Going though the last of the old pictures from my Mother's house we came across a picture of three young people in a small picture of the type you get from a photo booth. It was in a old style cardboard frame. Sharon asked "I wonder who they are? I suppose we will never know. What is written on the back?"
I dug out the magnifying glass and read;
"Bonde hair
Blue eyes
Sweetheart lips"
I said "It doesn't help. Another one for the unknown pile. Its a shame for she is so pretty." As I tossed it in the pile I noticed some printing on the back of the picture proper underneath the frame. Some had written:
"Prettiest
girl in
Riverside
Buddy Hovan
Dead
Was killed in
an auto accident
5 others in acc-
ident. All 6 dead
Aug.9.1936
2.45 pm pretty
blonde
I cried. Angela (aka Buddy) Hovan!! I had just met my Father's baby sister. I could see why she was his favourite. She, her fiance, and some friends were coming from/going to Hillcrest when the brakes on the car failed. They were unable to stop or leave the road. They were hit by a train at the bottom of the hill. My Dad's family lived in the river bottom about a half mile from the crossing. It almost destroyed Dad. He filled his back pack with a few things, took his rifle, and headed into the mountains. He wandered the forests around the Pass for several weeks. When he returned he would not talk about it for years. I think I was in my teens when I first heard about her story.
Some where in the files we have a picture of the car. When I find it again I will add it to the album.
Some times family shows up in the strangest places and in the strangest ways.
