Mom is about twelve in this school photo. It is the earliest picture I have of her. May 30, 2021 My mother, Agnes Young Willems, was born 100 years ago today. She was born on a homestead in southwest Saskatchewan not far from the Montana border. Her parents, Adam and Margaret Armbruster Young, were both … Continue reading Agnes Young Willems: In Memorium
Agnes Young Willems
Old Photos: 1930s
Child Bride, my second book, begins each chapter with an old photo, or in one case a painting. I wanted it to be an album of memories, stories and photos that together tell the story of my parents' marriage that focuses on the early years, the 1930s and 1940s. I grew up hearing stories of … Continue reading Old Photos: 1930s
Mom on a Motorcycle
Mom made a box cover that allowed their schnauzer to ride along with her and Dad on their motorcycle. Yes, Mr. Prez is wearing a hat and sunglasses. Although Prez looks rather miserable in the photo, he actually loved those rides and would try to jump up on the cycle whenever my folks get near … Continue reading Mom on a Motorcycle
11. Sewing
It is late fall, the living room is dark except for the pool of golden light that shines on my mother’s hands as she guides the fabric for my new nightgown under the pressure foot of our old Singer sewing machine, the teeth of the feed-dog pulling the fabric as her feet work the treadle. … Continue reading 11. Sewing
9. Post-War
No, California would never be the same: not after the federal government had spent more than $35 billion in California between 1940 and 1946 …, multiplying the manufacturing economy of the state be a factor of 2.5, tripling the average personal income between 1939 and 1945; not after some 1.6 million Americans had moved to … Continue reading 9. Post-War
7. Vallejo
Gas and tires were both rationed during WW II, but somehow my folks managed a surprising number of trips to see Dad’s family. Most of those trips were to Dinuba, about 130 miles south of Stockton, but I remember at least one trip to Vallejo, one of the towns on the east shore of San … Continue reading 7. Vallejo
6. Stockton: WWII
“When Lowell and I quit Junior College we went to Lodi and lived with your parents until the war. We enlisted shortly after. Your parents made several moves before they lived on 21 West Third Street in Stockton. While on Third Street your dad and I got jobs driving dump trucks at the Stockton Airport.” … Continue reading 6. Stockton: WWII
5. Grandma & Grandpa Young
Margaret Armbruster Young (1892-1973); Adam Young (1888-1972) Even when I was a little girl I thought Grandpa Young was a nice looking man. He had a nice nose and blue eyes, a mouth that always looked ready to smile. It was a kind face, a face I trusted. His heavy German accent felt like a … Continue reading 5. Grandma & Grandpa Young
4. The Youngs
The Adam & Margaret Young Family (November 1941) My mother stands at the left end of the photo above. It was taken November 1, 1941, the day Mom’s brother David married Jane Weston. The parents sit on dining room chairs taken from the house, their four sons and six daughters stand around them. It … Continue reading 4. The Youngs
Chapter 2: The Christmas Tree House
My parents lost the little farm in Navelencia, the place where memory began for me. Dad got the place by buying out another man’s interest in the farm and assuming the mortgage, a deal done without the original owner’s permission. When Dad couldn’t make the mortgage payment at the end of the grape harvest, the … Continue reading Chapter 2: The Christmas Tree House
Heritage 