The Merediths at Baron Lake MI in 1916

"Summer 1916, Rutlage's Resort, Baron Lake, Mich" is on the back of the picture in my grandfather's writing.  Brought up in Berrien County on the southwest corner of Michigan, James R. Meredith loved the green forests and the lakes, including the big one, Lake Michigan, that formed the western edge of Michigan. 

Jim didn't have a middle name, so used "R." as his middle initial.  I've always thought it was because of his grandfather's name.   
Benjamin R. Meredith from Kent Co., Maryland had that initial.  Did it stand for a name?  Maybe.  Born in 1801, he was a soldier in the Florida War and the Black Hawk War.

Jim and his wife, Lottie Weekes Meredith, did travel from Chicago back to Michigan often to see his family at this stage, only married 11 years (Nov. 23, 1904).  Jim was doing well,
after moving to the big city, Chicago, for a job and a better life.  In 1916 he was working for a major company, Western Electric, where he would be employed for the rest of his life.

The small woman seated between the two children must be Jim's mother, Ruth Parks Olmstead Meredith, age 68.  She appears in another picture a few years later.  The girl is Ruth Viola Meredith, named for both grandmothers, at age 10.  The boy is James William Meredith (5), who is named for his father and his mother's father, William Walter Wilson Weekes, from Wilkes-Barre PA.  They called him "Jimmie."

Standing behind them are two women I'm guessing are a cousin and an aunt of the man in the middle, Jim Meredith.  Lottie, Jim's wife, wasn't in the picture.  Maybe she was behind the camera.

This is a casually posed picture with three of the subjects looking off to the right side, drawn to something - a dog barking, laughter, someone heading their way.  Young Ruth, my mother, looks strikingly like I did at about that age, right down to the somewhat bored vibes.  It looks like there's a house or a cabin behind those pictured.

Pictures from the past give you a feel for what life was like, but dredge up more questions than answers.  They make me want to study further what life was like at that time and especially for my ancestors.

Ruth's Life Changes Again in Florida, 1983 Diary

The Pellettieres seen in 1981 in the family room in front of the fireplace in Palatine.  In 1981 Cindy was 14, Diane and Dan 45, Lynn 15 and Kate 11.

I've just gone through many of Ruth's diaries in her late 60s/70s and found that as her life in Clearwater became secure, there were few mentions of the family back in Illinois.  I think she was still sending a gift and card for birthdays, but there is no mention of that either or of the birthday itself.

However, to be fair to Ruth, she had had some major developments in her 70s.  She was very slowly moving into dementia, though the early signs of it were easy to mistake for just aging.  Her brother Jimmie, a schizophrenic, was placed in a mental hospital far from Clearwater after having a breakdown.  He had been living in a small house in nearby Largo with his mother, Lottie Meredith.  Lottie was 96 when the following diary entry was written and was living in a nursing home close to Ruth and John.  It happens that July 13 was granddaughter Cindy's 16th birthday.

Wednesday, July 13, 1983 -  "I spent 2 1/2 hours with Mom.  Pushed her down halls and into Rec. Room briefly.  Watched her eat sparingly of her lunch, which has at least 5 items plus coffee.  I got back here by 3:45 & J. took off in car."  It sure gets a work-out between us."

Thursday, July 14, 1983 -  "Had my hair done - first since Perm last week.  Looks good - Mary is perfect after all these years doing it for me.  I give her a good tip too.  I no sooner got home than J. took off with car on errands.  In afternoon he walked  to and from town for exercise!"

The Kelloggs each had a car from 1942 to around 1980 when John decided they should sell one of the cars.  John was a month from his 84th birthday when he walked to town.  I recall his walking to the library from the Horizon House on the causeway all the way into Clearwater, both for exercise and because he loved to read.  John was not easy to get along with and very strong in his opinions!

Ruth and John Fly to Palatine to Visit the Pellettieres

Ruth and John Kellogg, Diane's parents, pictured in front of their car in Fl in 1977.  They were 71 and 78.  The diary entries are from 1980.

Sunday, June 22, 1980 - "Early 7 A.M. pick-up by Limo to Tampa Airport where we waited over an hour for 9:15 flight (breakfast) to O'Hare. There 4 of the 5 Pellettieres met us in their yellow Cadillac!  Cindy stayed home.  Later - John found odd things in a pocket of luggage! He had wrong one!  His still at airport.  We're minus shaver and other essentials until tomorrow!"

Monday, June 23, 1980 - "Diane drove to airport first & John EXCHANGED luggage at the lower level while we slowly circled and returned for him.  Then on downtown to D&D's McDonald's which is quite remarkable.  Very attractive.  Diane & Dan told us all about how it runs & J. took some pictures.  Vi in office.  

We had steak sandwiches & later ice cream - after J. & I walked over to State St. and had Sara Jane's Genealogy pages copied for Diane.  We waited an hour or more for D&D to finish at McD & drive home by 5 P.M. - tired!  My feet! - to bed 9 P.M."

Tuesday, June 24, 1980 - "J. & I played little tennis with Cindy (not interested) and Katie, who takes lessons and is good for her age.  Then we saw Dan & team play exciting softball game - 14-6, after salmon cake dinner."

Dan and myself had become McDonald's owners in Sept., 1979, so it was still new and exciting to us and to our friends, relatives.   I'm not sure just what was copied of Sara Jane Wood Tobey's.  "Sally", as my father called her, was a much younger half-sister.  She and John had the same mother, Esther Clara Webb.

Vi Saletta was Veronica, Dan's sister, who was 16 years older and worked in our McDonald's office for 10 years...Cindy was never interested in tennis, probably just doing a good deed, while Katie really did like it. I don't know where Lynn was...Dan has played softball for most of his life, including 2016.  The diary entries and picture are not in Pieces of a Life.

Ruth on Iowa Street in 1938 with Young Ken (7) and Diane (2)

This 1940 photo of Ken (9) and Diane (4) was taken on the front steps of 5458 W. Iowa St., Chicago where grand-parents Lottie and Jim Meredith lived.  At that time Ruth and John Kellogg rented the small upstairs apartment.

Wednesday, Aug. 17, 1938 - "Kenny had tonsils and adenoids out at Douglass Park Hospital, 11 A.M.  He was an A No. 1 patient - cost $12.50, total clinic fee.  Home at 6:15 and to bed."

Thursday, Aug. 18, 1938 - "Kenny won't eat. Whimpers about throat hurting.  Nothing but water, not even ice cream will he take.  Hope he's better tomorrow."

Tuesday, Aug. 23, 1938 - "Card from Martha.  First since they left.  Doesn't like Reading much.  Took Kenny back to the hospital tonite.  They said throat is 'beautiful'.  Now feels better."

  In 1938, they didn't have the surgery cut-off in early Aug. that existed in 1945 when I had my tonsils out at age 9.  The cut-off was due to the polio scare that went on for several years.  One child on our block (1200 N. Euclid) in Oak Park was infected with polio.

The card Ruth mentions was from Martha Allen, a former neighbor.  We did visit the Allens in Reading PA and then later in Dallas in the late 1940s when they moved again.  I have a scar on
my forehead that came from running after the bigger kids in Reading and having a throw rug throw me into the corner of a door!

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.