Marian

I think I will give my perspective of each of my siblings from my childhood days. I will have more memories of Judy, Ellen, Dan and Keith because we were closest in age but I do have memories of the older ones and special things they did for us. I will start with Marian as she is the eldest and work my way on down. Keep in mind this is my perspective and as I talk with some of the other siblings I wonder how we could grow up in the same house and surroundings and have such different views. I know we are a product of our experiences in life, but we definitely come into this world with our own personality and together that must be what produces such different views.

Marian always seemed social to me when she lived at home and was in High School. I would say she had lots of friends and I always remember her having a boyfriend. There was Ernie, he lived by grandpa Pearson and had a cool car. I couldn't tell you what he looked like, I just remember the name and something about them breaking up and that was tragic.  I remember her being moody about boys and thinking I didn't want to have boyfriends if they made you crazy.  I will have to ask her who she shared a room with, I can't remember.  Did she share the room Judy?  I know which room Judy had, Kathryn, Anna and of course me.  I don't remember Dan, part of me thinks it was with Kathryn, there was a double bed in her room, twin beds in Judy's it seems like in my room there was a single and a double bed, I am pretty sure Ellen shared with me, no one really wanted to, I was no better at cleaning my room than I am at cleaning my house now.  Anna had the bedroom across from mom and dad and it had a double bed.  Arlene stayed at grandpa Pearson's a lot and I think when she was home she was in the room I had.  I know I slept in Judy's room a time or two but I will tell that story later. Funny how I don't seem to remember where the older ones slept.  I have pictures in my mind of Marion coming home from school and doing things with friends, I remember her graduating from high school, and dating Duane, but otherwise they are pretty vague but I would swear she always had a boy friend. She didn't seem to have a lot of interaction with the younger children until she married and then she did a lot for us and was really good to us and fun to be around.

What I remember the most is after she married Duane Jacobs and started to have children. I remember getting new white shoes and a new dress for her wedding. All the sisters were in her line, the dresses were green, she might have even made some of them, I think Anna made some too. I bragged about it in school thinking I was pretty cool having a big sister getting married and being in her line and all. She let us go stay with her sometimes even before she had children I loved that. By the way "us" was Judy, Ellen and me. To me she was so lucky, I thought Duane was so handsome and they seemed happy enough, I know I loved to be around them and their family. I remember deciding it was cool to get married and have kids, that was what I wanted to do in life and I really never changed my mind much.

Her children were so adorable, still are, and so fun. I remember going to her house and staying with them, tending the kids, and helping out. Now my helping out was playing with the kids, Ellen and Judy were always much better than me at cleaning and doing chores but I loved to tend the kids and I think I was pretty good with the them. Marian would sew clothes for me in trade for baby sitting and buy me shoes and take me places. We went to movies, drive in movies no less. I especially remember one year for Christmas she made us girls all matching nightgowns. I loved them they were flannel and so cozy. I loved flannel pj's from then on. When Stephany was born, the very first grandchild. I thought that was just the grandest thing, me an aunt, I bragged about that at school and no one else said they were an aunt again something special about me. The night she was born mom and dad went to hospital to see her and took us kids, we waited in the car and then went to an ice cream place on state street to celebrate. I can't remember the name of the place but I could show you where it was and they had good ice cream. I think Duane was at military boot camp or something like that and Marian came and lived with us on Smelter St for a while. I am pretty sure she lived with us when Mark was born, There was a room dad had remodeled for grandpa Pearson when he came to live with us and that was where she stayed. I do remember her not being particularly happy living with us but it wasn't very long and I was glad when she moved out for more than one reason, she was happier, we could go stay with her and she had more room and sewed for us again.  I think that was when they moved in the duplex on or around California Ave.  Duane became a fire man, eventually Anna's husband Vern followed and Roy too.  In the summer we would stay at her house more than just weekends.   She was always a good cook and said she would have a large family.  She did too.  Her and Duane would have friends over and they had the family over for dinner a lot.  When I got married she had my open house at her house in Sugar House.  She always liked to have people around, she was always social that has never changed.

Marian was a great older sister. You know I think our sister bonds started earlier than I first thought. I looked up to my sisters, they took good care of us and I knew I could depend on them and I did depend on them.  When her children came along I thought Stephany was so beautiful, there was never a baby as angelic as Mark and Lincoln had more personality in my book than any other child, he made me laugh and then Jenny came along, what an angel. I loved to baby sit. It was so fun to hold them and everything they did was amazing.   By the time Jenny came along I was getting older too, and by the time Marian divorced and had her second family I started having a family too. Her first 4 children have always held my heart, they were the first of my nieces and nephews and I got to be part of their life. She has an amazing family, all of them but babysitting and spending time with her older children was really an important part of my life.  I stayed with her allot after her divorce from Duane and then her second family started and we were pregnant together.  

I am going to have to ask her some questions about her earlier life until I started writing this I didn't realize how much I didn't know.  I do know she has an incredible family, they have all grown up to be a terrific group of people, full of fun and they bring lots of laughter to our family reunions and parties.  Great Job Sis, my hat goes off to you.