The Other Side of the Family Tree

Just one more restoration at this time, taking a moment to look at the other side of the family tree. My dear grandparents Angela & Louis, each depicted previously, were my mother's parents. My mother was an only child from Chicago, while my father was the eldest of six children from Philadelphia. It seems so logical that he would settle near her home, and I grew up a Chicago boy. I had time being fed and carted around Chicago by Angela and I was given Cubs baseball by Louis. Dad's parents were my vacation grandparents. The feeling was a loving one, but love from 800 miles away when a long-distance call was an unnecessary expense is difficult.

Vacations were wonderful, though. The hint was given above: five sets of aunts and uncles, and one of the aunts was only twelve years older than I was. Dad's eldest sister, on the other hand, was only a year younger than he, and my cousin Barbara was two weeks older than I was. Lots of fun on vacation, lots of picnics and side trips. My Uncle Tom, dad's brother-in-law, took me to a Phillies game. We saw Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Betsy Ross' house, Benjamin Franklin's grave. For as few days as I spent in Philadelphia, it always seemed my second home.

The portrait of Ralph Sr. and Emma, which I was able to repair and soften as well as adding the sepia tone, is my favorite. It catches them at the time they were active and filled with laughter and enjoyment whenever we saw them. I recall that Grandmom made a wonderful spaghetti sauce and her smile always seemed to be intended just for me. I recall that Grandpop loved that spaghetti and constantly used a napkin to blot sweat from his brow while eating it. And I also recall that he did Woody Woodpecker's laugh as well as Walter Lantz, the originator of the voice. I pride myself on doing a good imitation of Grandpop doing a great imitation of Lantz.

Blessed with all four grandparents alive until I was twenty-eight years old; I would call that the greatest legacy of my family that was given to me and I treasure these memories. And I will always.