Archibald Family Video
Produced & Edited by Thomas Earl Archibald
Closing drone video by Joy Lynn Archibald
Text by Cathy Jo Gillice
My brother, Tom found a box of old 8mm films that he had never seen. Turns out they were old family movies from the early ’60s. Since he had never seen them, He figured my sisters and I hadn’t either. He opened his editing software and went to work. He created the perfect Christmas surprise. Even more poignant is the fact that we lost both mom and dad in recent years.
Tom knew he wanted to use music that was important to dad. Dad was a big Jim Croce fan, so he knew the perfect song. The second piece of music he chose because it’s just a great song, and the perfect tune to make sure there were no dry eyes in the house. He loves how music and video work together to really pack an emotional punch.
The final drone shot was from a recent family reunion (Archibald-Collingwood Family Reunion 2018) as it seemed to make for perfect ending. And yes, tears were shed.
The opening picture is of the Archibalds; Tom, Bea and kids Tommy, Cheri (in front) Cathy and Chris (in back) circa 1968. Next is Bernice (Bea or Bernie) sitting on a porch, according to brother Tom this was the night before mom and dad got married. The date would therefore be Mar. 7, 1953.
Next is Grandma & Grandpa Horton. Grandma Horton was the 2nd wife of George Tolman she was the stepmother of Ethel Florence and Glen Delbert Tolman. She was the mother of Esther May and Clifford Earl Tolman. Grandpa Lisle Horton is wearing coveralls and acting silly.
Then when the music starts, there is a picture of our dad, Tom (Thomas Earnest Archibald). It then jumps to Auntie Jo (Josephine Collingwood) Burrelle, holding Tommy, circa 1963. Cheri is the little girl with dark hair running in the back (right) and grandma Ethel Smith (at that time) turn to look at the camera (lower left). The little girl in red sitting on her tricycle is me, Cathy Jo Archibald (Gillice). Then comes Christi Lynn Archibald (with curly hair). The young girl holding the cubby cheeked little girl is Cathy holding Chris.
Then comes Grandma and Grandpa Smith (Ethel & Charles Arthur ie. Art Smith). They are walking in front of their mobile home.to a red car where grandpa acts silly. [It's hard to know how to act when people are filming you and you don't have a script].Grandpa Smith was a favorite as he was always nice and never yelled at us obnoxious kids. Then there is a picture of us on a camping trip with Dad and Chris standing in front of our old pickup with the rest of us in the back. I'm hidden behind dad, but Tommy & Cheri can be clearly seen.
Oh, look there is the picture of the Nix family at their Family Reunion in 1927.
Little Tom (as we called him at one time) is coming down the stairs. Then comes a family photo with all of the Tom Archibald family (at that time) lined up; Cheri is the baby, then Cathy is between Bea & Tom with Chris on Tom's lap.
Then the fun video shots are of family at a Halloween party at our house on Manzanita St in Eugene, OR. Kay (Gesme) Collingwood (now True) is dancing with Tom (Dad) and goofing off! Then Kay is dancing with grandpa Smith and when she turns around-WOW she looks just like her (not yet born) daughter Tami Kay (Collingwood) McGuire. Next a snapshot of Little Tom and Dad (Tom). Tommy is holding up his transistor radio while dad is looking at his new camera. I suspect this is Christmas (notice Tommy is in his PJ's).
Another group shot of the Archibald kids: Chris on the arm of the chair with Tommy sitting with Cathy in the seat and Cheri on the other arm of the chair, circa1965. This would make Tommy about 2-3 and me about 10-11. The next picture is Grandpa Dan Archibald (my dad's dad) and Grandma Ethel (Tolman) Smith (my mom's mom). Grandma (Smith) and Grandpa (Archibald), my parents parents after both being widowed, and having known each other since before my parents got married, were married to each other. Interesting side note: This made my mom and dad step siblings, as well as all mu aunt and uncles on each side of my family becoming step siblings also. So all my cousins on both sides of my family are now (step) cousins to each other. They had already known each other through the years since we had large reunions/parties with both sides of the family coming together through the years. One big happy family!
Next picture. A large meal with most every Collingwood & Tolman aunts, uncle & cousins around a large, long table. Next is Aunt Esther May (Tolman) Montgomery dancing with her husband Uncle Bob Montgomery. Then my grandma Ethel dancing with Uncle Bob, her brother-in-law. As they are dancing around I can see Auntie Jo Burrelle, Aunt Esther Montgomery, Uncle Harold Burrelle, and Aunt Milly Tolman in the background.
