Celebrating the 4th

In Honor of Independence Day, share the following:
1. A memory of celebrating the 4th as a child
2. A memory or tradition that you have in your adulthood for this holiday
3. One thing that you appreciate about our country

William Klinger's Story
My most memorable 4th of July was spent in Catania, Italia. I was serving a
mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While everyone
‘Back In The USA’ celebrated the 200th anniversary of Philadelphia Freedom I was
in a country that was free because of the sacrifices of service men and women of
the Allies Forces in WWII. While I missed the Tall Ships, the Fireworks, the
Music & Mom’s 4th of July Flag Cake [another great childhood memory], I was
blessed to be in a beautiful city by the Mediterranean Sea that was free from
the tyranny of the Axis powers. The 4th of July was a Sunday and I took photos
of the time & date at the park in Catania which was down in a flower arrangement
– it obviously changed every day. On the 5th of July [Missionary Preparation
Day] we missionaries – 6 Americans, 1 Canadian and 1 Austrian celebrated freedom
of religion at an Italian orchard with a family that took in we 8 strangers for
the day.
Somewhere on old fashioned slides I have many photos of the day – lemon
orchards, children playing army, missionaries hanging out and myself irrigating
the orchard with a shovel and wearing Anziano Paul Roberston’s “I’d Rather Be
Skiing” shirt. While I have many great memories of fireworks on 549 Middletown
Road, Hershey, PA and 62 Wilson Street, Middletown, PA – the one that stands out
most of all is Catania, Sicilia, Italia July 4th 1976 – oh! I almost forgot – I
wore a 1776-1976 Red, White & Blue tie that my father and mother sent me form
the states for the BIG CELEBRATION!!!
William R. Klinger
aka Dr. K.

Meredith Bennie's Story
1.What I remember the best about the 4th of July as a child was Grandma's flag cake, those charcoal snakes that grow when you like them, a fear of sparklers that burn too low and close to skin for comfort and watching Hershey Park's Fireworks. No, we didn't pay to go see them and squeeze into a congested parking lot that took hours to empty out afterward often... We got a good view of the show sitting right in Grandma and Grandpa's driveway. We also got to watch all of the other things that were being set off by all the neighbors. I can still see it in my mind: the red fence lined with rose bushes, the fireflies out to play, the adults in lawn chairs and the kids running all over the place grateful to have access to a lighted match.
2.Jeff and I haven't established a tradition yet for this holiday in our own family. In the past few years we have gone to stadium of fire and last year we had a blast taking the scooter around to all of the fireworks. It was perfect- we could squeeze that thing in anywhere and make a quick get-a-way to avoid the traffic. This year we will have to start working on a new plan to celebrate because we can't exactly strap our baby onto the scooter!
3.It's difficult for me to express my feelings of patriotism briefly- but here goes. The older that I get, the more grateful I become for the freedoms that we enjoy here in our country. I am particularly grateful for the rights that women now enjoy in the United States. My reading of intercultural literature has truly opened my eyes to the struggles of women trapped in the confines of their own cultures. I am so glad that I have had opportunities to be educated, to embrace my identity as an individual and ultimately for my own independence. Even in more recent years in our country opportunities have become more available for women. Just three generations ago it was incredibly rare for a woman even to go to college. I won't even start on religious freedoms because I could go on all day. True, our country isn't perfect- but living here is a lot better than so many places in the world and I count my blessings!

Remembering Russell Klinger

Post a sweet or touching story about Russell Klinger- Something that you really think showed his character.

A note from Meredith
I've been thinking a lot about Grandpa in the past week ever since I found a baby picture of him that reminded me so much of my own son. (See Grandpa and baby Cameron below.) That got me thinking about how I could explain Grandpa to Cameron, as he will never get to meet him in this earth life. (Although I am sure that they have met before and I have no doubt that Grandpa was with him as Cameron prepared to come to our family.) How would you describe him??



