Pictures and comments from family history.
This is my grandparents on my mother’s side marriage license from April 15 1925. They were married in Minonk, Illinois and my mother was born almost exactly a year later. My grandfather’s family was from Poland and my grandmother’s family was Irish Catholic. They were both first generation US citizens. I’m not sure how they both ended up in Illinois but much of their families remained and spread to Nebraska. Much of their families also ended up in New Orleans where I identify with them as my family.
My mother and my aunt were born in Dixon, Illinois but my grandfather lost his job with the railroad when the depression hit. His sister married fairly wealthy and was able to offer him a job at the Bunny Bread factory in New Orleans. Apparently my grandfather was very mechanical and could operate the machines that made the bread. I remember visiting the factory as child in the 1960’s. I’m sure it had modernized a bit since he had started working there. My mother said he always had some level of resentment working for his sister but I never saw that. I remember she (Aunt Helen) had one of those beautiful garden homes of NOLA. I remember being in awe of the ornateness of the house, the size of it and the fact that she was very old and lived their alone.
My grandparents ended up having two more daughters and four sons. I spent many days in their house on Coliseum Street in the 1960’s and 70’s. I’ll have more stories on this place when I run across the right picture. It was one of my favorite places of all time.