Day of the Dead

 Because we were able to do all of our Halloween festivities on Saturday, October 30th, we decided to spend our Sunday celebrating "The Day of the Dead".  Grammy and Pappy Woodhouse, Grandma and Grandpa Nelson, and Great-Grandma and Pap Pap Furin all participated in helping us remember and celebrate loved ones who have passed on.

This is my Mom, Donna Furin in the summer of 1951 on Anna Usenicnik's lap

My Mom has memories of her Grandma making fresh cut fries fried in lard--they were golden and crispy and oh-so-delicious!  Mom also showed us the decorative bread pans her Grandma would use to make them their very own loaf of bread to enjoy.  Anna loved to garden and had beautiful trees and flowers around her home.  I have memories of the snowball bush in her yard and Mom still has peonies growing from her Grandma's garden.

Mike Usenicnik holding my Mom as an infant (1951 or 1952)

Back Row: Vince Furin, William Usenik, Joseph Skoff

Middle Row: Sylvia Furin, Victoria (Vicky) Usenik, Mary (Annie) Skoff

Front: Anna Usenicnik

Max E Nelson with Ephraim Raymond Nelson.  Ephraim loved to work in the garden--here he is pictured using a crutch while he worked in the garden.

Max and Melba Nelson

My Dad's Grandpa, Ephraim Raymond Nelson, served a mission in New Zealand for at least two years and had to leave when Max Nelson was only 1 year old.

William Redmond, father to Teresa Redmond Woodhouse.  Grammy told us memories of frog hunting with her Dad.  She had the job of holding the flashlight to stun the frog and her Dad would grab the frog so later he could enjoy eating one of his favorite treats--frog legs!

Geoff has a sweet memory of his Grandpa Redmond.  Geoff was spending the night at his grandparent's home, woke up extremely early, and heard some sounds downstairs and was convinced there was a burglar in the house.  He crept down the stairs to find his Grandpa Redmond exercising--all was well and safe!  His Grandpa stopped exercising, picked up little Geoff and read him "Puff the Magic Dragon" and then sent him back to bed.

Muriel Guffey Redmond

Memories Grammy Woodhouse have include the fact that Muriel LOVED candy and even sought out Circus Peanuts to munch on!  Her Mother also encouraged Teresa to always practice the piano.  Muriel was very artistic--musically and visually.  She played the piano and organ and we have a needle point piano bench she made as well as a piece of her hand-painted china.  

Gladys and Charles Woodhouse

Geoff's Grandpa (Charles Woodhouse) was one who was always up for a challenge.  One time his college fraternity claimed that one could not eat nor urinate upside down due to gravity.  Charles not only told them such a claim was false, but he also proved to them that it was not true!

Charles Woodhouse (Geoff's Dad) shared that he and Geoff were born in the same hospital in Wichita, Kansas--but he reassured us that they were NOT delivered by the same doctor.

We also visited with Great-Grandma and Pap Pap Furin where we learned a great deal about Mike Usenicnik.  He was a very hard worker and was employed as the Janitor of the YMCA.  His wife would pack him a lunch every day and when an orange was included, he would save his orange so his children could enjoy the sweet fruit instead of him.  Mike loved animals and always had a dog and was often caring for other animals like chickens--including a chicken he once kept at work!

To finish off our special day, we had some pudding cups inspired by the decorated skulls often used in the celebration of our ancestors.