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Showing posts with label Uncle Carl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Uncle Carl. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

1945 Germany Uncle Carl and the Totem Pole (Sepia Saturday) click here

1945  Carl with "German  totem pole"
I have been busy writing a memorial about my late Uncle Carl Konesky to be posted on a website established by Rob Haldeman to honor the US Army Tank Destroyers of World War II.  I have shared several photos of  my late uncle here on this blog and while going through more photos I found this  from  1945 in Germany, on the back he had written "myself beside a German totem Pole."  He was with the 809th Tank Destroyers  all through  Europe and on clean up operations in Germany,  end of the war, Olsenburg is one of the places he mentioned and on other photos, Goettingen.  I was taken by this photo because I have read much on World War II but  I have never seen anything like this.  It survived amongst his belongings all these years, a tiny 2 inch  by 3 inch black and white photo. I scanned it hoping to learn more.   I wonder if this statue was carved from a tree or something else?  Does it stand today somewhere?  I am glad Carl found it of interest and took that photo but I sure would like to know more.  

I have now other mysteries which will take research, letters to the US Army records center and crossed fingers.  I am assembling Carls ribbons from his military service and I find that he received a Distinguished Service medal, something not commonly awarded.  

  It is  "awarded to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the United States Army, has distinguished himself or herself by exceptionally meritorious service to the Government in a duty of great responsibility. The performance must be such as to merit recognition for service which is clearly exceptional.Exceptional performance of normal duty will not alone justify an award of this decoration. For service not related to actual war, the term "duty of a great responsibility" applies to a narrower range of positions, than in time of war, and requires evidence of conspicuously significant achievement. However, justification of the award may accrue by virtue of exceptionally meritorious service in a succession of high positions of great importance."   Although Carl kept meticulous records, there is nothing about that medal, only the medal itself, a red and white ribbon.  Another family mystery lingers; there was no talk about the "war"  around me because of the circumstances of my father, a US Army Air Corp b-24 pilot whose plane and crew disappeared months before my birth.   Everyone was quiet, and Carl who was always like a father shadow figure to me never said anything.  So now I want to know and will have to ponder and dig, there is no one to ask.  And really other than myself, no one who would be interested, so I share this here for the wide web.  

Looking over his honorable discharge I see that he also had a bronze star, which is an " individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the U.S. Armed Forces and the ninth highest military award (including both combat and non-combat awards) in the order of precedence of U.S. military decorations. " 

 I found only this tiny photo of another soldier from the 809th (logo patch on shoulder pinning a large star on Carl in Germany.  How I wish I knew this story.  Maybe I will find out maybe I won't.   Carl was not one to brag, but I wonder if he ever thought how curious I would become about all things military.   I doubt this is a bronze star, it looks so big, but maybe they did what they could with what they had.  He had sent these photos home to his parents, who kept them for his return home.  All photos passed by the U S Army inspector as stamped on the back. 

These would all make suitables for Sepia Saturday to which I have not posted, but  suppose I should share these there.   So  click on the title to this post to get to the Sepia site, lots of interesting tidbits there from others world wide and across the sea...

Friday, November 25, 2011

Sepia Saturday 102 809th Tank Destroyer and Uncle Carl (Click Here to Sepia Site)

Uncle Carl center with rifle and pipe and some men of the
809th Battalion, US Army, 1942 Ft Hood TX
Continuing from last week, with more about Uncle Carl and his World War  II 809th Tank Destroyer Battalion.  This week  the focus is Fort. Hood Texas, which is still a massive  US Army station today.  You likely heard about it in the tragedy of November 2008 when the Muslim Army Major killed 13 soldiers and wounded 31 in his jihadist act of terrorism.  But to Uncle Carl and the men of the  809th it was one of their first stops in training in 1942.   In the photo above, sent to his parents, he wrote to his father, "here I am with some men training as snipers.  I look like I just got back from hunting, Pap, so I have a pipe for you."  Carl looks like such the old man here, all of 23 years of age; but he grew up hunting with his father and was an excellent shot which served him well through the war.   When I scanned that  photo I noticed "ELKO" around the corners,  wonder what's that?

Flash forward to 1990 when the 809th  had their annual reunion at Ft. Hood Texas.  I believe that was the last reunion Carl attended, for there are no more reunion photos among his  collection.  Below is  the postcard he'd saved from the trip, a very different looking Ft. Hood from today and  very different from what they saw in 1942. 

1990 Postcard of Ft. Hood,  Killeen Texas
Because we are international on Sepia,  the back of the postcard is worth sharing, along with the description, notice the card was printed in Ireland! 

Well the reunion in 1990 shows the men gathered in front of their memorial which I understand remains on the base.  I do wish Uncle Carl had named these men.  He is the  man  standing, 2nd from the left wearing the yellow cap.  I wonder if any of these men were in the 1942 photo.  

1990 Ft Hood TX  809th reunion


Today the website about this Army post is  http://www.hood.army.mil/newcomers.hood.aspx   As I researched , I learned  a lot about it's history;  the following is taken from Wikipedia:.... Fort Hood, a United States military post located outside of Killeen, Texas was named after Confederate General John Bell Hood who was the commander of Hood”s Texas Brigade. It is located halfway between Austin and Waco, about 60 miles (97 km) from each. Its origin was the need for wide-open space to test and train with World War II tank destroyers. The War Department announced the location in January 1942, and the initial completion was set for that August. As originally constructed, Fort Hood had an area of 158,706 acres, with billeting for 6,007 officers and 82,610 enlisted personnel.


