AUTOBIOGRAPHY - 1950 - Born - Muscatine, Iowa

Year:  0 in the Western way of counting
Birthday:  February 7, 1:50 a.m.
Location:  Muscatine, Iowa - Leroy Street


Originating Circle:
Mom and Dad
Grandma and Granddad Parish (Mary Frances Jones Parish and Raymond Jones Parish), Dad's parents
Grandma B. (Inez Maxwell Brehm), Mom's mother

Aunt Mary and Uncle Rich (Mary Brehm Mohler and Richard Mohler and their kids Donnie and Gary), Mom's older and only sister

Aunt Ginny and Uncle Jim (Mary Virginia Parish Baird and James Baird and their son David), Dad's younger sister

Uncle Jon:  Dad's younger brother

What Happened:

According to Mom's notes in my baby book:  "You were the only child in the nursery at that time with a lot of dark hair--all the visitors at the window commented about that baby with all the Hair (ALL the others were all bald.)  You started to sit up alone at 4-5 months.  Started TALKING at 7 months. (first word, "Okay.")  Mama was practicing to sing a solo and when she propped Michele up in some pillows on the sofa Mama said, "Now you can hear and see me practice."  M said "Okay" and the pianist almost fell off the piano stool.  She told everyone the next day, "Did you know that baby talks?"  And told how you answered Mama."

The First Methodist Church in Muscatine (now called Wesley United Methodist Church) was my first community outside the family.  After my birth Mom continued to sing in the choir (and sing solos which she had done since a child), and Dad was known as "the man with the baby in the basket."  I remember that white basket, as it served to take all the babies in the family to church in turn. Dad was also known for falling asleep during sermons, a habit he maintained all his life, despite his insistence that he NEVER slept in church.

The young marrieds in the congregation were all having babies at the same time (after the war--Boomers take note).  Many of those babies were my friends all through high school:  Cindy Lamb, Bob Eichelberger, David Garner, Karen Waltman, Debbie Hahn.  My folks were credited by the minister with "bringing the young folks back to church" and starting the "CumDbl" Sunday school class.  They all brought their babies to their many home potlucks and put us to sleep with the coats while our parents partied.  This went on for many years, even after all us babies had started school together.

In the month after I was born, Dad was promoted to Supervisor, Quality Control Inspection, H.J. Heinz in Muscatine.  They were happy to rent a house without a snoopy landlady.  On Leroy Street he could walk to work and come home for lunch every day. 

STICKEE:  Biting fingernails, sucking on fingers

INSERT PHOTOS:  Baby pictures, pictures of relatives, photo of church