Charlie's Family

I wrote in a previous post that Charlie and I drove to Pensacola where his mother lives.

And remember I wrote about how well she is doing at age 87, walking, thinking, living - very sharp mind.

I finally got some pictures - old ones - from her - and after spending all day yesterday switching out computers, saving things off the old one, installing my new printer/scanner/copier - I now have some old pictures to post from Charlie's early days.

This first one is of his whole family.  His mother is holding Charlie; his dad is holding his sister, Amanda, and in the front are his brothers, Guy Neil(oldest one) and Mike( the second born).

I'm guessing that is about 1953 - because Charlie looks to be about 1.  He was born in December 1952 - so yeah, that had to be 53.  Don't forget I've written - that Charlie is only 11 months younger than his sister Amanda.  Digest that information - and imagine his mom with them and the two older brothers who appear to be quite feisty and active in this picture.  They look like they are pretending to shoot the photographer.

Next picture - Charlie is a little older.  In this photo I'm guessing they are either visiting his grandmother in Florala where his mother grew up, or visiting his dad's mother in Columbia, Alabama, where his dad grew up.  I think he's a little older, but I love this swingset picture.  Remember, we've all been kids before we became adults.  We all have our memories.

There's a little girl behind him - probably his sister, Amanda.  Remember, they're practically the same age without being twins.

This next picture is Charlie being held by his Uncle Charles, for whom he was named.  Charles was his dad's only brother and was killed as a young adult, in a car wreck.  So sad.  He had never married.

And now this next picture I love.  I had it copied from an old faded photo that has been on Lib's dresser ever since I've been going to her house.  She told me it is the only photo from her wedding day.  A friend from Birmingham took this picture and sent this copy to Lib.  I took it to CVS and made a copy of it, enhancing the color.  So, it's not a professional restoration, but it's all I have.  The picture is taken at her Mother's house in Florala where the reception was held.

Hasn't the marketing industry taken the wedding day to new heights and taking our money as well?  My parents had no pictures of their wedding day - and now we spend insane amounts on photography, videographers, etc.  I certainly do wish I had photos of Mother's wedding day - but still - it's all gotten rather out of hand.

And this of Charlie's maternal grandparents.  Ruby Amanda Bailey Ray and Luther Gaston Ray.  Charlie called his grandparents, Mother Ray and Father Ray.  I don't think he ever actually knew his grandfather, but that's how he was referred to.  Charlie's grandmother was a Bailey and that is Ann's middle name and Andrew's middle name.

Next, this picture of Charlie's dad during WWII.  He was a , well, I don't know how to spell it.  He jumped out of planes - with a paraschoot? parashoot?  too lazy to look it up.  Part of a group referred to as "The Screaming Eagles".  It was quite a "to do".  I regret that I cannot adequately tell about it. (Laura Beth has posted a comment and in it she's given me the correct spelling - it is Parachute.  OF COURSE!  Thank you, Laura Beth.)

And finally, this classic baby portrait of Charlie and Amanda - again - imagine that they probably both have on cloth diapers.  And imagine getting the two of them ready for this portrait.  Charlie had curls as a baby boy - and there is a younger portrait of him with curls all over his head.  When he was an older child, he saw the portrait and was so humiliated by the curls, thinking he looked like a girl, that he took a crayon and scribbled all over the fine portrait his mother had had done.  Gotta smile at that one.  I've seen that portrait with the crayon scribbles all over it.  He had beautiful curly hair.

That's all.  A little Rhodes and Ray history - and memories.  I mostly talk about my family and our life in Evergreen.  Although Charlie grew up in Pensacola throughout his childhood, his family moved to Chattanooga when he was starting the 8th grade.  He graduated from high school in Chattanooga - and his parents returned to Pensacola during Charlie's college years.