Diana Joyce Guild Brady
known as Dolly, Di, Diana Banana
also written Diana, Dolly, Di, Diana Banana, Diana Guild Brady, Diana Joyce in the book
Biography
Identified as the fourth daughter and the sixth child. Narrator. Her mother reported that unexplained falls began at age three. Over four years, discoloration, hardened skin, loss of connective tissue, restricted movement, and pain developed in her left leg. Eventually diagnosed with localized scleroderma affecting her left leg, left hand, left chest wall, and slightly her right hand. Underwent left-leg amputation, learned to walk with crutches, and received a prosthetic leg. Later taught herself to ride a bicycle. Recalls penicillin and cod liver oil treatments, and possible experimental cortisone shots; her suggestion that treatments contributed to later health problems is explicitly uncertain. Mentions clients but does not identify her occupation. Describes her mother as having seven children. Education also recorded as “Earned straight A’s in high school; attended Illinois Wesleyan and graduated from a nursing program. Had a vocational rehabilitation scholarship requiring high grades.” (Diana's Chapter). Narrator. She and Barbara were the last of seven children and shared a bed, then a room, until leaving home. Mentions childhood illness and hospital gifts without specifying an illness. Iris and Bill supplied a 1954 blue Ford she named Tillie the Toiler, enabling her to remain in college. Says she still gardens but dislikes the Florida heat. Chapter narrator. Met Lee three years after his divorce and describes their shared life, fishing trips, and her grief after his death. Her parents are referred to as Daddy and Mom; Lee nicknamed Mom “Ethel Red.” Lee called Diana “Di,” and Daddy called her “Dolly.” Narrator of the chapter. Her unnamed mother helped before and after Kelly’s birth and made yearly winter visits. education also recorded as “Earned straight A's, studied through the night, and enrolled in college far from home. Wesleyan is mentioned as the place she drove from.” in the book. Conducted oral-history inquiries with Mom, plying her with margaritas for recollections of her early life and her father Ed's life. One of the sisters Barbara asked to see for comfort in Kindergarten. Barbara also remembers Diana coming home from the hospital. Was home for a visit from Florida when the family played cards at Carol's house shortly before Mom's death. Daddy called Diana “Dolly.” Diana and Barbara made fried-egg sandwiches and watched Lassie every Sunday night. Diana had been in Children’s Hospital in Chicago; no reason or date is given. Slept on a roll away bed in the living room. Barbara’s most frequent playmate; they rode bicycles on 39th Street. A dog tried to bite Diana but 'got the wrong leg'; the passage does not explain further. Listed among Barbara's siblings on her staircase. The narrator's younger sister; described as intelligent, very social, and courageous. Sixth child in the stated birth order, after the narrator and before Barb. One of the girls given a Toni home perm by Mom and Virginia. The narrator's sister. Described as never washing or drying dishes, instead talking on the telephone, reading in the bathroom, or doing homework. Frequently used the family's party line. She and Barb heard mice running around at night. Went to play Canasta with Mrs. Nicholson. The narrator believes Diana probably knows more about the uncertain family story concerning Grampa's past. Children taught her to ride a bicycle with her new leg. Had a leg operation in Chicago in 1949. Played violin; her stored violin warped, was discarded, and was rescued and repaired by Mr. Sajben for his son. Helped Delores accept her hearing impairment and taught her ways to comfort herself when feeling low about her hearing problem. Narrator first says they composed the beauty-contest essay together with Diana’s help, then thanks Diana for writing the essay and winning her a rewarding career. Born after the family moved into the house. Planted a free newspaper seedling where the outhouse had stood; the narrator describes it as a huge evergreen that still stands and bears fruit over forty years later. Frightened along with Barbara by mice running in the attic at night. Celebrated for her gift of gab, intelligence, friendship, and caring. Met Lee in Chicago; he is described as the man of her dreams and she as his true love. The poem says Diana will paint a portrait of 'your life,' without establishing whether this is literal or figurative. One of the six younger siblings Iris helped care for. Born after Carol. Shared the living-room couch bed with Carol and Delores. Mom was visiting Diana in Florida at the time of the lockout. Sat with Carol and Dee on the bench at the meal table. Would pretend she needed the bathroom, lock herself in, and read until the Sunday dishes were done. Carol's younger sister. Won a trip to the Illinois State Fair for a coffee-cake demonstration. Signed the autograph-book verse about marriage, twins, and safety pins; the verse does not establish any actual marriage or children. With Barb, secretly wore Carol's clothes to school and rolled the skirt waistbands to shorten them. Carol called the pair 'The Clothes Snatchers.' Made painted bread dough figures with the narrator's mother. Hosted her in Florida with Lee, photographed her laughing on an exercise bike, and sought doctors to identify the cause of her abdominal pain. Listed among the family members; age 19 on the day of the photographs. Called “Baby Diana.” The narrator tentatively remembers that she came along soon after the early memories of the new home. Played Jacks with Carol and Dee. Playfully addressed by the narrator about whether he colored inside or outside the lines. Had a painful leg illness as a little girl. The narrator feared she would lose her leg and prayed nightly for her recovery. He describes her courage and smiling face as making the family tragedy bearable and says she turned out good. No diagnosis or specific medical outcome is stated. Mom spoke to Bernard about worrying about Diana. Had a painful ulcerated leg that Iris rubbed with lard. Remembered as brave and crying very little. Listed after Delores, with births described as about eighteen months apart. Ethel spent three months of each year with her in Florida and died during a yearly visit in 1988. Ethel spent three months each year with Diana in Florida and died during her 1988 visit.
Timeline
November 12, 1942
Birth of DIANA JOYCE GUILD BRADY
The Guilds1949
Diana’s leg operation and the first television
Mom and Dad went to Chicago for Diana’s leg operation and returned with the family’s first black-and-white TV.
