Chapter 33: Birthday and Graduation

The underexposure brings out an eerie, almost glowing glassiness in Larry's eyes, as if he's practicing for his Village of the Damned screen test.  Mom certainly went all out with the preparation of the cake, which is complete with a yellow "Happy Birthday" candle holder surrounded by what looks like frosted and sprinkled animal cookies.  Wonder if this is an idea she gleaned from Better Homes and Gardens, one of the few magazines -- Time and Reader's Digest being the other two -- to which my parents subscribed during the 1950s and into the 60s.

Somewhat surprisingly, Dad took few photos of the various activities, social and otherwise, that took place at First English Lutheran Church.  One of the exceptions of this informal and casually snapped group portrait of 1955 church member graduates of Great Falls High School.  With their mature, almost matronly appearances, the two young women in the center of the photo look to have graduated from high school the year their classmates were born.

Chapter 7: The Story Continues in 1954

This copy didn't respond well to any of the Windows Photo Gallery's fixes:  Auto Adjust, Adjust Color, Adjust Exposure -- although Mom's not quite as washed-out as appears in the original slide.  I'm guessing this picture was taken in the office of First English Lutheran Church.  Whether she's helping out Dad by filling in for the regular secretary or composing one of her regular letters to relatives, I couldn't say.  And, sadly, Mom's not around to ask anymore.  (Mom was quite the letter writer, by the way,)

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It's May 11th, and we're celebrating Larry's 3rd birthday.  ("Baby Face" Nelson.)  Not sure why both electrical cords -- the upper one leads to a wall clock -- are plugged into the same outlet. The kitchen window looks out onto an alley, where, with some daylight, you can see the backside of a Buttrey's grocery store .

The picture quality is a little fuzzy, and Larry looks quite a bit older than in the above photo.

I could ask Larry, but I'm sure he wouldn't remember.  Did you receive a trike on your 3rd birthday?  But it does seem to be a very distinct possibility.

Paul hops on for a ride.  (Wish Dad would have positioned us in the aun for these last two pictures.)  If this is mid-May, it seems as though the trees shouldn't be so bare -- even in Montana.  The back end of the car at the right makes me think we have company -- Bonnie & Clyde!

(License plate sidebar.  In Montana, the first number designates the county, based on population rank, in which the car is registered.  In other words, based on the 1950 census in this case, Cascade County, in which Great Falls is located, is the second most populous county in the state.  Remember, this was a time when new license plates, not just renewal stickers, were issued every year.   And who was #1?  Yellowstone County -- largest city:  Billings.)