Memoirous

From left to right, Grover Snyder, Harry Snyder, Grandma Snyder, Josephine, Margaret (my grandmother), Jim Snyder, Avery Snyder. The above pic is undated, but appears to be late 1920s. Grandma Snyder died 1932 at age 79. Uncle Avery had a home across from Grandma Myers. There were 9 children born to Margaret and Amos Snyder. Two died in infancy, and one, Hattie Elizabeth died in 1917. Hattie Elizabeth was married to a Zachardy. Josephine was married to a John Zachardy. Not sure if the 2 sisters married brothers--or possibly the same man. Will look into this further.* Aunt Jo was older than Grandma Myers. Here are Aunt Jo and Grandma together. Here is Aunt Jo, I'm thinking around 1970. Not sure how old she is in above pic. I remember Aunt Jo only as an old, woman lying in bed. She was completely senile--I guess today we'd say she had dementia. Dementia seems to run in the women that side of the family. I intend to break the cycle. Remind me of this vow next week i...

photo identifies Snyder home where Grandma Myers lived Grandma Myers married Harvey Myers June 30, 1910. She was born Margaret Ann Snyder in 1883 and was the daughter of Margaret Snyder (nee Potter) and Amos Snyder. Margaret Snyder married Amos Snyder April 14, 1874. She died in 1932 at age 79. Not sure when Amos Snyder died.* Amos Emery Snyder Birth: 1848Death:  19 Jan. 1925 Not sure, but using a zoom the faces appear to be Grandpa and Grandma Snyder, home is different from the one above. Dress and the fact that they are not young, leads me to think circa 1915 - 1925.

July is a month for birthdays. My mom was born on the 11 th and my husband’s grandma’s birthday is July 8 th . My dad and daughter share the same day: July 24 th . This year there will be two less birthdays to celebrate. Not sure yet how I will honor my mother and father who passed away less than six months ago. Maybe I’ll just think about them. I remember waiting for my daughter to be born. I was actually energetic throughout most of my pregnancy. I ran! I biked! I walked to work every day. Until my due date, and then I woke up and thought, Okay now. Where’s this baby? As an expectant mother I expected to have a baby. Any minute. But the day came and went with nothing to show for it. That was it. The air went out of my balloon. I waddled over to my friend’s house. Sandy told me she had the remedy to help me get over my lack of baby blues. She had a baby for me. He’d been born with cocaine in his system and even though he could come home from the hospital his mother had...

Twenty-three years ago I had a baby girl at Illinois Masonic Hospital. I was supposed to have a natural birth in the family birthing center but after pushing for 24-hours straight the baby’s heartbeat became irregular and the midwives rightly suspected that the baby was under stress. So I was moved to labor & delivery with my husband and a girlfriend who was allowed in the room because when massaging me in the shower she’d gotten her street clothes all wet and put on an available pair of scrubs. She was in her element, masquerading as a doctor. Anyway, after twenty-four hours I was so tired I would have given birth to a goat. I just didn’t care. She popped out in the wee hours, a wee thing. My husband likened the experience to watching a doll inflate. All the sudden she was there, flailing and crying and I was told I didn’t have to push anymore. I was irrational, I wondered if it was a trick. But within seconds they had her on my chest all mucky and still attached to the umb...