Those We Miss Everyday, But Especially During The Holidays!

I'll begin by sharing a photo of my mother as a tween. Amazing woman who passed at the young age of 43. Packed a whole lot of living in that amount of time. Died way too young w/ SO much to offer the world. Blessed to have had her at the helm of our family for the first 10 years of my young life. To learn more about her, please read my image description.

1992, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving we found out my mother's cancer was terminal and that she had six months to live. Thanksgiving was always at our house and there was thought for about five seconds that maybe considering everything, we should move it. She would have none of that. So we had our regulars over for a fantastic Thanksgiving feast. Four weekes later just before Christmas, she passed. It's hard to fathom tht I have now lived half of my wife without her here.

Greetings Brooks, what a thoughtful discussion thread, I just want to say Happy Thanksgiving to everyone either with family, friends or alone if those are your plans and be safe in your journey near or far, Cheers, Michael Hoard

All the elders of the past have parted but in retrospect remember all the good times we shared. during the holidays.

Joseph, thank you so much for sharing your mother with us. Would love to see a picture, if you have one. What a lovely memory, that last Thanksgiving together.

Micheal, great to see YOU! What a wonderful photo. Yes, our elders who have gone on, we miss them. Thinking of those, as well, 'celebrating' the holidays without family or friends. Send my love & warm thoughts via this thread.

The cool-looking youngster with the bangs on the right is my grandfather, who grew up to be the best man I've ever known. Miss him everyday. Served with General Eisenhower, lived in British Honduras for a spell, was a football star for Tulane and his roots were Irish, English & Scot. His mother's family name was Barlow[e], maker of the famed Barlow knives, back in the day. Lived & raised his family {my mother & aunt} in New Orleans, LA. Best of the best, he was. The stories he could tell!

Hi Brooks, Such a lovely memory for Thanksgiving and such a lovely image of your mother...so sweet all decked out in her adorable outfit!

Michael I love your image too...I wonder if they even knew the photographer was there?

I had a few vintage shots uploaded here but deleted them. Your thread made me want to bring them back.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Val Arie! You are most welcome to share your vintage photos here...and add a little something about the people/person in them, as well. Thanks so much for your kinds comments. Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving, too!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=YNoLJy68ZcE

@Brooks, I want to say thank again for opening this discussion thread, I can only imagine what it would be like to actually meet you in person over a cup of coffee....your kind and gentle words reflect your personal persona which seems to just step out of the discussions you post.

@Val, that is such a keen observation, my grandfather Thomas Needham came to America a year after the Titanic sank. I have all the photos of him aboard the S. S. Celtic at the bow of the Celtic doing an Irish gig with an orchestra at the bow of the ship, that one photo in my collection has been missing for a few years now. A National Archival photo historian had informed me no one has a photo of the name of the S. S. Celtic . Historians have photos of the ship from away from portside but no photo has ever surfaced of images from the deck. Of the original photos in my collection I had a photo of my grandfather at the bow with the name of the boat directly above and behind him... That particular photo above Vintage Love I painstakingly restored of my grandfather and grandmother... The photo of my grandfather at the bow of the S. S. Celtic has tuned up missing over the years I tucked it somewhere and have never come across it.

I also have the photos of him from World War I but then, those photos I have asked myself a woman photographer would not have been present in scenes of him dressed in his war uniform , all the images reflect the same photographer signature and all the photos reflect the photographers sensitivity of the human spirit. When I review the photos I question could it have been a woman photographer. In some of the photos I detect a more personal inner connection a very sensitive of the photographers surroundings. It may have been a very close companion friend, who ever it was it had always been a mystery, I have carefully looked at photos from the boat to compare if anyone in fact is in the different photo who is present and who is not...thinking the photographer may be in one of the photos aboard the boat photos.

.An heir to President John F. Kennedy was married into the Needham family When my sister made the journey to the family farm which still operates in Ireland my sister visited the Abbey on the family farm and there was the tombstone of the heir to President John F. Kennedy. She had two sons one of whom I have the travel desk which my grandfather brought to America on his journey and may have been passed down through generations.. The travel disk is engraved Rev. Dermoody who's mother's married a Kennedy whom married into the Needham family. After doing extensive research I made the connection through research that a brother of Rev. Dermoody brother is in fact the famous late 17th, 18th century poet from Ireland.

An interesting artifact I have which I use each thanksgiving is a dinner plate from the the Needham estate. A Blue Willow pattern dinner plate...circa 1700's possibly 1800's.. In the 60's my mother and grandmother had informed me the plate was hundreds of years old... This plate among other family heirlooms was given to me by my mother prior to her death. He brought it with him on his journey to America and I have always eaten off the plate for Thanksgiving wherever I may be. The Needham family dates back hundreds of years and the very plate my grandfather brought over in 1913 was from the family estate. It was not uncommon for a family member to bring with them something from the family estate on their journey aboard. Its amazing this plate was aboard the S.S. Celtic and passed through Ellis Island when my grandfather came to America. .The very plate my grandfather ate off whom I never knew will be passed on as it has for hundreds of years and remain in the family.
I recently informed my sister I have included in my will the pate be given to her son to remain in the family for future generations.

Micheal, what a tribute to your family to have so lovingly restored the photo shared in your post above. You are right, keen observation by Val! Thanks SO much for sharing this wonderful part of your family history, the Needham's, their connection to the Kennedy's and so much more. What a journey. Loved reading and re-reading it. Btw, my younger sister's dear friend had a step-dad named Hal Needham, of Hollywood fame. Perhaps, he's a relation?

'Thank YOU', too, for your most kind & generous words re me & my posts! It's one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to & about me...and I appreciate it very much. Yes, it sure would be a pleasure to sit down with you one day in 'our' beloved New Orleans and chat over a cup of cafe au lait & some yummy beignets. My treat, if it ever happens!

Hello Brooks, I no longer have my Nikon it was destroyed about a week or so ago and just took this photo with the camera on my lap top but here is the actual dinner place which journeyed from Roscrea, Ireland aboard the S. S. Celtic 1913 a year after the Titanic sank.




detail on the rim of the dinner plate reveal many thumb indentations to prevent movement when standing on it edge in cupboards.....and the various paint splatters and detail of the extensive crackling of the china and glazing... on the backside.

It may be very possible your friend is related to the same Needham family, they were very prominent family. My grandfather Thomas Needham father's farm was the first farmer in Ireland to purchase US made reaping farming equipment. The daily newspaper wrote an entire front page story in the Tipperary News about the purchase of the American Made farming equipment. My grandfather sister would make the journey to America after his death aboard the Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth and others and live with us here in New Orleans for a few years and journey back to Ireland. When jet travel was popular she flew across. On her last journey here to New Orleans she passed away at the age of 96 and buried along side her brother... Both my sister and I have one of the original wool plaid blankets or throws she used when she sat out on deck on cooler voyages she made.

So interesting, Michael. Thanks for sharing all this family history...and the photos, too. Love it. Hope you're having a fantastic Thanksgiving!