Dee's ChapterContest entered during the later part of senior year; award discovered after graduation
Winning essay and beauty school enrollment
Won a three-hundred-dollar scholarship for an essay about expressing artistic ability through hair design. Initially describes composing it with Diana’s help, then credits Diana with writing it. Discovered the award notice among stored papers and enrolled.
Dee's ChapterDecember 16, 1968 at 5:56 a.m.
Birth of Kelly Ann Brady
Diana recalls being thrilled throughout pregnancy and at Kelly’s arrival.
Diana's ChapterApril, 1988
Mom visits Diana and Lee in Florida
Mom visited Diana and Lee, who helped her relax and took her on a cruise. Her abdominal pain persisted.
Carol's ChapterApril, 1988
Diagnosis and surgery during Mom's Florida visit
Diana sought doctors until an x-ray revealed a large ovarian cyst wrapped around blood vessels. Mom underwent a complete hysterectomy; no cancer was found.
Carol's ChapterApril 22, 1988
Death of Ethel during her Florida visit
Died at 77 during a yearly visit to Diana's home, from complications of ovarian cyst surgery and congestive heart failure. Buried next to Floyd in Riverside cemetery in Moline Illinois; headstone says 1909 rather than 1911.
History of the Guild FamilyApril 22, 1988
Ethel dies during her Florida visit
Died at seventy-seven from complications of ovarian cyst surgery and congestive heart failure. Buried next to Floyd in Riverside cemetery, Moline Illinois; headstone incorrectly gives 1909 rather than 1911 as birth year.
History of the Guild FamilyJanuary 28th, 1995
Lee's death and Diana's comforting vision
Lee died of lung cancer on Mom's birthday. Two hours earlier, Diana saw white birds diving in the lake behind their home and felt that Mom was coming to take Lee with her.
Diana's ChapterBeginning at age three; progression over four years
Diana's first symptoms and progressive leg illness
Her mother reported unexplained falls at age three. Discoloration subsequently spread from the left ankle toward the thigh, with skin hardening, loss of connective tissue, restricted movement, and pain.
Diana's ChapterChildhood
Referral and repeated hospital stays in Chicago
Dr. Menton referred Diana to outpatient clinics, followed by several hospitalizations. She is unsure of their number and duration; the longest lasted several months to a year.
Diana's ChapterWhen Diana could no longer attend school
Home tutoring during illness
Mrs. Lynch tutored Diana at home while she had a large, nonhealing knee ulcer.
Diana's ChapterDuring childhood hospitalizations
School in the hospital
Diana remembers having to attend school during her hospital stays.
Diana's ChapterChildhood, after diagnosis of localized scleroderma
Left-leg amputation and recovery
Doctors decided to amputate after unsuccessful treatments. Diana recalls ether anesthesia, postoperative nausea, pain despite the leg's removal, restraints, and eventually learning to walk on crutches.
Diana's ChapterAfter returning home from the hospital
Diana receives her first prosthetic leg
Her father took her to a prosthetist, watched construction of the leg, and learned to adjust its tension and eliminate squeaks.
Diana's ChapterOne summer during childhood, after the amputation
An unexpected bicycle triumph
Practicing balance by rolling down a small hill, Diana unexpectedly began pedaling. Despite falling, she continued riding and joyfully showed her mother.
Diana's Chapterdate not given
Barbara starts Kindergarten
Barbara cried daily and asked for her sisters to comfort her before eventually adjusting.
Barbara's Chapterdate not given
Diana comes home from the hospital
Barbara remembers feeling shy with Diana and jealous of the attention she received.
Barbara's ChapterEvery Sunday night
Sunday sandwiches and Lassie
Barbara and Diana made fried-egg sandwiches with ketchup and pickles and watched Lassie.
Barbara's Chapterdate not given
Diana’s time in Children’s Hospital
Mentioned through Gramma Hobson’s stories; the reason and timing are not stated.
Barbara's ChapterOne time
A dog tries to bite Diana
A dog at the end of the street tried to bite Diana but 'got the wrong leg.' Barbara describes the dog as surprised.
Barbara's ChapterThree years after his divorce
Diana meets Lee
On Lee's first visit to meet her family, he took Diana for a ride on her newly retired father's motor scooter despite her father's protests.
Diana's Chapterdate not given
Move to South Florida
After moving, they discovered the Florida Keys and began regular weekend fishing trips.
Diana's ChapterEvery Friday after work, after moving to South Florida
Weekend fishing trips to Marathon Key
Loaded their station wagon and spent Saturdays and Sundays fishing.
Diana's ChapterTheir first year fishing in the Keys
The Sailfish they never forgot
While holding Diana's rod on a King Mackerel party boat, Lee hooked and landed a huge Sailfish. The Marathon News printed his picture. They regretted deciding not to mount it.
Diana's ChapterWhen she was eighteen months old; for the holidays
Kelly’s snowy holiday visit to Moline
Kelly refused to walk in a snowsuit in the snow, then undressed and danced on the back porch.
Diana's ChapterDiana’s very earliest memory
Carol injures her knee in the strawberry patch
Carol fell and cut her knee deeply. Virginia took her to the hospital; the girls, including the McFarland girls, screamed.
Diana's ChapterEarly childhood
Charcoal names on the garage lead to punishment
Dee, Barb, and Diana wrote names on the garage, then threw rocks and a brick at Carol after she threatened punishment. Their father spanked them and made them clean the garage.
Diana's ChapterDuring Diana’s childhood
A larger home and an indoor bathroom
The living-room and bedroom wall was removed. Their father added two bedrooms and a bathroom; before the addition the family used an outhouse and bathed in aluminum kitchen tubs.
