Ronnie Long

 These photos are in no particular order from my grandmother Vivian Maupin's photo album.  My Uncle Ron was the "baby of the family---20 years younger than my father and 8 years younger than his closest sibling.  Actually, he was as close to me and cousins Steve and Bob as he was to his siblings and as adults we did "hang" more as peers.  He was not just adorable, and the youngest but he was born with both legs deformed and spent months of his childhood at Shriner's Hospital with his legs in traction. So, as my mother would say, "Ron was spoiled".

My grandparents look older than they really were.  Grandma was 38 and Grandpa was 43 when Ron was born.  There had been miscarriages between Ron and his closest sibling Mary.

For more about Uncle Ron, click here.

Harry and Minerva Maupin Family Part Three

 

Harry and Minerva's third child was Marie Frances Maupin.  I really don't ever remember meeting Marie but I do have photos of her as a child to share and I have a few details I've gleaned from the internet about her.  Marie married at least 3 times (Ralph Garrett, Floyd Craig, William Franzen) and had at least one child (according to 1950 census) Georgia Garrett.  

L-R:  Vivian, Louise, Minerva, Harry, Wes
Seated:  Ron, LeRoy, Jaclyn

Charles, Minerva, Vivian

These last photos were made in 1948-49 based on my age here and that my grandmother (Vivian) is holding a baby that I assume was my sister Jane. Minerva is also holding a baby (Marie's baby?).  Wondering what the occasion was since my mother's father Wes Wicker is also in the photo (wearing a hat).  I'm guessing we drove to DeSoto:  one held Jane, one drove, one tried to keep me under control. . . .

Harry and Minerva Maupin Family Part Two

 

Harry and Minerva Maupin

In addition to Charles, Harry and Minerva had two daughters:  Elizabeth Ann (Betty) and Marie Frances.  I'm not sure I ever met Marie but Betty!!  Betty was one of the highlights of our visits to DeSoto.  She was always laughing, telling stories and was the life of any party.

This photo (on the right) is from a large family reunion photo.  Betty is pictured here with her cousin Jack McKay (both were my father's first cousins). I have very few photos of Betty.  Seeing the photo with her hands over her eyes, I think Betty was a little camera shy.   Betty lived in De Soto (at her parents' home in the 1950 Census) with her son David Maupin.  Betty worked for the other large employer in De Soto:  the shoe company (International Shoes) as a machine operator. She married Paul Pope in 1951 in Arkansas.  They had one son Edward who was younger than I was.  But, David. .. .He looked a lot like cousin Jack in the reunion photo.  I thought he was so handsome!  He was born in 1941 so was 4 years older than I was. Like Betty, he always seemed. . . . .happy.

Betty with my aunts Maxine and Mary

Betty with David as a toddler?

L-R:  Hal McKay, Minerva Maupin, Walter Maupin, Maxine Maupin, Harry Maupin

Harry and Minerva Maupin Family Part One

 

Harry Maupin was my grandmother Vivian Maupin Long's oldest living brother.  We visited them often when in DeSoto but it was not my favorite place to go because they didn't have an indoor toilet and we had to go to the outhouse in the backyard.  When I asked Dad why they didn't have an indoor toilet he said Uncle Harry was too cheap.  Oddly Harry and Minerva seemed to take pride in being about the only house in DeSoto with outdoor toilets.  They were never embarrassed or ashamed---Dad said they could afford it but just chose not to install it.  The house was a small 2 bedroom house 304 9th Street in DeSoto with a lot of dark furniture---Harry in a big over-stuffed chair smoking.  I do recall looking around the house and not finding a suitable place for a bathroom.  But I looked up the house today and it has a bathroom----someplace! He was a machinist with the Missouri-Pacific Railroad, one of two big employers in town.

Charles with LeRoy Long

They had 3 children:  Charles, Betty and Marie. Charles was Dad's age (born in 1918) and was with Dad on the train when Dad met my mother Louise. At one time he was married/engaged to Mom's close friend "Reedy".  I got to know Charles pretty well because he lived next door when I was a child with my mother's parents (Wes and Vennie Wicker).  He had a bed in the dining room that he rented from them. This was very common at least among the DeSoto families. Charles was living with Roy and Vivian Maupin Long in the 1940 census (At lest twice we had "boarders" when we lived in the city and my grandparents always had someone from DeSoto living with them.) I haven't located Charles in the 1950 census---he was not with his parents, the Wickers or the Longs.

Charles worked at 3001 Chouteau at the Missouri Pacific "shop" in St. Louis where my dad, grandfather and even great-grandfather Henry Maupin worked. Charles was an assistant mechanic (in 1940 census).

Although Charles married, he never thought he had any children. I never met any of his wives, Grace Adams Kohlbry. According to her death certificate, Grace had been a bacteriologist at MO-Pac Hospital.  Charles was living at 3510 Wyoming in St. Louis MO.   

When he died Feb. 22, 1997, Charles was married to Cecil Inez Guthrie.  According to his obituary he had two children Ronald (Josephine) Cambron and Jo (Douglas) Skabo and  grandchildren:  Jay and Sarah Singer, Kaitlyn Skabo and Ronald Cambron III. I would doubt this was an obituary for him but everything else is correct including the funeral home (Kustis Affton) and contributions to Diabetes Association (both the funeral home and diabetes "run in the family"

I remember Charles as being easy to get along with. He took me at least once to see a movie: Alice in Wonderland (but he had to take me home in the middle of it because it freaked me out)  I also remember him smelling---body odor, stinky feet.  But, otherwise he was a nice guy.  My sister recalls him being "depressed" and stinking: "Daddy would drag me to Uncle Charlie's dismal apartment. It smelled of cigarettes and rancid wash clothes. He was always nice but seemed melancholy like Uncle Walter."

Photo below is of Jack McKay, Martha McKay Lalumandier, Charles Maupin and Maxine Long Delaney