This was the photo I had. Simple. Where we see Kirk in the lead, being followed by Todd and then Dick up a path in the mountains near Aspen. I thought it was a striking photo even though I didn’t understand why Kirk and Todd would be hiking in plastic coats. Surely they’d be too hot and uncomfortable to want to hike in them. Both boys are wearing jeans and Muller Elementary shirts, with plastic coats over them. Since the photo is centered on the individuals, you see Kirk’s smile and Todd’s concentration, with Dick’s presence in the background. There is emotion to this photo.
To me, it looks like this could almost be anywhere. From a field in Oklahoma to the Flint Hills that surround Manhattan. So when Cris told me this was taken outside of Aspen, Colorado, I could kind of see it.
But then Cris sent me this…
The differences are so striking. While Kirk, Todd and Dick are still the focal point, in this photo you see the expanse of the mountain and the feeling that there is a scale to the environment. You see the rugged beauty in the Aspen Wilderness. This photo shows the journey that they are walking. The expanse of the mountains and the height of the trees. It reminds me that our world is far bigger than we might first think. And when we set out on that trail that great things can happen when step beyond what we know and put on plastic coats 🙂
Outdoor photos are some of my favorites. You don’t have to try to arrange a big group in a small space, and nature is always a good backdrop. Here we have the Anderson family commemorating what appears to be a casual summer get-together.
The first person I notice is Howard. His shirt makes him the focal point of the photo for me, perhaps because of the print. With his mother-in-law, Hazel Katz, standing next to him, also in a printed shirt. Everyone else is in solid colored clothing, so now I’m going back and forth from right to left. First to Sherigay and Dick Anderson, to Nancy and her husband, Gary Conover. I love how Sherigay is looking at Dick. You can see the love she has for him captured in her expression. I love how Nancy is holding a dog, making sure it’s included in this photo.
Then I look at the children with the oldest flanking the youngest. From left to right we have Kirk Anderson (holding a dog) Cary Conover, Chad Conover, Cris Anderson and Todd Anderson. And I know instantly that this photo is from the 1970’s.
Summertime in the 1970s was different for me than any other time. Long days that seemed to stretch forever and lasted until we would collapse once the sun went down, falling to sleep almost before our heads hit the pillow. Summer time meant being outside, either cooking meals because we didn’t want to heat up our houses or doing chores, and eating popsicles that seemed to melt faster than we could eat them. Life seemed to happen slower in the summer, the laughter was louder, and we wanted to capture and savor every moment. It’s proof that the best memories are never staged, just lived out.
I just love old photos with cars in them. Maybe it’s because our cars are more plastic and computer than they are car, but I find myself missing all the things that these cars had. The seats in these cars were so much more comfortable then the seats in cars today. And while many didn’t have front wheel drive or the best mirrors what they did have got us to our destinations.
While I wish there was a date on the photo, I’ve got nothing but the car, the house in the background and the photo itself to determine a possible year. The columns on the house are not like the ones on the Clifton house so I think this is the house Dick, Sherigay and the boys lived in on Estelle. The photos tone, and paper border were common in prints from the mid to late 1960’s.
And so we come to the car. I asked my trusty co-pilot friend to assess the phote and give me an estimate on the car. It said that the car was a Ford. It’s not it’s a Dodge. But it estimated that the year was 1965. Cris told me he thought that his dad always had Dodge wagons so I looked for 1965 Dodge wagons and found the Dodge Coronet. Window, body shape and quarter panel shape all were similar. So I think that this photo was taken somewhere around 1967. There also appears to be a child next to Kirk in the back seat and while I’d like to assume it is Cris, Todd does not look the same in photos with Cris. So we are going with the Summer of 1967 or 1968 for this photo.
Todd and Kirk are definitely ready to go on an adventure. Todd’s got a flashlight in hand and is ready to show you to and from the car with ease. Waiting for you is our ever-energetic Kirk, who can’t wait to talk to you throughout the trip. While I have never traveled with any Anderson except Cris and my kids, I’m sure Todd & Kirk made trips fun! Here’s hoping all our summer trips can be as fun as this photo.
Christmas can be the absolute best time or the most stressful. Before I had children, I did not appreciate how carefree my Christmases were. And then, after the children came, the time to get presents bought and wrapped seemed to compete with just our everyday schedules. Time was a commodity that some days was scarce. Now, with a house free of children, we are back to a more carefree Christmas attitude. We can place ornaments on the tree wherever we want. If we don’t want the Holiday music on, we don’t play it, and if I want to watch every version of A Christmas Carol, I do! Here we have the Anderson – Conover – Katz family, who are experiencing each of these Christmas feelings.
Lets start with Hazel. She sits by the tree and holds Yo Yo June’s toy poodle. According to Cris Yoyo was Hazel’s favorite. Sitting in front of Hazel is Todd, patiently waiting to open presents. Aunt Nancy Conover and oldest son Chad are behind Todd. Chad looks to be as much of a handful as the dogs. Gary is standing behind Nancy, but none of the Anderson boys can remember the name of the dog that Gary is holding. So if someone knows it, I’d be happy to include them.
