Thursday, May 18, 1944

Death complicates everything.  Not so much for the loved one who passed, but for the ones who remain.  Great-Grandma Shannon is learning a whole new way of life.  She doesn't have her husband to help her though.  She must depend on her daughters know how to traverse this quickly changing world.  Women are woking outside the home and taking on roles that were held by men for generations.  How does a person confront this ever-changing planet without their partner-in-crime beside them?  Grandma decides that flowers will bring Great-Grandma hope in this dark period of her life.

"I'm glad you liked your flowers.  I was so afraid they wouldn't be nice ones.  I think it was nice of everyone to come see you too."

Grandma lists the letter she has received upon her Father's passing.  Her favorite so far comes from her cousin Don Shannon.

"I got a letter from Don Shannon & he was somewhere in Brazil.  He told me how sorry he was to hear about Daddy.  He also is quite stuck on Beverly."

I believe Mom once told me that Don Shannon was the crazy cousin.  It's impressive to be classified as crazy in the insane asylum.

Somewhere in a box in Chicago, IL there are moving pictures of my Grandma and Grandpa before they were married.  My Grandparents met another couple on a train bound from Chicago to Miami.  I believe my Grandparents met each other on the same train from Chicago to Miami.  Not only did they meet the love of their lives, but they also made some shutterbug friends.  Let's hope this blog leads to those moving pictures.

"I still go out with Bud.  The people we met on the train leave today.  I hate to see them go, we had such a good time with them.  They took some moving pictures of us so I'm going to see them if I ever get to Chicago."

I hope Grandma got to see those moving pictures, or at least I hope I find out whoever those wonderful people were. 

Great-Grandma and her Girls

On this day in WWII history