Summer 1947

Norman D. Reece

Here’s Uncle Norm, smoking a pipe and relaxing in his brother’s car. It was the summer of 1947. Norm’s sister, Geraldine (aka Aunt Gerry), who was 17 at the time, put this photo in her album with a caption referring to the car as “Bud’s new jet job”. The term “jet job” was popularly used in the 1940’s to describe the new jet airplanes, so I guess this was a fast car. It belonged to Uncle George, who was called “Bud” by everyone. It looks like a relatively new (at the time) Oldsmobile, possibly a 1946 or 1947 model. Maybe an antique car enthusiast will see this and be able to positively identify it.

Fishing Trip to Canada (1946)

Left to right: Wallace R. Reece, Lloyd J. Reece, George M. Reece, Bert Young

My father, Lloyd, my Uncle Wally and my grandfather, George. With them is Bert Young, who lived in Niagara Falls, NY. Mr. Young was a neighbor and a friend of the Reece family.This was taken in 1946 during a trip to Parry Sound, about 150 miles north of Toronto, Ontario. The fish appear to be northern pike.

Trott High School Football (1944)

Front, left to right: Frank Accardo, Lou Martino, unidentified, unidentified;
Rear, left to right: Jim Szczerbacki, unidentified, Norman Reece

I thought of this picture when I watched the recent George Clooney football movie, "Leatherheads". My Uncle Norm is the tall guy in the back. He says these were members of the Trott High School team (in Niagara Falls, NY) and the year was probably 1944. I'm still trying to identify three of these guys - I'll update this if I get any new info.

Rose Murphy Reece and Kids (early 1920's)

Rose Murphy Reece (center, b. 1872) with daughters Vivian Eliza (left, b. 1910), Ethel Rose (right, b. 1907) and son Wilfred Paul (b. 1916).

Rose was my great-grandmother. She was married to George Franklin Reece (b. 1863). Besides the three kids pictured here, they had six other children, Oral Raymond (aka Tommy, b. 1889), Myles Franklin (aka Barney, b.1891), Gertrude May (1893-1988), Corinne Nellie (b. 1895), my grandfather, George Melvin (1897-1963) and Bernard Lloyd (Bernie).

I'm fairly certain that the house in this picture is the same house seen in a photo taken around 1923 (and posted somewhere below), which shows my grandfather holding his firstborn son, my Uncle George. I'm not very good at guessing ages, but if one assumes little Wilfred's age to be around 7, the two photos could've been taken at around the same time. They may have even been taken on the same day... maybe at a family get-together? Although it's possible, there doesn't seem to be much chance of ever knowing for sure. These old photos fascinate me, but the lack of information about them can be frustrating.

The Reece Kids (1936)

Reece kids, left to right: Lloyd J., Norman D., George J., Geraldine J., Wallace R.

This was taken in the backyard of the Reece family home on North Avenue in Niagara Falls, NY. The houses in the background are on 24th Street. The year was 1936, the middle of the Depression, and the clothes, especially the shoes and socks, are classic. Many thanks to my Aunt Madeline for providing this image.

Gerry Reece with her Uncle Tommy (1946)

Oral R. Reece (Tommy); Geraldine J. Reece

Born in 1889, Oral Raymond Reece was the oldest brother of my grandfather, George Melvin Reece. Nicknames seemed to be popular in the family - Oral was known to everyone as Tommy. He was born in New York, possibly in the Niagara Falls or Buffalo area. He married Della McGahey and had six children. At some point he moved to California and he died in Los Angeles on August 28, 1959.

My Aunt Gerry was 16 when this picture was taken in the back yard of her home on North Avenue in Niagara Falls, NY.

April 1943: Gerry, Lloyd & George M. Reece

Geraldine Reece, Lloyd Reece, George M. Reece


Lloyd J. Reece

These two pictures were taken in early April 1943, behind the family’s home on North Avenue in Niagara Falls, NY. My father, Lloyd, was 19 years old at the time and my Aunt Gerry was almost a teenager, her 13th birthday being later in the month. My grandfather was about a month shy of his 46th birthday. My dad had joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in November 1942, so I wonder if this might have been his first visit home on leave.

"Learning To Fall" by Lowen & Navarro

I've been a fan of Lowen & Navarro's music since I first heard their album "Pendulum" (1995), so I was saddened to hear that Eric Lowen has ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). This video was shot in November 2007 and, although confined to a wheelchair and no longer able to play his guitar, Lowen's voice was still strong. Everyone in the video has been affected by ALS in some way. The song, "Learning To Fall", is the title song for their new album, released in 2008. For more information visit Lowen & Navarro's web site.