INSPIRED BY THE SHADY DELL, YORK, PA, AND DEDICATED TO ITS OWNERS JOHN & HELEN ETTLINE
AND TO MARGARET ELIZABETH BROWN SCHNEIDER, NICKNAMED "THE OLDEST LIVING DELL RAT"


Sunday, June 16, 2019

John Ettline - Every Dell Rat's Dad


It's Father's Day...


time to honor

JOHN ETTLINE,

"Every Dell Rat's Dad."

John didn't have kids of his own but, as every Dell rat knows, he would have made
a great father.  John was like a dad to us all. Again this year I am proud to present
that classic Father's Day scene from The Donna Reed Show as Dell rats old and
new salute a great man and genuine father figure, Mr. John Ettline.




HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, JOHN.


WE LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU!

18 comments:

  1. He would like that. A father is love.

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    1. Hi, Alex!

      By golly, you're the early bird again this time, good buddy! Thanks for coming by to view this classic clip from Donna Reed and help me remember John Ettline - Every Dell Rat's Dad.

      I wish you a happy dad's day as well, Alex. Thanks again for coming!

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  2. Another fine tribute to John Ettline. Again I'm amazed at just how much he meant to you.

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    1. Hi, Kirk!

      Thanks for coming over on Father's Day, good buddy! Yes, John Ettline meant a lot to me and to thousands of other teenage boys and girls who attended the Shady Dell from the mid 1940s through the 80s. As long as I keep this blog operating I will continue to pay tribute to John on his birthday, the date of his death and on Father's Day.

      Thanks again for dropping by, good buddy Kirk!

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  3. Happy Father's Day, John! You helped raise great human beings, thanks for all that you did for the youth of York.

    Happy Father's Day to you too, dear friend. Welcome home!

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    1. Hi, Jessica Marie!

      Thanks for being here for John Ettline on Father's Day again this year, dear friend!

      I also thank you for the kind words about John and for the warm welcome home as I end my hiatus and resume full time blogging.

      Thanks again and have a wonderful week, dear friend JM!

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    2. Hi Shady,

      I've learned over the years that the ones who normally don't have biological children, often have the biggest hearts and welcome in other children. They help raise others as they would raise their own, if they had the opportunity. I learned after Nan died that dad was adopted. Nan treated dad as her own, which I guess technically he was, if not by blood. And she treated me as her own blood granddaughter. It really doesn't matter. I can't have children, but I hope that one day I can help raise great human beings too.

      Welcome back, dear friend! Have a great week ahead too.

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    3. Hi, Jessica Marie!

      Words of wisdom from you again today, dear friend! I share your findings in my own experience, and it was certainly true of the Ettlines. Thanks for telling me about your dad. That's quite a revelation. Nan opened her heart and accepted you and your dad as blood kin. You are already paying it forward and giving unconditional love to people of all races, religions and nationalities.

      Enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend JM!

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  4. Tom,

    Welcome back to the land of blogging! What a nice way to kick things off after being away for a couple of weeks with a Father's Day tribute to the pops of the Shady Dell!! I know John would be honored that you and so many others loved and respected him like a dad. BTW, I hope you don't mind that I lifted this photo and did a little tweaking to it. I will send it to you via email. Have a great day and again it's so good to have you back in Blogosphere, my friend!

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    1. Hi, Cathy!

      Thanks so much for dropping in, dear friend! I'm pleased to have you here as I return to blogging as promised with my annual Father's Day salute to John Ettline. I also just returned from my email inbox where I was thrilled to find your enhanced image of John & Helen. Thank you very much! Check your inbox for my reply.

      Thank you again for your kindness and for your ongoing friendship, dear Cathy, and have a wonderful week!

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    2. Hey, Tom!

      I forgot to say, 'Happy Father's Day' to you! My brain is so not plugged in yet. Thank you for your email reply. :) Have a blessed day as you find your rhythm back into the blogging scene.

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    3. Thank you, Cathy! I hope all the dads in your family had a happy day as well. Take care, dear friend. I will be connecting with you again soon.

