Charles Graff
Moderator Emeritus
My father was from Montana and his Grandfather lived in Rapid City. I did not meet my father until I was 32, so he and his ancestors played no part in my life. I married a Texas girl and her family is where my roots extend.Being born in the wrong century, another adventure I missed was riding with Custer during his Black Hills expedition.
The drive from Cheyenne to Keystone was a visual treat. Mt. Rushmore was more inspirational than I imagined, and the night lighting was the highlight. The Pactola Reservoir seemed a serene jewel. Deadwood was Deadwood. Rapid City looked inviting.
My most closely guarded secret was I was born in Lost Angeles CA, July 16, 1942. I tell everybody that finds out that I was born there because my father was going overseas to fight the Yellow Peril. Well, that is a fib, he worked for the Bank of America there. He did go to fight the Yellow Peril and my mother moved with me and my sister back to Texas to be with her parents. The marriage did not survive the war.