The love of our lives was born on 8.13.09 and is the light of our lives. Mills is our happy, busy, typical little boy, who never slows down. He is a huge fan of Moose and Zee, Handy Manny and Mickey Mouse and loves playing with his "big-brother-dog," Joey. There is not a day that goes by that I don't look at this precious miracle given to us by God and sit in awe.
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Martin and Gerry Min at our home in Garland (Thanksgiving) year unknown
Below, you will find the email I received this morning from Barbara. Please read and enjoy!!!!!
APRIL 1982, MEMPHIS WAS HONORING THE NETHERLANDS. I WAS PICKED TO GO AS AN AMBASSADOR FROM MEMPHIS TO ENSCHEDE, THE CITY THAT MEMPHIS ADOPTED AFTER WORLD WAR II. SINCE, I HAD BEEN WRITING GERRY BERENDS (MIN) FROM MY 7 TH GRADE, JUST AFTER WORLD WAR II. AT THAT TIME WE WERE SENDING CIGAR BOXES FILLED TO ENSCHEDE WITH NEEDED THINGS... THE GERMANS HAD CLEANED OUT THE NETHERLANDS DURING THE WAR, SOME LIVING ON TULIPS BULBS AND TAKING THE DUTCH MEN OFF TO WORK IN THEIR PLANTS IN GERMANY AND THINGS WERE BAD THERE. MY CIGAR BOXES CONTAINED NYLON HOSE FOR GERRY,(AT THE TIME YOU GOT COUPONS TO GET SUGAR AND NYLONS AND MOTHER GAVE UP A LOT OF HERS FOR ME TO SEND TO GERRY) SHAVING ARTICLES FOR HENK, (HER BROTHER) , CHEWING GUM FOR ANNIE, HER SMALL SISTER, AND FOR HER MOTHER (OMA) A HANDKERCHIEF AND FATHER SOME SHAVING TOLIETRIES. GERRY MARRIED MARTIN IN 1951 AND WE LOST CONTACT AS SHE MOVED FROM ENSCHEDE TO LOSSER. ON BEING NOTIFIED THAT I WOULD GO TO HOLLAND AND TAKE A LETTER AND CERTIFICATE MAKING GERRY A HONORARY CITIZEN OF MEMPHIS, FROM MAYOR WYETH CHANDLER, I WROTE TO THE ENSCHEDE NEWSPAPER AND THEY PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE IN THEIR PAPER THAT I WAS COMING AND WAS TRYING TO FIND GERRY BERENDS. A WEEK AND AHALF LATER, I RECEIVED A LETTER SAYING BARRY,(WHICH WAS WHAT SHE CALLED ME) I HEAR YOU ARE LOOKING FOR ME AND TOLD ME WHERE THEY LIVED. I CALLED AUNT MARY AND ASKED IF SHE WOULD WANT TO GO WITH ME TO HOLLAND AND SHE QUICKLY ANNOUNCED SHE WOULD LOVE TO GO. THIS BEGAN AUNT MARY AND MY TRIPS WHICH LASTED FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND MANY CRUISES . WE LEFT MEMPHIS ON APRIL 25 TH 1982. WITH 80 DEGREES TEMPERATURE HERE, WE ARRIVED IN AMSTERDAM, IN 42 DEGREE TEMPERATURE AND RAINING. AT THIS POINT WE WERE READY TO RETURN HOME. BEING AMBASSADORS, WE HAD TO DRESS NICELY AND AUNT MARY WORE A PAIR OF HIGH HEEL SHOES, TAKING THEM OFF FOR THE 7 HOURS FLIGHT ON KLM, AND ARRIVING HER FEET HAD SWOLLEN AND SHE COULDN'T GET THEM ON, SHE JUST CARRIED THEM IN HER HANDS AND WALKED TO THE BUS TO BE CARRIED TO A BIG EVENT...WELCOMING THE AMBASSADORS WHICH INCLUDED A NICE LUNCH AND OF COURSE WINE AND CHEESE. BILL E. BURK OF THE MEMPHIS PRESS SCIMITAR WAS OUR COMPANION ON THE TRIP, AND ALWAYS MAKING PICTURES WHEN HE COULD FIND US DOING ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE AMUSING AND HE MADE MANY. AFTER THE WELCOMING LUNCHEON, WE PACKED OUR LUGGAGE IN MARTIN'S SMALL CAR AND TRAVELLED TO LOSSER, WHERE WE ARRIVED AT 4 P.M. - HOUR OF WINE AND CHEESE, AFTER UNPACKING , HAD DINNER WHICH WAS A BROTH WITH A SMALL PIECE OF MEAT THE SIZE OF A MARBLE AND A BOILED BAKE POTATO. DO I NEED TO SAY MORE???? AT 8 P.M., IT WAS AGAIN WINE AND CHEESE TIME. THE