World War II, tank destroyers were developed to counter German mobile armored units. These were mobile anti-tank guns on armored halftracks or specially developed tanks. Wide-open space was needed for the tank destroyer testing and training, which Texas had in abundance. Andrew Davis (A.D.) Bruce was assigned to organize a new Tank Destroyer Tactical and Firing Center, and he chose Killeen, Texas for the new camp. About 300 families had to move from their homes to make room for the camp area. Whole communities were uprooted. To lessen the pain of moving, the Army agreed to allow land to be used for grazing for a nominal grazing fee. This grazing arrangement still continues today.

In January 1943, an additional 16,000 acres (65 km²) in Bell County and 34,943 acres (141 km²) in Coryell County near Gatesville, Texas were purchased. The site near Gatesville was known as the sub-camp and later as North Fort Hood. During the war years, North Fort Hood housed nearly 40,000 troops and 4,000 prisoners of war, and was the site for the southern branch of the United States Disciplinary Barracks.

At the end of 1942 there were about 45,000 troops living and training at Camp Hood which reached its peak population of almost 95,000 troops in late June 1943. In 1944 the number of tank destroyer battalions in training at Camp Hood declined rapidly replaced by field artillery battalions and the Infantry Replacement Training Center in March 1944. The total camp population on the last day of 1944 was 50,228.

The last year of World War II saw a major shift of emphasis in Camp Hood's mission and a drastic reduction in population. As the war came to an end, the training of troops slowed and equipment reclamation and demobilization planning became the priorities. A separation center was established in September 1945, and as the year ended, post strength had fallen to 1,807 prisoners and about 11,000 troops.

This is my Sepia Post for this week.  Click on the title to this to go to the host site and check what others are sharing this week.  

Friday, November 18, 2011

Sepia Saturday 101 809th Tank Destroyer (Click Here to Sepia Site)

Patch with 809th Emblem
I have been busy  reviewing Uncle Carl's WWII and reunion records to help  a nephew of a man who was in the 809th; the nephew contacted me by facebook.  Since I relate absolutely to the frustrations of folks who are researching family members I was eager to help the man, but so far  nothing in particular about his uncle has shown up.  Uncle Carl was active in  setting up annual reunions of the 809th until his later years when he could no longer travel and today very few of these WWII vets remain amongst us.  This has had my wheels spinning and when I saw the theme for the week, I knew I had something in orange and  a reference to Oldsmobile (no longer exists)  of General Motors. 

 I have written before about Uncle Carl who passed at 93 in May.  As a reminder, here is Carl,  January 1944, a young soldier training on desert techniques in California prior to departure for Europe.  They were uncertain where they would be sent so the tank destroyers were prepared for all terrains and climates.  

Once I asked him how he ended up in the tank destroyers unit and he would not tell me much, but said he was training men to shoot.  He was a sniper and a great shot, a skill developed from boyhood hunting with his father.  His skills landed him in the headquarters unit.  He never talked to me too much about his war years.  There is a story that when he returned he had something from the 809th with the emblem and when I saw it, I started to cry and  fuss, the image upset me, well it does look vicious, but it was a bad time on earth.  My grandmother would have none of that upsetting me so that emblem was removed from my sight and to be truthful I never remember seeing it, but I remember the story.  Later when I was a teenager, Uncle Carl told me he had a necklace set aside for me someday.  I forgot all about it but  found it stashed with his WWII memorabilia after he passed, a small gold medallion  with that 809th logo, marked, "for Patty when she gets older."  But, this is about the tank destroyers.  I shuffled through the suitcase of documents and photos and memorabilia I have yet to sort, looking for the information. 

Wikipedia says that ..  "The 809th Tank Destroyer Battalion was a  battalion of the United States Army active during the Second World War. The battalion was activated on 18 March 1942, and remained in the United States until November 1944, when it was moved to the United Kingdom. It arrived in France on 20 January 1945, equipped with M18 Hellcat tank destroyers. It was attached to the 8th Armored Division on 9 February, and fought in the crossing of the Roer. On 20 March, it was attached to the 79th Infantry Division, crossing the Rhine on the 27th, and was then attached to the 95th Infantry Division for the fighting around the Ruhr Pocket in April before being returned to the 8th Armoured on 13 April. During this month, it converted to M36 Jackson tank destroyers. In late April it saw action in the Harz Mountains, finishing the war in central Germany."  This coincides with many photos from Carl and with  a card he once sent his mother from  the "Thundering Herd" which was the 8th Armored Division. 

Below is a poster that measures 9 inches by 14 inches about the tank destroyers.  It is not readable in the photo so I scanned the  poster in two parts to share here. 


The top part of this poster is:


The bottom of the poster, notice the reference to Oldsmobile, General Motors:


Again  courtesy of Wikipedia..."Oldsmobile was a brand of American automobile produced for most of its existence by General Motors. It was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In its 107-year history, it produced 35.2 million cars, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory. When it was phased out in 2004, Oldsmobile was the oldest surviving American automobile marque, and one of the oldest in the world, after Daimler and Peugeot. The closing of the Oldsmobile division presaged a larger consolidation of GM brands and discontinuation of models during the company's 2009 bankruptcy reorganization."

1934 Oldsmobile from  GM Archives

It was interesting to be reminded how industry catered to the war effort as did  the entire country.  But this post is about the tank destroyer battalion.  I have a large narrow , 11 inch by 24 inch framed photo from 1942 of the men in the 809th headquarters battalion but I cannot figure how to get it posted other than photographing it in parts.  Perhaps the man's uncle is in this photo.  The glass is cracked and so this is something I will be having reframed at sometime to hang in the patriotic room.  Meantime, my Sepia blog pals may be able to provide some advice, guidance as to how I can  capture the photograph to share with the nephew searching  for his uncle's story. Evidently his uncle died in 1956 in an accident and was not in touch with the men of the 809th who had their first reunion in 1960 in Chicago; I was not able to find his name on any of the rosters in Carl's files. 
809th Headquarters Battalion, March 1944, Camp Robinson, Arkansas
 The 809th traveled all through Europe.  I remember Uncle Carl telling me that they were everywhere which is why he had no desire to ever return.  The last item identifies the places where my Uncle went with his battalion; I have his canteen onto which he meticulously and carefully engraved the name of each place beginning with his initial training.  

