Last June I read about a Challenge, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, and I was intrigued. I decided to take up the challenge. Some Ancestors may take more than one week, but I still intend to write about 52 Ancestors. I hope you enjoy reading about My Ancestors as much as I am looking forward to researching and writing about them.
(1) Alfred Peabody Guion; (2) Judith Anne Guion
Alfred Duryee Guion and Alfred Peabody Guion – July 26, 1914
I must admit that this post has been the hardest to write so far. I have so much material in trying to decide how to present it and keep it interesting has been difficult. It will probably end up being a combination of chronological events, childhood memories, quotes from letters during World War II and some of my memories about my Dad. I will probably be taking 3 or 4 Sundays to finish the story of my Father.
Quotes from my Dad’s childhood memories –
I was born in New York City in 1914, then I lived in Yonkers (Grandpa states they lived in the Bronx) for a short time. When I was about one, we moved to 91 Dell Ave. in Mount Vernon, NY. By the time I was 3, I was quite interested in mechanical things. I remember taking an alarm clock, taking it all apart and putting it back together, but I had one gear left over when I finished. It didn’t keep very good time. It was fast. I never could find out where that gear went.
Alfred Peabody Guion – July 26, 1914
Residences:
April, 1914 to ?, 1915 – Bronx, N.Y.
1915 to 1919 – Dell Avenue, Mount Vernon, N.Y.
1919 to September, 1921 – Larchmont Gardens, Mount Vernon, N.Y.
Alfred Peabody Guion and Daniel Beck Guion – circa 1920
Quotes from my Dad’s childhood memories –
When I was 5, Dad and Mom were building a house in Larchmont. They had a contractor build it and it was on Lansdowne Drive in Larchmont Gardens. I accompanied them, well, maybe three or four times, when they went out to look at it. Mom told the carpenters what she wanted changed. She was quite conscious about what she wanted.
I think we had a garden in the backyard with green beans growing. Dan and I each took 2 or 3 green beans and we walked around and around his (their neighbor, Roger Batchelder) house, with the beans rubbing on the house, wearing them down until they cut short. Then we’d throw them away and get some more beans. So Roger was kind of upset about that.
When I started school in Larchmont, either kindergarten or 1st grade, (It was kindergarten) I went to school in a horse-drawn sleigh in the winter. I just remember being awfully cold. In the warmer months, Mother drove me to school. Dan may have started school there; he was only a year and a half behind me.
. While we were in Larchmont, we went on vacation to Sandy Hook, Connecticut, Camp-A-While, it was called. In fact, that’s where we were going the day the old Franklin gave out. One of the bearings, one of the connecting rod bearings let go and Dad found a Franklin garage in Danbury. The owner of the garage was working on the car, fixing it, and his wife was talking to Mother. I don’t know how it happened – Mother may have been asking her questions about the area. Apparently, Mother liked that area of Connecticut. The wife told Mother about a house they owned in Trumbull. We went to look at it and before long, we bought the house.
Next Sunday I will continue the story of Alfred Peabody Guion, my Dad.
Starting tomorrow,we jump back to the early 1900’s with excerpts from Reminiscences of Alfred Duryee Guion, as Grandpa tells his story in his own words.
Judy Guion
"Greatest Generation" Life Lessons 
This is interesting…good on you for including your dad in your interviews. I have to admit, I didn’t do that…which means I don’t have HIS perspective. Oh, well. Looking forward to hearing more. And, I do understand the difficulty in writing this particular one.
Mrs. P. – The early death of my Uncle Dan, child # 2, was the catalyst to start recording the memories of those still with us. I actually had two recording sessions with my Dad and with Uncle Ced, a weekend with Aunt Elizabeth and one session with Dick and Dave. I have transcribed those interviews and have copied them on cassette – the media at the time – for 75 1-inch binders for family members, which include Reminiscences of Alfred D Guion, the children’s memories inserted where they fit, 6 pages of memorabilia and 10 pages of photos. That was my first project with the letters after I discovered them in California. This is what “The Beginning” will contain by the time I finish it.
Wow…75 binder….amazing project!
Mrs. P. – I planned to make a 1/2-inch binder, with about 30 pages of script, 3 pages of memorabilia and 6 pages of photos, but I kept finding things like my Grandfather’s World War I draft registration card, or his marriage license, or more pictures of the children at various stages of their lives. Each time I would say, “I can’t leave this out !!!” – and so it grew. It was truly a labor of love for my family.
I have a similar problem with stuff I’ve collected but I haven’t decided what I want to do with it all yet. Some things are objects and I think I need to take pictures of them like my grandfathers WWII medals, his Shriner’s certificate of membership and hat and a small red pill which I finally figured must be the pills given to people who lived near our beach house because there is a nuclear power plant not too far from the town the house is in. So many things to do…but, as keepers we must do it and pass it on to the next generations.
Mrs. P. – Yes, that is our calling, whether we think we can do it or not. We must do our best to help those who come after us remember where they come from. Good luck.