My Family

I had both a younger sister and brother.

My sister, Shirley Ann, was born on January 16, 1933.

My brother, Harold Lee, was born on July 18, 1937.

I spent many hours with my grandmother McDaniel, my grandfather McDaniel and all of my aunts, uncles and cousins.    My mother had two sisters, Leona (Lena) and Marguerite (Mita) and three half-brothers whose father passed away when they were very young.   Mary Minroot, married my grandfather, Joseph Van Goethem. and they had three girls.    My mother’s half-brothers were named Frank, Gus and Pete.  Frank had one son Frankie, who sometimes lived with us as his father was not too reliable.  Frankie was such a nice Cousin and we all enjoyed him.  I went to Roosevelt Grade School.  I was born at home on April 15, 1931 to Harold Leonard McDaniel and Anna Louise VanGoethem McDaniel in Kansas City, Kansas.  I was the first child born to them and the first grandchild on both sides of the family.  I was born during the Great Depression of the 1930s.  My grandfather McDaniel (Bobo) named me Bonnie Lean which is an Irish name meaning “pretty”.  My grandfather was born in Ireland and came to the United States when he was 19 years old.  He came with his Brother Ynyr wno settled in Chicago  and a Sister who settled in Canada.  My Granddfather worked for the Wonder Bakery as a salesman   I remember we had a large photograph of him on our piano and it showed him holding his Wonder Bread Case and it said “25 Years Anniversary”  Later, after my grandfather had passed away my Dad went to work at Wonder Bakery.  Sorry to say that is where he met my step mother,  Daisy.

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