Meredith Bennie's Story:
If I could describe Grandpa Klinger in two words they would have to be "sweet" and "loving." He was just a kind man. Perhaps that is why he had so many friends. Seriously, it seemed as if he made friends wherever he went. He had a friendliness about him that seemed to just draw people to him and I never met an individual that disliked him. I think that that says a lot about him.
My story of a time that he touched my heart was one of the last times that I saw him. I had learned about his cancer a few weeks before and was disappointed but understood when he told me he was not well enough to attend my high school graduation. As I was getting ready to head out myself for the event the phone rang. It was Grandpa wondering if my mother could come and pick him up- he just couldn't miss it. My Mother wasn't home and I had no idea how soon she would be back so I hung up the phone and ran out the door. I took off right away to get Grandpa. 25 minutes to Elizabeth Town and 25 minutes back; I was late for my own graduation. I still remember what he looked like when I arrived at the Masonic Homes- he was wearing a white wind breaker, looking thin and tired but he wore his usual smile. Grandpa never mentioned his illness as we drove to the Giant Center for the ceremony. He just talked about the future (with me going off to school in Utah) and being together in the eternities. I was so grateful for our conversation because I recognized then that it may be one of our last face to face. And it was.
He told me that he couldn't miss the little girl that he had rocked so often in his rocking chair's graduation and he had to be there that day. He didn't complain about feeling ill- he just sat, tired and smiling through the event. I keep a picture of the two of us together at my graduation on my desk and every time I look at it I remember that I really mattered to him. He always made me feel like I mattered and that he cared about me. Perhaps that is why he was so loved- he was always showing people that he cared about them. The way that he supported people and showed his confidence in them helped people to believe in themselves. I am sure that he had the same effect on so many individuals.....


Sherryl Bailey's Story:
One year we got him a card with a picture of a cute little dog that simply said, "Grandpa, it's Father's Day." He loved the card so much that he framed it and kept it proudly on display in his home for several years. His family meant a lot to him.

My cousin Judy burnt her mouth badly when she was a baby (she put an outlet plug in her mouth) and my Mother went to take care of her after that happened. Judy had a skin graft done and it took some time to heal- her whole chin was burnt and scarred. Dad used to take her out on dates and remind her of how pretty she was.

Dad also saved someone's life once. He saw a person drowning and paused long enough only to remove his watch before diving in to rescue the individual. The reality of the situation never hit him until he got out of the water- where he shook all over.

William Klinger's Story
Being the son of Russell Chatley Klinger I have a million recollections of “Dad”
ranging from humorous to heart-warming and heathenly to heavenly. For Father’s
Day I would like to share one of my earliest recollections. When I was about
5-6 years old and we were living in West Mifflin my father took me to Jumonville
- a Christian Camp and Retreat Center located in the very beautiful Laurel
Highlands mountains of South Western Pennsylvania. I recall dad and I singing
Onward Christian Soldiers, swimming and showering in very cold water, looking up
at my dad and thinking how big a man he was in physical stature, and how much he
loved Jesus. It was a place up in the mountains and a few years ago [2002] I
was driving through Western PA and noticed signs to Jumonville. Just reading
the sign took me back to that time long ago when I first started to connect with
my earthly and Heavenly Fathers. Now that dad has been gone from this existence
for 4
½ years I am growing more and more aware of how he blessed me by providing me
with opportunities to experience the good things in life. Sometimes I was
foolish and did not take him up on his offer and other times I took advantage of
his love and took one step closer to my full potential. . We hope that you
enjoy your time exploring our site and come back often. Better yet, come visit
us in person, and experience the Jumonville difference!
William R. Klinger
aka Dr. K.

In Honor of Father's Day...

Post a funny story or anecdote about your father. (Feel free to substitute with a story about your grandfather or husband if you so desire.)

