Advent Calendar: Holiday Parties

It's the annual Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories!  I've participated the past three years (2009, 2010, and 2011), and rather than simply re-post, I'm going to link to the older posts, and - when applicable - post about something else that's somewhat related.

The prompt for today is:  December 7 – Holiday Parties

Did your family throw a holiday party each year? Do you remember attending any holiday parties?

In past years I wrote about and included pictures of Christmas and New Year's parties I attended 1976-1980.  This year, I am posting some photos from my parents' trip to Chicago at Christmastime, 1953, after they got engaged.  They were both living in Houston at the time (where my mom, Geraldine Guokas Pape is from, so Dad - Frederick Pape -  had met her parents).  This trip was made so Mom could meet her future in-laws. 

The photos were taken at my paternal grandparents' home at the time at 2093 West Lunt Avenue in Rogers Park.  In the photo immediately above, the man on the far right is my paternal grandfather, Paul Robert Pape Sr. (1896-1970).  We're not sure who the man is between my parents.  My mother thinks it is George Kaiser, who was Dad's best man at his wedding.  My dad thinks it is his brother-in-law, Jim Hedger (1933-2010).  I think Dad is correct.

The photo above was taken in December 1954.  It's of my godparents, Aunt Lorrie (Dolores Frances Olker, 1929-2005) and Uncle Bob (Paul Robert Pape Jr., 1926-2008).  They were married a few months before my parents, in June 1954.


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