The Grass Was Greener

Beyond the horizon of the place we lived when we were young
In a world of magnets and miracles ...
The grass was greener
The light was brighter.

"High Hopes." David Gilmour/Pink Floyd Music Limited

I recently rescued about 100 family memories from oblivion. Four generations on my side of the family had become dried out, disintegrated, flood-damaged, faded and curled. I was 12 the first time I cut and framed these, on a Sunday in the living room of my grandparents' home. I'm 56 now.

For nearly four decades these photos, mostly old Polaroids, were protected to some extent inside ratty, ugly, unstable frames left over from my mother's painting days. They were too ugly to hang and were relegated to out of the way spaces, closets and until recently, the recesses of the basement. I felt guilty.

Most of these photos were taken by by grandfather, L.I. Wills, or my great-uncle, Paul Richel. They had big-bulbed Polaroid and Kodak cameras and I remember how annoying holidays would become -- all those flashes taking away from better things kids had to do.

Live and learn.

Click on photo to enlarge. Click again for greater magnification.

Here you can see Uncle Paul in the upper left, holding my dad, Thomas L., my grandparents' only son. The chubby kid to the right is my dad. Slightly under that picture is Dad holding me. The folks in the middle are my grandparents, Lorrain and Kathryn. There's a shot of me with grandpa next to that. Dad's Warren G. Harding High School graduation photo is in the center. The picture too faded to see is my grandmother, her two sisters, her mother and stepdad.

The sepia toned woman in the fluffy outfits is Grandma's mother. I do not know her first name but her last name was Kimball. She's holding Grandma in the one to the far right.  Under her is a snapshot of my brother Gerry. My parents' wedding photo is in there. The dapper dudes at the bottom are my grandfather, my grandmother's stepfather Gerry Gibbons (from England!) holding me, and Dad. The photo at bottom left is from my grandfather's retirement bash at Chateau Restaurant, Warren, Ohio. He was paymaster at Republic Steel for decades, when they did it all by hand. I did not inherit his math skills.

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The sepia toned dumplings here are Grandma and her sister Evelyn (Richel), top, and her sister Lillian (Kean), center left. Evelyn and Kathryn are being held by their dad, center. Again, I do not know Mr. Kimball's first name. Next to them are junior high shots of Tom'n'Gerry. There's a photo of my drummer Dad in his Harding band uniform. There's a picture, top left, of Dad's cat George. Strange I can remember that. Upper right are the brothers Wills with mom Linda, and Dad. 

Click on photo to enlarge. Click again for greater magnification.

Lots of dapper shots here of Grandpa, Uncle Paul, Dad. Baby pictures of yours truly. Dad in his Army uniform. A picture of brother Gerry and I playing in the Gibbons' goldfish pond. Mom seated with her sons. Mom and Dad seated at the same fireplace at Grandma's house.

There's a picture of me with one of those Playskool bubble mowers. God I hate to mow. There's a shot of Mom and Grandma with me riding a toy fire truck. God I love fire trucks.

I had a wonderful childhood, fabulously cool parents, amazing grandparents and wonderful aunts and uncles.

The point of this occasionally teary exercise is to make sure none of their names and events are lost with me.

I admit to calling Dad to name-check a few folks.
My grandmother's parents names were Milton and Laura Kimball.
Grandma's stepfather was Gerald Gibbons, so she became Laura Gibbons
My grandfather's folks were Earl and Bessie Wills.

Now you know. Now I know.