Diana's ChapterFirst day of school
Diana begins kindergarten
Diana cried so hard that her mother had to stay with her.
Diana's Chapter6th grade
A ribbon for Jacks
Diana recalls winning some kind of ribbon in connection with school Jacks contests.
Diana's ChapterWhen Diana was six
Iris marries
Diana uses Iris’s marriage to explain having few early memories of her living at home. The spouse is not named.
Diana's ChapterOne year during childhood
Carol and Diana win a State Fair trip
Both won trips through demonstrations at the county fair; Diana made a coffee cake. Carol supervised Diana, took her on a Double Ferris Wheel, and bought cotton candy. Diana privately suspected the contest had been arranged so Carol could care for her.
Diana's ChapterWhen Dee went to beauty school
Dee practices beauty-school skills on Diana
Diana was Dee’s first customer and recalls that Dee wrecked her hair.
Diana's ChapterDuring childhood
A prank call to Ruth Reichenberg
Diana and Barb falsely told Ruth that Carolyn was suspected of a crime. Barb typed in the background; the sisters were eventually caught.
Diana's ChapterDuring childhood
Bernie interrupts an orchard game
Bernie caught the children playing Show and Tell in a cement sewer pipe and threatened to tell their mother if it happened again.
Diana's Chapterdate not given
Carol’s car rolls downhill
Diana forgot the emergency brake. The car rolled into a neighbor’s yard and stopped against a tree without a dent; Diana never told.
Diana's ChapterHigh school years
The sisters sell garden tomatoes
The four girls picked and shined tomatoes, which their father took them to sell at a store’s produce department. They kept earnings in separate kitchen containers; Dee saved the most.
Diana's ChapterBeginning of college
Diana leaves for college
Carol and their parents took Diana to college. Her father offered to bring her home to attend Moline Public Hospital’s Nursing School; her mother insisted she get out of the car. Carol cried and asked her not to go.
Diana's ChapterBefore Diana’s college years
Iris brings groceries during the strike
During their father’s strike from John Deere & Company, Diana overheard that grocery money had run out and offered five silver dollars received as hospital gifts. Her mother declined. That day Iris arrived with a station wagon full of groceries, and their mother cried.
Diana's ChapterCollege years
Diana completes nursing studies
Diana maintained high grades for a vocational rehabilitation scholarship, found the nursing program demanding, and felt relieved to graduate. Martha Kawada was one of her best friends.
Diana's ChapterHigh school
Diana plants a flower garden
Wanting to beautify the house, Diana planted a garden her father tilled behind the garage. Mrs. Rohrer supplied perennial starts. Tiny mail-order evergreen starts mostly survived; some remained in Dee’s yard.
Diana's ChapterDuring Diana’s childhood
Hauling water when the well ran dry
Diana accompanied her father to fill a trailer-mounted tank, a task taking an hour. He transferred the water to the home well, and neighbors shared it. Diana links her resource conservation to these hardships.
Diana's ChapterAs the girls were growing up
An entire day of Toni home perms
Mom and Virginia gave the girls Toni home perms. The narrator refused to attend school the following day because her hair was too curly.
Dee's Chapterdate not given
Learning to bicycle with a new leg
The children taught “Diana Banana” to ride a bicycle with her new leg.
Dee's ChapterAfter years of attic storage
Diana’s discarded violin finds another player
Mom discarded the warped violin. Mr. Sajben retrieved and repaired it; his unnamed son learned on it and played it for years. The Sajbens had moved before Margie told the narrator.
Dee's ChapterAfter the family moved into the house
Diana's birth after the move
Dee's ChapterOver forty years before the time of writing
Diana plants a lasting evergreen
Diana planted a seedling that came free in the newspaper. The narrator says the resulting huge evergreen still stands and bears fruit.
Dee's Chapterdate not given
Diana enrolls in college far from home
Despite the odds, Diana enrolled in college far from home; the poem also recalls straight A's and studying through the night.
Dee's Chapterdate not given
Diana brings home a cat to debone
Dee recalls Diana driving from Wesleyan and bringing home a cat to debone.
Dee's Chapterdate not given
Diana meets Lee in Chicago
The poem describes Lee as the man of Diana's dreams and Diana as his true love.
Dee's Chapterdate not given
Sisters win a trip to the Illinois State Fair
Carol won for a baking powder biscuit demonstration and Diana for a coffee-cake demonstration. At the fair they rode the double Ferris wheel, and Diana received a large teddy bear from a midway barker.
Carol's ChapterFifth and sixth grade
Carol keeps a class autograph book
Class autograph books were popular during these grades. Carol's surviving book contains verses from family and friends.
Carol's ChapterLater that day
Carol’s 23rd birthday celebration
The family celebrated Carol’s 23rd birthday after the portrait session.
Carol's ChapterWhen Diana was a little girl
Diana's painful leg illness
The narrator feared Diana would lose her leg and prayed nightly for healing. He remembers her courage as sustaining the family through the illness.
Bernie's ChapterDuring Diana's childhood
Iris soothes Diana's painful leg
Iris rubbed Diana's ulcerated leg with lard and remembered how little she cried despite the pain.
Iris's ChapterThree months of the year
Annual visits with Diana
Ethel also often visited her other children's homes around the country.
History of the Guild FamilyA few weeks after Diana’s first week of college
Iris and Bill give Diana Tillie the Toiler
Unable to manage the long walk to nursing classes, Diana requested a car. Iris and Bill gave her a 1954 blue Ford, which ran for four years before stalling in her last school week. Carol later said their father had asked Bill to buy it. 1954 is the car’s model year, not a stated event year.
