Ancestry Chapter 51
1939 Golden Gate Exposition, More Births and Weddings
Carol
born 1939, Chicago
Michael Jr. and Viola's first child, Carol, was born in 1939.
Her godparents were Dorothy and Josephine's husband Chester.
Mike and Vi's first apartment was on Irving Park Rd., somewhat midway between the Norek family and Vi’s family, but they move to an apartment across the street on Mozart when Carol is a baby.
Carol's christening.
The Godparents, Chester and Dorothy, with baby Carol and then Mike Jr. and Vi also.
Dorothy looks so young on these photos – she was 22 at this time.
The Noreks at the Golden Gate Exposition, 1939
They packed the car and headed west. July of 1939. (This story also from Ruth’s 1955 mini-biography.) Michael and Antonia, with George 12, Tom 15, Ruth 17, Dolores 19, Dorothy 21 and Gert 23. (Stephen, Michael Jr. and Josephine are married-with-babies.") Out on Route 66. Michael is approaching 75 and Antonia is going on 52.
Visited with
a "brother's sister-in-law in Los Angeles" -- which must be Steve's wife Ruth's
sister. (Stephen
and Michael Jr. are the only married brothers, and Michael Jr. has only one
sister-in-law, and she is not in Los Angeles.)
Then they visited San Francisco and the Golden Gate Exposition. And there was
dancing every night at the Exposition. So the Noreks were there, every night,
dancing. Lots of sailors.
These are
photographs taken at the Norek's summer home either in Deer Park or Palatine.
Left photo. Michael Norek seated on the picnic table on the left, Matt tossing a horse shoe (yes, horse shoes was a popular game then) and Steve waiting for his turn.
Right photo. A close up of Michael Norek, who now has his feet on the picnic table.
These photos of Michael Norek, some how tied to his age then possibly, or his smile, mirror back so many other people –his son Michael Jr., his grandson Chuck, and on and on.
These are my favorite photographs of Grandpa Norek.
Right photo. Antonia, the Grandmother, holding baby Carol while Michael, the Grandfather, looks on.
This is 1939. Antonia is 51. She is smiling, at least more so than she usually does on photographs. Michael is 75, and smiling too.
It is 1939. All is well, but won't remain so.
Dorothy Norek
marries Vernon, 1939
Dorothy Norek, 22, marries Vernon on August 12, 1939.
Dorothy's maid of honor is her younger sister Ruth.
Ruth later writes that, as maid of honor, it was her responsibility to assure that all wedding guests enjoyed themselves. She believes she did a rather credible job.
(I always thought the maid of honor’s job was to keep the bride’s hair-do in place.)
Ruth Norek enters the Convent, 1939
On her 18th
birthday, Ruth Norek enters the Convent, the Sisters of the Holy Spirit (then
Holy Ghost) in Techny, Illinois.
This is on August 30, 1939, just a couple weeks after she held the maid of honor role at Dorothy's wedding. She will later write of how terribly she missed her family.
Michael has tears in his eyes when he gave Ruth his blessing, and said to the Sisters, "I entrust to you my greatest treasure. Take good care of her." (From Ruth’s 1955 mini-biography.)
Photo right. Ruth during her first year as a Novice.
The four babies.
The first three second batch grandchildren, plus one of the first-batch grandchildren.
Among the very first of the "cousins" photographs.
Top and bottom left photo from left, Bob, Lois, Carol and Larry - same order on both photos but obviously taken in different years.
Bottom right
photo,
Carol pointing, Larry behind her and Mike Jr.
possibly trying to catch them?
Peter the seminarian and Ruthie the Novice.
Photo left, Peter with nephew Bob.
Photo right, Peter and Ruth with niece Carol.
As mentioned elsewhere, Ruth will beat her brother Peter to 'final vows' but Peter will beat Ruth to Africa.
It will be Ruth, however, who dies and is buried in Africa.
1939. The German occupation of Starogard (formerly Prussian Stargardt), Michael Norek's birth town, begins on September 12, 1939. The first mass executions among the general population follow shortly.
Sam
born 1939.
Stephen and Ruth Norek raised a foster child, Sam, who was born in 1939.
My understanding is that an aunt visited with Sam in early days, and thereafter contact with his real family was lost.
1939 Great Grandchildren born: one
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