Uncle Duke

My Uncle Duke passed away this weekend. He was the youngest of Mom's siblings. Here are some recollections of his childhood written by Mom and Duke:

"James Elton 'Duke' Mullan was born on May 13, 1931, the youngest of Vista and Marie Mullan's four children. As a child, there was never a dull moment with this guy. Once he climbed to the top of a bridge and had to be rescued. He flagged down a train from the middle of the track. At age 3 he started a car at Grandma Mullan's house and backed it right into a telephone pole. At age 4, he rode the bumper of a pickup truck from the store to Grandmother Mullan's. Duke remembers at age 5 boxing with John in the kitchen and hitting a stack of dishes when his brother ducked the 'round-house blow'. He recalls his stepbrother 'Young Harry' teaching him to drive by putting his foot on top of Duke's foot which was on the gas pedal."

Recollections from Grandma Marie's 90th birthday scrapbook.