Forty-six years later

In September of 1967, my mother died, and we held a memorial service for her at the church in Anamosa, IA where my father had been the minister from 1946-1952, and there was a committal service in the Anamosa cemetery following. Anamosa was the community mother loved more than any other where we lived. It is where I went through high school.

We (Shirley, John, Betsey and myself) were at that time living in Penn Yan, NY - we had just moved there the month previously. I had just started teaching at Keuka College. For the memorial service we flew from Rochester, NY to Chicago, IL Stewart, Maggie, Susie, Peter, Daniel and Becky met us at O'Hare and we all stuffed into one station wagon and drove to Anamosa! That was in the era when four-five kids could "sit in the back," i.e.,  in the luggage area of a station wagon without seat belts. It was a blast. A memorable trip.

When we came back to Elgin, IL we took a picture of the six cousins sitting on the back steps of the house in Elgin (which has always been known as "Whitewood")

Here is that photo-- is has become almost iconic in the family. Peter and Susie are on the top step, with little Becky on Susie's lap, then Betsey, and on the bottom, John and Daniel.

Peter, Susie, Becky, Betsey, John, Daniel

On Monday, after Stewart's memorial service, the cousins realized that they had a rare opportunity to reenact that photo. Everyone was there. So they went to Whitewood and assembled themselves on the steps,  more or less as before. Here is that photo - 46 years after the one above:

Peter, Susie, Becky, Betsey, John, Daniel

Pretty amazing!