Dad's Merchant Marine Days Part 4 Family Photos

Family photos were affixed throughout dad's 'Merchant Marines' album.  They followed no chronological order and I've put them basically in the same order here as they were in the album.  Identities provided are either known by me or they were included on the reverse sides of the photos.  Years were included on some photos and a couple others were estimates shared with me by family members.

My dad about 1945

Russell Westcott 1944

Vivian Eleanor Schnack Cope

Vivian Eleanor Schnack Cope

Marie Linnaberry

Marie lived next door to Grandma and Grandpa Schnack in Milford.  It's my understanding that my father had somewhat of a 'thing' for her before he met my mom.  Marie was no relation to the family but I included the photos because they were in the album.

Marie Linnaberry

Marie Linnaberry

Edward and Daisy's 25th Wedding Anniversary

This photo would have been made about 1948.  Kneeling in front from left to right is Jochim Walter Schnack, Edward Alexander Schnack, Katharine Rose Schnack Hammon, Anna Catharine Ella Schnack Mower, Helen Schnack Westcott.  Standing from left to right is Charles Mower, Olive Letha Rose Schnack, Edward Schnack, Jr., Marcia E. Schnack Hodges, Daisy D. Montana Schnack, and Marianna Ellen Schnack Hodges.

Vivian Eleanor Schnack Cope

Charles Elbert Rose and Walter J. Schnack 1944

Charles Elbert Rose 1948-1949

Elizabeth Ann Olmsted Rose 1952-1954

Charles Elbert Rose and Elizabeth Ann Olmsted Rose 1952-1954

Charles Elbert Rose 1952-1954

Olive Letha Rose Schnack

Is this Katharine Rose Schnack Hammon?

Do you know who this is?

Do you know this dog or this toddler?

Olive Letha Rose Schnack with Thomas Alan Cope        August 1952

Vivian Eleanor Schnack Cope with Thomas Alan Cope  August 1952

Harry Donald Cope with Thomas Alan Cope   November 1952

Harry Donald Cope and Vivian Eleanor Schnack Cope

Katharine Rose Schnack Hammon

Olive Letha Rose Schnack

Edward Alexander Schnack

The following is a group photo and I've included a scan of the reverse side of the image.  The names written on the reverse side have no meaning to me.  Does anyone know who they are?

I recognize Harriet Julia Camp Baird on the far left and Milton George Camp is peaking around from behind a young woman standing beside Harriett.  The tall man is Leonard George Camp and the woman on the far right is Beatrice May Rose Camp.  Any help with other identifications is appreciated. 

Written on the reverse side is the location of the photo.  Secret Caverns and Howe's Caverns at Howe's Cove were, and still are, popular recreation areas in Schoharie County, New York.  I linked to both because I thought this group might have visited one or the other while in Howe's Cove, New York.

Beatrice May Rose Camp

I recognize a John Deere tractor when I see one but does anyone know whose house is in the background?

Lorraine 1945 

I have a Lorraine Hastings (born in 1936) in the family tree.  She is the sister of Donald Hastings who married our cousin Doris (Rose) Hastings. Could this be the same Lorraine?

left to right: Vivian Eleanor Schnack Cope, Edward Alexander Schnack, Walter J. Schnack 1940

Doris Van Husen 1946 

I don't have Doris Van Husen in my family tree.  Can anyone tell me if, or how, she's related?

top photo from left to right: Jochim Walter Schnack, Olive Letha Rose Schnack, Vivian Eleanor Schnack Cope, Edward Alexander Schnack in Montreal, Canada

Harriett Julia Camp Baird

Milton George Camp

Milton George Camp

Leonard George Camp and Beatrice May Rose Camp

Jochim Walter Schnack

Updated 9 Mar 2014, 1:41pm, with additonal positive identifications.

1955 6 11 Irene Schnack to Olive Schnack

My mother wrote this letter to my grandmother shortly after my birth.  I am the first child born to Irene and Walter Schnack.  Names in this letter and their relationship to my mother are:

• 'Ma' was Olive Letha Rose Schnack, her mother-in-law
• 'Viv' was Vivian Eleanor Schnack Cope, her sister-in-law
• 'Tommy' is Thomas Alan Cope, her nephew
• 'Jake' was Walter J. Schnack, her husband
• 'Cindy' is Cindy Lou Schnack Arsenault Coffell, her daughter

10th Field Army Hospital
Wuerzburg, Germany
June 11, 1955

Dear Ma and all,

Well, what did you think when you got the telegram so early?  Viv had told me I should have my baby on Tommy's birthday so that's just what I did.  Not that I had much to say about it, though.  I was surprised she was early - I was so sure she would be late.

