Waive with baby Barbara

In 1931, Waive Schwander at the age of nineteen would often go to the local dancehall where she would dance, listen to music and hangout with her friends.  One evening she met a charming young man and had a brief affair.  When the young man learned of the situation he told his parents who then shipped him off to college in a neighboring state. Waive, without husband, lived with her parents, having a daughter on January 16, 1932, naming her Barbara.  Waive wrote in her memoirs, “I remember when Barbara was born on January 16, 1932, Delmar, (Waive’s sister Hazel son), was around three years old.  He came in and had a little hairbrush in his pocket for her.  He didn’t want it wrapped for this is how he wanted to give it to her. Since he was the first grandchild, we all rather spoiled him. I think I was his favorite though -- he was a smart little boy.”  

A few months after Barbara was born, while at a friend’s party Waive met a young man named Fred Junion and over the following weeks they fell in love.  But there was a problem, Fred was married and had a baby son while Waive had a baby girl at home, but they worked it out.  Fred divorced his wife, leaving the son with her mother and married Waive the following month, adopting Barbara.  To Fred’s parents, who were devote Catholics, this was a double transgression, divorce and marrying a protestant.  His parents disowned him, so he changed his last name from Junion to Junior.  It would be many years before Fred would talk to his parents again.  

Updated: 9.29.2021

1932