Celebration of Life
Wedding and building a family
April 11, 1953: Ted (21) and Elaine (17) were wed at Peg’s home with Uncle Grant (Lois’ brother) presiding.
Elaine on her wedding day with Myrtle and Howard Ebright.
After their wedding, Elaine remained at home and worked for a short time while Ted was in Ft. Benning, Georgia completing The Basic Infantry Officer course (Nov. 1953) — after which he became Second Lieutenant — Basic Airborne (parachuting) and Jumpmaster courses (Dec. 1953). His patch in the photo shows he was a member of the “Angel” Airborne division, named because this division parachuted into a Japanese POW camp in the Philippines in WWII. Ted participated in 23 jumps as part of his training. After Georgia, they lived on base in Ft. Campbell, Kentucky.
And then the babies….Ted and Elaine quickly grew their family with Ted (1954), Kathleen (1955) and David (1957).
Such joy with the first baby, Ted Jr., born in Ft. Campbell, Kentucky on May 7, 1954. Dad had to be called to the hospital while on duty, barely making it in time for the birth.
New grandmas Peg G. and Lois S. with Ted Jr., 1954
July 1957: Elaine with David
July 1957: Ted with Kathleen and Ted Jr.
1957: Ted and Kathleen in the backyard, 1614 El Paso
Ted and Kathleen were born in Ft. Campbell, Kentucky while Dad was in service. David was born at West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh. Family lore has it that Dad, getting a medical bill for the birth of a child for the first time (as a private citizen), decided that David would be the last child. I think they filled up the bedrooms and decided to stop, rather than move. Maddie says her grandma shared that her doctor recommended slowing down the baby train for health reasons. Mom said the nurses cooed over David’s red curl.
Easter 1958, with David in front. Photo taken where future carport would be built.
Off to the Methodist church, Easter 1958. Mom liked us to wear Easter outfits for the occasion.
David, Kathleen and Ted, circa 1960
1964: David is 7 and Kathleen is 9. (If memory serves, this dashing outfit was a bright red shirt with matching red plaid shorts.) Behind is Aunt Leah and Uncle Milton’s garage at the bottom of the driveway. David is standing in front of where carport would be built (with child labor).
Soens family circa 1967. George Colton Rossman (grandson) has the (re)framed original photo now. It hung in the upstairs hallway at 1614 El Paso St. for decades.