Cousins
@GardenGerty (159754)
United States
July 19, 2024 5:33pm CST
This is Bob, and Jeff. Jeff is his second cousin, I believe. They do not spell their last names the same. We are Echola, Jeff is Ekola. Another branch of the family is Eckola, but they are all related.
Jeff was the big brother Bob never had. He is four or five years older. Bob regales me with stories from their growing up in Crystal Falls, Michigan.
Jeff was Bob's best man at our wedding and told a story about Bob falling through the ice on a stream one winter when they were out doing something together.
They would go canoeing at other times, and Jeff told Bob how to find a baby bat.
He got Bob his first job "peeling sticks" when they were "cutting pulp" and sending them down the river. Bob got to be a camp cook for the guys as well.
I am glad we got to see him. Since he tested positive for covid, although he did not feel very sick he wore mask and gloves. Bob did not leave his mask on.
We were in the parking garage of his assisted living apartments in Madison, Wisconsin in this picture. There was more open air there. We would have stayed outside but it was raining.
I think we will need to visit him again pretty soon.
14 people like this
10 responses
@snowy22315 (176745)
• United States
20 Jul
I am assuming Jeff is the one on the left?? Nice they got together.
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (46490)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
19 Jul
And then there's Cuban-Toronto vocalist, guitarist, composer, arranger and band leader Luis Mario Ochoa... I always think of you whenever they play his stuff on JazzFM.
2 people like this
@MarieCoyle (34024)
•
19 Jul
Even though you didn’t get to have the visit you planned on, it was wonderful that you all spent time together.
2 people like this
@RebeccasFarm (88351)
• Arvada, Colorado
20 Jul
What a nice man and a good cousin. Love that photo Heather.
@LindaOHio (170715)
• United States
20 Jul
Sounds like a nice visit. Great photo. Have a good weekend.
![](/Content/images/loading.gif)