days gone by

Another Family Member has Passed

     My uncle Wayne Kiser has passed, and will be missed by all. He is on the right side of the pic above standing beside his wife and my aunt and mom’s sister Fran Kiser. This is an old pic of them I just wanted to share due to the people who are included on the pic but who are no longer with us today.

       My grandma is pictured in the center and she eventually passed when she was 94 years old. My dad who is behind my mom on the left side of the pic was 86 when he passed and the same age as my uncle. My dad and mom being, Denzil and Florence Malott.  My grandma being, Ines Yockey , and then my aunt and uncle, the Kisers. Hard to believe there are only my mom and my aunt who are left now. The older family is dwindling.

    My uncle Wayne had a good long life and has left behind besides his wife, my cousins Daryl and Brenda.  Sorry I have no other cousins named Daryl, by the way referring to the Bob Newhart show with my cousin Daryl and my other cousin Daryl and my other cousin Daryl.  Wayne was an avid radio fan and once owned  two roller skating rinks , and uncle Wayne and aunt Fran used to enter roller skating figure championships and did quite well when they were younger.

      The funeral went well as most funerals go or as well as one can be expected to go. After all someone has to die to have one and unfortunately it is a family event where you reconnect with love ones you have a rare chance of seeing. We reflect on the lost one’s life and his accomplishments and then lament about how we should get together more often than just funerals.

      We mentioned where we used to have a family reunion in Cambridge, Oh. annually for years until due to dwindling appearance it was discontinued. It was every year on father’s day we would meet and families would bring their best fried chicken and grandma would have groundhog and noodles. Everyone would dress up in their nice clothes and hop into their late model gas guzzler and head for Cambridge park. We as kids would play on the swings and pretend we were driving the old fire engine and then go swimming in the wading pool. We looked forward to catching up on all the events.

     The last one I went to had a kind of humorous event associated with it that makes me think our relatives mat have a second life. I had decided one year that I was going to attend the reunion and represent our family as no one else was going to be able to attend. I arrived and as soon as parked my truck I noticed an old basset hound. He was a little porker of a guy who was very friendly and greeted me at my truck door. I received a less than favorable greeting from members of our extended family of whom plenty I had not seen for a while and them the same for me . I was soon asked if I sure I had the right place.   I assured them that yes I was as the sign stated a descendant of the Yockey’s and Ines was grandma and after being assured of my credentials was allowed to bring my donuts and pies to the table and was more warmly invited. Whereas my friend the basset hound was soon making his way around the family seemingly introducing himself to everyone and being generously accepted.

     We had dinner and grace was said by my late uncle Dewey, which was the last time he attended as he was my grandma‘s brother and he was 94 at the time. He too would pass that next fall. After dinner and everyone was feeling the effects of being gorged by all the food, and we all would just sit around and catch up on how everyone’s life was doing. Some would play games and talk, some would go for a walk, return, and eat some more and maybe grab a piece of pie.

      My friend the basset was making his rounds and people would slip him some food and he would play with the kids and acted like he was right at home. When everyone was called to come and take pictures. Mr. basset moved to the front of the line and had his picture taken in front of about 50 family members. In fact since I was taking pictures he ended up in more pictures than me that day. I was feeling kind of envious of the attention Mr.  basset hound was being given until I noticed that after the pictures I watched him turn and leave as other family members were starting to do, and he headed up the hill straight for the road. He stopped at the edge of the road and waited for a car to pass as he looked both ways, and then he went across the road. I was worried he might get hit and yelled out to everyone

      I said,” Hey there goes that basset hound. Doesn’t he belong to anyone here?”

      Then everyone turned and looked at me and said. We thought you brought him. He arrived when you did. Nobody could remember him before you showed up someone said. Everyone turned and looked at the dog as he was nearly out of sight as the old basset plundered off his belly a little closer to the ground but with the same intense drive it seemed as when he arrived. He was on a mission and seemed to know what he was doing. We all started laughing as it seemed as if an old relative had returned from the dead and knowing full well what father’s day meant and had returned to get a good meal and to catch up on life’s comings and goings. Then with the day running short left not being able to say a word, but instead leave everyone wondering if there is life after death.

     There are rumblings of a reunion again. In ways I kinda like what we had, and that was tradition. A party just isn’t the same as when it is a family event structured like we had it. Even with dogs being allowed, whoever’s they were.  It is still better than waiting for a funeral to get everyone together.