Since mom and dad were both youngest, by a long shot their brothers and sisters were all quite abit older and as a result most of the cousins were too.
Dads oldest brother Murhl had at least one son that was older than I was but I don’t know anything about him or any other kids because he quit interfacing with the family about the time I was born.
His next brother Ray and wife Peg did not have any children But they did seem to do some traveling. They made a road trip in 1936 to Florida with Grandma and Grandpa Smith and some other people.Here Grandma Grampa and Peg on Daytona Beach on Christmas Day 1936 in what must have been appropriate beach wear for the mid 30’s.
Ray and Peg on the beach about a month later.
Ray and Grandpa.
A couple of Ray and Peg Sept. 1928 Note that dad would have been 4 years old at this point highlighting the age difference.
Here in August 1930
Ray March 1935
Christmas 1940
Finally August 1949
Most of this batch of pictures came from a book that had belonged to Peg and Ray. As I go through some of Mom and Dads stuff I’m sure I’ll find mor. As such I have very limited pictures or items from other Aunts, uncles, or cousins without getting new sources from Lori or going through my stuff.
Dads 2 sisters Martha and Gene are in this picture from the 1949 Thanksgiving where I made my grand entrance.
Martha, Grandpa Smith, Mom, Grandma Smith, and Gene.
Gene married Lee McDaniel and had three children. Tom, Cindy and David.
Tom and Cindy from June 1953. David would be born about 6 years later.
Tom was 4 years older than I was and I was a year older than Cindy . Tom did teach me the basic rules of chess somewhere along the line and was at Purdue working on his Chemistry masters when I was a freshman.
Martha had 2 marriages and 4 kids. With her second husband Fred Miller they had 2 girls Judy and Patty. They were both much older than I was so I didn’t know them. The youngest Judy was maybe 4 to 6 years older than I was so I would see her occasionally. She ended up marrying the assistance football coach I played under as a senior and they moved to Indianapolis about the time I graduated High School.
From the same day in 1953
Looking back on it the cousin that I actually spent the most time around was the oldest of Marthas 4 children. From her first marriage she had 2 son, Bill and Bob Fennig. Bill was born in 1930 so my dad was 6 years older and his uncle. That’s how things rolled in big families in the old days. That also ment he was about 20 years older than I was. He worked at the quarry and that’s one reason I spent more time around him the other being that for many hears Dad and Fred Miller, Bill and Bob would have breakfast together. On days I had ball practice or if I was going to work with dad I’d be eating my pancakes right there with them. In the summers while in college I would work at the quarry and he would direct my valuable activities.
Martha and Bob
Bill married Georgianna Russell in 1952 and most of my life I’ve felt that their wedding was one of my earliest memories, that being that I needed to be quiet or an usher was come get me. I doubt that it was this wedding, maybe Bob. I don’;t know and anyway in my memory I didn’t know what an usher was but it couldn’t be good.
A couple from 1951
A couple from 1951.
Martha Georgianna and Anne from the 1953 gathering. The second child Dale would be born about 6 years later.
All of these came from a book that Ray and Peg kept that dad ended up with when they died. Ther may be more in other books of mom and dad that Lori still has and I’ll get to them some day. The last picture ies the one that has the most in one picture from 1952.
Lee McDaniel, Dad, me, Tom McDaniel, Mom, Fred Miller in the back Judy, Pat and Martha Miller.
When I get to mom’s side the basic story is the same. Cousins much older and add to that none of them lived in Portland so Maybe once a year visits. Once I can get back to Portland and get more sources I’ll continue.