When we first got Uncle John from The Chicago Foundling home I was of course excited. I was 4 years old and was very interested in getting a new baby. Little did I know that this new addition was going to spark my competitive nature.
Our 2nd Christmas together - lookin' at his big sister
Mom told me that whenever they gawked over Johnny, I would start "tap dancing" and shout "look at me! Look at me!" Oh boy, the jealous monster was coming out.
Mom & Dad love me more than you...
I was probably around 7 or 8 and Johnny was around 3 or 4 - old enough to have a conversation. I don't know what we were talking about (or fighting about is probably a better description), but I thought I'd better break the news to him - our parents loved me more.
Johnny & I having fun - probably around the time I gave him the "news"
In my mind it was just a logical fact. They had me 4 years longer than him, so they had 4 more years of love for me. Nothing personal Johnny - we're just talking statistics here. Well, that and the fact that I felt I was more lovable. I was a smart, cute little girl and he was a wild devil boy.
His response was "No they don't!" Knowing I was right, I suggested we go ask them, fully believing they would agree with me. So we walk up to Mom and I ask, "Mom, tell Johnny that you love me more than you love him."
It felt like her answer was immediate - "Judy, we love you both the same." What?!! "But you've had me 4 years longer than Johnny, so you simply have to love me 4 years more!" She again reiterated that she loved both of her children the same.
When I think of this episode of my life I envision the proverbial bubble being burst over my head. It was a huge letdown. From this sweet little girl - this was WAR!!!
Pro shot
Outside our Blue Island home - looks like I have mumps!
I attended Paul Revere School in Blue Island from Kindergarten through 5th grade. I'm not sure if the following pictures are chronological as none of them were marked as to age or grade, and as you can see, one is missing.
Not quite sure which one is Kindergarten and which is 1st grade
Not sure what grades these were - maybe 2nd & 3rd
Always hated that poodle do on the right and who cut my bangs on the left?
This might have been 5th grade
Kindergarten
My teacher was an older woman named Miss Modica. I don't think she liked me as she would complain to my Mom that I couldn't tie my shoes or hats or scarves. I remember that you didn't want to have your nap time next to Betty since she would bite people. I hated getting Dominoes as no one ever taught me how to actually play with them properly, so I would just make different shapes with them and pretended to know what I was doing.
First Grade
I don't remember my teacher's name but she was nicer than Miss Modica. I don't have any vivid memories of first grade.
Second Grade
My teacher was young and pretty and I think her name was Miss Davis. We all loved her and we were invited to her wedding, which was exciting. I have two pictures of that but they are very light and will not scan well.
As nice as Miss Davis was, I guess I was a chatterbox as this was the only teacher who made me put tape on my mouth. Maybe Miss Davis wasn't that great after all!
Third Grade
I was the lead character in a play and I was voted to be the lead by my classmates after an audition. I was a rabbit and was the star of the show!
Fourth Grade
No stand-out memories, can't remember who my teacher was.
Fifth Grade
Although I can't remember my teacher, there are a couple memories of 5th grade, my last year at Paul Revere. First memory is the time we made a puppet and the skills that lasted from that one project. The head was made of paper mache and we learned how to sew by hand when making the body. It was an ugly puppet but I still hand sew the way I was taught in 5th grade.
My other memory was that we were in class when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. They rolled a TV into our classroom (high tech!) and we watched everything. That was a sad day.
We had a choice of memorizing one of two poems in 5th grade. We had to choose between Paul Revere's Ride or The Song of Hiawatha. I chose Paul Revere and still remember a lot of it. I also remember some of the Hiawatha poem as we had to listen to it being recited so many times.
A Famous Person
The actor Gary Sinise attended Paul Revere School at some point in his life. He was a year younger than me so I don't remember him.
A Playground Death
A young boy died when he fell off the merry go round and hit his head. He was from a different country and spoke with an accent, but I didn't really know him.
I don't remember what grade it was although I think it was 4th or 5th, but for some reason I let go of the swings and hit my head on the pavement. I remember sitting in a different classroom with an ice pack on my head. I was luckier than the boy on the merry go round.
My Most Embarrassing Moment
It might have been 3rd grade but I'm not sure. We were all standing in line outside waiting for the bell to ring to start classes in the morning. I had to pee and told the people around me not to make me laugh. This one always serious kid, David Something, said something funny (and he never said anything funny) and I couldn't hold it. I remember my shoes squeaking as I walked up the steps and in the hallway going to my class.
I guess I told the teacher who told me to go in the bathroom (each class had a bathroom) and wait for my mother, who ended up having to bring me clean underwear (I wore tights that day). She came pretty quickly and I changed.
