both of Ron's grandmothers

Long Beach, California  (circa 1950)

Left:  Angeline (Glowiak) Karpinski  (1892-1982)

Right:  Franciszka (Ossowska) Kaczmarek  (1879-1956)

The exact date of this photo is lost to the ravages of time; however, the circumstances

remain clear.  In April, 1947, Edward and Evelyn Karpinski moved into their new house

in Long Beach, California, along with their two oldest children, Beverly and Edward, Jr.

At the time, Evelyn was seven months pregnant with a third child (Ronald).  Her mother,

Francis, "Granny" Kaczmarek," lived on (2716) Kerckhoff Street in nearby San Pedro.

Now that they owned a home, with enough room for guests, Edward and Evelyn invited

his parents, John and Angeline, of Chicago, Illinois, to travel out to the West Coast for

a visit.  Grandma Karpinski resisted.  "You want us to come all the way out to California,

just to see a house?"  After several years of coaxing, Grandpa Karpinski still would not

budge, but Grandma grudgingly boarded a train and arrived for a two-week visit.  This

rare photo shows the two grandmothers together for, perhaps, the only time.  Details in

the background suggest that they are standing on a jetty near the Long Beach Harbor.