I finished a letter to my folks and it was all about the baby.  This one probably will be, too.  I'm so happy about her I can't think of anything else.

Wednesday, I came over for my check-up in the morning and felt just fine all day long.  I never felt so good before.  I had invited my neighbors in for spaghetti supper.  My water broke at 6 p.m. and the pains started fast and furious at 6:30 p.m.  I had the supper all ready except for cooking the spaghetti.  Jake ended up cooking that.  My neighbors started at 6:30 trying to get the hospital

and an ambulance.  The ambulance got there at 7:30 with the pains about 1 1/2 minutes apart.  At 9:40 p.m., Jake and I had a little daughter.  I thought the pains would start real easy like, then build up gradually, but I found out different.  Being so sure I would be late, I didn't have a thing ready to take to the hospital and didn't feel like doing it when things started popping so Jake did that, too.

I saw little Cindy before she was cleaned up because, stubborn me - I refused to take the gas they tried to give me.  I wanted to be sure I wouldn't miss a trick and I didn't either.  I saw everything and heard everything until I got in bed; then I was ready for sleep.  I was sleeping when Jake got here.  But, woke up as soon as the nurse asked me if I wanted to see him.  He thought the baby looked awful, but even though newborns are homely, I thought from the first that she was the sweetest baby there ever was.  She weighed 7 pounds 3 ounces and is 20 1/2 inches long.  I am breast feeding her for awhile

and she is taking about 2 ounces to a feeding.  Now she knows what the breast is for and starts in like a little pig.  I think she looks just like me but then maybe I would anyway.  Jake doesn't know who she looks like but then he hasn't seen any of my baby pictures.  She isn't as chubby as I was though, but she'll fill out.

All I want now is to get her home.  She is really a little doll.  I think she is real cute.  I thought having a baby was great before she was born, but now it seems even greater.  Being a mother is just a grand and glorious feeling.

I feel real good - I don't even know I had stitches but I did.

Now you have a little German granddaughter.  She won't be an American until Jake goes to Munich to get an American birth certificate for her.

Jake had C.Q. today until tomorrow noon so I didn't see him this afternoon or tonight but I'll see him tomorrow afternoon and evening and

Monday morning, I'm going home.  He starts a three day leave on Tuesday.  He says the house is a mess already but I'm not letting that worry me one bit.  When I do get home I'm not even going to bother about cleaning it up.  I imagine I'll be rather tired anyway.  My maid will be there on Wednesday and she can do it.  That's what she is being paid for.

Jake brought me some birth announcements to send but I can't think of any relatives so I'll have to wait til I get home and use my list.  I'm going to send them by regular mail.  It will take them two weeks to get there but will be a lot cheaper and there are oodles to send.

I will close now.  If I keep on, I'll be repeating myself about Cindy Lou being such a doll - she really is.

Love,
Irene, Jake, and Cindy

P.S.
Hi Mom. 

Well, I guess I can't add any more except to say I feel the same way.  I saw her today (Sunday night) and she's real cute now.  I'm glad all is going good.

Send me a copy of my birth certificate.  I need it for proof of citizenship.

Jake

German birth certificate for Cindy Lou Schnack

Family birth announcement for Cindy Lou Schnack

Oneonta Star birth announcement for Cindy Lou Schnack

The Oneonta Star of Oneonta, New York, published the birth announcement on 28 June 2011, page 5, column 6.

Irene Orvetta (Cole) Schnack holding Cindy Lou Schnack on 13 June 1955

1955 6 4 Irene Schnack to Vivian Cope

She didn't know it yet, but my mother was just four days away from my birth!  Aw, my dad wanted a girl!

I find it difficult to comprehend washing laundry in the bath tub.  And, even with her new washing machine, she rinsed her clothes in the bath tub?  Was that before or after the machine wash? 

