat closet, and to the side of that closet was a "window" of sorts, with a board over it, that led into the attic. You'd have to step up and climb through the window to gain access into the attic. In my dreams, the area above that window is vast and dark, when in reality it was only about a foot or two back - and even my memory of that is pretty tainted by dreams and exaggeration. I did love it up there though.