Father's Day 2020 - Memories of Dad

Today is Father's Day - the 15th without my dad.  As I've done in years past, I want to get some more (and maybe some of the same) memories documented for his descendants.  I've previously shared memories HERE.  2012   2013   2015   2016

My dad was quite a character.  Just when you thought you'd seen and heard it all, he'd come up with something new.  Sometimes funny, sometimes stern - boy did he have a lot to say.

As I was making dinner last night and preparing the corn-on-the-cob, I was reminded of Dad's insistence that corn was much sweeter and more tender if you cut the kernels.  Not cut them off the cob, but after it was cooked just cut them down the middle like this.

Props to me for holding the knife and taking the photo at the same time

I don't know how that came to be but the practice has been handed down to at least one of his grandchildren.  Thanks for the tip, Dad!

I don't remember exactly how long it went on but there was a period where Dad liked to smoke a cigar.  I really only remember him smoking in the car (ick) as we traveled home from dinner somewhere.  But based on this photo, I'd say he was ready at most any time.

Check out the cigar in his pocket!

Dad was a busy guy and it was difficult for him to break away if we participated in an after school activity.  Boy was I thrilled when Dad showed up to the high school near his office so he could watch me swim in a meet.  I wasn't the fastest kid on the team but since we raced in groups based on our speed, I was able to stay competitive and sometimes even made the medal stand, although I have no idea if we received an actual ribbon if we placed.  But Dad came and even took pictures!

That's me in the middle

One of the drawbacks of swimming in groups by speed is that you had to finish within the designated time period.  I don't remember the groupings but what I do remember is that while I finished first, I SWAM TOO FAST SO WAS DISQUALIFIED!  I'll never forget Dad saying (over and over and over again) "I can't believe you won the race but swam too fast".  In fact, while I got over it, I'm not sure he ever did.

I've mentioned before that Dad liked to wear hats - maybe he felt like it kept his naked head warm.  But this is one I don't remember ever seeing!

Crazy hat day?

Speaking of crazy hats, what the heck was this?  I wish I knew the story but, sadly, that died along with my dad.  WAIT - could that have been Crazy Hat Night at Family Camp and he was posing at the interior door of the cabin we stayed in?

I don't remember the specifics of why but the first Christmas I was married my parents and brother were going to Mexico (I think?) for the holiday.  But for some reason Mom and brother went first and Dad met them there after Christmas.  So it was time for me to become an adult and fix the Christmas dinner.  I remember Mom gave me instructions, which I wrote down, and Dad, sister and some of my husband's family came to our tiny apartment to share the meal.  Of course, Dad had to kibitz but as I recall, the meal turned out pretty good.

Dad, me (4 months pregnant), sister

That refrigerator must have been pretty small because we are not a tall family.  :-)

Back to crazy hats!  Although it seems that this "hat" was the fashion of the day.

In 1982, Dad was awarded the Legacy Medal, an award given annually by the San Jose Hospital Foundation.  The hospital was a pretty special place as all three of us kids were born there and a few years before this award was given, Dad spent a lot of time there recovering from first a heart attack and then a quintuple bypass.  But that special night included a surprise visit from Willie McCovey, the legendary First Baseman for the San Francisco Giants.  I don't remember if it was before or after this event but one of Dad's only hole-in-ones was in the Willie McCovey golf tournament.

Dad and Willie McCovey

Dad loved to play the organ and took lessons for many, many years.  In his younger days he played the piano, accordion, and some instrument which I think was a melodica.  He was pretty good but I took for granted the music drifting through the house.

Dad's organ - he loved to play!

One of my favorite memories I have of Dad was during a visit we made in the late 1990's to Snoqualmie Falls and had lunch (Dad's favorite thing to do) at the coffee shop there.  I don't think this was that time but the photo seemed appropriate since he was sitting in a restaurant.  Is that a beer on the table?

Anyway, this was during the Wayne's World craze days and we often would say "no way" to which the others would reply "way".  Dad just couldn't quite get it and thought we were all crazy for the shenanigans.  But we kept working on him.  Finally, that day at the restaurant someone said "NO WAY" and we all looked at him to prompt him for what came next.  He got a big grin on his face and yelled "KWIGH" (pronounced like high with a KW).  I don't think any of us had ever laughed that hard before and probably not since.

