I have been trying to look into Grandma's history and my dear friend, Marcia, has an account on Ancestry. I gave her what little information I knew about Grandma and she was able to send me this picture of the 1940's Census that shows Grandma's family. It has a really interesting details that I didn't know about. It is hard to read and you need to increase the size but her family is clearly there and tells of many statistics that pertained to her family at the time. I cried when I read this..I can just picture this time for her being during the depression but I was happy to get the information from my friend. It has listed all of her siblings, their ages, schooling, how much money her older brother and dad made. It is just a really neat document to look at. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.

When I was about 12 or 13, Henry gave Mom a star for the top of the Christmas tree.  It had a "wheel" in the middle with all different color stars that rotated and was surrounded by crystalized plastic so the stars would show on the wall.  It was a sort of "disco" ball before disco balls were even thought of.  It was beautiful and she loved it.  My girlfriend Donna and I would turn all the lights off except for that Christmas Star and the tree lights.  Then we would kind of lay under the tree and watch those stars turn on the walls.


Well, the next year when we took it out of storage that Christmas Star was broken.  Mom was devastated.  How  she loved that tree topper.  Seeing how sad she was Henry looked high and low until he found her one and gave it to her that Christmas.  I can still see her eyes light up when she opened that gift.


I told this story to one of my coworkers and for Christmas this year she found me a replica of that Christmas star.  (She actually found one identical but said it was considered vintage and her pocketbook would not allow her to buy it - LOL).  Well, if you could have seen MY eyes light up when I opened that Christmas Star.  I am reminded of that Christmas many years ago every time I look at it.  What joy it has brought me this year.  I will post a picture of it soon.