Every Christmas eve we would go to Grandma and Grandpa Kleibers and celebrate Christmas Eve. Aunt Ginny was always there (she was sort of the caretaker of the two) and usually we would see Uncle Dons family (Uncle Don, Aunt Maryann, Mike, Bruce, and Sandy) along with Cousin Barbara and her family (Barb, husband Joe, and the twins, and sometimes Aunt Dorothy). From our family we had Criss, Peg, Chuckie, Loretta and Charles.

Each year we would get pizza and it was always awesome. I think the pizza was better in the sixties and seventies because they heaped on the grease and butter without health concerns. After the pizza we would open gifts and everyone had a great time.

Sometimes this was the only time we would get this side of the family all together, but it was always an annual event and at least we got together once a year.

James Aunt Peg and Grandma embarked on a short vacation during the heart of winter to the tropical paradise of the Bahamas. The entire event was set up by St Alberts and a good size group of parishioners took advantage of the group rate. The mother and daughter team had an incredible time and recommended the trip to everyone.

James Dad remembers going to the St Albert meeting room that winter where the parishioners met and were given instructions for the trip such as required documentation and such.

Continue reading “Bahama Trip 1970” →

Every year in the heart of the Michigan winter we would go to the Flower show at Cobo Hall in Detroit MI. It was always alot of fun for the family as there was really not alot to do in Michigan this time of the year. The picture here is of James Dad at one of those flower shows. He was always fascinated with the new devices and electronics that would be on display at this show, but never really had any interest in all the flowers. Never the less, it was a fun family tradition.

Ron was actually born in Germany while his Dad (Mark Dunberger) was in the military. Ron is Mark and Kathy’s son, Renee’s brother, Louise’s Grandson and Natalie’s half brother and James 2nd Cousin.

Growing up Ron was a child of the Star Wars generation and a big fan. For years people would try and find new Star Wars gifts for him for Birthdays and Christmas. Fortunately Star Wars was a big franchise and there were always more Star War toys to buy in the seventies. Ron goes all out for the holidays, especially Halloween and Christmas and you will see a lot of his work in these pictures throughout this blog.

Ron is an awesome cook, while in College he took some cooking classes and makes some pretty great dishes. His lasagna is so good that everyone agrees its the best that they ever tasted.

Ron and his friend Jordan have appeared in a few television shows during his time out in Hollywood and I believe Ron has done some voice work in Hollywood as well.

Continue reading “Ron Dunberger Born 1969” →

James Dad second grade pic at St. Alberts

Peg flew out to California to be with her boyfriend Richard Turowski who lived there. While out there, they decided to get married and Peg became Peg Turowski.

Unfortunately the marriage did not work out for Peg and she returned back to Michigan with her mother who flew out to California to help her drive her car home.

While Peg did have the marriage annulled in the Catholic church, she never legally divorced Richard and so she remained Peg Turowski (in name only) for the rest of her life.

Richard Turowski died around the turn of the century which technically made Peg a widow…after about thirty years.

Continue reading “Peg Gets Married 1968” →

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” →