Bernadette's Scrapbook, Part 2

The fiftieth anniversary of my parents' deaths is this week. They had been married 10 years and one month. I want to remember and honor, but the wedding album is not exactly where I can go to do so -- the happy faces on that sunny day, the pretty white snow piled around the sidewalk borders of the church, these are complicated images that stir complicated emotions.

So I go downstairs to the basement and emerge with a different album, one I've stumbled across, the pages browned and crumbling with age.  Not the keepsake of her wedding, but a memento of ten years before.

Bernadette Seraponas, granddaughter of Lithuanian immigrants, daughter of Amelia and Tony, older sister of Joan, denizen of Clarendon Hills, Illinois, eighth grader and then ninth grader, kept a scrapbook.
 
It is, believe it or not, a piece of my history whose path into my hands I cannot trace. It may have been one that made the journey with us to Kansas City, tucked away for the decades, then sent back to me by Ruth when we moved to Wilmette, or it may have always been with Bernadette's mother Amelia, then stayed in the house that Amelia shared with her sister Julia after their husbands passed away and returned to me via Aunt Julie's granddaughter. I don't know its journey or how I came to have it.

So I examine its pages with new eyes. And let me tell you, my mother had a doozy of a year.

Handwritten invitations on petite personalized stationary, fuzzy athletic letters ("N" for Nazareth Academy), party favors and my mother's neat notations on every page offer a peek into her busy days and nights. Lovely, happy girl. What a delight to spend time with her. 

She played second violin in the school band; later, she would take up the trombone.  

Here's a glorious photo of Bernadette's younger sister Joan, with her attendants at her crowning ceremony at St. Joseph's Church in Downer's Grove in May of 1949. I cannot get enough of the flowery hats and the excited faces. Precious.

Bernie's Freshman grades were Cs and Bs, but for the As in Glee Club and Phys. Ed. She received "well developed" scores for cooperation, sociability, obedience and respect. A massive addition project added to Nazareth that year was a source of great excitement.

 

Taken by Bernard Nesbit 5/49 during an outing.

On May 24th of 1949, Bernard Nesbit took Bernadette to her first prom at St. Pat's Boys School and wrote his name on an honest-to-god actual dance card inside a diminutive keepsake book with metallic green and sparkly silver cover. She went by the nickname "Bernie." I wonder if Bernard did too.

Here's Bernard, in a self-assured self-portrait:

 
Bernard was not alone in his wooing, apparently.

On this side Bruce Ford...on this side Cecil Johnston

But never fear, Bernie was no fool for love. Her heart belonged to her pup.

My true love "Whitey"

Well, she did fall for one boy. Bernadette writes, "Elmer Louis Busch, soph. Started going with Joan and then with me, 9/10/49. Nice personality and good Football and Track star. Real Cute! Broke up 2/17/50."

This is Elmer on Sunday, November 6, 1949, in the Seraponas's Hudson Avenue front yard, before the elms grew tall, before the other houses filled this bit of country and turned it into a neighborhood.

The day before, playing for Hinsdale in the Homecoming game, Elmer scored two touchdowns against LaGrange, including a 20 yard catch in the end zone with one minute, fifteen seconds to go. With a final score of Hinsdale 26, L.T. 24, the win was the first time in 22 games that the LaGrange Soph-Freshman team had been beaten and the first time Hinsdale had beat them in 13 years. Elmer and Bernie went to the Homecoming dance that night. "Nice dance," writes Bernie.

Playbills for school productions of Joan of Arc and Our Hearts Were Young, a Sweet Sixteen corsage from Barbara Bentley on the 9th of December, a formal with Elmer on the 19th and dinner at the Chicken Basket after, "Loads of fun!!" 

December 29. "Invite from Ellen Rudd for a brunch. Had lots of fun talking with kids. Liz Bunker, Pat Healy, Robin Boldenweck. Peggy Pratt, Donna Allen, Alice Cox and others stayed after and Mrs. Rudd did the Charleston. Just a Panic! Lots of fun.

"Elm was mad but we straightened it all out. Bonny's a doll. Fuzzy's going away after New Year's."

That same night, Mari Jo Engrstrom's slumber party. "Had loads of fun--didn't sleep until 5:30 AM to 6:15 AM. Party before slumber party. Elm came over and we fooled around."

On the next page, "My first card from a College Man. Tom Cox -- darling fella, at the present going with Judy Boldenweck. That's how I met him. Danced with him once --Divine."

Tom flirts: "Hi Bernie! Sorry you didn't get this before Christmas, but I was trying to find a card pretty enough to suit you, and couldn't do it --so I settled for this one, OK? We should get to know each other better because we're both equally crazy. My best wishes to you both for a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. Be good, Bernie, and sometime we'll get together again, huh? Always, Tom.

In February, Bernie attended "a lovely wedding." The invitation from Cecelia Vrtis was handwritten. Donna Stewart went to Europe and sent a postcard of the Cunard White Star ship "Queen Mary." Bernie's sophomore English class wrote a scandal sheet including this cute bit: "BERNIE SERAPONAS and ROBIN BOLDENWICK have been helping the Soph. treasury along! How? Bernie plays a wonderful game of poker and Robin is an old hand at Canasta." 

