Cooley Hurd
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A diner with Democratic history...
Recently, I ate at one of my hometown (Auburn, NY) diners (technically, a 1950's O'Mahony-built diner) called Hunter's Dinerant. And, I took this picture:
The diner was founded in the early 1950's by Bob Hunter. His daughter, Neilia, married a young SU grad student in 1965 who would ultimately become a Senator and then Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden.
In 1972, Neilia and their small children were returning home from Christmas shopping when their car was hit by a tractor trailer. Neilia and their 18 month old daughter, Naomi (Amy), were killed; their two sons, Joseph (Beau) and Robert (Hunter) were seriously injured. All of this happened just after Joe was elected to the US Senate for the first time (the 42nd anniversary of the tragedy will be this Friday).
Here's a repost of a contemporary article describing the tragedy:
Senator-Elect’s Wife Dies in Auto Accident
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) – The pretty blonde wife of Joseph R. Biden was at his side through his campaign. They rejoiced in victory last month when he became the youngest man to be elected to the U.S. senate in this century.
Biden, an intensely family oriented man, had said earlier that he wanted his wife Neilia to get a doctorate and teach college when their children were older. In the meantime, he said, he wanted her “to mold my children.”
End in Tragedy
Biden’s plans for his family ended in tragedy Monday when a tractor-trailer truck slammed into the family station wagon near Hockessiri.
Mrs. Biden and the couple’s 18-month-old daughter Amy were killed and the Bidens’ two young sons were injured. Joseph, 4, sustained leg injuries; Robert, 3, suffered head injuries.
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Neilia is my second-cousin-by-marriage, so I've been familiar with the tragedy most of my life.
Her father's diner is still going strong. And, if you go there, try the Gravy Fries!
Father Of Video Games Ralph H. Baer Has Passed Away
Ralph H. Baer, inventor of the first home video game console, the Magnavox Odyssey, has passed away at the age of 92.
Baer did not invent video games, but his impact on the medium is immeasurable. His invention, the Magnavox Odyssey (and its prototype, the Brown Box), brought video games into the home, setting a standard for interactive entertainment on your television. Baer also created the first light gun game called Shooting Gallery, a technology that would be used by video games well into the PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox era.
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