MORE PICTURES OF MY DAD

FATHER'S DAY

Since Father’s Day is almost here, I thought I would post some pictures of my Dad that most of you have never seen.
The three pictures on top are from his school days,
In the top picture he is 5 from the left in the 2nd row.
The middle picture is of his kindergarten class and he is in the left bottom corner.
The bottom picture he is 3rd from left in the top row. Grandpa Stuelke is in the top row first on left.
The second picture.
The large picture is of my Sister Carolyn and I with Dad.
The bottom picture is a school picture. Dad is in the bottom row second from left.
The picture of Dad and I was taken when I was home on leave after basic training on my way to Guam.
The other small picture is of Dad when he was in the 7th grade.

OCTOGENARIAN

I am, as of today, an Octogenarian. This means that I have lived on this earth for eighty years since May 20 1929. I was born at my Grandpa and Grandma Stuelkes house in Nashua Iowa at eight oclock in the morning.
I have seen a lot of changes since I was born. From the Depression to World War 2, with rationing of meat and sugar and gas, and seeing collections of aluminum, grease and cloth for bandages to be sent to the battlefront.
After graduating from High School I enlisted in the Air Force in 1948 and served on Guam, Japan, Korea and France as well as in the United States.
After heing discharged from the service I returned to Cedar Rapids and took a job with American Tobacco
After two years, I started working as a painter for my Dad and went on my own and painted for over 20 years,.
When building slowed down in the 1980;s I opened up a consignment store which Mary and I ran for 22 years before we retired..
My life has given me much satisfaction and happiness. I met my wife Mary in Nashua and together we have lived almosts 50 years. This marriage is blessed wisth 5 children. Mary brought to the marriage two wonderful children in Steve and Linda and we were blessed to have three more, John and Lisa at the same time and Wendy shortly afterward.
Our children are now grown and we have grandchildren who are the light of our life.
I never thought I would live this longbut I am very happy that I am here.

MY MOM

My Mom was Ruth Charlotte Abbott Stuelke Hentsch. She was born in Imogene, Iowa on April 13 1905 and died January 3 1997 at Villisca, Iowa. She was 92 years old.
Mom attended Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls and acquired her teaching certificate. She taught for one year before marrying Wendell Stuelke June 30 1928. They were divorced in 1941 and she married Martin Hentsch July 28 1945.
She taught school at Fredrika Fredriksburg,Iowa Imogene, Iowa Union, Iowa Randolph, Iowa Clarinda Iowa and Villisca, Iowa. Mom furthered her ecucation by attending The University of Southern California and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She received her Bachelor of Science degree and spent the last years of her teaching as Principal of the grade schools in Villisca,.
My Mom was a people person. After retiring, she spent most of her time volunteering. I lived with my Mom until I was 15 and then I went to live with my Dad through the rest of High School.
My Mom spent the last ten years of her life in a nursing home in Villisca. She kept up with every happening in town and enjoyed life even though she was in the nursing home.
Fortunately my sister, Carolyn lived near the nursing home and visited Mom at the nursing home every day. I never heard my Mom complain.
On this Mother’s Day I remember my Mom and all the things she taught me. She was a wonderful lady.

MY GRANDPA ABBOTT

MY GRANDPA ABBOTT
Charles Bela Abbott was born in Barrington Illinois on June 30 1865. His middle name came from his Father, Bela Abbott. My first name came from my Grandpa Abbott. His Father died in an accident when my Grandpa was just a boy. His Mother, whom I never knew, was born in Canada as Sarah Moorhouse Dearlove. After her husband’s death she married a fellow named Otis.Grandpa married my Grandma, Nora Straight, at Grandpa’s Mother’s home on the 26th day of May 1904.
When we went to live with my grandparents Grandpa was the postmaster in Imogene, Iowa. At that time postmaster was a political appointment so when the Republicans were in office he was postmaster and when they were out so was he. When he was out he sold insurance for a living.
Grandpa’s great passions were, trains, the Civil War and the circus. He smoked cigars and chewed Sweet Mist tobacco. He accompanied my Great Grandpa Straight to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania for the 75th anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg June 29th to July 6th 1938.
Grandpa was known as Charlie or C.B. I never saw him wearing anything other than a suit, shirt and tie. He had several idiocsyncrasies indigenous to him. If we had company and his bed time at 10 PM arrived he would get up and go to bed.
He would sit in the car when he thought it was time to go home and periodically honk the horn.
He wouldn’t eat green jello because he thought it might be poison.
He would always give me the same advice. “Listen to your Grandmother ane you’ll never go wrong. I should have taken this advice more to heart.
Grandpa died on July 12 1954 in a nursing home in Shenandoah Iowa. I was in the Air Force in Japan at the time, so could not attend his funeral.

MY FIRST JOB IN THE MILITARY

After joining the Army Air Force in February of 1948 I was sent to Lackland Air Base in San Antonio Texas for basic training. I remember I was assigned to Squadron BN 7, Flight 2815. Basic training was 13 weeks.
After basic training I was to report to Camp Stoneman, California after a delay in route at home.
I reported to Camp Stoneman and was assigned to the Far East Air Force un-assigned which meant I was going overseas but didn’t know where or what I would be doing.
I shipped out of San Francisco on a troop ship and 13 days later found myself in a replacement depot on the island of Guam.
I watched the bulletin board often to see where I was going and what I was going to do.
I learned I was going to Harmon Air Base and my job classification would be 970-C. No one at the depot knew what 970-C meant. I was taken up to Harmon Air Base where I learned I would be an instsructor in the Link Trainer.
The Link Trainer was used to teach pilots instrument flying and to keep them proficient in instrument flying . The trainer consisted of what looked like a small airplane for the pilot and a desk with a device that tracked on a map the progress of the pilot on a particular mission.
The trainer in use at the time was designated ANT-18. I instructed on this trainer during my 15 months on Guam and then on a newer Link Trainer when I returned toi the States.

HOME IN IMOGENE

This photo was taken of myself, my sister Carolyn and our Dad. I was between 2 and 3 years old and Carolyn was between 1 and 2.
The picture was taken in Imogene Iowa. Everything that was there on that property is gone. The house burned and I returned several years ago and walked the property and found nothing. No landmarks and it was then I decided the place would exist only in my memory. Next to me was the pump we used as our water source. In the background is a building we called the barn, used mostly to raise chickens. To the right of Carolyn is a place we called the cave where vegetables and canned goods were stored in the winter and where we would go in case of a severe thunderstorm. This photo brings back a lot of memoriew to me.