Waive Junior Remembering
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Barbara and Gary at their house in Grand Rapids

We moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan shortly after Sue was born.  Fred worked at Consumer Ice Company at this time.  He delivered ice to homes for ice boxes.  Very few people had electric refrigerators at this time.  The depression was still on and one was very lucky to have any job at all. Fred found out he could make more money with a man that he knew there in Grand Rapids who had a car (we didn’t have a car). They went to Holland, Michigan and bought fish and sold them to the farmers or traded them for eggs and other food.  We canned vegetables, fruit, pickles and made relishes from what he got and living during the depression wasn’t too bad for us.
 
            President Roosevelt had formed a work crew called WPA. Fred got a job on it and made about $14 a week. This was considered a good salary at this time.  The men who had the most children were always hired first.  The government also gave out free meat (it was awful --slimy veal) -- we couldn’t eat it!  We also got bread and milk stamps.
 
            We had very few places to go during this time.  There were very fey movies also. President Roosevelt brought back in liquor and 3.2% beer which he promised would never get stronger (but it did).  Dancing was our biggest thing.  We would go to a couple of dances a week. There was always live music so this was a big event for us. There were plenty of parties at our friend’s homes too.

             Dixie was born March 30, 1936. At this time, Fred worked for Cook Coffee Company. He would sometimes make up to $40 a week, and that was big money.  Carole was born December 30, 1937, just 21 months after Dixie.