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I guess you can say this is where it all started. 1/4 of it anyway. These are my paternal great-grandparents, Abraham & Rose Levi (name later changed to Leon). The small boy on the left is my grandfather Harry and the baby is Uncle Herman. The two boys on the right are Uncle Nat & Uncle Ralph. Not yet born was Aunt Edith & the youngest Uncle Henry who is the last one living. He's 91, sharp as a tack and living in Atlantic City NJ. Great-Grandfather Abraham was born in Russia in 1879 and emigrated to England when he was only 8. Rose was born in Latvia also in 1879 and came to England at age 16. They married in 1900 at age 21. All the children were born & raised in Leeds, Yorkshire, England... and boy, were they proud of that!
1912
The Yorkshire Gang all grown up. From left is Ralph, Nat, my grandfather Harry, Herman, Henry and Edith in the center. As a kid it was such a blast having these folks around at family gatherings. They all had a great sense of humor and hearty laughs. Uncle Nat stayed in England so I only met him a time or two but do remember he was just nice as the rest.About 1965
Bear with me here... This shot (below) is an absolute classic. An extended family picture about 1943. Three of the Levi kids with their parents in the center, the same couple that was young in the 1912 photo. The handsome young boy to the left is actually my Father at 10 or 11 years old with Aunt Elaine who is five years younger. Then my grandfather Harry with my grandmother Millie as she was called. Standing next to Harry is his sister, my Great Aunt Edith. The tallest man next to her is her husband also named Harry. Now follow me here: Uncle Harry Shaw was my mother's Uncle (brother of my maternal grandfather Samuel Shaw) and his niece married his wife's nephew who was my father! The result, Me! Edith was a Leon and Harry was a Shaw so my parents marriage was also a Leon-Shaw union. That made their daughter Frieda is the first cousin of both my mother and my father! I know, boring stuff but I think it's interesting. Anyway on the far right is Uncle Henry and his wife of 64 years, Beverly who died in 1999. Their son Dennis is next to Beverly. One other note. Uncle Harry had polio when he was a boy and could only walk with crutches. He's holding them in this picture but they're hidden. He was a funny guy. He would lose his balance and fall sometimes but would yell, "Who the hell pushed me" to make light of it.
1943
Here I am with Uncle Henry & Aunt Beverly (couple on the far right above) in 1991. I really love this picture. Do I look like Uncle Henry? Can you see a resemblance. I think it's there for sure. Aunt Bev was so pretty. As I mentioned she passed away in 1999 after they were married for 64 years. (Sorry about my "porn star" mustache.)
Uncle Henry 1998, age 83.
Uncle Henry 2007, age 92!
