c. 1952, Summer: Dad with kids at the beach, about 1952

I (Sheryl) am the kid on the right. The other little girl was a friend of the family. I have no idea who the body-builder is on the far right, but arm at left probably belongs to the little girl's father. I'm guessing she is Shauna Haugan, but don't quote me. Growing up in Southern California, we went to the beach a lot. That had also been a tradition in Dad's family growing up. They went to Corona del Mar most of the time; we usually went to Newport or Balboa. I think Dad was a pretty good swimmer. At least he usually went in and got wet.

c. Aug 1950: Sheryl with her dad at the beach

This is a small photo with no date on it, so I'm just guessing. Everyone enjoyed going to the beach, and both families have a tradition of spending time there. My mom grew up near the beach, and Dad's family had spent time there for several generations.

Dec 25, 1949: Sheryl and Dad at Grandma's house

I think I always liked dolls. Here is Dad playing on the floor with me, and this may be a doll I'd gotten for Christmas, I'm not sure about that. The date the photos were developed was December 29, 1949. Grandma's parents had brought Oriental rugs back to Corona after a trip around the world in 1910 and 1911. It looks like they were still in good shape after lots of use by 1949!

c. 1950: Dad with Sheryl (top) and Kathy (bottom)

I think it's possible that the top photo is me and the second is Kathy, and she agreed with me, but we're not positive. Kathy had darker hair and I had a wider face. I think Dad looks a little older in the second photo, too, but that's really hard to tell. If my guess on who's who is right, the first is 1949, and the second 1951.

"I'm touched that Adam liked them and yeah, they sort of look like Life Magazine. They're of that era, black and white. I took out a few spots in the prints and lightened up my dad's face in a couple of them so you could see it. I was struck by one of the pix where he's holding Kathy or me. His t-shirt has holes in it, his fingernails have grease in them. It was like him, working on the ranch and then coming home to the family. It's a kind of 1940's image, maybe. The baggy t-shirt. We weren't exactly poor, but nobody bought new stuff every time it had a few holes in it! It's just a different age."

c. Jul 1949: Ted with baby Sheryl, 1949

Sheryl was born May 6, 1949.