was born in Hudson, Michigan, and everybody calls me Marj.

I had five children, three boys and two girls. Paul was my oldest. After Paul graduated, he joined the Marines and went to Vietnam, where he was injured. We didnt hear from him for two to three months. I was extremely worried. Finally a young woman called. Paul was recovering at a hospital in Japan. Then they sent him home. After Paul got out of the service he decided to join the state police. He was stationed in Detroit for a few years. Then he decided to move west, where he met and married Caroline. They had two beautiful children and settled in Wyoming. After a few years they divorced, and he went to Colorado. He got in a motorcycle accident and died at age 42. My next child, Clara, always wanted to help her brother. She worked at the City Bank, where she fell in love and married Harry, and they have two very handsome sons. Harry built them a beautiful home in Grass Lake, and they are still living there after 37 years. Now she is working at the Citizens Bank and is thinking about retirement. Steven is my third child. The very first day of school he came home and sat on the cellar step reading a book. He said, I told sister I could read this whole thing. He read the whole book by himself. When he graduated he joined the Army and went to Vietnam. This meant two of my children were in Vietnam at the same time. When he came home, he got married and had two beautiful daughters. He works for the State of Michigan. My fourth child, Charlie, was a very good student and went to Michigan State University. He married a very lovely woman named Sharon who we love very much. She was a model at the time. They live here in Jackson and had two children, Charlie and Nicky. Mary, my youngest daughter, loved to play with her brother Charlie. Now she is a medical assistant who works at the University of Michigan. She had a daughter who is the joy of her life. Mary has done remarkably well. All my children are very good citizens, and they are good Catholic people. We loved to spend time as a family. Ill never forget when we were going over the Mackinac Bridge. It was the second year it was open. My nephew David was riding with us. He was afraid when he saw the bridge. I said, David, come sit here in my lap, and you can hold my rosary. So he did that. I dont think he had ever seen such a big bridge. Well, none of us really had at that point. We also took a trip out West with my sister. In 1956, there were no laundromats. My sister had a very large bucket that had a top on it, and every day she would take the underwear and socks and put them in with a cup of bleach and put it on top of her station wagon. It would be tied down and that would be our washer. We would let it rinse all afternoon until we got to our destination and then we would ring it out and in the morning our wash would all be dry. When refrigeration came out, we were in seventh heaven. We would have ice cube parties and invite all the kids over from the neighborhood and tell them to come on over and eat ice cubes. We loved that refrigerator because we didnt have to keep things in the basement to keep it cool. My husband bought me an automatic washer and dryer when I was pregnant with my third child. My mother said, Every woman in America should have one of these. She was all for progress. People at that time thought it was taboo. I never thought it was very necessary, but today it is. A man came to the door and asked my mom if he could put his radio in her house. It was wonderful, but the man didnt come back. About a year went by and someone came to the door and wanted to know if she had a radio and she said, Yes, a young man came about a year ago and sat it in the house, and we never saw him again and didnt know who to call. He said, Its ours and we are going to take it back unless you want to pay for it. She said, Oh no, I dont want to buy it. Years later the television came out. They had darling cartoons for children at that time, such as Howdy Doody. My children loved to watch it, and it was a very cute show. It had nothing vulgar, and they werent fighting. Now Im not a television fan; I can take it or leave it. I dont hear, so I dont care. I like it now that words come on the screen so thats good for me, but the radio, that was really something, and the refrigeration, that was cute. There is nothing greater in this whole world than having a family and having your own children. There is nothing but joy there. Its a lot of hard work, but its so worth it! Believe me, I know. Im 88, and I am reaping the rewards. And when you get married, there is nothing in the whole world more wonderful than to love and to be loved and having your children wrapping their arms around you, hugging and kissing you and telling you, I love you, Mommy. Its very hard, but it is worth it. Your family is the most important people. They are your truest friends.

Marjorie Raciboski