Saturday, January 23, 2010

Jane's Husband

Jane, the woman in the middle with the young lad in front of her, was married to Arthur McKinney. Arthur was a route salesman for a candy distributor in Waukesha county, Wisconsin. At the Ladies of Waukesha annual picnic, Arthur arrived with cartons of Fleer's Double Bubble, and before you knew it, the bubble blowing contest began. Jane of course had the advantage because there was always Double Bubble around the house, and she liked the comic wrapper. But though it looks from this photo that she will be the winner, the prize actually went to Sandy Harper, front left. Sandy took home the cartons of Double Bubble and O'Henry bars. Her dentist was probably very happy.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Kiko Matsumi

Kiko, her parents and husband, lived in Southern California. This picture was taken early in 1942, two weeks before her husband was visited by California immigration. At the end of the day, Kiko, her husband and both parents were told they were being transported to the internment camp at Tule Lake, Ca. It was there they met over 18,000 "campers". Another 90,000 Japanese Americans were housed in nine other sites. After release in 1945, Kiko worked at an army hospital, treating wounded GIs.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Arthur Floyd


Coach Gilliland was so frustrated after the team lost in the regional finals, he took the team picture out of the frame on his wall and threw it into his wastebasket. Not the best example to set for the squad. However, Arthur, one of the team's guards and the record keeper, went into coach's office and retrieved it. The following year, while the team was on a travel bus to play rival Edgerton High, a tire blew and coach and three of the boys died. Arthur kept the picture as best he could, but it wasn't easy, what with his riding the rails looking for work. It went from knapsack to grip to small suitcase, but survived to be framed on Arthur's wall when finally got steady work as an assistant gym teacher in Albany, NY.