Nearly a Century Celebration

This is my mother, Clara, and this post is ALL about her.

She is a remarkable woman and over the weekend, Grenville and I returned to our native NJ for a gathering of family and friends to mark her 90th birthday. The party was on Saturday, a day before her birthday — in the 9th month on the 9th day and 90 years ago — a VERY special celebration.

Home to my mom was Scotch Plains, NJ, and consisted of her parents and an older sister, Anna. Her mother died when she 9 months old. Afterwards, her father returned to his native Italy to find a new wife and stepmother for his young daughters.

After remarrying, my grandfather returned to the US. Shown below are my mother with her parents and sister.
During World War II, my mother worked at General Motors in Linden, NJ — part of the women’s labor force who replaced men serving in the armed forces. These women were referred to as Rosie the Riveter as factories where they worked typically produced war supplies, including planes and ships.

My parents knew each other from childhood, my father’s mother was my mom’s godmother. She and her sister lived in his parents home temporarily when my grandfather returned to Italy. My mother and father started dating as young adults . . .

Later were engaged, then married; look at these classic photos !

They honeymooned in a very popular destination of the time — easy to tell where by these photos; the Nation’s Capital was younger too.

My mother is doing well. At the party, she was already talking about next year’s celebration. Shown above are the youngest and senior party attendees  — great granddaughter and mom.Happy Birthday, Mom — We love you !

Beatrice, Grenville, your family & friends