I found your site as I was researching photos of the 1960s in Klamath Falls for a work of fiction I am writing. Your family pictures were so touching to me, bringing back all of my childhood memories, born in 1953 in California. My Dad was an engineer at Lockheed Sunnyvale and I followed in his footsteps. I loved seeing your family history unfold. I could feel the love everyone has for each other. I loved also seeing the faith which was evident. Thank you for sharing, it meant so much and I really enjoyed it. Annie

I found your website when researching the year 1979. As I scrolled through the photos I was surprised at how touched I became! I have a 3 year old son who resembles Tim, so I kept scrolling to find out how the story/pics progressed. Then I see little Dan and start crying - my boy was 2 pounds (and one ounce) as well and it's wonderful to see in photos Dan growing up just fine! This is such a touching site....it is like a complete story, but it makes me want to put the brakes on time! Thank you!

I stumbled upon your site while searching for Looking Glass Falls in the Pisgah Nat'l Forest. I have since looked at every single picture of your wonderful family. What a wonderful and adventurous life. Thank you for putting it out there to share! Blessings to your whole family!

hey burtness family,

I stumbled across your site while I was doing research for a play I'm working on (I'm a playwright). I was googling "families in the sixties" or something like that when pictures of you guys popped up and I just had to keep scrolling. I know this all might come off as really creepy, but when I checked your guestbook and saw that other people were touched by your near to fifty years of family documentation, I smiled. I come from a very tight-knit family in Omaha, and it's very hard to be away from them living in Chicago. I've got two little brothers, one of them who was very small when I moved away, and seeing Norm and Tim and Dan made my day.

I guess I wanted to thank you for putting these pictures up. I think it's important that every family keeps a recording of where they've been and where they're going. It's a great thing you've done.

jen

I stumbled across your website searching for "Flying in Iowa". I'm a retired army pilot (Apaches) and loved all the flying, camping, fishig, skiing pics of your family. Being in the army and growing up on a farm in Iowa, I've lived in or visited many of the same places in your pictures. Watching your family grow through the years was fascinating.

Just wanted to clarify... It was Mineral Wells I was searching, not McKinney Falls.. haha
ok

I stumbled across your site in search of photos of McKinney Falls, TX. Needless to say, I found much more. Just wanted to say you have a beautiful family, so well traveled and diverse. Thank you for sharing everything. It was wonderful.

Hello Norm. I happen to stumble onto your site when i was searching your name "Burtness" Recently, my step-dad passed away, Orvald H. Burtness, he was 85 years old, and I just really miss him. Your family photos brought some great memories back, especially of the 70's and the 80's. I loved the stripped tube socks with the shorts at Disneyland. You have a wonderful family and the photos really made me feel so much better. Thank you for sharing them.

Hi I'm Jet from Ireland, I stumbled across your delightful site completly by accident , its a lovely site and i was completely taken in by all the great pictures that sum up how family life ought to be.
You are a lucky family indeed!

Jet-btw you should probably thank your parents for that great families dont just happen !

I just had to sign the guest book. I happen upon your site while searching for pictures of Charlie Brown's Christmas tree. I totally enjoyed all the pictures; it was like watching everyone grow up. If I never come across your site again; you should know that families like yours are truly a blessing. I came from a single parent home, a mom who continuously struggled to make ends meet. We were happy, but I always wondered what it would be like to have a family like yours. Take care and continue to love one another. Beth...from a little town in Indiana :-)

Beautiful family .... Yours looked like ours ... I was born in 1958. Wow. Loved the motorcycles, cub scouting, travel, fishing camping, lots of holidays and family. I grew up in TEXAS. Again thanks.

Just loved your photos. You grew up much as I did, my Dad was a federal firefighter and a chief master sgt in the air force reserve. Looking at your "life" I am now going to start a photo album of my own. My mom has passed as all of the grandparents so I really have to get started as I am not getting any younger (53). Again, loved your pictures and hope all of your family are doing well.

Your family is an inspiration. This year my family started camping. I have a wonderful husband and 3 children (6 and 4 yr. old). We have been going to different parks and taking many pictures. My husband now has a canoe and we are trying to teach our kids fishing. Looking at the history of your family, is a great motivation to make camping a tradition for my family. God Bless you and your family.

I happened upon your site while searching for images of New Mexico road signs. This is a great testament to your family and I loved the pictures from the 50's. Thanks for making me smile!

I feel like I know your family. My dad was a pilot in the Army. My parents started off with a trailer and later moved into a house. We had more than one Charlie Brown Christmas tree. My parents lived at Mineral Wells, TX; I went to Carroll High in Ozark, Alabama. I’ve been to the beach in Panama City, FL. My father and husband both graduated from flight school and advanced aviator’s course at Ft. Rucker, AL. My son, Marco, was in Boy Scouts; he did that Pinewood Derby thing with his dad, Tom. Oh, and Marco was a swimmer. We spent some time in Alabama, but Texas feels like home.

My husband and son both graduated from West Point. Tom did the first Gulf War and now Marco is doing “Operation Iraqi Freedom.”

Yeah, I paint. I haven’t had a “studio” since Alabama, but that doesn’t matter since I haven’t felt like painting much. I don’t do shows. My paintings are too abstract and too weird for shows (beyond P.G.).

Oh, yes, and we are Catholic!

Unfortunately, our family didn’t have a happy ending. My parents got divorced when Dad came home from ‘Nam. Mom left. I was the oldest of 5; the youngest died in a car accident when she was 19. I helped to raise my siblings since my dad put me in charge of the house, finances, homework, discipline, shopping, gardening and cooking, etc., etc. Oh, yeah, and by the time I was 16, I was the bread winner of the family because my father either would not or could not hold down a full-time job. He kept quitting.

My mother is a controlling brat. (I’m being polite with that B word.) I don’t have a lot to do with her. My dad kicked me out of his life when I was 20 because he didn’t like my fiancé and wanted me to be his slave for life. I don’t have anything to do with him. We have some SERIOUS relationship issues in our family.

I’m very happy you are happy. Good-luck. God Bless.

We even have relatives in MN! (They belong on my husband’s side.)

My dad flew Chinooks and my husband flew Apaches. (Of course, they started out with a Bell helicopter just like your dad.) --- I had a bunny for a pet while dad was in ‘Nam.

Our vacation spot was Yosemite. --

The cdwenn is my home one; please delete it from your page.