This holiday break, while cleaning out the garage, I
discovered a letter written back in 1943 by my Great Great Aunt Mary. It was
addressed to my grandmother, Millie, and her sisters Dorothy and Wilma. My
Grandmother and her sisters were just starting their adult life in Connecticut
after being raised in an orphanage, and knew little of their family background.
After a bit of research, they found Aunt Mary and reached out to her as a means
of introduction and family connection.
Aunt Mary, who resided in North Dakota, had never met the
girls, but wrote to them nonetheless with stories about their parents and
relatives. She recounted memories from Thanksgiving of 1919, tales of my great
grandparents’ courtship, descriptions of her current way of life, as well as her
hopes, dreams, and desires for the future (specifically if Clarence would come
through with the money for the gas iron that he promised her). Reading the
letter, I was struck by the power of the written story, and the way that I felt
transported to another time and place. I felt a connection to Aunt Mary, as
well as a deep affection for my family.
This emotion inspired a desire in me to share the narrative
of the National School District. As a new Superintendent, I have been out
visiting schools, talking with parents, listening to staff, learning from
students, attending community events, and enjoying getting to know our great
city. Through this blog I hope to share these experiences with you and chronicle
the story of our NSD family.
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| My grandmother and her sisters reminiscing... |
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