My given name is Margaret Ethel Frank. I was born September 19, 1937 at 3:15 p.m. at the Highland Park Hospital located in the city of Highland Park, Michigan. Because my mother was feeling really good on my birthday, and had started labor, and She had no way to get in touch with my Dad, so she left him a note on the table saying that she was going to walk to the hospital because it was such a beautiful day.

She decided about half way there that it was a mistake, because her pains got so severe that she would have to stop and lean up against a building. After the pain subsided, she continued to walk until the next pain occurred, fortunately, she made it to the hospital before I was born.

In the mean time my father came home from work and looked around for mom, he even went over to the neighbors asking if they knew where she was! Finally, He sees the note and goes to the Hospital. When He arrived at the hospital, I had already been born.

My mother stayed in the hospital for approximately seven days. Things and circumstances were so different back then. At the present, one would have a baby and walk out of the hospital the same day or the very next morning, that's quite a difference from the past.

My father said he took my Grandfather to see me when I was two days old and as they looked through the glass into the nursery, He said, "She doesn’t look like a burned match stick! Hell! She looks just like me" Apparently, my father had told my grandpa I looked like a burned match stick, all red, with a lot of dark hair.

A lot of things happened during 1937, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the president of United States. It was his second term in office. So, thanks to Roosevelt’s management, times were getting better for people after they had suffered through a depression. The new average price for a house would only cost $4,100.00. The average yearly wage was $1,780.00. Gas was only 10 cents a gallon. Renting a home rated around $26 a month. A loaf of bread was only nine cents, course that was not cheap for a loaf of bread back then. In the event one wanted to buy a cast-iron enamel tub with claws, it would cost $18.45. The reason I bring up the cast-iron tub is that I would still love to have one because they’re so deep and comfortable.

The year of 1937, was the year that the Golden Gate Bridge opened. Also, Amelia Earhart disappeared and her disappearance still remains an unsolved mystery. Additionally, that year, Author J. R. R. Toiken published The Hobbit.

When my mother was younger, she went by her middle name Ethel, as apposed to her first name Callie. So when my father and mother were introduced, dated, and finally married, she went by Ethel, which was the real basis for my name ending up as Margaret Ethel Frank instead of Ethel Frank.

When it came time to pick a name for me, my father loved the name Ethel because He loved that my Mom was named Ethel. She was totally against the name Ethel. When she was a young girl and would play with dolls, her favorite name for dolls was Marjorie. However, my Dad remained so adamant about the name Ethel, it caused my mother to think about my Dads mother that had passed away when he was younger. And her name was Margaret, so mom’s reasoning was that it sounded a lot like Marjorie- or to her Margaret sounded pretty much alike or close enough. So, a further assessment as to the reason I was named Margaret Ethel Frank.



　

　

　

One of my most vivid memories of my Grandma was one time when she drove me to school. It was fairly early morning and there were not that many cars on the Sandy streets.
We were stopped at a red light. Anyhow, we got to talking and fiddling with the radio. Well, the light to green then red again - we had no idea since we were so engrossed with our conversation. The guy behind us was livid! He swerved around us and proceeded to stick his head out of the window and yell and throw his hands up. He was so red...he was so mad.
Anyway, Grandma just kept saying, "I'm Sorry, I'm Sorry" in her soothing voice (which was funny because our windows were rolled up and he couldn't hear her anyway). Eventually, he calmed down, the light turned green, and off he went. 
After he drove off, Grandma started laughing and said "wow! he was so mad." She wasn't upset or anything - she wasn't about to let one bad moment ruin her entire day.
A beautiful friend once told me, "Your attitude determines your altitude." Maggie lived by that motto...even though I never told her that quote. She was the epitome of taking lemons and turning into lemonade. Love you Grandma!!