J. Robert Gerry.  Handwritten in my Emerson Birthday Book by my Great Aunt Mary is the date of my father's birth, May 17 1921.  I know the birth of my Dad was a joyous occasion for Great Aunt Mary and her sister my Great Aunt Elida. They both had remained unmarried and this was the birth of the second son to their sister, my Grandma Alma and my Grandpa Bill.  My dad was a darling from his early years which anyone who knew him in later years would well understand.  He was a wonderful husband, father and friend.  And so handsome!  His love and commitment to his parents, Aunt Mary and Aunt Elida was a foundational part of my childhood and connected us in a deep way as a family.  Grandpa Bill, Grandma Alma, Great Aunt Mary and Great Aunt Elida impacted my life in ways untold only meeting the Lord after long and fulfilling lives that we were all apart of.  Reflecting on their influences on my life with a grateful heart----------