Nana was a WWII veteran (part II)

Kaiser_Millie_WAVES_portrait_colored — Millie Kaiser as a WAVE in 1944. (Family photo)

For Women’s History Month, this is Part II of a series dedicated to my grandmother’s WWII military service. Click here to read Part I.

My Nana, Millie Kaiser, joined the Navy WAVES in 1944 when she was 21 years old, in the middle of WWII. She joined the WAVES because she felt it was the right thing to do for her country. After Basic Training in New York, she had a few days leave at home, and then she was stationed in Pensacola, Florida. Millie had never been that far away from home before. For her, it was an exciting new adventure. Continue reading “Nana was a WWII veteran (part II)” →

Keeping Family Recipes Alive

Many family historians know that recording your family history does not only include recording birth dates and death dates of all our relatives. It’s also important to remember what happened in their life in between the dashes… who they were, what they valued, and what they loved to do.

On my mom’s side of the family, spending time in the kitchen has always brought my family together. When I was young, cooking wasn’t a chore. It was a time to spend with my mom, my Nana, my aunt and my cousins, and occasionally my uncle and my Papa. It was a time to talk and learn and laugh. Almost everyone perfected their favorite recipe: Papa made his peanut brittle, my aunt Pat loved peach cobbler, my mom baked excellent bread and coffeecakes, my uncle George cooked bean soup, and I made speedy brownies. Especially during the holidays, the kitchen was always full of happy cooks. Continue reading “Keeping Family Recipes Alive” →

Wedding Wednesday: Anniversaries past and present

My grandparents Ed and Millie on their wedding day 70 years ago.

Our wedding day, one year (and a few days) ago.

My grandparents were married 70 years ago today. Before they passed away, they had celebrated 64 anniversaries. This is the first wedding anniversary that they’ll be celebrating together in heaven. My husband and I just celebrated our first anniversary. We hope to share just as many years together!

“We were 50 years old…”

LoraasMarie_KaiserMildred_50yrs5-31-1950 — Marie (nee Lawrence) Loraas and Mildred (nee Lawrence) Kaiser on their 50th birthdays on May 31, 1950.

This photograph is from the day that my great-grandmother Mildred and her twin sister, Marie, turned 50 years old. Mildred wrote on the back, “We were 50 years old…” with the date. Family tales explain that Mildred was born just before midnight on May 30, and Marie was born shortly after midnight on May 31. Both of their birth certificates list May 31, and apparently both of them always celebrated their birthdays together on May 31. Even when they grew older, they still looked very much alike! It’s sometimes hard to tell them apart in photographs.

Mothers are special

This Mother’s Day I’ve been thinking of all the mothers, grandmothers, aunts and mother figures in my family. Mothers play a unique part in every family. Here’s a quick tribute and thank you to the mothers in my family!

Mothers will always think of you as her little baby…