I apologize for the long hiatus! But I promise I have the goods to make up for it.
Back in October, I recieved a message from a “long-lost” relative of mine who told me Gerald was her uncle. This led me to a joyful meeting between myself and my Great Aunt Emma. When I told my dad about contacting her, he instantly remembered her and told me about her kind heart. In fact, he said, the last time he saw her, she noticed his college apartment was void of pots and pans so she handed over some of her own.
We decided that we all had to meet (and for her and my dad, reunite). In November, before Thanksgiving, we drove out to her home and had a wonderful lunch. Emma even gave me some old photos of Gerald. One of which was the original clipping of the mysterious Navy photograph.
The pieces are slowly, but surely, coming together. I recently recieved a message on Classmates.com from a friend of Gerald’s. I’m hoping that she can give me some insight on his personality, and hopefully, how he met my grandmother.
Emma was somewhat older than him but doesn’t remember the details of how he met Linda. She does, however, recall their last meeting before he died.
Gerald had taken leave from California to bring Linda and the kids back to Pennsylvania for a visit with the family. When a now-taller Gerald saw Emma he laughed and said, “I can finally pat the top of your head.”
It was a great pleasure meeting Emma and her husband Dan. My favorite part was hearing Dan speak Pennsylvania Dutch. I can just imagine my relatives in generations past speaking the same way to one another!
Now on to the next lead! 
