THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES LOUIE — Sharon Mark Cohen

I found a gallon-size freezer bag with about 50 photo slides and took 17 to have made into prints. I correctly thought they would be pictures of my family and our family friends.

As far as I can tell, the earliest date of these shots was 1960. Upon opening the package of prints, I was pleasantly surprised. There were pictures of happy family and friends. The photographs evoked some of my fondest childhood memories.

My parents met Sarah and Louie Weber “up the mountains” before I was born. The couple stayed at my cousin’s bungalow colony, where my parents also had a room. That was Mountain View Bungalows in Livingston Manor, New York.

Louie is now 99 1/2, and we received notice of a 100th birthday celebration in the works. We have the perfect pictures to include in the festivities, taken by none other than Louie. He captured happy times our two families shared.

Sarah and Louie had many siblings, nieces and nephews, and my parents had their family of four and more siblings and nieces and nephews than they could count on their fingers and toes. Yet, they always had time for Sarah and Louie.

Sarah’s sister had a daughter my age and a son my brother Stu’s age. Louie’s brother had a daughter my age and a son around my brother Stu’s age. Some of us played together as youngsters, and now we’re friends. We have Sarah and Louie to thank.

Two of the best friends my parents ever had, Sarah and Louie, were always fun to be with and good to us. It’s rather interesting how our families have come full circle. It’s also uncanny how looking at these photographs from so long ago put me right back in the moment. Maybe I never left.

Dinner on Cross Avenue, Elizabeth, N.J. circa 1965 - Sarah Weber on right in red. My father Ben Mark at head of table. My mother’s back to camera. Aunt Fannie, Uncle Jerome and brother Al on left.

Sarah Weber with Ida and Ben Mark - Tuttle’s cabin grounds - Livingston Manor, Sullivan County Catskills circa 1960-61

Louis and Sarah Weber - Willowemoc Creek - Livingston Manor, New York

Mountain fun - Sarah and Lou - We brought the picture of Louie, bottom left, when we visited the other day. On the back, we thanked him for the memories…these were from Louie’s camera.

Sharon and Louie Brooklyn, New York June 2021