My first memories were about 1934 when I was 4 years old. We lived in a lower flat on Burlingame in Detroit, right behind Visitation church, school and convent. There were 4 girls, Virginia, Eleanor, Kathleen and Marion. The girls slept in one bedroom, Nola and Walter in the other. In the girls' bedroom was a double bed and lower and upper bunk beds. We had fun jumping from the top bunk down on the double bed.

My Dad, Walter, had a law practice. Nola was a woman of culture, manners and education who never raised her hand or her voice to any of her children - EVER!

It was the depths of the depression and most of my Dad's clients were in bankruptcy and couldn't pay him. For Christmas, Nola would find scraps of fabric and make a new dress for our dolls. We didn't know there was little money because no one we knew had any more than we did.

I do remember going to the corner grocery store one
time with my Mom and the people at the store wouldn't give her credit. I didn't know what credit was, but Nola cried all the way home. When I said "what's wrong?" she said we don't have enough food.

In 1934, Walt was born and slept in a bottom drawer of the dresser in Nola and Walter's bedroom. After one of the babies was born, they didn't have enough money to pay
St. Joseph Hospital bill. They only had a couple hundred dollars for rent and food. St. Joseph Hospital went to court and cleaned out their bank account. They had no money.

Around this time, Daddy ran for State senator on the "Repeal Prohibition" platform, but lost the race.

Paul was born in 1936. There were 8 people in a small 2 bedroom flat. At this time, Daddy had a big change in his life.....a few years earlier, Daddy and a bunch of friends went hunting in the wilds of Canada. One of the men, who was an official in the government, became ill and had terrible stomach pains in the middle of the night. The other men said it was probably something you ate, and you'll feel better in the morning. But Daddy said, no, I'm taking him to a hospital - even though the hospital was 200 miles away. They got to the hospital just in time to save his life from a ruptured appendix.

It was this same man who called Daddy to ask him to organize and head up a welfare program in Detroit. His title was "Superintendent of the Poor", a job he held for the rest of his life.

We moved to Warrington Drive in 1937, where Tad, Michael and Marguerite were born. In 1942, we moved to Parkside where Bob was born.

One time when St. Joseph Hospital applied to the welfare office for compensation for a patient, Daddy turned them down because of what they had done to him once. But it bothered him that he had done that out of spite, and before he died he sent them a personal check for $300.00.

Walter was a man who loved games and challenges - golf, hunting, fishing, bridge, poker, pool (he paid his way through college playing pool. He was sociable, articulate, and enjoyed exchanges of ideas. Nola's interests were in aesthetics - beautiful music, beautiful clothes, art and beautiful surroundings. She had a certain regal reserve, always pleasant and never complained. They were quite opposite in personality, but quite alike in values. They shared a sense of devotion to duty - integrity - responsibility - honesty - honor - curiosity and intellectual pursuits.

My Dad's father, William, died at age 55. My Dad was 11. My Dad's mother Bridget or Violet (we called her Ma) was over 70 when I was born. She acted very aristocratic and authoritative and I was afraid of her.

One time when I stayed overnight at her house, I had wet the bed, and when I came downstairs, she said, I see you had an accident. Well, I didn't remember being in an accident, and said no I didn't. I didn't know it was a euphemism. She thought I was trying to lie, and gave me a look and a comment that made me almost wet my pants again I wanted the earth to open up beneath me. She was no nonsense - not mean, just strict.

When Walter's father died, my Dad adopted the name of "Bill", and his brothers and sisters called him Bill the rest of his life.

Ma had a hard life, but she was a strong person. They lived in Brantford, Ontario and had eight children. When William died, Ma moved to Detroit to try to earn money to support her family. The oldest son, Edward was 19 when he died when someone threw a rock and hit him in the head. William died at three years old. Therese died in childbirth at 29. Lee was in WWI. Mae Maher's husband died before their child, Bill was born, and she went back home to live with Ma. Helen's (Duff) husband died when they had four small children, and she and her children went back to live with Ma- on Medbury St. in Detroit. So, there were the 3 women and 5 children in the house. They would make some money by making hats for society women. Sometimes Ma would buy and sell real estate.

Ma sent Walter and Fred to Assumption boarding high school to keep them out of mischief and off the streets. My Dad continued his association with Assumption all his life and was president of the alumni association.

I'm not sure what Ma died from, since it wasn't polite to complain, even if something was killing you.

Nola's parents, Nora (we called her Munner) and John were very sweet, kind, proper people. They were about 55 years old when I was born. They lived in an apartment on Delaware St. in Detroit when I knew them.

John had been successful in the insurance business, but I think the Depression wiped them out. I'm not sure because the one subject that was never discussed in our family was money. It was considered a rude subject and our family was NEVER rude.

They raised their family in Rockford, Ill. and all their children played musical instruments and entertained themselves in the evenings playing music.

They had 6 children, Nola, Ambrose, Leo (who died in infancy) Leon, and Margaret and Catherine, who were twins. Margaret died in infancy.

Catherine (we called "Kay") and Leon went around with the same group of friends. Leon married Laura Kelly, who had been a state champion tennis player. Kay was going with Laura's brother Larry, but rather suddenly eloped with another friend of Leon's, Ed Moag, who was a lawyer. Munner was crushed, and she and Kay remained estranged the rest of their lives.

(Laura Kelly's brother Harry was governor of Michigan, and Harry's son Brian was the star of the TV. show "Flipper")

Nola and Munner and John had a very close relationship. They were at our house and we at their place often.

Munner used to sew some clothes for us, and John would pay us for memorizing "The Cremation of Sam McGee". He also tried to teach me how to add a bunch of numbers up quickly. I'm still good at it.

Sometimes, when Eleanor and I would stay at their place, we would go down the street to Thircle School for summer craft classes or play on the playground. The principal of the school at that time (1930's) was Mr. Seebaldt, whose daughter, Dorothy married my brother Tad 50 years later.

The neighborhood they lived in deteriorated and was taken over by rough people. Kids threw stones at their windows and intimidated them a lot.

I'm not sure what they died from, because it wasn't polite to complain, even if something was killing you.