I call this batch of photos Tray 0 (for sorting purposes). Tray 0 contains 48 slides from the summers of 1980, 1982, and 1958 and a few slides from 1959, 1960, 1963, 1964, and 1967. The contents are “all over the map” but the connection is our family history.
About Sombra—
Slides 1-20 are from the Summer of 1980. Bob had just moved to an apartment in Salt Lake City and planned to take classes at the University of Utah. I had just returned from San Pedro Sula, Honduras for the summer. I had completed a third and final year at the Escuela Internacional Sampedrana (EIS) and would be on my way to the Notre Dame International School in Rome, Italy, in late August 1980. Marilyn was in Genoa, Nebraska. Slides 1— 20, are of Sombra-hanging out with me or Bob at his apartment or romping on the grounds of the University of Utah or hiking up one of the adjacent canyons to the U.
Sombra was given as a gift to Cheryl by one of her students at EIS. When we returned to Salt Lake City in June, 1978, we brought Sombra with us. When Cheryl and I separated I took possession of him. I returned to EIS in August, 1979. Bob and I drove a Fiat wagon loaded with all my earthly possessions from Salt Lake City to San Pedro Sula, Honduras–an epic road trip adventure.
I was in San Pedro Sula for the school year 1979-1980. I was under contract for the Notre Dame International School in Rome for the following school year. That meant another big move. On reflection-I should have made arrangements for Sombra to find a new family in San Pedro Sula. I believe that would have been the best for him. But I was very attached to Sombra and figured I could take him to the States with me. When I returned to Salt Lake City in June of 1978 I brought Sombra with me. I should have realized that I would eventually have to place Sombra with a family or an individual who would want this beautiful dog and take care of him. I had originally planned to spend the summer in Billings with my parents before going to Rome but hadn’t thought much of what would become of Sombra. They preferred I not bring Sombra so I changed my plans and arrived in Salt Lake City where my brother picked up Sombra and me at the airport and took us to his apartment which was just off the University of Utah campus. We spent a good two months together, the three of us, before I departed for Rome.
I left Sombra with Bob and agreed to pay him monthly to take care of him and I would figure out my situation in Rome and work something out for Sombra to join me there. That’s how muddled and short-sited my thinking was.
About a month later I received a letter from Bob that he would no longer be able to keep Sombra and I had him send Sombra to me in Rome. Unfortunately this put me in a bad spot. My housing, provided by Notre Dame, was a small apartment with two other teachers. Pets not allowed. A good friend and fellow teacher of mine, Giselle, arranged for a farmer on the outskirts of Rome to take Sombra in as part of his family. The farm was within walking distance from my apartment and Sombra and I set out to find it. We arrived and I handed Sombra over to the lady of the house, turned and walked back home. I never saw Sombra again. Giselle, who was fluent in Italian, phoned the family about a month after I left Sombra and they assured us that Sombra had incorporated himself into the family and was very happy. I want to believe that.
Hedy Meets Mom and Dad—
Slides 21 to 26 document the first meeting of my Mom and Dad with Hedy. This took place in July 1982 in Billings, Montana. Hedy and I had taken a train from Rome to Brussels where we made connections to fly to New York. Once in New York we found we did not have enough money to fly to Billings so we opted for a flight to Denver and then took a Greyhound to Billings where we arrived early on a July morning. We were basically down to our last few dollars and we were pretty worn out from all the traveling to get there. We found a motel that let us use the shower and get cleaned up and then called Mom and Dad to come pick us up.
The next day a check for $700 arrived to cover travel expenses to my new job at Colegio Roosevelt (The American School of Lima). Yahoo! We were in the bucks again!
Dannelly Family–
Slides 27 to 34 are photos of the new born Mark Dannelly and the Dannelly family (Gaylen, Marilyn, and mother and father Lucille and Glenn. These slides were taken during the summer of 1982 in Genoa, Nebraska.
Jacobson Family—
Slides 35-38 were taken at a Jacobson family gathering in Mobridge, South Dakota in July, 1958. My grandfather, Henry Jacobson had died July 25, 1958. Unfortunately, my Aunt LaVonne and her husband James missed the funeral. They had left earlier for a vacation car trip and the family was unable to contact them despite calling the Highway Patrol. That is why only five sisters appear in the photos.
Here are two group photos from the collection-
Corky, Sunny—
The rest of the slide, 39-48 are a potpourri from 1959—Four year old Bobby strumming a banjo, the family dog Corky, Marilyn as a graduate from Great Falls High School, July, 1964, and nice puppy photo of Sunny taken in Salt Lake City, September, 1967. Two from this batch—
