This was a week to pay tribute and memory to those that gave everything for this country. It has also turned into a much bigger memory of all that passed before. We practiced our part that has become a bit of a ritual to ensure that those before were given some small token of our remembering them all. I am fortunate that I have not close relatives that did not come back on my side but on the other side we have two that made the ultimate sacrifice, both hero’s, but in opposite ends of WWII. One resting in a European grave and the other lost then found and returned to Arlington. We were fortunate enough to be there for a return dedication and burial. I gathered all that I could while there and scanned and saved the memories and dedications that were given… Vernon Castle FM1C. We also made it by to pay respect to Verlan Bathurst one that never came home
That all said we also have several family members that went and came back, thanks be they did or I would not be here
We cam back from Colorado Sunday and Monday made a big trip to multiple graves to pay respects, visit old places, check out family things,and other such things for a very long day..
We stopped in Blackwell to visit Sherries Mom first. Having just passed last spring that one is a bit hard yet to realize she has gone on. The we were off to such senic places as the cemetery near Burlington OK…
Not far from there we searched out a boarded up old house that still stands. That fact is amazing knowing the boys that were born there?
Elmore said he was born in this house, some 92+ years ago.
We then tracked back near Cherokee to check out the place that Sherrie remembers… but our first attempt met with a water hazard that caused us to detour back around another way in..
Seems the week before they got a huge rain up in Kansas and it came flowing down flooding out a lot of the small creeks and low areas up here… some washed out or nearly so roads and such… hey it is Oklahoma and stuff just happens here.
We got the the Pink house..
Seems she thinks her aunt had it painted when they lived in it while Elmore was off to College? or later. Not sure when but it got to be Pink…
And when Sherrie lived there it was told that at the age or 2 or 3 she was climbing this tower?
After that stop we moved on to a cemetery called Timberlake… checking out some of the other family spots. Didn’t seem to get pictures of that one as I had done that several years ago and they still look the same?
Then we got into Enid for a very late lunch , more like Lupper… and off to check out my family sites there.
Grandpa and Grandma I… I had fixed the vase on the left a few years ago and it seems to be holding… for now… at least that puts the flowers out of reach of the mowers… although I am sure they are the ones that got too close and knocked the vase off but lucky it stayed near and I was able to mount it back… The flowers from last year looked faded but ok so I just added a little more color this year , likely will have to do some replacement next year..
The to the perpetual care cemetery where we have paid for them to make sure there are flowers out but they do a poor job of keeping them out.. so I usually do a bit of swapping or changing or ?
Dad was a veteran that didn’t get to claim that till this century. Never used any of his benefits, never felt he needed to. but at least he is respected as a veteran now.
I always check out several aunts and uncles and make sure they get some flowers too if none are present..
I didn’t do a good job here the “Shadow Rider” got in the way… but Aunt Velma got some flower and Uncle Chuck had his Flag…
Aunt Zola got some flowers as well. Sorry Cousin Jerry I seldom put flower on yours as us guys don’t really need too many flowers… and the vase on his is broke and they have not seen fit to fix it anyway… I should complain about that.
Then I stop by Aunt Zella (mom’s sister) and it had those red faded flowers. Same ones My Mom had that had been swapped out. The prettier ones I think were put there by Cousin Karen? I think she does this every year, anyway I swapped them out as they were much nicer than the Red ones and put the Red ones at the edge.
That concluded our grave-site tour.
Last week , while setting at the car wash, waiting to get the mud rinsed off, our windshield decided to crack. it was not hit by water, we had just pulled into the shade and a crack started from a rock pit that was not noticeable way down low on the windshield… so this week I had it replaced. probably wouldn’t have done that but the damn things was on the drive side and ran right up the middle of my vision line… nice that they came to me to get it done but ouch! $335 to replace..
Now it is nice and clean and no pits… till we get out on the highway again…
Beyond all that fun and travel we have been visiting doctors, have to keep them well healed, and taking care of local issues that need attention… One thing for sure… we won’t stick around long as it is way too hot here and the humidity is the pits. Once you get used to low humidity, 15 degree cooling temps and very cool evenings it is hard to spend much time here in the summer… so back to Colorado for us…
WD0AJG