Jean

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I was born in 1932 in Mount Carmel, PA, a town of about 10,000 people in the heart of the Pennsylvania anthracite coal fields. It must have been difficult for my parents striving to raise a family in the midst of the great depression and worrying about war prospects increasing in Europe. I remember many of the streets of our town were unpaved until President Roosevelt s WPA program to create jobs changed that. There were plenty of outhouses around but most homes had indoor plumbing, although raw sewage was destined for a creek that ran through the North end of town.


1932-3 Looking kinda grumpy	1934 Locust Street Backyard	1939 Winterized	1940 Pony posing	1942 Grade School Chums	1943 Classmates	1944 Relatives

My mother gave birth to nine children, four boys and five girls. One child died at birth and another in infancy. I was next to the youngest. My parents both worked in a cigar factory all their working lives. We were never hungry but did without many things, including a car. In my younger years World War II dominated everything with food and fuel rationing, periodic blackouts, neighbors losing sons and fathers, backyards being turned into war gardens to raise vegetables, persistent shortages of many items, scrap metal collections, and patriotism reigned supreme.


1943 Part of my bang years	1944 Cousins David and Ethel	1945 A school picture	1946 Braid trend setter	1946 Sexy me	1946 Hollywood hair	1948 Sexier me

Our community could not afford playgrounds, so as kids we occupied ourselves in the woods and coal strip mines that surrounded the town. The mountainous refuse banks from the deep coal mines contained a residue of coal that would inevitably catch fire, burn underground and emit a sulfurous rotten egg odor that smothered the town on rainy days. Leaf burning was a common practice in the Fall and the acrid smoke often embraced the town like a shroud. Why on earth do I miss those things? But, all in all, I remember childhood with fondness and especially the enormous freedom we enjoyed.


1948 The garment factory	1949 Happy birthdays	1949 Meant to be togethter	1949 Trying to be glamorous	1953 Helping out	1954 I love roses	1955 Red head

In my teenage years we lived in a three bedroom home in an alley. It had no hot water or bathroom. The toilet was in the basement that had a dirt floor. Bath water was heated in a huge copper vat on top of the kitchen coal stove and bathing was done on the kitchen floor in a metal tub. Heat was provided by a coal fired Heaterola in the dining room with minimal heat getting upstairs through a 10 inch hole in the ceiling. I was married 1n 1951. My husband and I eloped so there are no wedding pictures. I am blessed with a good marriage of more than 70 years, though it wasn t always easy raising four daughters.


1950 Feeling good	1951 Easter	1956 Contemplating an all day rain	1957 My husband s favorite picture	I949 SURPRISE	1960 Phew	1964 My addiction

I had 3 daughters within the first four years of my marriage. Our first home was above a garage in an alley in Harrisburg, PA just a few blocks from the capital buildings. Within a year or so we moved into a federal housing project in Harrisburg. My husband was then transferred to White Plains, NY where we spent several years. Following that it was off to Williamsport, PA, then State College, PA., Utica, NY, Wheeling, WV, Woodsboro, MD, Littlestown, PA and finally my present home in North Carolina.


1966 Christmas day	1985 Stumped	1990 Taking it easy	1992 Horsing around	1996 Getting old.	2016 Unwelcomed advice

As the years went by, my husband, the photographer in the family, lost interest in taking pictures. Consequently, there is not much available our latter years to include here. I didn t work outside the home for the first 15 years of my marriage. After that, I usually worked in school cafeterias. Life has been full and I can truthfully say that I can t ever remember being bored.


2003 The breezeway	2003 At work	???? Snoooooooooow.	???? Traveling in style	20?? Snow then more snow.

Most of my interests are outdoors. Our previous home eas on a seven-acre lot so it took a lot of time to tend to it. I enjoy walking with my husband at every opportunity and typically walk 6-8 miles each time. Reading consists of magazines and newspapers with little time available for books. I seldom go to movies or sporting events because of the boorish behavior of fans and audiences that no one seems to want to correct. I retired when I was 75 and my passion is to do anything that requires being outdoors. My husband selected the pictures to include here and I particularly dislike the 1960 photograph.


2014 Working out	2003 Relaxing	2003 Kitchen	???? Frequent Pose	???? My Sisters	20?? Horse

And that's my story


1949 My husband to be and I Press PLAY to listen to "Our Song"	2018 As the decades flew by we grew to favor this song"

Sleepy Head