My Great Uncle Glen

The above picture was taken back on July 17th, 1950. On the bottom row is my Mom & Dad on their wedding day. And directly above them is my great Uncle Glen and his wife, my great Aunt Faye. I have this picture hanging in my family room. I got a call yesterday morning from my Aunt Faye. I knew Glen hadn't been doing to well. After all he was 97. When the number first came up on my cell phone I didn't answer it. Then, thankfully, my Aunt called me back and she told me that my Uncle had passed away the night before. I knew he had been sick for awhile. He was 97 years old. My Mom's family all have deep, deep, Texas roots. My Mom's mom, Glen's sister, was one of the oldest out of, I think, 8 or 9 kids.

Above is my Mom on the left, with her Mom, "Madge" on the right. They lived in Lubbock for awhile and then settled in Temple, Texas. My Mom's Dad, Hobson, had sadly taken his own life when my Mom was only 16, and then her own Mom died of cancer two years later. So, my Uncle Glen was more like a Dad to her than an Uncle. 

That's my Uncle above. All decked out in his WWII uniform. His family consisted mostly of like seven boys and only two girls, one being my Grandmother. 

That's my Uncle in the center, and my Mom on the left. I'm not sure who is on the right. Like most of my Mom's family, they all moved out to CA after WWII. They all settled in or around the Long Beach area. I remember my Dad telling me wild stories of their party days down at the old Long Beach Pike! I have a feeling those two were party animals back in their day. My uncle was barber, as was one of his brothers, Elmore. They began in Long Beach, downtown, but Glen moved to a permanent location over in Bixby Knolls area of North Long Beach. He cut hair for 50 years! One of the longest lasting in barber shops in Long Beach. 

Glen and my aunt, Faye, lived over in Rossmoor. I had lived there for a short five years, right before my ex husband and I divorced. My aunt and uncle just lived a block over. I would often see Glen flying down the street, too fast by the way, in his old, fully restored '67 Chevelle. As he neared the big dip, it never slowed him down, he just flew over it! I always felt bad that I never got over to there house often enough. 

My aunt called me the other day. I knew Glen hadn't been in the best of health. Faye told me, in the Texas accent she never lost,  that he had passed away the night before at 97 years old. I couldn't even imagine being married as long as they were. I think of all the things Glen saw in his life and what a full life he had lived. My aunt seemed to be okay with his passing. He had been sick for some time. And the last thing she said to me before she hung up was that she loved me and for me to be sure to come by and see her. I promised her I would, and I will do just that! I admire people like my Uncle Glen. Living and loving life to its fullest. What a great guy!! He will be missed.