Family History: Page 3

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Childhood

Growing up in the 1950s, Birmingham, Michigan


Nancy's 4th  Birthday Party
July 3, 1955
Living Room, house on Madoline St., Birmingham, Mi.
Left to right: Paula, Susan, Nancy, Cheryl McNabb, Linda Carins

Cheryl lived 4 houses down the street from us and was Susan's best friend.  Linda "Linny" was my best friend.  She lived next door to us until she moved to New Jersey in 7th grade.  I've since lost track of her.  I would love to be able to contact her.  (See Memory at bottom of page.)

Christmas 1955
Susan 6, Nancy 4
My parents' second home, 16925 Madoline, Birmingham, Mi.

I was 2 years old when my family moved to from Detroit to Birmingham, Michigan.  This is the house where I grew up and went to school.  In 1984, after my dad died, my mother from this house to Richmond, Virginia, to live near me and my husband, Alan.

Notice the old record player cabinet on the left and the doll hutch on the right, which was made my dad.  According to my mom, those crazy curtains were very much in style!
Susan 6, Nancy 4, 1956
In front of our house.
Left: My mom is watching from the window.
Right: Linny's house is in the background, on the right.

Back of our house.


Susan's 7th Birthday
February 7, 1956
(Nancy is 4 1/2 years old.))

Nancy - 5 years old
Summer 1956

On our patio, which my dad built, behind our house.  Later, my parents added a back room where this patio is located. Notice our Buick on our driveway


 
Susan, 7 years old
and
Nancy, 5 1/2 years old


Nancy, 5 1/2 years old
and
Susan, 7 years old.
December 1956


Winter 1957
Left: Nancy (next to snow man) and Susan (in the distance)
Right: Susan and Nancy, Cheryl McNabb and her sister, Karen
Photo was taken in front of our house.

Susan's 8th Birthday
February 7, 1957
(Nancy is 5)


Easter 1957
My mom made our dresses.
Nancy  5, Susan 8
 
 Baby Showers Spring 1957

Winship Elementary School, Detroit
Staff and students gave my dad a baby-shower at the school where he was the Assistant Principal.
Rose Shephard's House
The neighborhood ladies gave my mom a baby-shower, who was expecting her third daughter, Joni.  Jean Meinsinger, who lived next door to us, is on the left.
Mom and Nancy
Opening baby gifts that my dad brought home 
from his school.
Note the end table, as seen on Leave it to Beaver!
Summar 1957

Susan, 8 1/2 yrs. old
Mom
Nancy, 6 yrs old. 

Our back yard,
Madoline St. , Birmingham.

I was very much a "tomboy," defined as "a carefree, romping, boisterous girl."


Linny, My Best Friend

Linny and I were 1 month apart in age--her birthday was August 8.  Although we went to different schools (I went to public school and she went to Catholic school), we were as close as two friends could get.  I can remember:

  • Playing with our Revlon dolls on her back porch when we were 4 years old (Revlon dolls predate Barbie dolls!).
  • Sleep overs and eating Frosted Flakes out of black-with-white-speckles plastic bowls at her house.  (Her dad worked for A&P and was always bringing home lots of goodies--except for the dry white bread that I had  to eat when we had lunch at her house.)
  • Playing with our "Patti-Play" dolls, which were about the size of a 2-year old.
  • Playing in her house downstairs where we imagined ourselves being on a raft going down the Mississippi. (We used to set up a raft using blankets and summer  wicker chairs removed from their stand.)
  • Watching her mom doing laundry in her basement using a washing machine that had rollers!
  • Being envious of her pretty white dress and veil and lots of petticoats that she got to wear for her 4th grade confirmation.
  • Going to scary movies on Saturdays for 25 cents and eating Red Hots.
  • Forming a secret club with a secret password. ( I can still remember the names of both.)
  • "Swimming" in her wadding pool that her mom used to set up next to their garage when we were very young and, later, being on the summer swim team together.
  • Going sledding and ice skating at Eton Park.
  • Building snow forts and making Christmas angels in the snow.
  • Sleeping outside in the summer.
  • Getting parakeets--she had a white one and I had a blue one.
  • Sneaking into the local cemetery where we played in the lawn maintenance huts.
  • Discovering boys and having her teach me how to shave my legs when we were in 7th grade.
  • Going to Birmingham and eating french fries at the Kresge's lunch counter.

  • Her phone number: MI 41496 (MI stood for "Midwest).

    WHERE ARE YOU LINNY????????


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