67 Beautiful Years
Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2016 12:36 am
The year was 1948. Margaret had enrolled in nursing school at the University of Cincinnati. Roy was working 180 miles away in Toledo. With a badly weathered 1937 Chevrolet at his disposal Roy was faced with the challenge of reliably making that Toledo-to-Cincinnati weekend round trip on a very regular basis. His solution, his automotive savior was the revolutionary all-new 1948 "step-down" Hudson. It didn't take long for Roy to realize that he had stumbled onto something very special, not only with regard to Margaret, but also with regard to his new Hudson Super Six.
Cameras were not quite as available in 1948 as they are today but make no mistake, a pair of pictures were taken shortly after Roy obtained that new Hudson. Roy proudly stationed his girl on the front right fender and froze time with a photograph that forever recorded his two loves, Margaret and his Super Six.
Likewise Margaret took her turn with the camera and caught a singularly defining moment; her man and his sleek, brand new, step-down Hudson.
Love led to marriage, hard work, a new ranch house in Michgan, a growing family of three energetic boys. Second by second, hour by hour, week by week, year by year, time marched on. Three boys grew up into careers and families of their own. Life in Michigan was traded for time split between Kentucky and Florida. Retirement became a reality. 50 years of marriage were celebrated. You blink your eyes and 50 years became 60. If only we all could be as faithful as the clock and the calendar.
Some insist that history occasionally repeats itself. I'm here today to attest to that reality. This past October my heart, as my father's had been, was captured by a beautiful 1948 step-down Hudson. I fell in love with the car for different reasons than Roy had of course. Roy's love for his car was born out of genuine need for reliable transportation. My love was born out of the emotion of having been one of the beneficiaries of Roy and Margaret's family love story. Here was my shot at cheating time, at turning back the clock and reliving the special gifts of a by-gone era.
It was early November when the Hudson completed it's cross-country trek from Washington state to southwestern Ohio. When my parents were here at the house for Thanksgiving I took the family for a ride in this new '48. I also took the opportunity to re-stage those original 1948 photographic poses. We planted Roy's girl on the front right fender for a second time.
And there is that proud, enthusiastic step-down Hudson smile once again on Roy's face.
And so it is that I've managed to capture two shots that demonstrate just how beautiful 67 years can look.
A final photo of Roy and his son:
Cameras were not quite as available in 1948 as they are today but make no mistake, a pair of pictures were taken shortly after Roy obtained that new Hudson. Roy proudly stationed his girl on the front right fender and froze time with a photograph that forever recorded his two loves, Margaret and his Super Six.
Likewise Margaret took her turn with the camera and caught a singularly defining moment; her man and his sleek, brand new, step-down Hudson.
Love led to marriage, hard work, a new ranch house in Michgan, a growing family of three energetic boys. Second by second, hour by hour, week by week, year by year, time marched on. Three boys grew up into careers and families of their own. Life in Michigan was traded for time split between Kentucky and Florida. Retirement became a reality. 50 years of marriage were celebrated. You blink your eyes and 50 years became 60. If only we all could be as faithful as the clock and the calendar.
Some insist that history occasionally repeats itself. I'm here today to attest to that reality. This past October my heart, as my father's had been, was captured by a beautiful 1948 step-down Hudson. I fell in love with the car for different reasons than Roy had of course. Roy's love for his car was born out of genuine need for reliable transportation. My love was born out of the emotion of having been one of the beneficiaries of Roy and Margaret's family love story. Here was my shot at cheating time, at turning back the clock and reliving the special gifts of a by-gone era.
It was early November when the Hudson completed it's cross-country trek from Washington state to southwestern Ohio. When my parents were here at the house for Thanksgiving I took the family for a ride in this new '48. I also took the opportunity to re-stage those original 1948 photographic poses. We planted Roy's girl on the front right fender for a second time.
And there is that proud, enthusiastic step-down Hudson smile once again on Roy's face.
And so it is that I've managed to capture two shots that demonstrate just how beautiful 67 years can look.
A final photo of Roy and his son:
I love it when life is better than the movies