Stations of the 809th Headquarters Battalion
 More about this next week or so...... as usual visit the Sepia Saturday Host Site by clicking on the title to this post above.   See what others in the international community are sharing this week to coincide or not with Alan's suggested theme. 

Friday, September 23, 2011

Sepia Saturday 93 sleepers

I've been really attempting to get the extra room uncluttered from all the stacks of photos and memorabilia this week and what I happened on fits right in with the theme--I love it when a theme comes together!  Actually if I  spent more time rummaging photos I am sure I could have found even more Sleepers. And this has also distracted me from another task paper work on financials, but I am willingly ignoring that.  Not a pleasant task these days.  


First I begin  January 1, 1943, Springfield IL, my father, Lt. Lewis S Ball,  pilot, sound asleep on his US Army cot, sleeping bag  pulled snug, with Mom's photo on top;  one of the guys grabbed his camera and took this.  I still have that 8 x 10  photo of her today, it survived through the years and is a beautiful Sepia itself.  I also have the gold and amethyst necklace that she is wearing in the photo, a gift from him to her, her birthstone and just as beautiful today as it was then, so many years later.  This photo is   in his scrapbook but I scanned it for this post. This is my oldest sleeper photo.


Next forward to 1969 and my uncle John Irwin, asleep on the couch, in exile from the bedroom,  in Pennsylvania.  I don't know the particulars but my aunt Virginia likely snapped this Polaroid of her  wayward husband to preserve the memory. On the back side she wrote, "John  being punished." He doesn't appear to be bothered by much here.  Perhaps he'd imbibed a few too many,  perhaps there were too many words exchanged, never the less it does not appear to be interrupting his sleep. 


Now to the right is a 1980 pose captured by my Uncle Carl of "Joe" one of his friends on one of their many hunting trips, where the men gathered in a cabin at the end of the day.  I don't know  who this fellow is, but Uncle Carl was quite the photographer of their events and so he is in the cyber world for all to see.  I was sorting photos this week and found this and when Alan put the Sleepers as the theme for the week, I knew I was in business.   Was this the end of a long day in the woods?  Too much to eat at the evening meal?  You can speculate with me.  

1984, to the left here are my in laws about whom I have recently blogged--that is Lyman to the left and Florence to the right.  They have made themselves  at home and comfortable in our living room in Newcastle, CA.  As I have mentioned before,  our home was their vacation site.  I suppose it was a compliment that they felt so "at home there" but I often wondered why they did not stay with their daughter, Barbara who lived 30 minutes away.  As I recall this particular day, I arrived  home from work  and there they were, awaiting when I would prepare the meal for everyone.  The newspaper on the table has a headline, something about "retirement." 

Well the photo to the right is 1986, Jerry's cousin, Milo (actually  his cousin's husband) who was catching up on some rest after a rough day at the work for the city on its maintenance  crew.  We were back in  La Crescent on  a trip we took across the country from  California to Minnesota, to Pennsylvania and then swinging back westward through the south.  So we stopped at Milo and Jeanette's.  We had come in from visiting, camera in hand and got this pose. These days, Milo does sleep a lot in his recliner, he has aged and tends to nap away the afternoons.  It is not the same as Jeanette passed away years ago, and although he has a live in companion, he misses her as do we.


1989 another one to the left,  from Uncle Carl's photos.  This man is Fred Hemming and he was in the Army, 809th Tank Destroyers in WWII with Uncle Carl.  Each year the men and families gathered to reminisce and usually to tour some site.  This time they were in Altoona, PA, I believe which meant that Uncle Carl and Aunt Marge had likely made arrangements for the group.  As we have seen, no one was safe when Carl, the photographer was around.  



For my finale I could not resist this one, also from Uncle Carl's collection.  This is Punkin, his last pet and beloved "pal."  After Aunt Marge passed in 1997 Punkin and Carl went everywhere together.  He  had many photos of Punkin.  I have to say, I have shared an array of sleepers and to end this post, let sleeping dogs lie.  (Groan.....)
1988 Punkin
As usual, click on the title to get to the Sepia host site and see what others are sharing this week.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Ambulance 1942 Sepia Saturday Week 83 (Click here to visit Sepia host site)

We are again in Pennsylvania attending to business for Uncle's estate and visiting friends while this  busyness continues.  I did download a few photos to share on the road.  This week's  theme of "What's Going On?" could have worked for me the past two weeks with some of the men.  But this week I share a postcard sent to my Uncle Carl by his friend, Ed Saliba, who was on the home front, when Carl was in the Army in WWII. 


In addition to this handsome vehicle, what strikes me is that back then, fundraisers were held to purchase equipment, and although folks had little money they contributed.  I do recall community fund raisers as late as the 1970's in California, but today the attitude is to get money from the government, from a well which is now nearly dry.  I wonder if we have lost our ability to pay for what our communities need by fundraisers, bake sales, good old fashioned contributions and the like.  It has not happened as recently as last month in our town, where a new community swimming pool was overwhelmingly foisted onto the backs of property owners in the town.  People looked at me as if I had lost my mind when I mentioned that perhaps we could hold some fund raisers first to generate a baseline for the swimming pool before going to the taxpayers. 

