DAD 1939

Some shots of Dad in 1939. Dad and his brother John on a crisp day. I believe they are out at the farm.

Playing on the farm.

Probably taken aboard the Doris, Great Aunt Hannah supervises while dad looks off at something. Great Aunt Feenie is absorbed in her purse, while John contemplates jumping into the waters.

John Hartpence plays with a car while Boo the dog looks on. John and Jim hold new balls, while Hannah and Feenie supervise.

A stagecoach or carriage from a parade, the purpose of which or where exactly I cannot ascertain. But I find two things interesting. First, Dad is just too darn cute in his black coat and cap, standing out in front and dwarfed by those around him. And one of the guys (drivers?) with their campaign hats is African American. Buffalo soldier?

The boys observing a gaggle of ducks.

Feenie supervises the boys while swimming. John is standing, dad sitting in the water.

The boys at the Chief Wawamolet's gift shop teepee.

FEENIE GETS MARRIED

Apparently, later in life in 1955, Dad's Great Aunt Feenie (Josephine Sigley) got married to Laurence Ridgley Sperry of Trenton, New Jersey. Here are a couple of pictures, the latter I think from the bridal shower. The tallest woman in the shot is my grandmother Lillian.

YANKEE STADIUM

If you look carefully, standing between the mana dn woman, is my father during a 1941 visit to Yankee Stadium. Looks like they are sitting along first base line. Woman in white hat is my great Aunt Hannah, flowered hat is probably Aunt Feenie, and the little boy in front of her is my Uncle John. Don't know who the gentleman is.

MONTREAL 1938

Herewith my dad Jim and his little brother sit atop a cannon in Montreal, 1938. The man with the hat is their great uncle John Hartpence.

Two pictures of the clan getting ready for a carriage ride. Jim and John on seat. John Hartpence in hat, Hannah Hartpence in white hat. Obviously the other women switched out to take the pics: light grey suit is Aunt Feenie; dark dress in my grandmother, Lillian. Don't know who the other man is; it does not look like my grandfather.

JOSEPHINE SIGLEY (AUNT FEENIE)

The more I look through old photographs of Hannah Lydia Longmore Hartpence, the more frequently I can pick out the thin bespectacled visage of a woman who has now been identified as Lydia Josephine Sigley. I wonder if she might be the eldest sister or perhaps an aunt to my grandmother Lillian. This is Aunt Feenie, as Dad referred to her (I am sure). Here she stands next to my Great Aunt Deeah.

With Dad on a beach towel, likely Asbury Park, in 1936.

From 26 September, 1930

Here, at age 25, Feenie is kneeling in front of a group of women, friends, I suppose. Although the inscription on back is hard to read, it appears to have been taken at the Wheelan Cottage.I am guessing on the names of the other ladies (l to r): Billie Wells, Mildred Schenkein, Maude Clyde, and Beatrice Gudmunson.

DAD IN JACKSONVILLE

I have a few letters that my Dad had written over the years, especially a big group done while he was on a cruise around South America that he wrote to my Mom, which I hope to transcribe and edit at some point, but herewith is a short missive he sent to his Uncle John A. Hartpence in New Jersey. Uncle John had raised Dad's mother and my Dad was very close to him. In 1954 Dad was a new sailor, stationed at Jacksonville Naval Air Base, just before he entered Naval Prep School and then Annapolis. It is interesting to see his mindset as a nineteen or so kid. The letter was sent on 2 July 1954, as he was considering what to do for the upcoming holiday. [I cleaned up his spelling mistakes and made some editorial noted below.]



Dear Uncle John:

First I'd like to wish you a Happy Birthday and I'm sorry that I can't be home tomorrow to put it in words as I originally had expected to be.

I am going to go to Daytona Beach tonite to spend the weekend and see what holiday celebrations they may have down there. As I understand it they are supposed to have quite a time there and here's hoping they do.

I got a letter from my girlfriend [1] the other day and it was written in St. Huberts. [2] She said that they are having a plague of those large black flies in such great numbers that the women can't even hang out their clothes to dry for fear that they will be covered with black marks, and that they will bit the living daylights out of a person.

As I said in my letter to you and Deeah [5] the other day it is still terrifically hot down here and I sure will be happy to get back home.

I understand from Feenie [6] that you had quite a nice birthday party for Johnny [3] at the Stacy Trent [4] last Sunday.

Well by this time next week I should be on route and I should be home sometime Friday nite.

Again I'll say Happy Birthday and good luck to you and Deeah until I see you next week.

Love, Jim



[1: don't know who, but well before he met my Mom]
[2: Most likely St. Huberts in the Keene Valley of New York.]
[3: Dad's little brother John.]
[4: The Stacy Trent was a well known and posh hotel in Trenton, torn down in 1967.]

PS: [5] Dad's aunt, Hannah Lydia Longmore Hartpence
[6] Aunt Feenie, Lydia Josephine Sigley