My Mom's 100th Birthday

Lois at six weeks old

 My Mom's 100th Birthday

Today is my mom's 100th birthday. Yes, my parents were born two day apart, but in different countries. I always thought that was pretty cool!

Lois Jane Marguerite Flynn was born June 7th, 1918 at Grant Hospital in Chicago. That is where her children would also be born. She was an only child to Helen "Nelle" Manning Flynn and Roy James Flynn. Her mom liked the name Lois Jane, as she met someone in the park whose cute daughter had that name, so she decided to name my mom that. Her middle name, Marguerite is the French form of Margaret, her maternal grandmother's name, and her mother's middle name.

Lois at one year old

Growing up

 I found lots of fun tidbits in her baby book.

Lois walked at 11 months, and kept her parents busy. She danced at 18 months, and always enjoyed dancing. She participated in plays, ice skating and dance classes growing up. She also loved being a Girl scout, and reading Nancy Drew and Bobsey twins books.

Lois on her first birthday

School Minuet performance, April, 1924

My grandma wrote "Lois Jane danced the Minuet in costume at Lincoln School at age 5. She extended an invitation to everyone in the neighborhood to attend. She was the star of the performance, because of slightly exaggerating the steps, causing considerable laughter." Sounds just like my mom! Lincoln Elementary School was built in 1871 after the Chicago Fire, and is still a Chicago Public School today.

Lois and her dolls, at her grandparent's house

When she was little, Lois lived with her parents in Lincoln Park, on Belden. Her grandparents, John David Manning and Margaret Quirk Manning lived at 2223 Orchard Street, right around the corner. Her grandfather loved to take her for walks and they would often go to Lincoln Park Zoo. She always wanted to go see the monkeys, because he told her that there was a monkey named Lois, and she wanted to go see her namesake. It took her a while to realize that he would point out whichever monkey was convenient and tell her that one was Lois.

Lois holding Mugsey

 

Lois about 5 years old

Lois, age 7, with her mother, Nelle

Lois, age 7, with her father, Roy

Lois about 10 years old

Lois in High School

In her early 20's

Lois grew up in the Edgewater neighborhood, and went to Sacred Heart School on Sheridan Road. After graduation from high school, she went to Barat College. She was only able to complete about 2 years of college, and due to the Great Depression, she could not afford to continue. She took some secretarial classes, and started working for John Jacob Factor, aka: "Jake The Barber". He was a businessman, and my grandparents rented their apartment from him. When he found out she was looking for a job and had secretarial skills, he hired her. She said he was always a gentleman to her and her family. His brother was Max Factor, of the makeup company. At some point, Jake got in trouble with the law for being a con man. I don't think my mom worked for him for long, though. She then went to work for Illinois Bell as a telephone operator, then became an operator trainer. She continued in that job until getting married in 1950.

My dad must have sent flowers to my mom a few days before their wedding. This card has 2/12/1950 on the back

 They had a morning wedding ceremony on a snowy Saturday, February 18th, 1950 at St. Gertrude's church in Chicago. I guess in those days the Catholic Church didn't allow you to get married in Lent, so they married before Lent started.

Roy Flynn, her father, helping with her train on the snowy morning my parents married.

Kissing at their wedding

They lived on the North Side of Chicago for a while. There was a housing shortage after WWII, and it was still going on. They found an empty lot in the St. Walter's neighborhood in Morgan Park, and built a 3 bedroom home. My mom became involved with helping get the church built and the St. Walter's Women's Club started. Along the way, she had three children.

Charlie was born November 28, 1951

Kevin came along 14 months later on February 13, 1953

Lynn was born August 15, 1959

Charlie and Kevin

Kevin, 2 1/2 years old, Charlie, 4 years old

Charlie, 8, Kevin, 7 and Lynn, 4 months

Roy and Nelle Flynn, Chuck McGoldrick, Lois Flynn McGoldrick and family friends, the Jorgensen's. We kids called our grandparents Papa Roy and Mimi Nelle.

Lynn and Kevin with Roxie, 1966

Lois and Lynn, 1974

My mom, on the right with some of her friends from the "Do Nothing" club. On our deck at our summer home in Lakes of the Four Seasons.

Good family friends, Eileen and Russ Streff, with Chuck.

The "Do Nothings" out to lunch

Yvonne Graydon and Lois on a Disney cruise. They were great travel partners.

Lois, Mae Michaels Roche, John Chotka and John Perri enjoying a day on the Gulf.

Lois on the left and Marion Ruzich on the right, ant the Barat College/Mundelein 60th reunion in 2000

Lois with Kevin, Lynn and Charlie, Thanksgiving 1995

Lois with her kids and grandkids, Thanksgiving, 1995.

Mom's 90th Birthday
in 2008

Lois loved her family and friends, and would always be there for you if you needed her. She volunteered for Little Company of Mary Hospital for many years, working at their resale shop, then becoming a buyer for their gift shop. She loved helping people, and being around people.

She died October 10, 2011 at age 93 after a series of strokes. She had said she wanted to make it to 100, if she was in good health. I wish she had. I sure wish I could talk to her again.