I suppose I should start out my history with some early info
and some things about my grandparents. I was born in May 1957 in Cedar Rapids
Iowa. I am the son of Mark and Geraldine (McNeal). I have a sister who was born
a little over a year older than me, Cathy. My little brother Joe came along
when I was nine so he doesn't figure into the early days very much.
My dad was from Fairmont Minnesota. He attended Mankato
State University for three years. He quit after three years to help out with
his father. His father, Mark, was stricken with polio and lost the use of his
left arm. Since my father was no longer in school he ended up getting drafted
and he was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. On leave in St. Louis he
met my mother and as they say the rest is history. I'm not sure how long their
engagement was but I know my father loved my mother dearly. I admit I was a
mommy's boy and loved my mother so much it's hard to put into words. She had a
soft Southern way about her and she was so kind. I'm not sure how she ended up
being so gentle and kind since neither of her parents were like that. She was a
beautiful person inside and out and everyone who knew her thought the world of
her.
My mother's parents were the McNeal's and they were from St.
Louis. I am told that when I was about six months old we moved from Cedar
Rapids to St. Louis and lived with my mother's parents. One story I remember is
that they stored their furniture in the garage. My mother's brothers were named
Tom and Bob. I'm not sure which one but one of them ran with a rough crowd but
they were smoking in the garage and set my parents furniture on fire. They lost
all their furniture. Later when my sister was ready to start school we moved to
Omaha Nebraska where my dad got a job with the publishing company. My memories
of the McNeal's were never good. I remember being terrified of my grandparents
and never felt comfortable around them. They owned two standard poodles that
looked identical to me. I was told one of them was mean and do not leave my
hands out. It was made clear that if the dog bit me it was my fault. This was
something that made me feel scared all the time.
After we moved to Omaha we visited a few times. We took the
train which was exciting to me to St. Louis and back. We went one Easter and
the dogs ate all of my Easter candy when we were at church. The dog then threw
up. Of course this was my fault and my grandfather yelled at me. I've never
forgotten that. They never came to Omaha to visit us and I know they had problems
with my mother marrying a Catholic. The McNeal's were Protestant and really
objected to the Catholic attitude toward birth control. This was a source of
much friction and they often accused my father relating to her getting pregnant
with me so soon after my sister.
My mother also had a miscarriage and I think was after me.
She didn't have another child until my brother came along nine years after me.
I have very few memories of the McNeal's but I do remember the few times we
visited my grandmother she was so mean to my mom that she was crying. They were
very mean people I do remember that.
I really don't have much to report about them
other than negative things so I will leave off here and pick up my other set of
grandparents in a later post.
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