In this sweet and humorous memoir, Richard D. Courtney tells the story of how his family—the Courtneys of Altoona, Pennsylvania—survived the Great Depression by relying on their strong faith, sense of optimism, and old-fashioned ingenuity. His essays vividly recall school, church, and neighborhood life in the 1930s.
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By Dara Warner
Oct 15, 2009
"Painting the Milkweeds" Over the course of a lifetime, there are people we meet face to face and people we meet heart to heart. For me, Dick Courtney is one of the latter. I first became acquainted with Dick when his niece, Elaine Klonicki, needed some help to prepare his first book, Normandy to the Bulge, for re-release in 2007. Consequently, the Dick Courtney I first met was a teenager, growing up under fire – literally! – during World War II. Four of my uncles were also in that war; I am an Army veteran myself, and so appreciated Dick’s perspective on his own military service at more than one level. Painting the Milkweeds introduced me to Dick Courtney the child of the early 1930s – when my parents were already young adults. Some of the experiences he shares in this collection of reminiscences evoke memories of my own childhood, 20 years later. Told simply and straightforwardly, these stories drew me in, so that I could almost see Weamer’s store and the house on 19th... More > Avenue in Altoona, though I have never been there. I found “Brother Aloysius Gilmartin” and “Little Dicky Lost in the Woods” particularly delightful! In between the young man and the little boy, I have been privileged to learn a little about Dick Courtney the great-grandfather, who still speaks lovingly of his wife, Connie, as though she was his new bride; yet he clearly treasures her even more after decades together. This Dick Courtney is a man who faces situations that would drop many in their tracks, and does so optimistically – with a sense of humor and a twinkle in his eye – focusing on what brings him joy rather than on what causes him pain. In Painting the Milkweeds, Dick shows us his life’s foundation: values taught by example within a loving family, sharing a strong spiritual bond. Even to those of us whose formative experiences have been different from his, Dick Courtney has given a remarkable gift.< Less
