The "Cousins by the Dozens - Part 2" Story

It was an ordinary day. Finishing the second and final part of my story about the cousins in my life. Today's story vignettes deal with my dad's side of the family as well as my inherited cousins due to marriage. My nannan (grandmother) had 4 children. Two boys and two girls. My Aunt Doris was the oldest with Uncle Clair, Aunt Lillian, and my dad following, in that order. Clair died in an automobile accident while in high school when he was riding in the rumble seat of a car that was heading to a basketball game in York, PA. Clair was the manager of the team. My Aunt Doris didn't marry until late. I was so upset when I found out she was going to get married since she was my favorite Aunt because she had no children of her own and usually bought me really neat gifts. I knew that that would all end when she got married. Never did though. I was in my first year of high school when she got married and I instantly gained three cousins. Uncle Paul, her husband, lived around the corner from where she had lived with my nannan. She would wait on the bus to go to work in front of his house. His first wife had died and he slowly began to talk to her as she stood waiting for the bus. Well, one thing led to another and now I had three new cousins. Paulie, Mary Ann, and Robert became Aunt Doris' new family along with Uncle Paul. He was a CPA and worked out of his house, so Aunt Doris stilled lived close to her mother, my nannan. Uncle Paul and his brothers jointly owned a water-front house on the Elk River near Locust Point. Neatest thing about having my Aunt marry was the fact that we now had a new vacation spot in the summer. We would always be invited for a free week at the bay to swim, fish, and water-ski. They had a ski-jump on the water in front of their property and I had the chance to use it. Was scared half to death of the darn thing, but did enjoy watching my instant cousins jump it. Aunt Doris eventually sold her part of the property when Uncle Paul died and purchased another, larger house on the part of the bay where the large ships enter the C&D canal. My cousins Paulie and Robert would always take the family for rides in their boats. They were great guys, but as time rolled on we stopped going to the bay house. My cousin Mary Ann married and moved near Baltimore while both boys married and we kind of went our separate ways. Seems the only time we get together is when someone dies. My Aunt Lillian had two children. She had my cousin Judy to her first husband and my cousin George to her second cousin. For years, before Aunt Doris was married and had the place on the Elk river, we would go to Crystal Beach. Crystal Beach was at the mouth of the Elk River, right before it emptied into the Chesapeake Bay. Neat sandy beach with a small amusement park and store. Even had a lifeguard stand. There were row after row of summer cottages that you could rent and mom and dad would always rent one and have my Aunt Lillian and cousins Judy and George join us. Uncle Bud, their dad, worked 365 days a year and never came with us on vacation. That was OK, since he was always grumpy and

never could take a joke. For years I was best friends with Judy and George. Mostly Judy, since she was only one year younger than me and George was one year younger than my brother Steve, who was 5 years younger than me. Got all that? I became good friends with Judy over the years and we would double date at times as we went through high school. She had an older boy friend, Lance, who had a car, so that worked out well. Then, as always happens, time flies and we grew apart. Our lives became so involved with our own families that we only saw each other a few times a year. Last summer, after not seeing cousin Judy for almost two years, Carol and I invited her and her husband Buzz over for a meal on our

rear deck. Had a great time reminiscing about the old times at Crystal Beach. Now for the inherited cousins. Carol had three Aunts and they each had one son. Bobby was her oldest cousin, Ronnie her middle cousin and Gary her youngest. I got to know Bobby quite well after we were married, since he helped me coach little league baseball. Bobby was a few years older than both Carol and me and played professional baseball for 11 years. Most of it was spent in the minors, but he did make it to the Detroit Tigers for a short time before he injured his arm and had to call it quits. Big lefty was loved by all the kids on the team. I asked him to handle the pitchers and needless to say he did it in great fashion. One of the boys on the team eventually got drafted by the Twins out of high school. I saw Bobby last year at Walmart and he still looks the same as ever; tall, tan, and handsome. Ronnie was a quiet kid. Only met him a couple of times. Carol never was close to him and therefore we never got together with his family. Gary is a different story. I actually had Gary as a student in my metal shop class in high school. This was before I ever met Carol. Gary lived his mom and day, Carol's Aunt Bea and Uncle Albert, on Roseville Road in Manheim Township. After graduation Gary decided that he wanted to work on the railroad so he became a conductor. A few years of that and he became a hair dresser like his mom. That didn't work so well so he went to college and became a Doctor. Did his residency in Hawaii and never left the islands. Twice Carol and I have traveled to Honolulu to meet him and hash over old times. First year I got to see his car collection and take a ride in his 600 hp Camaro. Quite a ride through the hills overlooking the city. He has a reputation as one of the biggest supporters of medicinal marijuana on the island. Great host both times we visited and treated us to meals at Roy's on the Beach each time. Well, there you have a look at my cousins. Not as many as some families, but just as varied and different as most. Consider all of them family and hope to regain acquaintances with all of them sometime in my life. I guess I better get busy on it soon before something happens to them. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - photos from the top are: I'm taking my cousin Judy for a bike ride; vacation at Crystal Beach with Judy, Georgie, LDub in the middle and my brother Steve studying a stick; Judy and me on our back deck taken last year; The Hamilton Watch Baseball team with coaches in the rear of LDub, Bobby N. in the middle, and my cousin Judy's first husband Lance on the right; photo of Carol and cousin Gary taken in Hawaii.