On the wagon

I cannot remember seeing our Mother drinking alcohol.  Never when dining out.  Never on vacation.  Certainly never at home.  Whe may have had a toast at our weddings, but I con't recall seeing that happen. 

I had heard stories, while easedropping on adult gettogethers, about drining corn whisky as a young girl and while at nurse's treaining.  But, why did she stop drinking?

It might have something to do with a message I gave miy father at a family wedding held at a secong floor catering hall.  I was probably 5 or 6, trantically looking for Dad.  When I found him, I said, "Mommy's sitting on the floor at the bottom of the stairs, and she laughing." 

The mail-order tree

Shortly after we moved into the house on Northgate Parkway, we received a long white tube in the mail.  When Dad got home from work, he called Greg and I to the front yard.  He had the tube and a new shovel.  From the tube he produced a Silver Mable sapling.  As I remember, it was about 3 feet tall, about 2 inches in diameter, with a small root ball, tied in twine.  He told us that we were going to plant our first tree.  We took turns digging the small hole, and our job was to hold the tree straight while Dad filled in the hole.  He told us it was a Silver Maple, and that the leaves would be green on the top and silver on the bottom.  He also said that it would grow very fast.  Not fast enough for us, bacause there were no leaves on it the next day. 
Dad cared for that tree all summer and cleared the snow from around its base all winter. 
He told us that one day we would all sit around under it and enjoy its shade.

Lois, R.N.

Our Mother grew up on a farm in Bucyrus, Ohio.  When she graduated from high school, the Women’s Auxilliary at the local hospital offered her a full scholarship for nurses’ training at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Toledo.  Three eventful things happened there; she became a Registered Nurse; she took up smoking; and she met our Father on a blind date.

Her first job as a nurse was at the Toledo State Hospital, where she worked in the “drunk tank” dealing with the inebriated who had been arrested over night.  This gave her the  invaluable skill she needed for dealing with her sons a number of years later.- Mike

P. F. C. Norbert

Dad lost a year of high school due to a broken leg from an automobile accident.  This left him sublect to Selective Service, and he has drafted into the Army before graduating.  While he was on his way to the war in Pacific, the plece treaty was signed between the U.S. and Japan.  Dad never saw combat, but he was a part of the occupation of Japan.  I don't remember him saying much about Japan, except that was where he learned to drive.  He also told us about the bathroom facilities.  That would be the only thing I remember.  -- Mike.

No motorcycles!

I  was living at home while attending college, and I announced to our parents that I  would be buying a motorcycle.  Mom told me to rethink my plan, because I would not be able to afford such a vehicle.  I countered in great detail how economical a bike would be compared to a car, explaining how I would actually save a great deal of money.  Mom explained, "You can't afford a motorcycle, because if you get one, you will have to move out of my house."  I remain motorcycle-less to this day.  -- Gary

The most important man in town

Our father worked for the local natural gas utility company as a meter service man.  His territory was located in the near downtown area, Since this was before the explosion of fast food resuurants, he usually ate his lunch in the small mom and pop establishments in his teritory.  Occasionally, if he had worked enough overtime, we could all go out to eaat one of his favorite places. Often, we would walk into one of his regular lunch haunts, and the owner (usually behind the bar) and the waitresses would all greet him by name.  It didn't matter where we went, everybody knew our Dad.  I was sure that he must have veen one of the most important men in town. -- Mike