Doing a little reminiscing here in the early morning hours...
I woke up in a sweat at about 2:00 AM and couldn't go back to sleep. I've been doing that quite often lately since June passed away. I think I hear her calling out for help so I jump up to check on her and then I can't go back to sleep. So I get on the computer and goof off until I get sleepy. I was looking back though some old pictures and thought I'd post a few of them.
Here is a picture of June and I in 1981 during happy days when we thought we'd live forever. That's the Holston River behind our house in Knoxville just before it meets up with the French Broad River to form the Tennessee River.
This is a picture of June in the mid 70s when she was about 26. The color is off because her eyes were as blue as the sky.
This is a picture I carried in my wallet for many years that's about faded out but it was one of my favorites.
This was taken at our home in Knoxville back in the mid 80s.
June was an amazing little country girl from East Tennessee. She was visiting at her grandma's house in this photo below when she was about 5 years old. She's got on her dress sitting on the step next to her grandma at the right of the photo. She didn't have it easy when she was growing up. She had to take care of her younger brothers and sisters when she was just a kid herself. She was the best cook I ever knew. She was as smart as they came and every bit as tough to.
She grew up and became the first female service manager in the South for a large Ford Dealership. That was back when men didn't like the idea of working for a woman. It didn't take them long to find out who was the boss. She kept me in line too. 😉
She grew up on the Tennessee River that you can see in the background in this photo below just about 15 miles down the river from where I grew up. This is some of her brothers and sisters she had to take care of while her mom and dad were working.
June always loved her gardens. Here she is pregnant in 1985 in her garden below just before our youngest son was born.
Oh well maybe I can get some sleep now that it's about daylight.
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Great pictures and a beautiful lady. Don
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Wonderful pictures.
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She was a very beautiful woman. I was a parts manager and an assistant service manager in a Chevy dealership for years. I know how tough that job can be, and how tough she had to be to put up with all the daily crap that came her way.
Joe
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Smitty - you must be special yourself to find someone like June and keep her happy all these years. Take comfort in that and know that you did your best.
Hoping your able to get a good nights sleep. Once the Drs release you to get some walking in it may help!
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Great pictures and wonderful memories!
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God Bless her....
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Very nice memories of a very beautiful lady Smitty! Thank you for sharing.
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Very touching. Thank you for sharing.
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Fortune smiled on you to give you so many years with this fine lady.
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Thanks, your post made my day.
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Thanks for sharing that intimate part of your heart with us, Smitty. Not many men are "man enough" to do that. You're still standing by your woman, showing her best side and protecting her memory. Good for you.
You are a blessed man, sir. You've lived a blessed life. A good woman, a good marriage, lots of friends... that's the measure of success by any standard. Well done.
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She sure had a pretty and clean garden. The picture with the bridge looks familiar as I am in that area often. Some happy folks setting on the porch in east Tennessee as I can relate.
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Great pictures and story, Smitty500mag.
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As you honor Miss June, you honor us by sharing this, Smitty. Thank you.
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Great stuff, glad you posted this, old pictures are the best. East Tennessee is a great part of the country.
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What a beautiful lady. Thank you so much for sharing. June lives on through you Smitty. God Bless, Oakie
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Thank you for sharing the story and pictures….
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very nice remembrance post and photos thanks for sharing.
the photo on the front porch reminds me of many of the old photos of our family from Tennessee
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Thanks for sharing the pictures and background info. Like an old guy told me 50 years ago, "If you get the right woman, there's nothing better. But if you get the wrong one, there's nothing worse."
Luckily, I got the right one, and it looks like you did, too.
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