Anniversaries

Last Saturday Ed and Monica Johnston celebrated their fortieth wedding anniversary with an afternoon party put together by son Padraig. Numerous friends attended, including Paul and Jean Kaczoha, Tom Serynek and Jean Campbell, and the Gallers. Ed thanked family, old froiends, bridge group members, and neighbors for coming. I was waiting for him to ask old Movement people to stand but he skipped that group. Someone asked how long Toni and I had been married. Answer: 46 years.

Phil was home for his twenty-fifth high school reunion and found time to play tennis with Dave and game with us Sunday morning.

Mailed out volume 41 to my Steel Shavings subscribers and a few others who have been supportive of my blog efforts. I also took some to the IUN Bookstore and gave copies to folks who moved the boxes from the mailroom to my cage. First reaction is positive: librarian Anne Koehler liked the musical lyrics that served as introductions, and External Relations director Tim Weidmann called it very interesting and liked my style of doing history.

The Archives was full yesterday with four volunteers doing their thing, TRACES editor Ray Boomhower up from Indy researching former Congressman Jim Jontz, Dolly Millender working on a Legends of Gary book, two young people seeking info on the Berkheimer Heating and Cooling Company (in business almost a hundred years), and a young woman working on a dissertation about Latinos. At noon I took Boomhower outsdide for the Thrill of the Grill lunch on the courtyard featuring music by Dave Alamillo, who was excellent singing Jimmy Buffett, Cat Stevens, and Carlos Santana tunes, among others. Old buddy Omar Farag was in charge of entertainment, and we had a blast reliving old softball memories. I showed him volume 41 that contains a photo of him and brother Henry with Bo Diddley and the Crystals.

I was able to get some great photos for my article on Richard Hatcher’s father Carlton from nephew Charles Wise and Laura Shields of the Michigan City Old Lighthouse Museum. Combining them with others from daughter Gladys Givan, I got Steve McShane to burn them onto a CD for Boomhower, who will put the article in the Winter TRACES issue.