First Date

My mom, Dolores, wore this dress on her first date with my dad, Henry, in the summer of 1953.

They went on a double date with my dad's cousin. She doesn't remember where they went.

She made the dress herself and we still have the pattern she used. 

My mom learned how to sew so she could make some nice clothes to wear. Her mom didn't sew so she asked if she could get lessons. She taught my sisters and me how to sew. 

The fabric has some discoloration from age but overall the dress is in good condition still. 

The dress is too tiny to put on my skinny mannequin (my shape 35 years ago) so I had to take the pictures with it laying out on the bed. 

I put the fabric in the scanner. I am going to do that with other dresses I have that belonged to my mom and grandmas. I did that once with one of my grandma's dresses and then I printed it and used it as a background in my art journal. 

I don't have a photo of my mom wearing this dress but this photo was taken the same summer. She is standing on Mt. Washington overlooking the city of Pittsburgh. 

Going On A Camping Trip

I never really appreciated how creative my dad was. He wanted to be a photographer when he was young but the Navy suggested electrical engineering and off he went in that direction. He never put his camera down though and if he wasn't photographing something, he was filming it. When I watch our old home movies now, I spot the times he was directing us to add a little interest or humor to the usual recording of events. At the beginning of this clip he got creative with a time we were leaving for a camping trip. I did a little editing to make it how I think he intended. (late 1960s)

Favorite Photo

It would be impossible to have only one favorite photo when I am fortunate to have so many wonderful photos of my family. This one is definitely one of my favorites.

Marlene, Charles and Dolores Rakiecz

The girl on the right is my mom, Dolores, and she is with her dad, Charles Rakiecz, and her sister Marlene.  We haven't figured out where this was taken but it wasn't their house. It would have been taken in the late 1930s.

Frank Comes to America

My great grandfather, Frank, came to America in 1886.

Youngest photo I have of Frank is his wedding photo. He was 24.

I don't have any photos of him when he was really young. He arrived here when he was only 7 along with his mother Helene, 33, and his sister Cecelia, 11 months.

His surname was Navrocki at the time which was later changed to Nawrocki and then he officially changed it to Norwood in 1938.

I believe his father, Thomas, was already in America but I do not have any records of his arrival.  Helene, Franz, ( his name on the passenger list) and Cecelia traveled from Prussia to the port in Hamburg, Germany and sailed on the Steamship Rhaetia to the port of New York in July of 1886.

Ancestry.com. New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 Year: 1886; Arrival: New York, New York;Microfilm Serial: M237, 1820-1897;Microfilm Roll: Roll 496; Line: 1; List Number: 856

Frank and his family lived in different places such as New Jersey, Buffalo, NY and Patchogue, NY.  Once he was married, Frank and his wife and children moved to Canonsburg, PA around 1910 and lived there for the rest of their life.

Frank and Rose Norwood

The Red Coat

My mom found this pretty red coat in a dress shop on Fifth Avenue in Oakland, a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, PA. She was going to school at the time at Mount Mercy College, a few blocks away.

It cost $100 which was a lot for 1954. It was wool with a Beaver fur collar and cuffs.

While Dolores was in college she worked part time at several places. She spent some time working at Kresge's 5 & 10 on Fifth Avenue in Pittsburgh. She also worked one summer at Stouffer's restaurant on Smithfield Street and another summer at Children's Hospital doing work in her field of study, dietetics. With her part time income and a little allowance money from her dad, she put payments on it until it was paid in full. 

Mom got married right after college and since she didn't have much money , she wore the coat till it wore out. The red wool is long gone but my mom clipped the stitches holding the fur in place and then she wrapped them up and tucked them into her cedar chest. Not as rich looking but still soft and lovely.  

When my mom tells me about the coat she always mentions how much my sister Karen loved the soft fur.

Rose and Frank's Wedding

On February 4, 1902 my great grandmother, Rose Wilczewski, married my great grandfather, Frank Nawrocki.

They were married in St. Adalbert Basilica, in Buffalo, New York.

The following information was provided by St. Adalbert's on June 15, 2002.

Here they are fifty years later on their anniversary.

Here are some photos I have of them through their life.

1939 On back of photo the note says that the dog is probably "Pinocle."

1928

Frank and Rose with their children. The back row from left to right is Genevieve, Leon, Ed, Henry and Katherine. Katherine had a twin named John but he died in 1930.  Photo marked Christmas, 1956

Henry T. Norwood AKA Granddad

My granddad was born in 1907 in Buffalo, NY. He was born with the surname Nawrocki but the family later used Norwood. 

I was excited to see this paper in my dad's box of special papers. I was surprised to see it was dated 1942.

Should read Henry T. Nawrocki. There is a strange scribble after "Henry."

I have to guess that the reason might have something to do with WWII. I also found these Baptism records, also dated 1942.

The witness, Frances Orloska, is Henry's aunt and sister to his mother Rose. 

Henry T, Leon, Genevieve and Edward