A cousin, Rosemarie, shared this photo a few years back. She has passed away a year ago. The photo is of her baby brother Gary. He lives today in an institution with autism difficulties. The photo then is about 60 years ago and it is taken next to the Pacific Ocean. The finding of this photo is a special one to me as there is so much family stories in all that is showing in the photo. My Grandfather Charlie and my grandmother Grace lived in Iowa in a very small town. They took the train to Washington State to see new grandson and the grand daughter Rosemarie who would have been three years old. Their son Donald and his wife Eileen lived out in Washington. Eileen was a war bride being a full Brit.
Charlie and Grace look so out of place being on the beach. I doubt that they had ever visited the coast before then. Living in Iowa they would not have had a car nor would they have made the drive. The two of them were at the end of their years having raised 10 children and living some very hard times as farmers. They lost a farm from a bad economy and struggled on a smaller farm to keep food on the table.
The picture was taken in early 1949 when Gary was born. My grandfather died that same year. I never knew him as I was born in the next year. I have a few select photos of him and heard stories of how nice of a guy that he was. This photo is a great one of Charles (Charlie) Thomas Burgus. It is one of my Grace Elizabeth Turner Burgus and it does resemble her as I did know her for another 15 years since the photo was taken.
My second and last photo shows thing in my life in the future. Our son and his wife live near Bar Harbor, Maine. This is a photo from Cadillac Mountain looking down on the Atlantic shore line. Our son and his wife love it here as they hike the trails and camp along the coast line. We are so landlocked here and thing they are so fortunate to live there.
Others are answering the call of posting Sepia Saturday articles following the seashore theme. Check them out at the SEPIA SATURDAY site.
5 comments:
There's something very lovely and charming about that picture of your grandfather and grandmother holding their new grandson by the ocean. They look so happy. :)
Such a poignant story about the first photo of your ancestors. Thank you for sharing it here. And of course looking to the future is a great balm to the losses of the past. Wishing you well when you travel to Maine!
That's a charming photo with true sepia. I love your grandfather's smile.
What a wonderful photo of your grandparents and cousin by the ocean. Indeed they do look as if being from Iowa made a beach an alien place to them. Love seeing how high you can get above Bar Harbor as well, since
i've never been there.
Your first photograph tells such a powerful family story, and Maine looks a beautiful place to live - my ideal coast and country location.
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