Wally and the Beav
December 17, 2025
Stumbled across this ancient family photo, taken circa 1934… (I’m guessing, based on how old Aunt Ellie looks, and extrapolating from there.)
I think Uncle Vic and Dad look like Wally and Beaver.
From L to R: Aunt Ellie (1932-2019), Grandma Mary (1898-1995), Edward Short (Grandma’s dad, 1868-1936), Uncle Vic (1922-2014), Hattie Short (Grandma’s mom, 1871-1949), dad (1927-2000), Grandpa Pete (1894-1981).
I loved Grandma and Grandpa so so much.
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Then… I started down a rabbit hole……
I dug this up on my great grandparents:
Hattie and Edward Short are buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Cedar Falls, Black Hawk County, Iowa.
- Hattie Dellavon Brinkley Scott Short (1871–1949): Buried at Greenwood Cemetery.
- Edward Short (1868–1936): Buried at Greenwood Cemetery after passing away in Cedar Falls Township.
Aunt Bonnie took Matt and me to visit the Greenwood Cemetery in 2017 when we were in Iowa for a visit. We saw Great Grandma Hattie and Great Grandpa Edward’s gravesite. It was fantastic to see this.
I dug deeper…..
This was my great grandmother Hattie…
And my great grandfather Edward…
More on him:
This is a great photo of Hattie, Edward and 7 of their 8 children. Hattie Zoe didn’t come along until 9 years after Ethel (oops!), which is why she’s not pictured here. I’m guessing this photo is taken in about 1910.
L to R: Martha, Hattie, Ethel, Leone, Romeo, Cynthia, Vera, Edward, Mary
Jim, Matty and I will be traveling to Grinnel, Iowa this coming summer to celebrate Aunt Bonnie’s 95th birthday (she’s Dad’s first cousin, and Cynthia’s daughter). Maybe we’ll get back out to Cedar Falls. There is a lot of history in that town on Dad’s mom’s side of the family!
A Sunday in Grinnell
March 9, 2025
Here are some photo highlights of a typical Sunday in Iowa in tow with cousins:
Checked out of the Hotel Grinnell, and headed over to Aunt Bonnie’s where she supplied us with coffee (with Bailey’s) and cinnamon rolls. We talked…
As seen around Bonnie’s house…
Both Kevin and Kyle have painted Iowa barns. Both of these hang on the wall in the great room, Kevin’s on left, Kyle’s on right. Both lovely in their own way and totally reflective of the artist!
Such a cozy home…
After a couple hours, we headed out to tour Grinnell..
Here’s a Frank Lloyd Wright house:
Here’s the house where Bonnie spent the first five years of her life (either that, or it’s the house she was conceived in.. but let’s not worry about that detail).
I love the Iowa aesthetic… simple homes on hills, farms and farm equipment everywhere, corn rows — also everywhere. I enjoy the brown, leaflessness of winter.
There were numerous murals around town honoring Edith Renfrow Smith, who was the first African American to graduate from Grinnell College. She’s still alive, living in Chicago and is 110 years old and counting.
They also had some historical murals celebrating old Grinnell, like this one of the Grinnell High School football team, coached by Kenny Starbuck, Aunt Bonnie’s dad. He also coached basketball and track. And probably taught English, though I’d have to check that out.
Grinnell is a welcoming place, I’m pleased to say:
And then… Bonnie, being Bonnie, wanted to shop! So Matt, Kyle and I followed along. First, we went to Theisen’s (pronounced Ty-son’s). One can get pretty much whatever they want there, including tractors and baby chicks. Matt and/or I got Iowa jerky, Amana-made noodles, Iowa sausages, a large plaid wool-like anorak.. stuff like that.
We then spent another hour wandering the aisles of Walmart. Yup! I got some Iowa swag. When Bonnie says it’s a good day to shop, that’s what we do! She got a Swiffer and a cozy, soft cape. There ya go.
