Related by Marriage: Parish Leadership

St. George's Parish, Bridgeport, Chicago, 1942. Mr. Irene's maternal Grandfather Stanley (standing, second from right and marked with the white "X") also took part in the church's leadership.

A Closer Look (Part 23)

St. George's Parish, Bridgeport, Chicago, June 1917. This is Mr. Irene's Great Aunt Petra. Petra was the older sister of Mr. Irene's maternal Grandmother, Anna.

Here's the original post.

Related by Marriage: Women's Guild

St. George's Parish, Bridgeport, Chicago, 1942. Mr. Irene's maternal Grandmother Anna (marked with the white "X" in the fourth row) and her sister Petra (marked in the third row) remain active in the church's leadership.

Related by Marriage: Church Picnic

Marquette Park, Chicago, Illinois, about 1918. This photo of parishioners picnicking appeared in the 1942 booklet commemorating the 50th Anniversary of St. George's Parish. The photo caption reads, "Do you remember 'way back when?" Mr. Irene's Mom added a few observations as well: "No picnic tables. Long table cloths spread out, had to sit on grass to eat."

This photo reminds me of another snapshot.

A Closer Look (Part 14)

St. George's Parish, Bridgeport, Chicago, June 1917. This is Mr. Irene's maternal Grandmother, Anna, on her wedding day. How young she was!

Here's the original post for this photo.

Related by Marriage: Ceremony

Probably Bridgeport, Chicago, Illinois, about 1924. A relative of Mr. Irene's maternal Grandparents commemorates her Catholic-church confirmation.

Related by Marriage: Church Door

Nativity BVM Church, Marquette Park, Chicago, mid-1950s. The bride is Betty, a friend of Mr. Irene's Mother. The two women grew up together in Bridgeport, attended the same parochial schools, and remained lifelong friends. You've seen Betty earlier here, when she and Mr. Irene's Mom served together as bridesmaids.

Related by Marriage: Anniversary Toast

St. George's Parish, Bridgeport, Chicago, June 1917. Today is the ninety-sixth wedding anniversary of Mr. Irene' maternal Grandparents, Anna and Stanley.

We've got a bottle of Chandon chilling in the refrigerator; we'll toast the wedding party tonight.

Bouquets

St. George's Parish, Bridgeport, Chicago, June 1917. Mr. Irene's maternal Grandmother, Anna, poses on her wedding day with her sister, Petra (on the right), and another attendant.

Related by Marriage: The Graduates

St. George's Parish Elementary School, Bridgeport, Chicago, June 1943. This is Mr. Irene's Mom's eighth-grade class. She stands in the third row, fourth from right.

Related by Marriage: Wedding Party

St. George's Parish, Bridgeport, Chicago, June 1917. Mr. Irene's maternal Grandparents, Anna and Stanley, pose on their wedding day with their attendants. Anna's sister Petra stands on the far left.

School Picture

St. George's Parish Elementary School, Bridgeport, Chicago, September 1937. This is Mr. Irene's Mom's first-grade, school picture.

Related by Marriage: Holy Communion (Part 10)

Bridgeport, Chicago, Illinois, 1939. Mr. Irene's Mom, like her older sister, celebrated her First Holy Communion at St. George's Roman Catholic Church. 

The Arrival of the First Wavers

Or, "How Chicago became Lithuania's second capital."

Chicago's Public Television station, WTTW, also addressed the subject in "Lithuanians in Chicago," an episode in its "Chicago Stories" series.

Read more here about the first wavers on Mr. Irene's maternal side of the family.

Related by Marriage: Meet the first-grade class.

Room 1:

St. George's Parish Elementary School, Bridgeport, Chicago, September 1937. Mr. Irene's Mom has circled herself, so she's easy to spot.

Related by Marriage: Bridal Portrait

St. George's Parish, Bridgeport, Chicago, June 1917. This is Mr. Irene's maternal Grandmother, Anna. I earlier posted the portrait in which she posed with her new husband, Stanley, here.

Related by Marriage: Loss

Mr. Irene's maternal Grandparents, the first-waver immigrants Anna and Stanley, lost their three middle children. Only their eldest daughter, Martha (to whom I referred as "Aunt M" before her death), and their youngest daughter, Mr. Irene's Mom, survived.

I wrote about the death of brother Benny here.

Today, I post a photo of Baby Jean. She survived only her first three-and-one-half months.

Bridgeport, Chicago, Illinois, 1924. The Godparents of Baby Jean pose with the child on her christening day.

Related by Marriage: Relaxed Bridesmaid

Here's another view of Petra, the sister of Mr. Irene's maternal Grandmother, Anna, as a bridesmaid at the wedding of Mr. Irene's maternal Granparents.

I find the photos of the bridal party almost more intimate than Anna and Stanley's wedding portrait.

St. George's Parish, Bridgeport, Chicago, June 1917. Petra rests her hand on the usher's shoulder.

Related by Marriage: A Feather in Your Hat

Before Vatican II, the Roman Catholic Church required women to wear hats to church.

Mr. Irene's Mom description of this photo states, "Sunday morning, ready for Church."

Bridgeport, Chicago, about 1949. Mr. Irene's Mom, on the left, wears her pocketbook and gloves. Her sister, Martha, revisits the facial expression she already had as a three-year old. Martha rarely smiled for the camera. When she did, it meant something.

Recall that the women's mother, Anna, had worn a feathered, fashionable hat to church. Their Aunt Petra also worked in a millinery factory.

Related by Marriage: A Christening

Bridgeport, Chicago, May 12, 1929. This is Mr. Irene's Mom on her christening day. She was baptised at St. George's Parish.