Email from Mary Farley
November 23, 2021
Jerry had the family films converted into DVDs. The footage starts in 1951. We had just moved from Fort Dodge, Iowa. We were living in Seattle in the Sand Point Country Club area. Dad had purchased a movie camera and a hand-held spotlight device. You will see that it is awkward to hold both of them. The spots were very bright when shining into your eyes. It was necessary to move the camera slowly in a steady hand. Some of the film got burned when it was run in a projector and there is slippage where the sprocket holes got torn.
The first scenes are of Kay and Jean in cowgirl phase. Kay is wearing Jerry's chaps. the guns and hats belonged to the boys. Kay is five and Jean is four. There are shots of Kay and Jean roller skating that are classic. Kay cruising and Jean struggling. Shots of our first ferry ride to Bremerton and back--an amazing experience for children from the Midwest bring back my sense of wonder at the amount of water that existed.The boys playing baseball in the street in front of our rented home, even one of me playing and "throwing like a girl!" as Bryan would say. We moved to Bothell in July of 1953 and you will see our first day of school. We are walking down the front steps all dressed up. Our grandmother Ehlert and grandpa John are watching us with huge smiles on their faces.
You are going to see lots of birthday parties and Christmas day presents, and a party in the basement recreation room. Candy as an adorable baby growing up to be 4 or 5 years old. She was so cute and loved. There are pictures of family friends, dad's cousins, business partners and neighbors. Confirmations and first communion ceremonies show pretty girls and dresses, altar boys and one shot of Jerry with his favorite teacher who asked about him until she died.
Dad's mother and father are seen on two different occasions. Watch for the man walking down the back steps waving his hat. Dad's sister, Phyllis, drove Grandma and Grandpa out to Bothell to pick up his brother Earl, who got discharged from the navy at Whidbey Island. They stayed for a few days and then drove back to Beresford where Earl raised 9 children after meeting Lucy. Phyllis returned to Sioux City where she met Dave and had 4 children in Nebraska.
Eventually there is Cathy. Our living doll baby.
Thank you, Jerry, for the DVDs!