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  5. Hi Shady, so good to see you back! Hope you are recuperating from your exotic and refreshing vacation.

    Another Father's Day comes and goes, but we think of our dads each day, don't we! I miss my dad, and think of him often. He was very quiet and shy...guess that's where I get my shyness from, lol! I admire John Ettline's perseverance and his eagerness to provide entertainment and a safe place for our teen generation to be themselves. Because of him, many teens could let go, and dance to their heart's desire, or just socialize with one another. That means a lot. I'm sure many who are still around, look back and remember. I know for sure that I would remember the greatest "hot spot" in York, PA.!

    Happy Father's Day, John!

    Welcome Back, Shady! Sorry I'm running late!♫

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    1. Hi, Suzanne!

      Thanks for coming by, dear friend! I thought you might be out of town visiting your mother and sister this week. I'm delighted to have you here again this year as I pay tribute to John Ettline on Father's Day.

      Once again this year I invited child actor and singer Paul Petersen to sing the quintessential Father's Day song, his chart hit "My Dad." As you might have noticed on the "crawl," this episode of The Donna Reed Show did not actually air on Father's Day. Instead it ran just before Halloween 1962. I am thinking the network probably repeated the episode during the summer rerun season and scheduled it the week of Father's Day.

      It is interesting that you mentioned your dad being quiet and shy. So was my dad. I can't say the same about John Ettline. He had a deep booming voice and a big personality. He was always discussing something with someone, usually sports or current affairs. My dad was a great listener. He rarely spoke unless spoken to or was asked a question. Yessum, we miss our dads and part of them lives on through us.

      Thanks again for being on hand for this special annual post, dear friend Suzanne. Stay tuned for my next post coming right up on Wednesday when a special guest host drops by to play vintage rock 'n' roll and rock-a-billy records!

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  6. Welcome home Shady! I hope you had a fabulous time and I'm glad to see this Father's Day tribute to Mr. Ettline. I feel like I know him and I bet he would have loved to receive a wonderful song like this one. I love this episode and the actors faces look like they aren't acting, but reacting from the heart. It makes me teary eyed every time I watch it! Thanks for posting it and reminding me what a great Dad I had in my life. Take care and Happy Father's Day to you!

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    1. Hi, YaYa!

      Thank you for dropping in, dear friend! Yessum, Mrs. Shady and I had a wonderful vacation, but I am happy to be back among blog buddies like you.

      Thank you very much for coming again this year, for the 7th year in a row, I believe, to help me wish John Ettline a happy Father's Day. As you know by now, I rerun this same post year after year because I have found no better song or scene for Father's Day. I agree that the actors lost themselves in that scene and that they were actually moved to tears. The emotion is written on their faces. I get teary-eyed watching it, too. I wish we could turn back the clock to yesteryear when close-knit, loving, respectful two-parent TV families like the Stones, the Cleavers, the Nelsons and the Andersons set a fine example for all who watched their shows. We lost something important along the way in the decades that followed.

      Yes indeed, you had a great dad, YaYa, and I wish he were here today to see how many times you have honored him and to read your kind and loving tributes. Thank you again for the warm welcome home and have a wonderful week, dear friend Yaya!

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  7. I hope your power stayed on when you were suntanning with the penguins:) This is a beautiful tribute to your "adopted" dad. I am certain he and his wife have tears in their eyes from all the kids they saw at the Dell

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    1. Hi, Birgit!

      Thanks for swinging by, dear friend! This is the fourth or fifth year that you have been here to help me pay tribute to John Ettline - Every Dell Rat's Dad - on Father's Day. Tom Hanks reminded us there's no crying in baseball but, if there is such a thing as crying in heaven, then it would please me to know that John and Helen are moved by these posts and the wonderful comments left by friends like you.

      We had delightful weather during our vacation, but I am glad to be home and reconnecting with you and other bloggy friends. Thanks again for coming over, dear BB, and enjoy the rest of your week!

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