Diana's Chapterdate not given
Mice in the attic frighten Barbara and Diana
Mice running in the attic at night put Barbara and Diana in a panic.
Dee's ChapterAt Christmas; on Carol’s 23rd birthday
Family portraits during Bernie's Christmas visit
Bernie photographed the family with a borrowed Leica camera against orange and green fabric in the girls’ bedroom.
Carol's ChapterNot long before her death in 1988
A secretly arranged perfect 500 hand
While Mom went to the bathroom, the players arranged a perfect hand for her. Diana was visiting from Florida. Mom was delighted and was never told about the trick.
Barbara's Chapterthree months of the year
Annual visits with Diana
Ethel also made short visits to her other children’s homes.
History of the Guild Family
Stories mentioning Diana
- Sisters’ Comfort in KindergartenWhen Barbara started Kindergarten at Roosevelt grade school, she cried every day and asked for Diana, Delores or Carol to come comfort her. She eventually adjusted but still missed being with her sisters.
- The Night Diana Came HomeBarbara remembers feeling shy around Diana when she came home from the hospital, and jealous because Diana was getting all the attention.
- Mom's Card Tables and a Perfect HandBarbara remembers Mom crocheting over morning coffee, hosting Club with tuna casserole, yeast rolls, sweets, and nuts, and praising the prizes the children bought at the Highland dime store. Annual Club picnics at Riverside Park featured homemade food, flavored pop, swimming, cards, and watermelon. Shortly before Mom's death, during a card game at Carol's house while Diana visited from Florida, the players secretly arranged a perfect 500 hand for Mom and never told her. Barbara also recalls the haunting story of a Club lady losing a finger in a Mix Master, tentatively identifying her as Olene Allerdyce.
- Childhood Outings, Popcorn, and Sunday SandwichesBarbara recalls being told she got lost at Starved Rock Park when quite small. The family often walked to 41st Street to catch a bus downtown or to the library, and walked to the show in Highland. The Wizard of Oz frightened her, and she was told Virginia carried her out. Other pleasures included a huge pan of popcorn for the drive-in in Milan and Sunday nights making fried-egg sandwiches with ketchup and pickles with Diana while watching Lassie.
- Visits and Stories with Gramma HobsonTrips to Geneseo Illinois brought visits with Gramma Hobson, Billy Johnson’s grandmother, whom Barbara remembers as tall and very charming. They loved hearing her stories about Diana’s time in Children’s Hospital in Chicago.
- Tin-Tub Baths and Saturday Night MoviesBarbara recalls Saturday baths in a kitchen tin tub with stove-heated water before Daddy and the boys built an addition with a bathroom. She describes crowded sleeping arrangements, a two-seater outdoor toilet, brown-painted iron beds, wool army blankets, and chenille bedspreads. Other memories include late Saturday movies while her parents played cards, Sturdevant Milk advertisements, visiting salesmen, and listening in on party-line conversations.
- Treasured Presents, Music, and Bicycle RidesBarbara remembers Iris’s gift of a comic-book subscription and Bernie’s love of Mario Lanza records and thoughtful birthday presents after leaving home. Bob teased her and helped her do flip-overs; she took Carol’s outfits while Carol worked, and Dee styled or cut her hair before school. Barbara played most with Diana, riding bicycles on 39th Street, where a dog once tried to bite Diana but 'got the wrong leg.'
- Early Morning Journeys and Friendship in the HospitalDiana traces the unexplained falls and progressive skin and leg changes that led Dr. Menton to refer her to Illinois Research Hospital in Chicago. Early morning family drives combined the comforting smell of coffee and cheese sandwiches with the fear of examinations and long waits. As illness interrupted school, Mrs. Lynch tutored her at home. Repeated hospital stays brought painful procedures and treatments, but also friendship with Loopy Gonzalez, hallway races, water-balloon mischief, Friday hamburgers, parties, special dresses, chapel services, and visits from family and friends. She also remembers homemade food and a church-donated basket from which she could open one present each day.
- Facing Surgery and Finding Pride in a New LegAfter diagnosing localized scleroderma and abandoning treatments, doctors decided to amputate Diana's left leg, apparently to save her life. Her mother's practical explanation initially excited her, but her father's angry response left her ashamed; older siblings later told her he cried after the surgery. Diana recalls terror during ether anesthesia, pain in the absent leg afterward, restraints, and her initial refusal to use crutches. A therapist-led tour of other patients prompted her to walk. After discharge, her father closely followed construction of her first prosthetic leg in Davenport and learned to adjust it. His fascination and pride became a distinctive source of bonding.
- Learning to Ride and Growing Up as One of the KidsFollowing medical advice, Diana's mother treated her like the other children. Her parents offered special companionship when she could not join her sisters at the swimming pool. By experimenting with balancing and rolling a bicycle, Diana unexpectedly taught herself to pedal, an accomplishment she still recalls and shares with clients when discussing fear. Looking back, she credits steady love and practical parenting with helping her cope. She recognizes both anxiety and achievement in her drive to overachieve at school and closes with affectionate humor about her own resilience.
- Strawberry Patches, Saturday Baths, and Childhood PlayDiana recalls Carol’s frightening knee injury, punishment for charcoal writing and throwing rocks, and fear during her mother’s pneumonia. She describes the small house before bedrooms and a bathroom were added, Saturday baths in kitchen tubs, outdoor games, dolls, jump rope, and Jacks. School memories include crying on her first day, health inspections, and a sixth-grade ribbon.
- Seven Children, Shared Adventures, and Sisterly MischiefDiana remembers Iris cutting hair, Bernie rescuing her from punishment and playing records, and Bob driving four younger sisters to school and building an igloo with Billy Johnson. Carol served as a second mother, led 4-H meetings, and accompanied Diana to the State Fair. Dee was a card-playing companion and peacekeeper. Diana and Barb shared sleeping space, television suppers, prank calls, forbidden games, and adventures with Carol’s car. Family outings included the drive-in, ice cream, carnival rides, and drag races.
