Robert Kaylor aka ‘Kaylor’ and RK

First there were two, then there were three and finally we were four.

from Hugh… I guess as we individuals grow up, our youthful experiences vary considerably. Hopefully most of us have memories of all those wonderful experiences that formulated our future lives. Fortunately for me, one of my hobbies, was taking pictures. That has allowed me to bring to you this and other stories with faces. In the lengthy list of friends and family on this website, you will find stories and testimony to the many people to helped formulate my life. One of those is Link ===> Robert (Bob) M. Shea.

Shea and I, as he explains in his story, were friends from the third grade on. So, he and I were the first two and best of friends. We spent many days together with lots of other kids, much of it in the playgrounds primarily where I lived in Stuyvesant Town. At some point in our high school years, Paul Walter Jensen (he was the third)who appears in many of our pictures became one of us. Paul’s father worked for Metropolitan Life who owned Stuyvesant town, the same as my Pop did, so there was this initial relationship as our fathers knew each other at work and likewise our Moms were acquainted. Paul brought into our foursome, Robert (Bob) Kaylor who lived in our neighboring complex, Peter Cooper Village. Some of his memories will follow this introduction.

Together the four of us, found opportunities for all kind of adventures around the NY metropolitan area. By the time we became a band of four, two of us were already driving. Kaylor and I were driving our cars and as a result, at any given time two of us went one way and perhaps two went another, but many or most of the time, all three or even four were on an adventure somewhere in the metropolitan area. Kaylor and Jensen went off to college together, got interested in parachuting and eventually joined the 101^st Airborne Division together. Trips to Greenwood lake (Jensen’s parents place), Lincolndale (my parents place), and lots of other neat places and events pulled the four of us into a strong bond.

Unfortunately, we have lost touch with Paul some time after we all last met at a ‘reunion’ together with our wives at our home in Granite Springs, Somers a long time ago. (not sure when, maybe late ‘80’s). However, the Shea’s, Kaylor’s and Lynn and I met at the Kaylor home again after that. Here is a picture taken by Bob K. at his house showing the Shea’s, Mattia and Bob, Lynn and I and the Bob’s wife, Katherine Kaylor at the table in their home.

I am so happy to say that the two Bob’s and I have stayed so firmly in contact through the years. I sure wish we knew where our buddy Paul Jensen is now and how he is doing. God Bless you Paul wherever you are.

Last summer I mentioned to Kaylor (AKA RK) about my work starting on the Laubis Family website and he was kind enough back then to send me some of his memories. Here they are.

From RK August 2017

I first met you and your mother and father around 1955 or 1956, via Paul Jensen whom I had come to know just slightly previous. Of course, Paul & I got to know each other better when we both wound up in school at Cornell University.

I always felt at home at your house when I stopped by. Everybody was very welcoming, Therese, Gus, your sister Elizabeth on the occasions she was there. Everybody, in fact, right down to the two cats. They say that household pets <===link) adopt the personalities of their families. That was certainly the case at the Laubis house.

Gus was always willing to talk about his past experiences, in the old country and later. Your mom took a interest in my welfare, I suspect possibly because she may have thought I was undernourished. There was always something delicious to eat, and it was always offered. I can attest that I never said, “no thanks”, and never left a scrap on my plate. Among the favorites I remember are sauerbraten and hasenpfeffer. I think the rabbit stew may have been on at least one occasion I recall, the bunnies we shot while hunting while up for the weekend at your mom & pops home in Lincolndale.

 

The welcoming attitude included more than your immediate family. I recall that you, I, Jensen and Bob Shea went on a 4th of July weekend to some Irish-American <==Link hangout north in the Catskills, East Durham if I remember correctly. You knew some girls who were also going up there and so we were scheduled to meet them there. It was a fun weekend!

One of the highlights was a visit we made to a family you knew up around there. You had an aunt who lived nearby, and a cousin. She was not that much older than us. I think it was maybe Greenville, NY, where they lived. Because we were close, you called your aunt and uncle, and she invited you to come over for lunch, and bring your friends! Your aunt cooked us a fantastic and huge German meal and we all ate until we could hardly move. Their hospitality was stupendous for those of us she had never met. Unfortunately, I can’t recall their names as I only met her that one time.

From Hugh…. RK is referring to Anna and Karl Zittel <====Link who were introduced to you in Chapter 5. They were friends of my parents from the old country who were all reunited during the 1930’s. Their daughter is Hilde Tompkins and their story can be seen on their page of this website. Their family and ours remain closely connected to this day.

Back to RK … Also remember good times in Lincolndale, where we often got the run of your folks’ house on weekends. I also recall meeting on any number of those trips your cousin Volker, and I think it was his brother, Little Albert, who seemed to be there with him most of the time.

 

 

From Hugh….. Above, RK refers to Volker and the Wyrenbeck family, also introduced in Chapter 5 and the Wyrenbeck Family’s  story on the Friends and Family list. RK remembers my referring to all the above as Aunt, Uncle and cousins because that is what I called them all. They were not really such as is explained in Chapter 5 but for me growing up around all these people who were my parent’s best friends from the old country, they were the only kind of relatives I knew. I proudly called them aunt, uncle and cousin and referred to them as such.

Bob (RK) finishes this way…

Some of the memories may be a bit hazy after all this time, but they’re all good. As I recall more, I will be happy to provide them.

Best to Lynn,  RK

We are waiting on those Bob, thanks!

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