My earliest recollection of this darling couple was during the fifties when they would pack up their three boys and drive from Lakeland, Florida back to Birmingham during summer vacation.Bill is my father's baby brother. He was born when my dad was nearly 12. Both of them were in the Army Air Corp during World War II. This photograph was taken in November of 1943, just six weeks before Bill was shipped off to Iceland. I have just been talking with him (another great benefit of these Sepia Saturday projects) and he told me he remembered that he was crossing the North Atlantic on Christmas Day of 1943. He served as crew chief with the rank of Tech Sargent in Iceland through all of 1944, and returned home in the spring of 1945. He reminded me that he and my dad returned at just about the same time, and that he remembered several family gatherings to celebrate their homecoming.
After the war , my father and Bill both returned to their jobs with U. S. Steel. In the early fifties, Uncle Bill decided to try something different. He became a jeweler. He and Mary moved to Lakeland, opened a business, and raised three sons. Since my mom and dad had some post war babies as well (Sue and I were the same ages as Bill's boys), Bill would always make sure that our house was one of the stops on the summer trips back home. Today, Mary and Bill are retired and living in the mountains of Western North Carolina, near all three sons and their families. However, Bill is still singing in a barber Shoppe Quartet organization while Mary is doing the same in the Sweet Adelines! Aren't they a beautiful couple? This photo looks like something out of Hollywood to me.
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11 comments:
They look like they'd be a lot of fun. Somehow when I first saw this I instantly got a vision of two of them dancing and singing. Must be their warm smiles. Beautiful couple!
Lovely photograph, they are a really attractive looking couple and sound as though they've had a richa and happy life too. How great that they are both still active and enjoying themselves.
yes They Are A Beautiful Couple.They look Ready ( especially Bill) To jump up and start dancing!
As soon as I saw this photograph I thought, Hollywood! They really look made for the big screen. Wonderful shot.
Hello!
What a pretty couple, I wonder how everyone in the 40's looked so glamorous, esp. with the war going on.
You are right, they look like they should be a on a movie set or poster.
I can just picture Aunt Mary and Uncle Bill dancing to big band music. They would be the couple in the center of the room that everybody stopped to watch.
What a gorgeous couple there! I love your sentiments here about them. :)
I have to agree with everyone else - it is a great photograph. And being able to read the story of those captured by the camera is the added bonus of these Sepia Saturday posts.
Hello FireLight,
Here I am, only a week late! Your aunt and uncle look great in the photo and you are lucky to have them still. Nice memories.
Absolutely Hollywood! They should break into song and tap dance at any minute!
Such a rich family history you have. I never tire of learning about it.
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