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” →

One of James Dad’s earliest memories is being a ring bearer at his cousin Barbs wedding to Joe Gedman. His cousin Sandi was the flower girl that day. Dad was not nervous at all about being one to walk down the aisle in front of the bride and groom which was a very good thing as he did a pretty good job.

Aunt Peg was one of the bridesmaids as well so it was a real big family event, both the wedding and also the practice wedding which James Dad thought was fun.

This was the first wedding James Dad ever participated at and he also remembers breaking a glass at the reception. It was a warm but comfortable August day so everyone was drinking something.

All in all it was a great day for everyone.

Continue reading “Cousin Barbara’s Wedding 1965” →

Peg Graduates from Lowrey High School in 1965. James Raymond wanted to know why his Aunt Peg did not graduate from Annapolis since she was a Dearborn Heights citizen at the time. The answer is easy, Annapolis had not yet been built.

The Lowrey School has served its community since in 1927 and was built to relieve overcrowding at Thayer and Miller Schools. The 1920’s saw a large growth in the Springwells Township Unit School District with the coming of Ford Motor Company’s, Rouge Plant. As the number of students increased, the area’s school system had to adjust. As Ford Motor Company grew, so did its employees such as James Grandad Charles and thus so did the children in the Dearborn, Dearborndale, Dearborn Heights area. Additions were made in 1949, and the school was incorporated into a High School as well as its Elementary and Junior High. From 1949 to 1969, the school was used for all three grade levels.

Today it is used only for grades kindergarten through 9th.

Continue reading “Peg Graduates High School 1965” →

Kenny Selvia (future husband of Criss) joined the military in 1963 until 1969. He was in the Riverine task force patrolling the Mekong Delta.

The Mobile Riverine Force combined the 2d Brigade of Army’s 9th Infantry Division with the Navy’s Riverine Assault Force (Task Force 117) to conduct combat operations along the waterways of the Mekong Delta. A large percentage of the Mekong Delta was under water depending on the season which is why both Army and Navy forces were needed. How much of the Mekong Delta is under water is dependent on the season and rainfall at any particular time.

The Mekong Delta also proved to the U.S. army that their small boat force was still needed as the U.S. military since World War 2 had phased out the smaller ships in favor of larger ones. The Mekong Delta Mobile Riverine Force concept paired newly created assault boat units with a brigade of Army infantry.

Continue reading “Ken Selvia Serves Military 1963 – 1969” →

The Kleiber family celebrating Easter Sunday in 1963.