In 1934 while the Mixsons were in Florida, some thousand miles to the north in Michigan the Fred and Waive Junior had their second child a daughter who they named Sue Beverly Junior. Sue was born around one p.m. on May 21, 1934.   Waive said, “Ma got so excited she couldn’t find anything.  Sue was such a strong little baby right at birth she turned over and nearly fell off the table. Everyone liked to tease Fred because he was sick to his stomach just like me before Sue was born.”

Shortly after Sue was born, Fred, Waive and their two daughters moved from Burnips to Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Fred got a job at the Consumer Ice Company delivering ice to homes for ice boxes.  Very few people had electric refrigerators at this time with the first home refrigerators just coming out a few years earlier, they were much too expensive for most people.  With depression Fred felt himself lucky to have any job for many did not.  

When President Roosevelt had formed a government work corps called the Works Progress Administration or just WPA as it was known, Fred got a job with it and made about $14 a week. This was considered a good salary at this time with many having no job at all.  It helped that Fred had two children for the men who had the children were always hired first.  The government also gave out bread and milk stamps and free meat but Waive found the meat slimy and not fit to eat it. 

Fred did not like for working for the WPA with a boss telling him what to do, he was much too independent for that, so he soon found a way to make money and being his own boss.  Not having a car, he teamed up with a man who had one which they would drive to Holland on the coast of lake Michigan buying fish  then selling them to the farmers or trading them for eggs and other food.  Waive would can vegetables, fruit, pickles and make relishes from what Fred brought home and so  the depression wasn’t too bad for them.

With little money and many places closed due to the depression, Fred and Waive found things to enjoy.   They loved going to the movies but there were very few new movies made during the depression years but there was there was dancing. Fred and Waive would sometimes go to a several dances a week which would have live music from local bands.  They had many friends who would often have parties at their homes.  And to make things better, President Roosevelt brought back in liquor and 3.2% beer, which he promised, would never get stronger. 

Updated: 10-04-2021

1936