A Mother's Day story should begin with the mothers:  Mary Jane Campbell, nee Zimmerman (left); her mother Esther Zimmerman (center); and Jane Zimmerman, nee Berlin (right), sister-in-law and daughter-in-law.  They are all a bit distracted - Jane is laughing, Mary Jane is grinning, and even Esther has a pleasant expression (she rarely smiled in photos).

For insight on the car behind them, see below.  This must be at the Zimmerman grandparents' Tibbetts-Wick Road house, because I don't remember so many trees near the driveway at the house on East Liberty Street.

My mother and Jane are both wearing suits.  Mary Jane's suit and Esther's dress both have Peter Pan collars.  I like Jane's pin.  Esther's dress has two buttons undone!  One at her collar and another just beneath her belt.  Oops.  

This cut-off text on the back of a single photo from this series helped me to identify the event:  Mother's Day on May 11, 1958.  

I don't know to whom my mother was going to send this image.  It never got sent, and I presume it was cut in order to better fit into an album or frame.  Thankfully, some of the text survived.  I got a kick out of this part:  "...as the low heels look terrible."  I guess the term "flats" wasn't used in the late 1950s.  I think Mary Jane looks very polished, even with "low heels."

Susan is proudly holding a folding hand fan in this photo. Jane and Larry brought it back as a gift, from when he was stationed in Japan.  Sue remembers it as very exotic, with reds and pinks.  

Uncle Larry was drafted by the U.S. Army in 1950.  He served for 32 years, and the family lived in 29 locations during his years of service.  For Mother's Day in 1958, they must have made a visit home to northeast Ohio, where both Jane's and Larry's families lived.  Greg was their oldest child and is obviously enjoying his drum (Gina and Laura weren't born yet).  We aren't sure who the dog belonged to - Larry and Jane or the Zimmerman grandparents.  

The open car door behind Greg says, "Victoria."  Behind Jane, I see what appears to be "Fairlane."  

An Internet search yielded the 1955-56 Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria, which I assume is the make and model of the car in these photos.  Uncle Larry enjoyed working on cars and loved Fords, so this car probably belonged to Larry and Jane.  Sue added, "The Zimmerman men never had anything but Fords!  Mom and Dad were considered rebellious for buying Chevrolets."

Susan is modeling her hand fan; Greg is posing with his cap, drum, and drumsticks.  I'm not sure why Sandi is empty-handed.  Susan also has on a bracelet.

The girls certainly have short bangs.  I wonder if that was the style or if it was easier for our mother.  Sandi commented, "The bangs were for sure Mom's doing; she was scary with scissors."  Sue concurred, "I hated our short bangs.  Never a good day when Mom cut bangs."

The Zimmerman Ohio clan:  Doyle and Esther Zimmerman pose with Willard (youngest) and Mary Jane (oldest), two of their three children.  

The three Zimmerman siblings:  Willy, Mary Jane, and Larry.  

What a wonderful photo of my mother and her brothers!  Across the decades, I believe it is the best one we have:  Willy, Mary Jane, and Larry.  

This is the only color photo from this event.  It is also the only 5x7.  The development stamp on the back reads, "This is a KODACHROME ENLARGEMENT, Made Only By Kodak, Week of July 7 -  58."  

I noticed the fading on this image, probably from being displayed in a frame where parts of it were more exposed to the light. 

I expect that upon seeing the developed images, this particular photo was valued for the joy and ease displayed among these siblings - making a color enlargement well worth the price.  In later years, these three disagreed about things and drifted apart at times, but here they truly appear to be enjoying each other's company.

Mother's Day:  Sunday, May 11, 1958

My parents were in their 30s, but the three other members of that generation were still in their 20s.  Only three of the six grandchildren had been born (Laura wouldn't arrive until two years later).  This would have been my father's second Mother's Day without his own mother; she died in March 1957.

Sandi Campbell, age 3

Greg Zimmerman, age 4.5

Susan Campbell, age 5 (a month shy of 6)

Willard Zimmerman, age 25

Jane Zimmerman, age 27

Larry Zimmerman, age 29

Mary Jane Campbell, age 31

John Campbell, age 32

Doyle Zimmerman, age 58

Esther Zimmerman, age 62