Remembering A Cousin

Those sixteen cousins I wrote about last November 4, they all began with these five people:

Grandpa Joe, Grandma Delphia, Aunt Evelyn, Aunt Lois and Mom. In that November post I wrote that we had lost only two of the sixteen, my sister, Betty, and Aunt Evelyn's oldest, Larry. Yesterday I learned that the first of Aunt Lois' sons died Monday. Gary Alvin M. would have been 74 on March 30.

Gary, on the far right, and his wife Marilyn, far left, were our best friends in the early years of my marriage to Kenny. As you can see, they were part of our wedding party. We had a lot of good times together. We would go to Guss where Gary's family lived when his dad ran the blacksmith shop or they would come to our little apartment in town. Like with most young couples, money was tight so we played cards, joked around and, eventually, watched our young sons play together.

Gary and Marilyn bought Grandpa and Grandma's farm after they were gone. I've always liked this picture taken there near the barn. Gary holding the goat so my brother Ron's twins, Andrew and Lorrie could pet it. (Ron's wife, Ruthie on the left.)

Another photo taken at Grandpa & Grandma's when Gary was around four and Lloyd was about two.

This picture was from October, 1953 before the last two family members were born. Stair-stepped on the left, Uncle Alvin, Gary, Ronda. On the right, Aunt Lois, Lloyd, Darol. Monica would be born the following year and baby Joe in 1960.

I admit that even as I wrote about the cousins in that November post, I wondered who among us would be the next to die. Now I know. Rest in peace, Gary. Cousins, our first friends.