Millard Clark Gatchell

Millard Clark Gatchell my grandfather as pictured in his youth.

My grandmother, Catherine Louise Ryan who married Millard told me stories of grandpa having very curly hair. You can see some of those curls in this photo.

Catherine Gatchell & Millard Gatchell

Here's a nice old photo of my grandparents Catherine Louise Ryan & Millard Clark Gatchell. They both look quite young so much have been around the time of their marriage.

Grandma & Grandpa had been married for 36 years at the time of his death in 1982.

Catherine Louise (Ryan) Gatchell

Here's another picture of my grandmother, Catherine Louise Ryan. Looks like a lovely scene with a hat or floral arrangement on her head.

I don't know when this photo was taken but she is probably in her early 20's.

Our family lost Grandma last year and we are now feeling the void of her absence. I've thought many times that I don't know that she had an enemy in the world. She was liked by all and is dearly missed by her family.

Catherine Louise (Ryan) Gatchell

It seems I'm posting alot of baby pictures today. This is of course my Grandmother, Catherine Louise Ryan very early in life.

The home behind her with it's porch make me homesick for Indiana!

Catherine Louise (Ryan) Gatchell

In the middle we find this picture of my grandmother cooking at Parkview Hospital, Fort Wayne, Indiana where she retired from many years later.

The photo is in rough shape but it's the only one I have of her at her place of work so it's treasured regardless of it's condition.

Millard Gatchell & Catherine Ryan

Pictured here we have my grandparents Millard Clark Gatchell & Catherine Louise Ryan.

This picture reminds of my early childhood when we'd all pack in the car and make the fairly long trip from Nashville, Michigan to Hoagland, Indiana where Grandma & Grandpa lived. They had a mulberry tree in the front yard which provided me hours of entertainment picking and eating until my hands were stained purple in color.

Catherine Louise Ryan

Here's another treasured photo of my grandmother Catherine Louise (Ryan) Gatchell in her youth.

I can just image the beautiful sunny day when this picture was taken. It appears to me that she is sitting in a field of flowers and reverently posing for this very sincere photo.

Catherine Louise (Ryan) Gatchell

Here's my grandmother Catherine Louise (Ryan) Gatchell having some youthful fun. This was about seven years before she married my grandfather Millard Clark Gatchell. The family story is someone had purchased this new 1939 Ford and told her to go sit on it so they could take her picture.

Millard Clark Gatchell

This picture was the favorite picture of Mick's bride Catherine Louise after his death in 1982. I think this picture was taken at the Old Fort Wayne.

Looking at this picture brings to my memory Grandpa Gatchell's preference to drive from Fort Wayne, Indiana to visit us in Nashville, Michigan on the rural roads so he could enjoy the ride and the view. He passed away from the cause of an enlarged heart. Grandma thought this was because of all the long hard work he did for so many years.

Catherine Gatchell & Millard Gatchell

This photo was taken on the wedding day of Catherine Louise Ryan & Millard Clark Gatchell on 9 Aug 1946. They were married in Angola, Michigan.

Pictured from left to right: Elmer Geise, Millard Clark Gatchell, Catherine Louise Ryan, Agnes Louise (Middleton) Geise.

Agnes is Catherine's mother and Elmer is Catherine's step-father.

Catherine Louise (Ryan) Gatchell

I was recently able to get this photo of Grandma when she was a little girl. Having only known her as my grandmother really makes me pause to appreciate that she too had a childhood with joys and pains that we all endure.

I very much doubt there are any plastic parts on her tricycle!

Millard Gatchell & Catherine Ryan

Millard Clark Gatchell & Catherine Louise Ryan were married on 9 Aug 1946 in Angola, Stueben County, Indiana. Grandma was fond of telling the story of when they were married by a minister by the name of John Humpreys in a little tiny chapel in Angola.

Catherine Louise (Ryan) Gatchell

Catherine Louise (Ryan) Gatchell was born on 11 May 1925 in Pontiac, Oakland County, Michigan to Agnes Louise Middleton & Stanley LeClair Ryan. She passed away on 11 Nov 2008 in Columbia City, Whitney County, Indiana.

Catherine known to her friends as Kate lived in Michigan, Indiana & Florida. She was known for her wonderful cooking and soups. She worked in Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana for many years and was the cook that made all soups at the hospital.

Here's one entry from her hand written recipe book:

Spagetti and meat sauce

3 boxes spagetti
20 cans spaghetti sauce
130#(pounds) ground beef

Garlic
Salt
White pepper
1 box dryed onions
Rosemary
Oragano

Obviously this is a hospital meal recipe with 130 pounds of ground beef?!