The Franzen's and Illinois Beach

in the early 1900's my grandfather's large catholic family left Germany for better opportunities in the US, selling everything they had in oder to finance the trip. Upon arriving in Chicago the two oldest bothers left the family to continue west while the rest stayed together in the city. With his first wife dying in childbirth he met my grandmother. Eventually my Grandmother wanted a better life for my Father and insisted they move out of the city, so the four of them, my grandfather, grandmother, father and his bother (from my grandfather's first marriage) moved to Lake Villa.  After my grandfather died my grandmother continued to live there until the early 90's when she needed to move to a senior "assisted" living apartment.

I was not as close to my Dad's parents as I was to my mother's but there were good memories at that place. Of course as a kid my favorite thing was being able to walk to the gas station a block away to get candy.   I also remember the twice a year chore of cleaning out the gutters and since I was the smallest I often got thrown up on the roof because I could reach down the downspouts, maybe that is why I am afraid of heights? Hmm. 

Also, there is another significance to me for that house. Though my parents deny it, I am partially named after the street. Seriously, when naming us my oldest brother Brad got my dad's first name for his middle names, Steve Got my Dad's middle name for his middle name, and I got James, the street he grew up on, I really should have been a comic, you can't make that stuff up!

In Chicago I had run out of Water and with the prospect of rush hour decided to leave early for my next stop, Illinois Beach. So I went to the Y for a swim and refresh and took Joy to a Dog Park, she needed a free run. After that, we went to the House my Dad grew up in.  I could not help but laugh since there is now a Walmart super center across from the Gas station. Walmart was my grandmother favorite store! After driving by that house, we went Kenosha to get Gas (literally $.50 cheaper per gallon), Joy got a bath at petsmart and I got a much needed hair cut.
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We got to Illinois beach in time for more rain and wind, but that was OK as this was really a scheduled time to write and reflect and Tuesday was absolutely beautiful with a nice cool breeze. I had to laugh as I walked to the beach behind my site and the memories flooded in when I saw the now abandoned bathhouse.  Of course my Dad also tried to convince us that Lake Michigan was just like the Ocean. It's not, though it is very pretty and with the wind we even had some little waves.