Scanned, Resoration; Raleigh, NC
Post written; Raleigh, NC
March, 2021
March 29, 2021
Blogger’s note
We were married almost 23 years. But in those days of youth, of creating our own lives, we thought little of our ancestors. I have few pictures and know almost nothing of Robin’s heritage. Our grandchildren – Robin’s and mine – never met Robin. They have no idea of who she was and of who we were. So this is the purpose of these Stories of Long Ago. I want Annie, Jake, and Rachel to know who Robin was. I want them to know who we were. Over the next six posts I intend to tell our story so that now and later, perhaps when they are my age, they will know …
Flashback
Robin and I were married June 11, 1967, the day after we graduated from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. OMG! So young.
A time before me!
Robin’s family was a blend of almost everything that was Indiana. Louis Pirka and Elizabeth Csuetor immigrated from Hungary at different times. There’s a family story that Louis actually saw her once in Hungary – and winked at her! Scandalous. But it was only a passing moment. She left Hungary in 1908, he left in 1909. Apparently they both ended up in South Bend, Indiana where there was a vibrant Hungarian population. They were married and settled in Mishawaka, about the southernmost extent of Indiana’s industrial north.
All the pictures below have been passed on to me by Robin’s family. Karen (Robin’s aunt) and Sandy (Robin’s older sister) provided these treasures.
Louis and Elizabeth had two sons, Ernest (1912) and Robin’s father Louis Charles Pirka, Jr (1914). This wonderful picture is all I have.
Hold the blog – now there’s more!
After seeing my draft of this post, Sandy found more pictures for me. She copied them with her cell phone and sent the images to me. She also added a couple of little sister stories. I’ve added the new pictures and stories. Much better post now!!!
Of course, no one told me until now that Robin’s father, Louis Jr., was quite a dancer. I knew him. We spent hours talking tools and craftsmanship, and woodworking. He was a machinist, the machine shop inspector, at Dodge Manufacturing in Mishawaka. He took me to the plant and showed me his work station. I have his inspection microscope! But I never knew he was a dancer in his youth. He dressed up in his ethnic clothes and went dancing at the Hungarian Club. Here he is with an unknown woman, circa early 1930’s.
Ray and Mary Emmons
Robin’s maternal grandparents, Ray Emmons and Edna Alspach, lived in Fulton County, Indiana. This is pure Indiana farmland that started just south of Mishawaka. Robin’s mother, Mary Ann Emmons (1920) was the second of five children: Donald (1918), Kathleen (1922), Jean (1925), and Karen (1935).
Together circa late 1980’s. I believe (left to right): Karen, Jean, Donald, Mary, Kathleen.
Now I have this picture of Louis and Mary dancing – probably in the late 1930’s.
Mary, in front of the house where they rented a room, with Robin’s older sister Sandy (middle) and two unknown neighborhood children.
Finally, here she is …
Robin was born in 1946. Mary holds Robin in the first picture I have of her.
Another new picture from Sandy. I’d never seen a picture of Mary’s father – here Ray Emmons is on the left with Mary and Karen in back and Robin and Sandy in front. It’s Sandy’s thumb holding the picture as she copies it using her cellphone.
I believe Mary’s youngest sister, Karen, lived with the family during Robin’s early years. In the gallery below, the first picture is of Karen with Robin and big sister Sandy. The remaining pictures are undated pictures of Robin and Sandy ending with Robin’s high school graduation picture.
(Click on any image in the gallery. Once the picture is up, you can view each image by clicking (tapping) on the arrow that appears on the right edge. Click through the image set. Move forward and backward. Then you can click on the small [X] in the upper right corner to return to the blog.)
A couple of my favorite pictures, and two stories
I know this was also a family favorite – Mary showed it to me years ago.
Robin dressed for a Little Po Beep recitation.
Recently, Sandy reminded me of two favorite Robin stories. Robin was 3 or 4 when she found a dead bird in the backyard. Mary was upset and started to throw it away. Robin sobbed and then cried, “No, No! Daddy will fix it!” Stopped Mary right in her tracks. How could she explain?
