they would turn in their graves

Remember back on 1 October 2025 when the government shut down, and millions of government employees were furloughed? My sister, an employee of the United States Forest Service, was among those people. She had already scheduled her vacation during the furlough time, and was also able to spend some time with our parents while away from work. I don't have any word yet on whether she received any back pay from the furlough time, and it certainly affected her financial bottom line. And...her vacation didn't count, because she was on furlough, so she has to take some more vacation time before the end of the year or lose the accrued vacation. Also on 1 October 2025, my husband's employer (not a government entity) used the government shutdown as an excuse to fire him and six other employees. One of their clients, the U. S. Department of Energy, had not paid any of their invoices since July, and during the shutdown would definitely not be paying any more, for at least the length of ...

Ida Swigart Ida May Nyberg was born in 1933 in Duluth, Saint Louis County, Minnesota, the daughter of Jacob E. Nyberg (a native of Sweden) and Mary (Preston) Nyberg, a native of Wisconsin. The Nyberg family lived in Royal Oak, Oakland County, Michigan in 1935. In 1940, Ida, her sister Margaret and her parents were living in Sterling Township, Macomb County, Michigan. At that time Jacob was a truck driver for a sewer construction company and her mother was a homemaker. In 1949, the Nybergs joined the Immanuel Lutheran Church, a Swedish-American church, in Detroit, Michigan. The 1950 census located Jacob, Mary, Ida and Margaret residing on Fourteen Mile Road in Sterling Township, Macomb County, Michigan; Jacob was working as a tool and die maker. In June 1955, Ida traveled with her parents on the   Stockholm   to Sweden, where they planned to stay three months. She returned in August 1955 on the  Kungsholm . The Kansas City Star , 30 December 1956: “The marriage of Miss Ida...

Joy Stevens, 1953 Joy Ann Stevens was born in 1937 in Michigan, the daughter of Paul and Mildred (Sandwick) Stevens. In 1940, Joy was living with her parents and older brother Richard in Dalton Township, Muskegon County, Michigan. Her father was working as a die setter for a steel furniture manufacturer, and her mother was employed doing clerical work in a department store. In 1950 the Stevens family – then including Joy’s younger brother Philip - were living on Whitehall Road in Dalton Township, Muskegon County, Michigan. At that time, Paul was a foreman in the office equipment industry, and Mildred was a bookkeeper working in a department store. Joy attended North Muskegon High School, where she was a member of several groups including the Girls’ Athletic Association, the Norse Star newspaper staff, the pep band (she played the cornet), and the student council. After graduation from high school, Joy went on to study at Michigan State University, where she was on the honor roll for th...

Claudia Agemy, 1986 Claudia Madeline Darin was born in 1947 in Michigan, the daughter of Andrew Darin and Jane (Sinelli) Darin. Her parents were married in 1939 in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan; her father was a native of New York state, and her mother was a Michigan native. In 1950, Claudia was living in Highland Park, Wayne County, Michigan with her parents and two older brothers, Thomas and John. Her father, Andrew, was employed as a mason contractor with a construction company; her mother was keeping house. In 1964, Claudia was pictured in the Highland Park High School yearbook, a member of the junior class. Before 1985, Claudia was married to Frederick A. Agemy, also a Michigan native and a classmate – Fred was also listed in the junior class of Highland Park High School in 1964. In the 1980s, Fred Agemy was the Madison Heights High School basketball coach. Madison Heights High School is only about thirty minutes from Avondale Middle School, and the Agemys lived in Troy, about h...

Patrice Brewer, 1963 Patrice Claire Heliste was born in 1946 in Michigan, the daughter of Evert and Christine (Alt) Heliste. In 1950, Patrice was living with her parents and three older siblings in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan. Her father was working as an assembler in an auto factory. Patrice attended Southfield High School in Southfield, Michigan, where she was a member of the pep club all four years and a member of the Future Teachers in 1961. Her senior photograph appears in the 1964 issue of the Southfield High School yearbook. Patrice “Pat” went to college to become a teacher. She was married to Richard “Rick” Paul Brewer, also a Michigan native and graduate of Southfield High School, where he was on multiple sports teams and voted the “most valuable player” one of his years in school. Rick became a school counselor and football coach; Rick and Pat worked together at Avondale Middle School, where Rick was the boys’ school counselor (he was also the varsity football coach as ea...

Ruth Neff, 1986 Ruth Ellen Ziegler was born in 1926 in Michigan, the daughter of Oscar E. and Mabel L. (Rodeheaver) Ziegler. In 1930, she was living with her parents and older sister Elenore in Ferndale, Oakland County, Michigan. Her father was a solicitor for a tool manufacturing company. The 1940 census located the Ziegler family still residing in Ferndale, where her father was then doing clerical work for an automobile factory. Ruth lived with her parents and 2-year-old brother James in Ferndale, Oakland County, Michigan when the census was taken in 1950. Ruth, aged 23 years, was a music supervisor in a city school. Ruth was married before September 1953 to Raymond Neff, also a Michigan native. In 1940 Raymond had been working as a cab driver, and in 1950 he was an automobile mechanic. The Neffs had three children, Jane (born in 1959), James (born in 1960) and Jean (born in 1964).   I met Mrs. Neff in the fall of 1984, when I began the sixth grade at Avondale Middle School. She ...