After changing where do I go? Directly to the water fountain, also in each classroom. As I'm in line waiting for my turn I hear the class laughing loudly. I look and here comes a boy out of the bathroom with my wet underpants in his hands! I forgot about them and left them on the floor (maybe my Mom didn't come yet and I was commando - can't remember the timeline). I believe they were panties that had the day of the week on them. Of course, he was pinching them between his thumb and forefinger with a disgusted look on his face.
There was a girl standing in line with me and I whispered, "Promise you won't tell anyone? I know whose they are." She assured me she'd keep the secret. I told her they were mine and she immediately yelled out, "They're Judy's!"
I look happy in this picture, but I wasn't happy during most of the church service of the wedding of
my Godmother, Joanie. I don't quite remember, but I did something wrong with the rose petals in my basket. I think I was supposed to drop them as I walked down the aisle but I didn't.
Once I got up to the front of the church, I didn't want to face the minister and front of the church. I kept turning around to see my parents and one of the bridesmaids would try to turn me around by my shoulders. I started crying and calling for my Mommy. "I want my Mommy!"
But it looks like I calmed down and I kind of remember something about the reception. I have a picture of me crying somewhere so if I find it I'll add it here.
My godparents were Uncle Ed (my Dad's brother)and my Mother's cousin Joanie Peters. I've already described the shy quiet, tall and lanky Uncle Ed Reimer. So now it's time to try to describe Aunt Joanie, the daughter of my Grandpa Ganzer's sister, Helen.
Uncle Ed, me and Aunt Joanie
Joanie was younger than my parents and she was a pretty woman. I was the flower girl in her wedding and her husband was kind of a skinny bug-eyed guy that wasn't very attractive. They looked like an odd couple and they truly were.
Aunt Joanie & me
I'm not quite sure how it happened, but Joanie lost her marbles at some point. I was told that it was a drug addiction that started with sleeping pills followed by "pep" pills (what they called them back then). Or maybe it was the other way around, but the pills screwed her up.
She ended up having 3 children, a boy and 2 girls. As she went into her downward spiral, her son had to get his sisters off to school (her husband was at work) and she became a neglectful mother. There were stories of her sitting in front of a mirror for hours trying on different wigs. Then there were the stories of her buying dogs and treating them better than her children.
It got to the point of her wandering the streets in her nightgown one night and her visits to Tinley Park mental hospital on and off. I don't know what happened to her but it was a real shame.
I remember visiting her house and I liked her children. We never kept up with them after a while so I don't know what happened to any of them.
Joanie & Baby Judy
I had a lot of friends. A handful lived on my block. Looking through pictures, I guess my first friend was a chubby boy named Ricky Koehler. He had a big brother named Jeff. They lived a couple houses down from us.
Me & Ricky
One of my good friends was a freckle faced redhead named Shelly but before Shelley, a friend named Patty lived in that same house. Her Mom used to drive a VW Bus and I loved it. It was a bouncy ride and you had to hold on to the handles. I always wanted a VW Bus.
Left Photo Back Row- Gramma Ganzer and Patty's Mom Sylvia
Left Photo Front Row-Me, Patty & my brother John
Right Photo: Me on left, Patty is topless
There was a somewhat quiet girl named Kim that had a really cool little play house in her back yard. I believe she lived on the last house on the southeast side of the block.
Me & Kim
Another couple of people lived in a different house. First it was Scotty Wild (and he fit his name) who moved to Texas. I'm not sure if it was before or after but there was another girl that lived there but for some reason we had a love-hate relationship.
Then there were girls I met in school and who lived a little farther away. I already spoke of Lynn Mueller who lived in a cool custom built home on Vincennes Ave. I think there was a blonde named Patty whose house was on the way to school. Barb Fessler lived close to my school (Paul Revere Elementary School in Blue Island).
Back row: Ricky is hidden, 2 sisters from Valparaiso, IN that visited their Grandma who lived on our block
Middle row: Left girl was the tallest in our class and the girl on the right is Barb Fessler
Front row: Patty (?) at the left, Lynn Mueller, me & I can't remember the girl on the right
I attended many birthday parties and all my friends came to mine. I have a lot of birthday pictures. When we had parties they weren't fancy like they are now. It would always be held in the birthday girl's house and we'd play games like Pin the Tail on the Donkey, dropping clothes pins in a milk jug, marshmallow races (holding them on a spoon or balancing them on a knife) and various other games.
One of my many b-day parties - I'm at bottom center
I think this was Patty's dress-up birthday party
Patty is far left & I'm next to her - can't remember the rest