Next, a shot of Tom (dad) cleaning fish. Look at all those fish! He is probably fishing with The Montgomerys, Burrelles, or Tolmans. Next is the tombstone of our little brother Timothy who lived less than a day. He was premature and weighed 4lb, 4 oz. Today they could have probably saved him.
The big grey & white house on a hill was the first house that my parents had built especially for them. It was on Manzanita St in Eugene, OR. Chris and I run up to the front porch and Cheri (in pink) is running down the street towards our mom, Bea.
This picture is of dad acting goofy. In the foreground is Tommy (5), then Chris (11), Dad (34), Cathy (13--standing up) and Cheri (8). This is dad's birthday!
Next is a camping/fishing trip with Grandma & Grandpa Archibald (Ethel & Dan) and Esther & Bob Montgomery and dad & mom (Tom & Bea Archibald). Our family loved to camp!
Next is one of my favorites: Us getting out of the car! First dad gets out, then he helps Cheri, who is so happy and smiley, then me with my coat and curly hair. Then watch Chris in the background in her red jacket. Chris has fallen on the wet, muddy ground, and dad picks her up and puts he on her feet. And what does Chris do? She lets herself fall on the ground again and is laughing her head off. (Typical)
The next picture is of us Archibalds, Ervins, and Freears at the airport in Eugene. Grandma Ruth is hiding under a wing of the plane while Grandma Kathleen and Grandpa Freear are kind of in the middle of us all. The Freears came to visit with us ( we lived on Manzanita then). Grandpa worked for GE and brought us a hot dog cooker. It was really cool, and I've never seen another like it. Uncle Gene Ervin owned the plane and was flying them back to the Santa Clara, CA area where they lived. He is the person half in the storage compartment of the plane.
Dad has his arm around Sandy Ervin (my cousin), I have my around Teri Jo Ervin. Teri and I are standing in front of the Freear grandparents. The Ervin girls and us four Archibald kids are the full cousins. Our parents, Tom & Betty were siblings. Grandpa Dan Archibald had 2 boys (Dan & Ron) with Ruth Ingersoll his 2nd wife. Note: Grandpa Archibald went on to marry his 3rd wife Grandma Ethel (Tolman) Smith.
Next is Chris & Cathy in their red wagon. Everything is color coordinated, from our clothes, wagon to the neighbor's car and house roof! Good job mom.
Another family group shot. Obviously Christmas, but when & where?? Cathy, Chris in back, Cheri, Mom, Dad and Tommy in front. Then my favorite; Me and Tom when we looked very much alike. We are still very alike (looks, health, habits, and sense of humor)
Then back to grandma's mobile home front porch. Mom holding baby Tommy, grandma with the apron on. Chris is the little girl that is in these shots. It looks like dad is carrying in a "walker" for Tommy. (Do you remember baby walkers?) Grandma takes Tommy from mom, Mom goes inside, Cathy runs by, and Chris in her red coat stands watching grandma with Tommy.
Big Tom sitting in a yard (I think it's Betty and Gene Ervin's yard). Then Chris (a young adult) in Tom & Bea's house on Ruby Place in Bend, OR. Note: the dark, ugly paneling on the walls. The next is of the Archibald men, Tom, Ron, Dan and Dan (the younger).
Then Tom the magician, about age 12. Tom was very much into magic and would do shows for children's parties (his first job). This led to him being apprenticed/hired at the local TV station. Which was his first step into: TV, Radio, Acting (community theatre), Photography, and later website designing, and now he does Photography, Voice Overs, etc.
Another family dinner at grandma & grandpa Archibald's house on Fisher Rd in Eugene, OR. The people around the table are (from front left around to front right) Cheri, Cathy, Chris or Teri? (top of head seen), grandpa A at the end, then around to Ron & Yvonne A, Tom, Little Tom and Bernice (Bea).
Another favorite of mine: Cathy chasing Chris around with a bat (scary now, fun then) with little Cheri smiling and being sweet as usual. I see ADHD in this video!! Next is Tom (dad) holding his first grandson, James Owen Gillice II. Then Tommy's graduation from HS. Next, a jump back to Little Tommy at about 1 year old.
