Glimpse of Life-- Sixty Years Later

"I was going through an old box of family correspondence."

That statement alone is enough to perk up my eyes as I read my daily
dose of emails. One of my cousins wrote to tell me she had found
some letters of old she wanted to share. With her permission, I will
share excerpts with you.

Walter Robb GLENN (1882-1952) was one of eight children of Wilbert
Joseph GLENN (1850-1891) and Zuleika Florence RALSTON (1852-1918). I
first found Wilbert and Zuleika back in the late 1990s when I was
really starting to research my GLENN line. Wilbert and Zuleika are
both buried in my "family" cemetery, the St Clair Cemetery in
Allegheny Co, PA. I visited their graves, in addition to all my
family graves, in 2002. When the Historical Society of Mount Lebanon
began their project of researching the residents of St Clair
Cemetery, I joined in to help. Together, we found more information
on the family for the booklet on the cemetery.

Wilbert died young leaving his wife with six children. So, why
can't I find six children? One of the eight, Howard, had died at age
2. Another child, Maggie, appears to have died as a child. Where is
Walter?

In steps cousin Ellen with the key. Walter Robb GLENN, child of
Wilbert and Zuleika, was adopted by his aunt Maggie HAWKINS who had
no natural children. They later move to California.

I have followed Walter and his life in California through census
records. Now, he comes to life-- 60 years after writing these
words. Here is part of Walter's 1947 letter to his nephew and niece
upon the death of their father James, Walter's natural brother.

Los Angeles 28, California
August 28, 1947

....My recollections of that delightful
visit in 1934 are still vivid and pleasant. I treasure
the memory of seeing you two and all the others during
that eventful summer that now seems in some ways so
long ago and in others so recent....

...Jim certainly lived a wonderfully fine life. Of all
the six children left when our father died so young,
it was he that assumed the heavy responsibilities and
sacrifices of a very immature head of a family. Why
did I never tell him how much I appreciated and
admired him? We just don't do those things, do we?...

...We are spending this summer rather quietly at home.
Usually we take a rather extensive auto trip, but not
this time. We just take an occasional one day jaunt
around the nearby countryside. We turned in our old
car the other day, my third Olds, and purchased a
Chevrolet--about the only car we could get delivery
on. We may take a two or three day trip in it soon,
just to get the thrill of a new car. I remember the
thrill you kids got from my first Olds back in '34. Do
you?.....

I hope you are now inspired to find some old family letters. Go back
and spend some time with your family. You just never know what
glimpse you will find.