Watch Your Kiddos

Many of us are getting back to work at either our current jobs or at a new job after pandemic restrictions have lifted in most states, and babysitters, nannies or other childcare is needed for kids while we are at work or school. One of many daycare options I have noticed while working within the past few months is College Nannies and Sitters, which offers child care services for any number of kids for any occasions, from work functions, meetings/workshops, to having someone watch your kids while on summer or holiday break from school. I have also noticed the service Hop Skip Drive, which is a transportation service for kids  similar to Uber or Lyft. This is different, because Hop Skip Drive is exclusively for kids, and Uber and Lyft cannot pick up anyone under the age of 18 in their vehicles without someone over 18 with them. Hop Skip Drive drivers are thoroughly background and driving checked and have to have five years or more of childcare experience. I had heard of them back in either 2018 or 2019, when one of my fellow volunteers and I got to talking about rideshare, and the fact that no one under 18 could get an Uber or a Lyft alone, even under their parents accounts. 

Drafted and Oriented

 The Major League Baseball Draft has been going on these past few days, and as I see the newest Major Leaguers getting drafted, I hope that they are getting oriented appropriately by the clubs that have drafted them on every aspect of Major League and Minor League life. Every year, a few of the top prospects from each team are selected to attend the Rookie Career Development Program, sponsored by the Major League Baseball Players Association. This program is held in January, and helps the young men to navigate life in the majors, handle their finances, how to eat right and exercise, and many other aspects of life. I think there should be an orientation program for all who are both drafted and undrafted, as they all would be similarly oriented. 

The Cost of Traveling

 I have been noticing a lot of things here recently, since many Coronavirus restrictions are being lifted and people are traveling again. Many people who are traveling are experiencing higher prices when they book hotel rooms and vacation rentals such as Airbnb and Vrbo, airline flights and rental cars. I have noticed that some rental car companies have raised prices to near $1000 a day due to pent up demand. If you are thinking about travelling this summer, be careful, be safe and look for bargains while making reservations. Whenever I travel, I use my discounts for hotels and airfare, as well as for Amtrak if I am traveling by rail. 

Supreme gowns

I was stunned to hear of the passing of Mary Wilson, founding member of The Supremes on Tuesday morning. The Supremes are one of my favorite Motown groups. The picture I post with the entry today was from my 2019 trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. These dresses were donated by Mary Wilson, who with Florence Ballard and Diana Ross, was inducted into the Rock Hall in 1988. They appear on the album cover of the Supremes and Four Tops' Return of the Magnificent Seven album from 1971

What's Time Is It? Detroit Time!

 These are trying times lately, but telling time should not be trying. Shinola, a Detroit-based maker of timepieces, placed giant clocks around the metro Detroit area a few years ago. These pictures are from August 2019 and August 2018. This clock is  located in front of Ford Field and is  placed very conveniently, as Lions and Tigers fans can see how long it is until gates open and game time, or what time it is so you will not be late to your evening soirees in downtown Detroit

Safe Haven

I am going through my travel pictures, as I have been doing frequently here lately, and I run across this one from my trip to Chicago in 2016. This is at a firehouse between Michigan Avenue and Navy Pier. This sign is about the safe haven law for newborns. If a baby is born, and the parents feel like they are in no position to care for the child at the present moment for any cause, they can leave the child at a firehouse, police station, or emergency room, no questions asked, and the baby will be placed in foster care or up for adoption. There are laws across the nation that will help newborns that are abandoned by their parents. There is an organization called the National Safe Haven Alliance that will help you, as well 

 

Help a Young ballplayer with what they need

Baseball season is coming up quickly, Spring Training is beginning later this month. In March of last year, the baseball season was put on hold due to the Coronavirus. The Minor League  was cancelled shortly after the announcement of the Major League season's postponement. Many players wondered what they would do when they heard the news. One of the admirable efforts I noticed during these times was from Emily Waldon, a baseball writer on Twitter and on The Athletic. She brought attention to the plight of the minor leaguer and the situations they faced with not knowing what their job statuses were at the time, and helped connect Minor League players to companies and people who were looking to hire for the time being. Another admirable effort I ran across was Adopt a Minor Leaguer, which pairs Minor League baseball players with people who can help them out with what they and their families (if they have them) might need. 