Robin was 10 years younger than Karen. Karen lived with them and Robin idolized her as her biggest sister. Karen dated Carl in high school and married him soon after. Once when Karen was still in high school, Carl came to pick her up – immaculately dressed for the occasion. Robin was in the front yard playing with the hose. As Carl approached Robin turned the hose on him! Soaked him. Later Mom asked Robin what possessed her to do such a thing? Robin said quietly, “I don’t know mommy. A little voice just told me to!”
Finally, my favorite school picture of Robin – dressed for her high school prom. She looks so happy …
The family before
I want to show some pictures of those who surrounded Robin when I met her.
Mary and Louis’s pictures are from a later time, but these are their pictures as I remember them. Christmas with them are some of the most wonderful memories I have. Mary ran Christmas morning making sure everyone got the same number of presents and that we all took turns opening them!
Louis and I spent more time talking tools and woodworking than talking fishing, but still this picture captures him as I remember.
Together for Mary and Louis’s 25th wedding anniversary Robin, Mary, Louis, and Sandy – probably about 1968. I may have taken this picture.
Now I’ll show two wonderful girls to link me to the family. Sandy’s daughters, now grown with children of their own, are still treasures in my life. Jana is the eldest …
And Hope is still a delight ….
Again Jana – she gets an extra picture simply because I took these pictures and still have them!
Let’s jump to Robin’s and my day
A day I still remember. My new family – Mary, Bob, Mark, Sandy, Hope, Me, Jana, Robin, Debbie, and Karen!
Here is the first hint of who Robin and I were. Robin cringed when our Unitarian minister told us he’d never had a couple who would do a Friends style wedding: a time of quiet, a time of friends welcoming us together, then a time when we’d spontaneously announce our commitment. She knew I couldn’t resist the challenge. I said, “Yes! Let’s do it!” Robin agreed. But she said our parents would never feel we were actually married without the traditional vows. We added them at the end and everyone was happy.
This is the handout everyone received as they entered Beck Chapel on the IU campus.
Our friend Don Goldenbaum played classical guitar as people entered and then he introduced our silence with his guitar.
Louis brought Robin to me.
We celebrated afterwards. My family Fred, Adade, and Ann. Robin and me. Mary and Louis.
The ladies of my life.
Finally – Robin after the guests were gone.
Next – the 60’s
The 1960’s – the bedrock of our life together.
These are awesome Barry. Such great memories! Will you be cataloging Tennessee and North Carolina? The anniversary picture was Mary and Louie’s 25 th anniversary. So Robin would have been?23. I remember mom was 28 because that’s when I figured out she was born before they were married. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks Jana! Sandy is doing those beautiful quilts; I’m trying to do stories. And Yes. I’m going to do our college days next – including the warts. Our politics. Our rather unusual paths. I’m going to include a lot of my documentary photography which will show the world as we knew it in the 60’s. But Sandy has now sent a bunch more pictures and I’m going to add them to this post over the next couple of days.
I am hoping that soon we can travel. Even if carefully and respectfully. Hopefully you can pass on stories and details that I’ve missed.
I just spent hours going through pictures for you! I guess I should’ve read the post first since you already have most of them. The photo of dad in his Hungarian get up would be good. Also a few with Robin as a baby with mom. And don’t forget how outlandish she was, turning the hose on Carl and insisting daddy could fix the dead bird!
All in all a good job!
Sandy
Thanks Sandy. Can’t match your quilts but thiis is a legacy I can pass on. So I’m reviewing your pictures. I’m going to add some – after you tell me who is who in the pictures! I send you my questions by email later.
– barry
What a lovely gift to your grandchildren, Barry. Tobin, gone way, way too soon. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Mary! I think of this as my legacy. Robin has said she doesn’t want a hundred thousand digital pictures! She want’s me to select, write stories, and then print it as books for her and the kids. Makes me feel my life in retirement is worthwhile!
– Barry
Once again I have the opportunity to enjoy your talent of comments. These memories are precious to me. Robin was always my baby possibly since she was born when was ten, old enough to appreciate a little one. I am looking forward to more.
