February 4th would have been my Grandma Honey’s 123rd birthday. It’s difficult to imagine her at that age. She passed from this world into the next 37 years ago. She was a very important woman in my life and taught me so much. Even now, I miss her like crazy!
Here she is, Mary Frances the day she married my Papa, Frederick Carl.
Here is a picture of Mel and me with our much loved, Grandma Honey, at Goodwill Park.
Grandma Honey and Papa Fred. Theirs was truly an epic love story! They met when they were less than ten years old. Grandma was friends with Papa’s sister, Katchen, and spent a lot of time at the house teaching Katchen to speak English. The family had recently arrived from Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany, and aside from the eldest sister, Hedwig, who worked as a Nanny, no one spoke a lot of English.
Anyway, Papa always said he fell in love with her then, and as a teenager, he would chase off any beau that tried to court her. My great grandfather eventually allowed them to become engaged but insisted that Mary finish college before they married.
They were married until Mary eventually passed from this life to the next. He joined her 8 months later.
Grandma Honey looked great at her wedding but better is how stylish she looked in the last photo. The top, the hair, the subtle makeup, the glasses perfect for the time and the earrings. Papa Fred looked pretty good too.