Chronicling the Community

I am working on my family history since 2008, and here recently, I have been using my Library of Michigan card to do more research. One of the many platforms I have access to is ProQuest, which houses many books, newspapers, and documents. One of the newspapers that are archived and housed here is the Michigan Chronicle. The former offices for the Chronicle, located at 479 Ledyard in Detroit's Cass Park is shown here in September 2012 on the left and November 2018 on the right. The Chronicle is a black-owned newspaper and was part of the Sengstacke newspaper chain, which is now a part of Real Times media.They covered important information that was pertinent to the black community. They also covered events that the Detroit News and Free Press would not way back when. What most impressed me was the coverage of weddings, bridal and baby showers, Sweet Sixteen parties and the Chronicle's annual Churchwomen's survey reception, which honored women who were involved in the activities of her church. The Sweet Sixteen parties impressed me, because, depending on what the young lady's parents could afford, ranged from a casual party at home to a formal dance at a hotel ballroom with a young man the young lady or her parents knew (sometimes her parents' friends' son), escorting her. the weddings ranged from intimate weddings at the bride's parents' home, with the bride carrying a prayer book with flowers down the aisle, to large weddings at church with a fancy reception at home or at a large hall with many guests attending. The bridal and baby showers were equally impressive with card games taking place after all the gifts were opened and seen.  While looking through the Chronicle archives, I find many family members on both sides of my family, especially on my mother's side. I didn't realize how social Mom's side was, with club meetings and parties, debutante balls, sweet sixteen parties, and other functions. Dad's family was pretty social as well. I found my Dad in a couple articles from when he was in high school and when he was working. Dad went to high school with the editor's son, who I wrote about in a previous entry, who was his class president. 

 

Super Weekend Memories

As Super Bowl Sunday rapidly approaches, I am reminded of when the Super Bowl was held in Detroit in February 2006. The whole scene in downtown Detroit, the shuttles in and out of the transit center, the Winter Blast, the NFL Experience, celebrity parties and events around town, and other aspects of the weekend were crazy, but it was a great time. Here are a few pictures I took during all the festivities. The above picture is of the Spirit of Detroit statue in a special jersey for the occasion. A jersey is placed on the statue for any sporting event or if one of Detroit's sports teams makes the playoffs. 

This picture was taken at the NFL Experience at what is now the TCF Center (formerly Cobo Center). The Pittsburgh Steelers featured native Detroiter Jerome Bettis, who attended Mackenzie High School on Detroit's west side. 

The Winter Blast made its debut this year after a trial run in 2005. It was well attended by many people. It has been put on hold recently due to the pandemic, but I am quite sure that it will be back and better than ever after this virus is eradicated. 

During the week leading up to the Super Bowl, the GM showroom at the Renaissance Center was used as a media center for visiting media members.All cars were removed and media platforms were erected in their places. ESPN took up the entire Wintergarden, facing the Detroit River. They had many different features the entire week. 

 

YouTube Friday: Pregame Show - 2020 "All-American" Marching Band

YouTube Friday is here for the first Friday in February! Today's featured video is from Purdue Bands and Orchestras' YouTube channel. Here is the "All American Marching Band" and the "All American Twirlers" in their pregame routine for the 2020 football season. They had to split up into three platoons for a safe marching experience. I enjoy seeing their routines this past season, especially their Halloween show (check out the world's largest drum, and its handlers in that one!) 

Online Library

We all could stand to learn something new during these times, for our own personal knowledge or for our studies if we are furthering our education. For this purpose, I recommend the Digital Public Library of America. This site contains a wealth of information and topics of interest to many. I discovered this website while perusing the internet back in 2017 or 2018. Make sure to check out the digital collections and search for things that attract your attention. 

Delicious meals home delivered

Taking care of an aging relative is no easy task for anyone. I have experienced this when I was taking care of my father until his passing, taking care of his day-to-day needs and making sure he was okay. Many people are caring for aging relatives or relatives with special needs. I have been following the Dementia CareBlazers YouTube channel and Facebook page here for some time and thinking of three extended family members on my mother's side of the family that have been affected by and have passed away from this dreaded disease of Alzheimer's and Dementia. While caring for a family member, friend, or neighbor who is aging or dealing with living alone, finding healthful options for daily meals can be a challenge. As I am on social media, I find the site Mom's Meals. They can deliver a healthy, home-cooked meal to your home. The meals can be tailored to the diets of those dealing with different health challenges, such as for those battling Cancer, Diabetes, kidney failure, heart issues, and more. There are even plans for those who adhere to a vegetarian or gluten-free diet. I think that this will help anyone with the proper nutritional needs of those they care for. 

