A Life in Eras

Timeline

Don's life, plotted in eras.

Childhood

1946 – 1958 39 memories

1946 Beaumont in French means beautiful mountain 1946 I was born in Beaumont in the early afternoon of 25 March, 1 1922 My dad was the fourth of 5 children born to James Golden and 1923 My Mom - Edith Elnora Barrett Golden 1941 I think he was a wild child 1942 Mom and Dad 1943 He was inducted into the Amy Air Corps as an Aviation Cadet 1943 The date on the telegram is 13 November 1943 so he had been 1943 Back to dad's experience in the Air Corps: His first flight 1944 This is somewhat confirmed in that his flight training which 1944 Mom joined him in California and worked in an aircraft plant 1945 This abrupt break aligns with the decision of the air corps 1919 Here are two more photos of him in his early 20s - maybe 19 1955 He was a really good mechanic and got a job at at the Gulf 1903 Nora Lee Brown was my maternal grandmother 1922 Luther and Nora were married on 18 February 1922 1912 My Dad's Siblings 1946 Gordon and Helen were married on 18 March, 1946 - St Patrick 1951 Move to Idylwood 1952 Another clue to the date of the photo is the absence of my b 1952 Living in the 50s 1956 This photo is probably from 1956 or so 1952 I am a leading edge member of the baby boomer generation 1955 Radio - Uncle Willy - First Camera 1946 Church 1956 Crystal Radio and Hurricane Audrey 1948 1948 Plymouth 1956 1956 Dodge Texan 1957 California 1957 1958 I think Terry went to Edwards for his first three years and 1958 Making Money = Paper Route 1957 Within about three months, I changed from route 100 to a lar 1957 More Kids 1951 Stepping back a bit, in 1951 Aunt Helen and Uncle Gordon had 1947 Transistor Radio 1957 Sputnk in 1957 pumped things up a bit by replacing bombers ( 1958 We were on a weekend outing from 3-5 October in 1958 1955 1955 Ford Victoria 1955 Room Lottery at Rice

Teen Years

1959 – 1964 25 memories

1959 Grandpa Jim smoked and had pulmonary problems, probably COPD 1960 Lois Golden Morgan 1961 This is me, probably between Nora and Edith on a sandy beach. 1959 Flying Red Horse Club 1960 Finally, when dad came home it took a while before Janice wo 1961 The Emerson was not built well enough to withstand being ban 1959 Junior High 1960 Psycho 1962 Working in the library was a great job 1959 Library Job 1960 Driver's License 1959 No Opening Handle in the Back Seat of a Police Car 1961 French High School 1963 My girlfriend in the 12th grade was Mary Barrow, also known 1964 Lyndon Baines Johnson of Texas became President. 1962 More Summer Jobs 1964 This third summer there were so many of us that Mobil split 1963 There are some downsides to masonry 1960 Eventually, he quit 1964 The academies also emphasized physical prowess and that sort 1964 Rice is organized about the College System similar to Oxford 1964 His will set up Rice as an institute of higher learning and 1964 Freshman Year at Rice 1964 The Rice Board of Trustees recognized that Rice could not co 1964 Aside: There was something a little unfair about how this

Young Adult

1965 – 1971 18 memories

1969 The Thomas Family 1970 By about October I left Eloy's band. 1969 Sadly she died. 1967 This is Steve in the Branard house. 1966 On a Thursday in October, 1966 Tim Lucas called me for a fav 1967 One really unfortunate event occurred that summer of 1967 1967 n the middle of the spring semester 1967 Tim located a Jagua 1967 Mid summer in 1967 I made a second trip to St Louis 1967 My senior year at Rice starting in September 1967 aligned wi 1967 Our first apartment was 1219 Bartlett off Montrose. 1968 I use Crest toothpaste 1968 April 21, 1968 was a gorgeous Sunday in Houston 1968 We got in and cranked it up 1969 The day I graduated from Rice with both my Bachelors and Mas 1967 I was still thinking that it was a person’s patriotic duty t 1968 In this same time frame Lyndon B 1970 The first part of the test was to sit on a table with my bac 1966 This photo is of them in their last apartment.

