Frank Our Neighbor

Frank our neighbor just turned 96.  He came over the other day

with pictures of himself as a young man in the navy and some reward statements in the newpaper to share with us for his outstanding work with  screwworms eradication which were experiments he was involved with for our country. (will get newpaper clipings and put in here)

will post later but want to first tell you a little of his life growing up as was told to me.

He starts out with saying he and his mother " invented poor."  Sad story actually. Seems his father was a minister and once he and his brother went with his father on a mini vacation and they stopped at the home of his fathers secretary to rest overnight before heading home the next day. While there Frank just happened to see his father in bed with someone that was not his mother.  😕  After Frank got back home he didn't say a word to his mother but his older brother who he told went and told had no problem telling his mom and shortly after that their  parents divorced.  The older brother went with his dad to live in Ca. and Frank stayed with his mother. Said he was always a mommies boy anyway.  So it was that life got hard, really hard and one day his mother said if anyone ever ask you how we are doing you just say ok.  But the fact is they weren't doing ok. They were poor as mice and lived in a one room shed with no bathroom and no running water and barely any food. I can't even imagine how that came to be.  His father went on to marry his secretary and they moved to Ca. where he did well while Frank and his mother struggled.  He and his mom were left to make it on there own and as he said they" invented poor." 

 I could hardly believe how he said they lived as he told me this story...poor was right!!

He went on to join the navy as soon as was old enough and his mom went to live with her sister.  He later got stationed in Ca. so he decided to one day to look up his dad and drop in on  him. This was many years later and guess Frank was curious so he looked him up. He knocked at the door and his dad answered and of course he didn't even recognize him or know who he was.  Frank made an excuse that he came to see about buying a horse since they had horses.   He finally gave in after small talk and said take a look at my navy tags. It said of course Frank Dudley.  Can you imagine the look that father must have had on his face!  Must have shocked him! His father said he didn't reckonize him because he was so young back then when he left. Yes he grew up poor...even alot worse than us Todd kids.  He is a interesting guy to talk with and often pretty funny.  Franks wife Carolyn passed about five yrs. ago.  He misses her alot and at times you may see a tear in his eye as he speaks lovingly of her. Now he has Miss D. his puppy to keep him company.

Will post some of Franks funny sayings here:

1. If telling him a problem he will say " thats by far the saddest story I've ever heard ... it entitles you to so many minutes with the clergy of you choice. 

 2.On gossip would say "Many a slip from the cup to the lip" he would say

3.In giving advice I usually charge for this kind of  information. ha.

      He really did have a sense of humor.