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Christmas 1992
We started a third wall, about half, giving us a staple looking display this year. More decorations were added including more full size Christmas Trees. The Christmas trees hanging down from the ceiling are a pain to set up but really look nice. We have to remove the light cover, tie the Christmas tree up, power it from the lightbulb socket using an adapter, then staple the first row of branches to the ceiling. The procedure is reversed after the new year to take them down, also a tedious procedure.
The rest of the display sets up quickly again with the boxes as foundation and blue tarp as background sky. Where we do not have boxes we have to use full size trees or decorations. As the display grows it is getting more difficult to find room for the life size nativity scene, which is really what Christmas is all about. We may end up moving it outside which is really where it belongs since it is an outside blowmold decoration.
Again a very successful party and my mothers idea for a Christmas party at the house is slowly turning into a family tradition.
Renee Graduation 1992
Renee Graduated from Trenton High School on a beautiful day in 1992, following in the footsteps of her brother and father.
The current school complex was constructed in 1953 on a plot bounded by West, Westfield and Charlton roads and Edsel Drive. The school was built to handle a surge in students following World War II and the expansion of western Trenton, which was quickly expanding. The building was known as West Road Elementary School and housed elementary school students until Hedke, Anderson, Foley and Owen elementary schools opened in the 1950s.
Christmas 1991
The third Christmas Party once again was at our house and this year we bought even more decorations. Once again we hung tarp up for the background. Anything that was in the basement before was packed up and placed into boxes. These boxes were placed up against the tarp and lights were put over the boxes. The lights were all plugged into power strips placed strategically around the display.
Once again snow was placed on top of the lights and thus we had a complete foundation for the Christmas display. The storage boxes were completely hidden by the lit up snow and looked great against the blue tarp background. From here it was just a matter of adding the animatronics and small Christmas Trees.
The first year we decorated like this we only did one wall of the basement, second year a wall and a half, this year we did that wall and finished the second wall completely which made it into an L shape that really captured a small part of a Bronners look to the display.
Remembering Mark Dunberger 1946 – 1991
When Mark Joseph Dunberger was born on November 15, 1946, his father, Harry, was 31 and his mother, Louise, was 25. He had two children with Kathy Thomas and one child with Pat. He died in May 1991 in Trenton, Michigan, at the age of 44, and was buried in Flat Rock, Michigan.
The thing I remember most about Mark was how much fun it was to be with him. He was one of those rare personalities that would liven up any party or event. He never let his injuries from the war get in his way of having fun with life, in fact, you would not ever know that he was injured unless you saw the scars on his arms from the scrapnel. Whether it was boating, camping, hunting, fishing, baseball or playing Mario Brothers on Nintendo Mark had more fun with life than anyone else I know. Mark was also the biggest Star Trek fan I remember in the family and had a huge self made video collection of some of the worst sci fi movies you can imagine.
Christmas 1990
Once again we had the Christmas party in the basement and Loretta enjoyed cooking a massive feast for everyone.
This year Mark came and we did not know at the time it would be his last Christmas with us. He had a great time and what I remember most was him playing with Pepper, our dog.
Pepper did not get along with everyone, well to be honest she didn’t get along with anyone. She was part schnauzer and part poodle, a mix known as a schnoodle. She would not hesitate to bite someone, although her bite never really hurt. However she got along great with Mark, giving him her paw and doing tricks for him. Mark was always good with animals but getting along with Pepper was rare.
Once again the party was a big success and everyone had a great time. Gifts were exchanged and we also added a couple more animations to the display. We also hung white Christmas trees upside down for the lights, an idea we got from a Christmas store up north near Cadillac MI.
Christmas 1989
Loretta wanted to have Christmas at the house this year so I went out and bought a couple small animations to help decorate the basement. Since my father pretty much was living in the living room due to medical complications we had no choice but to work on the basement.
We went out and bought a couple of blue tarps that would act as a background and a few small trees. We then took strands of lights and laid them on top of boxes, then covered them with “snow” (actually cotton rolls that you can buy at Christmas time). The lights beneath the snow gave it a soft glow that looked really cool.
The party was a big success and we decided to do it again the next year.
Waldenwoods Vacation 1989
This was the year of the infamous sail boat. Everyone was admiring the small individual sail boats that were being sailed around the lake at Waldenwoods. Basically Waldenwoods rented out these small sale boats that could hold one or two people. They offer a free training course that took 15 minutes, but the specific party involved had no interest in this and went along and rented the small craft proceeded to guide it into a swimming area of the lake, with small children dodging the incoming craft since the two people in the party did not know how to turn a sailboat into the wind.
Yes, the culprits were cousin Mark and James Dad. Shown on the left is James Dad and Aunt carrying the boat back to the rental place at Waldenwoods. Needless to say, lots of fun this year at Waldenwoods but unfortunately this might be our last time here as they are turning it into a golf resort.
Christmas 1988
In the past Mark would set up his Christmas Train display in the living room, however this year the display was set up in the basement. This year Mark really outdid himself as the display was very elaborate. This year Mark is having a little fun with the billboards in his display as he placed a school picture of Criss in the billboard. These are strategically placed around the display because Mark has a video tape in his train engine so everytime it goes by the billboard, a picture of Criss (that she hates) is displayed on the TV.
Once again Christmas dinner was upstairs and put together by Aunt Louise and Ron. Ron is taking cooking classes in college and is making some excellent dishes for the holidays. A great time was had by all, but was their really any doubt.
Criss Wedding to Kenny 1987
Criss and Kenny Rae tied the knot on a very chilly day in October. Criss’s husband Kenny Rae is a country western singer and entertainer well known in the down river area. His family is from Indiana and his cousin in basketball star Larry Bird.
After the ceremony the party moved on to Trenton to celebrate the event in Aunt Louise’s basement (which had been used for many a celebration through the years). The party went into the wee hours of the night, the keg was tied down and taken with us, and a great time was had by everyone in attendance.
It was really good to see the whole family together, seeing cousin David and Patty Lou is beginning to be a rarity even though they live within an hour of us.
Boblo Island 1987
Another visit to Boblo which was without a doubt one of the best days of the summer. We used to leave for Boblo on the Detroit ships, which took over an hour to get to the island (but they did have a bar and dancing for the adults, which made them very popular on the way home). As a young boy I remember stairing at the huge engine that powered the Detroit boats.
While the Detroit boats were fun, it was a long trip and kids would eventually get bored. The adults enjoyed them because of the bar and dancing on the boat. However they did add a port in Gibraltar MI with smaller boats (similar to Mackinaw but not as fast) and all of a sudden the boat ride was only about a half hour. We certainly preferred this as it gave us more time on the island and more time to go on rides.
