The 50’s
With my Mom in front of our house on Cedardale behind St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Pontiac. I wasn’t born in St. Joes…I was born in Hutzel Women’s Hospital in Detroit. I hear I weighed over 10 pounds at birth.
My Mom saved my name bracelet from the hospital…blue beads for boy babies. The 1953 Ben Franklin 50 cent coin is as old as me…which one looks better? The rare Ben Franklin coins were made from 1948-1963 and are made of 90% silver, retail value from a coin dealer site for a 1953 coin is about $19.
On the move…
My Dad reading my brother Tom and I a story around Christmas late 50’s in house on Barrington.
Zorro!
A rare photo of the five of us in the 50’s.
The first time I ever had a photo of me in the newspaper. I was 6. Ironically, neither Tom or I were really into trains…Jim was really into trains and he’s not in the photo though they do mention him but not by name.
Studio photo of the Bowers boyz…bow ties…really? Can you tell Tom didn’t really want to be there?
The 60’s
School photos: upper left-1st grade, upper right-2nd grade, lower left-5th grade, lower right-7th grade.
2nd Grade with Mrs. Morett…great teacher!
Hickory Grove Elementary School had not one but two styles of “beanies” for students to wear. These are rare…Hickory Grove School was torn down a few years ago…I wonder if that makes them more valuable on Ebay? The ribbons I received were for being the school 1st Place high jumper in both the 5th and 6th grades.
School t-shirt I wore in school circa 1958. We used this logo when we printed shirts for our Hickory Grove School 40th anniversary in 1998. Notice my Mom sewed in a name label on the collar?
School photos of me in kindergarten, my brother Jim and my brother Tom.
You can see we had 37, yes 37 students in Mrs. Cole’s 6th Grade class. You couldn’t even walk around the class, we were like sardines! I remember her saying “If I get one more student, I’m outta here”. About an hour later, the principal brought in a new student into our classroom. I remember saying, “Mrs. Cole…are you leaving now?”
Racing Wolverine quarter midget race cars on track next to Miracle Mile shopping center in Bloomfield. At one time, we had two race cars. We used to drive this car around the back of our Franklin property until the gas line fell off and the car burned up.
Group photo of all racers. I was six years old in 1959. I’m in the second row, 4th kid from the right…next to my brother Tom (with the hat). My brother Jim is 6th kid in from right.
Photo taken on our trip to California…at some national park…Jim would know.
Growth chart I found in my papers. I end up having an edge on Tom but the chart ends for me in 1968 (9th grade) at 5’10” (70 inches).
Photo of family in our 1909 Model T Ford circa late 50’s, taken on one of the old car club’s tours in Traverse City.
My Cub Scout patches during the years I was a scout. As you can see, I sort of dropped out of scouts, not sure why.
My Lone Ranger Junior Deputy ID card.
Issued 1956, signed by the Lone Ranger himself!
For sports participation in the 60’s, all we had was Little League baseball. Before I could even be on a team, I served as bat boy for my brother Tom’s team. I’m in the second row on the far right, Tom is next to me.
I served as bat boy a second year for Tom’s team…that’s me in front.
Finally, I get to be on a team, the Yankees! Buddies of mine on this team: Richard Coy, Greg Niggeman and Mike Studnicki.
The last Little League team I was on…mid 60’s…the Athletics. The games were seven innings long. I was the pitcher for three innings, Tim Lewis pitched the other four innings and I played center field. I’m in the second row, second from the left. Buddies on my team included Lewis, Ben Brown, Jim Fowler, John Cvengros, Tom Benson and Mike West.
My parents sent us kids to summer camp…Camp Chickagami located just north of Alpena MI. The camp was affiliated with the Episcopal Church and lasted one week. It was fun! My brother Tom worked there one summer.
My first dog, a beagle, named Sparky because we got him around the 4th of July, 1964. Photo taken in the backyard of our Franklin Rd. house. Unfortunately, we only had Sparky a short time…he ran with the neighbor dog to the back of our property and was hit by a car on Telegraph Rd.
At East Hills Jr. High…8th Grade (Feb. 1967)
At East Hills Jr. High, grade 8, buddies left to right: Rick Olsen (my neighbor), Jon Schwanz, Bill Leonard, Doug Byrum, Scott Galentine and Mike Studnicki.
At East Hills Jr. High, grade 8, Carol Oliver…the girl I was smitten with in elementary school…and Jr. High…I would gladly carry her books for her. (before backpacks)
East Hills Jr. High, lettering in soccer, basketball and track…plus an honor roll pin.
West Hills Jr. High yearbook photo, 9th grade. This was the first year West Hills had students so a bunch of us East Hills kids were sent to West Hills. Everything was new…I mean everything! A fun year!
One of the few photos of me in 9th Grade at West Hills Jr. High…me taking free throw during game. We only had 9 players on our basketball team…the coach had to play in practice so we could have five vs five.
West Hills Jr. High lettering in soccer, basketball and track…plus honor roll pin and a pin for Audio-Visual…I worked in the AV room taking 16 mm films to classrooms and getting the movies started.
The 70’s
Senior year at Bloomfield Hills Andover High School in Bloomfield Hills Michigan. Class of 1971 ROCKED!
My letter sweater which I wore a lot…letter sweaters were still cool to wear in our era.
Commencement May 17, 1975 with the rents!
More photos on Central Michigan University blog.
Here comes the bride…and the groom. (August 11, 1978)
The Wedding Party of 20.
The 80’s.
In front of our first house on Dorchester Ave. in Bloomfield Township.
My Dad, the doctor.
Bowers Boyz in the 90’s…so fun! Love being a Dad to these boys!