Mary and Ozzie Reddy

Last updated March 4, 2020

“Jack Spratt could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean…”

Mary was a little overweight, as you can see in the photo, and Ozzie was rather thin.  When Linda was planning her wedding, Linda and Judi had thought they would make Mary’s dress to wear to the wedding. Using a standard tape measure, they started taking measurements . When it came to measuring Mary’s bust, Judi stood in the front and Linda in the back.  The tape measure was not long enough! Both Linda and Judi were forced to suppress their laughter.   They gave up the plan to make the dress.

Ozzie was on the thin side, as can be seen in this picture of him between Dolores and Dad.  Both he and Mary drank a lot.  So far I haven’t come across any stories about Ozzie other that he had been in the Merchant Marines during the war.

Rusty tells this story about Mary.  Mary and Ozzie would occasionally be at the house playing 66 with Mom and Dad.  Mary would bring 2 bottles of gin in her purse.  When she came in the house she would give Rusty a big hug and a bottle of gin, while Ozzy went upstairs.  Then she would take the other upstairs.  She would start out by pouring herself a drink, and from time to time she would ask Rusty to fix her a drink.  Because he used the downstairs bottle,  Mary made it look like she wasn’t drinking too heavily because her upstairs bottle was still half full.

Visit to the Beck’s Farm in Indiana

Last updated January 7, 2020

When Aunt Anne and Joe Beck lived in Indiana,  Joe Beck was working at the Studebaker Plant in South Bend at the time.  Dad drove the whole family at the time in the 1950(?) Ford to visit them.  It was a really crowded drive, and we made the trip without an overnight stop.  The visit lasted only three  days because dad had to get back to work.  What I remember about the trip was that Aunt Anne Uncle Joe owned two Studebakers, they had a working hand pumped water well in the backyard and they invited me to stay over when the rest of the family returned home.  My stay was about a week, and I don’t remember how I get back home.

About Grandma Eva Hartmann

Last updated March 19, 2020

Eva was widowed before I was born.  I do know that Grandpa Hartmann committed suicide by shooting himself at North Park.  I have heard that this occurred as a result of the Stock Market crash of 1929.  Since he had owned several houses, including 30 Bly Street, this never made any sense to me.

Potato Pancakes. While we were growing up, Eva supported herself by working at the McCrory’s 5 and 10 cents lunch counter.  According to legend she was known far and wide for the  potato pancakes she made there.  I do know that a lot of the family loved her potato pancakes.  I often find myself trying  potato pancakes or latkes when I see them on a menu in a German or European restaurant. It may just be nostalgia, but I’ve never tasted any that were as good as hers.

Church Laundry.  She also supplemented her income by washing and ironing the surplices, amices and albs worn for the daily Mass at St. Boniface.  The surplices and amices were a bright white and needed to be starched and ironed.  If I remember correctly, she went to the rectory once a week to pick up the dirty altar-wear , and returned it in a day or two.