September 2, 2016

Albert and Ida Elling - Napoleon, 1944


I found this photo of my grandparents, Albert and Ida Elling, among my treasures this morning. At one time they lived at 403 East Main in Napoleon and I believe this photo was taken in the backyard at that house. Are those telephone or electric poles beside them? I remember very little about the house except for the little rooms and the coal (?) stove in the living room. 



The last time we were in Napoleon, Jim and I took a ride in that area, trying to locate it off of Rt. 424/ Riverview Ave. Without a GPS or a Mapquest map, we were unsuccessful because I just couldn't quite get the location. Now, with a map in front of me, I see that we were very, very close.

This photo - one of the few my mother dated - is marked 1944. Uncle Alfred and Uncle Ron were probably overseas at that point and World War II was in full swing. Maybe there was a Victory garden in the backyard on East Main and I seem to remember grape vines or is that my imagination? Aunt Alma wrote in her book that this home had belonged to Henry and Amelia Schlegel (Grandma's sister and husband) and when they moved to Traverse City, Michigan, our grandparents purchased the house. I'm hoping that you will email me any memories you have of this home.

(This post was originally on the blog, Elling Family News, now deleted.)

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