- A Car for College and a Family That Always HelpedDiana recalls demanding study habits, family gardening and tomato sales, and her anxious departure for college. Iris and Bill’s gift of a car made nursing school feasible. During an earlier John Deere & Company strike, Iris brought groceries when the family lacked money. Diana describes her scholarship, difficult college years, friendship with Martha Kawada, and graduation. Memories of planting a flower garden and helping haul water from the water works lead to gratitude for the family’s enduring support and resourcefulness.
- Lee's Many Talents and a Scooter Ride into the FamilyDiana traces Lee's childhood near his extended family, work in his grandfather's grocery store, school achievements, Naval service, ministry, teaching, and successful insurance business. After his first marriage failed, Diana met him three years after his divorce. Her father initially regarded Lee suspiciously, but a bold scooter ride with Diana became a memorable turning point. Lee and her father remained friends, and Lee took him to the hospital when he had a stroke. Lee also formed a close bond with Mom and managed his best friend Sy Fox's campaign.
- Fishing, Not Catching, in the Florida KeysLee and Diana spent weekends at the Hurricane Motor Lodge on Marathon Key, fishing all day Saturday and Sunday. During their first year, Diana handed Lee her rod while she stepped away, and a huge Sailfish took her bait. Lee landed it, and The Marathon News printed his picture. They declined to mount the expensive fish, expecting more catches like it, but neither encountered another Sailfish.
- Cherished Ornaments and the Comfort of White BirdsDiana remembers Lee's warmth, generosity, love of babies, and reverent annual unpacking of Mom's Christmas ornaments, especially the shamrock and gold fish ornaments she made him. Lee died of lung cancer on January 28th, 1995, Mom's birthday. Two hours before his death, Diana watched white birds fishing in the lake behind their home and felt Mom was coming to take Lee with her. White birds continued to bring Diana comfort in her grief.
- Welcoming Kelly and Raising a Florida BabyDiana recalls her delight in pregnancy and Kelly’s birth, her mother’s help, and Lee’s tender care for their baby. Kelly disliked clothes and shoes. During a holiday visit to Moline, she refused to walk in the snow, then undressed indoors and was found dancing on the back porch singing “coolding!”
- Daredevil Friends, Favorite Foods, and Cards with GrandmaKelly and Byron Huntsberger shared bicycle mishaps, neighborhood pranks, and elaborate Halloween costumes, including a painful pea costume Kelly rejected. Kelly celebrated her love for her father with a nursery-school card declaring she loved him more than macaroni and cheese. Family traditions included fishing trips and games of 500, with Kelly and her grandmother always partners.
- Kelly’s Courage and a Mother’s PrideKelly earned her Masters in Rehabilitation Mental Health Counseling in 1990. After being treated and cured of Hodgkin’s disease in 1995, she developed an interest in Traditional Chinese Medicine and earned a degree in it. Diana praises her daughter’s courage, compassion, determination, and tender heart.
- Thanks for the Memories, BernieBarbara thanks Bernie for encouraging their recollections and says remembering the early years has been fun. She also describes a few of her quilts, her siblings Diana, Bob, Carol, Iris, and Dee on her staircase, and Bernie in his kitchen.
- A Family Remembered with Love and PrideThough her childhood memories are vague, Delores remembers warm and happy feelings. She lovingly describes her grandfather, parents, and six siblings, expressing gratitude for her life and pride in the family her parents created.
- Floyd, Tootsie, and Seven ChildrenDelores remembers her handsome, sociable father and her parents’ dancing at the Coliseum. She recounts the birth order of their seven children, her father naming Iris, and her mother naming the rest. She thought the oldest and youngest were spoiled but secretly believed she was Daddy’s favorite girl.
- Flour-Dusted Hands, Pretty Nails, and a Day of CurlsThe narrator remembers Mom’s full-time work at home, her habit of dusting off her hands after tasks, and her lasting pride in her appearance. Susy recalled how Mom displayed polished nails but concealed damaged ones. Mom taught the girls beauty tricks, and she and Virginia spent a whole day giving five girls home perms. The narrator refused school the next day because her hair was too curly, though she later loved curls.
- Diana, the Dishes, and the Party LineDishwashing was assigned to the girls, never Dad or the boys. The narrator says Mom never had to wash dishes because she had five daughters, then jokes that only four did the work: Diana never washed or dried a dish, being occupied with friends on the telephone, reading in the bathroom, or homework. Their first telephone shared a three-way party line with two other residents; three rings signaled a call for the family. The narrator recalls the possibility of listening to others' conversations and wonders what the other subscribers could have said about Diana's frequent telephone use. The claim that Mom never had to wash dishes contrasts with the subsequent recollection of Mom doing dishes with her parakeet on her shoulder.
- Pretty Bird, Fluffy, and the Attic MiceMom's green parakeet, Pretty Bird, perched on her shoulder while she washed dishes, chirping with the clanking dishes and repeating his name. Mom loved him, but he flew away when the front door was left open. The narrator also remembers Fluffy, a big white cat who chased mice, joking that he kept them from eating Barb. Barb feared the attic mice would climb into her bed, and she and Diana heard them at night. The narrator was more disturbed by mouse droppings found while searching boxes of hand-me-down clothes in the attic.
- A Love of Cards Passed DownMom taught the children 500 and Hearts and enjoyed Scrabble with them. The narrator also played Canasta with Mrs. Nicholson, as did Barb, Diana, and neighborhood children, and remembers basement games of 500 Rummy. Adult visits to Mom always included 500 as a way to talk and remember. The tradition reached the grandchildren: Susy recalls Kings Corners, Cribbage, and Bunko with her grandma, Ruth, and Florence.
