This is one of my favorite pictures of Grandma and Grandad (Mildred and Harold Votaw). It’s not posed – and from Grandma’s expression, it looks like it was snapped just after something funny happened. We’re at Penn Park in Whittier, probably on a Sunday afternoon, and from the look of the ribbons around Grandad’s neck there were probably birthday presents involved. The two of them are sitting comfortably together and he is looking relaxed and content, as he always did.
Grandad, Grandma, and Aunt have just got off the plane in Hawaii. This photo is dated May 1960 and I think that this stop might have been one made on an around-the-world trip that they took that year.
Grandad married Grandma on his 23rd birthday, June 25, 1926. So they always celebrated his birthday and their anniversary at the same time. This was taken at our house during their last celebration, in 1963. He was 60 years old and it was their 37th anniversary. I think they knew it would be their last, so it was extra special.
This article was printed in the California Friend, a monthly magazine published by our Quaker denomination. It gives an excellent summary of the various ministry efforts that Harold was involved in. (Click to enlarge for reading.)
I was 11 years old when Grandad died. I remember sitting in our living room at home with our family, a few days after his death, and someone remarked, “I wonder if these kids will remember him.” “I will!” I said. John was just a year and a half, and we all agreed that he wouldn’t remember him.
But my memories are the memories that a child has, of course. I wish he’d lived longer so that I could have got to know him as an adult. Based on things that were written about him in articles that you can see on this page, he was well worth knowing. His impact on the direction of our family was great, and we are all indebted to him. Karen and I were proud to name our son after him (Harold is Jeff’s middle name).
Grandma and Grandad pose with Sue and Peggy, all in the same chair at Aunt’s house.
This photo was taken at the celebration of Grandad and Grandma’s 35th wedding anniversary in 1961.
This was the order of worship used for Harold’s memorial service.
This photo was taken in the back yard of my grandparents’ home, which was on the slope of a steep hill. The back border of the yard was an ivy “wall” that extended two stories high. They look happy in this photo!
Here’s an informal pose, one that depicts Grandad as I remember him best.
Harold’s business card at Pomona Box Company
This is the last “letter” that Harold wrote, just a few months before his death. It’s called “Reflections at Sixty”. It looks both forward and back, with gratitude and optimism – characteristics that Grandad displayed everywhere he went. (Click to enlarge for reading.)
The Working Years, by Dick Votaw
(part 9) (part 8) (part 7) (part 6)
(part 5) (part 4) (part 3) (part 2) (part 1)
Another pennant came to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1963 and a sweep of the Yankees in the World Series. In 1962, Mom & Dad purchased two season seats at Dodger stadium and of course, sold off many of them to friends, but because they had these seats we were given the chance to buy two extra seats to the world series. This was the last time Dad got to a ball game and it was a struggle for him that day as I remember it. This was the first or second week in October and he died on October 30. He and Mom and taken their last vacation together about a month or so earlier when they had gone to Carmel.
I think Dad had known for a long time that he was going downhill, but he never let on to anyone else. Thinking back on some of the things he did the last few months of his life I am sure this is true. Mother, being the baseball fan that she was, did not want to give up the Dodger games, so we decided to buy two additional seats so Doree and I could take her beginning in the 1964 season. We took a guest for the fourth seat until Mom remarried.
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