Family Christmas Eve Dinner 1948

Grandma Anderson’s Home - Norway, Michigan

This is a photo of a family gathering at Grandma’s The info below will identify those pictured. Let's organize the rows, in order to better locate people. There are eight guys standing in the back row, five women standing in the middle row, and six women seated in the front row. One of these is a teenager. There are two boys seated on laps in the front row, two girls seated on the floor, and one little girl seated on a chair. OK? Let's start. We'll do all the adults first, then swing back for the little kids. Grandma (Johanna Anderson, widow of John E), is at the center of the picture in the front row, seated third from left. She was 80 years old. Her four surviving sons are all pictured (Iver had died in 1942). Grandma's oldest son, Einer, is third from right in the back row. His wife Ruth is second from right in the front row, wearing a polka dot dress. None of their three sons is pictured. Enfred is fourth from left in the back row, and his wife Muriel is at far left in the front row, black dress with brocade top. Their son Bill is second from left in the back row, their daughter Phyllis is at the center of the middle row, wearing glasses and a lighter colored dress. Their son Jack is second from right in the back row. Bill's wife Lucile (black dress) is to the right of Phyllis, and Jack's wife Otha (white blouse) is to the right of Lucile. Phyllis' husband, Ed Foster, is the tall guy in the back row, between Bill and Enfred. Reuben is at far left in the back row, and his wife, Agnes (light colored dress), is at far right in the front row. Their son, David, is at far right in the back row, and their daughter, Jean Ann, is seated in the front row between Grandma and Aunt Ruth. Arvid (Nick) is fourth from right in the back row, standing between Enfred and Einar. His wife, Alice, is second from left in the front row (white blouse). Kids ... Alice is holding Kenny (he's the author of this website and that's the last time he wore a tie). Joanie is the one to the left on the floor (that's the last time she wore long hair). They're Nick & Alice's kids. Martha is sitting to the right on the floor. She's Bill and Lucile's daughter. Her brother Billy is on Aunt Agnes' lap. And the little cutie seated on a chair between Joanie and Martha is Johanna, daughter of Jack and Otha, and named after her great-grandma! Wondering about the two women on the left end of the middle row? Furthest left is Grandma Anderson's sister Anna, widow of Grandpa John E's brother, Gust. Next to her is their daughter Dagmar. They lived a few houses away. Hope this helps you peg some names and faces. As time goes by, we'll try to get a gallery of some other photos to help you visualize some people you've seen listed on this site, and may have heard about through the years. All of the brothers and their wives have passed away, with Alice being the last (2001). Many of the kids have kids of their own ... and grandkids! We hope that each family will keep pictures, names, places, and things that will mean something to future generations. It's hard to reconstruct the past after people have died, places have changed, and things have become lost. It's important to take care and preserve history. Make notes about people, places, and things. Take pictures and label 'em. Your heirs will truly appreciate it! 2023 Note: Grandma Anderson was the oldest person on this photo, at age 80. Her grandson Ken, little guy on mom’s lap in front row, will turn 80 this summer …