We returned home and Matt did some of this (he’s been fantasizing about sleeping in this leather chair for two years):
Kevin and Karla came by and we sat around and talked for a couple hours (or more). Then they took off and we had dinner. Bonnie made her famous baked minestrone and apple pie:
After dinner — more talk — then said goodbye to everyone, and Sadie, too.
Here are a couple photos of Bonnie in earier years…
A young Bonnie at the bar (when she wasn’t teaching first grade!):
Uncle Al, Bonnie, Kevin, Susan (adopted when she was 5) and Kyle:
Many Cornishes
March 8, 2025
It’s just lovely to wake up at the Hotel Grinnell. It’s a nice place.. simple, solid, spacious, well equipped, clever.
The Periodic Table, their cafe/bar/restaurant is about to be taken over by the Prairie Canary, so we were given vouchers for a couple places downtown for coffee and/or breakfast. We chose coffee and found the wonderful Saint’s Rest:
The rest of the day was all about Cornishes. We headed to Bonnie’s (Cornish) place on Turnbury… and dove right into food and conversation. And a little Bailey’s in our coffee.
Here’s Matt and Kyle (Cornish) diving deep.
We literally talked for hours. In the late afternoon, Keaton (Cornish) showed up and we had some really fun conversation about travel and hiking and Everest Base Camp. Kevin and Karla (Cornish) showed up a bit after that with Cam and Lincoln (Cornish), and most of the Beck clan — Scott, McKenna (formerly a Cornish), Gemma and Deacon (Lila was at her dad’s for the weekend up in Minnesota).
After hanging out for a good long while, we all headed to El Cascabel (which became a Mexican restaurant since last we visited). Had a great time!
We weren’t talked out yet, so went back to Aunt Bonnie’s house for more…
The brothers.. Kevin and Kyle.
I got to talk at length with Karla who told me all about ghosts, her former life as a high school and college athlete, and so much more.
It was exactly the kind of day I was looking forward to.
Iowa Bound
March 7, 2025
A airporty travel day… made more fun by the mid-transcontinental meet-up with Mutt the Butt in Phoenix…
…where we would then board the same plane bound for Des Moines. Late departures from both Long Beach (Matt) and Sac (me) seemed to doom our connecting flight to DM, but for the mechanical problems of our DM-bound plane. Instead of missing our flight, we sat for hours (and hours) in Phoenix. Hilariously, we almost missed that flight, as we’d been oblivious to a gate change along the way (thank goodness for big sisters who check these sorts of things). Our constant text updates to Karla in Grinnell kept everyone apprised, as our dinner reservation at the Prairie Canary kept shifting… but, eventually we met up.
They kept the restaurant open for us, which was great. What a surprise it was to walk in and see not only Aunt Bonnie, Kevin and Karla, but also Kyle, who’d driven up from Hernando, Mississippi to join us for the weekend!
After dinner, cards and presents, we went over to Bonnie’s house on Turnberry. Sat around and talked, while keeping an eye on the women’s college basketball conference tournament (was it the championship game? It might have been..). Iowans really cheer for Iowan teams. Caitlyn Clark (now pro, but who played for U of Iowa) was in the building, which was pretty exciting for everyone. She’s a genuine local super star. Eyes transfixed:
Matt and I then dragged our tired selves to the Hotel Grinnell… which, according to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, is considered an Historic Hotel of America, mostly because it’s housed in a former (huge, brick/concrete) high school. Its hallways are wide, its ceilings high, its windows stretch to those high ceilings. The rooms are cavernous.. and charmingly appointed with school-related things like chalkboards and hall passes. I love the place. Matt’s less enamored (I think he prefers a higher degree of service and comfort). Aunt Bonnie’s dad — Kenny Starbuck — used to teach there (and coach football, basketball and track), and she used to run the halls. I believe they moved before she was school aged, so she never attended Grinnell High School.
Fun Fact: Kenny Starbuck was recently inducted into the Grinnell (something) Hall of Fame. I’ll talk about that in a subsequent post.
Life of Wry 