Family photos from the 1930s
The ones who had fun
Someone mentioned Leavenworth, Washington, a few days ago and that always takes me to my great aunt Loretta and uncle Vint who lived there. They were good to us. I wanted to share some of their photos and a bit about them. This is from a time period of roughly 1931-1937.
They married later in life, like 40, which then was pretty old to get married for the first time. They didn’t have kids.
They were considered odd, hilarious, fun, nature-loving, eccentric, and interesting. We loved visiting them or having them visit. They often stayed home during a time when they liked their neighbors’ dog Pebbles so much, they found it hard to leave.
I don’t remember them going to church.
During the war, Vint wrote “after the war is all over we will have to make up for lost time…. tell your pop I owe him a bottle of beer… he’ll know…I will write you a longer letter next time… what’s cookin’ chicken, wanta neck?” Written on US Army stationary from Camp Adair, Oregon.
Loretta talked often and in fluttering tones of high and low pitches and with a fast cadence with jokes and asides packed in. I loved both their voices, especially when they laughed, which was often.
Vint nicknamed me Hippie and referred to me only as that. I liked it.
They loved my mom and so they loved us, her kids, which was palpable.
They loved animals, both wild and domesticated.
There was a closet in their house where we would go to put on hats, gloves, scarves. Possibly there were wigs? In any case, it was endless fun putting different things on and running around the house.
When we all visited, five of us, we would sleep on the living room floor and a couch or two. All seven of us shared the bathroom. There was a bullet hole scar in the wall by a neighbor with a bad aim. They weren’t the target but could have been hit had they been in the bathroom at the time. It was fascinating to us.
They always took us outside to water, forest, woods, or beach places.
They were both retired by the time I knew them. I think Loretta was a teacher and Vint had been a barber.
They cultivated many pals and maintained loving family relationships.
They were worriers too.
Loretta had a weekly schedule of what to do each day. I think Monday was wash day. Which brings us to her washer/ringer appliance. The thing would squeeze fabric dry in an industrial manner. Have you ever seen one?
Vint liked to do art projects. He once painted a rock on one side: “Please turn me over.” The other side: “Thanks- that feels sooo good.” We always laughed at it.
They showed me that older adults could be game and playful, hardworking and silly. Outdoorsy and down to earth.
Loretta cooked dinner for all of us slowly and we ate meat and potatoes and salad and green beans. We snapped the green beans from one bowl to another while sitting on a floral-patterned glider with a shade and fringe over the top.
Loretta could recite poems she had memorized as a child.
They had at least one cuckoo clock.
I remember their house smelling like a root cellar. Lance, my brother, said it smelled like moth balls and soaps and perfumes.
Writing this has got me wondering about what impressions we leave behind and who remembers and for how long?
We recall mostly the same things. Vint and Loretta were fun with kids, attentive, up for conversation any time, hikers before it was trendy, adventurous, interesting, and interested in us.
I am so glad to have known them.
I love this so much.
What a beautiful tribute and timely reminder that people can be so lovely; thank you for sharing.