The MacMillan Family

Pictures of my Mom and Dad about the time they met and got married.......

Below, as we kids started arriving... The first photo circa 1943..Mom, Dad, Joelene, Tommy and me, Joyce.....
Next - the only picture I know of with all five of us kids - about 1951 or so - me on the left, Joelene on the right, Bonnie by me, 'Dell by Jo, and Tommy in the background. This was taken on the front porch of Uncle Joe and Aunt Thelma's farm in central PA.
The photo next to that is 'Dell and Bonnie in 1959; then Tommy and me in 1946. Last is Tommy, Joelene and me in approximately 1942.

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I've tried next to find one photo of each of us growing up in our teens or early 20s.

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'Dell 1959

Bonnie 1962

Tom 1963

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Joyce 1958

Joelene 1953

My Mom and Dad.......as you may or may not know, my Mom went home to be with God in August of 2000. The day after she died, I asked for a sign that she was happy, that a beautiful butterfly be sent as I was sitting on the back deck. Well, I had not seen one all summer, but within five minutes, a beautiful orange, yellow and black butterfly appeared and stayed for some time. I believe it was a sign that she was well and happy.

My Sister Bonnie passed away in September 1997; my sister Joelene in July 2002; and my Dad in September 2003.

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1971

1987

August 1999

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This photo was taken of us
in March 2001, Left, 'Dell,
then Joelene, then Tom, and me
on the right

This was taken in
September 2003

MEMORIES

I remember the hazy, lazy days of summertime when young,
the way the taste of honeysuckle lingered on my tongue;
the old lamplighter as he lit the streetlamps, and the glow
as winged' insects drawn into its flame would come and go.
Red light - green light, dodgeball; rover-come-over and jacks,
step-ball, wireball, sandlot play with a ball and long stick bat.
The joyous yells and childish screams of hide & seek, and touching "home."
The chaos of a party-line, and number of rings on the telephone.

The milk delivered to your door with cardboard lid, and cream on top,
by milkwagon drawn by a horse to pet; and a caramel sugarpop!
The candy store with penny candy by the fist-full out the door,
the butcher shop with barrel pickles, and fragrant sawdust on the floor.
A nickel ice cream cone or icy, a dime mixed together in a cup;
"Fast Food" was a piece of bread - peanut butter - jelly up!
Dinner was the family, in the kitchen, sitting down,
meat, potatoes, veggies, milk - bread and butter by the pound.

Easter brought an outfit new, if money wasn't tight,
Sunrise service, Sunday school, and church was only right;
but in between, the colored eggs, marshmallow bunnies and jelly beans.
Some of the happy days I knew from long-gone childhood scenes.
Our Moms didn't have to worry if we went away to play,
they knew that others kept an eye as we went on our way.
It seems the world was friendlier, and fear was not the norm,
in the days when we were younger - in the times when we were born.
© Joyce P. Hale