Sepia Saturday

Sepia Saturday

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Uncle Kenny, Kenneth Brown.........




My mother had two older brothers.  This is her younger brother Kenneth Brown.  He was born in 1917 in Madison County, Iowa to the parents of Leroy and Mabel Brown. He is living in Murray, Iowa living an active life of helping boss a woman who is remodeling houses in the town, one house at a time.  I use the word boss lightly as they are a working friendship and she does most of the work, or hire's it out and he is there to give her advice and ask questions.  He is 93 and she is probably thirty years younger. Before he retired, he had been a farmer and then worked for a business as a salesperson for a Farm and Home business.


Of the two brothers of my mom's, Kenny is probably the closest to being like my Grandmother.  When I talked to him on the phone the other day, all of his verbal phrasing and voice reminded me of her. He also has an easy going attitude about life and you can tell that is some of his pictures that I am going to show you. 




Here is a partial section of a family reunion and the guy clowning around is my Uncle Kenny.  I assume this was taken in the 1930's.




This is my favorite photo of all times.  Is this not cool?  I have no idea who the two guys on the left are but Kenneth Brown is leaning with the attitude dressed in the light clothes. If you can date American cars you can date this photo for me.



Kenneth was married to Sylvia and had three boys, Bob, Don and Gene Brown. I grew up with them as they were similar in age to my brother older than me and myself. His youngest son lives in Murray near his dad and I see him often. The two older sons migrated to the Chicago area working for the phone company.

My grandmother took care of many people in her life, and late in her life she took care of her husband, night and day, while he suffered from a stroke. Kenneth, her son, took care of his wife in her later years, as she suffered from dimensia. He lived some really hard years for ten or more years caring for his wife until she passed away eight years ago.

His life now is a well deserved reward as he drives to a nearby town everyday for breakfast and he hangs out with the home restorer, giving advice and just watching. He is the last of my mom's generation and it is so nice to still have contact with him.

This last photo was of him in his Army uniform.  He went into the service at the same time as my dad in 1941.

For some reason I could not turn these into sepia without loosing contrast and detail. Good old black and whites are ok.

Check out all of my friends from all over the world, who are posting family pictures and stories on SEPIA SATURDAY,  by clicking here.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Larry did enjoy these pics and the stories. The picture of the family group with all the ladies wearing dresses and some aprons looks so typical. I have some like that, whereas today very few skirts and no aprons. My post came up unexpectedly but what the heck it is a fun post to do. Blessings
QMM

D said...

Larry, I love seeing all these old photos and it is a reminder for me to do something similar for those I have of our family. I had to laugh at the 'Oval frame with painted simulated wood with convex glass' for I have the exact one in one of our bedrooms with a photo of my grandparents and my mother, her brothers and sisters. I will try to squeeze that project in, but perhaps in the winter months when there is no vegetable garden. ;) Have a great weekend.

Vicki Lane said...

Love these pictures of your uncle Kenny! They all show so much life and humor. So glad he's doing well!

Christine H. said...

Larry,
Kenny looks like he could have or should have been a dancer. And his father was Leroy Brown...but I guess that wasn't Bad Bad Leroy Brown?

Martin said...

Larry,

At 93, your uncle Kenny probably owes much to his easy going attitude and keen sense of humour. He sounds quite a character, and looks to have an air of Gene Kelly about him.

tony said...

Kenny's a Handsome Chap! In the first photo he looks a bit like a cross between Joe Strummer & Jack Keroac.In the 2nd ,the young Frank Sinatra.You can tell by his body language & smile that he was a joker & people warmed to him.
What a fine set of photos!

Barry said...

Wonderful story. Kenneth has certainly earned his retirement--and his turn at being boss!

L. D. said...

Yes, I never knew my grandfather but he was Leroy Martin Brown. Some of his photos lead me to believe he could have been a little bit of a gruff guy, as my grandmother was the easy going kind one. Just like Kenneth.

Unknown said...

Really enjoyed seeing Kenny and hearing how he's still at it today at 93! Something about those old timers and their work outside that allowed them to endure and thrive. As well as that easy going attitude! Reminds me of my 92 year old uncle Carl in PA,whose mind and mild dementia prevent him from living in his own home alone. Last year I had to arrange with his doctor to get him into assisted living. I'll post my Uncle Carl sometime. Don't worry about sepia or not as many of my photos are black and white. It's a treat to see them all. I just picked up an idea from your blog to photo the large oval framed portrait of my grandparents and put it on my blog. It's too much to attempt to dissassemble and scan, so yes I can photo it.

mouse (aka kimy) said...

uncle kenny sounds like a gem of a fellow!! and still going strong at 93 years young!

i love the jaunty pose he struck in the first three of the photos. i'd love to see a photo of uncle kenny today.

thanks for introducing us to uncle kenny!

Tess Kincaid said...

Yes, that shot of Kenneth with the guys and the cars is SO COOL!!! You must have it enlarged and frame it, Larry!

North County Film Club said...

I love the photo of Kenny clowning around. And he looks so handsome in the one where he's dressed in all white. I'm glad he's enjoying life now.

Alan Burnett said...

What I love particularly is the span : the magical life of your Uncle that links those distant days to today's digital age. Like all your Sepia posts it is as satisfying as a good meal.

Unknown said...

Wonderful photos, & bravo for Uncle Kenny--sounds like he appreciates his longevity & still has the wherewithal to enjoy it.

Kat Mortensen said...

The affection you hold for this man, your uncle, Kenny is so apparent in everything you say.
That swaggered photo where he is leaning in to the car in his pristine whites is such a treasure. No wonder it is your all-time favourite! (He sure liked that hip-action,didn't he? He should have been an actor!)

He sounds like a man well worth your admiration.

Kat

The Silver Fox said...

Every generation of a family seems to have at least one "joker" in the "deck." Your Uncle Kenny was apparently that of his generation, as my Uncle Eddie (1915-1983) was that of his... and I am of mine.

Far Side of Fifty said...

He was comfortable throwing that right hip out wasn't he. He is handsome!! I like the car photo also..that car way in the background looks new..but we have no idea what it is. Far Guy looked too..Your Uncle Kenny sounds like a really nice guy..and still has his witts about him and a gal friend at 93..good for him:)

Anonymous said...

Such a pleasure to read about Uncle Kenny and see his "attitude" in the photos.

kylie said...

the man is a babe. b.a.b.e.

i want to say thanks for commenting on my own sepia saturday post last week

cheers!

Sean Bentley said...

My guess is that the car in back is a '36 or '37, at the height of streamlining just before the war.