Today was Pap's 85th birthday. He grew up in Homestead, where his single mom ran a boarding house and raised him and his older brother with the help of the boarders. He fought in WWII in both the Pacific (the Aleutians) and European theaters. He was at the Battle of the Bulge, and the liberation of Dachau. He was once fined by Patton himself for a 'relaxed' attitude while on guard duty! After the war he returned home and began working at J&L Steel and continued to work there until he was forced into retirement when the mill closed in the 1980's. He raised 4 children of his own after his first wife passed away. He then met and married my mother in 1975 and took on the task of raising three more teenage girls! When grandchildren started to appear he took care of another generation of children (Older Son among them) changing diapers and playing 'Beauty Parlor'. He still misses my mom greatly.
I know the cake has candles that say "86". He's really 85. Those were the only candles in the house. So he'll be 86 forever. Or maybe next year 68.
1 comment:
awww.. nice post. Now I want a piece of cake.
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