Darn it
My parents went through the Great Depression and were very conservative. They told this story about their friend. Mary Catherine invited us to an afternoon party. She knew we had…
Read MoreArticles by Ray Adler
Come to my wedding
My mother told me the following stories about her childhood. My friend is 84 years old. She lives many miles away, so we sometimes communicate by letter. On rare occasions…
Both things can be true
Mother told me this story one day. My relative was an old man. He had had a stroke and was confined to bed. I went to see him hoping to…
A bit of history from my mother
It is always fun to hear your parents explain their perception of your childhood. Mom wrote the following story for me. History is, according to Webster, past events, especially those…
Let’s (not) talk religion
Trying to expand my horizons from my Hoosier farm-boy background, on two occasions during my time at Purdue I had a Chinese roommate. The first was very bright. He lived…
Sometimes you can overthink
When I entered the military, one of the written documents that needed to be completed contained several questions. One asked whether I had belonged to, supported, or attended any social…
Plant a tree, but not for me
Grandpa Howard was always entertaining me with the stories of his own grandfathers. He recounted how his own grandfather Howard passed away on May 8, 1891, the day after Grandpa…
You can’t make it up!
We often say at the office, “you can’t make these things up.” Life is stranger than fiction, as any lawyer can tell you. Many years ago, and in a different…
Feats of strength in Grandpa Baltzell’s barn
Great Grandpa Baltzell, my father’s maternal grandfather, was a family icon. He was born on December 20, 1856, and died on February 13, 1956. He was President of the Indiana…
Wisdom from my Grandpa Howard
It was a rainy Sunday in 1914 and only a few persons were present for the morning worship at the Sterling Christian Church where Grandpa preached. (Sterling was on the…