My cousin, Leo Hess, was featured this past Sunday’s edition of the Sioux Falls Argus-Leader. He’s one of the thirty-nine grandchildren born to the eight offspring of Vernon and Josephine Hess, formerly of Pipestone, Minnesota.
Cousin Leo owns a motorcycle repair and souper-upper shop in Sioux Falls. He’s also a former motorcycle drag racer who was severely injured a few years back when he tried to set a speed record at Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats. You can read the story about his crash, recovery, and work, as well as watch a video of Leo at the Argus-Leader website.
Before you cruise over there, I want to reassure those of you who know me well that Leo and I are really, truly cousins even though…
He was a dare devil growing up, and I was a goody-two shoes.
He likes speed, and I don’t.
He’s a gifted mechanic while engines are a mystery to me.
He defines motorcycles by brand and engine type, while I define them by color.
He likes to ride Harleys, and I like to look at red bikes with lots of sparkle.
But we are cousins, and we have one family trait in common. Neither the video or the article mentions this trait. It was passed along by another cousin. Leo raises geraniums in his motorcycle shop. They could be offspring of the heritage geranium passed down from Grandma Josie’s mother to Grandma, to her children and then to her grandchildren. They could be related to the offspring that grace my flower gardens in the summer and winter over in my home. Or they could be a different strain of entirely. Either way, this mutual love of flowers can be traced directly from Grandma Josie to her descendants.
So when you read the story about Leo, picture him watering his geraniums.
Imagine him enjoying their red, sparkly blossoms.
Imagine him breathing in their spicy scent.
Imagine him thinking about the geraniums on Grandma Josie’s windowsill.
Now can you see the family resemblance?
