Hello Family

Hello Everyone!

My name is Emily and I am Marion's oldest and Lois' oldest grandchild.....wow, am I making myself sound old or what! :-) I have enjoyed meeting many of you on facebook and hope to connect with many of you through Irene's blog as well. My mom was so excited to be connecting with all of you over the past several years so I hope to keep her enjoyment going.

A bit about me. I've been married for 6 years and we have one four legged child named Lucy. My husband Peter and I adore her...she knows it! I work for an insurance company and manage a staff of 6, which keeps me very busy. Peter is a software developer. I am into cooking and entertaining, I just love having our house full of family and friends. Peter is very into photography in his spare time and even has a studio in our basement. You can see some is his work at www.secondlookphotos.com.

I try my hand at blogging...not sure that anyone actually reads it though. For about two years I blogged about cooking and entertaining, then when my mom got sick I sort of slacked off. You can still see it at www.emilykallos.blogspot.com. I've recently just started a new blog which will probably have a lot of my cooking projects, but other things as well, you can see it at www.decade-three.blogspot.com. I also try to be good at photography. I can't come close to the talents of my husband, but you can see photos of our family and friend at www.kallos.smugmug.com.

Here are a few photos from my recent visits with my Aunt Cathy, Uncle Ed, Grandma Lois, and of course my mom, Marions.

Aunt Cathy, Me and Mom before going to see Grease for mom's birthday.

Mom and Aunt Cathy, I love this one!

Mom and Grandma Lois

Uncle Ed, Mom, and Aunt Cathy inspecting the turkey at Thanksgiving

Again, I am so looking forward to getting to know all of you! Thank you to all who have sent me such kind emails and Facebook messages about my mom. This is the most difficult thing I have ever experienced and it feels so good to know that others loved and cared for her as much as we did.

Keeping Up

Just when I feel reunited with my cousins, the Grady girls and the Berger's, Cathy, Ed and Marion, and Marion's daughters and son, and grandchild, we lose Marion. I wish I had made the trip to see my cousins each time they were in New York. On the other hand I am so grateful for facebook, and the internet, including this family letter where I got a chance to see where Marion lived and see photos of her lovely children, her sewing, quilting, and learn a bit more about her life. We were able to email each other a bit about her illness and how she didn't want to bother anyone with talk of it. You can go back to early entries by clicking on them right here.

I am so glad that you were able to visit each other in Wisconsin, and get together on Thanksgiving this year. Cathy, I still need to meet you...and Ed, my godchild, as well. Ann-Margaret, I've only met you once or twice. Mavis, our Canadian cousin, "hello". I would like to extend another invitation to all of you who may have the opportunity to visit the Bay Area to come meet your California family.

I wish that all of you might offer more photos and tidbits from your lives to this Family Newsletter as time moves on. I am so happy that our historian, Aunt Harriet, the Widow Grady, shares genealogical notes and stories from our exciting past.
Love, Irene

Marion Barrington

Dear Friends and Family,

I am sorry that I have not had a chance to call all of you and I apologize to those of you that have not yet heard that you are receiving this news over email.

My mom passed away yesterday afternoon. My sister and I were there with her. She went very peacefully and with out pain. It was Marion ’s wish to be cremated and in true Marion fashion did not want a big “to do” made about her passing. However, for those of us that knew and loved her we feel it appropriate to celebrate her life. Therefore, on Tuesday, January 5^th the family will be holding an open house at my residence from 3:00PM to 8:00PM. Please come as you are, Mom would have wanted everyone to be comfortable.

5715 Beaver Ridge Dr.

Cumming, GA 30040

678-947-2895

If you should have any questions or are in need of directions, please do not hesitate to call. Also, please feel free to forward this email to anyone that I may have missed. Everyone is welcome to come by if they would like.

Thank you all for loving and caring about my mother. It means more to me and her family than we could ever say. May you and yours have a very happy new year.

Lots of Love,

Emily