Genealogy Data Page 264 (Notes Pages)

Note: I was born on Fatherās Day and my dad always told me I was the
best Fatherās Day gift he ever received__that was 53 years ago
and dad has now passed on. There were many years of
estrangement between us and now as I look back, I wish I had
connected with him earlier. There are so many questions I would
like to ask him. Good advise for everyone is not to wait to
forgive and forget for one day it will be too late. All I have
now are childhood memories and many old pictures, some lacking
explanation of who, where and when.

Some of my fondest childhood memories are the days I spent on
the Laude farm in Riverton Township. There are wonderful
memories of Grandma Laudeās kitchen_.the smell of the wood
stove, homemade cookies, homemade everything! There was the
creek running through the east side of the property where we
could go dip for tad poles. Then there was the spooky trail
back through the deep, dark woods that led to the river where
they always had those mysterious poles with cans attached that
would clang when a fish was on the line. There were fruit trees
to pick from, beautiful flower gardens; gladiolas being
grandmaās specialty. Grandma used to set up a roadside stand
with buckets of glads to sell. I would always get some of the
profit that would allow me to run down the road to Wileyās
corner store to buy candy. Grandma was always loving and
affectionate with me. If she did get angry, it was usually with
grandpa and she would set her chin and glare. That usually took
care of the problem. She used to cook huge Sunday dinners.
Family and sometimes neighbors would come for dinner. She would
serve huge platters of chicken. Grandpaās chickens were so big
their legs looked like turkey drumsticks. She used to sneak out
and skim cream off the milk separator (which grandpa would sell
and didnāt want her to use) and make delicious gravy to pour
over her homemade baking powder biscuits. I can still remember
the smell of earth in the fruit cellar. I was terrified to go
down there to get a jar of fruit thinking some giant rat would
jump out and devour me_..never saw so much as a mouse.

Along with the nine children, Grandpa Laude had his crops,
cows, chickens, pigs, cats and usually a dog around to care
for. He used to get a kick out of showing me how one black cat
would sit up on its hind legs and he could squirt milk into its
mouth when milking the cows. Grandpa was always in the
fields_..a hard working man. There was a big, old, iron bell
that grandma would ring to bring him in from the fields to eat.
He always had a smile on his face for just about everyone_.a
mischievous smile and a twinkle in his eyes. He used to hide
Easter eggs in the barn loft for my brother Dennis and I to
hunt for and he always made delicious popcorn balls for
Christmas. Grandpa smoked cigars and always carried a spare in
his pocket. We used to play a game where I would take the cigar
and he would get my nose_.the old put your thumb through and
behind your two fingers and joke that "I got your nose". He
wouldnāt give me back my nose until I returned the cigar!!

Uncles Bob, Harry and David were around those early years I
spent on the farm. Uncle Bob was my chewing gum uncle. He
always had a pack of gum for me. When I had my tonsils out at
age 6, he brought me a grocery sack full of Wrigleyās spearmint
gum. The family never knew, or told us if they did, why he just
left town one day and never returned. Harry was a lot like
grandpa. Always teasing and having a big smile on his face. He
owned a Texaco gas station and he let my brother work for him
when he was about 13-14 years old. If I went to visit them at
the station, Uncle Harry always let me get a Doctor Pepper out
of the cooler. David was the youngest and spent a lot of time
with my brother and me. He used to take me skiing. One year he
took my mom, brother and me to Virginia to visit my Aunt Gladys
and cousin Linda. That was an experience. They lived in a town
called Lee Hall. They had a house like something out of "Cat on
a Hot Tin Roof". It was a boarding house in which one had to
walk down a hall of strangers to get to their room. That was
Virginia back in the 50ās. I didnāt understand why all of the
black people that walked by would move aside then stop and let
us go by them on the sidewalks, never looking us in the eye.
Being from a small town in Northern Michigan, I had never been
exposed to segregation.

I was about 13 years old when my parents, Lafay and Mildred
divorced. It was a blessing insofar as not having to live in
all the turmoil of their deteriorating relationship but an
embarrassment because in the 60ās divorce was not "accepted" as
it is now. I was daddyās little girl so in that respect it was
difficult. My mom remarried less than a year later. She married
Bill Clapper, a man she had actually dated before she married
my dad. Bill was a wonderful man and so good to my mother. He
was gentle and kind and willing to do anything for anyone. He
brought a lot of warmth into our lives. My brother and I loved
him very much. My mother was so lucky to have found someone to
take care of her. She was a difficult person to live with. I
believe her personality was warped from her bought with polio
that left a facial disfigurement. She would never admit that it
bothered her or she was self-conscious about it and this was a
great burden for her to live with. She was a good mother but
difficult to bond with. I believe she is finally happy now that
she is resting in peace.

The other aunts and uncles I saw less frequently. Aunt Frances
was the "artistic" one. She is a wonderful poet and was always
a boost to my self-esteem. We were quite close and could talk
about anything. Aunt Rose Mary was so pretty. She was always
smiling and had a great sense of humor. Uncle Earl (Francis)
and Aunt Gladys also had a farm and I would sometimes visit my
cousins Carole and Beverly. There was also an Aunt Sherry, but
she had been in a home since she was 5 years old and no one
wanted to talk about that. As the cousins grew up and
particularly after Grandma Laude passed away, we all grew
apart. No more big family dinners or beautiful flower gardens.
The core of the family was gone.

I left Ludington when I was just out of high school. I have not
been back to the farm or even passed by it in years. I would
love to go walk the area and see if I could still pick up some
of the warm feelings I remember from years ago. Then again,
maybe itās best to leave those memories just as they are.