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Fond Memories Of My Father...old memories but still quite fond!
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Sunday, June 20, 2004
Subject: Fond Memories Of My Father...old memories but still quite fond!
Time: 4:15:00 AM CDT
Author: viviansullinwank
I hadn't entertained the idea of writing about my father until I saw several Father's Day tributes while reading journals early this morning. Then I asked myself why that was what it took to motivate me. My father was born on September 1, 1910 in Simpsonville, S.C. I'm not sure when he left there, but I do know that he studied horticulture at Hampton Institute in Hampton, Virginia (now known as Hampton University).
My mother was his second wife. Together they had me and 7 more! Daddy was a blue collar worker. He was employed by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. He worked the night shift (4p-midnight). During the school year, we only really got to see him during the weekends...he was asleep when we left for school, we were asleep when he came home from work.
We lived in the city. During the summers Daddy would go to the country to help his friend farm. We always had lots of fresh vegetables in the summer...so did our neighbors.
Daddy was a religious man..he was from a line of faithful church goers and ministers. As an adult he taught Sunday school, sang in one (or more) of the church choirs and he was a member of a men's glee club. I loved to sing with my father. Even though Daddy has been dead for almost 34 years, I can still see him in his robe, with the choir of Zion Baptist church as they came walking down the aisles into the sanctuary singing We're Marching To Zion.. One of my other favorite songs to sing with Daddy was How Great Thou Art.
When I was young I thought my daddy was a tall man. But he was only 6'0"...he just seemed tall standing beside my mother who was barely 5' tall! I was the first girl after three boys. My mother told me that my Daddy used to call me his little pug nose. My father wasn't very strict (do people even use that word anymore), but he didn't take no mess. I can recall a few spankings, not many though.
I can remember Daddy coming to my high school the day I was inducted into the National Honor Society. Mama was busy at home with the 4 who were younger than me. One of the last memories I have of Daddy was seeing him out in the audience at my high school graduation. He and Mama seemed so proud. The teachers had selected me to be the faculty speaker. Our class wasn't gigantic like some schools these days that have several hundred.
During our commencement they announced the names of graduates who received academic and athletic scholarships. I can still remember how proud my father was of me for earning a full scholarship to the University of Hartford. Daddy died that summer. I can remember sitting up nights that summer unable to believe that Daddy wouldn't be walking in the house at about half past midnight.
I'm glad he at least knew I would be going to college that fall. I loved my Daddy. I miss him and I still have dreams about him. Writing this made me want to sing with Daddy again. So I just used my AOL by Phone to do that. I don't have the world's greatest voice so consider that a warning if you decide to click on the fountain pen graphic to the right. It felt good to remember singing that song with Daddy which we sometimes did sitting in the swing on the front porch.
Don't worry, I decided not to sing the second song. I found an instrumental for How Great Thou Art. I've linked it to the first graphic.
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY JOHN ISADORE SULLIVAN
The 1st graphic is by my friend Cherlyn (www.itscherlyn.com).
Update: 11:54pm Monday June 21st. My sister Angela emailed me the pictures I'd lost of my Daddy. Click below to see it. I'm linking it instead of embedding it because it's a large picture. But I like the large picture because I can see his faceJ.
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Subject: Fond Memories Of My Father...old memories but still quite fond!
Time: 4:15:00 AM CDT
Author: viviansullinwank
I hadn't entertained the idea of writing about my father until I saw several Father's Day tributes while reading journals early this morning. Then I asked myself why that was what it took to motivate me. My father was born on September 1, 1910 in Simpsonville, S.C. I'm not sure when he left there, but I do know that he studied horticulture at Hampton Institute in Hampton, Virginia (now known as Hampton University).My mother was his second wife. Together they had me and 7 more! Daddy was a blue collar worker. He was employed by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. He worked the night shift (4p-midnight). During the school year, we only really got to see him during the weekends...he was asleep when we left for school, we were asleep when he came home from work.
We lived in the city. During the summers Daddy would go to the country to help his friend farm. We always had lots of fresh vegetables in the summer...so did our neighbors.
Daddy was a religious man..he was from a line of faithful church goers and ministers. As an adult he taught Sunday school, sang in one (or more) of the church choirs and he was a member of a men's glee club. I loved to sing with my father. Even though Daddy has been dead for almost 34 years, I can still see him in his robe, with the choir of Zion Baptist church as they came walking down the aisles into the sanctuary singing We're Marching To Zion.. One of my other favorite songs to sing with Daddy was How Great Thou Art.
When I was young I thought my daddy was a tall man. But he was only 6'0"...he just seemed tall standing beside my mother who was barely 5' tall! I was the first girl after three boys. My mother told me that my Daddy used to call me his little pug nose. My father wasn't very strict (do people even use that word anymore), but he didn't take no mess. I can recall a few spankings, not many though.
I can remember Daddy coming to my high school the day I was inducted into the National Honor Society. Mama was busy at home with the 4 who were younger than me. One of the last memories I have of Daddy was seeing him out in the audience at my high school graduation. He and Mama seemed so proud. The teachers had selected me to be the faculty speaker. Our class wasn't gigantic like some schools these days that have several hundred.
During our commencement they announced the names of graduates who received academic and athletic scholarships. I can still remember how proud my father was of me for earning a full scholarship to the University of Hartford. Daddy died that summer. I can remember sitting up nights that summer unable to believe that Daddy wouldn't be walking in the house at about half past midnight.
I'm glad he at least knew I would be going to college that fall. I loved my Daddy. I miss him and I still have dreams about him. Writing this made me want to sing with Daddy again. So I just used my AOL by Phone to do that. I don't have the world's greatest voice so consider that a warning if you decide to click on the fountain pen graphic to the right. It felt good to remember singing that song with Daddy which we sometimes did sitting in the swing on the front porch.Don't worry, I decided not to sing the second song. I found an instrumental for How Great Thou Art. I've linked it to the first graphic.
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY JOHN ISADORE SULLIVAN
The 1st graphic is by my friend Cherlyn (www.itscherlyn.com).
Update: 11:54pm Monday June 21st. My sister Angela emailed me the pictures I'd lost of my Daddy. Click below to see it. I'm linking it instead of embedding it because it's a large picture. But I like the large picture because I can see his faceJ.
![[View Photo]](http://hometown.aol.co.uk/VivianSulliNwank/Daddy.jpg){kind=link}
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This entry has 20 comments: (Add your own)
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What a beautiful story about your dad. You should be proud. I love the picture of him.
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Awesome enty, you love your daddy!
Derek -
Awww.. Vivian, your daddy was so handsome! He looks like a good, wise man. You have a beautiful singing voice. I honestly didn't expect to hear you singing so beautifullly.. I thought you would be singing something simple, but this is truly lovely, complex. I really enjoyed it. ::smile:: I'm sure wherever your father is, he's listening to you sing and he's smiling.
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Dear Vivian,
Your memories of daddy are beautiful, and like mine, always stored in your heart. We were so blessed to have a wonderful father and he will always live on especially through us...his chilldren. Eventhough my memories are limited when I think of his singing in the choir at Zion Baptist Church, I could definitely hear him singing through your beautiful voice. Thanks for sharing a part of daddy...
Love,
Angela
6/25/04 1:02 PM
I also love, "How Great Thou Art" I heard my little grandma sing that in her kitchen so many times when I was a little girl. I can't hear it without falling to pieces. We closed her funeral with that song. She loved it so much. Thank you so much for sharing this very special part of your life.
Love you!
Mia