Stay Safe out there

 I have noticed that when the pandemic first started, and stay-at-home orders and lockdowns were first initiated in March 2020, people were preparing with survival kits, amongst other things. I first learned of these kits when I saw a leaflet for Redfora on my driveway in late 2019. I discovered their wide selection of survival kits, namely their popular Earthquake bag, which will provide you with the basics of survival if you need to evacuate for any reason. They also offer kits for your car if you get stranded or stuck in the snow or mud,  and one for your pets, primarily for dogs and cats, so they will be protected in emergency situations.  When I went on their website when lockdowns were put in place, there was a long waiting period for people ordering survival kits out of an abundance of concern as to when the lockdowns would be lifted or the strictness of them would be loosened.  Another preparedness kit I have discovered is Judy, which offers preparedness kits as small as a toiletry bag and fanny pack, to one as big as a large storage box. After seeing these and many other preparedness packs, I told myself I would start to get myself prepared and make a plan for my cat and myself just in case something happened and I needed to leave immediately. 

Helping those in God's Kingdom

Over the past few years, I have heard about Kingdom Home, a charity run by Matthew and Ashley Boyd (Matthew is a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers). Kingdom Home helps kids and young people in Uganda who might be targeted for immoral purposes and gets them on the path to a better life. The home also helps these young people to learn life skills to help them become better citizens in their communities. When I am able one day in the future, I would like to sponsor a young person here. If you can, whether now or in the future, consider sponsoring a young person and making a difference in their lives. 

Remember and Reflect

I read that January 27 was Holocaust Remembrance Day around the world. This day is set aside each year to remember the atrocities committed at the concentration camps during World War II. January 27 is the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1945. In Hebrew, the day is called Yom HaShoah, which is observed in April this year.  I am reminded of the story of Anne Frank, who, along with her family and a few acquaintances, hid in what Anne referred to in her diary as the Secret Annex. This hiding place was used to keep them away from the evil that was the Nazis. The occupants were discovered and taken to concentration camps. Anne, her mother, Edith, and her sister, Margot. were taken to Bergen-Belsen camp, where they died in 1945. After the war, Anne's diary was found and returned to her father, Otto, who had survived the holocaust. Otto Frank published his daughter's diary, and millions have read the thoughts of a young person in hiding in what is now titled The Diary of a Young Girl. The building the Franks hid in now houses the Anne Frank House Museum, which seeks to educate about what happened during the time they were there. 

Club Cocktails

It's interesting the things you find sometime. This cocktail hour ticket was in one of my late grandmother's old purses, found while cleaning up and out. Traveler's Unlimited was a club from a local travel agency in the metro Detroit area.  Watts' Club Mozambique was a legitimate nightclub at one time, along with Henry's Palace.  Many of the younger generations of Detroiters remember the Mozambique and Henry's as strip clubs, namely all-Male Review club in its later days before the 2015 fire that destroyed it. 

 

YouTube Friday: Trevor Bauer Does Conor McGregor's Strut in Game (Vlog 5 | Trevor Bauer'...

I have been educating myself on the Coronavirus health and safety protocols in both the National Hockey League and the National Basketball Association, as well as Major League Baseball, when and if the season gets started for 2021 (this article was from January 12. 2021) When baseball restarted in July for the 2020 season, I was interested in what the players had to go through in this "New Normal", so I went on YouTube, and I ran across Trevor Bauer's vlog on the Momentum YouTube channel, the above video was filmed here in Detroit when the Reds were playing the Tigers.  Trevor also has another vlog series on Momentum, Inside the Off-Season, where he details his offseason activites.

Get help if needed

 Lately, I have been seeing numerous ads for the sportsbooks and other forms of online gaming here in the metro Detroit area since the state of Michigan legalized this form of gambling this month. I am also hearing many ads these past few months for the Michigan Problem Gambling Hotline, knowing there are people that are dealing with a serious problem of not being able to control a gambling habit and are afraid to seek help due to thoughts of losing their jobs and families. I think that, besides inside all casinos, there should be signs in the parking structure, namely on beams near parking spaces, in the elevator lobbies/staircases, and in other high visibility areas, along with signs for the Suicide Helpline (picture taken 2018 in Chicago at the Grand Red Line stop). Whenever I think of these hotlines, I am reminded of Greektown Casino in Detroit. which had a high number of suicides due to lost money at the casino, difficult life circumstances (death of a family member/close friend, loss of a job, relationship dissolution, etc), or other issues. before fencing was put up a few years ago around the window openings and a high fence along the top floor of the parking garage (picture taken August 2020). I hope all casinos can take up putting these signs for their parking decks one day. 

