FIfty-Seven Years Ago Today in Chicago, Illinois

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On this day 57 years ago at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, I was born and immediately placed at The Cradle in Evanston, Illinois where I lived for a very short time . . .

The Cradle back in the 50's

I ran across a blog of someone that lives in Evanston, so I asked if she had ever heard of the place and if it was still in existence.  It IS!  And I hope that the babies that are there find their way to wonderful parents like I did back in 1953 :)

The Cradle today

This is how the rooms looked back when I was there . . .

After a short stint at The Cradle, I was adopted by Harold and Mary Owsley.  My new mother died (she had a heart condition) in early July 1955 and my dad took me to stay with my grandparents (his mom and dad) in Indianapolis, Indiana.  My dad worked for the Chicago Post Office and it was very difficult for him to care for me as he worked nights.  But every Friday night when he got off work, he would make the drive from Chicago to Indianapolis to stay for the weekend with me and then drive back to Chicago on Sunday night.

The Old Chicago Post Office

On one of those Friday nights, my dad fell asleep at the wheel and ended up in a ditch.  With only a scratched knee, daddy hitched a ride the rest of the way (you could probably do that back in 1955).  It was after that accident that he made the decision to move to Indianapolis.  

You couldn't transfer from one Post Office to another state's Post Office, so daddy had to start from square one doing what they called "throwing mail".  He worked his way back up the ranks, but never reached his goal of becoming Postmaster General.  But he would always tell me that being with me had been more important.

A few years later, daddy remarried (and as I have been known to say, "That's a whole 'nother Oprah show"!)  Daddy passed away April 8, 1974 and I moved to California in March of 1975.  He had always told me that if I wasn't planning on getting married and settling down to have a family right away after I finished school, that I should move as far away from Indianapolis as I could.
  
So just short of a year after his passing, I packed a suitcase and my Hoover vacuum cleaner and got on a Greyhound Bus to Southern California and that's the end of that story.

collage on canvas created by my friend Linda Bucci for me

So today on my 57th birthday, I would like to give thanks to my mommy and daddy for adopting me and my grandmother and grandfather for helping raise me.  I love you and miss all of you so much.  

me and Grandmother in Indianapolis going to Church

My Grandfather doing some yard work

(right to left) 
Daddy, Mommy, My Godmother and one of their friends partying together at home in Chicago.  
I think my Godfather must have been taking the picture

And thank you my blogger friends for stopping by today to help share my birthday!