Writing previously about my grandmother Maxine's 90th birthday celebration, compelled me to look at the slide show again that I presented at her party. It's remarkable what she has seen in the course of her 90 years. Born 2 years after the end of WWI, she lived her childhood in rural NC on a small farm during the depression era that saw millions of Americans out of work and/or homeless. Fortunately, her family was able to keep their farm and and make ends meet with a large family. Maxine was the youngest of 8 children. Her eldest sibling Elah was 20 years her senior and already out of the house by the time Maxine was born to middle aged parents. As a child Maxine was a chubby, blue-eyed towheaded tomboy who was kind-hearted, feisty, and "stubborn as a mule". In my speech at her party, I told the story of how an older boy on a neighboring farm used to bully her timid sister Phyllis, who was older than Maxine by four years. One day he came over to bully Maxine too. The next thing you know, her parents came running out of the house in response to shrieking sounds coming from the backyard. The sounds came from the neighborhood bully who was up in a tree being pummeled by rocks pelted by 5 y/o Maxine. LoL. My grandmother was, and is, a tough little lady. Jokingly, I tell her that's the reason why she has lived so long. Grandmother laughingly agrees with me. She is the last remaining sibling alive, and it is the family's hope that she will live to see her 100th birthday and beyond. In celebration of her 90 years, here are some vintage gems from her 90th birthday slide show. Enjoy!
2 y/0 Maxine with her daddy Armenius standing in the shadows. (1922)
I love this photo of little Maxine struggling to hold onto a farm bird, which her family raised. She is standing here with her siblings Donald, John, Phyllis, and Elah.
LoL. Maxine the tomboy with her brother Donald.
More of towheaded Maxine as a 3 y/o toddler. (1923)
Maxine being pulled by her brother John. (1925)
Maxine with her mother Hettie. (1928)
8 y/o Maxine riding her bicycle. (1928)
15 y/o Maxine riding her bicycle. (1935)
Maxine's 1938 high school graduating class. She is the last one on the right in the front row.
19 y/o Maxine laughing with her sister Phyllis. (1939)
Enjoying summer of 1940 with John's wife Loraine, brother John, and sister Phyllis at the family farm.
Maxine with grandaddy Rex, along with siblings and spouses Loraine, John, Elah, and Elah's husband Raymond. (1945)
Maxine with her son "John Rex II"; my chubby, blue-eyed towheaded father as a toddler. And so, the circle of life continued.
