Happy 100th!

My Daddy, Jake Gates Montgomery, was born on January 31, 1916!  Today is his birthday!  I never know whether to say 'it was' his birthday or 'it is' his birthday.  Do you celebrate birthdays in heaven?  I think heaven is a place of many joyous celebrations.  It makes me happy to think of my Daddy and Mother having a fun birthday party with all their loved relatives.  I like to think that someday I'll be joining them for the ultimate family reunion!

In honor of this milestone birthday I thought I'd share a few photos of him.

Handsome in his Navy uniform!

 

With little baby Marilyn!  Does anyone else think that Isabella resembles me????

 

Thanksgiving 1954 in the laundry of the USS Antietam.  That is where Daddy worked.  I was 15 months old.

I was 'so glad when Daddy comes home'!

 

In Rome in front of Saint Peters in 1960.  My love of travel and photography started early.   I was 6 years old.

 

This is the last photo of my Daddy.  It is Christmas 1979, just 5 months before he died.  It was taken in my Aunt Mary Finch's house. Aunt Mary is in the front.  With the dark vest is my Aunt Maudie Moore.  And Grandma Finch is in the back. They are all in heaven now and I hope they are all celebrating Daddy's birthday with him today! 

 

 Daddy had already had surgery to remove a tumor near his lip when this photo was taken.  We were in Arkansas for Christmas that year with little 5 month old Mary.  I'm so glad we were. I was 25 when Daddy died.  All four of our children are older than I was when I lost him.   I've lived so many more years without him than with him but I know he had an influence on the woman I am.  In some ways I'm a lot like him.  And I think that is a good thing.