My dad came from a very humble background. He worked very hard and accomplished great things. My mother helped him and contributed greatly to his success..
My dad grew up during the Great Depression, as did my mom. He grew up on the farm in St. James, Missouri. They ate squirrel and the fish they caught in the rivers and ponds. My mother grew up in the great city of Pittsburgh. Her father always worked for Westinghouse and they had shoes from the department store, unlike my dad's family...
During the worst of the Depression, my mother's family went without a phone and a car for a while. I doubt my father's family ever had a phone or a car to begin with... My dad had to ride a horse to the 8th grade. He had to wait a year to get the horse...
My mother lost her brother in a terrible sledding accident in 1928. This tragedy changed everything in her and her family's life. My mom and her brothers and sisters were sent to live with their grandparents, aunts and uncles while her parents camped in Canada and tried to recover from their son's tragic death.
My Mother's father took what's known today as a LOA.... This was way before they had anything like "grief counseling".. When my grandfather returned to work, he got his job back, but it was far beneath his previous status and capabilities. My grandmother took charge and made sure the family was taken care of. Agnes Regina Flaherty was brilliant and a genius indeed... The family prevailed.. Agnes is my middle name.
Wasn't my mom a beautiful bride?
Happy New Year!
Teresa, keep the stories coming. I learned a lot about your father in this one. Much love in the coming year to you and Charlie. See you soon! Susan C.
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