Now, pan quickly past Chris, & Cheri to see Cathy reading a magazine about cars. I must have been really bored! Then another family lineup shot on video: Chris, Cathy, Bea holding little Tom, and Big Tom holding Cheri. Notice how Cathy makes Chris laugh. Another clue to ADHD. What I remember about that age is being very happy.
A picture of Dad (Tom) working as a member of the management team at Bi-Mart in Bend, OR.
Dad with Cheri. Note how much they look alike. The have the same eyes from this distance but also they both have greenish eyes with brown flakes in them (not visible here). Then the backyard at Ruby Place in Bend, OR. Lots of family get togethers and reunion happened in this yard!
PINGPONG was very much a family sport and entertainment. Next the backyard on Manzanita Street in Eugene. Mom is pregnant with Timothy at this time. Chris is trying to help her. Grandpa Smith walks behind them to get something off the table.
Another family camping trip: Tom & Bea Archibald, little Tom, Grandpa Dan & Grandma Ruth Archibald. Tom tells me that this was about 2 weeks before grandma died. I wish I had been there. Next Chris and Cheri doing the twist. Do you remember those days? Dad (Tom) playing/teasing/tickling his 3 girls, Cathy, Chris and little Cheri.
The finale: Family Reunion 2018 held in Marcola, OR at cousin Tami McGuire's home. Tom, Mom (in the wheelchair) Aunt Millie Tolman beside her. Right behind mom are her siblings, Richard (Dick) (blue shirt), Jo (white shirt) and Ed (white shirt) behind them. To Uncle Richard's right (our left) is his wife Trudy holding their grandchild. The bald man (blue & grey shirt) on the right side waving is my son James Gillice with his wife Desta holding their baby Holden. The lady just left of center in the lavender shirt is Cher (no longer Cheri). Her two boys Cody & Kellen Montgomery are to her right (our left) and the young man with the black hat and black shirt with the white checkmark logo is my grandson Tre Stanley. Just behind Cher the woman with long hair and tattoos on her arms is my daughter JoAnne Stanley. Behind JoAnne is Tyler Kimmel, Chris' son. Chris wearing black & grey long sleeve shirt is just to right of center near Uncle Ed. Cathy is in the purple shirt slightly behind Chris. Chris' other son Jessie is on the far left wearing long sleeve black shirt with a light blue baseball cap. McKenzie is in front of Jessie in a white shirt, with her long-term boyfriend Matt in a dark tee shirt next to her. Just behind Cathy in the light blue shirt is Rita Montgomery, and to her left in the dark shirt with an anchor on it is Virginia Tolman. Clear to the left side in another light blue shirt is Aunt Fran Archibald and in front of her in the white shirts is Uncle Ron & Aunt Yvonne Archibald with their daughter Dena in the black top next to them. On the sides of Aunt Fran are her daughter Heather (black shirt) & granddaughter Gillian Campbell. On Aunt Frans other side is Fran's grandson Henry in dark sunglasses. Next to Henry in the back row is John Archibald holding his daughter Norah, with his wife Renny beside them, in the pretty blue dress. In the center, straight back in the purple & black shirt is Tina (Burrelle) Johnson with her husband Shannon (with the long white beard). the lady on the right front is my daughter, Jennifer (Gillice) Ivey. In the front, the man holding the child dressed in bright yellow is Scott Collingwood with his wife Ciji in the black & white top. The group of people on the very right, front area with the man in the purple/burgundy (Aaron McGuire, I think) shirt is Tami (Collingwood) McGuire family. Tami is just in front of Aaron, with Mark (her husband) at her side. The blond woman in front of Tami is her daughter Jaclyn with her fiancé beside her with his children also. The man to the left of Jaclyn is Mychal McGuire with his wife beside him. All of the children and young adults from Jennifer (my daughter) to James (my son) and down to Aunt Millie are my other 8 grandchildren. Their names: Jordan, Belen, Rebekah, Zoe, Owen, Megan, Colby, (Holden is in his mother's arms), and Tom's daughter Lillianna (Lily) is in front of Jennifer (Pink dress) wearing blue shirt, white pants and pink shoelaces. The women & man and 4 small children on the front left row are Tina's girls Brittany & Sammi with their children and one of the husbands. I don't know/remember the names of my cousins grandchildren.
