I saw my great-grandpa only one period of time in my life. I was but a little girl of about 4 and 5 years of age.
We spent some time with him and my great-grandma Viola (his second wife), in Windsor, Broome, New York before Mom and us three girls left to go back to California. I am thinking we were there for a week or maybe a month as I have several memories and I am sure they did not happen in one day.
I remember him building a swing on the tree in his front yard with rope and a wood board. The next morning there was snow on the swing.
We also got to go out on the river in his row boat. For many years I thought it was a pond as it looked small as the view from his backyard made it seem that way. On the left of us were a whole lot of trees and many across the pond. I saw the curve of the land. The right side also seemed to have a lot of trees and it curved too. It was not until 2018 when I did a search of where his home was located that I saw it was at the end of Deer Lake. The right side curved causing an illusion that it was the other end of the pond when in reality it just curved inward but continued around the bend.
I had a favorite place in his house. It was at the top of the stairs to the ceiling. I thought it just stopped there and never went anywhere but actually it went to their attic. I loved the smell of cedar wood and mothballs (even though I was only 4 or 5 and had no idea what that smell was). I had forgotten that favorite place until one day when I was a presser in a dry cleaning establishment (1973) I pressed a pair of pants that brought out that very same smell and the vision of that place, at the top of the stairs looking down became a vivid picture in my mind.
We also fed the chipmunks. They sat on a tree stump and we would throw out some crackers to them on the stump.
I can tell that we, me and my immediate younger sister, were happy there. You can see it on our faces (photo is uploaded here).
My mother must have kept contact throughout the years but I was not aware of it until one day when a Marshall came to our door (1961) to tell my mother that Grandpa Van Dusen has passed away.
OBIT
VAN DUSEN — Robert E. VanDusen, 78 Deer Lake. Windsor RD 2, died suddenly at his home at 2 p. m. Thursday. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Viola VanDusen. Deer Lake; a daughter Ellen VanDusen Orange, Calif.; five grandchildren; several great-grandchildren; a sister. Mrs. Leah Hanrahan. Gulf Summit. N. Y.; several nieces, nephews and cousins. The body was removed to the Hopler & Georgia Funeral Home. 483 Chenango St., where the funeral will be held Monday at 2 p. m. The Rev. Paul E. Grlffis will officiate. Burial will be in Vestal Hills Memorial Park. Friends may call at the funeral home Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Fri, Nov. 17,1961 PRESS, Binghamton, N.Y. page 27
******** ©Copyrights *******
These are my family photos that I have in my possession by bequeathment in will or I photographed them (where applicable). You may NOT re-post them on any other web site nor publish them without my written permission. You may, however, copy them for your own personal, offline, home use ONLY. The tombstone photos of the originators are also included with these copyrights.
We spent some time with him and my great-grandma Viola (his second wife), in Windsor, Broome, New York before Mom and us three girls left to go back to California. I am thinking we were there for a week or maybe a month as I have several memories and I am sure they did not happen in one day.
I remember him building a swing on the tree in his front yard with rope and a wood board. The next morning there was snow on the swing.
We also got to go out on the river in his row boat. For many years I thought it was a pond as it looked small as the view from his backyard made it seem that way. On the left of us were a whole lot of trees and many across the pond. I saw the curve of the land. The right side also seemed to have a lot of trees and it curved too. It was not until 2018 when I did a search of where his home was located that I saw it was at the end of Deer Lake. The right side curved causing an illusion that it was the other end of the pond when in reality it just curved inward but continued around the bend.
I had a favorite place in his house. It was at the top of the stairs to the ceiling. I thought it just stopped there and never went anywhere but actually it went to their attic. I loved the smell of cedar wood and mothballs (even though I was only 4 or 5 and had no idea what that smell was). I had forgotten that favorite place until one day when I was a presser in a dry cleaning establishment (1973) I pressed a pair of pants that brought out that very same smell and the vision of that place, at the top of the stairs looking down became a vivid picture in my mind.
We also fed the chipmunks. They sat on a tree stump and we would throw out some crackers to them on the stump.
I can tell that we, me and my immediate younger sister, were happy there. You can see it on our faces (photo is uploaded here).
My mother must have kept contact throughout the years but I was not aware of it until one day when a Marshall came to our door (1961) to tell my mother that Grandpa Van Dusen has passed away.
OBIT
VAN DUSEN — Robert E. VanDusen, 78 Deer Lake. Windsor RD 2, died suddenly at his home at 2 p. m. Thursday. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Viola VanDusen. Deer Lake; a daughter Ellen VanDusen Orange, Calif.; five grandchildren; several great-grandchildren; a sister. Mrs. Leah Hanrahan. Gulf Summit. N. Y.; several nieces, nephews and cousins. The body was removed to the Hopler & Georgia Funeral Home. 483 Chenango St., where the funeral will be held Monday at 2 p. m. The Rev. Paul E. Grlffis will officiate. Burial will be in Vestal Hills Memorial Park. Friends may call at the funeral home Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Fri, Nov. 17,1961 PRESS, Binghamton, N.Y. page 27
******** ©Copyrights *******
These are my family photos that I have in my possession by bequeathment in will or I photographed them (where applicable). You may NOT re-post them on any other web site nor publish them without my written permission. You may, however, copy them for your own personal, offline, home use ONLY. The tombstone photos of the originators are also included with these copyrights.
