Sentimental Sunday: Mary Jane Bleidt and Pat Pape, July 1947

These two lovely ladies are my dad's first cousins, Mary Jane Bleidt Herring (1924-1965) and Patricia "Pat" Pape Hunter Parks (1923-1967).  The photo was taken in or near Des Moines, Iowa, in July 1947, when Mary Jane visited Pat there.

I've written a little already about Pat.  Here is some more information about Mary Jane:

According to family records, she was born October 4, 1924, in Evanston, Illinois, the oldest child of Charles Joseph Julius Bleidt (1870–1959) and Martha Elisabeth Pape (1890-1981).  She married John Herbert Herring (1926-2008) on May 20, 1950, in Chicago.  They had two children, Arlene and Thomas.  Sadly, Mary Jane passed away from a muscle-wasting disease on February 21, 1965, at age 40.

Pat also died young, at age 44, on April 15, 1967.  She was alone and turning her car into the private drive of her Emmitsburg, Maryland, home, when the rear was struck by a car that had gone out of control at a high rate of speed.  Pat was thrown from her car and pinned under it, and died of a fractured skull and broken neck.  She left five daughters, ages 8 to 17, and an older stepdaughter who joined the family when her own mother passed away.  Pat is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, along with her husband, Col. Gordon Merritt Parks, and son Kevin Richard Parks, who was born 4 months early in April 1958 and only lived 24 hours.

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