Carnival during the holidays

 I know the Holidays are behind us right now, but I am thinking of the former Detroit Christmas Carnival, which was held, between Thanksgiving and New Years at what is now the TCF Center in Detroit, formerly Cobo Hall. This was always a good time for families and all who chose to attend. The carnival had games, rides, and other fun things to do. The last festival was held in the late '90s-early 2000s. The last festival I remember attending was in 1995. The Detroit Historical Society has an archive of artifacts, with quite a few from the Christmas Carnivals of the past. I have added a picture of one of the scenes from the 1987 Christmas Carnival, taken by my mother. She had taken my older cousins, her nephew and niece, to the carnival in the 1970s, and she took me when I was small in the late '80s and early 1990s

Ting,Ting! You're Home!

I have been uploading pictures from the past 10 years or so to my Google Photos album, and I find this one from July 2011, 4th of July weekend to be exact. This is the City Club Apartment complex in Downtown Detroit. They were formerly known as Trolley Plaza, named for the former Washington Boulevard Trolley line in the 1980s. According to Emporis, the apartment is 28 stories, with 6 stories for parking, with a recreation area on top of the parking deck. These apartments have everything you could ask for in amenities. The apartments opened in 1981, 5 years after the Trolleys first ran in 1976 (side note, the article about the Trolleys I linked, the picture was taken where the apartments stand now! The hotel on the left  behind the people was demolished in 2005). When the apartments opened, rent ranged from $325 to $1,000. In 2021, rent ranges from $1,200 to almost $3,000 dollars a month, depending on what size apartment you would like. 

 

Sights of New Orleans

During this coronavirus pandemic, travel has been curtailed, and when someone needs to travel for work or other necessary means, they must have the proper documentation. Lately, I have felt the itch to travel, so I have been looking through many of my travel pictures from years past. These pictures are from a trip to  New Orleans in July 2017, when I was there for a family wedding. New Orleans is very steeped in history and culture and is a great place to visit. One of the first sights I saw while flying in was the expansive Lake Pontchartrain, and many people on their boats.  Here is the world famous St. Louis Cathedral, the oldest Catholic Cathedral in North America. I had stopped in to say a prayer for my cousin on her wedding day. 

Horse and buggy tours are very popular in the French Quarter. This horse at Jackson Square was being very photogenic to a tourist. 

The famous Cafe Du Monde coffee stand, which sells chicoried Coffee (you can have it straight or Cafe Au Lait) and Beignets. This is a 24-hour operation, open whenever you feel you might need some

The New Orleans Resurrection is a popular cocktail on Bourbon Street. It is made from Rum and Blue Curacao. 

Speaking of Bourbon Street, it was great to see the street in person on days outside of Carnival and Mardi Gras. Many bars and clubs line the street, as well as other tourist attractions

As I was leaving for home, I noticed these flowers in the ladies room after going through security at Louis Armstrong Airport. This was the first time I have seen fresh flowers at the airport. 

 

 

Architecturally Faithful

 As I am going through the suburbs of Detroit this past week, I pass by the ornate Kirk in the Hills, a Presbyterian church in the suburb of Bloomfield Hills. It is a church I have only heard about growing up in the metro area. Looking at their history, they were formed in the 1940s after a businessman in Detroit, Col. Edwin George had the foresight for a church in the area in the 1930s. Services were first held at the current church in 1958. They have had five pastors shepherding the flock since 1958. As with houses of worship of all faiths during the coronavirus pandemic, they are conducting worship services online and in-person to a limited number of parishioners. They have many courses for growth in the Christian faith for parishioners of all ages. 

