It's been nearly two weeks, [and I haven't written a single page for] this book. Reason? I've been researching. And I've decided to try something new to keep from backing up when I leave something out that suddenly comes to mind—I know I'll still think of things which were left out, anyway. But it should help.
First, I'm going to fill in [some] things from "way back when." [Note: The Editor moved some material to previous chapters.] Then I'm going to begin listing dates and events in a time sequence, commenting on some of those things listed as I go along. I hope this won't detract from whatever interest the stories associated with those events might bring!
Baseball
Throughout the book I may have given you the idea Dad was a person who did nothing but punish, reprimand and grumble at what we did as kids. That would be an unjust conclusion with which to leave you.
Many times Dad played softball with us kids. It was in this game we realized Dad had probably been pretty good at it when he was younger, but as we grew stronger, we also found here was a game at which we could excel over him. And he didn't have the usual instructive, corrective, hard feeling attitude when losing at it as he did at other things (horse shoes and playing pinochle). We actually had fun playing softball with Dad!
If there was a more avid Chicago White Sox fan than Dad was, I didn't know of him. He'd turn on the radio, usually out in the shed or garage, and he'd mark down each and every play on a piece of paper as the game progressed. Umpires and team managers would be urged to straighten up and fly right and to come to their senses when making calls or changes in line ups. He'd really tell them off when a bad umpire call or manager's change ended in disaster to his cause.
Dad was primarily an American League fan, though he knew players in both leagues, their averages, their home run stats, etc. Tommy John was a pitcher for the Sox at that time, and Dad really liked Tommy.
When we lived in the San Fernando Valley in the 70's, Tommy John spoke at our church men's dinner (or father and son dinner). After his presentation he offered to speak with anyone who cared to do so. Naturally, I had to tell Tommy about Dad!
Tommy had been with the Chicago White Sox for a time, and Dad really liked the way he pitched. So when speaking to Tommy, I told him of Dad's game-listing escapades and how Dad really admired Tommy. Later Mr. John was with the Los Angeles Dodgers [1972-1974, 1976-1978] and the Angels [1982-1985]; [among other teams], concluding his career back with the New York Yankees [1986-1989], as I recall. He was quite a guy.
Dad's Humor
Another thing about Dad which was a positive was his innate ability to tell jokes and rhymes and sing old songs. He could go on for hours without hitting the same one twice. And as younger kids he often rocked us to sleep as he sang some of those catchy tunes.
Whenever Dad went fishing with us, he kept us entertained for hours with his antics. But because he had those big hands from handling bricks all his life, he was a bit clumsy with hooks and lines and removing fish he'd caught. And many were the times we got tangled lines and lost fish being reeled in toward the boat, times at which I usually lost my cool and regretted it later.
A New Format
Now to return to the chapter heading and implementing that "new format."
What it amounts to is this: I want to cover everything from "way back when" to the present date in a time sequence, commenting or expanding on some of those things greatly, while just listing [others] as an event in my life. Hope you'll be able to understand it.
In September, 1970 Daniel began attending Harper College. The school now had its own campus in Palatine, IL [as compared to various locations when our author took some courses from Harper].
On December 27, 1971, Eleanor and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary by going out for a lobster dinner.
[ There were a number of events mentioned here from your Editor's life which will appear on pages about his own life.]
On March 26, 1972, Daniel went to Great Lakes Naval Training Center for his boot camp training (where I had been 29 years earlier).
This winter of '71-'72 the snows fell in overabundance in Northern Illinois, and two days in a week I couldn't get my car all the way home (from work) because of high snows. I determined right then and there this would be my last winter in Illinois. And it was!
[Editor's note: There were other circumstances involved in convincing and confirming this decision for both himself and his wife; as well as, we'd assume, where he decided to move to.]
On May 26, 1972, Daniel graduated from "Boots" and we were in attendance at the ceremony. Old memories were renewed in my mind of the days I spent there.
From May 31st through June 14th, Daniel was at home after graduating from Great Lakes NTC, and at some point received a letter notifying him he was being sent to San Diego for further training.
June 7, 1972: Our second son Tim graduated from Conant High School. [He had already turned 18 that Spring; so legally an adult, which will become relevant later below.]
[Editor's Note: Shortly after both I and Tim (and Jack) were free from our immediate military and school obligations, Dad decided we should all go on a trip down to Hot Springs, Arkansas. He didn't include this in his book, so I can only guess it had something to do with him looking for other places to move to or properties to invest in.]
June 15, 1972: Daniel took a flight from O'Hare Airport to San Diego and the U.S. Navy N.T.C. base there for further training.
[Editor's Note: I believe it was just after the 4th of July, 1972; having gone on a backpack trip with a group from The Navigators part way up Mt. San Gorgonio in the San Bernardino mountains, that I wrote to my parents, stating I wanted to live in Southern California after getting off Active Duty in the Navy (one of the reasons being that I had no problems at all breathing at night in the forests there). So, I believe that helped confirm, at least for Mom, my Dad's decision on both moving in the first place, and where to move to.]
