Remembering Clara May Fitchie Melahn

CLARA MAY FITCHIE WITH SIBLINGS

My maternal grandmother, Clara May Fitchie Melahn, was born on this day of July 23rd in the 1900. She always hated the fact that she was born within that year because her age could be calculated so easily. In any event, she can be seen (standing at the right) in the back row with her siblings in the photo atop this entry (which has been featured in a number of entries here on Blogger).

Beloved Albert Elmer Herman Louis Melahn (AKA G'pa to me) Died on 1-24 in the 1970's

My maternal grandfather, Albert Elmer Herman Louis Melahn, died on this day of January 24th  in the mid to late 1970's. He was sixty-nine years old. He can be seen in the photo directly above with my grandmother, Clara May Fitchie Melahn where they are standing in front of one of their favorite restraunts that was located in Crystal Lake Illinois.

This photograph was one of my dearly departed grandmother's favorites, perhaps because of the memories she had of enjoying meals with him at one of their favorite places. For years after his death she laid the framed photo facedown on an end-table. Evidently looking at the image made her miss him even more. I am their first grandchild and the loss to me was great as well which is probably how most people feel when their grandfather dies.

In Remembrance of Clara May Fitchie Melahn (Born 7-23-1900 Died 7-19-1987)

I am my maternal grandparents first grandchild, and was born on their wedding anniversary. In the image atop this entry, my grandmother can be seen holding me. You might recognize the picture as I have featured it in at least one of my prior entries here on Blogger.

She died on this day of July 19th in 1987; and, her parting words to me were ones that urged me to get back to my writing.

Honoring Major Ernest Olds with Reflections on Mustard Seeds and P.O.W. Bracelets

I am not a collector of material things per se; that is, I do not hold on to many things that I don't need, other than emotional scars, which I confess I mull over far too much before I let them go. However, as far as letting go of material things, I am glad that I've kept this amber candy dish (pictured in the photograph posted above this blog entry), which belonged to my maternal grandmother, Clara May Fitchie Melahn, who died in 1987, shortly before what would have been her 87th birthday.

"Help one another is part of the religion of sisterhood." (Louisa May Alcott)

Back in the saddle leading to cyber-space, after a visit with my younger sister, who can be seen in the photograph posted above — to the left of yours truly — in a picture taken a few months after our younger sister was born. As you may recall, dear reader, in the last entry that I made to my blog, I referenced her visit, and while this blog is not about my comings and goings, the fact that her visit is where I left off, brings me to my starting point for today.

It is said that "sisters are different flowers from the same garden", and if you are familiar with this quote, dear reader, you might surmise (from knowing yours truly is a person who — among other things — maintains her urban terrace garden and dedicates a good portion of this blog to writing about gardening experiences) that I should run with this quote about sisterhood in this posting, and elaborate on it on my first day back to work. However, I am letting that quote run from this blog as I have some difficulty in citing quotes from unknown authors. Instead, I will focus part of today's entry on Louisa May Alcott's quote regarding sisters: "Help one another is part of the religion of sisterhood."

National Nurses Day 2021

On this day in 1974, "New Mexico nurses initiated a resolution in 1981 to have May 6th declared National Recognition Day for Nurses. The American Nurses Association (ANA) Board of Directors took up the banner and promoted the proposal. In 1982, the United States Congress designated May 6th to be National Recognition Day for Nurses and President Ronald Reagan signed the proposal."

My maternal grandmother, Clara Fitchie Melahn, seen in the photo (atop this entry) taken when she was a young woman, was 74 years of age at the time Regan signed the proposal. She had been long retired from nursing as she had left her career when she had children.

My grandmother had quite an influence on me, but the only experience I had being a nurse is when I played one (in the 1980's) on a soap opera, "One Life to Live. 

It's National Grandparents Day!

It's National Grandparents Day! The holiday falls each year on the first Sunday after Labor Day. It was initiated at the grassroots level by West Virginian Marian Lucille Herndon McQuade (seen in the image atop this entry) with the behind-the-scenes support of her husband Joseph L. McQuade.

This photograph is from a web-page, which discusses a number of interesting facts regarding  National Grandparents Day; including the truism that "it's not a holiday invented to sell cards and flowers."