Here's an email I received this week. Thanks Jim. I am placing it here, along with some images he sent. Very beautiful.
As I stated to him, I was so sorry to hear about the loss of his very dear wife. My condolences now and always.
Dear Marion.....First of all, let me wish you and yours a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR. May it bring you much Joy, Happiness and Peace. I feel that I know you personally...I have listened to your wonderful WW11 music for a long time...in fact, I am listening now. I just watched your "Christmas Greetings 2010". It was wonderful and I greatly appreciate it. We are "going" fast and as one of the youngest Combat Vets...at 85, we won't last very much longer. These pictures are of the Creche I made for the showcase in the nursing home my wife Theresa was in for the last 5 years. She died Aug.31...after 64 good years a marriage. Making Creches is one of my most important hobbies. I have made 250...so far. I have them in 3 local churches. After all these years together...we were in the hospital together when we were born...Jan 28, 1926 for Theresa and Feb 2, 1926 for me and then we went all through St; Mary's school together. We were only "apart" for the 2 years I was in the army. Now I still go to the nursing home to play the piano as a volunteer. God bless you, Marion. You are doing a wonderful thing. Merry Christmas...JIM Zuidema. Muskegon, Mi.
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
Anybody else besides us having a White Christmas this year? We have already had more snow this year than the last two put together and it's not yet officially Winter! My dog Nigel loves it and has been a complete wild man!
We have snow too, maybe 5 or 6 inches at most right now. My dog Sonja used to love the snow. She had so much fun. She was a shepard/husky mix.
Oh, Captain John Fallon got this card from the daughter of a 36th Combat Engineer. Too cute. Who knew Santa also had seahorses??
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
Merry Christmas to "Marion's boys". I merged your post with all of these, so they are all together. Didn't want you to get lonesome, all by yourself.
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL FROM DOGDADDY 1 AND NIGEL(His Dad was British, Moose)! This picture was too long for my scanner to cover, but the main point of the message is clear. It came from the December 1944 edition of Esquire...the men's magazine.
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
I am going to take some pics of our house later today. Have a few more things to hang up. Since our house is small, we do not have a tree, but take pleasure in deckin' the halls with Christmas spirit!
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
