Isaac Walter Tipton, Jr.

Continuing with the theme of my younger brother, Isaac Tipton, today I am posting several pictures that I have of Isaac from his youngest picture to his latest.  

Isaac (stuck in the middle as always) and me (on the right) and my brother John (always restless and curious) on the left (am I sucking my thumb ?) - 1945 - the body language says it all - Isaac stuck between both of his overachieving brothers - especially his older brother (!)

Isaac definitely doesn't want to be here - that's Curious John to the right - 1948

Isaac was the second child of my parents Ike (Isaac, Sr.) and Betty Tipton.  He was named after my father because my father wanted a child named after him.  When I was born my Mother did not want me named "Isaac" because she considered the name Isaac 'ugly' and gold my father so.  However, she relented when my second brother was born.  Ironically this proved to be appropriate because Isaac was born blonde like my father and grew up to have the same job that my father had (Gindy Manufacturing Company).  

Isaac, Jr. (when we called him "Junior") in second grade - 1949

Sadly, there is only one picture of Isaac as a baby.  I was the oldest so I had most of the baby pictures.  My youngest brother, John, also has a few baby pictures and I will feature him in future blog postings.  However, this blog post is devoted to my handsome and big hearted brother Isaac, Jr.

Isaac with his Mom (and mine too) - I always suspected she liked him better than me - 1956

As I said earlier, Isaac was named after his father, Isaac Walter Tipton, Sr.  Isaac also has a son and his name is...guess what?  Isaac Walter Tipton, III, also known as "Ikey" which he hates.

Isaac with his Pop, also known as "Big Ike."  1956

My father (I would say "our father" but that sounds like I'm going to start a Catholic prayer and since we were raised as Baptists, that would be quite kosher) liked to garden and would put his three sons to work weeding his rows of corn.  In the above picture he gave us a break from weeding.  

Me (about ready to devour a hoagie), our Mom and Isaac. Note how Isaac is protective of his Mom at even this young age. After our father died in 2000, Isaac moved in with Mom and took care of her for ten years until she needed more are and moved to South Carolina to live with my other brother John.  Isaac now lives in our family home but he won't go into Mom's bedroom (my old bedroom) because he says he can still feel that "Mom is in there." -  1956

Isaac and John entering their 'playground' at Gindys -1957

John and Isaac with some baby kittens then found in the garage at Gindys  - note no shoes, we never wore shoes in the summertime - that's what you did when you were poor, white kids in Downingtown in the Fifties -1955

We lived on Boot Road in a second floor apartment above the Gindy Manufacturing Company in Downingtown, Pennsylvania from 1954 to 1958.  Our 'playground' was the manufacturing complex.  We didn't complain.  At least no one was chasing us away and hollering "What are you kids doing there?!"

An interesting note, other than when I was very young, there are no pictures in existence of just me and my father.  Something I had not noticed until I recently started going through my old pictures for posting to this blog.  Again, that tells you a lot about my relationship with my father.  Isaac didn't have a close relationship with his dad either.  Our youngest brother John was Pop's Pet.  He knew it and we knew it and he never let us forget it.

My brothers John and Isaac with Pop. Look at the body language.  John has the self satisfied smile of the Chosen Child and Isaac has the quizzical "Where do I fit into this picture?"  Of course I was my Mom's Favorite.  - 1959

Isaac W. Tipton, Jr. - 1957

Movie star handsome right?  James Dean had nothing on my brother Isaac in looks.  In high school Isaac developed into quite the handsome young man who made many a young girls' heart flutter.  However, Isaac was one of those guy who was unaware and unaffected by his natural good looks.  Perhaps he was preoccupied with keeping his equilibrium at home sandwiched in between his older and younger brother who took up most of his parent's attention.  

Isaac W. Tipton, Jr. - Army 1961 - Germany - Military Police

Isaac followed his big brother Ronald's example (that would be me) and joined the Army immediately after he left high school.  Isaac was stationed in Germany as an MP. Ironically I joined the Army to 'see the world' and I never got farther than Ft. Meade, Maryland. My youngest brother also joined the Army after high school and was also stationed in Germany.  Isaac tells a story that when he returned from service in Germany, the ship he was on had TWO OTHER ISAAC TIPTONS!  Now that I"m the family genealogist I wish he would have talked to them and found out what their ancestry was to our ancestors.  Small world indeed.

My brother John's wedding December 28, 1963 - that me to the left with my eyes closed and my handsome brother Isaac to my right

Isaac got married a few years later.  He had a small, informal wedding thus I have no wedding pictures.  However, his bride (Phyllis) was beautiful as Isaac was handsome.

Isaac Tipton, married and with family, including Isaac, III (in the cowboy outfit) 1970

Isaac sandwiched in again by his two bothers - notice that he still has that quizzical "Why am I still in the middle" look on his face - poor Isaac - stuck with THESE two brothers! - 1972

More tomorrow.

My Brother Isaac

Brothers Ronald and Isaac Tipton 1945

I have two brothers.  I am the oldest followed by my brother Isaac who is a year and a half younger than me.  Then there is my youngest brother John, who is 2 1/2 years younger than me.  


This is the first of several parts of a posting about my brother Isaac.  I was going to have one large post but my posts have gotten so big lately that I have decided to shorten my posts.  If I have more to say, then I will do additional posts.  


I am one of those very lucky children who has brothers.  I'll admit that growing up I wasn't too thrilled (at times) that I had brothers.  After all, I was the oldest and this 'heir to the crown' or crown prince so to speak.  Now that I have matured I have gotten over my selfishness and sibling rivalry and realize how fortunate I am to have two such brothers as I have.


Of course we all have totally different personalities.  We don't even look alike.  The older I get the more I look like my father (which upon first discovery somewhat disconcerted me because my father and I never had a close relationship but that is a subject for a different blog posting).  


My father's name was Isaac.  When I was born he wanted to name me Isaac, Jr.  My Mother was vehemently against that idea.  She said "You're not going to name any of our children that ugly name!"  So my father relented because Mom was the boss of our family, and I was named after Ronald Coleman, the movie actor popular at the time I was born (1941).  


When my brother was born a year and a half later, my father wanted to name him Isaac, Jr.  This time my Mother relented.  How ironic because my brother is so much like my father!  In fact, both of them were blonde (I have very dark brown hair, I take after my Mother.)  


Growing up we had the typical 'Oldest Child, Middle Child, Youngest Child' factor .  Being the oldest, I was the favorite of my Mother.  Yes, I was a "Mama's Boy."  I plead guilty.  Isaac, being the middle child, tended to get overlooked.  Our youngest brother, John, was my father's pet, which I greatly resented.  


Now that we are adults, I am very proud to state that we are all the best of friends.  Even though Isaac, John and I have differing political views and they are straight and I am gay, we are not only brothers, we are best friends.  In fact they are my BEST FRIENDS.  Know why? Because no matter what I say or do they will ALWAYS be my brothers and always have unconditional love for me and I will have for them.  


I love my brothers, especially Isaac.

Brothers Isaac and Ron Tipton March 13, 2011