Happy Father's Day Joe!

How many of you know the history of Father's Day? I did some research for you and this is what I found out...

The idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909.

Having been raised by her father, William Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courageous, selfless, and loving man. Sonora's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910.

In 1926, a National Father's Day Committee was formed in New York City. Father's Day was recognized by a Joint Resolution of Congress in 1956. In 1972, President Richard Nixon established a permanent national observance of Father's Day to be held on the third Sunday of June. So Father's Day was born in memory and gratitude by a daughter who thought that her father and all good fathers should be honored with a special day just like we honor our mothers on Mother's Day.

I thought I'd show you some family photos and sorta remember the past...

This is a photo of my Grandfather Joe Martinez.

I chose this photo of my Grandfather Ralph Guereca because I'm it and I look cute. (FYI...I was almost 2 years old in this photo.)

Here is a picture of my father Joe Martinez. He was in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. I believe he was in the Army from 1951-1953. Years later, I would go to South Korea and no, I wasn't in the Army. My tour of South Korea was much different from Joe's.

Here is Joe with his saxophone. Years later I would learn to play the clarinet and my brother would become a saxophonist.
Here are Joe and Helen in 1993 at Diamond Hill-Jarvis High School Prom. Joe was a principal there for several years.
Here we all are at Joe's Retirement Party in August 1998. (When I master PhotoShop I'm going to get rid of that apple behind my head. For 9 years that has bugged me.)

And here is la familia Martinez in December 2006. Joey (my brother-in-law) must have been taking the pictures 'cause he's not in it. As you can tell, we were trying to get the dogs to pose but we weren't successful...and one of the dogs is missing. At least it's a good photo of Joe and Helen!Little known fact about Joe...

My sister Roni was born on June 21, 1959 which happened to be Father's Day. He became a father on Father's Day.