Farewell, Prince Chaming
Garth William Spees followed Maxeen (my mom) and Nelda (also teeny brother but Teeny Brother died at days of age and was mostly significant in that he was typical of the flue epidemic of 1920). Garth's pictures as a boy were of a pretty little boy...all golden hair and grin but hardly angelic. By the time my brother Bill and I came along he was back from the Navy...seaman 1st class and absolutely adorable in sailor pants, hat tipped over one eye and that grin.
Garth married the prettiest girl in town. She had green eyes red hair and a tragic past...her parents abandoned her and her grandmaother was "rigid", one of the "spare the rod types"... He was close to 6 feet and Maralou was 5 foot-two. He went to college and was such a charmer that everyone loved him and she was the small town girl he came back to rescue. I was 3 when I was the flower girl at their wedding. All I remember is the light in the colored glass windows was pretty and it wasn't my grandpa's church.
The pictures of the wedding are very much in tune with the times...1948 and everyone just begining to relax and enjoy life. They were the prettiest people I had ever seen. And so happy. When ever I imagined a prince and princess from a fairy story the prince looked just like my uncle Garth. And he could whistle, too.
He was the ideal uncle.... a big, friendly, goldy colored, huggy bear of an uncle. Who whistled...birds calls, show tunes, classical music.
He taught High School and coached wrestling and in later years died his beard red and let the team shve it off if they won (he used Maralou's hair color so they matched...at least during wrestling season).
I last saw him when I went back to see my cousin Chris a couple of years ago. At mom's memorial the year before he'd still been able to read and get around although no one let him drive- even though my driving terrified all the aunts and uncles. When I saw him again he'd lost weight and was irritable and cranky. He still whistled but it was the same tune over and over. Maralou seemed a little lost. Having to drive him around and say "no" to him when he wanted a 2nd or 3rd cocktail. He'd always taken care of her and I could see that she couldn't accept the change in roles.
In March of this year he was hospitalized and then sent to the small nursing facility that had cared for his sister Roberta and her twin Robert.
He died yesterday.
I miss him.
Garth married the prettiest girl in town. She had green eyes red hair and a tragic past...her parents abandoned her and her grandmaother was "rigid", one of the "spare the rod types"... He was close to 6 feet and Maralou was 5 foot-two. He went to college and was such a charmer that everyone loved him and she was the small town girl he came back to rescue. I was 3 when I was the flower girl at their wedding. All I remember is the light in the colored glass windows was pretty and it wasn't my grandpa's church.
The pictures of the wedding are very much in tune with the times...1948 and everyone just begining to relax and enjoy life. They were the prettiest people I had ever seen. And so happy. When ever I imagined a prince and princess from a fairy story the prince looked just like my uncle Garth. And he could whistle, too.
He was the ideal uncle.... a big, friendly, goldy colored, huggy bear of an uncle. Who whistled...birds calls, show tunes, classical music.
He taught High School and coached wrestling and in later years died his beard red and let the team shve it off if they won (he used Maralou's hair color so they matched...at least during wrestling season).
I last saw him when I went back to see my cousin Chris a couple of years ago. At mom's memorial the year before he'd still been able to read and get around although no one let him drive- even though my driving terrified all the aunts and uncles. When I saw him again he'd lost weight and was irritable and cranky. He still whistled but it was the same tune over and over. Maralou seemed a little lost. Having to drive him around and say "no" to him when he wanted a 2nd or 3rd cocktail. He'd always taken care of her and I could see that she couldn't accept the change in roles.
In March of this year he was hospitalized and then sent to the small nursing facility that had cared for his sister Roberta and her twin Robert.
He died yesterday.
I miss him.