My Uncle Larry Part 1 The Lovington Years

 My Uncle Larry. 

 He was born in 1937 to Helen Muriel Keyes and Paul Thornton Wacaser in Lovington, IL ...at home, we believe.
My grandmother told the story of her shock when he was born with a caul, and covered with hair.
Since he turned into the local Dreamboat, I think that all resolved.

Grandma labelled all of her photos, so here he is at 3. He is showing the "backwards bending knees" (that's what we all called it) that all the kids and Grandma had...and maybe Grandpa too. How many 80 year old men do you know who can touch palms to the floor without bending their knees??

 1943 looks like a fun year. The kids obviously had to work on the farm. They are barefoot!!! Can you even imagine what they have walked through?

 The arrow points to Larry. I am positive that Grandma told my Dad to NEVER WRITE ON THE PICTURES, but he's not very good at following rules.  Ellen's bathing suit is especially cute.

I bet Deane and my Dad and maybe Larry were heading off to their One Room Schoolhouse here. Great Grandma Keyes and Grandma Helen Keyes Wacaser taught here. The schoolhouse has been converted into a single family home by an Amish family

A couple of the kids below came to the funeral!


Gully with the kids. I don't think he ever  really enjoyed farming, and these were hard years. My Grandma tells the story of standing on the floorboard of the car, driving slowly along the road, throwing fistfuls of poison pellets on the grasshoppers that completely covered the crops. Evidently it was a no-win situation.

 Again, Dad,
No writing on the photos!!
But here they are surely happy to be with the local hero

 So innocent here..

Totally unsure abut what is happening here-- flight school?

Here is the famous "Collecting Milkweed Pods for the War Effort " photo. 

Supposedly the military was using the fluff from the pods to stuff lifejackets as part of the War Effort.

Ellen says Grandma submitted this photo to a magazine.

 This may have been the beginning of Grandma's tradition of the Every -5 -Year- Photo.

My dad looks like he already needs glasses. Deane looks like himself, sweet as pie. Larry looks a bit chubby.

This must be the Second Five-Annual Family Photo. The tradition held for about 50 years!

LARRY: THE DREAMBOAT YEARS

Well, talking to the locals, we discovered that Larry was quite the Dreamboat!

He was a big athlete at Lovington HS- Dad says he was the State's highest scorer in Basketball, and I'm sure that's not all.

You've got to admit-- Super Dreamy!!!!!

Love the signature!!