8.10.2009

Monday Morning Memories

As I've said many times, I try hard to find free time to scan in old pictures of my mom and dad's families, their past, their history. My dads picturs are so much easier, he had so many and wrote on most of the backs of the. But because my mom had a more difficult childhood, it's hard to piece it all together. My mom, Johnnye Merle Durham, was born and raised in Texas, and even though she moved to California in the 1950's, she was always so proud to be a "Texan". That's my Grandpa Hobson on the horse above. And below are some other photos I've been able to find. My Grandpa drove an oil truck to make a living back in the day.Here is my Grandpa Hobson and my Grandma Madge Dulane(I have her middle name) on their wedding day, they look so young. Here's my mom in Texas, I love the cowboy hat right beside her.This is one of my favorite pictures of my mom. She is in the cart having my Grandpa Hobson pull her. Until a couple of years ago, I never knew where myself and my kids got our blonde hair. When I saw this picture, I knew immediately. My Grandpa killed himself when my mom was 15, and then she lost my Grandma only a few years later to cancer. I never had the chance to know my grandparents only stories my mom would share here and there, but not very often. I don't think she ever got over her childhood. But once I found the pictures and began looking through them, I started to see the bigger picture, and understand how proud she was of her mom and dad. I will always remember the one story she did tell me repeatedly. It was about the Depression, and even though her family didn't have much, they "always" gave food to the people, often black people, that would come to their back door hungry. And that was one of the best lessons I've ever learned, no matter what your own situation is, you "always" give and pay it forward when you can regardless of race, politics or anything else. We were put on this earth to help each other. I really wish my mom would have shared more stories, as I know there were so many inside of her just waiting to be told. So, I'm doing my best to tell them for her!!

3 comments:

  1. Your Mom was so young to lose her parents. I assume that after their deaths she went to California? The wanting to know the past of your family can be so obsessive. Don't you wish you could turn it on your TV and watch it as a movie?

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  2. i like this post. very touching. great photos too! i love looking at old photos.

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  3. Love that photo of your grandfather on the horse.

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Your words are always appreciated, thanks!