I shared my flowers

I shared my flowers with my daddy today.  My birthday flowers from the 6th.  Daddy's birthday was today.  He would have been 88. He was a World War II Naval Veteran.  He worked for TVA for 50 years as a lineman and retired when he was 80.  He was a quiet man around his family, whom he loved so very, very much.  Around his friends he was more talkative and could be quite funny.  I've never met anyone quite like him.  And I have a feeling I never will.  I just don't say that because he was my Daddy.  He was a special, unique man from a time in history unlike any other.

I can remember going to the grave yard every Saturday with Momma and Daddy after my brother Gary died in 1979.  Daddy would load up the push mower and off we'd go to take special care of Gary's grave at Hopewell.  The grass was only cut a few times a year by the church.  Once was before Decoration.  We also mowed the other Maynard graves and my grandparents.

The photo is of Daddy and I in 1975.  Christmas.  All the Christmas photos from when I was little have Daddy sitting right in the floor with me.  I guess he was as excited as I over the presents I was opening.  

In 1990 Momma died.  That Christmas I got out of bed early, just as every other Christmas morning.  I asked Daddy when we were opening presents.  He and I.  He said not now.  We'll wait on everybody to get here later.

Christmas was never the same for either of us.

Me and Daddy 1989
Madisonville High School Graduation

1995 TWC college graduation.
I'm sure he was thrilled and surprised I made it! lol

Foot stone of Daddy's grave

Mom and Dad's grave

My brother Gary's grave.  He was killed in a jeep
accident on I29 down from Chillhowee Dam in 1979.

Mom's favorite scripture was put on the back of
Gary's tombstone. 

I took a photo of my brother Gary's grave while at Hopewell today.  Gary's tombstone was unique in cut and design.  I think my parents had White's Marble works order it special from GA?  No one had engravings like this way back then.  Except for a few angels.  Gary loved going to the mountains with friends to go four-wheeling.  I guess mom and dad wanted to capture that for him through the tombstone.

My parents bought 10 plots when Gary died.  They planned on all of us being buried side by side.  However, they didn't plan well enough.  Our family expanded to include husbands and more grandchildren and even great grandchildren they hadn't thought of.

Daddy. I think this was 2007? Bella's soccer game.

Blog post I wrote about daddy in 2011:
Depression Era Man