Jim and Lois Dixon (2003)
Uncle Jim.
He had snow white hair, perhaps even whiter than my grandfather's. (My dad inherited the wispy, mostly bald, hair pattern, but not the truly white look!) It looked great on my uncle Jim!
Uncle Jim was the tallest of the Dixon boys. I'm not sure if he was athletic. He didn't talk much about it if he was. I know he took up golf later in life and became obsessed for a time with the game. But what golfer isn't obsessed with the game?
After high school, Uncle Jim attended General Motors Institute, a college in Flint, Michigan operated by GM to train their engineers and managers. Uncle Don soon followed. Uncle Jim earned his BBA in 1953, making him our first college graduate. Uncle Don graduated in 1955. Uncle Jim was a Superintendent of Production Control for one of the Delco plants.
He worked for some time for his younger brother, my uncle Don, who was in charge of all of the Superintendents of Production Control for all of the plants in Anderson (title of General Superintendent of Materials Management, with office in the plant 1 HQ). Not many guys could work for their brother... let alone their younger brother. During those years, to the best of my young sense of things, they seemed like best friends. Uncle Jim and Uncle Don always seemed especially close. For a couple of years (I think), they even wintered together down by Fort Myers. I'm not sure that Aunt Lois didn't become the more serious golfer in the meantime. I wish I had made an effort to visit them more.
Uncle Jim had my grandfather's laugh. He really enjoyed laughing. He laughed like he couldn't control it once he got started. Uncle Don has a distinctive laugh also, but I think Uncle Jim's was more like Pappaw Dixon's.
Uncle Jim always asked me questions... even as a boy... about what was going on in my life. We would only see each other every two or three months, but he seemed to be interested in how I had been and what I'd been doing. Nobody else really ever did that in the same way.
He had snow white hair, perhaps even whiter than my grandfather's. (My dad inherited the wispy, mostly bald, hair pattern, but not the truly white look!) It looked great on my uncle Jim!
Uncle Jim was the tallest of the Dixon boys. I'm not sure if he was athletic. He didn't talk much about it if he was. I know he took up golf later in life and became obsessed for a time with the game. But what golfer isn't obsessed with the game?
After high school, Uncle Jim attended General Motors Institute, a college in Flint, Michigan operated by GM to train their engineers and managers. Uncle Don soon followed. Uncle Jim earned his BBA in 1953, making him our first college graduate. Uncle Don graduated in 1955. Uncle Jim was a Superintendent of Production Control for one of the Delco plants.
He worked for some time for his younger brother, my uncle Don, who was in charge of all of the Superintendents of Production Control for all of the plants in Anderson (title of General Superintendent of Materials Management, with office in the plant 1 HQ). Not many guys could work for their brother... let alone their younger brother. During those years, to the best of my young sense of things, they seemed like best friends. Uncle Jim and Uncle Don always seemed especially close. For a couple of years (I think), they even wintered together down by Fort Myers. I'm not sure that Aunt Lois didn't become the more serious golfer in the meantime. I wish I had made an effort to visit them more.
Uncle Jim had my grandfather's laugh. He really enjoyed laughing. He laughed like he couldn't control it once he got started. Uncle Don has a distinctive laugh also, but I think Uncle Jim's was more like Pappaw Dixon's.
Uncle Jim always asked me questions... even as a boy... about what was going on in my life. We would only see each other every two or three months, but he seemed to be interested in how I had been and what I'd been doing. Nobody else really ever did that in the same way.
Uncle Jim and Aunt Lois and their three children (Bruce, Kent and Tonia) lived in town at 1102 West 7th Street (near Madison Ave.) when the kids were young. When Bruce was in junior high, they moved to a house on Manchester Road, off of Rangeline and near Indiana 32 (across the river from the airport). Uncle Jim and Aunt Lois moved several times after the kids left home.
I remember that Uncle Jim was a leader in his church, first at Bethany Christian at Cross Street and Rangeline, and later at a new church over on Madison Avenue.
Uncle Jim retired early from Delco. He later volunteered at St. John's Hospital on a regular basis.
He died of lung cancer. I was home visiting dad and we went to go see him a few weeks before he passed. I know he was uncomfortable, but he was able to enjoy a few minutes of conversation. He was the first of George and Della's children to pass. Then Dad got sick and followed not too long after.
I remember that Uncle Jim was a leader in his church, first at Bethany Christian at Cross Street and Rangeline, and later at a new church over on Madison Avenue.
Uncle Jim retired early from Delco. He later volunteered at St. John's Hospital on a regular basis.
He died of lung cancer. I was home visiting dad and we went to go see him a few weeks before he passed. I know he was uncomfortable, but he was able to enjoy a few minutes of conversation. He was the first of George and Della's children to pass. Then Dad got sick and followed not too long after.
1 comment:
Bruce emailed me in reply to my post about Uncle Jim, his dad:
Now for some notes on Dad (Kent and Tonia may have some corrections and definitely some additional info):
From what I remember Dad did not participate in high school sports (he did get academic honors) but he loved playing softball. In fact I believe he first joined Bethany Church so he could play on their softball team. He was also almost always available to go out in the backyard and "play catch" as Kent and I learned to play baseball in little league. He also coached one team I was on and attended games whenever he could.
Dad and Mom were pretty strict when it came to rules around the house, "bickering" and fighting (me and Kent), picking on Tonia, and of course school grades and behaviors at school - just ask Kent and Todd. You might get off a little easier with Mom but just wait until Dad got home from work. But I don't think we ever got a punishment we didn't deserve.
Dad always tried to set a very high example for us. He worked hard, volunteered in the community and was very active at church. Mom did also but we learned from her the more practical things in life - like when it was OK to let a small curse word slip. Dad and Mom also taught us the value of work first and play later which helped tremendously later in life.
Dad seemed to be on a pretty high pedestal until Kent wore his sportcoat to church one Sunday and reached into the pocket and found his "poker money" from the parties at Killbuck lodge he and Uncle Don went to. Even at that his halo just slipped a little bit.
As Dad got older and it seemed us kids were going to turn out OK it seemed he relaxed and let his guard down more. He could be very funny at times when he said unexpected things and didn't hide his frustrations on the golf course.
My most recent memories of him were still great lessons in life. As he got sicker and sicker with cancer he never gave up hope and he never complained. Even though he never pushed his religious beliefs on others those beliefs gave him comfort and inner peace until the end - I know because those were part of his last words to me. But, that's enough about that. He would also have us move on in life.
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