Mom (Rosalia Hon Matyn)'s WW II photograph album

Sorry it has been so long since I blogged, but I needed a break.

Here are some images from Mom's WWII photograph album. She wrote on each one in green ink. Why green? I don't know. Most of her comments identify who, when and where the photographs where taken, with a few pithy commentary notes. I have only included a sample of them so other relatives can enjoy them. There are a lot of her nephew, my cousin, Donny Hipp, who was the oldest grandchild.

The Album begins with her graduation from Hermantown High School,  near Duluth, Minnesota  May 21, 1942 at 8pm in the school auditorium. Ditto copies of the school newspaper Kee-a-wah Trail, are in her album. There are various pictures of seniors in costumes, cooking out, and in caps and gowns together.

Here's Mom in the upper right of the image in front of Hermantown H.S. She was the valedictorian.

ED Hanning, Mom and George Ruravina (or Kukavina?) In a prior photo the men are in front of a small pine the class dedicated

"a sunny Sunday afternoon, on a stone wall...St. Paul, MN, ruined a pair of hose on the darn wall, Fall 1942"

Aunty Frances married George Clifford Hipp on March 31, 1940.  Their first son, Donny, was born April 16, 1941. There are a lot of pictures of Donny. He and my Mom spent a lot of time together and loved each other dearly.

Donny and Clifford Fall 1942

Donny playing in the snow, early 1943

Mom, Donnie and Cliff-windy Sunday Fall 1942

Mom and Donny in the back yard Fall 1942

Mom and Donald one Sunday afternoon in the yard in front of water station  in St. Paul, 1942

Donald with Aunty "roz" Fall 1942

Clifford, Donnie and Frances, St. Paul, Fall 1943

Here are a few more:

Altamae Johnson, Uncle Ed, Bethel and Wally Gershons, back home on furlough Fall 1943, close up. Altamae married Ed in Oct. 1945 and Bethel was a witness with Uncle Paul. This may indicate that Wally did not survive the war.

Here are Uncle Ed, Wally and Grandpa Hon in his Coast Guard uniform July 1943. I cannot make this photo line up. Grandpa helped "watch for the enemy" in the Great Lakes during WWII.

The first part of 1943 Donny, clearly the love of everyone's life with Grandpa and Grandma Hon and a very young Aunty Phyllis.

A lot more of the album in the near future. I promise. No more long breaks.

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