Card Night at the Ellis Home

在60年代末和70年代初, 我的祖父母用來舉辦每月卡方三奶奶埃利斯’ 姐妹和她們的丈夫. 托尼叔叔和阿姨艾格尼絲吉蘭, 奧斯卡叔叔，阿姨多蘿西·馮·貝格與藝術姨媽和貝蒂Clemmings將加入奶奶和爺爺玩皮諾奇勒. Each family would host one card game a month on Saturday night.

Grandma and Grandpa Ellis’ house on Kingsland Court had a large dining room. The dining room table sat eight normally. All the men smoked but I don’t believe Grandma or my great aunts smoked. It was smoking that would bring their card playing days to an end. Uncle Tony Giraudo developed lung cancer in 1974.

While Grandma Ellis had fourteen siblings, she was closest to Aunt Agnes, Aunt Betty, and Aunt Dorothy. The four families would do things with each other throughout the years. When Grandpa Ellis had his blood clots in 1959 或 1960, Mom was on vacation with Uncle Oscar and Aunt Dorothy. Grandma Ellis talked Grandpa into moving back to St. 路易, so they would be close to her family if they needed help. Oscar Von Berg was Grandpa Ellis’ best friend and had more influence with him than most.

Sometimes the brothers-in-law would get together to work on projects. Grandpa Ellis once told me that he and the other two brothers-in-law were helping Uncle Tony fix up his new house. Uncle Tony was working on a ladder, when he felt like it was going to tip. He reached up to steady himself and grabbed a 110 volt wire in the ceiling. After it finally let him go, he crashed to the floor.

When they heard him fall, 爺爺, Uncle Oscar and Uncle Art came running. After they helped him to his feet, Uncle Tony asked, “What is a matter with you guys? I was yelling my head off for you.” They told him that they didn’t hear anything until he crashed to the ground. He was trying to yell but the electricity was preventing the words from coming out.

Anthony “Uncle Tony” John Giraudo passed away in June 1974 from the effects of lung cancer. Uncle Tony’s death convinced all three of his brothers-in-law to quit smoking. The United States government did not start putting warning on cigarette packages until 1966 but all four men kept smoking. When Uncle Tony developed lung cancer, it really hit home for Grandpa, Uncle Oscar and Uncle Art. Sadly, the card games also came to an end.

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