A Note to Gabe

from Uncle Murray

On the occasion of your 50th Birthday!

In anticipation of your milestone birthday, I’ve been reminiscing about March 1973 and thought I’d share my tale with you.

It was my college Spring Break, and I didn’t go to Fort Lauderdale or Acapulco. Instead, a buddy and I decided to hitchhike from Ohio to California to visit family. 

One place we visited was my brother Bruce’s cabin in the hills above Watsonville, at the rather poetic address, 2001 Eureka Canyon Road. The cabin had no electricity, but it did have a phone; our mom had insisted Bruce get one installed because his wife, Terry, was quite pregnant. My buddy and I stayed with Bruce and Terry a couple of days, and then we headed up to my folks’ place in Sacramento. 

While I was still in Sacramento, on March 18th, my parents got a wonderful call from Bruce. My parents were now grandparents – Gabriel Joseph Smith had been born. 

Happy birthday, Gabe. It’s great having you in the world!

~~~

Below, I’ve posted photos of you over the years, with some of your family – people who love you. Some of them are no longer with us on Earth, but they all love you and are very proud of you.

If you click on a photo, you’ll get a larger, full-screen version, along with a little more information about the photo. From those larger versions, a few have more details, accessible if you click on the little “i” icon below each full-screen photo.

Photos were pulled from my own collection, with additional helpful contributions from Marie, Natalie, and Diane Mode