But I will climb down from my soapbox for now and post the back of this card.  Ed Saliba would become the fire chief for many years, for the same New Kensington Fire Department #1 where Uncle Carl was a lifelong member, today Ed's son is the  fire chief.    Here is the back of that postcard.  I understand that Uncle Carl sent a dollar of his Army pay toward the ambulance.  That sounds insignificant today but if he made only $12 or $15 per month, that was a mighty sum. 


This third photo shows the 100 year old fire bell on the front of the 1981 annual banquet program,  celebrating that event.  Uncle Carl saved each of  these annual banquet programs some of  which I displayed in a memorial book at his funeral and all of which I have donated back to the local Fire Department.  I have written previously  that the fire department meant a lot to him all his life. 
This is my contribution for the week.   As usual, if you click on the title to this post, you can visit the international Sepia Saturday site and enjoy the multitude of photos and stories shared. 

Friday, July 8, 2011

Bear Hunting 1948-49 Sepia Saturday Week 82 (Click here to the hostsite)

Off theme again, but with more photos from Uncle Carl of about 1948-49, a bear hunt in Kane PA.  I know that Kane is south of Erie, PA but learned more: Nestled at the edge of the Allegheny National Forest, Kane has a rich history. It was named for the Civil War leader of Pennsylvania's Bucktail Regiment,Thomas L. Kane, who founded the town in the early 1860s. General Kane was wounded in battle and was taken as a prisoner of war as well. He also fought at the Battle of Gettysburg, and is revered by the Mormons for single-handedly helping avert an all-out war between the Mormons and the U.S. government in the late 1800s. A county in Utah is named for him, and a full-size statue of Kane occupies a central position in the rotunda of the Utah State Capital building in Salt Lake City. Although not a Mormon himself, General Kane was repulsed by the persecution of the Mormons and fought for their human rights. Kane also was a friend of several U.S. Presidents, including Grant, Buchanan, and Polk.  His brother, Elisha Kent Kane was, himself, a famous Arctic explorer and painter whose death celebration rivaled that of President Lincoln. A crater on the moon , a US naval ship, and an Arctic waterway are named for him. In 1921.  Dr. Evan O'Neill Kane made medical surgical history by removing his own appendix.  Certainly the area  was founded by stalwarts. 

Mook and the Bear Hunter

I also read that Kane boasts being the black cherry capitol of the world and certainly the bear would like cherries too.   I recall being a young girlie, not even in school,  maybe 4-5 years old when Uncle Carl said something about going bear hunting up north.  I became upset because I knew the story well of Goldilocks and the 3 Bears.  However,  he assured me that they would certainly not be after those bears. So when I found these photos with little information other than Bear Hunt 1949 and some names of more men unknown to me, I wonder if this is that very event.  The first photo shows a man, "Mook" leaning on the front of a car and  "Bear  Hunter" standing beside.  Jerry tells me the car is about 1947-48.  

Carl holding bear trap
Just this week national news reported that a man was killed by a Grizzly bear in Yellowstone Park.  There has been a lot of coverage about  what to do if one encounters a bear in the woods and  how to proceed whether in the presence of a grizzly or black bear.   I certainly would not be able to discern the type of bear if I ever would encounter one; I will stick to the more civilized areas to avoid any such encounter, although we have had bear here in La Crescent come down the river and from the  hills.  

The following is the picture I just had to post this week.  I don't know any of these men, but it is quite the gathering.  Evidently the man on the far left was unknown to my Uncle because he identified him as  the bear hunter, was he some professional?  These four men look very different from each other.  Minnie, to the far right looks bear sized to me and what an outfit he sports. 

Bear Hunter, Tick, Mook, Minnie at Kane, PA  Mts.
 I do not know whether or not they were successful in catching the bear.  There are no photos and Uncle Carl always had photos of the results of the hunt or the fishing expedition.  So I am thinking there were no bear that came near.

Tick holding bear trap

Hunter sets it up
And the last showing this trap set up on the end of the porch.  I wonder if this had anything in it or under the board below to lure or attract the bear, or if this was just a way to keep the bear away.  It certainly  is quite a contraption.  This last photo showing it secured to the end of the porch makes me wonder if the bear was big enough, could it have torn loose the post on the porch?  I don't know any bear hunters to question.
 This has been my Sepia Saturday post for the week. This has been on something that I know nothing about so it has been a challenge to write.   As always click on the title to get tot he Sepia host site where you can link to  what others share and see the magnificent photo of lights Alan found for the week.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Orange Blossom Special ??

We watched the Capitol 4th on PBS the night of July 4th; all the entertainment was top notch and this year seemed better than any we remembered with Josh Groban, Michael Morrison, Jordan Sparks, etc.  What was most surprising was Steve Martin playing a mean banjo  and his Blue Grass Band,  do they call themselves the Canyon Stampede?  Their fiddle player  did an excellent job with one of our all time favorites, Orange Blossom Special. 

And that reminded me of a photo taken by my Uncle Carl about 1989; I am guessing the date because while it was amongst others from 1989 he did not note it on the back where  he only wrote, "train up at the Marionville, Pa. Mts."  I think this photo is good enough to be a postcard or  enlarged and hung as artwork.   I don't know anything about Marionville, PA but will have to Google and check that out.  I wonder if it was a special steam train excursion such as we took a couple years ago  here in MN from Winona.  It does remind me of the old steam train that operated in the forests out of Ft. Bragg on the northern CA coast too.    

From the Folsom Prison song  by Johnny Cash "I hear the train a'comin, she's comin'round the bend....."

Uncle Carl's steam train
Well, this also gives me a break from indoor domestic chores which have taken my attention this afternoon, the downstairs study, TV room and all that floor is now vacuumed and dusted and  the ironing caught up.  We will head  out to PA on Sunday and the next couple days I will be busy getting my hair cut, lightened, pedicure and clothing out to the motor home for the trip.  But my grandma's spirit stays with me as I am compelled to have my house sparkling clean before we go.  We don't get that dirty here  but I do clean myself out the door much as she used to do on our way to church on Sunday mornings. 

