A very old photo of my Great Grandmother, also one of the daughters and friends and her husband at Fort Bliss with who appears to be the guy that was in the movie Saving Private Ryan as the linguist and typist clerk. Folks these photos were the Horse Drawn US Army Days and my Grandmother's brother in law the short guy in the photo, was in field artillery. The sister in the photo died very young in that plague during WWI here at home. I don't know how my Great Grandmother died except to say my Grandmother was born in 1907 and her mom died when she was 13. I have post cards purchased in the Fort Bliss Canteen and sent to Bertha the sister in the one photo circa 1915. In the mid 70s when I was trail riding my friends and I helped another friend who was stationed at Fort Bliss transport her two horses to Fort Bliss. It took us 13 hours from Houston to El Pa so. The old stables from the same era as the photos enclosed were still in use for any service member stationed there. I ask about her several years ago when I was in touch with those that made the trip and one told me she had not heard from her for years. Sadly that other friend passed away just two years ago. There was a time I was keen on finally going home for good but honestly just about everyone I know has gone already so I think I will stay just where I am. I had a lot more photos but several years ago I gave all the photos to my sister who I thought would take better care of them.
Interesting stuff, buddy. I appreciate your posting them. I never met any of my grandparents and never saw pics or even heard anyone speak of them. I moved to a rural part of Virginia in 2010 and really enjoy being around folks who can trace their ancestry back to colonial times...it kinda gives me vicarious roots. Pics like yours do the same.
In 1982 I was living in Conroe and working at River Oaks Chrysler Plymouth. I would get up at 5 and leave the house at 6 and drive to Porter the back way then onto 59 and on into Houston. Only problem with that long drive was the foggy mornings driving through all those piney woods. There were times when you couldn't even see the road and idiots would pass me doing 60 miles an hour. I always allowed lots of time so I would have time to go next door River Oaks at the Hotel and have coffee before work. My first job out of the Army was working at Al Parker downtown and the service manager's name was Florian Meleski. I left there and was gone several years and ran into him a little beer joint across the street from where I was living. A couple more years passed and he was the service manager at River Oaks Chrysler so I went to work for him again. When I left and moved to San Diego I never saw him again because I left San Diego and came here in La and bought a house. That old place is about 4 miles from here. I still have one friend left living in Cut n Shoot that is if he's still alive. He isn't or wasn't in good health a couple years ago. I talked to his sisters daughter on facebook and I don't know if any of them ever told him I was trying to get in touch. His son has a tire business at the edge of Conroe. Time flies and you can't slow it down. This photo is sometime in 74, it was taken at a old club that had been around for a long time The Farmers Daughter way out there near Aldine Westfield Rd. That friend that lives in Conroe is the guy standing in the back dark corner. His sister is sitting behind me and his wife is the blond standing in front of him. Directly in front of me was David Dean and Wanda. David lives in that conroe area also. Luwana the blonde ran into him about 5 or 6 years ago at a gas station and he was doing pretty well. He might be living in Porter I'm not sure. Wanda died about a year after this get together. Luwana and Dennis divorced and he remarried and had another son and has grand children. Luwana married the ex police chief and fire chief at Lake Livingston decades ago, he recently died of a stroke and survived about 8 or 9 months before he finally passed away. I wish I had bought some of that lake property way back when it was selling for nothing. Not to make a profit but just enjoy the lakeside living.
One complete post card 1916 to Bertha. Half of another which I do have the printed side but have to find it. Postage in 1916 was one penny !!! The black n white is my Mother and Grandmother in Oklahoma City circa the 30s. My wedding photo of my ex wife and I some 51 years ago. She passed away 3 years ago. I know little about her life and death and recently her sister has stopped writing after years of daily emails. Myself the young brother and her mother are still living, well I guess I am since I wrote this. My little brother in law is a twice over grandfather now. My Father in Law passed away in 1996, he was a great guy and had a little electric contracting business on 290 not far from Bingle Road.