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Chicago Gathering
Early June 2003

Chicago Trip...... Byron and I were visiting Chicago in June.. stayed at an apartment almost next door to IBM bldg where Terry has his office.. beautiful view of City, Lake, Chicago River etc. etc.. plus could walk everywhere.  It's nostalgic for us because I met Dad just blocks away when he was a senior at Northwestern Dental School and I was a dietitian at Wesley Memorial Hospital across the street.

Mary & Frap came up for a meeting Frap had and brought Anne and Beckett.  They stayed in same bldg.. there five days plus so cousins got to see a lot of each other.

Terry and Laura planned a cook out and invited Uncle Dick and Aunt Marolyn, plus Dick and family, Tony and his family, and Chris.. Ended up with 22 people.. Chris and Mary Therese couldn't make it (Madeline graduating next day and she was busy with preps). The weather didn't cooperate and got really cold.. in low forties (seemed like below zero to we Floridians) so Saturday morning Terry changed the venue from his house to a small restaurant nearby where we had a private room.. It was terrific.. lots of good visiting and gave all of us an opportunity to see each other.  Katie Quiter was leaving the next week for Peace Corps Stint in Romania, so we had a double celebration.

Uncle Dick, Dad, and I drove up to visit Pat and Joe Quiter for a day . They live in Rochester Minnesota (720 miles).  Had a wonderful visit with them. Joe will be ninety in September.  He is my father's youngest brother. Uncle Dick and I lived with Joe, Tony, and Catherine (my father Richard's siblings) and our grandparents Edward & Catherine until I was five and came back to Elmhurst to start first grade.. So Joe's pretty special. They are both sharp as tacks and just celebrated their 65th anniversary.

Sumner's Graduation (8th grade) from Abraham Lincoln School.  The school was built before and survived the Chicago Fire of 1871.!!!  Soccer in the afternoon. We also went to speech contests, band, and jazz concerts.

Had a great visit with everyone, and ended up with piano recital at Terry and Laura's just before we left.  Helen came that weekend for the concert and she biked with Terry along lakefront with kids and Dad..  B.J. was down when Mary was there for two days.

Saw lots of Uncle Dick, old friends from college and high school, my old house and town, and did some genealogy research with Mary at Historical Society and Newbury Library.. fascinating.  Also found our grandfather's grave on south side of city, James Flynn who died in 1940.. I never knew him, but Mary and Helen did lots of research and found the cemetery, church from where he was buried etc.

What a summer this has been.. I'm writing this in late August after spending 10 days with Richard, Sally and Emilia in Seattle, and another 9 days with Tom, Pam, Sam and Tess in Carpinteria.. wow!! feel like a kid who raided the candy store.. Each visit was just very special.. plus had the bonus of seeing both Helen and B.J.. and Mary in Chicago.. and see Patty here so even though we're far apart we're still connected. I hope that never ceases.

 Love Mom

more.. (part of version 2 of 4)

Katy was leaving the next week for Peace Corp assignment in Romania. We had a great visit.. and were so grateful for Terry and Laura planning it.. so hard to see all the family who are so far apart in the city with busy schedules.. this was perfect. We did see Mary Therese later.. she arranged for everyone to be on the floor of the exchange one a.m.

Lots of good times, dinner Terry and Laura's a number of times, picnic in park, bicycling along Lakefront with Helen.. and last day finally me. Chilly weather, but beautiful. What a summer we've had.. writing this in late August and have since spent almost 10days with Richard, and family in Seattle Lots of fun with Emilia and then almost ten days with Tom, Pam Sam and Tess which as fantastic, too. We feel very blessed to have such neat kids and spouses who seem to be happy to have us and be able to see them. Wish we all were closer, but we've seen everyone in family since 1st of June so we're not complaining.!