Becoming a woman

Seasons greetings from Leslie, Arlene and Terry. I thought about that family many times over the years and wondered if they were safe. I had lifted the small lid of the tiny cedar box where my Mother had kept her favorite things. There were important papers from banks that no longer existed, several diplomas, a few pictures of my Dad, but mostly greeting cards that she had received over the years.

I wondered what happened to Leslie, Arlene and Terry originally from Kankakee and then moving on to California in the late 60's

After her father died, my Mom graduated high school in Deland, Florida and wanted to go to Stetson University in 1940 but grandmother wanted to go home which was a town of 500 people in Illinois called Kempton, small town with the big heart and no place for a young, single woman who wanted more. So after the move together, my Mom, Mavis, moved to Kankakee, a small city that was located just south of Chicago with her girlfriend. Though apartments were out of the question for woman, they rented a room from Ruth and George Gates. Mavis enrolled in the Kankakee Business College.

Ruth and George Gates were known as Gatesy and Gatesy Pops to me who lived in old fashioned two story home on Harrison Ave built in the early 1900's. A hanging swing graced their large front porch, and a garden where flowers of all colors and culture towered over little ones like me. They had two sons, George and Leslie. Leslie and his girlfriend, Arlene, who met each other in high school, became close friends to my Mom. Leslie was ambitious in ideas and Arlene in nursing school at Michael Reese hospital. Their compassion and energy for building skill and opportunity complimented her. Not only that, she could laugh, be herself and Leslie had a great car never hesitating to drive her places she wanted to go.

After the announcement that Pearl Harbor had been attacked , Leslie went off to fight in the Ghost army which was not exposed until recently. Arlene became a member of the Nurses Cadet Corp, who is listed on the monument in Washington, D.C., honoring nurses who served during World War II. Mom became an administrative secretary at the Elwood war plant; right outside of Kankakee.

Leslie returned from war; he married Arlene in 1946.After the war, Mom moved to Chicago and met my Dad. They married in 1949 with Arlene, still at Mom's side as her beautiful Maid of Honor, and the rest of the Gatsey and Gatsey Pop family at the wedding.

Arlene and Leslie had a daughter named Terry, with stunning blue eyes that graced the cover of that treasured greeting card of the long ago Christmas.

After my father had passed away in 1967 and Gatsey died from cancer only a few years later, we visited them in LaVerne California; a two story home filled with clocks that Leslie began to collect and thousands of dolls; Arlene's personal passion. Over the years later, Arlene always wrote detailed letters of her later life in California to Mom; Mom doing the same. Unfortunately, the letters stopped after Mom passed away in 2001.

Two years ago, I began the search and it didn't take long to find Arlene's obituary in 2010 where she had died in Arkansas. I also found the names of her family including Terry and then proceeded to search for her on Facebook.

I found her.

My memories of your Mom and Dad are so sweet ...they were like fairy godparents!!! And I was so excited when they had you!!! They loved you so much!! Terry posted, how much more she remembered me more than I did.

Terry mentioned that her father was still alive, living in Clarksville with her daughter and husband. Her younger sister Anita was still living in California that I had mainly known through letters only.

Just a few months ago, my own son celebrated his last birthday for being a kid, 29 years and I posted a picture of the day he was born with me and my Mom. Terry immediately responded to how she loved my Mother and seeing her brought such wonderful memories.

Finally, after much promise, I pulled out the wedding album and the professional black and white photo of my parent's wedding, including Arlene. Of course, especially posting to Terry's timeline. It was from there that the photo was shared to Anita who was so grateful for the beautiful memory and shared her friendship with me. She asked if she could send her Dad the pictures in Clarksville. He was 93 and doing well. Of course, I replied.

Within hours after receiving the photos, Leslie contacted his daughter Anita, remembering my Mom and Dad. And how God works every time..... he had been thinking about them, wondering if Mom was still alive. Anita asked for my email and phone. Less than 24 hours later, he sent me an e-mail with animation excited about re-connecting....better than I would have created.

The same day we talked; sharing his love for his daughters, his love for flipping houses as a career, his love for the old days, his pride in being part of a specialized tactical army, his love for my Mom and the help he received from my Dad who created the windows of his first home he and Arlene built together. Though he really did not remember my visits, we were family, we shared a past that was cherished. and a perspective that was without scar and judgment.

And we will continue to keep in touch to build what we can in the precious time that we have left.

I carefully removed the special box from my jewelry case that still held a beautiful antique watch on a chain that Gatsey, or better known as Ruth, had given me in the hospital where she passed away from bone cancer. She told me how much she loved my Mom but wanted me to have something special that would establish grace, character through the years and to take care of those who needed me.

One of the chains is slightly twisted.....I must work on that now. I want to wear it again... more than ever.