52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 35 "School"

TRINITY LUTHERAN SCHOOL, 1932-1933

When my mother was growing up, the family church was Trinity Lutheran in St. Joseph, Michigan.  Both my mother, Eloris Kijak, and her younger brother, Leslie Kijak, were baptized at Trinity Lutheran, attended the grade school, were confirmed there and my parents were married there as well. 

In the grade school year 1932-1933, a school picture was taken outside in front of the school and church and the picture was something that many families had.  My mother kept her picture, which was rolled into a scroll, all her life.  I have that scroll now.

Because of its size and the heavier stock of the paper the scroll has seen some of the ravages of time.  I was able to scan the scroll into two images and enhance it so that it is a little easier to see.

The children were arranged by grade.  In the bottom row, at the far right edge is my uncle, Leslie Kijak, who was in the 1st grade.  I have marked his name under his picture.  He appears on both images on the right end in image number 1 and on the left end in image number 2.  I did this so that I could be assured that I was cropping the scroll appropriately.

My mother is in row two as she was in the 2nd grade at that time.  I placed her name ABOVE her picture and her picture is centered under her name.  I didn't want to obscure any faces of the children so it was not the easiest to mark her photo.  

Many of my mother's Kolberg cousins were also in the photo all the way through to the 8th grade.  It is fun to look at these little faces and try to point out the various cousins that I only knew as adults.

I would love to know who the little boy in the 4th row from the bottom is as he is yawning as the photo is taken!  I'm thinking his parents were not too happy with him.

I would love to have this photo restored in some fashion but have been unable to find any company able to do it.  In any case I have it securely in a large art portfolio where it lies flat.  

It is a really special piece of my mother's history.

Copyright 2021, Cheryl J. Schulte