52 Ancestors: Fun and Games - Let's Play!

Over the years I've learned that my favorite blog posts are those which show pictures - lots of them!  So in that light, I've put together photos of my ancestors (and me) at play.  I sure wish I had more of them because it really brings them to life.

First up, my grandfather, Sig Levy, loved to play tennis.  I not only have a photo of him as he played, but even have some of his tennis racquets hanging on my wall.

Sig Levy

I also found a photo of my grandmother's brother, Wilton Gunzendorfer, in the 1915 Monterey High School yearbook, El Susurro, when he was a freshman - turns out he liked to play tennis, too.  Yep, he was known as "Champ Gunzy".

It makes me wonder if Sig and Wilt ever played tennis together.  I do know that he played with his brother, Ben Levy, as he wrote on November 2, 1916 to his future wife and my grandmother, Loraine Gunzendorfer:

What do you know about my young brother and myself qualifying in the semi-finals in the county tennis tourney.  Well he is tickled stiff as we have worked our way up to the real fast players.  I had never played with him before and it must be good-fortune that is with us.  Our next opponents are real sharks so I have no hopes of winning but we are getting a lot of fun and good exercise out of it.

I've read a lot about my grandmother, Loraine Gunzendorfer, rowing on a lake in Oakland with her cousin, Hyman Steen.  Since she lived close to Lake Merritt, I assume that's where they went - boy would I love to find a photo of that!  But this picture of her with her Mermaid friends will just have to do.

1915 Monterey High School, El Susurro

Loraine, second from left

I don't have too many photos of my mom and her ancestors, especially of them playing.  But I thought this photo of her with her parents, Clara Fitzgerald and Earle Martin, showed a playful side of the family.

My dad liked to play games and sports - he was ready for football in the backyard on Christmas Day, 1937.

And even when he wasn't actually playing, he found an opportunity to be playful while watching others play.  He must have been watching a granddaughter play softball while he sported her high school letterman's jacket.

Of course the playful gene didn't stop with Dad - he made sure his kids followed in his footsteps.  We had A LOT of board games as kids - one entire shelf in the storage room was filled with them.  I don't remember too many specifics about what we played (or who won) but it was fun to see this 'canned' pose (for a Christmas card, I'm guessing).  Was I paying off little brother.....or was he paying me off?

I sure wish I had some photos of playing games with our next-door neighbor, Mary.  Our favorite places to play were in the far back of their station wagon parked on the driveway (what?) and under the ping pong table with blankets over the top and sides to make a tent.  Not only board games but paper dolls - oh, those were the days!

We also liked to play dress up and produce plays.  Looks like we were here with our cousin putting together some sort of dance routine.  Remember those candy cigarettes with red coloring on the end so you felt like you were smoking?

Cousin, me, sister

My parents loved to play and watch golf - looks like they tried to get big sister interested, as well.  Or at least I think that's big sister?

Dad was not much of a fisherman so not sure how this happened?  Were we at family camp at Camp Campbell?

Little brother liked to play, too!

Maybe my grandmother's love of rowing rubbed off on me and little brother.  Not sure where this is or even how far we got but for a brief moment in time it looks like we were having fun.

As time marched on, I dabbled in different playful activities.  While maybe not exactly play, I remember the March of Dimes charity walk we participated in a few times.  I don't remember exactly how far we walked but I do remember it was a LONG day and my feet hurt like crazy by the time I took the last step.

That's me on the right with the sunglasses

It's fun to see my ancestors at play - I've learned a lot about how they spent their free time and what gave them joy.  Not to mention it's fun to see myself at play as a child.  I just hope I wasn't playing here.  Artillery?????