Rob at 21 months

By the age of two, I had a three pack a day habit.  But as I matured, I came to understand the health dangers of smoking, and on my third birthday, I quit cold turkey.

A Santa Barbara Reunion

Early-90s grad school colleagues (from left) Don Fleming, Michael Berger, Deb Gerish, Rob Babcock, Miriam Davis, Penny Adair, Lois Huneycutt, Rob Helmerichs, Debbie McBride, Janet Pope, Laura Wertheimer, Shari Newman, Heather Tanner. Kalamazoo, May 2003, at the sessions in honor of C. Warren Hollister, dissertation advisor to many of us. (And no, I'm not really that tall; I was standing on my toes to get some altitude, a technique the other Rob should have considered...)

Karen Helmerichs (Mom) and Richie Helmerichs (nephew)

For more on Karen... †1999.

Rick Helmerichs (brother) & family

Rick (little brother), his wife Jeannine, and their sons Rich and Matt. Rick trades bonds for Piper Jaffrey. I once asked him how the bond market works; he tried to explain, but I quickly developed a headache. For revenge, I then started to explain medieval land tenure to him. We no longer talk about such things, and our relationship is much the better for it.

Robert Russell Helmerichs (grandfather)

"You know, sometimes, when I go to stand up, I feel like an old man." Big Bob, 1999 (age 95). †2003.

Avery H. Stone

My great-great-grandfather served in the Civil War, and fifty years later typed up some reminiscences. A transcript can be found here. †1914.

Barry! Barry!

In 1964, Barry Goldwater was like a god to me.  What can I say; I was terrified.  I knew that those dang Commies were going to flood over the Rio Grande any second now, and the only way to stop them was to nuke 'em straight to heck.  I worked tirelessly for my man Barry.  I knocked on doors.  I passed out flyers.  I bombed Johnson Headquarters.  But it was all in vain---the Commie conspiracy worked, and the forces of good were defeated.

Of course, I was young and naïve then.  Eventually, I grew out of it.