Visiting with the Sovereigns

At the turn of the year from 1973 to 1974, Harold and Marie Sovereign compiled a tape-recorded message for Don and Suzanne, their son and daughter-in-law. A few relatives made guest appearances in this recording.

Merry Christmas!

Harold and Marie, my maternal grandparents, started this tape recording on Christmas day with greetings for Don, Suzanne, and their family. Grandma mentioned a letter from Lois, my mother, on vacation. Mom, Dad, and my sister Joanne were spending Christmas with my brother Kevin, me, and our wives in Germany. Kevin and I were stationed there in the army.

Grandma and Grandpa were joined by Marge and Ken Gardner. Marge was Grandma’s sister. Ken talked about selling his body shop and hearing from their daughter Penny and her husband Ted.

I am leaving out a noisy and confusing portion of the recording featuring a visit with Gardners and McGregors (Fred and Mable with Joyce Anne and her husband Howard).

Approaching the new year

The next segment of the tape was recorded during the week after Christmas. Grandma and Grandpa talked about typical events in their daily routine.

On New Year’s Eve, Grandma talked about recent and upcoming activities, including

• Attending church with Fred and Verda Olsen, my paternal grandparents.
• Going to Fred and Mable McGregor’s for a 90^th birthday open house for Mable’s mother.
• Playing pinochle at Olsen’s with Roy and Ruth Wyckoff.
• A phone call with Frank and Gert Wyckoff.
• A phone call with Waldo and Marguerite Fisher. Waldo, well known in our hometown as Red Fisher, was Grandma’s brother.
• Plans to go at Wayne and Alene’s with three other couples for New Year’s Eve. I don’t know who Wayne and Alene were.
• Plans to share a steak fry with ten couples at the park next door on New Year’s Day.
• Plans to move some things to Ruskin. They hadn’t sold their current trailer yet but were hoping to rent it for February and March.

Wrapping up from Ruskin

Grandma and Grandpa probably moved to their new mobile home in Ruskin sometime in January. They recorded another segment in their new home with John and Victoria Kidder. John (Hazen) Kidder was Grandma’s brother-in-law from her marriage with Coyne Kidder, Mom’s father. Coyne died when Mom was six years old.

The final segment was recorded in February. Among other things, Grandpa talked about fishing and Grandma talked about playing cards with Alden and Freda Maynard, challenges of getting gas for their car, and Fred and Mable’s plans to return to Michigan to help their ill son Don with their lumberyard.

I hope you enjoy listening to these voices from the past.