Some Hamilton and Nye

1958 and a picture of the women on our maternal side of the family.  Marie and Faye Nye are sisters who both married in Colorado and Marie went farming in Idaho and Faye ended up in Southern California.  Virginia Grimm married Faye's youngest son Harold.  My mother Dorothy married Joe Kerr in 1940 and her sister Irene married Richard Kimball and after her divorce married John Johnson of Santa Monica.

This picture was in our front yard and the tree that was planted following completion of the house.

This is Faye's husband and my grandfather William Hamilton driving dad's Jeep.  I am on the hood and don't look to happy about it either.

Grandpa Hamilton was a cement contractor who had a passion for gold hunting.  He would spend weeks in the deserts of California prospecting.  I have never heard any success stories from him or my Uncle Bill.  He and grandma lived a few houses down the street from us in Redondo Beach in their retirement years.

Baseball and Mom

Allstar Sam Kerr and mother Dorothy Kerr

 Mom loved baseball.  She played Catcher on the girls baseball team at Santa Monica High School.  When I was 8 years old she encouraged me to try out for the Central Redondo  little league that played at Perry Park.  She usually attended every game in those early years.  But for some reason my second game in the Majors, playing for Banner Drug she was at home trimming her rose bushes that lined the driveway.  We lived close enough that during a game you could hear the announcer and cheers from the crowd.  You might not know what the announcer actually said but you could hear.  She was trimming away and heard a loud roar from the crowd and thought she heard my name.  When I got home, and she found out that at 10 years old I had hit my first home run she told my dad that she would never miss another game.  She held true to that through all 4 of us as we progressed through Little League, Pony League, Babe Ruth League and High School.

Jason Kerr, Grandma Kerr, Joshua Kerr

Living in Aqua Dulce from 1972 through 1978 Jason and Joshua played in the Canyon Country Little league.  And when she could, Grandma was there for them too.

Both Mom and Dad were very active in the Redondo Beach Little League operations.  Another example of the positive  neighborhood involvement that they both set for us as we grew into men with our own families.

Early Family Visits

My Grandmother Mollie was a frequent visitor.  Aunt Lu, Uncle Bob, Uncle Tom, and Aunt JoAnn brought Mollie with them in 1949.  My best guess is that these photos were taken as we were getting ready to take them all to the train station for their return home.  This was in front of our house on Carnegie Lane in Redondo Beach.

JoAnn and Tom Kerr

Uncle Tom, my brother Terry, and Mollie Kerr

Family visits

 My first trip to visit our East coast relatives was in August 1945.  I was not yet a year old.  Dad and Mom drove to Kentucky to visit with my ailing grandfather, Joe Kerr.  And of course it was a chance for them to parade me to all Dad's family.  As I got older, my memories are of the frequent visits by family to our house in Redondo Beach California.  I guess that by 1958 all of my Uncles and Aunts from Kentucky to Florida had paid us at least one visit.  Grandma Mollie Kerr would accompany most of the kin that traveled by train.  I don't remember her ever coming out by car.  This rather dark picture was taken at our friends Don and Mary Sidle's house.  Grandma Mollie is on the left, with Mary Sidle, then Aunt Lizzie Dew and Uncle Esco "Jake" Dew. 

  

It was always fun to have Aunt Lillian and Uncle Walter Young visit.  They would drive in from Tennessee and you never knew what kind of big car he would be driving.  Oldsmobiles and Buicks seem to come to mind when I think of Uncle Walter.  Of course a trip to one or more of the scenic wonders of California was part of everyone's visit.  This photo is of my Mom, Dorothy Kerr and my Aunt Lillian Young in one of the California Poppy fields around So California.

Birthday Party

I'm not sure about the date, so if anyone (Terry or Rachel S) remembers please let me know.  Mom made this cake for her little cowboy Sam on his 4th birthday.  A party with neighbor kids took over the back patio.  Aunt Snow and cousin Irene were also there.  I think this would be in May 1959.

Recently discovered photos

More scans of some "lost" photos and 35mm slides. 

The first one is my dad Joe and brother Larry at two different points of their life.  We have lots of stories and comments about what dad had taught each of us through direct tutalidge or by example of his actions.  Hard work, carpentry, mechanical, and barter were all important.  But the most important life lesson he passed on is helping others.  Growing up, both our parents were active in our neighborhood and first to help when they saw the need.  In our own whey, each of the four boys has demonstrated this same aptitude to our neighborhoods.  

Here are Sam and Larry on the Palm Springs Aereal Tram.

Mom and Dad before Terry and Jan's wedding.

Back on line

That makes two computers in the past 31 days.  New set ups are a %%#}{}%^^.  So here are a few scans from some of Dad's 35mm slides.  They are "as scanned".  Enjoy.

This is Sam Kerr, Uncle Tom Kerr, and Larry Kerr.  Not sure about the date, but I'd guess 1964.

Now we add our cousins Tom Kerr and Jim Kerr to the group photo.