Starting a Family and Early Mom Life

I really had dreams of getting married and having a family. Whatever made me think marriage and family would be my heaven? I wanted something I never experienced as a child. Married in 1961, my first daughter, Tracy, came in 1962. Kelly in 1964, Tamara in 1966, and Richard Junior in 1969. Dick sold cars, and I worked long hours. My life consisted of working, feeding, cleaning, and more of the same every day. We bought a house in Brookfield the year after Kelly was born. It was a lovely, small open concept three-bedroom with a large yard and open fields at the front. I was very happy. Keeping my house and children clean was a full-time job. I also love decorating. We didn't have a lot of money, so I purchased chairs and couches at Goodwill and reupholstered them. The children's clothes were all handmade. After Tamara was born, the three girls had matching outfits and were always dressed in cute dresses that I had made. Other than sewing their clothes, I've visited resale shops and rummage sales where I also purchased my clothes. When Ricky was born, I went to work as a waitress at a local steakhouse to make extra money. I enjoyed it. I made good tips, and it gave me a break from the kids.