Thirteen years ago Mark was born and almost immediately earned the reputation as the number one troublemaker in the family. Kleiber legend and lore has it that Pappy Graf was so upset with him (Mark saw him walking down the street and shouted “Hey pappy, you going to put down a few at the Bar” which was the final straw) that he waited for him around a corner with his cane (pappy could not catch the fleet footed little Mark) and when Mark walked by, hooked him with his cane and told him what his life would be like if he didn’t start treating people with respect.

Well now this youngster is a teenager and as these picture show Mark was involved in a multitude of activities including playing in a band, playing an instrument in a parade, Scouts, fishing, camping, and many other fun activities most teens would love to do.

Lots of pictures in this gallery including some from a photo booth which were popular in that era.

Continue reading “Mark Becomes A Teenager 1959” →

When Mary Elizabeth Landis was born in 1958, in Montgomery, Alabama, her father, William, was 30, and her mother, Judith, was 21. She married Charles Joseph Kleiber on September 5, 2002, in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. They have one child. She had three brothers.

Mary is the daughter of Howard and Judith, Sister to Bill, Wife to Chuck, and Mother to James. She is one of the sweetest people I know and is always trying to help others. She is a great mother to James and we all love her very much.

Mary has worked in real estate and also worked in restaurants, both managing them and as an employee. Like her father and brother, Mary is very knowledgeable about cars and automobiles, although she stops short of working on them. Her favorite car is a Nash Metropolitan because she used to ride in one to school when she was a kid. She does web designing and has done very well in that area both creatively and financially. She also enjoys running a household and is an excellent cook for James and myself.

We would not know what to do without her.

Continue reading “Mary Landis Born 1958” →

According to our sources at Ancestry.com (currently worked by her nephew James) when Cristine Louise Kleiber was born in 1950, her father, Charles, was 33, and her mother, Loretta, was 30. She married Kenny Selvia in 1987 and has one brother (Charles Joseph) and one sister (Margaret Ann).

Christine often says that being the middle child is the hardest one to be, since all the attention goes to the oldest and youngest in most families. Looking at her childhood pictures she may have a point as it seems that there is a Peg or a Mark in almost every picture with her. As she got older, it seems she began sharing the photo spotlight with her little brother. Criss also says her dad wanted a boy so she grew up a bit of a tomboy as a child.

Another thing she often said was that her dad wanted a boy and would buy her things a boy would like, trying to turn her into a tom boy, looking at the picture of her dressed with cowboy guns and holsters you have to give her the benefit of the doubt on that as well.

Continue reading “Christine Kleiber Born (Childhood Pics) 1950” →

According to our sources at Ancestry.com (currently worked by his first cousin 1x removed James) 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 (Ron and Renee) and one child with Pat (Natalie). He died in May 1991 in Trenton, Michigan, at the age of 44, and was buried in Flat Rock, Michigan.

Mark was an only child and since he was born approximately the same time as Margaret, the two grew up together and can be seen together in many pictures. Mark enjoyed sports very much and owned the Pitch, Hit, and Run baseball card shop on Northline road just off Fort Street. He had great season tickets when the Tigers won the 1984 world series and would often take pictures of the players and sell them at his shop.

Mark enjoyed camping and boating with his family and went on many camping trips including Proud Lake and Silver Lake in Michigan.

Continue reading “Mark Dunberger Born (Childhood Pics) 1946” →

According to our sources at Ancestry.com (currently worked by her nephew James) when Margaret Ann Kleiber was born on September 18, 1946, in Wyandotte, Michigan, her father, Charles, was 29, and her mother, Loretta, was 26. She married Richard Anthony Turowski on February 7, 1972, in Las Vegas, Nevada. She died on March 30, 2019, in Southgate, Michigan, at the age of 72, and was buried in Flat Rock, Michigan.

Margaret enjoyed taking trips with family and visited far too many places to mention here, but some of them included several visits to Disney World and Disney Land, Hawaii, Bahama’s, and California. Except for a brief period where she lived in California, Pegs place of residence was primarily in Michigan.

Since she was born so close to Marks birthday there are many pictures of the two of them growing up together.

Continue reading “Margaret Kleiber Born (Childhood Pics) 1946” →

Kenneth Ray Selvia was born in 1946, in Terre Haute, Indiana, the son of Emma and Mr. Selvia. He married Marie Elaine Wampol on August 10, 1968, in West Terre Haute, Indiana. He has several brothers.

Kenny served in the military during the Vietnam war and patrolled the Mekong Delta during that time, a stretch of wetlands that was a key factor during the war.

Kenny married Criss (James Aunt) in the early 80’s and they moved from Taylor Michigan to Lake George Michigan which is near Central Michigan University.

Kenny sings country music and has a great voice that could be heard on the Detroit airways in the 70’s and 80’s. Kenny is also a cousin of basketball legend Larry Bird.

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When Barbara Sokel was born in 1944, her father, William, was 24, and her mother, Dorothy, was 25. She has one son and one daughter with Joseph Gedman. She lived in Westland, Michigan, in 1993 and moved to Redford, Michigan, sometime between 1993 and 1995. She currently lives in Northern Michigan.

James Dad remembers Barbara’s wedding in the mid sixties as he was the ring bearer, his sister Margaret was a bridesmaid, and cousin Sandy was the flower girl. It was one of the biggest events of the sixties and for sure a big event in James Dad’s childhood.

After the wedding Barbara and Joe lived on the other side of Telegraph from where James lives now and James Dad was born. For a long time, James Dad and Barbara worked not too far apart in an industrial park area of Farmington just off Ten Mile not to far from Grand River.

We usually would see Barbara at Grandma Grafs Christmas Eve party in the sixties and early seventies.

Continue reading “Cousin Barbara Sokel Born 1944” →

According to our sources at Ancestry.com (currently worked by her grandson James) when Loretta Rose Graf was born on January 29, 1920, in Harrison City, Pennsylvania, her father, Joseph, was 32, and her mother, Rose, was 29. She married Charles Thomas Kleiber on February 15, 1941, in Wyandotte, Michigan. They had three children in 14 years. She died on August 3, 2000, in Grand Traverse, Michigan, at the age of 80.

Loretta enjoyed traveling with her family probably more than anything else. There was hardly a month in the spring, summer, or fall that at least one trip was not planned. While she did not like travel in the winter, she simply kept her adventures more local during that season.

Included in the photo gallery are pictures from Loretta’s childhood and growing up in Pennsylvania with her younger sister Louise and her younger brother Joseph along with her parents Rose and Joe Graf.

Continue reading “Loretta (Kleiber) Graf Born 1920” →