- Family Rumors and Grampa's Hidden WhiskeyDelores cautiously recalls a childhood rumor about Grampa having an affair and burning down a house, explicitly saying she may have the facts wrong. She thinks it was around the time he moved himself and her mother to Moline and changed his name from Lehman to Williams, and suggests Diana may know more. Years after his death, grandchildren digging in cement blocks at the bottom of the basement stairs during a holiday gathering discovered hidden whiskey bottles. Delores says her mother had kept his drinking to herself.
- Jacks, Paper Dolls, and a Childhood Full of ImaginationDee remembers a happy childhood despite wartime film shortages and few toys. She recalls punishment for peeling airplane wallpaper, fear after The Wizard of Oz, Virginia’s ketchup prank, and endless games with Pat and neighborhood children. Paper dolls from Iris comforted her during an ear operation. Bicycle rides, a clubhouse, swings, and imaginative play filled the days, although large dogs frightened her and Hannah’s dog once bit her.
- The First Television and the Music That StayedThe parents returned from Diana’s 1949 leg operation in Chicago with the family’s first black-and-white television. Dee contrasts television with the radio programs that had fed her imagination. Bernie bought a record player after starting window-display work, and Dee repeatedly played Patty Page’s The Tennessee Waltz. Bob and Sue danced, Barb and Margie adored Pat Boone, and Barbie and Diana played instruments. Years later, Diana’s warped violin was discarded, rescued by Mr. Sajben, repaired, and played by his son; Dee regretted being unable to recover it.
- Learning to Hear and Accept HerselfDelores describes her congenital left-ear deformity, hearing loss, early speech lessons, and a year at a special school where she felt accepted after being called stupid at regular school. Dr. Williamson reconstructed her ear at about eleven, partially restoring hearing, but missed schooling led to repeating a grade. At twelve, her first hearing aid revealed family voices, birds, and insects so vividly that she cried. Her father called her “Sputnik” because of the aid's modern technology. Later, Diana helped her understand that her impairment did not mean she was stupid and encouraged greater self-acceptance.
- A Scholarship Hidden in a Desk DrawerDuring her senior year, Dee entered an essay contest about becoming a beautician with Diana’s help. Only after graduation did she discover the notice awarding her a three-hundred-dollar scholarship to Hurley’s Beauty School. She enrolled and credits Diana with the essay and her rewarding career. Her first patron insisted on old-fashioned pin curls rather than rollers; despite Dee’s frustration, the patron liked the result enough to book another appointment.
- To Barb, with Love: Braids, Laughter, and KindnessDee's affectionate poem celebrates Barbara from her braided-hair childhood and shared fright with Diana over attic mice through marriage to Norman, homemaking, parenting, studying, and world travel. It recalls whaling in Alaska and admiration of Monet in France, and praises Barbara's hospitality, giggle, flowers, quilts, and caring resemblance to their mother.
- To Diana, with Love: Games, Dreams, and CaringDee's affectionate poem celebrates Diana's talkativeness and recalls shared mischief, puddles, mud pies, May baskets, hollyhock dolls, and dandelion games. It praises Diana's academic dedication, recalls her bringing home a cat to debone after driving from Wesleyan, and describes her meeting Lee in Chicago. The poem closes by honoring Diana's sensitivity and the caring conversations Dee treasures.
- Iris, Our Gentle Second MotherIn a loving poem signed Dee, Delores thanks her sister Iris for the care she gave her six younger siblings. An only child for over five years, Iris became like a second mother, feeding, bathing, hugging and comforting the children while helping their busy mother. Dee remembers Iris’s gentle ways and expresses lasting gratitude and unconditional love.
- A Christmas Eve Baby in a Wicker BasketAfter her mother began having contractions while trimming the Christmas tree, Carol was born on Christmas Eve 1938 in Moline. Her father named her Carol Mae for the season. She joined Iris, Bobby and Bernie at the family's apartment; the later births of Delores, Diana and Barbara made her the middle child. Remembered as a very small baby, she was carried on a pillow and kept in a wicker basket on a bedroom shelf beyond her brothers' reach.
- An Acre and Four Rooms to Call HomeCarol remembers moving to 3209 39th Street in 1942 at age four, running through empty rooms and jumping through windows. The $2,187 house stood on an acre in South Moline Township and initially had four rooms, an outhouse, and a well, but no bathroom, basement, or garage. Her father built a basement. A family of ten shared the small house, with the girls' living-room beds put away each morning and Grandpa Williams living there until his death in 1953.
- Open Doors and a Winter Skeleton-Key RescueCarol recalls leaving doors unlocked in the early years, opening the front door for summer breezes, and hanging flypaper to catch the flies that entered. Later, the family used a skeleton key. One snowy winter morning, while Mom was visiting Diana in Florida, Carol stepped outside barefoot in a thin housecoat to shake a rug. Chris, whom Carol estimates was about five, slammed the door and accidentally locked it. Unable to get back inside, Carol sought help at the Sajbens. Mr. Sajben opened her door with his own skeleton key and joked that it would probably open every door on the street.
- A Place on the Bench and Cake for SupperThe family gathered around a rectangular table with three leaves and a wooden bench Daddy made. Carol remembers sharing the bench with Dee and Diana, while Mom sat beside the youngest child to help. Large homemade meals included bread at both ends of the table and dessert after every supper. Carol later thought the bread compensated for limited seconds. In junior high she made a two-egg cake almost every day, with leftovers packed into school lunches.
