Bachelor Uncles

Me and my cousin "Bud", September 1, 1951

I'm back folks!  I finally completed my six day marathon work schedule.  Just got up from my afternoon nap.  I think I'll survive.  Maybe go to bed early tonight and then by tomorrow I'll be good as new.

Anyone following my blog regularly know that I throwing a family reunion in a few weeks.  For the past few weeks I've been posting teaser photos on my Facebook page.  Mostly old, really old, family photos.  Here are a couple I posted today.  They are both of me and my cousin Edward "Bud" Tipton.  Bud and I were born the same year.  Bud and I are both bachelors (hint, hint) and both of us are smart, good-looking, and charm boys beyond all reasonable measure.  Everyone in the family (at least I like to think so) loves "Uncle Ronnie" and "Uncle Bud."

Me and my cousin Bud at his home 2009 - like me he is an avid (and good) gardner

 Hey, did you ever notice almost every family has a bachelor uncle.  I had one on both sides of my family.  On my dad's side it was his younger brother, Bruce.  Yes, I had an "Uncle Bruce."  On Mom's side of the family it was "Uncle George."  Both men were delightful and loved by all members of the family and yet had no family of their own.

Bruce Tipton - 1954 - Germany

I remember Uncle Bruce very well.  In fact, he lived with our family for awhile while he was a teenager because my grandparents had died before Uncle Bruce had finished high school.  Uncle Bruce used to babysit me.  Except for the time I crawled out from a second story bedroom and rolled down the front porch roof and landed on my head in the front yard when I was only six months old, he was a good babysitter.

George Lincoln Hadfield, Jr. -  1944

I guess I can say it now, I had the hots for my Uncle George from my earliest memory.  I didn't know what the "hots' were when I was only a ten year old but I did know I LOVED it when he came to visit my Mother (his youngest sister).  Of course Uncle George never molested me, not even close.  But oh did I ever enjoy his visits and his smile and that knowing wink he would give me every once in a while.  What a thrill that was for this ten year old even though I didn't know what was going on with my little body at that time.  I wish I could have had a "conversation" with Uncle George before he passed away too suddenly one day after retirement at 62 years old from an allergic reaction to a bee sting (in his mouth) that he got from mowing his grass.

William Hadfield - 1863

As regular readers of my blog know, I also research my family history.  I have many bachelor uncles and spinster aunts in my family tree as I am sure all of you do too. Here is a picture of my great-great uncle William Hadfield (he was my Uncle George's great uncle) taken during the Civil War.  Great-great uncle William never married either.  I wonder what life was like for the "single" man back in the 1860's.  I wish I could have had a conversation with Uncle William too.

Darlington Frederick Hannum - 1886

As in most families, mine was very poor except for one branch of the family tree.  That was my Great Uncle Darlington Frederick Hannum.  "Uncle Freddie" (as he was known in the family - you didn't think he went by the name of "Darlington" did you?  "Darlington" was his mother's maiden name) made his money in the Oklahoma Land Rush.  He went to law school and lived and worked in Washington D.C. as a patent lawyer in the late 1800's.  He was very well off and his money sprinkled down the family tree.  My Mother at the age of 35 years old came into a small inheritance from "Uncle Freddie" which enabled out family to buy our first television, it was a 13 inch black and white Philco TV.  Ironies of all ironies, we used to watch "Uncle Miltie" on TV.