Funny enough on it's own but a few years later I bought a new car.  When the license plates showed up in the mail the first letters were KUY.  I thought of my dad every time I got in my car.

Yes, he was definitely one of a kind and I miss him every day!  And as Dad would say "WELL I DO"!

52 Ancestors: Handed Down - Twin Mystery

This week's blog prompt, Handed Down, immediately brought to mind many of the items that have been handed down to me by my ancestors.  But since I've written about those so many times, I thought I'd focus on a story that was handed down to me over the years by my mom.  Mom often declared "twins run in the family because my grandmother had twins three times".  And then she would add that each time either neither or just one of the babies survived.  So down the rabbit hole I went to find something - anything - that pointed to that statement being true.  Mom really didn't seem to know much about her family, particularly on her father's side, so was this accurate?

First up, my mother's maternal grandmother, and the only great grandmother I knew, was Mabel Viola (McAboy) Fitzgerald.

Mabel Viola (McAboy) Fitzgerald, c. 1952

The 1910 census is a great place to start.  In fact, it may be the only document that shows the number of children born and the number living in 1910.  I can't be sure if the number "born" includes still births but my gut tells me it would.

1910 United States Census, Township 3, Fresno, California,
Roll: T624_76; Page: 14B; Enumeration District: 33; Image: 485.

That's a little small (you think?) so I cropped it.

And it checks out.  All three children had been born by 1910 (that's my grandmother, Clara) and it shows that Mabel and Edward had been married for 8 years and she had 3 children, all of whom were living.  So, I don't think it was this grandmother.

Next up was Mom's paternal grandmother, Frances Maria (Brooks) Martin.

Frances Maria (Brooks) Martin, c. 1930

Frances was the daughter of William Brooks who was killed in the Civil War at Fredericksburg - I'm sure she had a lot of stories to tell.  But would she have said she had twins three times?

1910 United States Census, Township 3, Fresno, California
Roll: T624_76; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 33; Image: 475.

Too small again but before I move on, it surprised me to see that not only were they in the same Enumeration District as the Fitzgeralds, they were only five pages away - they were neighbors!

And it checks out.  8 children born and 8 children living.  That's my grandfather, Earl(e), at the bottom.  So based on this, I'd say it wasn't Frances that gave birth to twins three times.

I decided to go back another generation, although some of those women were not living at the 1910 census.

Mabel's mother was Rebecca Moriah (Waller) McAboy.

Rebecca (Waller) McAboy

Both Rebecca and her husband, William Warren McAboy, were still living in 1910.

1910 United States Census, Township 3, Fresno, California
Roll: T624_76; Page: 26B; Enumeration District: 29; Image: 362.

While not in the same Enumeration District, they WERE in Fresno!

Again, this checks out.  6 children born and 5 living in 1910 as their oldest son, William L. McAboy, died in 1881 at the age of 17.  So I don't think Rebecca had twins three times.

Edward Fitzgerald's mother was Julia Horgan.  While Julia had seven children, she died in 1885 so no chance to see anything about her in the 1910 census.  And I have been unable to learn much from the children's birth records, when they do exist.  So did Julia have twins three times?  I'm not sure I'll ever know.

Frances' mother was Sarah Jane (Miller) Brooks Anderson.

Sarah Jane (Miller) Brooks Anderson

While Sarah was alive in 1910, I can't find her anywhere in the census.  I'm fairly certain she was in Fresno and I've checked with each of her living children to see if she was living with them - no luck.

I can account for seven children - four with her first husband, William Brooks, and three with her second husband, John Hayward Anderson.  But I can't be sure if any of those were multiple births.  I need to find her in the 1910 census!

And last, but not least, was Earle's paternal grandmother, Millicent Emilene (Moore) Martin.  Since Millicent died in 1884, I have nothing to go on in 1910.  I know that she had eight children overall but nothing to confirm whether any of those were multiple births.

So where does that leave me?  Not much farther along than I was before.  But I'll keep working on it!