Revealed? We'll see.
I don't have any new medical updates. I'm completely miserable and depressed - - and that's on my good days.
As a means of escape, I'm doing another post with images. Family pictures. Some of these are old reruns, others are newly restored.
Photos with commentary
Newly restored photo of my maternal great-grandfather Janos Gurdon, or John Gordon. He was born into a Hungarian family that had royal roots. He was disinherited when he married a peasant girl (probably pregnant). They eventually had twelve children. The eldest was Katalin (Kate), who was murdered by her uncle (Frederick Lang) when she was eighteen.
More about this soon....
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This is me (in my old age)
A resemblance to my great-grandfather?
That's a closeup of this photo. It is a selfi that I took. I just woke up. When I crawled out of bed, my cat Kitzee was waiting for me. I grabbed my digital camera, set the timer, and this was the result. Cute. Not me......only Kitzee.
Enough of me - - let's get back to the family murder.
Finally - I managed to restore this photo of my great-aunt Katalin Gordon (1887 - 1906). She was murdered in April, 1906 when she was eighteen.
She was killed by her uncle Frederick Lang, who was then twenty-one. He was passionately in love with her. She denied his advances. He decided that if couldn't have Kate, no one else will.
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Here's the culprit. Finally a restored portrait of my great-uncle Frederick Lang (1885 - 1909). He was my maternal great-grandmother's brother.
In 1906 Lang lived in Bethlehem, PA, working at the steel mills.
My great-grandfather John Gordon and his family lived on a rural farm just outside of New Brunswick, New Jersey.
In April, 1906, Lang stayed with the Gordon family during the Easter holiday. On early Friday morning, April 20th, Kate, two of her sisters, and Fred Lang were waiting for a trolley bound for New Brunswick. Kate and her sisters worked at the cigar factory. Lang was headed for the train station in New Brunswick.
He asked Kate "what can I bring back for you from Pennsylvania?"
Kate joked "Bring me back a nice man I can marry."
Fred wasn't amused. He pulled out a pistol and shot her in the neck.
He escaped into the woods, was evasive for two months. Finally caught, was executed by hanging in March, 1909. He was twenty- four years old.
The trolley to New Brunswick, NJ where Kate was killed.
The cigar factory where Kate and her sisters worked. White Owl Cigars.
More family pics, for no reason
My maternal grandmother (on the right) Anna Gordon Knoll and her sister Elizabeth. They were sisters of Kate. Photo taken in 1918.
My grandmother was ten years old when Kate was killed.
More photos?
Impromptu pic of my mother (Marie) and me. I was twenty, she was forty-five.
My high school senior picture, age sixteen. The original pic is in color. This is a reprint.
My cousin Nancy, who lives here in Tennessee. High School picture, age sixteen (we're the same age).
Nancy in Tennessee
That's all for now.
Jon 💚 picture perfect (??)
Jon, what a fascinating history! I read about your ancestors' family history before but this reposting is even more interesting with all the photos. What a shame that your beautiful great aunt died so young, punished for being beautiful and unattainable. And talk about beauty, look at you as a young man. What a handsome dude! No wonder you cut such a wide swath through Hollywood in your youth. This is the first time I've seen a picture of you young. I'm not normally into blond California beach boy types but back then, in my youth, I certainly would have taken a second (or third) look at you, handsome boy!
ReplyDeleteHave a great day Jon and I hope you're one day closer to going to your home in those beautiful Tennessee mountains!
Ron
What a nice comment - - I really appreciate it. A lot of people were attracted to me when I was young, but I hated my looks. One time I dyed my hair brown, because I didn't want to be a blonde.
DeleteI'm glad that I was able to restore those old photos - - especially Kate and Fred Lang.
Thanks again, and stay cool in this summer heat.
Jon,
DeleteI can see where a lot of people would be attracted to you! I think the reason I wasn't particularly attracted to the "gay ideal" of "California, blonde, swimmer body" was all the gay media kept telling me that was what I, as a gay man SHOULD be attracted to. I tend to rebel when media tells me WHAT i should like and not like. NO thank you, I'll decide for myself. Having said that, I have seen many attractive blonds, "California swimmer types" that I was attracted to but they weren't Troy Donahue who I found signally unattractive. He was just a blank slate to me. I always said I wasn't attracted to ginger boys either (redheads) but then I would see a hot redhead and question myself. How ironic the man who I will spend the rest of my life with, and the man whom I plan to marry is a redhead. That's Pat! I didn't know he was a redhead because he had shaved his head. He has since let his hair grow out which is a mix of grey and white. I didn't know he was a redhead until we got in bed together. That was funny because I said "You're a redhead?!)
Ron
The uncle looks a little like Jon Cryer, except of course that look in his eyes. Yipes. How did a camera capture that?
ReplyDeleteHis eyes look sinister. He must have had a helluva Hungarian temper. That image was taken right after he was arrested.
DeleteI remember this horrifying story. Uncle Frederick's expression, definitely creepy!
ReplyDeleteOn the flip side, I love this image of you and your mother. Good looking genes!
My grandmother remembered him as a kind uncle - - but he must have had an incredible insane temper to kill the one he "loved".
DeleteThat photo of my mom and I was taken quickly, on the spur of the moment.
Your mother was stunning. Uncle Frederick does look evil in the photo. I have a murderer in my family. There may be more but the only one I'm aware of is a cousin.
ReplyDeleteI'm intrigued about your cousin - - I'm sure it's a good story. There are probably more scandals in my father's family, but they are kept under wrap.
DeleteJon, yes I did remember the story about the young woman being shot, a horrible incident and no sympathy for her attacker. Nice photo of you and your mother and the high school photos of yourself and cousin Nancy were great to see...where did all those years go?
ReplyDeleteSince Lang never had a history of violence, it is shocking that he could commit such a crime.
DeleteI can hardly believe that the years passed so quickly....it seems like I was sixteen yesterday.