Capturing The Family Tree

Papa John died. Not really a tragic story here, he was pushing 94 when he left us. He was a beloved father, husband, grandfather, great grandfather and great-great grandfather. He was a World War II veteran. Another of the Greatest Generation! Leon crowed at the funeral that he was Papa John’s favorite son-in-law. ’Course, as you might readily surmise, it only takes one finger to count all the daughters Papa John and Mama Pauline produced.

I had known Papa John since I was fourteen years old. My last memory of him was at Thanksgiving a year or so back. We were all gathered at Leon and Paula’s for the great meal and the equally great family time. I don’t remember who suggested the picture but we dutifully lined up in front of the house. Our Mother was a little too weak to make it out to the rocking chair. Papa John sat down in the “patriarch” seat and we all moved in close for the family photo.

They had that picture up on the screen at his visitation. I didn’t really study on it too hard. It was a reminder of “not seeing” Mom sitting in her proper place. It did, however, immediately take me back to another place, another time……way back when standing still for a “stupid” picture was akin to being tied to a hitching post. 

Mom was pushing my hair over to one side. David Mark was being held between her legs because he was next up for inspection. She had Leon firmly by the hand because he’d be racing toward Sugar Creek before they got the Polaroid set up if he got half a chance. Pa and Gran sat in the rockers. Uncle Hugh and his large family got on one side. Aunt Beatrice was telling Uncle Womack exactly where to stand. Clifford was quietly moving his crew into position. I kneeled down between Teresa and Joseph in the front row where the youngest always sat. We yelled “cheeseeeee” and it was all over. No wait, Aunt Delia thought someone moved! We eased back into place and “took one more”. I think they might have wanted another one but Leon and Ruby Nell had thrown their “good shirts” on the fence post and were half way to the creek.

Family picture taking has always been fairly complicated and time consuming, especially when you got more than a baker’s dozen in the mix. At home we’d line up next to the car. I reckon we didn’t have an ocean; or a mountain for a backdrop. Uncle Ben or Aunt Beatrice would come over and usually the day they were leaving we’d all “take our positions” beside that old green ’51 Chevrolet. Kids down front; teenagers in the middle; adults to the rear…..if we didn’t have anyone over sixty, we didn’t need the rocking chair. I hated being in row one. If I was wearing shorts, you could see my knees! If I had my good pants on, the grass stains would never come out. Leon or Cousin J. C. would mess up my hair right before Aunt Adell started the count down. I longed to be big enough to look over somebody!

It took near ’bout forever to “get off the ground”. I remember my first standing group shot. Uncle F. D. came to visit from Oregon. He had to come in a station wagon because he had more kids than Carter had little liver pills. There was a bunch of’em still in diapers. “Put the little ones down front!” I tried to say it like I was wielding a lot more authority than I actually had. I backed up to the front door, beside the homemade air conditioner F. D. had added to the car for comfort and his sanity, and smiled my best “stuck on” smile over Tami and Dickie’s little heads.

When I was dating Charlotte Melton I got right in the middle of their picture just like I belonged to the family. I tried to put my arm around her so it would be a truly memorable experience preserved for posterity….but her John Wayne look-alike father glanced our way and I lost all nerve.

I’ve waited patiently while an aunt labored to get “all the girls on one side” or directed “this year we’re doing it by height”. I’ve sighed and counted to ten while waiting for a teenage cousin to “get her hair just right”. I’ve “remained frozen” while we’ve changed picture takers so Aunt Thelma could be in one of the photos. I’ve broken up fights between Leon and Ruby Nell so we could get the dang thing over with!

I graduated to the coveted back row when my boys were small. I didn’t realize you had to kinda ease up on your tip toes to be seen. And you had to look between some pretty interesting hair-dos. You appreciated the whole group a little more when you could look over everyone as the picture was snapped. And by that time I was also concerned about getting the person in the rocking chair front and center. This could be their last photo and I wanted it to honor them!

And oh, how great those old pictures are today! Listen, the ones I spurned in 1961 I now study with the precision of a World War II Bombardier approaching the drop sight. I laugh at the funny face David was making. Leon holding up the peace sign by whoever was fool enough to stand beside him is priceless. It’s fun to see the growth of those that you love so dearly. And what a timeless memory for those that are no longer with us!

I wish we would have stood still for a thousand more! And as we buried Papa John it dawned on me that Leon, David Mark and I are rapidly approaching that rocking chair……

Respectfully,

Kes