My Family

For information about my father's relatives, you can see his pages where he gives a wonderful family history. It's he who started me off in computers. I remember sitting in the basement with him, working on an old Northstar that he built himself, learning BASIC. Neither my mother nor my stepmother have ever really been interested in computers, so they don't have pages up to speak for themselves.

All four of my mother's grandparents were from Polish families who had ended up in Michigan. My mother was born in Hamtramck (a Polish area of Detroit), and grew up mostly in Blissfield, a small farm town between Detroit and Toledo. She has one older sister and one younger. After my parents divorced, she moved to Montreal where she lives now with her husband. I recently unearthed her diaries from 7th-10th grades. Although I suppose your teenage diaries can be embarassing, resist the temptation to throw them away! Your children will appreciate them.

My stepmother was born in Germany, and came over here when she was 18. She grew up in an extended family consisting of her mom's parents, her mom, and her brothers and sister. Her mother passed away when she was about 15. She remembers that her granddad ruled the roost with absolute authority. He always made the kids haul dirt for his garden, but he wouldn't let anyone grow any flowers. "Waste of space!" he always said.

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Let me know your thoughts: phyl@umich.edu
Last modified: September, 1996