New Year's Day, January 1, 1941

The picture shows Ken and Diane Kellogg (me) on the front steps and stoop at 5458 W. Iowa in Chicago where our grandparents, Jim and Lottie Meredith, owned a two-flat for over 50 years.  You can see the sandy beige stucco on the porch behind us.  At that time, we lived upstairs in the smaller apartment.

In Pieces of a Life, Ruth's diary reports on the beginning of that momentous year, 1941.   "Drove down to factory with Papa and Jim to see new Aids machine in operation. Back again for New Year's Day dinner of Chicken and Duck with folks.

Just had time after dishes to get dressed and go to Florence and Clyde's.  Her folks came too.  We had a nice cold meal at 8.  Home 10:30"

"Papa and Jim" are my Grandfather Meredith and Uncle Jim.  The Aids machine mentioned might have been the long tunnel-like drying mechanism for the surgical bandage my father, John Kellogg, made.

Interesting about the food served on New Year's Day.  I have one vague recollection of duck and chicken or turkey being served for Thanksgiving at my grandparents' home when I was very young.  The custom must have ebbed away.

The other people Ruth mentions are the Ballentines, Florence and Clyde, who were their close friends. Florence and Ruth met when they both worked as stenographers at Montgomery Ward in Chicago.  By this time, Ballentines had a daughter, Bonnie Kay, who was one year younger than myself.