Next to Nancy and Gary is Howard and June. June is holding Jigger, their other dog. Howard told Cris that he was named after the small device you could use to hold the gas pump lever down to keep gas flowing into the gas tank. This was called a jigger, and Jigger the puppy could fit in his pocket just like the gas device. Sitting next to June is Kirk, who looks ready to open presents, although maybe not as patiently as Todd. Sitting on his mom’s lap is Cris – I figure he’s about two and a half in this photo. And Sherigay looks like she’s ready for Christmas to begin. King the German Shepard is sitting next to Dick. All the dogs look ready to get out of the way of the opening of presents.
As I went through this photo and looked at each face, I thought about all the good times at June and Howards house on Christmas Eve. I’ve heard it said if I knew that this would be the last time we’d be together, I’d have stayed longer and appreciated it more. May those who are no longer with us have a Heavenly Merry Christmas, and may we have a holiday season filled with cherished old memories and wonderful new ones.
Time spent outside in the winter is different then anything else. You are under a time constraint though you might not be aware of it. For there’s only so much time in which you can experience being outdoors. The first year I moved to Kansas I was so sick. I was not use to one day it being in the 60’s and the next day it would be 15 degrees with a wind chill of negative 5. I’m from the north. When it got cold it stayed cold and then the fun would begin. Making igloos with my friends and brothers, skating, sledding and staying outside until it felt like our hands and feet were going to fall off.
Here we have the newly joined Anderson and Belden families, enjoying a great winter day in Wichita. Dick only had eyes for Fran and the poor snowman doesn’t have any eyes. But, it looks like a fun family time that I’m glad I get to share with you all.
Winter Wonderland
There are strange and mysterious sounds
When the winds of winter blow,
The long nights are crystal clear and cold,
And the fields and meadows are covered with snow.
The stars are frosty against the sky,
And the wind's whistle is shrill,
As the snow blows against the house
And drifts against the hill.
Yet, I like to see during the winter
A white carpet on the ground,
To plod aimlessly in the deep snow,
where deer tracks abound.
I like to feel the stillness
Of a crisp winter's night,
Watching a full moon rise over the horizon,
Exposing a winter wonderland beautiful and bright.
- Joseph T Renalid
Summer is the best time. School’s over, the days are warm and long and there was always lots to do. At the end of a hot summer day it’s great to cool off with a nice bowl of ice cream. Here we have Kirk, Cris and Todd who I are ignoring that perfectly good couch behind them. But perhaps they are not allowed to sit on the couch when eating. Could they be at Mimi and Grampys apartment?
While not as exciting as some of the other photographs I’ve shared over the years, I feel that this photo shows some of the best things about summer time spent with the family and something good to eat. Hope you all are enjoying summer 2021 so far!
Dick Anderson, rank advancement with wife Sherigay and sons Todd and Kirk looking on
To me there’s two times of the year when I look for military photos to showcase for you; Memorial Day and Veterans Day. This photo gives me all the feels for a great military photo. Proud solider, with his family looking on as he is advanced in rank. But then I got to thinking, what do you have to do to get promoted in the United States Army? How does the Army decided who gets promoted and who doesn’t?
The Army takes the number of slots for each rank that it can have and then allocates them to the different Military Occupational Specialities or MOS. Last year it was reported that there were 1.3 million Active Duty personnel. That’s just active duty. It doesn’t even include those in the Reserve Units. 231 of them are Generals. Lets say one of them retires, there is now a vacancy and advancement can occur. That’s one of the things that has to happen in order to advance, there has to be a vacancy.
They don’t just look and see which Lieutenant Colonel is worthy and deserving of advancement. No. If you want to advance, the first thing you do is go before the promotion board. There you are judged on your personal appearance, your conversation skills, knowledge of world affairs, awareness of military programs, knowledge of basic soldiering (Soldier’s Manual) and the soldier’s attitude. There is an assessment of their performance and potential. If you score enough points and pass, your name is then placed on the “Recommended List”. Then as vacancies occur, the Army will consult this list to promote.
Dick was a Major when he retired. That meant when he entered the Army he was lucky to enter as an officer with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. As a 2nd Lieutenant you lead two or more platoon sized units of 16-44 soldier’s. Within two years most will advance to the rank of 1st Lieutenant and lead more specialized units. Captain is the next rank. As a Captain, Dick would have controlled Company sized units of 62-190 soldier’s. His final rank was Major and it held the most responsibility. He served as primary staff officer for Brigade and task command. It was his duty to manage personnel, logistics and operational missions. And this was all as a Reserve Officer.
This weekend you can search for military records for free at Fold3. This is a genealogy site, dedicated to military records. When I have searched on past Memorial Day weekends, I tend to get overwhelmed at all the names of the soldier’s who gave the last full measure of devotion. I am sure Dick probably found himself at some time in his career faced with the knowledge of the sacrifice he was being asked to make. Luckily, his sacrifice was to be made one week-end each month and I hope he felt blessed that he was not asked to sacrifice by being placed in a combat situation. For those left behind, the knowledge that your loved one is safe is enough to make that sacrifice ok. But at times I’m sure his sacrifice was felt as he was absent for milestones and events that he missed. So during times when all his hard work and sacrifices were acknowledged, it was a proud family that pinned his new rank on and told him how proud they were of him.
Thank you Dick, Todd, Cris, Coy and any other veterans in our family for making that sacrifice for us all. Happy Memorial Day.
