A photo 57 years in the making

NILES -- In the spring of 1969, three young Niles boys, Robin Inman, 3, Robert Oakman, 2, and Scott Inman, 5, were playing outside the Oakmans' home with an orange-colored pedal car when a photographer from the now-defunct Niles Daily Times approached them to take their photo.

That image made the cover of an issue and was used at the time to remind motorists to have their license plates renewed.

This Labor Day weekend, the Inman brothers reunited for the first time in more than 50 years with Oakman who celebrated his 60th birthday and thought it would be fun to re-create the image with Rob Inman's newly acquired orange-colored, 1923 Ford T-Bucket hot rod with a license plate replica from that 1969 photo.

The three gathered at the Inman brothers' mother Peggy Ferenchak's home in Cortland and had a new photo taken in the driveway. Ferenchak also was celebrating her birthday this weekend.

Robin and Scott Inman graduated from Niles McKinley High School, but Robert graduated from Mineral Ridge High School. They lost contact as they got older.

"I remember we were riding that car up and down the sidewalk, and the photographer took our picture for the newspaper," Scott Inman said.

The boys' fathers, Ronald Inman and Ronald Oakman, had worked at the Tribune Chronicle back then and the two moms, Peggy Inman and Donna Oakman, were friends.

"The two families would often visit. The Oakmans lived on West Park Avenue and is why Robert went to Mineral Ridge schools. We lived on Chestnut Street," Ferenchak said.

The three as boys were outside on Chestnut Street when their photo was taken.

Scott Inman said he remembers the photographer had a license plate with him and asked him to hold it for the photo.

"I remember in that picture I was holding the license plate crooked. I wanted to hold it straight, but he insisted I hold it crooked. The information with the photo was 'Remember, your license plates need renewed,'" he said.

Oakman said as they got older, the three lost contact and Oakman moved to Florida, where he worked as a police officer.

He said he is now retired, and his family came back to Ohio and is living in Mineral Ridge.

"I lived in New Mexico for five to six years and then came back to Ohio. My daughter wanted to come back to Ohio. I was just in Florida recently to celebrate my wife's stepfather's 97th birthday," Oakman said.

Rob Inman said he remembers the three would play baseball at each other's houses.

Ferenchak said his mother has the photo from the newspaper framed at her Cortland home, which she looks at all the time.

Peggy Ferenchak said she knew Scott was going to visit over Labor Day weekend from Arizona and thought it would be nice to get her other son, Robin, here and try to get Robert here as well.

Last year, she tried to get in touch with Robert's mother Donna, but she could not find her.

"We did not keep in touch with phone calls or write to each other. My husband and I did visit them in Florida, but then they sold their home and moved to a condo, and I lost contact with her," Ferenchak said.

She said she checked the internet for Donna and learned that her first husband had died as did her second husband and one of her sons.

Ferenchak said she found out that Donna died two days after Christmas 2025.

Ferenchak said she then got in contact with Donna's daughter, Veronica Oakman Atwell, who lived in Niles.

Ferenchak said after speaking with Veronica, she had a visit from her at her home and she brought her brother, Robert.

"She told me I brought her a surprise. I thought he was her husband and then she told me it was Rob. I had not seen him in more than 50 years. It was my brilliant idea after that visit to re-create that picture of the three boys in the newspaper," Ferenchak said.

She said she knew Scott and Rob were going to be here so the three could get together this weekend.

Ferenchak said the idea snowballed.

Oakman said when he heard what Ferenchak wanted to do, he had the license plate from 1969 remade with 2026 on it.

"We do not have a glossy original from the newspaper, only the black and white photo from the newspaper," he said.

Rob said they re-created that newspaper image as he brought his 1923 Ford T-Bucket hot rod, which he put stripes on to match the pedal car from 1969.

"It is neat that we got together. I have had a copy of the picture for years. The picture brings back memories," Rob said.

Robert worked for years as a deputy sheriff in Florida until he retired.

Scott is semi-retired after working 40 years for the Arizona Republic newspaper and works part time as park patrol in Anthem. Rob works for Carter Lumber and had worked for a time at the Tribune Chronicle.

While Scott and Ron were celebrating their mom's birthday, they also added Robert's birthday to the weekend.

"I just found out today was his birthday," Rob said.

Ferenchak said it is surreal to see the three of them grown up.

"I wish Donna was here to see this day. She can see all of us from heaven," Ferenchak said.

She said in the 1969 newspaper picture, Rob is holding a doughnut in his hand.

Ferenchak said she used to make homemade doughnuts after a neighbor on Chestnut Street showed her how to do it.

"My son says the doughnut in the photo was a store-bought doughnut, but I am pretty sure it is one of my homemade doughnuts," she said.

For the picture this weekend, Rob was given a doughnut to hold.

Oakman said it was great to be able to reconnect with the Inmans.

"That picture reminds me of when all the kids used to play on the sidewalks in Niles. It was safe at 3 and 4 years old to play outside on the sidewalk back then by ourselves."

Oakman said it was great the three got together to re-create the picture from 57 years ago.

"They really went all out painting the stripes on the car and getting a striped jacket for Scott to wear," he said.

Fernechak said she was so excited for the weekend and remembered how three young boys who were friends gained a little attention with a photo in the newspaper.