Memories! Photos! A scrapbook of sorts, online.

Mom and Dad were married in Dayton, Ohio September 2, 1949. They forever linked their anniversary to Labor Day weekend. The ceremony was small, with Uncle Melvin and Aunt Maggie standing up with them. Grandpa and Grandma Rohr were there, as was Aunt Mary and Grandma Marra from the Soo. Great Grandpa Rohr and Great Grandma Friend were in attendance and a few of the aunts. Later, Mom and Dad honeymooned in Detroit.

Becky captured this moment in 2012 when Mom was not fully enthralled by Alzheimers. The love in her eyes never wavered over the years, and the love and care in his eyes never wavered either.

THE LEGACY

Mom and Dad left a legacy. No doubt about it. In sheer numbers, they left children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and generations to come. They left traditions, knowledge, a spiritual heritage, financial knowledge and wisdom, laughter and love. All of this came from their love for each other, poured out and into their family, their friends, their business and community.

Happy 73rd Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

One of my every year responsibilities is to make the gravy. Guppy taught me how. I make the broth with the neck ones and giblet. I scrape up the drippings and add the broth. Now the tricky part. Guppy alway insisted the only way to thicken the gravy was to use an old glass Jif Peanut Butter jar, add flour, water and shake. She told me the shape of the bottom was the best for mixing the flour and water without lumps. For a number of years I have followed her example, using the jar she gave me.

Unfortunately, this past year, my jar fell onto my kitchen floor and broke. I can’t find another jar with the same shape. Could I possibly make gravy without the Jif jar? Today I used a mason jar. It worked! Guppy may not believe it, but there is a substitute for the Jif Peanut Butter jar!

I remember seeing her often touch the pictures on this one and on the others made, making comments, almost stroking the faces lovingly. For a time, it was a great memory keeper!

Then Dad started talking about the Soo (Sault Ste. Marie) during the war, what it was like. There were troops there, zeppelins in the air, and concern about the ships loaded with iron ore getting to the plants to be used to make ships a s aircraft carriers.

Dad said that zeppelins were in the air in a big circle around the locks. One of the zeppelins was across the street from the house he and his brothers grew up in with Grandma and Grandpa. Every morning they’d watch that zeppelin be raised high to protect the locks.

The historian said that if the locks were closed even one day, the entire iron ore supply would be disrupted. So the Soo Locks were an important target to protect. And a part of our family history.

The book is called “Target Great Lakes” by Fred Stonehouse. You can watch the news clip here. And yes, I ordered a copy. I’m looking forward to learning more about the role the Great Lakes played in World War 2. And it might uncover some more memories.

During the 1980s and 1990s we held Marra Reunions every couple of years. The Marra brothers would take turns hosting the reunions, so you may remember being at Louis and Mary’s house or Pat and Jenny’s house. All were welcome, all ages, cousins and more. I remember games of bocci, more food than we could ever eat, and small groups that gathered, caught up on each other’s lives, and again, laughed a lot.

1999 was a special year. Pat & Jenny’s 50th Anniversary Party was held one day and the Marra Reunion the next. So that year, we also had some of Jenny’s family present. That year, the Reunion was held at a park because of the number of people.

I had my GENEAOLOGY notebook, with a page for every family and I went around talking to everyone, making sure I had birth dates, wedding anniversaries, and any memories that were recalled all written on the pages. That developed into an ancestry.com family tree which you can visit and explore. The only birth dates you can see are for those that have passed away, so privacy is maintained. Shannon Orr has been adding and updating a lot of information as well the last few years. Stop by and explore your heritage! Becky Jane Davis Family Tree has 5,700+ people in it now! Not all are Marras, as we continue to spread out and find lost cousins and other relatives every day. [Note: to see the family tree, you need an ancestry account. If you have an account, login and you will be sent to the tree Becky and Shannon are working on. If you don’t have an account, you can create a free one, and then you can see the family tree. If you are active on ancestry, and want to be able to add information, contact Becky and she will invite you to share and edit the content. Or you can add people from the tree to your personal tree.]

What started this post was seeing a photo — all the Marras at the 1999 Marra Family Reunion!

When these Germans immigrated to America, they said they were from “Deutschland” which was the German name for Germany. They were deemed “Deutsch” or Dutch by those at Ellis Island. Since most settled in Pennsylvania as the land was a lot like Germany for farming. They were called Pennsylvania Dutch, and had their own unique behavior, cuisine and language.

Mom and I had fun learning about the background and history because so much that we learned she remembers about relatives at family reunions. I had a source for buying Scrapple, Lebanese Bologna and other Pennsylvania Dutch foods at the deli.

Today, I read an article on Family Tree about Pennsylvania Dutch. Mom and I would have had fun reading it together!

Read more in this Family Tree article.

[See image gallery at beckymarkdavis.net]