Here’s pictures of Mark who was a second lieutenant during the Vietnam War.

Mark was injured when a grenade blew up near him and he loss the use of one of his eyes and had scrapnel throughout his body as a result. Mark never talked much about the war, he told me he did not want to see the movie “Good Morning Vietnam” because it brought back bad memories.

When Mark passed away his friends attempted to get his name added to the Vietnam memorial since he died so suddenly. The doctors had told him with all the shrapnel in his body it could happen anytime and it finally did, about 30 years after the injury.

Mark also served a tour overseas in Germany. His wife Kathy was with them and while in Germany had their son Ron. When Mark was sent to Vietnam Kathy and Ron came home and stayed with his mother.

Continue reading “Mark Dunberger Begins Military Service 1968” →

James Aunt Criss at her senior prom in 1968 with her date Randy. James Dad says he remembers Randy and Criss going steady for quite a while. 1968 was a good year in Detroit, with the Tigers winning the world series and of course Senior Prom.

A year after this picture was taken a new High School was built in Dearborn Heights, Annapolis High. Criss little brother (James Dad) would go to this school ten years later, and Criss newphew James would go to this not so new school anymore about 40 years later.

You can always date some of these pictures taken in front of the house by how big the pine tree and blue spruce were at the time.

Continue reading “Aunt Criss Senior Prom 1968” →

Cousin Mark married his girl friend Kathy in 1968 which marked another significant event that took place during the summer of 1968. Mark and Kathy had two children, Ron and Renee. Ron was actually born while Mark was on tour in Germany while Renee was born after Mark got out of the service due to injuries suffered in Vietnam.

Mark was a lieutenant when he married Kathy and they were together in Germany until Mark got transferred to Vietnam. A grenade went off and Mark lost an eye and had scrapnel scars from the grenade. Upon returning to civilian life, he and Kathy lived in Trenton for years while he worked at Great Lakes Steel. Kathy was a graduate of Eastern University in Ypsilanti and worked as a teacher.

Kathy and Mark would often go camping and had a beautiful boat that made the camping all that more enjoyable.

Continue reading “Mark Marries Kathy 1968” →

Each Christmas at the Kleiber household Aunt Peg would set up a Christmas train display to celebrate the holiday. This consisted of either a figure 8 or even the more elaborate three ring design. Aunt Peg loved Tressalls to elevate the train and this year was no different as she used the tressalls so that the train would be elevated as it passed over its own track.

The tradition of the train display is also continued in Trenton with both Uncle Joe and Cousin Mark who also do elaborate train setups for Christmas.

I think the tradition began with Pappy Graf who would carve and make his own homes from scratch and were so good that the newspapers would come out and take pictures of his display.

Continue reading “Christmas Train Display 1967” →

I remember this being the big event of the year as the shower was held in Aunt Louise’s basement (it was very popular for parties since it had a bar in the basement). It was a big event because Patty Lou is about the friendliest person you will ever meet and everyone wanted the best for her on her big day.

The wedding occurred about a month or so later and was a great time. Patty Lou and Doug bought a beautiful home in Woodhaven and it was literally brand new (they just built it). They added a huge swimming pool to the back yard and it was such a blast to go over there and go swimming whenever they had parties.

Woodhaven is just down the road from Trenton along West Road.

Continue reading “Patty Lou and Doug Shower and Wedding 1967” →

The twenty first birthday is very special in everyones life as you are no longer considered a child by any stretch of the imagination, twenty one means you are grown up and it does not matter what state you are in, you are an adult.

Once again, the ever popular picture by the pine tree was taken. The pine tree and blue spruce tree would eventually grow so enormous that you could literally have your picture taken underneath the branches as we had to clear out the lower branches to make the trees look better.

Eventually in the 90’s the trees were removed and to this date there is a proverbial dip in the grass at those locations, despite the lawn being resodded and leveled several times since.

Continue reading “Pegs 21st Birthday 1967” →

The night before starting school there was a card party on the back porch and I remember going back there and telling my Mom I could not sleep because I was nervous about school. Really there was nothing to be nervous about and when you think about it you never really leave school, you continue to learn every day.

Kindergarten was at the relatively new Eton school at the time. I remember this was the year I got the chicken pox and missed a field trip to a farm. Other than a trip or two to the office to see the principle there was not much else outstanding that happened in kindergarten. Since this is part of the Annapolis school system I am including with the Annapolis files.

This was the first flower show that James Dad remembers going to. One of the items that fascinated him most was a simple elctrical test box where you would touch a pad and if you gave the right answer, a light bulb would light up, but if you gave the wrong answer, a buzzer would go off. Sort of like an educational version of operation but with questions. Other than that, Dad doesn’t remember much else from the show but does remember it was always a good time.

To this day there are still flower shows all around the country, including Detroit and the Detroit suburbs. Most of the time they are combined with home improvement, hence the name Home and Garden show has evolved. Today you will hear it called the “Home Improvement Garden Show” or something similar.

Gearing up for Easter with a trip to Detroit to see the Easter Bunny in person and yes, he did deliver a nice basket for Easter to James Dad.

The photo used here is a little rough and torn. We did our best to save it but after scanning we realized it was too far gone so this is the only copy remaining of this moment.

When Rose Margaret Huth was born on September 29, 1890, in Natrona, Pennsylvania, her father, Conrad, was 40, and her mother, Bertha, was 30. She had one son and two daughters with Joseph George Graf between 1920 and 1924. She died on November 22, 1965, in Trenton, Michigan, at the age of 75, and was buried in Flat Rock, Michigan.

Joe and Rose Graf had 3 children, 7 grandchildren, and many great grand children. James would be their great grandson, although both died decades before James was born.

Rose lived the last decade of her life in the Trenton house where we visited her often. My mother would bring me over to Trenton and she always had an orange slice candy for me. She was very generous and always placed her concerns for the family and her children over herself, her kindness still lives on.

Continue reading “Remembering Rose Graf 1890 – 1965” →