After mom died...

This is one of the last pictures taken of my mom. My brother, Rob, my Aunt Janet and I am also in the picture. It is taken in the living room that we would be living in, in a few months.

This is my Aunt Eloise, Uncle Jack, cousins and us 3 girls. All but my 2 older cousins, Bruce and George lived in the house.

There were 3 bedrooms. Ours is in the front, right of the house. My 2 cousins had a room and my aunt and uncle had the other.

We didn't do too many fun activities while living there. We did get to take baton lessons and walk in the Wonder Lake parade. I have no idea where we are in this group of girls!! The day after I graduated from high school, I moved out and in with my grandparents. Eventually Eloise dropped Joan and Debbie off at my grandparents. Joan stayed with grandma and grandpa. Debbie went to live with my Aunt Janet and Uncle Gene. Rob was staying with another aunt and uncle all this time-my dads sister, Carol and her husband Tom.

School pictures

These are most of my school pictures. I don't know if I have them in the right order and I have no idea why there are 2 of the 1959-1960!! At one time I was in a class with 2 grades in it so maybe I had a picture for the class with my right grade and one with the 2 grades. I never noticed it until now.

Happy Easter from my family to yours!

Easter in 1958. We always had an Easter basket of somekind. Mom would hide the large colored hard marshmallow eggs all over the house. There weren't all the different kinds of candy there is out there now!! I remember taking this picture. It was really sunny out and we were told to look away from the sun!

Joan and me

Fun with picture machines

These picture machine pictures were taken at different times in my life. They were fun but it didn't give you much time to pose!! I like looking at them now and seeing how much better our digital cameras are!! Enjoy!

Joan, Rob and me..

My best friend from high school, Marilyn. I thought I was pretty cool with my "Byrd" glasses!

Lee was one of my favorite friends who lived a few houses down from us in Tacoma. I remember one snowy night I walked barefoot and in my pj's in my sleep to her home. The parents had people over and I knocked on the door and asked if Lee could play. The kids were all in bed because it was late so one of the parents took me home. When they moved away, I went to visit and while playing outside Lee and her brother thought it would be fun to scare me with a huge frog. They chased me all over all the while I was screaming! How scarry!

Special milestones

I graduated from the 6th grade in Tacoma right before moving back to Illinois in 1960. I remember going shopping for my graduation clothes and was very excited to get something new!!

I graduated from the 8th grade in Wonder Lake, Illinois in 1962

I was confirmed from a Lutheran church in Wonder Lake, Illinois in 1962. My mom had a small party for my eighth grade graduation and confirmation on the same day. My grandma Munson and Aunt Hazel are standing with me.

I graduated from McHenry High School in Illinois in 1966. After the ceremony my Aunt Eloise had friends and family over for a small party. My friend Marlene is the girl I walked to see for my one fun time a week while living with Eloise. Jim Pitts was my first boyfriend. Our moms worked together at Modine manufacturing. The first time I met him our families all went to a museum in Chicago. We dated for a few years after that.

Articles from a magazine

I remember going in a store and using this to see my feet!!

Mom kept this perfume on her dresser. I don't know if they still make it

but I'd like to try and find it!

Ice cream

When we lived in Tacoma and it snowed I remember going out with a bowl and getting some snow so my mom could make some snow ice cream. Since we didn't get ice cream too often it, it tasted pretty good! I'm not sure how she made it but I think she put sugar and vanilla in it and mixed it up.

Me and my snowman. Looks kind of scary to me!!

Joan (in back) and me having fun with the sled.