The Jones Brothers

I recently learned that my Uncle Gordon passed away. Last night, I was lying in bed, thinking about my mother's brothers. There were three Jones brothers: Richard, Gordon, and Sherm. They grew up in a family of older sisters, five, to be exact. The Jones home was not a large one. I often wondered how they all managed to get along, in such a compact house. I noticed that my uncles were all very close knit. That probably came from being bunkmates together in the big basement. Imagine a one bathroom house with five sisters. Torture. They had to stick together.

As a child, I observed that Uncle Richard and Uncle Gordon were always smiling and laughing. Anytime our families got together, there was humor and laughter, with Richard at the center of it all, and Gordon nearby.  When Uncle Richard passed away, it left a hole in our family. He was a great entertainer and storyteller. He was a man of many interests, and a lover of animals.  Now, Uncle Gordon is gone, too.  I'm so very sorry for his family, because I know that the loss of him will cause much grief. He was a warm, caring, and trusting person. The kind of person that could be referred to as "the salt of the earth".  He was the heart of the Jones family, and he will be greatly missed. I wish his family comfort and peace at this difficult time.