NEXT MORNING, GERRY ANNOUNCED WE WERE GOING TO THE FLOWER NURSERY. WE ARRIVED AND SHE BEGAN TO TELL US SHE LIKE THIS ONE AND THAT ONE. AUNT MARY LOOKED AT ME AND I AT HER, AND FINALLY IT DAWNED ON ME, THAT WE SHOULD BUY THE PLANTS FOR HER. I TOLD AUNT MARY AND WE EACH PURCHASED HER A LARGE PLANT FOR HER GARDEN. THE FOLLOWING DAY WE HAD TO GO TO CITY HALL AND BE HONORED BY THE PEOPLE THERE AND SEE SIGHTS AROUND ENSCHEDE. THAT NIGHT WE HAD THE SAME MEAL AND THE NEXT DAY, MARTIN WAS GOING TO TAKE US TO DO A LITTLE SHOPPING AND WE DROVE INTO GERMANY. I SAW A LARGE GERMAN RESTAURANT AND I TOLD MARTIN STOP! STOP! AND EAT. HE SAID OH! NO!! GERRY WILL FIX THE MEAL WHEN WE GET HOME. SHE HAD STAYED HOME, PROBABLY KNOWING HOW AMERICANS LOVED TO SHOP. I FINALLY PRESUADED HIM TO STOP AND WE WOULD BUY HIS LUNCH AND HE DID. YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT WE WERE 2 STAVING PEOPLE. AUNT MARY AND I ORDER A PORK CHOP (LARGE AS A SAUCER) WITH PURPLE CABBAGE AND POTATOES. WE THOUGHT WE HAD DIED AND GONE TO HEAVEN, AND ALSO WHILE SHOPPING WE STOCKED UP ON GETTING A LOT OF SNACKS TO KEEP IN OUR ROOM. IN THE TWO WEEKS WE WERE THERE, WE WENT TO OVERDINKEL, ENSCHEDE, LOSSER, HAARLEN, AMSTERDAM, KENKENHOF' BEAUTIFUL GARDEN OF FLOWERS, THE HAGUE, BERGEN ON THE SEA, GLANERBRUG, ISLAND OF MAARTEN NEAR ZUIDER ZEE, AND BRODENBACK AND MUNSTER GERMANY ON THE FRIENDSHIP FORCE BUS, AND SPENT 2 NIGHTS IN GERMANY WHICH THE HOTEL HAD A COMMUNITY BATH ROOM ON THE FLOOR AND THAT WAS A NEW EXPERIENCE. IT WAS A LOVELY TRIP MEETING GERRY AND HER ENTIRE FAMILY AND RESULTED IN THE FOLLOWING OCTOBER, SHE AND MARTIN VISITED ME FOR 6 WEEKS AND WE WENT TO MANY PLACES AND BILL BURK HELPING, AND ESPECIALLY AS GERRY ATE TOO MUCH SOUTHERN COOKING, RESULTING IN HER BLOOD PRESSURE GOING UP AND BEING RUSHED TO THE BAPTIST HOSPITAL FOR A WEEK, WHICH AGAIN BILL BURK CAME TO MY AID AS HE KNEW ABOUT HOSPITALIZATION AS FOR HER BEING FROM HOLLAND. THEY RETURNED HOME HEALTHY AND SAFELY, AND THIS TRIP BEGAN THE TRAVELS OF AUNT MARY AND I. SHE WOULD CALL ME AND SAY, "BARBARA WHEN ARE WE GOING TO TAKE A TRIP?" SOON AFTER THAT WE BEGAN OUR CRUISING.... NO WORRIES, NO FOOD TO BUY AND A LOT OF GOOD LOOKING ITALIANS AROUND AND ALWAYS ON THE PACIFIC PRINCESS. OUR CRUISES INCLUDED MEXICO TWICE. SOUTHERN CARRIBEAN, EASTERN CARRIBEAN, MEDITERREAN AND ALASKA. SHE WAS THE BEST TRAVELING BUDDY ONE COULD HAVE, NEVER COMPLAINED, ALWAYS READY TO GO AND COULD OUT WALK ME AND LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF OUR TRIPS.
IN THE CARIBBEAN WE WENT TO SAN JUAN, ST. THOMAS, ST. MAARTEN, BARBADOUS, PRINCESS CAYS AND FREEPORT. ALAKSA WITH A 2 DAY STOP AT THE WORLD'S FAIR IN VANCOUVER, THEN ON TO KETCHIKAN, SKAGWAY, INSIDE PASSAGE , VICTORIA BRITISH COLUMBIA AND SEATTLE. OUR MEXICO CRUISE WAS TO ACAPULCO, PUERTO VALLARTA, MATZATLAN, OXATA, AND CABO SAN LUIS. AND ON OUR MEDITERREAN CRUISE WE WENT TO ENGLAND, NAPLES, VENICE, DUBROVNIK, GREECE, PISA, ROME, MONTECARLO AND MONACO, CAROL WAS ON THIS TRIP.
SINCE AUGUST 8 TH IS HER BIRTHDAY, I WANTED TO REMEMBER HER WITH LOVE AND LET YOU SEE SOME OF HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR TRIPS TOGETHER. I REALLY MISS HER SO MUCH.
LOVE YOU ALL,
BARBARA
Photos for slide show courtesy of Barbara Hannis
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