When I went missing in New Jersey

It was a spring day in 1958 when I went missing, well, for a few hours anyway. Of course I knew exactly where I was, the problem was that Mom and Dad had no idea where I was. The story goes like this. There was this girl in my 7th grade class, her name was Judith Bebe (I think) she invited me to her birthday party. I came home that day and told mom I was not coming home from school and was going to a birthday part. The only problem was the party was at least a month or two away. The day of the party I went to school not saying anything. The school day was just a typical boring day of teachers trying to teach me something. The only thing I had on my mind was going to this birthday party with Judy. The school bell rang; Judy and I went directly from school to her house. As I remember she lived in a big rancher on a farm with a barn and a few horses. There was also an Artisan Well wheel in the back yard. I can't remember much about what we did, rode horses, played games etc. Mean while back at the Klein house, pandemonium set in. I can't imagine what must have been going on. Mom and Dad never really expressed what they felt during the time I was partying it up at the Bebe house. Around 9 o'clock at night the party came to and end and Judy's parents were taking me home. As the car turned off of Cumberland road on the short dirt road where we lived there was an array of flashing red lights. Police cars were everywhere. I had no idea what was going on until the car stopped and I got out. Somebody yelled there he his, mom came running over, now I am sure she was glad to see me, but boy was she mad. Where in the hell have you been, she said. I explained the best I could where I was but nobody seemed to care, except for the police. They wanted to know where the party was, who were there, etc. The next day everything got back to normal, or at least that is the way I remember it. Bob Klein

Dad and the razor blade factory and more

Way back when we were young (before Vic and Dave and maybe even Bob) Dad worked in a razor blade factory. During the time he worked there he was incorrectly diagnosed with an aneurism(sp?) involving his heart or maybe the aorta. He was told he couldn't continue to work and was out of a job. It was a devestating situation - no money, no jobs and a wife and children to support. Mom told me this but I can't remember her finishing the story. If anyone remembers more about this, please comment. It could maybe be around the time when we lived in Delaware and Mom sent Bob off to live with Nauni and Poppa. I know we were pretty poor around that time. I remember Mom making oatmeal for breakfast with water because there was no milk. On the other hand I have the feeling that the razor blade factory story happened much earlier. When they were first married I know that Dad drove a bus in either Bayonne or Jersey City. Poppa Principe was a bus driver then and I'm sure he helped get Dad that job. When we lived in Milliville I remember Dad worked for Wheaton Glass Company as a glass blower. For practice he would heat the glass pipettes over a flame and make the most beautiful ashtrays and candy dishes and other things in the basement of Nauni and Poppa's house. I remember one other thing he did in that basement and it was a surprise for me. He made little teacups, saucers and a teapot out of pennies. I really wish I still had them but somewhere along the line they disappeared. Dad was a carpenter, later a builder of houses and commercial buildings. For fun he made furniture, wooden toys, and stained glass. While he had the talent to paint and draw (he really liked to doodle cartoons) , he only did one piece that I know of and it is in my living room. Three paintings on glass of oriental figures. He developed a real love of photography. He took my wedding pictures and hundreds of family photos. He had a darkroom in the house where he developed his prints and stored his negatives. He was a member of the Baltimore Camera Club and won awards for his work. For years and years, you could never catch Dad without a camera. Some of his kids groaned and frowned every time he asked them to pose. Everyone has to be glad now that he thought it was so important to take family pictures and save family pictures. They bring back a lot of memories. .