Meredith's story:
Some of the funniest stories that I heard about my dad growing up were concerning his extreme care in double checking things. Leaving on a family trip would always take a long time due to his checking and re-checking to make sure that all of the doors were locked and that everything was secure before departure. My mother used to tell some stories (which I’m sure were just a tad bit exaggerated to enhance the humor of it all: I am pretty sure that my siblings and I all tell stories this same way…) that were so silly. She would recall his checking door knobs so often that she swore they were ready to fall off and even claimed that he turned the car around once to see if he had accidently gone through a red light. (Disclaimer- this is strictly family folklore and no one can really prove if this incident occurred.)
I always thought that these little stories were funny as a child but I am really finding the humor in them now because at some point during my adulthood I realized that I was exactly the same way! I don’t laugh to make fun in any way- I laugh because I completely understand the need to check things. I may even be much worse myself and maybe these little stories would explain me to my husband. I cannot rest at night until I have double checked to make sure that the front door is locked, I can’t leave the house until I make sure that my hair styling equipment is off and unplugged, and when I put Cameron to bed I have to pull on the door knob a few times to make sure that the latch has clicked into place and the cat won’t be able to push the door open. (Yes the cat has opened doors by herself before.) Funny how you are more like your parents then you think… Laugh at us if you must- I will just worry if I don’t double check things and I must for my own peace of mind!

A Call for Your Family Stories.....

The Need For This Blog:
I was inspired this afternoon to collect and tell stories. While talking with a friend at work we began to talk about our work in our own family history and how the stories of the people were so much more important than mere pedigree charts. That got me thinking about the big book that I keep of family stories and pictures to pass on to my own children….and how limited my collection was. With the exception of a few, all of my stories and memories and special events are recorded in my own voice and from my own perspective. I want to hear the stories and views of EVERYONE in my family! I have tried to send out lengthy questionnaires to prompt story telling from family members in the past but who really has time to get to those? That’s when it struck me that to make this collection happen it has to be made easy. I too want a kick in the butt to sit down and write these things before I lose the memories to the whirlwind that is my life. So I thought- let’s all do it together!

What I want:
Simply your stories and memories in your own voice. And I am not just talking about those that are related to me by blood. I want to hear both my sister’s stories and her husband’s stories. I want to hear the stories of my in-laws, my parents, my siblings, my aunts and uncles. (You get the idea) You responses need not be elaborate, edited or lengthy. Feel free to share a brief memory, a lengthy story or perhaps a picture. At the end of the day we all have an excuse to write these things down and something to pass on for generations. I want my children to know stories of their grandparents and great grandparents, I want them to know all about the Bennie side of the family as well as the Bailey side. I want more memories and stories from my father. I want to hear about all the crazy things that my brother has done. I want to hear about what my husband was like as a child. I want to know what growing up with grandma and grandpa was like. I want to hear about how the world has changed from when my mother was a child. I want to remember family gatherings. Perhaps you all would like to have these things too….. thanks to the wonders of technology and the internet we can do this in the form of a blog.

How it Works:
On a regular basis, perhaps once a week, I will post a prompt such as “Tell me a memory of your grandmother” “A vacation to remember” “A funny thing that your sibling did” or perhaps “an embarrassing potty training moment.” Or maybe a question.
You will receive an e-mail when there is a new post on the blog (or you can just check the website regularly) and then you simply click to comment on the post and include your story or memory there in the comments. MAKE SURE YOU END OR BEGIN WITH YOUR NAME- if you do not have a google account it will list you as “anonymous” and that will be confusing for everyone to try to figure out who wrote what. (If posting a comment on the blog is confusing for you- feel free to e-mail me your response and I will post it. You can also e-mail pictures to be displayed on the post- it will make things more fun!) Also PLEASE don’t let me be the creativity behind this. If you have an idea for a prompt e-mail me the title and your contribution and I will post it for everyone to respond with their own story.

What you can do with it:
You can read what others have written for kicks, add your own stories, look back through the archives at any time to look for specific stories. I will also start labeling the posts so that you can find stories about a certain topic at the drop of a hat....I am thinking too far ahead...we have to get started first.
These stories can be saved to pass down through generations. I plan on including some of my memories in my journal and adding them to my book for Cameron and our future children. Let this be for you whatever you want it to be but please share!

Soooo.....
Send me any e-mail addresses of family members that I may not have had to include and let's get sharing with our stories! My first prompt will be coming shortly....

Meredith