My Dad's Family

I have always loved being with my family. My grandmother instilled family values in me at a young age.

My grandma died 30 years ago when I was 10. She had a tremendously positive impact on my life. She made me feel loved and valuable. She taught me about having a relationship with Christ. I only knew her when she was in her 70s and 80s. I still miss her.

My dad was 20 years younger than his sister, Marie, and 10 years younger than his sister Madge. There were 7 kids in all.

My family has always been there to celebrate special moments with me. This is a picture of my 16th birthday. It meant so much to me because my grandparents weren't there to celebrate with me. My aunt Mildred, Aunt Madge, Aunt Sammie Jo & Uncle Carl, and Uncle Ed & Aunt Sue were there. Aunt Katherine came from OK with Uncle Jim . My cousins Mike, Debbie, and Peggy were there. Linda and Trenton came from Corpus.

My Aunt Marie's husband, J. (92), Aunt Mildred, Aunt Sammie Jo, my parents, and my Uncle Ed's wife, Sue. I never knew Mildred's husband, TM, because he died over 40 years ago. I loved Sammie Jo's husband, Carl. He made me feel special. We lost him before Aunt Katherine. My Uncle Ed died over 20 years ago. They lived on the same street we did. It is hard to lose the people I care about.

I didn't get to spend much time with my cousins growing up because they were so much older than I was. My oldest cousin is just a little younger than my dad.
My closest cousin to me is Cindy. She is six years older than I am.

I always looked up to her. I loved spending time with her when I was little.

My grandparents oldest child was Marie. She was 20 years older than my dad. This is a picture of her with my dad.

We went to Tulsa for a memorial service for her. She was loving, encouraging, and gracious. She made everyone feel valuable and welcomed. She and Uncle J were always supportive. This is them with Sue and Mildred at my wedding. Aunt Sammie Jo missed the picture.

This is Uncle J with their daughter, Pam.

The second daughter is Mildred. When I was growing up she was a dorm mother at Pan American University. I loved spending the night with her and running around the dorm hiding with her grandson, Clint, when he was in town. This is Karen, her oldest, and her husband, Larry. Karen and Mildred have had an influence in my life because of their strong faith in God.

My cousin Trenton died last year. I appreciate him and his wife Linda because I always knew they would be at family functions. I enjoy talking with Linda.

It was nice to be able to see their boys, Spencer and Brett. I remember when we went up to visit them after Brett was born. I enjoyed seeing Spencer's sons, Spencer and Jeffrey, too. They were nice to share their skateboard with Trevor.

My cousin, Kirby, didn't really appreciate my taking his picture. He was gracious enough not to make too big off fuss, though. I am so grateful that he is a Christian. It encouraged me when he blessed the food.

The third daughter, was Katherine. She died a few years ago. She reminded me of my grandmother. She loved her family and God. My cousins can be counted on to be friendly and kind. Even though I am so much younger than they are, they make me feel included. I appreciate that. They always seem to have a smile for me. This is a picture of Ed, Grandpa, Katherine, and my dad.
The 4th daughter is Sammie Jo. I enjoyed spending time with her as a child. I liked to play with her dog, Lisel. I have always known Sammie Jo loved me. She told me so this weekend. That meant a lot to me. I love her, too.

This is a picture of Sammie Jo and Peggy at my wedding shower almost 20 years ago.

Sammie Jo is a wonderful cook. She has given me some yummy recipes. She and Uncle Carl have been there for me, too. Their daughters can always be counted on to spend time with us, too. Sammie Jo and Peggy went to Russell's 40th birthday party a few years ago. Sammie Jo has always loved Russell. I think Trevor reminds her of my dad. They have a special connection. He told her he loved her when he said good bye this weekend.It meant a lot to me that Peggy, Sammie Jo, and Madge came to my 40th birthday party in Houston.

The 5th child was finally a boy, my uncle Ed. This is his wife, Sue, daughter, Cindy, and her daughter, Pamela. They had three boys, too. Mike always makes an effort to connect with his family. I admire that about him.

The 6th child is Madge. She was not able to come to the memorial. This is a picture of her fighting with Ed.

I blame my aunts for my dad's baby of the family mentality. I'm not sure who is really most to blame for it but I know that Marie and Sammie Jo still treat him like the little brother who could do no wrong.

This is how I picture my family. Marie is graciously caring for my grandmother, Mildred offers support, and Madge is the baby girl of the family.