I remember that he took a nap on the couch after Sunday dinners.

I remember him sawing wood laid over saw horses out by the grape arbor.

I remember him sharpening his straight edged razors on his razor strop which hung on the inside of a closet door.

I remember him having a black Cadillac, which even then I knew was important to him. I believe I actually remember two of them, one having been traded in for a new one at some point in time.

I remember that he was a very laid back, soft-spoken man who seemed to have endless patience for the prattle and constant questions of a small child.

I wish I had been given the chance to know him better. Recently my Aunt Mary sent me a box of photos and other memorabilia, and I got the distinct impression while going through these that my grandfather was a very warm, sensitive and sentimental person.

There were post cards that he sent to my grandmother, mostly from his army Days during or right after WWI, as well as post cards sent to him by others.

There were other things he had sent to her as well, such as valentines and little pictures he must have thought were amusing or pretty.

There was a small brown manila envelope which held about 2 dozen artistic images done on silk, about 5" x 7". I don't know what process was used to make these, but they are absolutely beautiful. Aunt Mary said he sent those to my grandmother from France. What really amused me was in very faint handwriting on the outside was a bit of a bawdy story. I'm not sure which one of them wrote that but I suspect it was him. This also helped to make him come alive to me.

There were also several newspapers he had saved from the WWI era, though they are brittle and damaged and I am afraid to try to open them.

All of this gave me the feeling that here was a very sensitive and sentimental man, and I verified this impression with my Aunt Mary. She told me was all this and more. He was a romantic, who enjoyed sending his wife things to make her happy, and to express his love and his thoughts for her. A warm-hearted and caring person, who never raised his voice or was ever harsh or disagreeable. Nevertheless, he was a person of character. It occurs to me that this is much like the way my mom was. I guess that's where she got it from.

All of this was wonderful to see. But the really priceless things in there were the photos, most of which I had never seen before. These definitely convey to me a feeling of a very dashing, debonair young man who was comfortable with himself, who loved life and who enjoyed living it.

Left: Edgar Hart in what I believe to be his first car.

Bottom: Edgar Hart (on left) with two of his half-brothers, John and Frankie Potts.