[On Friday, July 14th (1972), a tornado-like storm hit many areas in and around Hoffman Estates, ripping the roofs off several buildings.[1] Living in San Diego at the time, I was not aware of this, but believe it would have been further confirmation for Mom and Dad that moving somewhere that tornadoes did not occur would be a good decision.]
Decision to Move to California
September, 1972: Sold our home in Hoffman Estates after having made arrangements with Jet Air Freight to transfer to the Los Angeles office [near LAX].
September 22, 1972: Eleanor's last day at Union Oil of California. She was told she should be able to start work at Union Oil in Los Angeles with no trouble, as she'd been with the company nearly 9½ years. [So whatever happened with that? Did she realize it was too far away from where they lived?]
September 29, 1972: Daniel passed all his training courses in San Diego and came home to help us move to California.
October 3rd (or somewhere near to that day), 1972, was my last day at Jet Air Freight, Chicago, and a farewell party of drinking and carousing by participants led to the near death of two of the employees. We saw them compacted in the front seat of their totally destroyed auto, both appearing to be dead, having blood and gashes all over their faces.
Jean Taylor and I (she rode to and from work with me) could scarcely stand the drive home wondering if those guys had died, as we didn't know their prognosis when we left the scene.
For the week in which I was supposed to help the family move, I became deathly ill with what was called the flu; but I know it was caused by that terrible accident and wondering if the guys died or not. And I felt to blame in a way, since it was my farewell party. I was in bed just about the whole time until we moved. The guys, by the way, both lived, though they had something like 175 stitches to their faces and bodies (each). I never saw either of those guys again, and I don't know how their lives were affected by that horrible accident, but there surely had to be a reflective effect... at least.
October 6, 1972: Global Van Lines arrived to pick up all our remaining belongings (Jet Air Freight had shipped about 5,000 pounds of smaller items—which could be packed in larger cartons—for us at no charge). The trailer seemed so loaded when Global got there, I didn't know how they were going to get all our stuff on it. And I was right; they couldn't fit it all in.
"What a mess! Here we are with the house sold; we have no right to leave anything in it; Global can't take it all. What now?" I wondered.
Eleanor got on the phone and called the buyers to tell them what a pickle we were in and asked if we could leave part of our belongings in the garage. She told them Global said they'd pick the rest up in the next week. Thank God they agreed, though as I recall, they weren't overly pleased with the request. To say the least, we were not very happy with Global Van Lines!
October 7, 1972: Our son Tim was determined he would not go along with us to California as we were getting ready to leave. He and Cindy (his girlfriend) drove up to the house and carried on, even kicking the car as they walked by it (at least Cindy did). The departure was not a happy one, as we saw nothing we could do to force Tim to go with us. So we left with heavy hearts.
October 10, 1972: We arrived in Scottsdale, Arizona, and stayed at Eleanor's second cousin Marsha's house for a day or two. Marsha had been married several times, the last husband being Mr. de Berge. He owned and operated a huge electrical manufacturing plant in Phoenix which looked as though it covered a square block. They built (themselves) a home on old Route 66 which was later turned into a wax museum. That marriage ended in a divorce. Marsha always kept in touch with relatives and treated us all to extravagant dinners at fancy places all around the Scottsdale/Phoenix area whenever we came to visit.
Editor's Trip Notes During Our Move to California:
[ 7 OCT 72 -- Father has been ill; but now we're ready to move. Left very late (after 11 PM) and made it to Braidwood, IL by 1:15 AM (close to Streator, IL).
8 OCT 72 -- Saw our truck (Global Van Lines) on Route 66 near Dwight at approx. 11 AM. I drove from Springfield, IL through St. Louis to Springfield, MO. We made it to Miami, OK by 9 PM.
9 OCT 72 -- I drove from Miami, OK through Tulsa to Oklahoma City, OK. We met Sheila Broadhead at their home there. After eating, I drove to Tucumcari, NM from Amarillo, TX. Arrived at 9 PM (MST).
10 OCT 72 -- We saw our truck again in Santa Rosa, NM. Visited Ron Goodrich in Albuquerque. I drove from Grants, NM to Flagstaff and then to Phoenix, and from there to Scottsdale, AZ where we visited aunt Alma. We spent the night in Sun City, AZ.
11 OCT 72 -- I began driving 20 miles outside of Indio, CA to Redlands. From there I drove to Anaheim where I stayed with my family until Sunday (the 15th).
]
 Chapter 29 |
 TOC |
 Chapter 31 |
Footnotes
1[Return to Text] See, for example, this Monday, July 17th, 1972, clipping, page 55 from the Arlington Heights, Daily Herald.