During our weekend in Minnesota, my mom wanted to look up some of the places that had been part of her parents' lives. Grandpa Bob did his PhD at University of Minnesota in the 1940s, and my mom's sister Merrie was born at this time. So we found the duplex they had lived in, the hospital where Merrie was born, and the U of M campus.
It must have been a lovely neighborhood to live in, with a few stores just half a block away.
My dad thinks this would have been where wood or coal was deposited to heat the house.
Grandpa had studied the Russian dandelion, working to assist the war effort by finding alternative ways of producing rubber. Synthetic rubber was then created, halting the usefulness of his work. (However, with the rising price of petroleum and of natural rubber, perhaps we'll be turning dandelions into tires before you know it!) These are not likely Russian dandelions, but they peppered the lawn of the Henderson's duplex.
University of Minnesota straddles the Mississippi River.
And Aunt Merrie's birth hospital, Midway Hospital, has been expanded, altered, and in part no longer functions as a hospital.
Poor David was hot and tired, but would not fall asleep in the car. He's not used to having people in the backseat with him, and I think Mom and I were far too interesting for him to sleep. He blew more spit bubbles than I've ever seen! Quite the new talent!
Finally we sped home, having received a call from Richard Halverson about an approaching tornado. A bit scary for Ramptons from Oregon, who never have had to deal with tornados! It reminded me of a time we had a tornado in Indiana. We didn't have a basement, so I crouched in a closet with a radio blaring news of the tornado's path. Taylor wanted me to drive to meet him in town and I refused: too scared to be in the open with a tornado in town!
And I hope he's always so ready to smile at his mom & dad!
