The Bulge?

I first saw Dad referred to as 'The Bulge' decades ago when leafing through his high school yearbook. The origin of that nickname is lost in the mists of time - or at least he hasn't divulged the origin to me, yet. But over the years it became clear that the nickname 'The Bulge' was one he carried with a bit of pride (so much so that when I told him he needed to set up a new email address he came up with an address that incorporated 'bulge' in the name). Now, as his son I would have never dared call him 'the bulge', but among is old South Buffalo buddies the name was worn like a badge of honor.

So the name of this blog was born. Happy Birthday Bulge! We love ya!

-  Sheila, Moira, Brian & Pat

My favorite leatherhead!

Love Of His Life

Jim & Donna Haren

It's impossible to think of Dad without thinking of Mom. The two grew up close to each other in South Buffalo and according to Dad were inseparable from the first time they met. He was a paperboy for the Buffalo Evening News. One day while doing his weekly collections he stopped at a customer's house. He knocked on the door and the customer's youngest sister, who happened to be visiting, answered. That customer eventually became my aunt Grace. Dad never said it was love at first sight, but it certainly was interest at first sight, and that quickly blossomed into love.

Sadly we lost Mom in 2007, but I know Dad's love is undiminished. As I write this I'm sure he's sitting in his favorite chair at Moira's with his favorite picture of Mom by his side.

Mom

Dad

Dig the 70's era avocado! This picture was taken at our house in Maumee, Ohio
Dad spent as much time in the kitchen as Mom did - he loves to cook!
Moira, isn't that your dog in the lower corner?

Left-to-right, Lucille Sass (my mother-in-law), Dad and Mom
This was Roberta's first trip back to the US from Germany,
bringing along a very young Elizabeth to meet her grandparents,
sometime around 1984

At an impromptu family reunion in Ohio back in 1992

Family

It's clear there are two things central to Jimmy's life - faith and family. Family is that one thing around which his universe revolves. Family was everything, regardless of issue or circumstance. Dad & Mom led by example. (See, I'm doing it again - I can't think of Dad without thinking of Mom.) I never heard them argue, except for an occasional exasperated "Oh Jimmy" let out by Mom. Nobody took 'separate vacations'; if we went, we went together, whether you wanted to go or not. If a family member needed assistance that took precedence over everything else. If family dropped by the door was always open - and some summers in New Jersey it seemed the door never closed. Even friends became family, most particularly the Horns who lived across the street from us in New Jersey. They should have just changed their names to Haren and been done with it.

Dad with two of his three favorite gals - Moira and Sheila

Sometimes being a family means you travel - and Mom & Dad often took
time to visit us wherever the Army stationed us (in this case, North Carolina).
Here Aileen is enjoying a little of Jimmy's silliness

Dad with 'the clan' at Kelly Haren's law school graduation

Who's got worse hair - Elizabeth or Jimmy?

Goofing around at Hannah & Connor's wedding

Dad with our cousin Debbie Bonner and Sheila

At a Haren family reunion - a great time!

Nothing says 'family' like meat, especially if your grandson owns the shop!

Dad & Sheila at yet ANOTHER reunion

Dad with his 'baby' sister Ethnea

Jimmy with Pat and his boys - a great legacy!

Sometimes being a grandfather means just playing along!

Some handsome men

Just horsin' around

Three Houses

Dad just recently talked with Moira about the street he lived on in South Buffalo. Both of our parents loved to regale us with tales of the old neighborhood - they grew up close together but moved in different circles until they met in their early teens.

Mom & Dad loved to sit at the dinner table and just talk and talk and talk of the old neighborhood, old friends, places and experiences. If you added one of Mom's sisters and/or our grandmother (Dad's mother) to the mix the talk would go on for hours, with lots of laughs, some sadness and plenty of "gee, I never knew that!"

During the summer we'd see a steady stream of visiting relatives passing through our South Jersey home, and this table talk provided some of the background noise of our lives as we grew up. Endless cups of coffee, frequent 'adult beverages', too many cigarettes, and talk, talk, talk. I miss it (all except the cigarettes)!

Here's Dad:

"Three houses in a row on Edson St. (in South Buffalo): Harens, Werners, Millers.

In the Haren house there was always tea brewing. In the Werners house there was always wine (they came from Alsace-Lorraine region (of Germany) and in the fall someone would bring in bushels of grapes and their relatives would come to start processing). The Millers always had coffee brewing on their old wood burning stove. The Harens, had an electric stove upstairs and a gas in basement which she (Dad's mom - our Grandmother Mary Imelda) used for canning.

Werners had a phone, Millers and Harens didn't have one. I'm not sure when Harens got one. (Side note - I remember Dad talking about how in the neighborhood the houses were so close together all you had to do was stand on your porch and yell for whoever you wanted to talk to. They'd come out on their porch and yell back. So nobody needed a phone for 'local communications' 😀)

In winter the Millers put their car on blocks and drained it where it sat all winter. The Werners kept theirs in their garage. The Harens finally got their car after WWII.

Streetcars had a 3 cent mark just as you entered. If you were below mark you road for free. For 3 cents you could ride all day and have free transfers if you knew where to get transfers. You could carry on as many packages as you could get in before he closed the doors."

Thanks Dad, and keep the stories coming!

Snappy Dresser

I always remember Dad being well turned out. Even when he was being casual, he dressed well. Now, he's not a clothes horse, but he had real good casual and business dress sense. And he knew how to tie a tie - something I have yet to master.

It's clear his snappy sense of fashion came early in life. After all, who wouldn't want to go strutting round the streets of South Buffalo looking like this?

From Debbie

Dad, Cousin Debbie (his niece) and Sheila

Happy 90th birthday Uncle Jimmy! I have so many wonderful memories of our times together in Marilla and family visits to NJ. You and Aunt Donnie were so kind to my brother Jim, offering him support while he was a student at Valley Forge Military Academy. My parents always looked forward to getting together with you both and after my dad passed, Mom enjoyed her visits with you and Aunt Donnie either in Buffalo or Maumee. Mom always shared the funny stories of your adventures which were always fueled by your humor and wit.  

Fast forward many years and Mark and I so enjoyed the family reunion in Troy a few years ago. So great to reconnect with you and the beautiful family you and Aunt Donnie created.

Mark and I send our very best wishes to you on this big day!

Lots of love,

Deb and Mark 

Gettin' Hitched

Mom & Dad were married on October 31st, 1953. That was also Mom's birthday. It took me a few years to figure out that October 31st is also Halloween. Thanks you guys for picking some easy-to-remember dates!

They were married in Our Lady of Victory Basilica in Lackawanna, NY. Again, more of this family connection thing. During the construction of the basilica about 30 years before their marriage my grandfather, Jimmy's dad, helped lay out the steel ribs of the basilica dome. It was one of the first jobs he got in America after emigrating from Scotland as a journeyman pattern maker. I'm sure he sat in the pew during the ceremony, looked up at the dome and after thanking God said to himself, "You've come a long way, laddie".

Hey you two, no foolin' around now!