Photo of the Day

This is a photo of my paternal aunt and uncle, probably taken in the early 1990s.

David Veasey (1946-2014)
Diane Odgers Veasey (1951-2002)

Photo of the Day

This is a photo of my paternal uncle taken at the home of his maternal aunt in Galena, Maryland in October 1994.  He was 40 years old.  Judging from his shirt and the pin on his sweater, it was around Halloween.  His shirt reminds me just how much he loved animation.

James Odgers
1954-2007

Photo of the Day

This is a photo of my paternal uncle taken on Christmas day in the mid-1990s at my father's home in Bear, Delaware.  He is holding a glass ash tray.

James Odgers
1954-2007

It's A Kodak Moment

At any given family function, you could find my paternal uncle with his camera telling someone, "It's a Kodak moment," and then take their picture.  He loved capturing the fun moments of family time.  And as time goes on, I appreciate it more and more.  For one, it puts faces with names and photos with different events.  Not to mention all the photos are a family historian's dream.  But most importantly for me, I get to see things from his perspective, whether I was at the even or not.  I see what moments and events he found were worth capturing and remembering.

This is a photo of him at a picnic at his sister's (my aunt's) house in Bear, Delaware in 1993, maybe Memorial Day weekend.  His camera is in his hand, ever ready for that next Kodak moment.  Maybe someday I will find the photo he just took or was going to take and will be able to see this moment from his perspective.

James Odgers
1954-2007

This is YOUR Kodak moment, Uncle Jim.

What Did They Do For A Living?

I think digging into the professions of my ancestors helps me to understand a little better who they were.  This information can be very valuable in connecting missing pieces of their lives.  I am always on the lookout for clues like photos, documents, and keepsakes.  If I look closely, maybe I will find the answers to some of my questions. What did they do for a living?  Where did they work?  Was it close to their home?  Did they do the same job for their whole working life?  How did their job affect who they were as a person?

Photo of the Day

There is just something that I love about this photo of my paternal great-grandfather that was taken in the late 1950s or early 1960s.  He looks so proud posing in his guard uniform.  I am still on the look out for where this was taken, though.

James Odgers
1893 - 1965

Who Are You Honoring on Memorial Day?

Memorial Day honors those Americans who died while defending our Nation and its values.  It is a day to remember all who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

Today I am remembering my maternal great-uncle, William Bunting.  He was killed in action during World War II on 22 July 1944.  The fatal battle began in the early morning hours of 21 July.  My great-uncle's division was called in for support that night.  His US Army Infantry Division, the 77th, were tough fighters and the Marines fighting alongside them at Guam referred to them as the "77th Marine Division."  My great-uncle was killed in the battle the following day.

I am also remembering my maternal uncle, Paul Branyan, Jr., who died on 10 December 1967 in Vietnam.  My uncle and his company were in a terrible fight with an enemy that was dug in at a ditch.  He was on an armored personnel carrier and was passing ammunition to a fellow soldier, Drew Shipley, as he was firing a 50-caliber machine gun.  Sargent Shipley was shot in the head and killed.  Despite knowing the danger, my uncle took over the machine gun and tragically met the same fate.

May we never forget the men and women who sacrificed their lives for our country.

Who are you remembering on this Memorial Day?