Friday, June 24, 2011

Firemen's Workshop Sepia Saturday Week 80 (Click here to go to Sepia Site)

Newspaper photo from May 6, 1940
I have been scanning  articles and photos from Uncle's collection so that I can send the originals to PA to the volunteer Fire Department to which he belonged for so many years.  They are hosting a statewide convention this August and will enjoy using  the materials for their exhibits.  As Uncle Carl had some interesting tidbits from their history over the years, I offer the above as my Sepia for the week.  The date of the newspaper is on the back side.  This must have been a nice workshop and quite the  place for it's time in that town.  Carl, 2nd from the left, who always was interested in tools and equipment looks very much up to whatever he was working on.  The other men look as though they might have been called in to pose for the photo as it appears to me they are not in work clothes.   All these men are gone. 

Many years later, after  he returned from the war and became established in the work world Carl would  amass his own work shop in his home, the entire basement level and would have at least three or five of most tools. He was a tool collector.   Everything would have a specific place and there it had to return. He had the original mancave where he enjoyed  spending time. 

Now that he is gone and we are left to dispose of the home it is a monumental task to clear it all out.  We will be returning to PA in July, hiring someone to  hold an estate sale and selling  off his lifetime accumulation of tools.  Jerry has  gleaned lots of treasures and  we have enticed another nephew to take some things, but there is too much left. At least he did not acquire massive equipment like this backhoe; he was always fond of those contraptions too.  This photo is from about 1970, at his work with the natural gas company.
About 1970  Carl and the backhoe
This last photo shows him in about 1989, we think when he was honored for 50 years with the Fire Department; he was president of the board for several terms and also very fond of that department.  Here he is, cleaned up and checking the guages on the truck, likely just stopped over the firehouse to see how the guys on duty were doing and to be sure all was as it should be.   

This has been my Sepia post for the week and as  always, click on the title to this post to go to the Sepia Host Site  to see what Alan posted this week and  to connect with other interesting  contributors.   We are on week 80, aging well, I think.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Sepia Saturday Week 79 Water and Uncle Carl (Click here to the Sepia Site)

Ah it is this time of the week again and Alan afloat on the Atlantic suggests water....water water...I have been so busy this week on estate work  for Uncle Carl who if you know me and or follow my blog left us to go HOME in May at  93.  It has also been a hectic unpleasant week too in coping and dealing with things for  94 year old MIL here; Jerry says so often, "Wish that mother could be half as pleasant  or content or appreciative as Uncle Carl  was."  Carl and he became great friends often making us wonder how it could have been if we lived closer.  He loved Jerry and the feeling was so mutual.  Carl as you know had no children, but he was like a father to me much as my Mom allowed her brother to be and Jerry idolized him.  They could talk man things up till the end.  

One fun thing I am doing is scanning Uncle's photos on all things related to the fire department so that I can send originals on to his local Fire Department which is hosting a statewide annual convention in August.  The Firemen turned out in droves for his funeral. He loved the fire department and they loved him.

While scanning I found many other wonderful photos and I share a few of water poses from about 1940, showing Uncle Carl somewhere at a pool on the dive chair or the lifeguard seat....and one last one of a friend of his pondering.  I love these old photos, the reflections in the waters and my handsome  young uncle before I even made it to this planet.   Here we go


Appx 1940 Uncle Carl
 
1940 Uncle Carl....

 I have no idea where these were taken but it is at a swimming pool of some sort; perhaps he was working as a lifeguard.  I love these old photos which were  only about  2 by 3 inches....that they survived so clearly all these years endears them...and check out the reflections in the waters....check out the dive chair, what  is he doing, showing off??

Unknown relative or friend  1940
This last photo may be a cousin, a relative or a friend of Uncle Carl's....same time appx. 1940, same scene.  Thinking of what?

Were they two young guys out for fun or were they on the watch?  Who took the photos and why did Carl save them all these years with no information?  Actually I take that back, these photos were in an album my grandmother and aunt (Carl's mother and sister) had.  Unanswered questions.  But this is my contribution to this week's water on Sepia. 

Wonderful old black and whites, wonderful reflections in the waters, wonderfully handsome young men. 

As usual click on the title to this post to go to the Sepia International Site and see the marvelous offerings by so many others.

Friday, May 20, 2011

The last of the Generation RIP Uncle Carl

Last night at about 11:40PM, my 93 year old  Uncle Carl stopped breathing and made his transition from this valley of tears and trials, onward.  Yesterday he was not eating, but was peaceful.  At about 12:30PM he told me, "Let me rest now.  Patty, you go home."  The day before he was rather confused in his hospital bed, but now I look back and know he was making his last steps of his journey, end of this life. He was even humming and singing a song which I did not fully  recognize, but I believe it was a Polish hymn, one I often heard my Grandpap hum.  How great is that that Uncle Carl had a song in his heart and on his lips his last days.  He was ready and so were we, yet when the call came, it set a lump in my heart.  The last of my family--this makes me the oldest generation.  While I am happy for Carl, I still have a tear flowing at the loss. 

Carl was seeing and talking to both his mother and father; some may find this odd, but my Grandma Rose, his mother,  was a strong presence in our family and she always appears when death is imminent.  I believe the birds he was seeing may have been angels fluttering to carry him.  Even in his confusion he was peaceful the last days. 

