Happy Halloween - 10/31/2011

Don’t be scared, she’s not as tough as she looks!

Meet maternal grandmother Ida Mae (Jordan) Morgan, dressed for the annual Halloween party at the American Legion.  I'm not sure if she's meant to be a gangster, or a 1920s Hollywood mogul.  Regardless, this 1960 photo gave me an insight into Grandma that I'd not seen previously... 

My grandmother and her husband Earle (my step-grandfather) were members of their local American Legion Post (Dundalk, MD; Post 38).  And they were active, in a big way.  Over the years, both held several offices, including president—he of the Post and she of the Women’s Auxiliary.

Like so many of their generation, times were tough growing up.  And both were single parents, divorced from their first spouses, something not usually done in the 30s.  By the time they found one another, life was easing up, and they were free to enjoy their time together.  So they did, by joining friends for activities at the Legion and other social organizations where they were members. 

As a child, grandparents seem ancient people whose lives revolve only around their family, with no social life to speak of.  In looking through family albums, I am finding photos from many dances, dinners, Halloween parties, Christmas parties, and nights on the town.  It’s giving me a bigger window into their social lives, and I love it!