John's Blissful Summers on Grand Island As A Boy

In his short autobiography, John Webb Kellogg spoke of idyllic summers as a little boy on Grand Island, NY, which was near Buffalo.  His mother, Esther Clara Webb Kellogg, was the granddaughter of Irish immigrants who journeyed to Canada and then upstate New York in the late 1840's.

Many Webbs farmed on Grand Island, as did Esther's family.  Born in 1899, John probably was an infant when his mother, Esther, began to take him to Grand Island to visit her parents and other Webb relatives in the summer.   The following quote is from
Pieces of a Life.  John's younger sister, Dorothy Helen Kellogg, was born in 1903
  
  "As John reminisces about Grand Island, he makes it sound as though that was where he grew up.  He was there only a few weeks in the summer, with his mother and sister and perhaps an occasional visit from his father.  Summer would have been the best season for the bridge-building
Kelloggs and their crews to be out of town."  

     "John probably enjoyed Grand Island where he could play with other children, see his grandparents, aunts, uncles as well as do chores.  It must have been much more relaxed than his time with his father and step-brother.  I wonder when he realized that the Irish -- his mother's many relatives on Grand Island -- were lower in social status than the English and Scottish in his father's line?"

   Here's a little of John's writing from "75 Years - Where Did They Go?.  "Where did one buy things?  Virtually everything we ate came from stuff raised on the farm or from basic raw materials they bought.  Flour came in barrel lots and each day or two one of the girls or Grandmother would bake bread.  That did not last long with a lot of hungry men to feed.  Farm machinery was scarce.  Most jobs were done by hand.  All were up and had finished breakfast before 6.  When the crops were ripe. they often worked until dark, which might mean 8 or 9 at night.  Suppose that the grain were ripe;  if not promptly harvested, rain would beat it to the ground where it was without 
worth."
  

Ruth's Grandbaby, Lynn Meredith, in Dec., 1966

Lynn Meredith Pellettiere enjoying the little yellow tub, sitting on a counter in the upper level bath of our first house in Mt. Prospect.  She's 7 months old and smiling at Daddy, the camera man, while Mom gives her a bath.  Ruth's diary entries follow, starting with the 3rd day of their drive from FL to IL.  She is 60 and John 67.

December 13, 1966 - "Up and out by 6:45 A.M.  Good day again.  Best yet when we hit Chicago we got sun - only traces of snow in parts of Indiana & Illinois on ground.  Arrived at Diane's at 2:30 & surprised her at early hour.  Roger also here.  Beth & Philip came later & talked to Ken after supper.  Phoned Mom & got Jim so told him we'd see them Thurs.  Lynn is studying us!"

December 14, 1966 - "We took Diane grocery shopping & J. paid bill.  Lynn peevish - lack of sleep I guess.  We went out a 2nd time to the big Niles shopping area & Diane bought herself dress material & pattern for shift.  Tired tonite.  Baby missed good naps so had to go to bed early as she was unhappy.  Diane made Sukiyaki for the 3 of us as Dan flew to Memphis today."

December 15, 1966 - "Diane had a bad night and got up this A.M. to vomit so I took care baby and food.  Called Mom to say we'd not be there today, of course.  Tonite I gave Diane tea and toast, but she lost it.  She must have intestinal flu, but has no doctor yet, except new gynecologist she has first date with on Sat."

Roger and Philip Kellogg are our 3- and 6 -year old nephews.  They are the children of Diane's brother, Ken, and his wife, Beth.  Grandpa John Kellogg had the flu in Florida, starting on Dec. 7, which may be
where Diane got it.  She was going to the OB-Gyne because she was expecting another child in July.  Ruth's mother and brother, Lottie (80) and Jimmie (55) Meredith, lived about a mile away from the Pellettieres, also in Mt. Prospect.  They had moved out of the west side Austin area of Chicago where they had had a 2-flat on Iowa St. since 1922.

Kate and Daddy Dan in 1972

Kate and Daddy Dan Pellettiere enjoy a moment together in one of the new chairs in the living room in Palatine.

Grandparents Ruth and John Kellogg flew in from their new home in Florida the night before Kate's 2nd birthday.  They came in for birthday parties for Kate and also Lynn in May - and to babysit while Diane was at with several AOII functions as brand-new alum chapter president.  They stayed long enough to babysit for a week while Diane and Dan were in Las Vegas at an ad agency business golf function.  Ruth's diary entry is below.

Saturday, April 22, 1972 - "Seemed like Sunday today.  Girls came in to watch me unpack.  Didn't sleep very well.  Lot of preparation went into birthday dinner for Katie and other grandparents and Vi.  D&D spent morning furniture shopping alone.  Girls (not Katie) went to a party in afternoon.  Olive Kenney phoned.

I went with Diane on a ride to take folks home at 7 - all the way to Austin.  Katie liked birthday presents."

The "other grandparents" were Dan and Josephine Pellettiere, who lived in Austin where Ruth lived from 1922 to 1929.  Dan's older sister, Vi, helped her parents a great deal.  By then they were 80 and 82.  The woman who called Ruth was one of her church friends who was still living in Oak Park.  When Ruth and John visited our family, they also saw some of their old friends from First Baptist.