Bernice Ganzer-Reimer
Born October 8, 1924Bernice or "Bea" is my Mother, and you know her as your Great-Grandma. She was the only child of my Grandparents, Emma Braun-Ganzer and Daniel Ganzer. She grew up in Blue Island with my grandparents and she worked downtown in an insurance agency office after high school and before she adopted me. Back in those days, women who adopted had to promise to stay home to raise the children.
She told me she dated a few men but then met my Dad, Harold "Bud" Reimer. They met in Luther League (a young folk's club sponsored by Lutheran churches). I mentioned before, my Grandmother preferred her dating Lutherans.
I believe my Mom, Bernice, went to a Lutheran School in Blue Island and then went to Dwight D. Eisenhower High School. She did not go to college but went straight into the work force.
She had a killer body; quite thin, nice average height (maybe 5'5" or 5'6"), big
boobs and gorgeous legs and nice feet. She always kept her hair longish and it was really because my Dad, Bud, liked long hair. When she was in her 50's she started looking funny with longer hair and kept cutting it off a little at a time. I guess Dad finally got used to it, although he still complained when she'd get it cut too short.She married my Dad during a leave from the Army. People talked, thinking she was pregnant. Well, that sure didn't happen. She was 29 when she adopted me.
She has always been a strong woman and Dad treated her like a queen, although she certainly took care of him. She was friends with our neighbors in Blue Island and became close, lifelong friends with our neighbors in Oak Lawn.
She and I butt heads when I was a teenager. When I started hanging around with boys who's brothers had their driver's licenses she would actually follow me around. Like I couldn't see her parked across the street in the big Bonneville Pontiac.
She was very opinionated and yelled a lot. I swore I wouldn't yell at my kids because I always hated her yelling at me. But I became a yeller too, unfortunately.
She didn't really believe in privacy. She felt we should all share everything with her. I learned when to keep my mouth shut.
But she was always loving and wanted a hug and kiss every night and that was another thing I hated when I was a teen. Both my parents were huggy, kissy, lovey dovey and I am the opposite.
As she grew older she became more mellow and in her late 80's she's still got all her marbles and she's been a lot of fun! I love her very much and didn't want to tell her about my cancer because I know she would be sooooo worried.
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