9.01.2009

Happy Birthday, big brother!


Photo: B.J., age 3, with sisters, cousins, aunt and my big brother Roy, 19, back left. I am wearing one of Roy’s sailor hats, 1945.

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My big brother Roy turns 83 today. I talked with him last night, and he is just as excited about celebrating his 26th anniversary with wife Glenda on Thursday. What a couple of lovebirds!

Roy has been blind all the years of their marriage, and Glenda has been a Godsend in his life – and our family’s.

Some of my readers will remember a post on my archived blog about the WWII military service of Roy and my two brothers-in-law Paul and Harold:

“A little girl’s pride in military,” I See My Dreams, 15 October 2007.

I believe new readers of DemWit will enjoy reading the post.

Let me take a minute to tell you about a conversation with Roy that touched my heart.

There are five of us siblings: Leroy “Roy,” Mary (deceased), Martha, Betty “B.J.” and Isaac. Our brother Jesse Lloyd was born three years before me and died when he was one month old. Roy called a few years back to tell me he and Glenda had located Jesse Lloyd’s burial site and had bought a tombstone for, as he put it, “our baby brother’s grave.” To hear a man of Roy’s age referring to “our baby brother” made me cry bittersweet tears.

I love you, big brother! Have a wonderful birthday!

11 comments:

Debra said...

Happy Birthday Uncle Leroy,
We all love you and hope you have the most wonderful day....
As a little girl, I remember you were so big and strong and sweet.
You called Me & Sharon -"Shebbie"- for Sharon and Debbie. And we thought you were so wonderful that you could waterski and hold all those beautiful girls on your shoulders when you were skiing in the ski shows at Grenada Lake. Also I remember you had the most beautiful boxer dog. We have a boxer named Cody who is 10 and before Cody we had a boxer named Baby Doll who died at age 8. They are such great dogs. Also through the years, the most amazing thing about you is your memory, you tell family stories that we all love to hear. IT is what connects us to our family history. Thank you for sharing all the great family stories. We are so happy that YOU & GLENDA are so in love and happy.
Love makes the world go round and you two are an example for all to follow. Happy Birthday. We love YOU & Glenda. Happy Anniversary, Love Birds!!! Love,Debbie

Sue said...

very sweet post BJ, Birthday wishes and anniversary congrats to your big brother Leroy! xo Sue

Kim said...

Happy, Blessed Birthday, Uncle Roy! Happy Anniversary to you and Aunt Glenda. May God bless you with many years to come. I love you both! Kim

Tiny said...

A great big 83rd Happy Birthday to BJ's big brother Leroy and a great big Happy 26th Anniversary to the two lovebirds. Here's wishing you many more birthday's and anniversaries to come. I hope you have the biggest and happiest celebration you've ever had. Blessings to both of you.

Anonymous said...

I can certainly attest to the "Lovebird" status. Every time I see them, smiles abound. Have a happy, happy birthday and anniversary Uncle Leroy and Aunt Glenda!!!

Love,
Phillip (Phil) Hill

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday Uncle Roy. It doesn't take a birthday for happiness in Uncle Leroy's life, he seems to have cornered the market on happiness. As long as I can remember happiness with his big old boxer dog, happiness selling a car to a satisfied customer and he remembers every car and customer. His outlook on life has brought him through hard times in life to excell past them. Anyone like Roy who shows an interest and pure liking of people will have happiness in return. I belonged to a different chapter of the same civic club Roy was in and enjoyed hearing him talk about his, although we didn't have a jug lady.Most of all I enjoy the way he loves a good joke or prank,you know he got some of that from his dad.
I hope he enjoys the fact that I told my siblings I wanted to be the Leroy of our family.
Hope you have many more happy days and a lot more birthday's.
Love, John

Debra said...

Happy Birthday Uncle Leroy and Happy Anniversary Uncle Roy & Aunt Glenda. Hope you have many more of both! Love, Debra and Preston Patton
P.S. We are going to be grandparents in April 2010. Taylor,our middle son,and his beautiful wife-Marcie are expecting. God is so Good!

Sharon said...

Happy Birthday, Uncle Roy!
Happy Anniversary, Roy & Glenda.
We always love seeing ya'll.
Love, Sharon & Jack

Unknown said...

What a bittersweet post. Thank you for this sweet woman. ;)

Ladd said...

Uncle Leroy and Aunt Glenda:

Hope you two had a sweet anniversary today. Uncle Leroy, you always ask me if I’m still into bodybuilding. I am, and I did 83 dumbbell curls in your honor on your birthday!

I love you both, Ladd

Anonymous said...

I hope you've had the Happiest Birthday Uncle Leroy and Happy Anniversary to both you and Glenda. Amoung my many great memories of Leroy is my families pet name for him. From A young age, Melissa loved her "Unca Roloy". Since then, its never been anything else. I'll always cherish knowing how much Joy you both brought to Mother and Daddy in their final years. I just have to smile when I think back of all 4 of ya'll loading up for one of your many shopping trips (Glenda at the wheel) driving around 3 crazed people trying to get the last 15 dozen eggs for 29 cents each or hitting a big sale at the Mall. I hope you both have many more healthy and happy years together.
Love - Jeanette