Thoughtfulness

 I am currently thinking of a post I penned on my personal Facebook page at the end of the year. I wrote about how I saw that some people were feeling upset and cranky about how 2020 turned out with the coronavirus and other things happening, and they felt that life wasn't going the way they wanted it to go. This life does not revolve around you alone. People do not have to cater to you and make you the center of everything all the time. You have to learn to give instead of take and to keep the faith, keep praying if you believe in the power of prayer,  and make do with what you currently have. You can learn a new skill or discover a talent that has laid dormant for a while, and share these gifts and talents with those around you. I feel heartened to see how friends, family members, coworkers and old classmates are using their gifts and talents to help and inform those around them, as well as brighten the days of all around them. As for me, I am discovering more of my family history, as well as the History of certain figures in the Detroit area and across the nation using the Library of Michigan and other websites, and sharing it with people in my circle. I am doing what I can to get by during this time. What are you doing to make use of your gifts and talents? Have you discovered a particular gift or talent that you are using now? All of this makes me think of the song "You Gotta Make Your Own Sunshine" by Neil Sedaka, which is about making your own sunshine when life gets you down and out. 

YouTube Friday: The Beach Boys- Kokomo (HQ)

Since it is pretty chilly in most parts of the country, today's installment of YouTube Friday is from the Beach Boys, courtesy of InnerMusicLove's YouTube channel,  designed to take you to tropical locales.  There are a few places in the United States called Kokomo, one in the state of Indiana and one on the island of Maui in Hawaii, but there is no Kokomo in Florida! 

Newspaper Insurance

Going through some old newspapers on Newspapers.com, and I noticed that many newspapers, the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press included, had accident insurance back in the days. Until at least the 1980s-1990s, newspapers offered accident insurance to their subscribers and covered them in case of injury, accident, or death, and covered your bills if you had to be off work while recuperating. The insurance laws across the country have since changed, and what was covered is now covered by auto insurance agencies.

 

Fast Mail

Here's a real piece of nostalgia. It is an old book that held stamps back in the late 1960s-early 1970s, judging from the old Post Office Pony Express logo. Look how much a stamp cost back in the days! The little postman featured here is Mr. Zip, who reminded people to use a zip code when you mailed your letter instead of a zone, which was common back in those days. According to the Postal Museum, Mr. Zip was introduced in 1963 when the Zip Code was put in effect and debuted in January 1964. 

 

Living under false pretenses

As I am going about Twitter, I run across a post from Ken Coleman about Daniel West, a Michigan State Representative. The interesting thing is, it is not his real identity. it is a con artist using a dead man's name to get ahead in life. The original Daniel West was a lawyer in New York that died in the early 1960s, and a man from Detroit who owned several businesses assumed his identity and ran for office. (here is his legislative biography). After his story came to light, He was refused a seat in the Michigan Legislature, and was on the run in 1965 under the threat of being charged with Tax-related offenses. He was reportedly spotted in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, right across the river from Detroit, in the mid-1970s but it was not him. The man's identity was never known or revealed, and we may never know who he was.  

Grocery shopping in the past

We all have been hearing so much lately about supporting minority businesses. I look through some family archives, and I find old documents from an African-American owned business that opened a supermarket in Detroit, The business was called "Our Enterprises", and it aimed to unite the black community in Detroit after the riots in 1967. A group led by entrepreneur M. Stewart Thompson recruited investors and sold stock in the business in 1968, and after a few setbacks, Our Market opened in May of 1970, Our Market near the intersection of Dexter and Joy Road in northwest Detroit. The business went well for some time, but eventually, the store closed in 1972. I mention Our Market and Our Enterprises because my father always mentioned this store and that he owned stock in the company before it folded. He always mentioned that it was an attempt to bring a positive business to the area after the riot. 

Under Construction

These buildings are parts of Detroit Metro building history in the past 40-50 years. These are the Providence Tower Condominiums and the IBM headquarters in Southfield, Michigan. Southfield is an "inner ring" suburb of Detroit. Providence Towers were built in the early-mid 1970s near Providence Hospital, which moved from Detroit in the mid-1960s, and the IBM building was built between 1975 and 1977, so these were taken betwen 1974 and 1976. I posted these pictures on Facebook on a Detroit Architecture group, and I got a good bit of information on both. Providence Towers were supposed to be an exclusive apartment complex with many amenities but got caught up in financial concerns. The IBM headquarters has a unique design about it, and the outer covering was so unique, it was copyrighted! The IBM building at last check was up for sale. 

 

Labor joins together in Solidarity

As I am scanning a box of negatives that were in my father's collection, I find these pictures from the 1981 Detroit Labor Day parade in downtown Detroit on September 7, and  Solidarity Day in Washington DC. 1981 was a ride on the labor front. the Air Traffic Controllers Union, PATCO, went on an illegal strike and were fired in August of 1981. Many other labor unions were in support of them, and Detroit branches of the labor unions showed this support in the Labor Day parade. Solidarity Day was in Mid September in Washington DC. Labor Unions from across the nation came to the Nation's Capitol in droves to protest perceived cuts in social security and other programs the Reagan administration that the unions disagreed with.. There are more pictures where these came from, and I will try to post some later. 

