Trending
It was Easter, 1946: World War II had been over a bit more than six months. Mom, Dad, my sister and I went to Easter services at Emmanuel Lutheran that Sunday morning. I had a brand new powder blue suit with beige plaid inserts on the coat. It was the first time since before the war that I had trousers with cuffs.
The Rev. Rush gave the Easter sermon over the church public address system from his bed in the parsonage due to his failing health. The ushers had to set up folding chairs in the aisles to handle the overflow crowd.
After the services, we were in a hurry to get home because Mom had a huge ham in the oven and lots of invited relatives to serve.
Soon after we got home, the relatives started pouring in. Aunt Jessie brought Ed, her fiance, whom she had met in the U.S. Navy. Ed was a lieutenant commander and she was an ensign in the WAVES. He had been involved with the development of the McDonnell Phantom carrier jet. Both had been recently discharged, and Aunt Jessie was to teach math at Michigan State.
Also arriving were Cousins Robert (Red), who had returned from active duty in the Philippines; Walter from the Baffin Islands; and Neal from Fort Knox in the U.S. Cousin Jim was still attending Harding High. Aunt Elnora and Uncle Andy drove in from Vienna. Elnora brought her much-anticipated poppy seed kolachi – Mom called it kolatchski. Grandma Katie had lost her beloved husband just before Christmas, and just sat silently on the living room couch.
Cousin Walter had brought me two uninflated weather balloons that trumped even the largest balloons I had ever had. I about blew out my eardrums inflating them. Cousin Red showed me how to cover my P-40 stick model airplane with tissue paper; and Cousin Neal told fascinating stories about a man named Preston Tucker who was developing an ultra-modern and revolutionary rear-engine automobile. Cousin Jim showed me how to construct a paper airplane with an intricately folded nose. All of the cousins animatedly chattered about the post war world and its promise of wondrous things.
Dad happily tended bar in the kitchen, occasionally getting in the way of Mom, my sister, Aunt Elnora, and Aunt Jessie who were preparing the ham dinner. After all, Dad had several thirsty relatives who had to be served.
As the women worked in the kitchen, and the men drank their highballs, I got a chance to look over my Easter basket. I no longer believed in the Easter bunny, but it paid to continue the charade. The huge and once scarce chocolate bunny in the basket was disappointingly hollow, and the fake cellophane grass stuck to the chocolate.
Twelve sat down at the dining room table (it had three leaves) to a sumptuous Easter dinner. Mom never sat down with us, being busy making sure everybody had what was desired. I was called upon to give the blessing, which was the same old simple blessing that I had said before every meal for the last six years.
Of course, there was way too much to eat, with ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, string beans, and cranberry relish. We finished off the meal with Aunt Elnora’s kolachi, and apple pie and ice cream. It was great to enjoy an Easter dinner without the wartime shortages of the year before and to be with my cousins who had been away in the armed services for so long.
After dinner, the men and boys retreated to the living room to sit down in comfortable chairs and, sometimes, nod off. The women, with the exception of Grandma, put their aprons back on, cleared the table, and proceeded to wash, dry and put away all the dishes and pots and pans.
Did you notice anything unusual about this picture? Things have changed a lot since that Easter Day and most of the characters in this little vignette are gone now.
Well, maybe things haven’t changed so much. Happy Easter!
Mumford can be reached at columns@tribtoday.com