Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Fire!

I think this was the first photo I ever saw of Sherigay. Cris casually said here’s a picture of my mom and handed me the polaroid. All I could see where what looked like burn marks. i said what happened to this photo. “Oh there was a fire at the house we lived in when I was a baby” all very nonchalant. I’m sure becuase he was an infant and doesn’t remember the actual fire that it was just something that happened to his family. But I wanted to know more.

According to older brother Kirk, it was cold out. He doesn’t remember what month it was exactly, but that it was very cold and probably in February or March of 1970. Dick had put a light in the dog house that the family dog, Snoopy, a Dachshund, was sheltering in. Kirk believes that the dog either kicked over the lamp or kicked the blankets up onto the lamp which caused them to catch on fire. Unfortunately, Snoopy did not make it thru the fire which started at about 2-3 in the morning.

Kirk said it was scary. He was in Kindergarten at the time, so we figure he was 5 years old. He remembers that either the firemen or Dick ran into the house to get Cris as he was in the back of the house. They were living in a little shotgun style house in the 300 block of Estelle. Kirk couldn’t remember where the family stayed after the fire, it could have been with June and Howard or Mimi and Ramsey. Or perhaps both of them. Mimi and Ramsey were living in a house on Clifton and June and Howard lived on Belmont.

While we can never predict a fire, there are things we can do to prevent them. Never leave cooking food unattended. Create a fire escape plan and tell everyone that lives in your house the escape route and where you will meet as a family. Make sure you have smoke alarms and test them to ensure they are working correctly. Keep all flammable materials away from heat. Inspect your electrical cords and appliance ensuring the cords are in good repair. If you have a fireplace install protetive screens and vents on the chimneys and stovepipes.

These are just a few ways we can have a safe house and hopefully be fire free. As Benjamin Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” I hope that we will all be fire-free as we go into the holidays and 2025.

PS – I haven’t even commented on the photo today. I love that Sherigay and Cris look to be happy. The photo was probably taken at Christmas in 1969 at June and Howard Anderson’s house. Sherigay looks festive in green and Cris looks ready for Christmas Eve in a sleeper.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Hazel and Cris

Some people are bigger then life and even though I never met her I’m convinced that Hazel was such a person. Just her demeanor in photos seems to indicate that she was in charge no matter the situation. 

Hazel Mae Lundberg was born May 17, 1897, in Riley, Kansas, to William and Emma (Peterson) Lundberg. Riley is located 20 milies northwest of Manhattan, Kansas. Hazel was the 6th child of 7 born to William and Emma. 

Hazel married Ross McDonald in December 1915 and divorced him three years later in December 1918. Our June was born on June 18, 1916. After divorcing Ross, Hazel married August “Audie” Katz in October 1919. Our June told me that in her mother’s photo album, there were old photos that looked like someone or many others had been cut out of the images. We assume that someone was Ross. Hazel had three more children with Audie, Robert, Donald, and William. 

Cris and Kirk have fond memories of her. Cris remembers playing Canasta with her in her retirement home. They couldn’t be beaten, and some betting may have been going on, but Cris never saw it. Kirk drove her car a couple of times. It was as massive as a boat and did not have power steering. Cris remembers Kirk struggling to turn the vehicle. 

Here we have Hazel and Cris in March of 1973. Hazel looks casual as she’s holding Cris in her arms. In every photo I see of her, she always comes across as extremely chic and fashionable. Cris, on the other hand, seems highly mischievous. In any case, we are blessed to have this photo of them together. 

Those people who are prominent in life leave large holes when they are gone. I am sure this was the case in Hazel’s life. May we always remember her and pass her life stories down to future generations so they, too, may be large in life.