Back To My Roots - Travel Day and Muncie - Part 1

Why did we take this quick trip back to the Midwest? I have been writing about my home town of Celina, Ohio and how long it has been since I was there. I left Celina at age 15 in 1949 (sixty years ago) and moved to Kansas City, Missouri to live with my Uncle Ray and Aunt Edith Moore. My grandmother’s health had taken a turn for the worst and I needed another place to live for my last three years of high school.

Our daughter, Brenda, was reading the stories about Celina and thought it was time for a “quick trip to Ohio” since I had recently been diagnosed with Ideopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. Ann and I had planned to take a trip there to show her where I grew up but every time we planned a trip, something came up to stop our plans. The last time I was in Celina was just after graduation of high school in 1952 when I made another “quick trip to Ohio” to visit my grandfather before I left for California to attend college. My grandmother passed away one year after I left Celina and I didn’t know when I would get to see grandpa again. We didn’t know that grandpa would live to be 101 years and 11 months old. We were able to see him at his 90th, 95th, and 100th birthdays as his family planned parties to celebrate.

In 1952 I stopped in Muncie, Indiana to pick up my brother, Bob, at our mother’s place and take him with me to Celina and up to Elkhart, Indiana to visit our sisters, Faye and Lenna. It had been a while since Bob had seen them so I wanted a little “family reunion”. Ben was in the Navy overseas and couldn’t be there. I had Ben's 1939 Pontiac for the trip.

Brenda came up with the plan for the trip. She and her husband Scott had American Airlines miles that could be used for our flight. When they got them transferred together, it left a balance of $112.50 each for a round trip to Indianapolis, Indiana. Plan was to go to Chicago from Santa Ana and another flight to Indianapolis on Friday, June 12th. The return flight on Monday June 15th would be from Indianapolis to Santa Ana via Dallas. The trip would be just Brenda and me as Ann was unable to travel at this time. Brenda’s daughter, Hannah, stayed with Nana while we were gone.

Brenda and I rented a Lincoln Town Car in Indianapolis and drove to Muncie, Indiana where my brother, Bob and his family reside. The last time we saw each other was in June 1984 at our mother’s funeral in Covina, California. That was 25 years ago! We have talked on email and the phone but not in person. We spent the night at Bob’s home with a dinner out to a nice establishment with his two son’s Bobby Jr. and James and their families. A neighbor of Bob’s joined us as he is the Executive Pastor of the local Church of the Nazarene and knows our background. Great time - great food! Then back to Bob & Mary Lou’s place for fellowship and pictures.

On Saturday morning we had breakfast together at another eating establishment before continuing our trip. We were able to have lunch with Bob, Mary Lou and Bobby Jr at Cracker Barrel on our return trip to Indianapolis on Monday June 15th. We had a nice reunion after 25 years. Here are some pictures of our time in Muncie.

Dick & Brenda ready to go to Chicago - then transfer to Indianapolis.

My limo and driver -- Our Lincoln Town Car with daughter Brenda.

Dick with his "little" brother Bob (he's 5 years younger).

James, Gwen (Bobby's wife), Bobby and Dick at dinner.

Bob's family - James, Bob, Bobby and Mary Lou.

C.A. Dalton (Bob's neighbor and Executive Pastor of a local Nazarene Church) and Bob.

Breakfast on Saturday morning - Dick, Brenda, Mary Lou, and Bob.