Marriage & Early Family

1972 – 1980 3 memories

1977 Barrett Grandparents 1977 This is the Golden and Thomas clan - less Kathy and me (phot 1973 Dad also really wanted an M1 carbine like he had shot during

Career

1981 – 1997 1 memory

1987 Golden Grandparents

Family Growth

1998 – 2012 8 memories

2007 This is the park across from the Roberts Street House (circa 2007 Roberts Street House 2008 The rest of the story: In 2008 I was engaged to teach a co 2009 This photo shows the house in 2009 - updated a bit 2010 Mom and Dad were Baptists and raised their three kids in that denomination. 2000 Jan Mickle (Holloway) 2000 Moncriefs 2007 I am really fuzzy on this, but I will give it my best shot.

Later Years

2013 – present 7 memories

2020 FIn or Christmas i959 a got an Argus C3 Matchmatic 35 mm ran 2025 This is a Kodak Brownie from that era, mine was a knockoff, 2026 The transistor was the ideal building block for a portable radio for consumers. 2020 At this time I was a member of the science fiction book club 2017 So in about 2017 Britany gave the Yamaha back to me and I be 2017 See how nicely I kept my room! 2021 Dan Crane, Tim's roommate, used my Maniya Sekor 500 DTL sing

Undated

265 memories

Life and Times of Donald Paul Golden, Jr. My parents and grandparents are gone My dad was not afraid to tear into anything to repair or imp My dad was born in Graybow, Louisiana This may be her high school senior photo, Edith Barret in the late 1920s. This photo was taken in Alice Keith Park The Boy From Kountze Page 13 He was a boy scout and he played on a seven man football tea These street photos seemed to have been popular in the mid-4 Handsome dude. Dad always liked to look good when he dressed up. I just don't know how they met, how they fell in love and wh Pretty sure this was shot in San Antonio My Dad and the US Army Air Corps Since mom, dad and I lived in the Roberts Street house with This is Luther, my mom Edith and gramma Nora's brother, Uncl Poor eyesight and stress contributed to his having a nervous This is a photo from the late teens or early 20s. No idea what the event was. My grandmother was a sweetheart, a good cook and devoted to Mom and Gramma Nora in one of the iconic street photos Side Story: I was given a dog when I was about 2 or 3 This is the two of them from the late 40's. Harold, me, Grampa Golden and Renee on the porch of the Kountze house. Earnest served in the Civilian Conservation Corps before WW Hazel married Pete Hart and had three daughters: Renee, Nanc Renee with me. This is me with the lawn mower at the Kountze house Uncle Gordon Thomas separated from the Army Air Corps (where More from Roberts Street Disney character shirt for a twosh little boy Another Thomas Family Photo This photo is on the Bolivar Ferry. Another memory from this period was that we walked about a b Yet another memory was when I filled my grandfather's car wi Neches and Orange Streets One thing I remember consuming as a child was cornbread in i When Terry was gestating and mom and dad were thinking about Note the sand in the front yard The house was on blocks and probably 1200 square feet Elementary School Years Last night Kathy and I were watching an episode of Monk wher Another side effect of the dewberries and the woods in gener My playmate and cousin - Linda Thomas More about elementary School Years walked or rode my bike to school every day t is interesting that a couple of the boys in the front row The Argus was a much more capable camera My dad and I would have breakfast at the Pig Stand on Calder Beaumont Cuisine in the 50s Downtown there were lunch counters at Kress and Neisners - g There was a great burger place on Lucas drive near our home Daisy BB gun Dad spent quite a lot of time with me teaching me gun safety Clearing the Idylwood Lot Where did the kerosine come from Dad was particular about how he did a job and cutting down t My mom was in the kitchen watching me through the window ove The Lesson of the Handsaw Dad and College This photo is not the saw, but it is a fair approximation. A side effect of neither of my parents having a college degr Telephones Skinny Dipping at the Y The phone was rotary technology, not pushbutton House Remodel Dad, Uncle Gordon, Mr Clark and several other of dad's Mason When we first moved into yhr house heat was provided by sta Garden Lawnmower It was a very nice mower and did a good job, but it was heav Mowing also illustrated