Thanks Karen, I appreciate your comments – AND the pictures you sent. I think this is a labor of love for both of us. Stay Safe, – barry
Well I emailed my comments before instead of putting them here. Funny that Jana and I remembered that 25th anniversary party because we couldn’t understand how our mom was 28. I think your wedding is one of my earliest memories!
Hi Hope! As I told Karen, this is a lbaor of love for all of us! – barry
Barry,
Oh my. You are preserving precious memories of Robin’s life. Your family will appreciate your blog ever so much in years to come. I remember coming to Clay County and interviewed with the school superintendent. His first question was whether I had met Barry and Robin. I said no. And he replied that he was sure I would be meeting you soon. Of course, we did. We shared special times camping, hiking, picking blueberries at Shining Rock, wildflower hikes, and our love of teaching exceptional students. It was a gift to share those years with you and Robin. Her spirit remains with me. Thank you for sharing your blog.
Hi Carol –
Yes, THANKS! I too remember those days. And they’ll show up here. I’m going to do a post on our college days, another post of my B&W documentary photographs, and then I’m going to do several on our lives in Clay and Cherokee Counties. I haven’t started to select pictures or write any of these yet – but I’ll have them up reasonably soon. I’m hoping that soon we’ll be able to get together! Stay Safe, – barry
Hi Barry,
Boy this is a memory walk for me. I remember having seen these pictures. Thank you so much for documenting all of this. I treasure the memories of the family and Robin. She and I were very close from the time I was very young.
One correction I would have because it relates directly to my experience. (Edna) Grandma Emmons didn’t die in 1935. She died when I was in junior high in the late 60’s. She was living in California with her second husband Howard Ballenger. Mom took Mark and I out to see them at the end of my 3rd grade year. When she died I begged Aunt Jean and Aunt Mary to go to the funeral with them. I think basically I wanted to go to California again. They of course said “No!”
THANK YOU Deb. I’ve corrected both the initial chart and the text. This is so much fun remembering and connecting again with you. I’ve got a lot more to remember and write. I’m going to do a post on our college days, another post of my B&W documentary photographs, and then I’m going to do several on our lives in Clay and Cherokee Counties. I haven’t started to select pictures or write any of these yet – but I’ll have them up reasonably soon. So please check me – I need all the help I can get! Stay Safe! – barry
This is great edit Barry. There’s still some errors I’ll email you about.
Sandy
Hi Sandy – I read your email. Deb also alerted me to the problem. So I corrected the chart and deleted the incorrect sentence. I don’t think I’ll add any new details because they don’t affect the story of Robin that I’m starting to tell. Since there will be more stories, please help me keep things straight. – barry
Wonderful to read Barry. I see so much resemblance between Robin and Jacob and a little of Rachel. Not much of Annie – think she is more Winter!
This is such a treasure for these three! Just think – someday they will be sharing this with their children and grandchildren!
Hi Carol Lynn! This is such fun. Too me, I see a lot of Robin in Rachel. I simply associate Jake with Patrick so I’m not sure who I see in Jake. My next post will be on on college days – WHOA! Memories. THANKS, – barry
Beautiful Barry that you were able to put this together. Even if the grandchildren do not understand all of this they will probably at some point in their lives AND their children’s lives. How wonderful to prepare this for posterity! Congratulations on another completion! Barbara
Hi Barbara! Thanks! I have over 100,000 images in my Lightroom catalog! I have hundreds of paper pictures of my own and the family. Megan has simply said, “NO!” There is no way we can look through all those pictures. You go through them and tell stories. Post them as stories on your blog. Then pick the best stories and create books for me and the kids. So this is my legacy. So much fun. Stay safe and have fun! – barry
I was to young to have many memories, but thoroughly enjoy reading and viewing.
Thanks
Mark
Ah Mark! But I remember you. You had an incredible infectious smile! I even have a picture of you wearing that smile. – barry
Hi Barry, I really enjoyed reading your blog! The pictures and your narrative really brought me into your life. I hope you are well.
best,
Michael