I am thankful that we were here for him in his last days.  Thankful that the psoriasis rash that had caused him such discomfort was gone yesterday.  Thankful that we have a family funeral home to handle and facilitate arrangements. Thankful for the Army soldiers who will do the military gun send off at burial.   Thankful for the local Firemen who will be his pall bearers; he was the last living member of the original charter men who formed New Kensington Volunteer fire Department #1.  He will be buried with his beloved fireman's jacket, cap and his Army tank battalion cap.   I have made most of his arrangements the past year as I knew it could be any time; I am thankful I was here for him.  He trusted me with his life and affairs and I believe I have done my best for him. 

We will likely have the funeral on Tuesday with a viewing on Monday.  Carl wanted a military gun send off and I know he is going to be watching from afar, as we lower his casket into the family plot, beneath the tree where he would go to sit and visit the others.  At Aunt Jinx' service he told me, "Patty, right here next to this tree is where you put me.  I can look over the hills at everything."  He was ready and prepared and so we say "Till the other side, Uncle Carl; you did it your way and life was good."

Likely I will not be posting for several days.  Lots to do.  Amen and in His Hands.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Things happen for a reason

Remember that as I try to, "things happen for a reason, usually we do not know at the occurrence but later see the wisdom."   Yesterday was one of those days I had to hold onto that.

Uncle on downhill slide and yet hospital discharge imminent; hospitals are in the acute care business and he does not need that.  The discharge planner mentioned nursing home placement but I refused.  He will return to his personal care home under hospice care; he may return to a more familiar setting and become more alert rather than as confused as he is in the hospital.  I pray he not be bed bound but if he is in his final decline that it come soon and that he is comfortable.

Meantime yesterday I contacted the woman who had done the estate sale at aunt's a couple years ago for me to see if in her professional opinion (25 years in the business of estate sales) it was worth hiring her  for uncle's home.  She barely stepped inside the basement where we were working and was astonished, "Are you kidding?  Do you  have enough to make it worthwhile?  I can see just from here that his collection of tools and sporting equipment will be a good sale."  She works on commission and so at the worst I will net nothing after expenses, but that is doubtful according to her.  I told her the neighbor had been offering to buy the home and telling me to just take what I wanted and leave the rest and he'd dump it.  She shook her head and said, "No don't listen to him.  He wants to sell this."  She said this sale could be a "picker's dream" and certainly would attract men and not to worry, the old sturdy furniture is exactly what sells easily around here."  She is booked until June so likely July we can proceed and that means a return trip to PA.  2011 is looking to resemble 2009 when aunt died and we spent so much time here before and after--there's the Alaskan trip we had thought of, now down the road, another year!  Such is life, we plan and God laughs. 

Later in the day I caught up with the neighbor and told him I was hiring a woman to do the estate sale, he winced.  Then we talked price; I told him I needed an appraiser and mentioned the $ range and what I would discount for avoiding realtor fees.  He countered with his offer, the first time I'd heard this, at less than half.  At his price I would be giving it to him and if I wanted to do that I would find a charity to benefit first by donation.  So back to Plan B, proceed with estate sale then realtor listing.  The housing market is very slow  in these parts, but we are not desperate to sell.  It would be nice, but we can wait. 

Strange how even so seeming "good hearted people" like Walt the neighbor can have an ulterior motive.  I did offer to pay him $$ for the mowing he  did voluntarily last summer; I have offered this before and he has always refused. He refused reimbursement  again yesterday; his last words were, "well you know my offer if you change your mind."  I'm not that crazy nor desperate!  I have contacted my nephew to pick up this job on his landscape mowing business and I will pay him as he hires workers.    That was my original intent anyway so nothing new.

Jerry said Walt likely wanted to buy the home  cheap and fix up/ fine tune then flip it.  That sounds right, but  not on my watch.  So it was a disappointing outcome, but if I  can keep the faith that things happen for a reason, it will all work out.

Meantime the nursing home at home in MN where Jerry's mother resides called us yesterday; she  slipped and hit her head in the bathroom.  reportedly she did not break anything but when we saw the call come in, we thought, "now what?"  Jerry talked to her last night and she was not concerned, said she had just slipped.  Who knows?   Life strangely twists and winds and pushes us beyond what we find comfortable.    And the rain continues  to keep the ground soggy here in Western PA.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Everyday a new world

Yesterday Uncle Carl was totally delusional, from his hospital bed he is "under contract" and filling boxes, then stacking them, and occasionally chasing birds from the air and asking  how did they fly in?  He thought Jerry was a priest and I one of the salesmen. His cranial memories are replaying.  I can see the end and pray it is not a long good bye.  In past hospital admissions, he has been very confused out of his routine at the assisted living home but I see rapid acceleration of decline, of the dementia from Thursday evening where he was alert in the ER to yesterday when he refused to tell the nurse his name. They have not even had him up yet out of bed so I wonder how they can discharge him, but there is that Medicare pervasiveness on reimbursements and hospitals are only to deliver acute not custodial care.

 At the least he is comfortable. It would be a good thing if the organs would fail when the mind goes, this feeble existence is not him and he certainly did not ever consider he'd end up this way; despite his living will, the body keeps on. A predicament and another reason for Dr. Kevorkian's relief, but who could/would make that decision.

 I went to the committee meeting for our 50th high school reunion last night.  They are making good progress and now have a tentative date, location, menus, caterer; watching the group, I observed that Peggy is really organized and knows how to ask questions.  I hope they do better at finding most of us for this celebration over life's trials and triumphs.  Lack of cyber/computer knowledge will be disadvantageous; maybe I can help some.  It is difficult for me to understand the backwardness of people not using what is available, email, Facebook, etc. especially for our generation, but it seems to be about a 50/50 around here.  I am reminded that people only know what they know and parochialism can prevail if one's world is not expanded.   I somberly notice that of the committee of seven of my classmates (I made 8) 4 of them have major physical illnesses including  breast cancer, kidney stones, one is facing surgery Tuesday for an aortic aneurysm that was just detected, one has recovered from prostrate cancer.  Only two of us have been blessed with relative good health and so when we return home and it is time for my annual physical, who am I to complain about any twinges?  Some of our class of "62 are no longer with us. This 50th has to be a celebratory gathering of survivors.

