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| Uncle Joe Norris |
Today is the feast day of my patron Saint Joseph. (My J. stands for Joseph as I was named after my Great Uncle Joe Norris. Uncle Joe was some kind of traveling salesman and when my folks were living in San Antonio and later in Oklahoma, Uncle Joe would drop in and take them out to dinner. Mom tells me they were always glad to see Uncle Joe because a lot of their dinners at home back then consisted of hot dogs and beans.)
My Mom did me a big favor name wise because during her pregnancy with me, Buzzy had been hinting about possibly naming me Clarence Hugh after him and his father Clarence Sr.. Thus, I would have been C.H. Ridgell III. Mom suggested instead to name me after Uncle Joe since he had been so good to them and to use the “J.” which would be from the Raley side of the family like J. Frank. Buzzy agreed in what would not be the first time that my Mom out thought him on an issue.
St. Joseph is sort of like the Rodney Dangerfield of Saints in that he doesn’t get much acclaim other than he was a carpenter and he took good care of Mary and Jesus. His current claim to fame seems to have come from being the facilitator of real estate sales as described in the following click here. Poor St. Joe, buried out there in all those yards and upside down no less! Still no respect.