Uncle Tom May Come to Reunion

Uncle Tom and wife Anne -- Grandma Hilber's only living sibling -- is very interested in coming to the reunion. I talked to him this evening and he brought up the subject! Al and I had a wonderful two days with them at Hilton Head island in February and mentioned how much folks would love to see them, including the Deiberts in Fargo and the Horners in Twin Cities. He said he had no more relatives in Fargo, and I said we disagreed with him!

I called Tom about getting permission to purchase an upright monument for Grandma and Grandpa and Sylvan Lucier. He thought it was a good idea and wants to help with the purchase. I'm now working on getting details about ordering. The design would be for the usual names, a rosary because Grandma gave each son a black rosary when they left for the service, a little five star flag (she was something rare, a mother with five sons in service), and a picture of a glider or insigna for Sylvan's role as a glider pilot who was killed in the line of duty. Not to leave grandpa out (the rosary would be his symbol as well) perhaps a music symbol for his incredible voice!

The three are buried in adjoining plots and their small ground markers are disappearing into the sod and are very hard to find. Joe & Nancy tried today and couldn't find them! So, this may be accomplished by the reunion. Joe is looking into putting the date of death on Dad's side of the folk's monument. Birthdays, death, marriage, weddings, we have much to memorialize and celebrate.

BTW, Uncle Tom is an avid golfer! And he is very fit and full of fun and laughter! A real Lucier! I hope everyone can get to know the youngest son of Eva and Del.

Tom went away to high school just after Sylvan died, joined army as soon as he turned 18 in 1945, was stationed in Bavaria -- occupied Germany -- with the Third Infantry Division. He wrote for their newspaper, called Frontline. Some of his stories about vets in the Third Infanty (those who survived were few) got reprinted in the Stars and Stripes newspaper.

Uncle Tom was a Fargo Forum journalist after his military service and wrote award winning stories about the Fargo tornado, (part of a team winning the Pulitzer Prize in Journalism) which landed him a job with a firm in the East. He then started his own company. A successful business man, Joe & Nancy visited them and they were great friends with Uncle Lanny and Aunt Dorothy, all of whom lived in the East for some time.

Anne Nephew