I was browsing the internet last night and stumbled across old photos of Midland, Michigan, the city where I was born and lived until I was 18.

One of the photos showed Glovers Drug Store and Bye’s Food Market. My family lived above Bye’s in a small two-bedroom apartment. Although I don’t remember the details, we must have moved in before Dad went into the Marines in 1944. When he was discharged in 1946, Dad and Mom built the “small house” which was on Sturgeon Road. We moved from the apartment into the Sturgeon house just before I was five (in 1947).

Here’s the photo. It was the first place I can remember living. You can see the entrance door to the stairway between the two businesses. Our apartment was where you can see the small balcony above Bye’s Food Market. Our windows had (green) awnings. I can remember a few details. The kitchen was windowless toward the back of the apartment and contained the “entrance” into the apartment. We had an icebox (no refrigerator). My room was tiny with a scary humpty dumpty lamp which I hated and no windows. The living room wasn’t very big but had the doorway to the balcony and the leftmost window (as seen from outside). Mom and Dad’s room would have looked out the right window.