Chapter 17: Rockford Visit, Part 1

For both of my parents, Great Falls Montana was a long way from home.  For Mom, in particular.  In the pre-Interstate highway era, it was a grueling 2,286-mile road trip to visit her family in Springfield, Massachusetts.  In 1953, Mom, Larry and I traveled by train while Dad drove alone to Washington, D.C. to attend a national conference of the United Lutheran Church in America.  From there he drove to Springfield to take his family back to Great Falls via Rockford.  I imagine he put close to 5,000 miles on the odometer.  And what's even more amazing, he did all the driving on these 1950s family excursion.   Mom didn't get her driver's license until after we moved to Warren, Pennsylvania.

The picture below was taken in the back yard of the home of Ruth and Rudy Benander at 1214 17th Street, i Rockford, Illinois.   Ruth is Dad's youngest sister.  This is how I remember the summer days of my youth:  abundant sunshine and cumulus clouds.

Standing in the back row:  Dad (holding Larry, who is 2); Genevieve Stark (age 14); Sharlynn Nelson (12); Aunt Ruth (holding Joyce Benander, 1); Annamarie Benander (or "Mim", as everyone still calls her, 12); and Carole Benander (14).

At front: Curt Nelson (6), Anita Nelson (8), Joan Benander (6, in the engineer's hat), and me (4). All the kids are cousins, by the way.

It's a birthday party, and from the single candle on the cake, we can assume that cousin Joyce has turned one year old.

Let's go clockwise around the table starting at 12 o'clock: Carole, Genevieve, Mim, Sharlynn, Curt, Anita, Lar (who appears especially fascinated by Anita), Joan, Paul, and Joyce in the high chair.  Not exactly the smiling-est group you've ever seen.

Compare the bold-patterned wallpaper with that in the dining room (2nd photo) of the First English Lutheran Church parsonage.

The next two photos show Larry and me taking turns riding a pedal fire truck.  (Look at what these toys are selling for now!)

Although I seem to be managing quite well, I have a dim memory of feeling disappointed that, at 4 years old, I was already too big for this type of toy.