The Girl I Knew As A Child..,

Many years ago my Grandparents lived in the city and they had a couple who were their friends. They had a granddaughter whom I would see from time to time growing up and when our families would get together we would play together.

Her grandparents were a very nice couple and her grandmother was one of the finest cooks that I ever knew.

She could make the best cakes and pies from scratch or unlimited casseroles. When her granddaughter got older she taught her how to sew and cook as well as she did.

She loved to spend time with her grandparents whenever she had the opportunity.

Over the years she learned to do most of the things that her grandmother had taught her.

Her grandfather had worked for Ford Motor Co. and later he sold McNess and Watkins products on a route near his home.

In the Summer he would sell watermelons to his customers on this same route.

He had some little rhymes that he had made up that he would sound out as he moved through the neighborhoods.

Whats red in the middle, green on top, makes your lips go filipty flop.

Or...,

Watermelon, watermelon, juicy and sweet, jump in the rind and wash your feet.

Or...,

Watermelon man coming down the street, jump in the rind and wash your feet.

This is a picture of my mom and dad after they were married.

They are so nice looking and it makes me glad that they are my parents.

Here is a picture of this little girl with her parents and she is less than a year old.

She is to small to know that she would grow up in a great family, surrounded with love and affection and attention from her loving parents and grandparents.

Her mom was a housewife and she doted over their first child and made sure that she was woken up and fed and loved and nurtured as a child that was loved.

They later on had four other children but she was always "special," because she was their first.

Deborah was named after her mother having her mothers name as her middle name, but as she grew up she shortened it to Debby.

Here she has her picture taken posing on a pile of blankets.

She loved to have her picture taken when she was younger and being the first child they took a few pictures.

This is a little dress that her grandmother made for her and as you can see she does excellent work. Debby is standing on the dresser in the bedroom and it is like a double exposure.

 This picture shows her talking on the phone.

She loved to talk with her grandmother and granddad on the phone as well as her dad.

















She is such a cutie with her dark brown hair and her green eyes.

Another posing baby picture.

She is getting close to a year old.

Celebrating her first birthday.

One day a man came by their house to take pictures of little kids with farm animals and her parents chose this horse above for her to have her picture taken on it.

On a visit to her grandmother's house she liked to sit on the back porch steps with her Uncle Ben. He would take time to play with her and tease her at every opportunity that he had.

Before long another surprise came home from the hospital and this time it was a little brother and they named him James Wayne but, they called him Wayne.

Later own another child came along and she was named Emily and then a boy was born and he was named Kenny.  We became a family of seven and we had so much fun growing up together.

Fr.row: Pat, Emily, Kenny, Debby, Back row: Mom and Dad

Our picture taken with our Aunt sitting in front of our house.

First Grade Class Picture

Emily, Pat, Debby, Joyce, Pam and Tami all dressed up for a "Special Occasion."

Our last portrait taken before she got married. (Pat, Kenny, Debby, Emily and Wayne).

This is the girl that I knew as a child that grew up to be a "beautiful," lady and the "love of my life." This is one of my favorite pictures of the lady that accepted my hand in marriage.

Standing in front of the Ghost Town Stage Coach on our Honeymoon.

This picture of my wife and her parents when she came home for her sister's graduation.

One of the first pictures we had made after we were married.

Her siblings in a picture together. (Debby, Pat, Emily, Wayne and Kenny).

A family portrait that I shot of their family. (1st. row: Mom and Dad, 2nd. row: Pat, Wayne, Kenny, and Emily, 3rd. row: Debby).

Another family picture when her brother Wayne got married.

This family picture was taken at her grandmother's house after having Sunday dinner there. All of her siblings are married except Emily. The handsome little boy in the front is our son David.

My wife and I were on a trip to Detroit on a trip we won with Lincoln Motor Company. Lincoln put us up in the Ritz Carlton in Dearborn, Michigan. 

I found someone who would take a picture of us sitting together. I hope I don't break the camera.

We as you can tell by now the little girl I grew up knowing whenever we came to visit my grandparents I fell in love with along through the years. We have been married for over forty years and we have one son and a beautiful grand daughter who make our little family complete. Yes there could be more pictures but, I think that will save some for another post.