FAMILY PHOTO

Life on Lake Erie

Grandma McKibben here displays what appears to be a Lake Erie walleye that she undoubtedly caught. She loved to fish. This picture was taken at 8404 North Shore Blvd., Lakeside-Marblehead, Ohio (Danbury Township). This is the home of her son and my father, David Benson. Our 1966 Ford Custom 500 is in the background as are also the sting-ray type bicycles that belonged to my brother Paul and me. We moved to this home in 1968. I am guessing this picture was taken in 1969 or 70. I took my driver's test at age 16 (1970) in that car. 

FAMILY FEATURE #5 DIVORCE DECREE

On this day 50 year ago

Mary divorced again after a somewhat brief marriage to Art McKibben.

FAMILY FEATURE #4 DIVORCE DECREE

Divorce November 14th, 1953

After twenty-eight years of marriage, it is over. Mary and Lloyd divorce. Both would later remarry again.

Friday, November 3rd, 1935

Pages blank

Maybe that baby and her recovery has Mary a little too swamped to be writing much.

Monday, October 30th, 1935

Veteran's Day post

This isn't really the 30th of October. No diary entry was made in 1935, but the pages were used 10 years later as this 1945 account continues from the previous pages.

Mary's son Paul is leaving for the army and they all hated to see him go, including the family of his bride of less than a year, Patsy Runyon.

Went to a show. Might it have been Keep Your Powder Dry which opened earlier in October? See trailer: http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/77825/Keep-Your-Powder-Dry-1-Original-Trailer-.html 

Friday, October 26th, 1935

Radio and recovery

Lloyd heads out early to go to the big city in hopes of finding a new car, but instead comes home with a big surprise for Mary-- a new radio!

The next day she manages to get to the dinner table on her own for the first time since delivering lil baby David on the 14th. Paul, who had been gravely ill, finally goes back to school on Monday after being out for weeks and weeks.

Something different happens here in the diary, too. 1935 pages that were left blank become the pages that she records some 1944 happenings.

Flash forward 9 years. Paul is now a young man. He is getting ready to leave in the US Army. His marriage to Patsy is also recorded.

Tuesday, October 22, 1935

Weak and no foolin'

Mary sits up for the first time following giving birth in her entry here. Few people have been by since the doc put the soft pedal on things.

She hopes that her mother gets her letter. Her mother is still recovering from a recent surgery. Payday comes and Lloyd gets a good pay.