El Campo

On 10/28/2008 Margaret and I took Mom to El Campo to visit Aunt Novell and Cousin JoAnn.  Aunt Novell is 94 years old and she finally had to move to a nursing home.  It was a decision that no one was happy making but a necessary one considering her health and needing 24/7 care.  It is a nice nursing home very near the apartment where JoAnn lives so JoAnn is able to go visit her every day.  Aunt Novell also gets a lot of visitors from the many friends they have in El Campo. 

We drove over there in the morning and went to JoAnn's apartment and was surprised when Uncle Howard answered the door.  Aunt Francis and Uncle Howard had come down the previous night and spent the night.  Sadly Uncle Howard's Grandson had been killed in  a ATV accident and they were going to Houston the next day for the funeral.

JoAnn came home and had left Aunt Francis at the nursing home so we all went over and spent a couple of hours visiting with her.

The Sisters had a nice visit.

Margaret and JoAnn had a nice visit.

Aunt Novell looked very good and was gaining weight which was a good thing for her.  She said they had a good cook there.  Her attitude was very good and it was good seeing her once again.

Buddy's Auto Service

I am sure that most of you know that Buddy sold his business last year.  I was up there last week and we were trying to remember when he bought it.  He thinks it was in 1961 or 1962, almost 50 years of doing business on the same place is quite an accomplishment.  Over the years there were many changes.  It was first a Mobil station and then a Texaco and then he stopped selling gas and just repaired autos and trucks.

 

Buddy gave me this picture of one of the older days, probably in the 70s but not sure of the exact year.

Today the station is closed and is being used as a parking lot for the employees of the cafe next door.  Today the front looks like this:

This sign is still there and the telephone number is the same from almost 50 years ago.

Buddy's key still worked so we went inside and recalled some memories from long ago.  Some of you might not know but I worked for Buddy on and off for many of those years.  I would go up during the summer while in High School and then I would go up on weekends when I was stationed in Austin and then I worked for him when I came back to Texas from VA.

Micki and Robb put it the best:

The end of an era.  Soon the building will be gone but the memories will remain.  They are in the book!