I saw my great-grandpa only one period of time in my life. I was but a little girl of about 4 and 5 years of age.
We spent some time with him and my great-grandma Viola (his second wife), in Windsor, Broome, New York before Mom and us three girls left to go back to California. I am thinking we were there for a week or maybe a month as I have several memories and I am sure they did not happen in one day.
I remember him building a swing on the tree in his front yard with rope and a wood board. The next morning there was snow on the swing.
We also got to go out on the river in his row boat. For many years I thought it was a pond as it looked small as the view from his backyard made it seem that way. On the left of us were a whole lot of trees and many across the pond. I saw the curve of the land. The right side also seemed to have a lot of trees and it curved too. It was not until 2018 when I did a search of where his home was located that I saw it was at the end of Deer Lake. The right side curved causing an illusion that it was the other end of the pond when in reality it just curved inward but continued around the bend.
I had a favorite place in his house. It was at the top of the stairs to the ceiling. I thought it just stopped there and never went anywhere but actually it went to their attic. I loved the smell of cedar wood and mothballs (even though I was only 4 or 5 and had no idea what that smell was). I had forgotten that favorite place until one day when I was a presser in a dry cleaning establishment (1973) I pressed a pair of pants that brought out that very same smell and the vision of that place, at the top of the stairs looking down became a vivid picture in my mind.
We also fed the chipmunks. They sat on a tree stump and we would throw out some crackers to them on the stump.
I can tell that we, me and my immediate younger sister, were happy there. You can see it on our faces (photo is uploaded here).
My mother must have kept contact throughout the years but I was not aware of it until one day when a Marshall came to our door (1961) to tell my mother that Grandpa Van Dusen has passed away.
OBIT
VAN DUSEN — Robert E. VanDusen, 78 Deer Lake. Windsor RD 2, died suddenly at his home at 2 p. m. Thursday. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Viola VanDusen. Deer Lake; a daughter Ellen VanDusen Orange, Calif.; five grandchildren; several great-grandchildren; a sister. Mrs. Leah Hanrahan. Gulf Summit. N. Y.; several nieces, nephews and cousins. The body was removed to the Hopler & Georgia Funeral Home. 483 Chenango St., where the funeral will be held Monday at 2 p. m. The Rev. Paul E. Grlffis will officiate. Burial will be in Vestal Hills Memorial Park. Friends may call at the funeral home Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Fri, Nov. 17,1961 PRESS, Binghamton, N.Y. page 27
******** ©Copyrights *******
These are my family photos that I have in my possession by bequeathment in will or I photographed them (where applicable). You may NOT re-post them on any other web site nor publish them without my written permission. You may, however, copy them for your own personal, offline, home use ONLY. The tombstone photos of the originators are also included with these copyrights.
We spent some time with him and my great-grandma Viola (his second wife), in Windsor, Broome, New York before Mom and us three girls left to go back to California. I am thinking we were there for a week or maybe a month as I have several memories and I am sure they did not happen in one day.
I remember him building a swing on the tree in his front yard with rope and a wood board. The next morning there was snow on the swing.
We also got to go out on the river in his row boat. For many years I thought it was a pond as it looked small as the view from his backyard made it seem that way. On the left of us were a whole lot of trees and many across the pond. I saw the curve of the land. The right side also seemed to have a lot of trees and it curved too. It was not until 2018 when I did a search of where his home was located that I saw it was at the end of Deer Lake. The right side curved causing an illusion that it was the other end of the pond when in reality it just curved inward but continued around the bend.
I had a favorite place in his house. It was at the top of the stairs to the ceiling. I thought it just stopped there and never went anywhere but actually it went to their attic. I loved the smell of cedar wood and mothballs (even though I was only 4 or 5 and had no idea what that smell was). I had forgotten that favorite place until one day when I was a presser in a dry cleaning establishment (1973) I pressed a pair of pants that brought out that very same smell and the vision of that place, at the top of the stairs looking down became a vivid picture in my mind.
We also fed the chipmunks. They sat on a tree stump and we would throw out some crackers to them on the stump.
I can tell that we, me and my immediate younger sister, were happy there. You can see it on our faces (photo is uploaded here).
My mother must have kept contact throughout the years but I was not aware of it until one day when a Marshall came to our door (1961) to tell my mother that Grandpa Van Dusen has passed away.
OBIT
VAN DUSEN — Robert E. VanDusen, 78 Deer Lake. Windsor RD 2, died suddenly at his home at 2 p. m. Thursday. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Viola VanDusen. Deer Lake; a daughter Ellen VanDusen Orange, Calif.; five grandchildren; several great-grandchildren; a sister. Mrs. Leah Hanrahan. Gulf Summit. N. Y.; several nieces, nephews and cousins. The body was removed to the Hopler & Georgia Funeral Home. 483 Chenango St., where the funeral will be held Monday at 2 p. m. The Rev. Paul E. Grlffis will officiate. Burial will be in Vestal Hills Memorial Park. Friends may call at the funeral home Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Fri, Nov. 17,1961 PRESS, Binghamton, N.Y. page 27
******** ©Copyrights *******
These are my family photos that I have in my possession by bequeathment in will or I photographed them (where applicable). You may NOT re-post them on any other web site nor publish them without my written permission. You may, however, copy them for your own personal, offline, home use ONLY. The tombstone photos of the originators are also included with these copyrights.
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