Celebrations

This past weekend, we celebrated "Aunt" Vi's 90th birthday.

She isn't my blood relative, but Aunt Vi and Uncle Ferd were missionaries in Japan with my parents from the 1950's until retirement.  All the missionary kids called the other missionaries "uncle" and "aunt".   Uncle Ferd passed away several years ago and Aunt Vi remarried Stan Voth.  Stan grew up in China, but during the communist invasion, their family had to flee. 

Later on his parents came to Japan and helped to build 3 of the missionary homes, including our house.

Aunt Vi's children came to help with the celebrations.  Jim (we always called him Jimmy and it is hard for me not to do so) flew in from Tokyo and played the piano and fiddle. 

 John (or Johnny) came from Calgary and Anne Marie drove from New Jersey.

"Aunt" Belva came over from her duplex.  She also was a fellow missionary and my dorm parent when I went to Miyazaki Christian School dormitory in the 1st grade.

We also had to celebrate my parents' 63rd anniversary!!

This is a picture of the missionaries in their early years.

Aunt Vi and Uncle Ferd are the 2nd couple on the right side.  She is holding Jimmy.  Johnny and Anne Marie on the children sitting furtherst to the right on the ground.  Aunt Belva and Uncle Verney (who has passed away) are next to Aunt Vi and Uncle Ferds.  Mom and Dad are in the middle row and Mom is holding me.  Brothers Doug and Dave are in front of them.

 The Ediger family

Here are the MK's (missionary kids) in front of our one-room schoolhouse.  Anne Marie in the front row, the 2nd girl and my brother Doug is looking at her.  Johnny is in the middle row by my brother Dave, who is

wearing a ball cap.  

Johnny and Dave were in the same class, Anne Marie and Doug were in the same grade and Jimmy and I were in the same grade.  However, the year I went to 1st grade, the Edigers moved to Tokyo, so really, Jimmy and I didn't become classmates until I went to highschool in Tokyo.  We were in the 9th and 10th grade together; then our family came to the States.

This is a photo taken of 3 chunky missionary kids - Lawrence, Anne Marie and my brother, Doug.  This photo was entered in a contest and won a prize. 

What a fun day celebrating a birthday, an anniversary, and a reunion of "family"!