It's all relative

This last weekend I went to northern New York to attend the funeral of my paternal grandmother.  She was a good woman and a great cook.  The news of her passing was final, but not sudden.  While there I was able to visit with many family friends and a few remaining relatives.

One man that I met for the first time was Willard Aubrey.  

Willard is 95.  Willard was Postmaster for Rouses Point for many years.  He was also Fire Chief for the Volunteer Fire Department of the same town and still serves as a fireman, although I'm guessing that it has been many years since he's gone on a call.  We are first cousins, two times removed.  He's my paternal grandfather's first cousin.  I'm the family historian so I keep up with these sorts of things.

While visiting with him on Saturday I took the opportunity to ask him about another relative.  Jesse Holcombe.  Jesse is my sixth cousin, three times removed. On my mom's side of the family.  He was the director of parks in Rouses Point in the 1930s.  He played amatuer baseball in the 1880s.

This is a photo of the Beverwycks, a team from Rouses Point, New York, in 1888. The man wearing a tie in the back row is Jesse Holcombe.

This photo was printed in The North Countryman in early February 1939, soon after Jesse died.

Willard said that he remembered Jesse, that they were acquaintances, attended baseball and hockey games together, but were never really friends as Jesse was quite a bit older than he was.

It was a joy to meet Willard and to listen to his stories.

What I didn't get

Two weeks ago I had plans to attend the opening game of the 2009 University of Tennessee Baseball season. The Vols were playing the Oregon State Beavers. It was a cold day. Very cold. But, it was baseball and they were giving away a statue of Todd Helton to the first 1,000 attendees.

My coworker Matt (who is a UT alum and faithful supporter of UT sports) and I were all set to go. But then, a few days before the game, my daughter came down with croup. My son got sick with head flu type stuff and then my wife did. I missed a day and a half of work due to staying home with the sickies and a school snow day. I didn't feel that I could really cut out of work early, ignore my family and go freeze while watching baseball in mid February.

So, I stayed at work, then came home and tended to the sick.

UT won the game without me. Matt came home with a Todd Helton statue. I took photos.

This is Todd, swinging away. Strike one.

This is Todd again. He connected on this one.

This is Matt. He's holding Todd. He just became a grandfather. Matt, not Todd.

Bizarro World

Adventure Comics, No. 285, June 1961

The One-Man Baseball Team!

Superboy, No. 57, June 1957

Bugs Bunny

For the women at Dinged Corners...

Bugs Bunny #85, 1962, Dell

Bugs Bunny #42 April-May 1955, Dell Golden Age Comic

He's no Super-Mantle

Action Comic, June 1970, No. 389

I'm phoning it in

 

I need to head out of town for the next several days. I have created several posts which will self publish, one each morning.

Mostly photos. Light stuff. No witty commentary. I'll return early next week.

I'll leave you with a few photos from the Library of Congress...

John Titus. I love that bat.

Orval Overall. I love that name.