Favorite Uncle - Part I

One maybe should not have a "favorite" relative, but face it, some of them just impress you differently than others.   I have decided to write in my blog about my favorite uncle...but I willl choose one from my Dad's side and one from my Mom's side.    Today I will write about my

Uncle Joe (Dad's brother).

Joe was was born in 1894.

He was my Dad's older brother.

When I was very young,

He was the pastor of our church.

[but I don't really remember this]

But of course, Pastors move every once in awhile.

When I was about 6, he moved to Lake Lillian, Minnesota

to serve at Grace Lutheran Church.

From there, he moved to Stanwood, Washington

and was the chaplain at a nursing home.

Joe was more "refined" than some of my relatives.

He was quieter, and softer spoken.

He never wore bib overalls.

He was almost always "dressed up."

And always clean-shaven.

He had a great sense of humor.

Joe, along with the rest of his siblings often laughed their socks off

reminiscing about their childhood!

I can remember him humming hymns as he went about his business.

He loved to sing. 

He  also loved baseball (Seattle Mariners)

I can remember him playing croquet with  my Dad,

my little brother and me at Lake Lillian.

That was special to me, perhaps because often

the adults didn't play games with the kids in those days.

Uncle Joe talked to us kids in a kindly manner.

I can't write about Joe without mentioning his wife, Esther.

She was a hoot!

She was full of fun and brought much laughter.

She wore lovely jewelry and nice perfume.

I think she "wore the pants" in the family,

But I don't think Joe would have had it any other way.

Uncle Joe used to say that

 "God will provide, and Esther will do the rest!"

Once, when Joe & Esther were visiting here for awhile

She had gone somewhere to visit friends for a couple of days.

When Esther got back, Joe was so glad to see her

that they hugged & kissed right in front of all of us!!

[Now that may not seem like a big deal, but our family, like many others back then,

 was not known for displaying affection in front of others.]

But what I remember most about Uncle Joe is his kindness

and his Christian example to us.

Joe died on March 3, 1990.

Joe & Esther Melby