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Our Little House In Union Gap

This was the house I first remember. The house where I lived with my mom, my sister and my brother. I don't recall the oldest brother living with us here. The two red cars are obviously somebody's from recent residence.  In fron was an Acacia tree, minus the picket fence, two houses down from Mrs. Flores on the corner of Emma and 1st St.

Mom was divorced and working at H&H Packing,  on Ahtanum Rd, which later became Washington Beef.

She worked full-time to support us in our little home in Union Gap.

I had a friend across the street named Jeffy, who was mentally handicapped. Didn't know it at the time. He lived with his grandpa and his aunt Anna. My first real friend.

Mom
Sonya
Tommy
Benny

Judy Stansbury
Jay Stansbury
Heather Stansbury

Mrs. Florez
Mr. Florez
Carmen Rojas
Mike Rojas


Jeffy
Anna
Jeffy's Grandpa


Nat

Roy

Ray Staley


Karen Rekin
Don Kerns

We had a "friend of the family". I was 3-4 while I lived here. I was not even aware that our "friend" Nat, was my father. He visited from time to time. Once he took me out to the desert and said we would shoot jack rabbits. I never saw any rabbits, but got to hold his .38.

I think I was 4 years old when this picture was taken. We were taking my brother Tom to the Yakima airport where he departed for boot camp and then Viet Nam. He was obviously way under 18.

Christmas with my sister Sonya. I so remember that lamp.

I found out that Suzette Mount liked me during Fourth Grade P.E. She was kind of flirty, but I might have been too, lol. I was 11 and she was 13-14. She never really gave me a straight answer. What she did give me was a shopping list. I had to bring her candy the first time I rode my bike over to her house. We stood infront of her house, on opposite side of the fence taht used to be there. We made small talk and her  mom yelled "Just kiss him already!" That didin't happen. That day.

 

She instructed me to pick out very specific candies from the coandy counter at our restaurant on my way to school. I believe the confectionary order increased exponentially over the next week or two. The other girls taunted me, saying "She's just using you! She just likes you for candy!"  How dare they suggest that I had not found true love??? What nerve. Soon after that, Ben got onto me about the candy. One of his evil waitresses finked on me!

 

I was forced to explain to Suzette that I could no longer carry duffle bags full of Tootsie Pops to her any more. She dropped me like a half-eaten candied-apple.

 

I was a sucker for a pretty face. Hot lunch at school was 45 cents a day. I thought the youngish lunch lady who sold the lunch tickets was cute, so every day I handed her my two quarters and let her keep the change. So slick. Got in trouble again. Somebody at school finked on me too. Whole blasted town was full of finks.

 

 

If you have any memories or details/corrections, please use the comment box below

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