The Grandparents:
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Gram June |
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Benedicte Raffard was born in the southeast of France, in Leone, in 1899. She emigrated to the United States with her parents when she was 12 years old. The family ended up in Hornell when Benedicte's father took a job running the Huguet Silk Mill. She met and married a local boy, Glenn June, who was, at that time, working at his father's business, June's Ice Cream. They had one child, a son named John. |
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Benedicte was a lover of books, and animals--in particular cats. She was well known at the Hornell Public Library, as she made almost daily trips there. She must have read every book they had. Twice. She was also a great friend to our feline companions. With most of the plant shut down, and only the in-front retail store in operation, there was lots of space for the felines to roam. It must have been heaven for a cat. People knew she was a soft touch and she would often find an abandoned cat or kitten at the rear of the plant. Of course she would take it in and give it a good home. This must be where I get my feline compassion. All the Junes have it. |
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Benedicte was the consummate card player. I think she would play any card game you could come up with. Her passion was bridge. I didn't learn how to play bridge until college, so I never had a chance to play her. I would expect to lose since she was reputedly a wicked player. I can believe it. I used to visit her at the Main Street store and in between customers we would play cards. Usually Canasta, Hearts, or Oh Hell. When I worked in the store briefly in my teenage years, Gram June was the boss. She taught me how to properly serve ice cream. Gram June apparently made an impression on people outside the family too. One woman who worked at June's Ice Cream as a girl, has fond memories of Benedicte, as related in her book "The Popcorn Kid". Joanne L. Moran says she was lucky to have a mentor like Mrs. June. I couldn't agree more. |
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Gram Campbell |
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Just Gram. Gram was the archetype grandmother. Norman Rockwell wrapped up in a person. I have fond memories of Gram in the early years. I can remember her old homespun sayings; we kids would pick up on one and then start repeating it everywhere to big laughs all around. Let's see, there was, "If it were a snake it would have bit you". "There's more of them than Carter has pills", whatever the heck that means. And the ever popular "Well, I'll be!". That one was a riot. I think David was the chief instigator in declaring "Well, I'll be!" every 10 minutes. Funny, the things you remember. Wednesdays were Gram day for a long time. Either we (mom and whatever kids happened to be around) jumped in the car and made the 18 mile trek to Avoca, or she got in her '57 Chevy and made the trip to Hornell. I was always excited and distracted in school on Wednesday afternoons, because it was "Gram day" and I knew her car would be in the driveway when I got home. I remember one summer, while visiting her for a couple of days, we went to the Bath drive-in and watched "Around the World in 80 Days". I was very excited about that. And then of course, there were the special events. We would go to the Bath VA center to watch the parade on Memorial Day. We would picnic on July 4th at someplace cool; an amusement park, a state park, or some such wonder. I loved Gram's tuna fish sandwiches. Just something about them; they were different. We would go swimming at one of the many area lakes, we would play miniature golf, we would hit every tourist attraction around. Wednesday afternoon trips to Demon's pond became a regular in the summer. Never saw Gram go into the water. Ever. But she enjoyed herself sunning on the beach. We, meanwhile had a ball. I remember the first time I swam all the way out to the float--which was a worthy achievement as that signified some sort of passage into manhood, or womanhood, or just plain hood. I remember the first time we went all the way around the lake--in our inner tubes! We can't forget the regular summer vacations. Mom and Gram, and whatever kids were available (this mix changed over time; for the longest time I thought Jimmy Mess was some kind of cousin, cause he always seemed to be going with us on these excursions). Gram would read the map, Mom would drive, and the kids would create havoc. Fun for all. Gram was retired from a life teaching elementary school, an avocation that Patty is now following. For a while she worked at Sheppard's Furniture store in Avoca. Mom would always buy her wallpaper from the store, and we kids would get to roam around the dark and kinda mysterious upstairs, where the wallpaper was kept. They had a lot of wallpaper. And the place had a particular smell to it. Gram was also an avid reader and puzzle solver who loved crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, and she was a terrific Scrabble player. Gram married Winton Campbell. They had one daughter, Carol. |
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Glenn June |
Winton Campbell |
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Both grandfathers died in separate auto accidents before any of the kids were born. Carol Campbell was just 10 years old when her father, Winton, was killed in a freak accident involving a freight train. John June's father, Glenn, was 45 years old when he was also killed in a car accident. Glenn served in the Calvary during World War I and was an expert horse handler. |