- Sunday Pies, Shared Chicken, and the FunniesSundays were reserved for family, with Mom rising at dawn to bake pies with lard crusts, crescent rolls, and cinnamon rolls. Favorite noon dinners included Swiss steak or fried chicken with mashed potatoes. Carol jokes that ten people shared one chicken, then adds that surely there were at least two. Mom ate the wings and Dad the back, liver, and gizzards, saving the meatiest pieces for the children; Carol now enjoys wings herself. After dinner, Barb usually escaped to Margie’s house and Diana read behind a locked bathroom door, leaving Carol and Dee to do dishes while Bob snapped towels at them. Afterward, they read the Sunday paper Dad brought from town, especially Carol’s beloved funnies.
- A Christmas Visit Captured in Family PortraitsBernie borrowed a Leica camera to photograph a new place in San Francisco, then brought it home to Moline at Christmas. Using orange and green fabric tacked up in the girls’ bedroom as a backdrop, Bernie photographed the family. A portrait of Bernie taken by high school chum Jerry Edlund during the same trip completed the folio. Later on the family portrait day, the family celebrated Carol’s 23rd birthday. Bernie treasured how clearly the portraits revealed everyone’s personality.
- Making the Best Better with Biscuits and SewingCarol began cooking and sewing when she joined 4-H, supported by her mother's guidance. She frequently appeared in newspaper photographs and entered food and clothing projects at the Rock Island County Fair. Carol and Diana won trips to the Illinois State Fair for demonstrations on baking powder biscuits and coffee-cake, respectively. Carol practiced until her family was tired of biscuits and presented her demonstration on WOC-TV, ending with a joke about a bride's biscuits being as hard as stepping stones.
- A Scary Ferris Wheel and an Unexpected Teddy BearAt the Illinois State Fair, Carol and Diana especially enjoyed the midway. They rode the double Ferris wheel despite being frightened. When Diana wanted to play midway games, Carol refused because she believed the games were rigged. A barker overheard Carol, called the sisters over, and gave Diana his biggest teddy bear.
- Names and Verses Tucked AwayCarol invites comparison of family signatures and recalls Bernie's report that Dad's birth certificate spelled his name Floyde, leaving the reason uncertain. She still keeps her grade-school autograph book and shares playful verses and coded messages written by family and friends.
- Full-Circle Skirts and the Clothes SnatchersWanting to fit in as a teenager, Carol followed fashions including rolled jeans, stiff crinolines, full-circle skirts she made herself, cinch belts, bobby socks and saddle shoes. Barb and Diana secretly wore her clothes to school until wrinkles from rolled waistbands gave them away. Carol also describes boys' duck tails, crew cuts, sweaters and shoes.
- Morning Crochet and Keepsakes of LoveCarol remembers watching Mom crochet at the kitchen table between Daddy's departure for work and the children's rising for school. Mom made hundreds of household pieces, individually designed Christmas ornaments, wall hangings, wreaths, and painted bread dough figures with Diana. Carol sees these crafts as expressions of creativity and treasures even the ornaments that have faded or fallen apart.
- A Florida Visit and a Last Tender TouchAfter a couple of years of severe abdominal pain and inconclusive tests, Mom visited Diana and Lee in Florida in April 1988. They helped her relax and took her on a cruise, but the pain continued. Diana persisted in seeking medical help until an x-ray revealed a large ovarian cyst wrapped around blood vessels. A complete hysterectomy found no cancer, but Mom could not recover and died of heart failure at seventy-seven on April 22, 1988, in Coral Springs, Florida. Carol cherishes the hand caresses they exchanged while Mom was on a respirator. Mom is buried beside Daddy at Riverside Cemetery in Moline, Illinois.
- Diana's Courage and Nightly PrayersBernard recalls loving Diana deeply and praying every night for her painful leg to heal, fearing she might lose it. He calls her illness the worst thing that happened to the family, while crediting her bravery and constant smile with making the tragedy bearable.
- Quiet Kitchen Talks and the Supper CallAt sixteen or seventeen, Bernard treasured quiet kitchen conversations while his mother ate a small sandwich and drank her last coffee of the day. She spoke of missing Grampa, worrying about Diana, and Dad's hard work without complaining. Overheard parental discussions revealed a cooperative decision-making partnership. Bernard also remembers listening to radio serials beside Daddy until Mom's familiar supper call, her delicious meals, and Dad's singing and whistling. He could still recall Mom's earlier voice but remembered Dad's speaking voice chiefly from later telephone calls after moving to California.
- The Little House That Grew with the FamilyBernard remembers the small house on 39th Street that became the family's enduring home. He believes Mom secured the loan to move the children away from the river and railroad tracks. Dad gradually transformed the four-room house with a basement, furnace, well, enlarged kitchen, bedrooms, indoor plumbing, siding, garage, and work shed. Memories of moving day, Grampa's songs and knee rides, the McFarlands, and freedom to play convey the deep closeness of the family.
- Hopscotch Lines and Double Dutch FlourishesDelores asked Bernard to draw Hopscotch courts on the sidewalk or in the dirt. He disliked Hopscotch but enjoyed Jump Rope, especially the accelerated finish of Double Dutch. Carol taught him Jacks, which she, Dee, and Diana could play for hours.
- Rainy-Day Toys and the Joy of ColoringBernard recalls indoor play during rainy days and winter: an Erector set, wood-burning kit, crystal set, painted figurines, and an electric train surrounded by Lincoln Log houses. He and Bob refused to box each other, disappointing Dad. He made comic books with newspaper strips and homemade paste, played Chinese Checkers with Grampa, and folded paper toys for Barbara. Coloring was his favorite distraction, inspiring a teasing aside to Diana.