The names in this letter and their relationship to my mother are:

• 'Viv' was Vivian Eleanor Schnack Cope, her sister-in-law
• 'Jake' was Walter J. Schnack, her husband
• 'Ma' was Olive Letha Rose Schnack, her mother-in-law
• 'Chuck' is Charles Elbert Rose
• 'Betty' is Elizabeth Ann Olmsted Rose
• 'Irene' was Irene Orvetta Cole Schnack

Wurzburg, Germany
June 4, 1955

Dear Viv and all,

We were real happy to receive your letter.  I got yours along with fourteen others.  I hadn't gotten my mail for about three weeks.

Jake got home Monday (30) morning.  I was sure glad to see him.  He has guard today, tonight, and tomorrow morning.  Monday is a holiday so he doesn't have to work.  Tuesday night he has guard again.  About the 14th he has to go to the field for three days.

I only have about two more weeks to go before the baby is born which will probably be four weeks instead.  I hope not.  Jake and I both want this baby to get here real bad.

I just gave the back of my right hand quite a burn with hot water.  It hurts to hold the pan and write but I have to get my letters answered.

When Jake came home, he brought me a new Parker 51 pen and a new camera.  It's an Agfa flash.  Real nice.  Now we can take pictures of the baby and all this pretty scenery over here.

I bought a new washing machine last

month.  It's a Blackstone and works real good.  I've found it's a lot easier with a machine than washing in the bath tub.  My middle got in my way.  I use the tub for rinsing still but that isn't so much leaning over.  The tub was $100.

Yesterday, I bought a new vacuum cleaner.  It's a Hoover with all the attachments.  I've already tried it and it works swell.  That was $32.50.

I was going to get a carriage but they were all out.  The next thing I want is a sewing machine.  We'd like to get it over here.  I want an Elna like yours but over here they only have Singer, Pfaff, and Bernina.

I got a yellow crib blanket from Camps.  Now I have three large blankets.  Roses sent two nighties that say "hug me", one yellow and one green, and a bib, washcloth, and pacifier.  I have plenty of diapers, nighties, and crib blankets now.  I was surprised to get diapers given me.  I have all the things ready to bring the baby home in and we have the crib.  It's one the government furnishes.  We didn't want to buy one as we hope to get a second hand one when we get home.

We are supposed to leave here Nov. 11th to come home by boat and will probably have to go straight to Ft. Riley, Kansas when we hit N.Y.C.  Jake has put in for government quarters there until we can find a place off post.  We thought that would be better than living in a hotel with a baby.

I'm not really fussy about whether I have a girl or boy.  I just want a healthy baby.  Jake is set on a girl, though.

By the sounds of yours and Ma's letters, you've been quite busy going back and forth from your own work to helping her and staying with Katie.

I'm glad to hear you folks are all in good health.  I can hardly imagine what a great change we'll see in the kids when we get home.

How do I like it here - well, it's great.  You'll probably think I'm crazy but I feel much closer to home here than I did in Kentucky.  I wish some of you folks from home could come over and see Germany.  I really can't explain it on paper.  It just seems like a real pretty country.  I'm planning on taking lots of color pictures while I'm here.  I think I will hate to leave when it comes November but Jake hasn't had any luck getting a transfer so we can stay here.

We'll be glad to see Chuck and Betty.  They are quite a ways from us though.  A lot further south.  We looked it up on the map.  I don't imagine Betty will be specialling me while I'm in the hospital, though.  I'm too healthy a gal for that.

I gained 1/2 pound last week, the first I've gained in three weeks.  I'm feeling real good - a lot better than I thought I would be by now.  I guess I'm doing a few things I'm not supposed to like carrying

groceries upstairs; that's only once a week because it's easier to do my shopping for a whole week.  It tires me to walk up the little hill I have, to get to the commissary.  I lug my wash up and downstairs, too.  Jake and my neighbor don't think too much of my carrying heavy things around but it doesn't seem to affect me so I'll probably go right on doing it.  Just because I'm pregnant, I can't get completely helpless.

I have a maid come in once a week to do the cleaning because moving furniture and mopping and waxing does bother me.  With the vacuum cleaner it will be a lot easier.  I pay her 5 marks ($1.25) a day.

I guess I've said all there is to say for now so I'll close hoping to hear from you soon.  The next time I write I'll have my little darling if he doesn't hold off too long and I hope not.  I want him in the crib and my arms where I can see him.

Love,
Irene and Jake

P.S.  Tommy is there, isn't he?
P.S.S.  There's no reason for anyone to worry about me as I'm the healthiest specimen you ever saw.  They are no old steins to be gotten over here anymore.