We need to scoot over to uncle's home today and await the meter reader.  He has a gas meter inside in the basement and periodically the gas utility company needs access to read and ensure all is ok; this was not a problem when he lived there but with the home vacant, it is inconvenient and I do not want to invest the $10,000 estimated to put this meter outside.  Lowell, the nephew who lives here has met them there in the past but since we are in town, I can do this today.  I also have contacted Sandy, the estate sale lady to  determine whether or not we should hold a sale; many tools and items remain in the home.  We neither want to nor can take anymore although Jerry keeps picking up tools and I add a bowl or glass piece now and then.  A lifetime of careful accumulation will go cheaply to buyers; this is confirmation to downsize much as you can while living. The cost to hire her though may not be worth while if we net next to nothing.  We will see.  Potentially the neighbor wants to buy his home and if we can settle on a reasonable price that will be a significant relief to me; my little red flag is waving though that he may want the place for a cheaper price than I am willing to sell. He has advised me to take what I want and just leave the rest, easier said when I know there are some significant tools and I look longingly at an old porch swing, heavy wood that my grandma used back in the 1930's.  We have no place for it but it does tear at me to leave it behind.  That and Uncle's magnificent old porch glider, sofa size, aluminum frame, like new after all these year.    Much as I would like to get rid of the home, the local housing market is not good.  For all the traffic and people around this area, there is little movement in homes for sale; but I put this into Higher Hands as all else.   

Rain continues to pour here in western PA, where the ground is soaked.  Who would have thought I would need boots?  

Monday, May 16, 2011

PA Bob whites and updates

Male bobwhite
I left for the hospital and all things Uncle at 7:30 this drizzly morning and barely started along the drive of the RV park when a bobwhite flew alongside my window and then dive bombed the car!  You have to have lived in western PA to appreciate these crazy birds which are  similar to CA quail, yet oh so different with a western PA attitude.  I saw why the feathery challenge as ahead a small covey of baby bobwhites no bigger than 4 inches tall and barely visible against the gravel and  dirt road, were scurrying across the gravel drive, in righteous indignation at my intrusion of their early jaunt.  Of course I stopped to let them go by laughing at their antics as they looked over their collective shoulders at me while the escort settled into the field ruffling her wet feathers and almost prodding the younguns, "c'mon kids." I wonder if these are where we get the term gooney bird as they are hysterically funny. 

  Wikipedia says: "The clear whistle "bob-WHITE" or "bob-bob-WHITE" call of these birds is most recognizable. The syllables are slow and widely spaced, rising in pitch a full octave from beginning to end. Other calls include lisps, peeps and more rapidly whistled warning calls.Like most game birds, the northern bobwhite is shy and elusive. When threatened, it will freeze, relying on camouflage to stay undetected, but will flush into low flight if closely disturbed. These birds are generally solitary or found in pairs early in the year, but family groups are common,  in the late summer and winter roosts may have two dozen or more birds in a single covey."  Well here at Mt Top RV, these birds are not shy but aggressive ala western Penny's. Wish I could have had a camera on the side flight.

I have not yet had time to snap more photos of the glorious dogwoods which I mentioned previously in bloom.  But I did snap this one leaving Mt. Top the other day as Jerry drove, you can see the white dogwood in bloom in the woods. 
View of the woods from car window; white dogwood in bloom
It was on to the hospital  where I jogged quickly inside once I parked, delayed by 20 some minutes while a construction truck delivering a load of beams to the ongoing construction at the hospital turned  in the street; sitting there I worried that my intent to catch  the doctor on morning rounds would be foiled.  As I caught an elevator inside, I heard someone running and shouting"please wait."  It was an employee caught in the same traffic backup and I recalled the working world where promptness was encouraged.  Once on the elevator, the woman  commented, "Do you always walk that fast?  I saw you in the parking lot and you really got here fast."   I guess I do walk fast especially when on a mission as this morning.

Well Uncle's long time family doctor was on rounds and immediately changed the diagnosis and treatment for uncle.   He says the skin rash is neither shingles (we knew that) nor is it a recurrence of the scabies for which he was hospitalized in March.  He said there was no decision by a dermatologist and that he believes a steroid treatment is in order and this is severe psoriasis, complicated by Uncle Carl's hard scratching.  I had to laugh as did Dr Ferlin when Carl declared from his bed, "when I itch I scratch!"  Uncle Carl was alert and mostly in our world this AM unlike yesterday afternoon when he was so lethargic caring neither to eat nor be awake.  They had done an MRI and may have given him a light sedative which reacted strongly on his weakened system.  This morning he was up to eating all his breakfast and then some.  Diagnosis is not good and as I have suspected he is in decline, but at 93 as the Doctor emphasized "everything is wearing out." 
I have determined he will have hospice care when he returns to the personal care facility.  However, I cannot discuss this with Dr. Ferlan as the other doctor's reminded me he is very old school and does not believe in hospice, but treating until the end.  I encountered this in 2009 when my aunt was terminal; it was not until her release from the nursing home that we arranged hospice.  Uncle Carl is wearing out and down but he has surprised us before. Classically his dementia is worse in the evenings.  Friday he pulled out his IV's and took off his hospital gown because he was "discharging" himself  but ended up on the floor, I made a dash to the hospital to talk sense.  That did not work as he thought I was his dead sister, Jinx.  His cognition vacillates as do his vitals.  This morning his blood pressure was elevated so Dr. Ferlan administered lopressor; Thursday evening in the ER his blood pressure dropped very low.  This is all related to the congestive heart failure which will take him on sooner or later.  But at 93 all we can do is ensure his comfort and care.  Friday evening I took his advanced directive to the hospital as they admitted to not giving him the DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) status.  All this information is in their files from his previous admissions in November and March, but lawsuit potential and federal law requires renewing the documentation each admission; I understand this as people do change their minds but Uncle Carl, as all of my family, is vehement about this having drawn up paperwork and updated it. I was astonished to learn yesterday that they still had not flagged him DNR.  I marched out to the nurses' station to remedy this once again and was informed that the doctor had to sign off to which I inquired, "well a doctor is in here daily and I provided this on Friday evening so what else must I do, see the doctor myself?"  The nurse assured me it would go on his top chart while I said that if an event occurred and they did not follow the directive they would not be enjoying my wrath.  So frustrating but I do have the advantage of knowledge and ability to work around and in medical systems and to take care of problems which could wear down a lesser informed individual.  .  

