Some pics of how I remember your mother

So, yeah, a lot of this is just because she had (dyed) red hair back then. But in these photos, there is something closer to the shape of her face as well. Honestly, I have this one fixed image in my head of her -- no photos save the blurry one posted earlier.
Blues singer Shannon Curfman

Some random face from the internet.

Actress Annete O'Toole. Back in the day we swore her and your mom were twin sisters. See those eyes when she smiles? That was so much like your mom. She had a way of looking at you like you were the most important thing in the world.

Annette again in the movie One on One. This was the one where we discovered the resemblance.

Another photo

This is another photo of Dave and I. This was taken in the barracks in Karlsruhe, where our unit, the 207th Signal Detachment was stationed prior to moving up to Massweiller.

Here's a photo of me and my friend Dave Holland in 1978. Dave was my room-mate and we were both cooks at Massweiller where your mother worked as a civilian KP.
The ticket stub is from a concert we went to with our friend, Bob Burdick, and his wife. There were two guys at this concert, standing in front of us. They were blocking our view, and Bob started calling them Gonzo the Geek and Whizzo the Clown. It was a running joke for a few days afterwards -- calling each other by these names. Somehow or other, the name Gonzo stuck to me, and I went by that name for the next 5-6 years.

Now that I look at that picture,I see that that is the same bandanna and denim jacket as in the photo at the top.

Long Lost Kin

This is my cousin, Diana Connell. I never even knew she existed until a few weeks ago. Her father is my uncle Wilfried who, as I gather, is a bit of a jerk. She has not seen or spoken to him in about 30 years. She lives in Steindorf (Wetzlar) Germany.

Your mom

So, a few weeks ago, I got a friend request on facebook from my roommate when I was stationed at Massweiller, Dave Holland. Very cool how technology allows us to catch up and find people we'd probably never see again.

Anyway, I got to talking about your mom, Liz, and he said he wasn't quite sure if he remembered her. I think that's a load of hooey, because he was as head over heels in love with her as I was. At least until she chose me!

So, he dug through his old pictures and sent these. I'm not sure who is in the bottom two. But that top one? Well, on the right is a young lady whose name was, I think, Linda. In the middle is my friend Dave.
On the left? That's your mom. Liz Anderson (nee Pearson or Pierson). She was 22-ish years old there.

It's eerie to see this picture. I haven't seen her since June 25th, 1979. A few years after that, and I didn't even have any photos of her.

But I do have an image burned into my mind of one of the photos, though. It was one I took of her surrounded by candles. (It was taken the same night as the picture of me at the top of this page.)

I'm hoping I can get Dave to send me a larger version of this image.

I guess when Dave said he wasn't sure if he remembered her, it struck me hard because, even all these years later, it isn't many days that go by that I don't think of her -- and you -- and what became of you and her and Dawn.

Happy Birthday, Dad

Today would have been his 76th birthday. Here's to you, old man. Enjoy the journey!

My dad's gone

My dad passed away yesterday. Your grandpa Gunther. He was 75. It was a shock, but it wasn't a surprise I guess. Or maybe it was.

We had gathered the night before for a celebration of my birthday (July 9), and my two nephews. He was in good spirits and it made for a nice evening. Sort of a sendoff party for him.

About three in the morning, his wife woke up to the sound of his struggled breathing. She couldn't rouse him and called the paramedics. They were unable to revive him.

People leave in the flash of an eye, so make sure you say I love you as often as possible. Let people know how much you appreciate them. And do what you can to find those you should love.