This is a picture of my grandfather Reginald, who would have been 99 years old today. It is not the greatest picture and a debate ensued in our family if it really was him. But, back in those days, photography being what it was, the exposure was a dreadfully long one, and usually the object cannot remain 100% still for any length of time. The resulting image is usually somewhat blurred and features can look a little 'off'. He never served in the war, being too young for the first, and I guess too old for the second. He went bald at age 14, maybe from the stress of having a mean stepdad who would beat him. He met & married my gramma in LA. My aunt was named the most beautiful baby in LA of 1929.
I was very close to my grampa, both my grampa and my gramma, staying with them every Easter, every summer, and whenever. He was a little guy with a really big heart. After gramma died when I was 16, I would sometimes stay with him overnight and walk to school the next day. I lived 40 miles away from school and the bus ride began at 7:10 am in the winter, so I didn't have to get up as early. We would have a cup of instant coffee and on special occasions he would buy a box of "Flings". That was in the evening. There was no bathroom in the house (this was in 1974-75) so it was the outhouse in the morning. But grampa was never the same after gramma died, and he passed away peacefully in his sleep 3 years to the day gramma left us. They were 3 years apart in age. My mom and her sister are also 3 years apart in age, to the day. My mom had 3 girls, her sister had 3 boys. I guess there are other '3's but I don't remember what they are. Well grampa, I am thinking about you today and having lots of good memories. You were always such a good sport. RIP.