a difference between dad and me Crawdads The rest of the story Number 1: The investor in the company Louis described how he would tie a little bit of bacon on a Louis described how the tool pusher turned his head to Louis Karen Clark She always walked with a limp but never complained or whined Bullied by Michael Jordan Television This is the logging truck with the wireline leading from the Anyhow, we could receive three channels: ABC, CBS and NBC Here are some of the shows we watched pretty regularly: Kiddie Show This is what a tube tester looked like The bus stop was two blocks away from our house. There was also a Hammond Organ that rose up from the floor w Segregation My sharpest memories of segregation involve five things: I have already described the demarkation sign in busses to s Unfortunately this was the 'normal' I grew up in and I am im I think it is intensely stupid that we have tremendous lever I learned to drive in this car and was allowed, at 14, to dr He traded the Dodge the next day for a beige Chrysler Newport. The fourth travel day got us to Rosemead, California, to our Many cars in the desert area had ‘swamp coolers’ hung on the More on Elementary School Years Coke Bottles IFinally, coke was not an everyday thing, but a treat Wash House It probably was not a Maytag, more likely a Kenmore. Redneck Swimming Pools Yikes - My Bike The rest of the story: The damage was to the front wheel, th Golden/Slay Airplane The magic ingredient to make all of this work was butter We abandoned the glider in lieu of building a helicopter at Firecrackers t was a few miles north of Silsbee on Village Creek Luther, Nora and Cars On the opposite shore from the ladder was a very nice sandba Page 158 But, the Beaumont Enterprise and Journal would let 11 year o This was the summer of my 14th year and I had a brand new dr For the afternoon, Journal, deliveries, I repeated the same This excess food was why I was never svelte in junior high s It took about 15 minutes to fold my papers, load them into c Maintaining my bike became a critical skill This gives you and idea of the canvas bags I used to deliver The city had made sewer service available to our street the The Philippines In his absence in the Philippines, as the titular ‘man’ of t Ice Cream Helping take in the laundry. Summer on Idylwood Luther and Nora: Snuff and False Teeth This photo is from the early 60s after Luther stopped drivin Christmas Shopping - 50s Style The heart of the transistor radio was the printed circuit bo This thing ate batteries like they were going out of style. Decorating the Christmas Tree It was still a fun experience... Nuclear Attack!!! One night we were there watching a 'love' movie Keys to the Idylwood House Burning Stuff Out Back At one point, it was probably in the autumn with lots of dea Boy Scouts and the Space Program I benefited from this ‘catching up’ since science and math e UFO Experience Louisiana Kinfolks Uncle Clifton served in the tank corps in WW II When I was about 9 or 10, Gramma Nora and I took the train t There were relatives (I think this may have been Sylvia's pa My parents were to arrive on Saturday for lunch and to chauf Chester and Dennis Epps were friends from Edwards It is kinda sad to me that now we know enough about the moon Mr. Hamilton taught 7th grade math. I absolutely hated PE For the three years of Junior High School at Bowie, our dire It was a very well done move and scared me intensely Their house was built pretty far back on their lot and their Mrs This is the view from Pearl Street Hiccup at North End Baptist This view was never available to me when I worked there Typewriter Never really got going on the novel, but I used the typewrit Jr High Trivia He was great My mom made awesome shrimp gumbo, chicken and spaghetti and red beans and rice. This is probably how I looked in the 8th grade with my hair cut in a flattop. Convenience Stores in the 50s My parents hated to spend money in convenience stores becaus About 2 AM we decided we needed two cokes Terrified, I stopped and with eyes like saucers listened to 4495 Horn That was the summer I worked at the Chemical plant and I did Daniel Patrick White, a best friend since the 7th grade, bec In the 9th grade I was infatuated with Nancy Collins A Bad Experience at North End Baptist Church Gilchrist really turned up the heat and following the next e We typically showed up before 8 am and clocked in at 8 This