Carolina Roots

I'm pretty sure that I've blogged about Brett being from the Florida panhandle -- a beach boy! What I haven't mentioned {not sure why, either!} is that he was actually born in South Carolina and spent his first few years there. His mom was born in the little town of Clinton and his dad was born in Buffalo, New York, but moved to Aiken when he was 5.

Brett and his younger brother would spend their summers in Clinton, usually spending most of it at the lakehouse on Lake Greenwood. Before we were married he took me up to Clinton to meet his grandmother and see some of his favorite childhood spots. One of his favorite memories was having "red feet" {from the clay bottom} after swimming in Lake Greenwood. Sure enough, after our first swim together up there we laughed over having "red feet!"

Brett's maternal grandmother passed away in 2009 after a short battle with lung cancer. I always wished I had had the chance to look through some of her old photo albums and get copies of some of the photos from when she was younger. Unbeknownst to me, Brett ended up with one of his mother's old photo albums in the bottom of a box that was shoved in the very back of our closet. I was able to go through that box for the first time last night!

Brett's grandmother, Lillian Virginia Chaney, circa 1943.

Brett's grandfather, Leonard Bronell Bishop.

Brett's grandparents in 1948. 

Brett's great-grandmother, Lizzie Etta Sanders Chaney, and his mother in 1951.

Bishop Service Center circa 1956

Brett's mother, Libby, circa 1966

And last, but not least...

Brett - 1982