 

YouTube Friday: Seven Whole Days-Toni Braxton

 

YouTube Friday is here! . Today's selection for YouTube Friday is "Seven Whole Days" by Toni Braxton. I heard this song originally on Detroit Radio, namely WGPR in Detroit before they went Hip-Hop about 10 years ago. This has been on my mind recently, being a cool sounding song and a cool video, as well. 

Research and Learn

 They say that some people and their stories stick with you after you learn about them. There are two people whose stories stick with me, 30 years after their passings. Back in May of 2020, as I am going through my father's possessions after his passing, I go through his yearbook from his senior year of High School, as well as a school newspaper, and a program from his senior breakfast and graduation, and see the name Longworth Quinn, Jr., dad's class president. I think to myself, "Wow, this young man did it all, and was in many school activities. If he is still alive. where is he now, and what did he do with himself after high school?" I did a search online, and learned quite a bit, as I continue to do today. Born in Chicago, Longworth Quinn, Jr. was the son of Longworth Quinn, Sr., who was with the Chicago Defender at the time, later with the Michigan Chronicle, where he rose to the position of  Publisher. After High School, he went to Alma College, and later Wayne State University Law School, where he got his Juris Doctor degree in 1973.  Longworth Quinn was a member of the Wolverine and Michigan State Bar since 1974 and was an attorney for the City of Detroit at one time. In 1982, he was elected to the 36th District Court, later he was elected head judge. He was a member of the Detroit Board of Education, the Detroit Commission of Community Relations, New Detroit, and many other groups. He stayed very involved in the community. He was known to have an active interest in helping the black community in Detroit. In January 1990, he committed suicide. He was 46 years old. His funeral was attended by family, friends, and many 36th District Court staff. Many that knew Judge Quinn personally say that the passings of his father and two close friends of his in 1989, and the suicide of a girlfriend in 1984 may have led to his suicide. When I read about his girlfriend's suicide, I decided to get to researching her, as well. I find this article from May 6, 1984 (part 1, part 2, part 3) about Lisa Likely, a 23-year-old second-year law student who had met Judge Quinn at court when she was a student attorney, helping with Landlord-tenant issues. Born in 1960, she was academically gifted and worked hard at her studies, often while working two jobs. She was friendly with those she encountered while in school and at work.  Friends and those she was closest to said she had emotional issues beginning when she was a teenager and got worse as she got older. She would act inappropriately, get a hot temper when she did not get what she wanted and attempt to harm herself numerous times, and call the suicide hotline to talk about her problems. When she went to therapy, she would stop when she felt better, then relapse. She committed suicide by jumping from Judge Quinn's apartment balcony in February 1984.  Looking at this article from near 37 years later, it sounds like she was dealing with Histrionic Personality Disorder, in which a person will do nearly anything to be the center of attention, including threatening or attempting to harm themselves to get someone to notice them.  I pray that if you are going through a difficult time, especially in these times, call a friend or the suicide hotline if you are feeling like this world is against you, and you cannot bear it. 

Honored Detroiter

 In the waning days of 2020, I learned about various figures in history that had ties to Detroit and the metro area. One of these figures is James Okubo, who posthumously earned the Medal of Honor in 2000 after records of Asian-American soldiers were re-examined.  He was born in Washington State in 1920 to Japanese parents. He was a Technician, Fifth Grade in the Army, and was a medic. He came very close to the enemy line to help fellow soldiers who were injured. After the war, he moved to Detroit with his family, and was an instructor at the University of Detroit's dental school, and operated his own dental practice in Detroit.  He died in January 1967 in a car accident near Flint, Michigan while heading back to Detroit with his family, who survived the accident. He is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit, where the above picture was taken on New Year's Eve, 2020.

Happy New Year!

 Hope everyone is having a somewhat decent 2021 so far. I am doing well, considering. Sometimes, I get a bit panicked, but I go through my pictures and work on my family history, as well as do research on things that interest me or get my attention in some way or another. Hopefully in 2021, I will be able to share with you things that are interesting or historic in nature. Bear with me as I go through different things, and I will be writing some when I get around to it. 

Lauren