started on Sunday and continued every week night for t I spoke with him a little about this and he explained that h Interestingly, before lunch and at the end of the day, we we We had safety harnesses but did not have instructions on how Each morning we used files to sharpen the sickles and more o I was overhauling the engine and it was totally part when I Dad was an awesome repairer Why So Few Photos Biggest Mistake Ever!!! Here is how great God is Masons progress through their study to various degrees Walter did not get the memo about the tux color. Freemasonry and DeMolay Our discussions during this trek centered on what the light Big Thicket Light - Ghost Light of Saratoga Friends and Nerds Side Note: Patrick married the mother of his date to our we Hamburger, Malt and Fries - I'll Take Mine to Go. More on My Dad - Donald P Golden, Sr This compressor turned out to have a design fault He figured out the design flaw! What Dad told him made sense to him Rice - Background We got off the bus near the main gate to Rice and I asked th Page 273 You can locate Wiess College by locating the T-intersecton w I had breezed through high school and never really learned h Each table had a pair of freshmen who were assigned to serve The American History teacher was Dr Next door to us were four young women, not students but wome I had been a large fish in a small pond at French - I became Trumpet - A Rambling Account The cornet and its case were not well matched and the cornet Junior high had a 7th grade band and a combined 8th and 9th Every cornet player wants to be a trumpet player The band marched at almost every home and away football game. The band director was Holmes McNeely Nelson came back to Houston in May of '67 to get married Holmes brought in Larry Martinez, a professional trumpet pla That summer he got me into that band That same summer Holmes McNeely retired as band director of Meanwhile my friend Nelson had married for the third or four During my business trip I went to the conference during the My second year at Rice was a step up into more engineering c This was the computer for the undergraduates to use as we l The cards were prepared on and IBM 029 Card punch console In the fall semester I dated Brenda Tix, now Brenda Hayes). They drove away in the Ford and disposed of it (I never aske There was a single parent family next door Me in this period. I took her to a bowling alley off S Main because I knew I co Nonetheless, Kathy and I had a great time Spring Break in ’67 saw the Clayton part of the Lucas family The photo on the previous page is her returning to her Dorn Anyhow, on these weekend sojourns we would spend Saturday to I made two rather large mistakes during my time at Rice The rest of the drive was mostly uneventful My junior year at Rice ('66-'67) was probably my worst year Betty put me into Karen’s room and Karen moved across the ha The thermo class still sticks with me today I worked with James Thelin who turned out to be our next doo I will never lose the image of Kathy running out of the fron One thing we did on that trip was take a ride on the Admiral Are you seeing a pattern develop? Are you seeing a pattern develop? We were married in the Rice Chapel on campus by the universi We had two nicknames for this cul-de-sac There was some wrangling among the engineering department, Kathy and definitely enjoyed the experience The long and the short of it was that all day Monday and all Page 336 Fifth Year at Rice At this point in US history Lyndon Johnson was Majority Chai Page 337 Fifth year coursework was really interesting I did finish and graduate - not with honors - but I graduated. With Britany as a full member of the family, we needed a two Typical Houston Apartment, we were on the second floor Britany was just over a year old and there was no way I coul So in the assembly room Nelson and I paired up Wow Technology Incorporated had offered me full time employment I was pretty pumped up about flying jets One of the tests was to look at a map and then look at a pho The difficulty of getting a deferment to go to grad school e They stayed there up into my Jr High years My dad had a lifelong relationship with squirrels Again, not the gun, but similar. Dad was still working as a machinist in the Mobil refinery a Neither mom nor dad were home After dad died, my brother and his family, my sister and her I don't know how many handguns dad had but notable were a