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Note: K-5 EUGENIE CATHERINE LASSER Parent ("Nana") Grandmother Eugenie Catherine Lasser ("Nana") moved to Chicago about 1898 or 1899; her father Alexander "Skipper" Lasser started work with United States Steel in April 1899. They lived on the southeast side of Chicago. She attended grammar school there and received a GS diploma. Thereafter she worked for Marshall Field & Company as a seamstress until shortly before her marriage in 1920.
She was introduced to her husband-to-be, Kenneth Albert Parent, by relatives; they were technically related as her mother Cecelia had been adopted by Samuel Parent, Kenneth Albert's father's brother. She and Ken had first met during WWI.
She remained proficient with the sewing needle throughout her life and was a fine cook. She took up oil painting in Chicago as a hobby, beginning lessons with a woman with a shop on 79th Street. It was a basic establishment with folding chairs and orange crate desks, but she loved it. In 1951 they found their little cottage in Ganges, Michigan, not far from Saugatuck, which had a bit of a reputation as an artists' colony. On 1 February 1955 they moved up permanently when Gramps retired and Nana continued with her lessons. Her style was Impressionistic with a focus on nature, especially the scenery around Ganges. She sold many works in local art shows in SW Michigan and northern Indiana. I have a number of her canvases and treasured them.
She and Gramps delighted in having us grandkids come up. We used to joke that she'd call, say the weather was great and the perch were biting, to lure us up there, but that in fact, she'd be making it up. On reading Gramps' guest book-diary, that was unfair. His notes on the weather indicate fine summers most of the time and lots of perch caught -- 34 on 2 June 1955 and 93 on the eleventh. A week later the three day total was about 240.
Her passing was unexpected. Gramps kept a diary of sorts in the Guest Book for the house, though entries tapered off as time passed. The last three lines read "March 25th 1968- Genie passed on at 9:25 AM Coronary Artery Occlusion as a consequence of arteriosclerosis". They had had breakfast, Gramps told me, and settled in the living room to read the paper, when she complained of not feeling well and passing away in an instant. Gramps later took the chair in which she died and burned it.
Transcript of Nana's obituary, taken from an unsourced clipping believed from a newspaper in Saugatuck or Ganges, Michigan. Nana died 25 March 1968.
Memorial services were to be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday in the Saugatuck First Congregational Church for Mrs. Eugenie C. Parent, wife of Kenneth A. Parent, Ganges, who died unexpectedly at 9:30 a.m. Monday at their home.
The Rev. Robert Hanna officiated. The Dykstra Funeral Home was in charge. Mr. Parent requested that instead of flowers, donations may be made to the Congregational Church building fund.
Mrs. Parent was a former president of the Saugatuck-Douglas Art Club.
Besides her husband she leaves a son, Warren, of Wheaton, Ill., and his wife, Janice, and two grandsons, Warren [sic - Kenneth] and Kurt.
She was a wonderful grandmother to me.
K-5 EUGENIE CATHERINE LASSER Parent ("Nana")
Contents of an old notebook that belonged to Nana:
Arcade Pratt Brother of John Pratt Born Sept 14 - 1826 Sandwich, Ont. Canada
Father - Frances Pratte & Mother - Cecile Laderoute
Lorraine Pratt Parent Born 1868 Detroit - Chene & Jefferson Died Father John Pratte Mother Sara McNamara
Isobel Therese Pratt (Munro) Born at Belle River Ont Feb 14 - 1872
Father - John B. Pratte & Mother - Sara McNamara
Jeanne Pratt (Brotherstead) Born July 29 - 1870 Died May 1937
John B. Pratt Sara McNamara Frank Lorraine Wm Isobelle Jesse Jenny Died 1902, Mar 13 at Lorraine's house, Walkerville, Ont. Canada [N.B. John Pratt died there.]
Sara Lorraine McNamara Pratt - married H. Bolster Died 1922 in Jackson, at age of 76 years
Winnie & Herbert Bolster - son and daughter of 2nd marriage Frank Pratte Born 1864 Aug 4 - Det Died 1935 Dec 2 - Detroit Mich Buried Alpena Mich
Wm Pratt Born Dec 9 1902 Died - (Killed by a train) Bothwell, Ont Worked for Hiram Walker
Jesse Pratt (Elaine's father)
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