This side of the Road: Six Years Ago

I reflected on today's date this morning. A lot has changed since 2009 but a lot has stayed the same too. The biggest change, of course, is that my dad is gone. When you spend your time delving into genealogy records, death dates become something you're always aware of. I even have a file documenting those deaths of close relatives......

deaths:

1938: Viola Mae dies Jan 24, Darrel Walker dies Jul 3

1960: L.G. Blankenship Sep 14

1969: Joan Arey Dubberly Oct 10

1976: Bob Walker Jun 6

1982: Velna Walker Sep 6

1989: Arthur Blankenship Jun 21 & Lyall Arey Apr 4

1994: George Blankenship Apr 18 & Elva Arey May 29

1999: Lillian Blankenship Dec 6

2005: Claude Walker Apr 11

2008: Jim Blankenship Mar 11 & Marcella Blankenship Nov 15

2009: John Blankenship Apr 30

2011: Lorraine Blankenship Apr 10

I wasn't born yet when my grandma, Mae Blankenship died and she's one person I wish I could have known. Same with Darrel Walker who was married to my aunt Velna.

The funeral in 1960 for my grandpa, Lew Gene, was my first. I'll always remember that experience. Some relatives didn't have services but the family held get-togethers later to celebrate their life. These included Uncle Arthur, Uncle Jim, and cousin Claude.

I don't recall attending a service for my cousin, Joan, but she died in Florida and I remember my aunt and uncle flying down there. I missed my step-mom's funeral because I came down with a horrible flu. I think it was brought on by stress as I was trying to handle all the funeral details. I also missed my aunt Lorraine's funeral because Hunter was sick and I needed to stay home with him. I've always regretted that I missed those two services. My mother is 89 and except for dementia, seems to be in halfway decent good health. Her biological father lived to be 95 so I suppose she might have several years left. It's doubtful I'll attend her funeral, however. I last visited her 12 years ago in Pennsylvania and traveling isn't really my cup of tea anymore.

I miss my deceased relatives. Perhaps that's why I try to stay connected (so to speak) by looking into the lives of all those family members gone before me. I signed up for a month subscription to newspapers.com yesterday. I discovered later that they don't actually have as many newspapers as I thought. I should have paid more attention. But they have enough to keep me occupied. Would have loved to have access to old PT papers but they don't have anything online and don't intend to as it's too much work. Port Angeles has issues, though, and I'll be looking those over just for fun. I did find this building permit my dad took out in 1966 when he wanted to add on to the Kuhn St. house.

I also found four different write-ups on my g. uncle Arthur Steele, married to Grandpa's sister, Mattie. I printed all of them out as they each have a little bit of info on him that the others don't.

Another interesting thing I found was on a guy who was pictured in my aunt Velna's yearbook (3rd row, 3rd one over -Velna is on the right although they've listed her as Velma). This is the 1923-24 yearbook for Centralia High School. Velna would have graduated in 1925. Anyhow, she's listed as Velma Blankenship and next to her is this guy named Alden Blankenship. I always thought it strange that two Blankenship families lived in the same town but weren't related. I discovered a write-up on Alden and found it interesting.

(click on to enlarge)

Velna was written up on another yearbook page honoring her as the artist of the school emblem.

And she was a dandy artist too! I know we had various artists in the family. My grandpa's sister, Ettie Patton who lived in Pendleton had two sons. The oldest, Waible, had this written about him in his obit:

He made the first cuts for pictures when they started using local pictures in the East Oregonian. He was a commercial photographer and also worked for the East Oregonian for many years in advertising.

Grandpa's sister, Lizzie Thomason, was a writer and often had her poems published in the newspaper.

Grandpa's brother, John, had a daughter named Hallie whose obit listed her as an artist. Another obit on her said she worked for the Boardman Printing Co in San Francisco. I seem to recall my Aunt Velna telling me once that Hallie worked for Family Circle Magazine.

Of my aunts and uncles that I knew, I think Velna and Uncle George had the most artistic talent in the family. And the trait was passed on in George's kids as all four of them have talent artistically in one form or another.

Well, I'm off to the PA public library now. My friend, Mary, is hoping I can find something on microfilm from a 1966 Leader. Mary and Jake are coming tomorrow so I've got to walk through the house and put up everything that a 16-month-old might find too tempting.

One thing I hope to get accomplished today is to fix a caster on my "piece-of-junk" desk that I bought in the 60's at a yard sale in Belllingham. I use the desk a lot but it certainly has seen better days and one wheel continually falls off every time I move it. (which I do a LOT!)

Washed a load of laundry this morning and heard a whole lot of commotion coming from the laundry room. Stupid washer decided to go for a walk. That's the first time ever that it's done that. Probably needs to be balanced but I don't know how to do that.