I was reared (animals are “raised”) in a small town in a rural area of the nation. Believe it or not — our Midwest lifestyle was very like the New England lifestyle nearly a century earlier that was recorded by Norman Rockwell in his marvelous paintings.
My father’s side of the family got the pleasure of our company on Thanksgiving and mother’s side got the honor of our presence on Christmas — alternating each year. The two families were in adjacent towns only a dozen miles apart, so we did a lot of family visits throughout the year, of course.
But holidays were special. The Ward family met (usually) at the home of my grandparents and (at minimum) included a core group of their son and daughter — my father Don and my Aunt Bee
— and their children.
That generation was represented by me and my two brothers (Craig and Bart Ward) and Bee and her husband Bill’s kids Todd and Tara (who were about ten years younger than me).
The Bartley family (my mom’s side of the family) had a few more options and we gathered in Almena, KS. Grandma Bartley had three kids — my mom was the baby, and she had an older brother Tom Bartley and much older sister, Maryse.
Tom and his wife Inge Graf Bartley hosted sometimes and Maryse and her husband Burnal hosted other times — but my dad didn’t like to spend holidays in Almena because TV reception was poor (this was before cable TV) and he couldn’t enjoy the ball games.
As always, though — food was plentiful and we pigged out major league.
I have so many wonderful memories of our extended family gatherings and as a child, I thought they would continue forever.
But of course, nothing is forever. Time marches on, and we lose loved-ones along the way.
I wanted to commemorate happy childhood memories by referencing the famous Rockwell painting “Freedom From Want” — one of his series of Four Freedom paintings.
In this one I have remembered those on my paternal side of the family who are no longer with us — empty chairs at the dinner table.
My maternal side of the family will have to forgive me — there are a lot more people involved and I don’t know how to represent all of them and all the memories they contributed — at least not this year. But I will never forget any of the people who have made me what I am today — and mainly that is “rich in memories.”
And certainly THANKFUL.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
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