mystery uncle

Uncle John was born during World War I, a year before it ended. He died one year before World War II began. There was more nation-sponsored killing of young men in the first half of the 20th century than I can imagine.

homage to unknown uncle

Six years before I was born, my mother's younger brother (John L. Groff) was killed when his car wrecked. Seventy-one years later (Saturday) some Groff cousins discussed the two newspaper articles about the accident and the two obituaries (one in the local newspaper and one in the church periodical). We gathered at the cemetery and shared info and asked questions of three of his contemporaries--Chris Brackbill, Amos Groff, and his sister, Elsie Martin.

tuplip and tree

Out front at the pump, the tulips are wide awake; the black walnut across the road is just now starting to bud.

intruder in garden

Last night some horses traipsed through the garden, crushing some plants. Here are four lettuce plants off to a good start. The step in the middle has toppled one. I asked a neighbor, who noticed hoof prints in other fields nearby, but the culprits are still unknown.