When your dad [Edward] and I [Dorothy] were kids and we all would go up to Republic to visit our grandpa [Eduard], Uncle Joe [Morock], Aunt Martha and Ruth would go along. Grandpa and Uncle Joe would go fishing every day and every day our big meal at near noon would be fresh sautéed fish. Delicious!
Our appetites were so ravenous when we were there, we would eat cereal and then toast bread on top of the wood burning stove. It tasted so good! I can remember one breakfast I had 5 slices of toast. Aunt Martha hollered at us and told us to get out of the kitchen that day. Saying she and Grandma [Frances?] were getting dinner ready and we were still eating breakfast.
One year Uncle Joe, Aunt Martha, Ruth + Uncle Henry, Aunt Martha and their four girls plus Grandma [Frances] Morock all went up to Republic. Of course, our main meal was fish. One day baloney sandwiches were put on a big plate and placed on the table where the kids were seated. We were told to wait until given the word to eat. When we were given the word, you never saw anything disappear so fast!
Grandma Morock was a heavy-set woman who wore long dresses which she sewed together by hand with tiny stitching without {illegible}.
{illegible} across the road from my Grandpa’s [Eduard], there is a picture of her there. {illegible} her dress looks like a balloon.
One year Uncle Joe, Aunt Martha, and Ruth accompanied our family to Republic. There were 7 of us in a 4-door 1938 Chrysler. We kids took turns sitting on a small chair in the back. We weren’t too far from my Grandpa’s [Eduard’s] on a gravel road when a tire blew. I remember our Aunt Martha saying “hold it Joe.” The car went out of control and rolled over about 3 times, hitting a huge rock. When the rolling was done, the car was on its side. One of us was standing on Ruth and Len [Magdaleine]. Amazingly none of us were seriously hurt. Grandma [Frances? Helen?] had some skin burns from rubbing on the upholstery. We found Uncle Joe’s rimless glasses in the grass. The car was totaled. People couldn’t believe no one was seriously hurt or killed.
A car stopped and a man offered to take the women and kids to my Grandpa’s. Uncle Joe and my dad [Florent] stayed with the car. When we arrived at my Grandpa’s, the man hesitatingly gave us his business card. He sold tombstones!
I believe that was the time Uncle Joe’s insurance agent neglected to renew his auto insurance so he had no insurance.
Grandpa [Florent] and Uncle Joe had to buy a used car — a 2-door Chevrolet. Talk about being packed in that car like sardines! Needless to say, that vacation was not the best.