Cousin Bill

When I was growing up in Wauseon, Ohio, my life, and my two older sisters lives were enriched by a plethora of relatives. Wauseon is a small rural town where everyone knows everyone. As a child growing up there you were watched over by the entire town. It was safe for us to go anywhere. Our our favorite relative was our cousin Big Bill. I was probably ten or eleven when I first met Bill. He had some qualities, I now know were not admirable. I want you to know the cousin Bill I knew, so, these qualities will remain buried in the past. He came to us from our mom,s side of the family. Bill was a big man, tall and heavy set. He had a smile that would light up the night sky. He had blonde hair and blue eyes. When ever he came to visit mom, we kids knew we were in for a fun time. Bill had been in the United States Navy, but, was now a police officer in Wauseon. What passed for fun in the late forties in Wauseon, would pale in comparison to what we do today for fun.
After mom had fixed us all a lunch of hamburgers and fresh, green peas, Bill would take us for a ride in his big, black Buick. He would go North of town to the Fulton County Fair Grounds. The reason for this was because the road past the fair grounds had a steep hill, with a quick drop. We always went fast enough over the hill to take our breath away. We called it tickle belly hill. It was fun and exciting! We loved it. Being a police officer he probably shouldn,t have gone so fast. It was probably alittle dangerous for us kids. Atleast we thought it was. After a few trips over tickle belly hill we went to the local ice cream shop, Sterling Creamery for ice cream cones. Bill always got us big cones. What a treat! Life was good.
Bill was injured during the attack on Pearl harbor and died when the Edmond Fitzgerald when down off Whitefish Point on Lake Superior. When the winds of November came early. It is raining at the cabin and Gypsy is in hot pursuit if Sam and Stella squirrel. Hope to bake a chocolate cake today, for lunch and dinner. Sound good? Maybe the taste will remind me of ice cream cones from the past?