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a.
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Note: This is from some e-mail I got from Rae on 14 MAR 1999: I remember Daddy filling out an application of some sort when I wassitting
in the room (maybe I was in my early teens???). I only paid attention
since he was frustrated with "why do they want this information". Of
course I asked what the questions were that bothered him so much. Itwas
during this conversation that I learned that Daddy's mother died of
pneumonia, as a complication of childbirth, when Daddy was 10. Shewas 28
at the time. So that would put her death at about 1933, as Daddy wasborn
in 1923.
Another quick point: After Daddy died, Mom told me some things Inever
knew. I had just assumed that she also told you two; but since Idon't
recall ever discussing this with either of you, maybe not. When his
parent's divorced, his mother was not able to care for her infant sonand
support him. So she put him in an orphanage. He spent most of hisfirst
10 years in that orphanage. His mother visited him on weekends whenshe
could, and occasionally took him home with her for the weekend. Whenshe
remarried, she married a man who owned a laundry business (or maybethe 2
of them started the business when they got married??) and lived either
upstairs or behind the laundry (probably upstairs). They left him inthe
orphanage with the excuse that the fumes from the laundry would be badfor
his health. I remember arguing with Mom that this made no sense, butshe
got upset and said that this is what he was told at the time. Ibelieve
that his step-brother was just about his age or a little older. The
step-brother lived with the family above the laundry even though itwas
unhealthy for Dad. When our grandmother died, the step-father and the
step-brother took off and moved away. As far as I know, they werenever
heard from again.
And from a note 10 days later:
At 09:59 PM 3/23/1999 -0600, Neil wrote:
>To the best of my knowledge Dad graduated from Von Steuben HighSchool. Do
>either of you know what grammar school he went to? Mom went toMarshall
>H.S., right? I'm going to write to the Chicago Public Schools andsee what
>kind of information they can tell me (I figure Dad must have had 4last
>names during the first 18 years of his life: Feldner, Berlewi,Katznelson,
>and Nelson; it would be nice to know when he went by what name).
Yes, Daddy graduated from Von and Mom from Marshall. Von Steuben wasa
Junior High School until they phased out Junior Highs. I believeDaddy
was in the last class ever to go to 7th & 8th grades at Von. He wasthere
for 7th through 12th grades. Back then, schools didn't only start in
September; they also started in January (or was it February). Soeach
year there were 2 classes who graduated from HS. I'm quite certainthat
both of our parents graduated in January. Dad probably graduated in
January of 1941; and Mom 2 years later. I know I once asked whatgrammar
schools Mom & Dad attended; and I know they answered me. But I donot
remember. Sorry.
Since Dad chose to change his name legally to Nelson, I'm guessingthat he
was using that name in HS. But that is only a guess. Does anyonehave his
yearbook? (did we ever see his yearbook?)
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