Family Photos - 1958

I continue to go through photos, albums, and other family items in order to document things for future generations.  Next up, a family photo album that was stashed away in my parents’ home.  To start from the beginning, click here.

1958 was a big year in our family as it was the year we moved into a new house.  Who knew it would be my parents’ home until 2013?  I’m sure Mom & Dad loved getting settled in their new home and making friends with the neighbors, many of whom are still friends of ours today.  The next few pages of the photo album, though, show that it wasn’t all about the new house that year.

My sister started 1st grade at Schallenberger Elementary.

Cary – 1st grader

When I was at Mom’s house in 2013, I took a nostalgic walk through the neighborhood and ended up at the elementary school where we spent so much time.  It looks much different today but it’s nice that it hasn’t been leveled to make way for something else.  The classroom on the left was my 6th grade classroom with Mrs Long as my teacher. 




And here we were posing in front of the new house.  And in our fancy dresses and patent leather shoes, no less!

Big Sister and Me 1958

I’ll remember that front door and entry way for the rest of my life.  The best part was when you entered the front door the entry way had cool (at least for the 1950’s) rock on the floor which enabled us to use our imagination.  Imagine playing hopscotch inside for hours!  Use your imagination and see if you can see the hopscotch squares in the rock.

Do you see it? With your left foot – 1, 2, 3….then 4 and 5 with both feet. You really have to use your imagination after that.

And then a couple of random shots with Dad’s comments.

Wheeee….(that’s me)

Cary on the trigger again Me, Mom, Dad - 1958

Not sure where this might be.  Anyone know?

Sober Sides

It doesn’t look like big sister was quite so sober.

I love the little coat I have on in this picture.  Wonder what we were thinking about?

Thinkers

Oh no!  Now my sister has started wearing ‘pearls’!  What 6 year old wears ‘pearls’ to the zoo or park? 

Animal Lovers

And the last one is a group shot – something we didn’t see too often as my dad was always the one taking the photos.

What a crew

This looks like the den/TV room at my grandparents’ house in Fresno, which would make sense that one of them took the photo.  I remember when the old black and white TV was replaced with a new color TV – boy, that was a huge step up!

Family Photo Album – Birthdays and Presents

I continue to go through photos, albums, and other family items in order to document things for future generations.  Next up, a family photo album that was stashed away in my parents’ home.  To start from the beginning, click here.

For most kids, birthdays mean presents and what kid doesn’t like presents?  But in our family, it also meant pictures.  I think it’s been pretty well established that my dad loved to take photos even if, at times, they weren’t the best.  I’m sure happy he documented us growing up!

The next page it titled Cary is six, First party in new home. 



My big sister is right in the middle behind the girl with blonde hair.  I’m not sure but that just might be me sitting next to the blonde.  I just love the way the little girls were all in their fancy dresses to go to a birthday party.  It was a big outing in 1958!  I have no idea who any of these kids are but maybe my sister will know one or two of them.

Another shot.  It’s fun to see our house right after we moved in and sold 55 years later after my mother’s death in 2013.  Most people wouldn’t notice the difference but for those who have been in the house, notice the sliding glass door out to the backyard on the left which was later converted into a step down into a great room.



Presents! 



Turn it around so we can see what you got!

I don’t remember my mother ever baking our birthday cakes but I do remember some pretty cute ones.  Look at this doll cake.



And the birthday girl at the table.  Oh, oh, oh – I recognize the girl right in front of the doll cake but I can’t come up with her name.



My family will appreciate the hutch in the background – look how clean it is!  Again, proof that my parents didn’t spend a lot of time updating their house is the picture I took a few weeks after my mom passed away.  We left the house just like she’d left it when she went into the hospital and a few weeks after we’d left, we came back to start the arduous task of cleaning out the house.  I don’t know why but something told me to go around the house and snap a photo of some of the rooms before we started tearing it apart.  And here’s the same hutch frozen in time.



Next was my birthday about 8 months later!

Queen Deb is 4

Pay attention to the white bench I’m sitting on.  More on that in a minute.

And she gets more and more

Oh shoot, I can’t make out what that gift is.  And, sadly, I have no idea who any of these girls are.  The one to my right could be Merle Axelrad.  We were friends early in elementary school, which I hadn’t started yet, and went to Temple together.

I guess I can never complain that I didn’t get presents even though my birthday is 11 days before Christmas and, often times, right smack dab in the middle of Chanukah.  I can’t tell what this is – maybe it’s just the ribbon and bow?



And my sister finally jumped into the act.



Back to the white bench I was sitting on above.  I remember that bench was always on our front porch and over the years we used it for many pictures.  Check out my daughter in 1976 all dressed up for Halloween – little devil!



And the following year it got a little spookier.



When we were splitting up things while we were cleaning out the house, my sister’s daughter wanted nothing more than to take that bench home as it held sweet memories for her of visiting Grandma and Grandpa.  And last month when I visited my sister, the bench was on her front porch.  Wonder how many more kids will sit on that bench and pose for a picture?

Family Photos – Mother’s Day and Fun

I continue to go through photos, albums, and other family items in order to document things for future generations.  Next up, a family photo album that was stashed away in my parents’ home.  To start from the beginning, click here.

It looks like Mother’s Day, May, 11, 1958 was spent in Fresno.  Knowing how much my dad liked attending the Modesto Relays, I’m guessing that he had another motive for planning a trip to Fresno that particular weekend.  Very smart, when you think about it.  “Mother, I’d love to spend Mother’s Day with you” when in the back of his mind he was probably thinking “Score, I can be a good son AND attend the track meet”.  A quick google search brought me to the Wikipedia page for the Modesto Relays, now known as the California Invitational Relays, which is an annual track and field event typically held the second weekend of May.  Smart man, my dad.

I used to dress my girls alike when we’d go somewhere with lots of people as I felt it was easier to remember just one outfit as I was scanning the crowd.  I guess I got that from my mom.  We were stylin’!

Mother’s Day 1958 Geraldine Martin Levy, Gordon Levy, Loraine Gunzendorfer Levy Carolyn Levy, Deborah Levy

The look on my face below cracks me up.  Was I thinking “no matter what you do or say I’m not going to smile”?

Mother’s Day 1958 Gordon Levy, Deborah Levy, Carolyn Levy, Geraldine Martin Levy

Mother’s Day 1958 Gordon Levy, Carolyn Levy

I remember playing with those yard games – what fun! 

Mother’s Day 1958 Sig Levy, Loraine Gunzendorfer Levy Deborah Levy, Carolyn Levy

This is pretty much how my grandparents always dressed – Sig in a suit and Loraine always, always in a dress.  And this was in the backyard of their home.  I wish I could remember them in some other type of clothing as this looks so uncomfortable.

And later that year, it looks like we visited Yosemite and played in the snow.  As a family growing up in San Jose (= no snow), this must have been a pretty exciting time for two little girls.

Yosemite Snow 1958 Deborah Levy, Geraldine Martin Levy, Carolyn Levy

Wow, that’s a lot of snow! 

Yosemite Snow 1958 Carolyn Levy

And at some point in 1958, we went to Family Camp.  I wrote a bit about Family Camp here. 

Family Camp 1958 Miss America Debbie

Looks like it was crazy hat night.  I wonder who made my hat?

Family Camp 1958 Carolyn Levy, Deborah Levy, and ?????

Those are some pretty crazy hats!  But who is the mystery person on the right?  Anyone, anyone?