I never met my uncle T. Langston , as everyone in the family called him. In my adult life, I determined that the T stood for Thomas and so now when I talk about him, I always call him Thomas Langston. Uncle Thomas' grad school student ID is one of only two pictures that I have of him and I just recently discovered the student ID (it was tucked behind his Masters diploma). Uncle Thomas drowned, along with his girlfriend, while attending grad school at the University of Michigan. Dad and my aunts and uncles always relayed that Uncle Thomas, who couldn't swim, and his girlfriend were on an outing on the Huron river when their boat capsized ,and both Uncle Thomas and his girlfriend drowned. Now his youngest niece, that would be me, always thought there was foul play but I've been able to finally put that thought to rest. You see along with the student ID was a clipping of his girlfriend's memorial / funeral service, which stated she drowned trying to save him after their canoe overturned.
Until Next Time!
What a sad story!I am glad that you were able to put your mind to rest about how it happened.Sometimes I know it feels like we are not getting "the whole story" with some of these past events!Thanks for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteWow, sounds like the Ancestors are reaching from the grave to set the record straight, huh?
ReplyDeleteWhat was his Girlfriend's name? Blessings to you Thomas Langston.
Luckie.
Wow! What a treasured piece of family history! Thanks for sharing Thomas' story with us.
ReplyDelete~Regina
That is such a sad story--but how great that his memory is kept alive. Just curious, what was he studying in grad school?
ReplyDeleteLuckie, uncle Thomas' girlfriend's name was Florice Ann Holmes, she was a junior medical student. She was also from NC. The clipping indicates her dad was a professor but I don't know if he was a professor at Univ. of Michigan.
ReplyDeleteI remember the day I brought his Masters diploma back to my house from my Aunt Martha's house. Felt this lump behind the diploma and went what's this? It was a envelope that contained his ID and the clipping of Florice's memorial service.
Tracy, probably education. He had received his MA in education from Michigan in 1942 and was working towards a PhD at the time.
Regina and dustbunny, thank you for stopping by. My dad was a senior in HS when his big brother died.
If I can ever get back up to where and the grandparents are buried, I will take a picture of his tombstone. It's interesting as it lists all his diplomas.