The Paper Route
From ‘The Adventures of The McGaffin’s As We Remember Them’ — a family memoir begun July 17, 2003.
Bob McGaffin
Janesville 1960
Coming from Aberdeen to Janesville presented a series of new challenges. I
Move to Norfolk
What seemed like a setback — missing out on coveted big ship assignments — turned into an unexpected gift for a young Navy couple settling into their first apartment near the base in Norfolk.
Building Our First House in Janesville
After a whirlwind move from Aberdeen to Rockford, the family landed in a Janesville duplex with a shared basement stairway, no privacy, and plans that were already outgrowing the walls.
1958
When the family moved into vacant Army apartments at Aberdeen, their mail-order parts started arriving by armored Brinks truck — complete with two armed guards delivering one small package to a very surprised mom at the door.
1957 - The Birth of Robert Carl McGaffin
From ‘The Adventures of The McGaffin’s As We Remember Them’ — a family memoir begun July 17, 2003.
Joan’s Stay with Dad
A young Navy serviceman pieced together rides, hitchhiking, and overnight trains between Norfolk and New Jersey just to spend weekends with his daughter Joan — a grueling Friday-to-Monday routine driven by a father's quiet devotion.
Cars in Our Lives - Station Wagons and Beyond (1956–1972)
A broken gas gauge, a notebook full of mileage calculations, and one embarrassing tow truck visit — all leading to a bank VP's unexpected offer that changed the family's ride forever.
1956 - A Lesson in Economics
Three-year-old Karen's weekly quarter allowance in Aberdeen, Maryland started out as pure freedom — until store visits stretched longer and longer as she hunted for something she could actually afford.
Mundy’s Farm
From ‘The Adventures of The McGaffin’s As We Remember Them’ — a family memoir begun July 17, 2003.
Washington Rock
From the Watchung Mountains, the McGaffin kids could gaze out from George Washington's old Revolutionary War lookout — and on a clear day, spot New York City in the distance.
Life on Rock Avenue
A ten-year-old's world cracked wide open when his family moved just a mile down the road — right next door to a 200-year-old dairy farm where the elderly owners let the neighborhood kids roam free among the cows, horses, and hay fields.