Welcome to Jane and Bill!
Lisa and Kathie wrote a poem for their parents .. THUS
mom
Mom was born in Piedmont, Missouri. She lived there until late High School
(details in her book). At that time she moved to Clovis New Mexico
to live with friends she had met in Piedmont that worked on the
CCC project. She wrote her memoirs for her family in a book named, "If
Mama Sang".
It has been published and is avaiilable online. I have created
a companion website to further illustrate
her book. Actually, her complete book has not finished, but the
second edition will eventually be printed. "If
Mama Sang" is
basically a public version. The second edition will have more
interest to family members .. details that might bog down for the
general public. Anyway, getting the second edition ready for publication
is a personal goal of mine.
Goals:
- ISBN the first edition.
- Donate a copy to both the Piedmont and Galion Libraries and historical
societies.
- Make the book available to extended family and friends
one of mom's poems
“One of Mom's Poems
Will be printed
on this page.”
welcome to dad !
Dad was born in Virginia, Minnesota. He was the second oldest with two
younger sibs. Both of his parents were from Finland. His father,
Jack, arrived in 1920; the verdict is still out on when his mother,
Edith arrived in America. Edith was a nurse; his dad was a clothier.
Jack was a graduate of Suomi College in Hancock, Michigan,
and spent some years as a photographer in Ely, Minnesota. His family
was musical, intelligent, humorous, talented, and a little crazy.
Jack died in 1953 at 61, when I
was in second grade. Dad would have been about 28 then. Awfully young
to lose your father. His mother died in 1985 at
85. They had property on Sand Lake, Minnesota. Fond
memories.
Interesting photo below. I am certain the young woman is Edith. (click
on the photo to enlarge - e-mail me if
you know who it is.
Dad's older brother William (Bill) was the star of the family. He married
Audrey . They had two children, Denise and Jack. Bill was a
pilot in the second world war. My dad was in training to become
a jet pilot, but the war was over before he finished. His mother
always said he "washed out". Dad did have a pilot's license. I
believe he got it when he was 16 or so. I have his license. He
was still carrying it in his wallet when he died at 78. I also
have his discharge papers from the military (the
Army, Air Force and National Guard). He served in Korea with the
Guard. (Turn your head slightly to view the photo :-)
Dad's sister, Muriel, married Jim and they had seven children, James, Theresa,
Beatrice, Elizabeth, Virginia, David and ???. Jim was career Air
Force. Both Muriel and Jim are deceased.
John was the youngest in the family. He and his wife Kathy (from
England, I think) had two daughters, Penny and Pamela,
and one son, Peter. His children all live in Minnesota. He and
Kathy divorced and he married Judy. Both John and Judy are deceased.
dad's job
Dad worked all of his adult, family life at the Galion
Iron Works, the
early years as a welder, working on Road Graders and Road Rollers.
his paintings
After retirement, Dad took up painting. I like his style. This is one
of his paintings of Pike's Peak in Denver.
high school
High School -- our Sophomore, Junior and Senior years -- were spent at
Galion Senior High. Technically we were
Freshmen in 9th grade, but never really thought of ourselves that
way.
The class of '64 was the last class to graduate
from the "old" auditorium. The Boomers were on their way through
the python. 2008 the school was demolished.
“Hail to the Orange
Hail to the Blue
Hail Alma Mater
Every so true.
We love no other
So let our motto be ..
Vic-tor-y, Victo-ry ... Var-Si-Ty
.”
post high school
more ...
