100 years later: Don Brown in pictures

My father Don (always Donald to his mother) Brown was born 100 years ago, April 29, 1924. He lived to age 90, almost 91. The 100-year mark seems like a fitting time to remember him in pictures. These are by no means comprehensive, but they are what I could find and scan in time for his birthday.

 

This was taken in November 1924 when he was 6 months old. Posing kids with animals was such a thing back then. Usually horses and dogs, but I have a picture of some of my dad's Wootton cousins when they were little, sitting in a cart being drawn by a goat.

This is obviously a World War II photo. Such a youngster! This must have been shortly after he enlisted. He cheated on the eye test to get in, because he was so near-sighted. He failed twice, but each time he studied the eye chart once his glasses were back on. The army, being the army, never changed it, so he passed on the third try.

This is my grandmother Ethel, my father, and baby sister Sarah he met when he came home from the war. It's 1948, so he's had some time to adjust to civilian life. I hope this rowboat ride was relaxing.

 

Don and Peg cutting the wedding cake in January 1950. They were well-behaved, no smashing cake on each other's faces.

 

Walking down Howie Road in Columbus, Ohio in 1952, where their first house was. I lived there until I was a year old, I've been told.

This is on the front porch of our house on Coventry Road, in 1961. That's David on the left and me on the right. When they bought the house, my dad went there many nights after work, sanding the wood floors and stairs with a rented sander, then refinishing them.

Christmas 1965 - David (on the left) and I are playing with our new slot car racetrack. This picture reminds me that my dad's pipe was a fixture of my childhood.

Much time has gone by. It's 1993, and I've lived in California for 14 years. I took this in front of their house when I was back for a visit. I think it's a really nice picture of the two of them.

On a visit to LA in May 2002, in the back yard. I think this might have been the visit when they were surprised by the temperature drop between day and night.

Responding to the judge at Mason's adoption in 2003. The judge was pretty relaxed, I don't remember his question but it was probably something like "Do you approve of this proceeding?"