January 16, 1913

This is a postcard that I found in my Granny Brennan's house.
It is dated January 16, 1916.
The writing is too faded for me to read.
I am trying to find out who it is, I think it is my Great Great Grandpa Salyers and Great Great Grandma Salyers.

Her maiden name was Lola Collins.

Brennan Chrysler Plymouth

These are newspaper articles about my dad's carlot that my Granny Brennan saved. I printed the pictures in the wrong order. Oh well.

One of my favorite stories was about the time a man came running into the showroom of the carlot. Keep in mind the carlot was in rural West Virginia in the 70's. He was upset because he was on his way to the hospital with his wife, she was in labor, and his car had broken down. My dad threw him the keys to a car and told him to bring it back when everything was over. (my dad didn't even know this man)

Later that day the man called my mom at home to thank her for the car and to tell her they had a baby boy. He wanted to know my dad's full name because he wanted to name the baby after him. She told him that she didn't think that he would want to name the baby after my dad once he found out his whole name.

The man insisted, so she told him my dad's name was "William Arnold". The man hesitated a second and then he said, "How about I name him "William Andrew", and so "William Andrew" came into the world.

Pepaw Brennan

This is my Pepaw Brennan when he was a soldier in WWII. I was told once that when he came back from Germany that he had a whole suitcase full of money. I do not know if this was true or not but I do know that this kind of thing happenned.

My dad was only 3 or 4 when Pepaw came home from the war. Granny said he idolized his dad and was excited to see him. Pepaw was not a good dad or husband. He was a mean alcoholic and my dad had to endure many beatings from him.

The other picture was taken at a family reunion in 1980. This was the year I graduated and all was right with my world. In November 1981 I ran into trouble with the law. Nobody in my family wanted anything to do with me - including my parents. Strangely enough Pepaw was the only person who was nice to me or offered me any help whatsoever. He said I was a good kid that just hit on a rough patch and I would get past it - he was right.

WWII Days at Hatfield Bottom

The group picture was taken during WWII. It is the Brennan family when they lived in Hatfield Bottom. Pictured are Marg, Kathleen, Vina Brennan(mother), John Brennan (father).The soldier is my Pepaw Brennan (William) and my Granny Brennan (Elaine) is beside of him. I am not sure who the babies are. They are probably my Aunt Wanda and my Dad. I wouldn't swear to it though.

The picture on the bottom left is my Granny Brennan when she first met my Pepaw Brennan. Her name was Elaine Salyers.

The picture on the bottom right is my Pepaw Brennan when he was 15 years old.

Mommy Brennan

Mommy Brennan was what they called my Great-Grandma Brennan. My brother, sister and I were always scared of her because of her sharp tongue. She did make some absolutely wonderful berry dumplings though. I still have the note she wrote me when I graduated from high school. In it she told me she loved me. I had no idea that she felt that way until I read the note. It is the only memento I have left from my graduation.

We used to love to walk the railroad tracks in front of her house. (back in those days they taught people to get off the tracks if a train was coming) My experience walking the tracks made the balance beam a simple task in gym class. The beam was twice as wide as the tracks!

One time we played chicken on the tracks. It was a hot day and we decided to see who could stand on the tracks the longest barefoot. I won. That was the day that I learned what a Pyrric Victory was. The entire bottom of both of my feet were one long blister in the shape of the railroad tracks. I learned my lesson. I never played chicken again.

I will try to properly name her kids in the picture. Hopefully someday somebody in the family will come by my blog and correct me if I am wrong.

Mommy Brennan (Vina Fee Brennan) is sitting holding my Uncle Gerald. Gerald was the youngest. The two boys are Wallace (Charles Wallace) and J.P. (John Patrick), I don't know which is which. The two young girls are Marg (Mary Margaret) and Kathleen. Again I don't know which is which. I don't know who the young woman in the background is.

My Brother's Favorite Story

This was his favorite story for me to tell his kids. Unfortunately it is true.

I was at the local Pizza Hut with my friends when I was around 18 years old. In struts my brother (he was 16 or 17). He stands at the front of the restaurant in that Arthur Fonzerelli kind of way that anybody that grew up in the 70's knows all about. He looked around the restaurant, surveying the crowd in his usual cocky way. When all of the sudden he snaps his fingers (just like Fonzi) and immediately there were between 4 and 6 teenage girls surrounding him.

My eyes almost popped out of my head. It took every bit of self control that I had not to puke my guts up right there in the middle of the Pizza Hut - partly at the fact that girls would actually respond that way and partly because IT WAS MY BROTHER THAT THEY WERE RESPONDING TO!

IF I HAD NOT SEEN IT FOR MYSELF, I WOULD NEVER BELIEVED IT! The fact that I actually witnessed such a thing has always been a source of endless pride for my brother. Especially since he has always had a weight problem as far as his kids can remember and they are well aware that I would NEVER lie for him to make him look that good.

Remembering Granny Farley

After my granny died, I wanted to remember her in my own way. I put on a nice dress and stopped by my mom's house on the way to granny's house. Out of the blue my mom offerred to let me have the key to granny's house so that I could go in. This was something that I did not expect to happen because my mom doesn't usually do things like that.

I let myself into granny's house and went from room to room reliving childhood memories. The rooms were all empty because my mom had either sold or thrown away everything in the house. I went upstairs to my aunt's old room which had been granny's favorite. I stayed in there quite awhile just looking out the window at the view and remembering.

I started to walk out of the room and I thought to myself "no I can't leave yet." I turned around and went back in and just stood looking around some more. Then I walked over to the window and went I looked down there was a cross. I had just stood there for about 20 minutes and I hadn't noticed it. Yet there it was. The only thing of value in a house that had been stripped bare of everything.

My granny was a typical Aunt Bea kind of granny. She was very religious. She liked to act like Granny Clampett for fun - that's why we called her granny. She was always full of love. Everytime we went to her house there was a special cake or pie and my Aunt Mary Ann would have our favorite Lipton Lemon Ice Tea. I have no doubt that she left that cross there for me.