Tag Archives: Military Families

Kitty

25 Jan

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Reblog

My mother-in-law was a gem.  She was funny, cute, elegant, classy, down-to-earth, loved to laugh, and welcomed me into the family as a daughter.  Of course, it didn’t hurt that I married her first-born.  

Her name was Charlotte Emily, but I had never heard anyone call her anything but Kitty.  Occasionally a niece would mention “Aunt Charlotte” but that’s about it.  She rapidly became a second mother to me, and I loved her.

I was always curious as to where the nickname “Kitty” came from, and found it to be a most interesting and amusing story.  In her own words:

“…when I was in 7th or 8th grade, I was given a nick-name, Kitty!  This came about in the winter when we were skating on a small lake in Monroe, New York.  My sister Eleanor told some friends about an episode when we were living in Windham, New York.  Our Mother and her three daughters were enjoying the evening sitting on our front porch, when a small black and white animal came creeping up the front walk.  I began calling, “Kitty, kitty” and started down to pet him or her.  As I got up my Mother said, “That’s not a cat – it’s a skunk!”  Well, luckily, it turned and ran away without leaving the usual odor we associate with skunks.  That winter when we, El and I, were skating, El told this story and from then on everyone on the ice began calling “Here Kitty, Kitty!”  And I’ve been called Kitty every since!”

Mystery solved!  I’ve heard similar stories before, but not where the name stuck.

Her father was a Scottish Presbyterian minister, who immigrated to the United States from Scotland during the Potato Famine in 1910.  I remember her saying that she loved to hear the bagpipes play – it really got her blood up to a good boil!

She was devoted to her husband and their four children.  Being a U.S. Air Force wife, she moved and traveled frequently.  She had a flair for decorating, and her home was always elegant yet comfortable.  I remember the story of how, in 1947 after World War II, her husband was assigned to an installation in Italy.  He went over first, and then she made the trip with those four children in tow – ages 8, 4, and 2-year-old twins.  She was a brave woman!  They lived all over the world – many places in the United States as well as Italy, Japan, and Hawaii.

She was a great cook.  She taught me to make turkey stuffing the “New England” way – with bread rather than cornbread.  She taught me to make German Springerle Christmas cookies – the best I’ve ever eaten! 

She loved to have fun, and was a bit of a cut-up.  I will always remember her with me on the beach in northern California, dancing barefoot through the wet sand and kelp.

She left us in 2010, after about 10 years of dealing with Alzheimer’s disease, and so she actually left us many years before that.  I miss her, still.

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.

I do not give to you as the world gives.

Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

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Memorial Day Memories

28 May

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

 

 

 

Tomorrow is Memorial Day 2017.

Credit Google Search and Time Magazine

I know I’ve mentioned before that I am fiercely patriotic about my country. I’ve had the great privilege of being born and growing up in the United States of America.   I’ve also had the privilege of living in another country. It was such a lesson to see how other countries view the U.S.

My brother, Bill, enlisted in the Navy right out of high school. I remember a time when he was shipped overseas, and I became afraid for him. But he came home, safe and sound.

And then I met the man who would become my husband – and the love of my life. Fred’s father was a Chaplain in the U.S. Air Force. And even though I became more interested in the military at that point – because of Fred’s Dad – it wasn’t until Fred joined the U.S. Air Force himself that my interest became intense. I had not ever really envisioned what military life was all about.

I’ve seen advertisements for t-shirts that state that the military person was one who, at some point in their lives, signed a blank check to the U.S. Government, up to and including their lives.

And that brings us to Memorial Day. I’ve not had a family member die in battle. My heart cries for those who have had that happen. But I do have a family history of military service.

My Dad – I didn’t know for quite a few years, that my Dad served with the U.S. Army in World War 1. He was in the medical corps, and served in France.

 

 

My brother served in the U.S. Navy – active duty for four years, then more in the reserves. He was stationed on board ships in the Mediterranean and in Japan.

 

Navy

Bill Lites

 

My husband served for over 22 years in the U.S. Air Force as a meteorologist. He served in six states and twice in West Germany.

 

 

My father-in-law served in the U.S. Army – later in the U.S. Air Force – for over 28 years as a Chaplain. He served all over the world. In 1943 he was wounded in the invasion of Sicily, by shrapnel from a German mortar. He carried the quarter-size piece of shrapnel in his body, too near his heart to be removed, for over 66 years.

 

 

My brother-in-law – Fred’s brother – served in the U.S. Air Force as a Chaplain for 20 years.

 

 

All-in-all, that adds up to nearly 80 years of service to this country by my family members. And it was all done voluntarily.

All of these men are veterans. And that marks the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day.

Memorial Day honors those who gave their lives defending this country. They are the ones who, when they signed that blank check to the U.S. Government, actually gave up their lives for freedom.

And that’s the crux of this:   it is our military that has given us our freedom – not the politicians in Washington D.C. As a matter of fact, I think that service in our nation’s military should be a prerequisite for holding government office.

I would like to honor the memory of all those who have died for the cause of freedom. Outside of the cause for Christ….there is no other greater.

 

 

 

Credit Google Search and clipart panda

 

May God 🇺🇸 bless America!

 

 

 

 

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