- Gathering the Family's Memories, Facts, and First-Class MythsBernie introduces accounts of Floyd, Ethel, and Edward Williams compiled after family members had already written their memories. Earlier impressions were deliberately left unchanged. Bernie credits relatives' recollections, photographs, grave-site work, genealogical tracing, and oral-history interviews, including Diana's margarita-assisted conversations with Mom. Although initially described as true stories based on the most reliable information available, the accounts are also explicitly called anecdotal, possibly allegorical, and unprovable.
- Floyd and Ethel: Dancing, Work, and Seven ChildrenFloyd and Ethel met on a roller-skating blind date, courted through dancing and picnics, and married in Moline in 1928 with Frank Melton and Elva as attendants. They raised seven children. The passage says Floyd worked his entire life for John Deere, while also recording a roughly year-long Depression layoff when Lloyd helped him obtain WPA truck-driving work. Remembered as hardworking, playful, outspoken, and devoted to family, Floyd died of acute kidney failure in 1968 after an earlier severe stroke and is buried beside Ethel.
- An Enchanted House Full of Family MemoriesDelores remembers moving at age two into a four-room house on an acre, originally addressed 3209 39th Street. The house, garage, and land cost $2,750, with another $100 for the chicken house; payments were $25 monthly after $500 down. The orchard and yard were a childhood wonderland, while the small house eventually held ten people. She describes crowded sleeping arrangements, hand-pumped water, an outhouse, coal heat, rabbits, and time with her father in his workshed. Her father added two bedrooms and a bathroom without professional help in 1950. Later changes included removal of an interior wall, new carpeting, and white vinyl siding with hunter-green shutters. After three-quarters of the land was sold, the address became 3205 39th Street. Preserving the house helps her keep family memories alive.
- From a Second Mother to a Cherished FriendIris reflects on her second-mother role in childhood and the friendships she now cherishes. She recalls Bernie's broken tea sets and playful dish-towel chases, taking little Barbara everywhere, soothing Diana's ulcerated leg with lard, helping reposition baby Carol's head until the neck grew stronger, regretting Delores's scoldings after her hearing problem was discovered, and understanding quiet Bob's pointing without his needing to speak.
- Brownie’s Dancing Days and a Lifetime of MotheringDespite grief at home and being refused a college education, Ethel found happiness in friends, dancing, and work. Mary Hill introduced her to Floyd, whom she married in 1928. Together they raised seven children, while Ethel survived a serious goiter and worked several jobs. In widowhood she enjoyed crafts, cards, grandchildren, and travel, including a cherished 1979 European holiday funded by Bernie. She died during a visit to Diana in 1988, remembered for her unqualified love.
- Dances, Seven Children, and Grampa’s Helping HandsAfter moving to Moline, Ethel met Floyd through Mary Hill and married him in 1928. They raised seven children, while Ethel worked several jobs and survived goiter surgery. Ed became a permanent member of their household, contributing childcare, housework and money, despite drinking and a serious workplace injury. Lloyd served in the Army Signal Corps, suffered lasting injuries and eventually lost contact with the family, leaving fond memories and a cocoa-dunking breakfast tradition. The passage gives conflicting dates for Ed’s death and funeral.
- Cards, Christmas Ornaments, and a Long-Awaited European JourneyWidowed Ethel maintained a full life of handcrafts, Christmas ornament making, evening cards and helping family members after divorces. She visited Diana in Florida annually. In 1979 Bernie fulfilled her dream of Europe with a visit to Carol, Charlie and Chris in Mainz and a family trip to Denmark. Ethel died during her 1988 Florida visit and was buried beside Floyd, with an incorrect birth year on her headstone that had never troubled her.
Referenced in
- The Guilds — DIANA JOYCE GUILD BRADY
- Barbara's Chapter — BARBARA KAY GUILD MILLER
- Barbara's Chapter — MEMORIES OF MOM
- Barbara's Chapter — NICKNAMES
- Barbara's Chapter — LIVING ARRANGEMENTS
- Barbara's Chapter — THANKS
- Diana's Chapter
- Diana's Chapter
- Diana's Chapter — FAMILY MEMORIES
- Diana's Chapter — FAMILY MEMORIES
- Diana's Chapter — LIFE WITH KELLY
- Dee's Chapter
- Dee's Chapter — DADDY
- Dee's Chapter — DADDY
- Dee's Chapter — WEEKLY WOES
- Dee's Chapter — WEEKLY WOES
- Dee's Chapter — GRAMPA WILLIAMS
- Dee's Chapter — SICK DAYS
- Dee's Chapter — MY EAR
- Dee's Chapter — MY TEENS
- Dee's Chapter — THE GUILD RESIDENCE
- Dee's Chapter — TO BARB
- Dee's Chapter — TO DIANA
- Dee's Chapter — TO IRIS
- Carol's Chapter
- Carol's Chapter — HOME
- Carol's Chapter — WALK RIGHT IN
- Carol's Chapter — A PET
- Carol's Chapter — SUNDAYS
- Carol's Chapter — THE 4-H MOTTO
- Carol's Chapter — PLEASE SIGN IN
- Carol's Chapter — HIGH SCHOOL
- Carol's Chapter — LASTING MEMORIES
- Carol's Chapter — A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE GUILD FAMILY
- Bernie's Chapter — THIRTY-TWO-O-NINE
- Bernie's Chapter — DIRT
- Bernie's Chapter — INSIDE PLAY
- Bernie's Chapter — MALADIES
- Bernie's Chapter — DADDY SAYINGS
- Iris's Chapter — REMEMBERING EACH OF YOU
- Iris's Chapter — DEAR JEFF,
- History of the Guild Family — THE SAW MILL
- History of the Guild Family — ETHEL KATHERINE WILLIAMS
- History of the Guild Family — ETHEL KATHERINE WILLIAMS
Family corrections
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