IN 1936 THE RIVERS IN PENNSYLVANIA FLOODED AND IT CAUSED TURTLE CREEK AND SURROUNDINGS TO ALSO FLOOD.MY FATHER AND I GOT INTO OUR SEDAN AND DROVE TO MY GRANDMOTHER’ S AND AS I SAT IN THE CAR ON THE HILLSIDE HE WALKED TO HER HOUSE AND PICKED HER UP AND
CARRIED HER TO WHERE I SAT SAFELY. SHE STAYED WITH US UNTIL THE FLOOD WATERS SUBSIDED.

MY MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER USED TO TALK AND LAUGH TOGETHER AND ENJOYED EACH OTHER’ S COMPANY. I GUESS I LEARNED TO TALK SERBIAN LISTENING TO THEM. SHE KEPT A NICE KITCHEN AND WE WERE FED AND CLOTHED AS BEST SHE COULD IN THOSE DEPRESSION DAYS. HER NEIGHBORS LIKED HER, AND SHE HAD SOME FRIENDS, BUT RARELY VISITED AWAY FROM HER HOME.

THOSE TIMES WE WERE SICK SHE GOT US THROUGH. WITH HER AND SHE VISITED THE SCHOOL WHEN THERE WAS AN OPERETTA SHOW GOING ON. I LIKE TO THINK BACK KNOWING THAT I DRSSED HER HAIR IN THE OLD KITCHEN WHEN SHE NEEDED ME, SHE SAID I HAD THE QUICKEST LEGS TO RUN AN ERRAND. WHEN POP HAD THE STORE SHE KEPT TRACK AND THEN WHEN I GOT OLDER I HELPED OUT. A LOT OF MY OLD DRAWINGS WERE DONE N THE CARDBOARD FROM CANDY BOXES . I STOOD AT THE COUNTER IN THE STORE.

I’VE LOST TRACK OF HOW MANY VARIOUS KITCHENS SHE HAD TO SET UP AS POP MOVED AROUND THE COUNTRY, WHEN HE RETIRED FROM WESTINGHOUSE AIRBRAKE. IN 1944 WHEN HER MOTHER BECAME ILL WITH CANCER SHE WENT TO TOWNVILLE PA. TO TAKE CARE OF HER WITH MY AUNT MILDRED. AT THE END, MARTHA ZIVKOVICH WAS BROUGHT TO BE BURIED IN EAST MCKEESPORT A YEAR BEFORE LINDA WAS BORN. NOW THEY REST TOGETHER.

SHE AND POP CAME TO CALIFORNIA IN 1962 and WE CAME IN 1963, THE YEAR KENNEDY WAS KILLED.

SHE LOVED THIS COUNTRY AND LIKED TO HEAR ROOSEVELT GIVE HIS FIRESIDE CHATS, I THINK SHE NEVER GOT OVER MISSING CATHERINE, HER OLDER SISTER. SHE LIKED TO HEAR VAUGHN MONROE SING DURING THE WAR.

SHE ALWAYS GAVE US HOPE THAT JACK AND JOE WOULD BE HOME PROM THE WAR, BUT THE WAR WAS HARD ON HER SON BROWNIE.