Sue and Louise Share a Teenage Crush

Sue Sack-Ernst and Louise McCormick Trask around 1933

Last week, I was driving Aunt Sue to a doctors appointment, and she treated me to a sweet story about a teenage crush she shared with her niece Louise.

Our drive took us past a Whole Foods store, and I told Aunt Sue that Whole Foods was going to start delivering groceries.  "When I was a girl, the grocery store always delivered our groceries," she told me.
We continued our drive down the "405," as she said, "Louise and I thought the grocery boy was very cute."

Sue Sack-Ernst was only one year older her niece Louise McCormick-Trask and the two of them grew up as playmates and companions in the Sack family home that was located on Tennyson Street in North Denver.  The Sack family never owned a car and the local grocer would send a boy to deliver groceries to their house. Sue remembers that as teenagers both her and Louise thought that the grocery boy was very cute.

 Sue told me that she and Louise would looked forward to the grocery deliveries, and a chance to talk to that delivery boy.  "But," she said, "he thought Louise was cuter, and he liked her better."  "Oh, so the grocery boy liked Louise better?" I asked.  "Yes, he did, that's why he married her," she said.  "You mean the grocery boy was Uncle Will!"  "Yes," she said "He liked Louise, and they got married."

How often do we ask someone, "How did you meet?"  I know that I like to hear those stories, and would love to hear more. If anyone would like to tell me their "how we met" stories, I would love to hear them. Aunt Sue has often asked my how my grandparents met, and sadly I don't know, it is another family mystery I would love to solve.
Desiree Hedger

Back in the 60's the Sack family really knew how to host a family reunion, and I recently found these pictures that were taken during reunions in 1966 and 1968.  The 1966 party was at Sloan's Lake, and it looks like everyone was having a lot of fun visiting and playing games.  I recognize most of the people in the pictures, but have a look and see if you can help me identify everyone.

In this photo my sister Sharon is in the foreground, and I am next to her with my back turned.  Trudy Ernst-Ririe is in the background, and I believe that may be Marie on the blanket and Louise next to her with her arm and leg up in the air.

  Here are the two ladies again on the blanket.  Marie and Louise?

Here is my Grandma Ethel Piper giving Trudy a BIG hug, and in her hand she is holding her ever present cigarette.  She always had a cigarette in her hand until she started smoking the cigars.

Linda Trask, and Trudy; AGAIN, gosh girl, you were popular at this party.

This is Uncle Adrian, and I must admit I used to call him Uncle Frankenstein when I was a kid, because he was so tall.

In 1968 when the family got together my mother had a new Polaroid camera with color film!  Here is a nice picture of all the Sack siblings at the reunion: Ethel, Dorothy, Adrian, Marie, Betty, Shirley and Sue. Three of their siblings died prior to 1968:  Elizabeth died at birth in Philadelphia (4-13-1909), Catherine died shortly after the family arrived in Denver (9-14-1912), and Jack died at age 27 on 12-13-1947.

Back row R to L: Sue Ernst, Marie Snyder, Adrian Sack, Front row R to L: Shirley Neel, Ethel Piper, Dorothy McCormack, Betty Silk.  I love you all!

Katrina I am so happy you mentioned your Grandmother Louise, and mentioned this blog.  You are inspiring me to keep going with this project.

Here is a picture of Sue (Sack) Ernst, and Louise (McCormick) Trask in the front yard of the Sack family home at 3702 Tennyson.  The picture was taken around 1932 it looks like Sue is around 5 or 6 years old and Louise would have been a year younger. 

Sue remembers that both Hugh and Louise spent a lot of time at Granddad and Grandma Sack's house when they were growing up.  You can see Elitch's and the old Wild Cat Roller Coaster in the back ground.  Did you know that Granddad (John) Sack helped build the Wild Cat, and that Elitch's owned  the house on Tennyson?  

 

This is how I remember my Grandma, with her ever present cigarette.

Grandma Piper's Tamale Pie

* The first time I published this post, I made a couple big errors in this recipe. Focus and attention to detail are not two of my strong points! 

Birthday celebrations were always important in our home, and every year my Grandma Piper would ask us what special dish we would like to have for our birthday dinner. I always picked the same dinner every year, my grandma's "Tamale Pie". She would prepare the dish early in the day and the heavenly aroma of the onion and garlic sautéing in butter would drift though the house, and soon I would be counting the minutes until dinner time. Today, this is still one of my favorite dishes, and always brings memories of Grandma Piper right into my kitchen.

Grandma Piper's "Tamale Pie"
1 small onion chopped
1 clove garlic
1 can diced tomatoes (12 oz)
1 can niblet corn drained
2 cans pitted black olives
1 package chili seasoning (I'm a wimp so I only use 1/2 package)
2 cups boiling water
3/4 cup yellow corn meal
1 cup milk
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 to 2 lbs ground beef browned and drained
1 tsp. salt

In a large pot sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until soft and
translucent; add ground beef and continue cooking until meat is no longer pink. Stir in tomatoes, corn, and 2 cups of water; bring to a boil.
Slowly stir in corn meal, milk, eggs, olives and chili seasoning and salt; mix well and
simmer for 15 min. while stiring occasionally. Pour mixture into 2 oven proof
casserole dishes and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
optional: remove from oven and top with 1 cup grated cheddar cheese.