Left to right Carlie, Rich H, Me (standing), Dayna
We have had rain and more rain here, unusually heavy at times and more on the way the next days.  Last night several of us gathered for Chinese food and to catch up; one friend saying, "for food and fellowship" like they say at churches only we toast ourselves. Major news photo and event  the other day was a local drug bust and arrest including one of our classmates from Ken Hi '62; Rich Hemprich here was always the class clown, we are coaxing him into emceeing our 50th reunion next year; true to his reputation Rich mentioned, "I asked Ralph to join us but he's tied up."   He had emailed me the news article saying I likely wanted the photo of Ralph's 15 minutes of fame led out in handcuffs.  This scumbag  annoys all of us, kids who knew the best of times. None of us had any contact with him but as we  look toward our golden gathering next year it torques us; junkies, druggies and those who sell and deal are bottom feeders, and we are righteously insulted as he once was one of us.

Big news coverage here in the Pittsburgh area is our own Steeler's Hines Ward on Dancing with the Stars. Show time approaches and I will be watching and voting.  Each  edition of each newspaper has something to say about this, cheering on our own.  I am off line and ready for  feet up.  Hines has attracted watchers to the show from fans,  people who have never watched Dancing.  That's Steeler Nation.

Friday, April 29, 2011

Time Sepia Saturday 72 (Click here to get to the Sepia Site)

Uncle Carl's sketch  about 1950
Above is a postcard sketch done by my Uncle Carl in about 1950 after he completed  a commercial art certificate program through the University.  Uncle Carl about whom I've written  several times on this blog is 93 and living in a care facility in PA, the last of my tribe, Mom's brother.  Today he no longer sketches nor draws though each time I go there I take along a set of colored pencils, regular pencils,  pens and a tablet hoping to re-awaken his interest in drawing.  He always takes them and then either gives them away or hides them in his room, saying that his days  of drawing are over but I don't give up; there is a stubbornness gene in the family that I have in spades.   

After he returned home from WWII he enrolled in commercial art courses using  his GI educational benefits.   He was a natural  artist, a gene that runs through  the Ostrowski family, but he was unable to make a living at it.  Instead he went to work for the local gas company as a repairman, lineman, meter reader, all activities that allowed him to be outdoors, and supplemented his income by painting commercial signs.  Often he would take a photo of something and then sketch or paint it. 

Cleaning out his home, I found this card and was astounded at the precise detail;  I don't know the purpose of this sketch, if this is something he sold or did this just to amuse himself.  When I asked him about this watch sketch he said, "Oh I did lots of those.."  Often when  painting a commercial sign he would first sketch it in miniature.  What concentrationhe had to reproduce  perfect detail; today time has taken that skill along with many of his physical abilities.       

We will soon be making our journey to visit him and check on things; he and his wife had no children so after his sister died in 2009, the responsibility came to me. I had to be the one to get him into the facility with help from his  doctor; he calls it, "the Club" and is amenable and content there.  Time has marched on, to the beat of a strange rhythm.  No one expected Uncle Carl to outlive all his siblings; he has outlived heart bypass surgery in his 60's, high blood pressure  and genetic high cholesterol.  He takes no medications other than when he gets pneumonia or an infection that necessitates antibiotics.  Still it is sad to see someone who was once so robust weakened,  with dementia and unable to live in his own  home.  

This is a photo he intended to sketch someday, but time got away from him; it was on the wall in his basement workshop.  He had noted, "my favorite girls"  on the back; the girls are his wife Marge who passed in 1997 and me. His sisters used to ask him, "what about me" which would geta  big laugh from Carl in reply.  After Marge told me he was planning to sketch this  each time I visited over the years I had to ask if he had sketched us yet; he'd reply, "Sometime you just have to wait."  Somewhere I have a better copy of this on which he had some tiny black spots, maybe from an ink pen or paint brush.  
1986 Left to Right Aunt Marge, Uncle Carl, Me
One of our  visits  to PA.
Last week the director of the facility where Carl resides called me, setting my hair on edge, as I braced myself for bad news answering the phone. I know he can go at any time.   No bad news instead they had a photo to email to me.  A young boy had been in the previous day visiting and he and Carl really hit it off. There are some kids like this little boy  that Carl just likes right away.   The boy showed him his electronic phone  game and the photo below says it all.  Carl became enthralled with it; he was always interested in electronics and cameras.  The look on this child's face is priceless, can't you see him thinking, "Oh why did I show him this and when is he  gonna give it back!" The facility director said he was sending this onto home office with a caption, "Never too old to learn."   
Uncle Carl with the boy's electronic
As always to enjoy others' posts  in the Sepia activity, click on the title to this post to go to the host site. Alan's timely photo surprised me who just knew we would be doing Royal Wedding theme, and not so.  I am relieved at the choice.