Senior Moments

John Emery Adams, Jr. Christmas, 1938.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them once or twice.)

Today is a very special day — my Dad is celebrating his 100th birthday.  The picture above, which he had taken for my mother when they were dating, is the earliest picture I could find.

It’s hard to imagine the changes he’s seen over the past century.  Dad was born in Texas, but his family moved to Arkansas when he was still a boy.  He remembers going to church in a horse-drawn wagon.  He was still a young teenager when he first encountered electricity.  His mother fussed at him because he kept turning a light off and on trying to figure out where the light came from.

Mom, Dad and me in 1942.

Dad met Mom in 1937 when he was in the CCC, but they had to wait until Mom was 20 in 1940 before they could get married.  They had their first child in 1942 (it’s been a long time since I had that much hair!).

Dad at Marty and Floyd’s house, Crown Point, Indiana. Approximately 1960.

Dad was always interested in gadgets.  This snapshot, taken about 1960, shows him with his 8mm movie camera at my aunt and uncle’s house.

Dad and Betsy at Amy and Matt’s wedding. June 16, 2001.

This picture shows Dad dancing with Betsy at my cousin’s wedding in 2001.  They were obviously a big hit on the dance floor.

Mom and Dad at Barren River State Park, Kentucky. August 29, 2004.

I took this picture of Mom and Dad in 2004 as we celebrated Dad’s 92nd birthday.  Mom died in June, 2011, shortly after their 71st wedding anniversary.

Dad and his new tractor in 2006.

Dad’s love of gadgets and learning things remained strong through the years.  He taught himself to use a computer when he was 90.  By the time he was 94 he decided he was too old to mow the lawn with his walking mower, so he got this riding tractor so he could continue mowing his own lawn.

Dad and Janet, Tullahoma, Tennessee. July 4, 2012.

This picture of Dad with my sister Janet is the most recent picture I have.  Dad now lives with Janet in Tullahoma, Tennessee.

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Dad conversing with a guest at his birthday celebration, Hendersonville, Tennessee. August 25, 2012.

We celebrated Dad’s birthday a few days early with a reception at his church in Hendersonville, Tennessee.  Quite a few friends from the church — as well as family members — came to see Dad and wish him a happy birthday.  In the picture above Dad is talking with a church member he hadn’t seen in over a year.  The woman on the right is his niece, who came down from Indiana with her family to see Dad.