Sister Joan Marie hosted a Canasta party on the 17th, "about 20 girls came and everyone had more fun." Bernie writes nothing about breaking up with Elmer that day.

On February 26th, the family celebrated the Golden Wedding Anniversary of Bernie and Joan's Uncle Victor's parents, Petronella and Stanislovas. Bernie calls Petronella "Grandma Litwinovich;" Grandpa Stan had died and Grandma would pass away five years later. Uncle Victor was the husband of Bernie and Joan's mother's sister Aunt Julie Litwin. The last name seemed to have gone through as least two iterations; Petronella and Stan may have originally gone by the name Litvinavicus when they came from Lithuania. To add to the name confusion, Uncle Victor had a son Victor (who later had a son he named Victor -- my cousin.) Victor the Second ("Vicky" in the pic below) was a dear friend to Bernie and Joan, frequently squiring my mother to dances.

Vicky, Bruce F. and Cecil J.

Joanie, Bernie and two other girls went bowling on March 11 and there were lots of plays to see that month: a program about St. John Fontbonne and a "Television Party" in the refectory eighth period on St. Patrick's Day ("Had lots of fun") and at Hinsdale Township High School, Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Sorcerer" and a production of Heaven Can Wait on the 10th where Bernie saw Ernie with the new girl he was going steady with, Susie Taylor, a junior.

"Elmer Busch. 1st Steady (last too, I bet.) Started going together Sept. 10, 1949. Broke up Feb. 17, 1950. Elmer was a swell fellow, very nice, very funny and considerate."

There's an entire page of reverie and tribute to her track and football-star ex, including snippets of song lyrics: "Why is it you came into my life and made it complete?" 

But Bernie bounced back, did you have any doubt?

Ticket stubs (80 cents) from the Twin Open-Air Theater at 87th and South Cicero Avenue, Bernie's first date with Tom Bomkamp. "Went to Drive-In; before that went bowling. Swell time Tripled with Martha Tee--Bernard Hisky and Ray Bomkamp--Jean ? 3/26/50"

Three days later was a CSO radio concert with Barb Bentley at the Eighth Street Theater in Chicago. Student Council elections followed in May with my mother winning Sophomore class president. The class of '52 gifted her and the other class officers with a Spiritual Bouquet -- inside a card signed by 42 girls in the class was notification that the officers would received 500 Masses and 500 Rosaries.

In June, she received "my 'First Telegram' from (Hot Lips) Pat Moore." The Western Union paper reads: ARRIVED MILWAUKEE MEN CLAMORING DATES FOR NEXT SEASON. LIVING UP TO NICKNAME. PAT

Bernard Nesbit graduated that spring from St. Pat's. I giggle to see how Mom labeled his commencement announcement: 

"From Never-Say-Die B.N."

Summer brought double dates with Herbie Fingerhut at the Ricardo Restaurant (Our Dishes Are Sterilized) and the Oh Henry at 8900 Archer Road in Willow Springs. Herbie, Darrell Pallard and Irene Lazansky signed the back of the red paper Oh Henry menu for Bernie. It is noted inside that the three of them drank 75 cent champagne cocktails while Bernie had a .20 orange soda. "Heaps of fun!"

On August 9, Herbie and Bernie doubled with Mary Ann and Rip (Hernan Ripley) to the Aragon Ballroom. The postcard keepsake reads, "HE WHO HAS NOT BEEN AT ARAGON KNOWS NOT WHAT A PARADISE IT IS."

August 20, the foursome went to the Museum of Science and Industry and Chinatown where my mother stole a white cloth napkin embroidered in red from Guey Sam's restaurant. Unrepentant, "This is all I got!"

In a penciled box: "Today is September 10, 1950. One year ago I had my first date with Elmer Busch. My 1st steady boy friend."

Then, also boxed off: "Today is Sept. 17, 1950." The sentences below that are scribbled out. Mother!

 A Sweet Sixteen Party at the VFW hall. "Fine Party and had lots of fun!"

 
 Four nights in October, performances of "Valiant in God's Service: A Choric Pageant" for the Golden Jubilee of the Sisters of St. Joseph. There were Choral Readers and Pageant Scenes with Flower Girls, Jailers, Widows and Indians, and Dances with French Frontier Peasants and The Call of Virgins. Pat Healy played the Blessed Virgin and Bernadette was St. Joseph. "All of us worked real hard!"

A "Coketail Party" on Halloween at Pat Healy's, then a Nazareth dance sponsored by the Announcer newspaper staff of which Bernie was Vice-President and writer. She went with Donnie Stewart ("Riot!") but noted "Had fun before and after but not during the dance."

Pat threw Bernie a surprise party for her 17th birthday in December.

On the 27th my mother went to the Nazareth Academy Snowball winter dance with Don Carel ("real nice"), tripling with Robin Boldenwick, Martha Vrtis and their dates. "Lost my dance program!" Danced with Phil (Mary Ann's steady, "Slurp"), Tom, Tony (P. Healy's date) and Dan.

And then there is a last page: "This is Dec. 31, 1950. The last day of the old year 1950 and with the closing of this old year I will close this scrapbook. It has been wonderful keeping a scrapbook and remembering all the swell times I've had. Good-by, Bernie."

Thanks, Mom. I loved spending the day with you.

 On the back of this photo, yes, it says "To Bernie from Bernie."