My Family Part 4

Our family moved a lot. By the time I graduated from high school I had attended 9 different schools. Some of them we were there for about 3 years so there were several years we went to at least 2 schools.

It is hard enough beginning the school year at a new school in thefal. When you transfer in the middle of the year it is worse. All the little groups of friends have been formed and children are not fast to worry about a newcomer.

Still we did develop friendships. I am still in touch with some fromway back.

We were all good students. Mom insisted on it. At times it was difficult because one school might be slightly ahead or behind another.

Daddy worked at a variety of jobs. Truck driver, farmer, munitions assembler, house mover, factory foreman... you get the idea. 

It seemed there was always something in the distance that beckoned to him as a better opportunity. So we would follow that beacon and move.

After I married and moved to the big city and had my first baby I went back to visit my family. I wanted Daddy to see his first grandchild. Mom had already seen him because of some complications I had after the birth.

Daddy had been working as the foreman for the night shift at a factory. The night shift was dissolved. He was told he could stay on as an hourly worker. He declined.

It was decided that instead of me and the baby going home on the bus my whole family would take me home. They moved to Detroit.

I will never know why but Daddy finally found his home in Detroit. He loved it there.

He found a job as foreman in a chemical company. Eventually he was promoted to plant manager. He loved his job. He loved the men working for him.

My parents bought a house. Originally it was a three family home. My parents turned it into a home for one family. They installed a furnace to heat the whole house instead of the original place heaters. Mom had the kitchen remodelled  the way she wanted it to be. They planted gardens every year. They were home.

When they moved to the city my youngest brother was only 5 years old.

One day Daddy was working in his little shop on the back porch. He went inside complaining of heartburn. He sat down in his chair and Mom was getting him something to drink.

When Daddy realized that it was probably something more than heartburn Mom drove himto the hospital. It was only about a mile away. It was faster than waiting for an ambulance.

Mom said shewas not too worried at first but as they were turning into the hospital she could see that it was not good.

She waited in a crowded waiting room as they took Daddy into the emergency room. After an interminably long time the doctor came out. He told her that Daddy had a heart attack. He was awake and alert. They were admitting him to the hospital for observation. Mom could see him as soon as they had him settled in a room.

 In the levator on the way to his room he had a massive heart attack and died. Mom was not able to say good-bye. It was Good Friday.

It was hard for our family. Daddy was adored by all of us. The grandchildren were sort of ost. It was the first death of someone close to them.

In the midst of all the preparations for a funeral we tried to keep things as normal as possible for the children. The Easter Bunny came and we had a big Easter dinner. Without realizing it was the last year we did that.

When my youngest brother heard about his fathe he ran all the way from his house on the next block. He could not believe his father was dead. My brother was 18 then.

The day of Daddy's funeral was a beautiful sunny spring day. The sky was blue and the temperature was comfortably warm. Perfect for taking out the boat or hosting a barbecue.

Every man who worked for my father wanted to be at his funeral. Usually the union simply sent 2 or 3 men to represent the rest. of them. There was such an uproar from the emmployees that the plant owners had to close the plant for the day.

Now you would think that these guys would take advantage of the beautiful day to do something else. They all attended my father's funeral and drove to the cemetery after. Daddy would have been so proud to know how much they cared.