Dad's Last Christmas 2012

Good morning my dears, 

Today, I'd like to share a short (1 minute) family home movie from my Dad's last Christmas in 2012. My Dad was diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer in January, 2011 and passed away in May, 2013. This video brings back so many memories of his last Christmas. The kind folks at Mercedes delivered my Dad's Christmas gift to his front door.

Christmas blessings to you, 

-Kiki Nakita-

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4th Annual Thanksgiving at Biltmore

Good afternoon my dears,

We celebrated our 4th Annual Thanksgiving at the Biltmore. It was a perfect autumn/fall weather day as we had a delicious luncheon at The Deerpark Restaurant, strolled through the house and shops, looked at the spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and looked at the twinkle lights near the campfire at Antler Village. 

I'm so thankful for many things, the list is endless, but I'm most thankful for my hubby and the life we have created together. I'm also thankful for all of you who take the time to stop by and catch up with me. 

- Video -

- Thanksgivings of Years Past - 
2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 with family, 2016 with family, 2017 

Thanksgiving blessings to you, 

-Kiki Nakita-

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The Jungers Family (7 Generations)

The Jungers Family (7 generations) My husband's maternal grandmother's line.

Jungers Name Meaning

Jungers is a name for a young person or the junior member of a family or community, being derived from the German word "jung" which means "young." 

Introducing:

Thomas Domonic Jungers

b. 1719 d. Unknown

married in 1739
to

Anna Marie Angelsberg

b. Unknown d. 1745 

6th great-grandparents of husband

Places lived: Luxembourg

Henrici Jungers

b. 1739 d. October 14th, 1805

married in 1768
to

Anna Meysenburg
b. 1745 d. Unknown

5th great-grandparents of husband

Places Lived: Luxembourg

Antoine Jungers
b. 1779 d. Unknown

married in 1808
to

Elizabeth Wirth
b. 1785 d. Unknown

4th great-grandparents of husband

Places Lived: Luxembourg

Charles Jungers
b. June 9th, 1810 d. 1895

married on April 15th, 1863
to

Marie  Soisson
b. October 3rd, 1839 d. Unknown

3rd great-grandparents of husband

Places Lived: Luxembourg

John Peter Jungers
b. April 29th, 1870 d. July 6th, 1954

Arrival to the United States circa 1889/90

married in 1901
to

Rosallia Sziller
b. September 6th, 1880 d. 1965

Arrival to the United States circa 1896/97

2nd great-grandparents of husband

Places Lived: Luxembourg. Hungary. North Dakota.

1910 US Census

1910 City Directory 

1920 US Census

1930 US Census

1940 US Census

Frank Nick Jungers
b. January 11th, 1902 d. January 1969

married
to

Elizabeth Agnes Becker
b. April 21st, 1902 d. April 22nd, 1984

great-grandparents of husband

Places Lived: North Dakota. Oregon.

Wedding of Frank Nick and Elizabeth Jungers

Frank Nick Jungers

 1930 Census

1940 Census

Grave of Frank Nick and Elizabeth Jungers

Marlene JoAnn Jungers

b. June 28th, 1932 d. June 17th, 2015

married for sixty-one years on November 14th, 1953

to

Arthur Dillon

b. private p. present

grandparents of husband

Places lived: North Dakota. California. Saudi Arabia. Oregon.

Wedding of Arthur and Marlene Dillon

Obituary

Marlene “Grandee” Dillon, a long-time resident of Eugene, died peacefully in Arlington, TX the morning of Tuesday the 17th of June with her husband and three adult children by her side. Born June 28th 1932 in Regent, North Dakota, Marlene (nee Jungers) moved to Eugene as a young child. She attended St. Mary grammar and St. Francis High School graduating in 1950. She worked at Consolidated Freight Lines in Eugene where she met her future husband Arthur Edwin Dillon. They were married November 14th 1953. The Dillons traveled often in their young married life; living in Eugene then moving to Saudi Arabia where Arthur worked for ARAMCO. Arthur and Marlene traveled throughout Europe and the Middle East. They returned home to Eugene in 1960 but moved again to a suburb of Los Angeles for most of the 1960s. They finally returned to Eugene in 1969 to raise their family of four. They have lived in the same home for over 46 years. While the children were in school, Marlene worked as a bookkeeper for the Orthopedic and Fracture Clinic for over a decade and later worked for Women’s Health Care before her retirement. Marlene enjoyed entertaining her large group of friends along with traveling and visiting her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She is survived by her husband Arthur, three of her children; Cindy Wright (Kerry), Arthur Michael Dillon (Melissa) and Dr. Christopher Dillon (Jee); nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by daughter Lori Jepson. Visitation will be held at St. Mary Catholic Church in Eugene on June 24, 2015 from 10:00 to Noon with a Mass of Christian Burial to follow at 12:15. This is the same church she has attended since she was a small child. A committal service will follow at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Eugene.

Grandees Grave 

Happy genealogy researching,

-Kiki Nakita-

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Autumn Day in Old Salem, NC

Good afternoon my dears,

We recently had a day trip to Old Salem, NC. We like to visit every year, but our favorite is around  autumn when the leaves are crunchy and golden. We enjoy stopping for lunch at the tavern (reservations are recommended) and shopping at the mercantile, bookstore, and bakery. 

While in Old-Salem we had a private viewing of this timeless chest of drawers, at the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts. It was crafted by Cory's 8th great-uncle, Joseph Wells, in 1796. It's been carefully preserved for almost as long as America has been a country. 

Its no wonder that we found a connection to such a wonderful place. 🍁

- Video -



Wishing you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving,

-Kiki Nakita-

You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or Bloglovin'

Autumn Traditions

Good afternoon my dears,

One of our annual autumn/fall traditions is to visit Carmel Commons. Firstly, we have a bite to eat at Amelie's French patisserie, then we gawk at the Halloween costumes at Party City, then we pick out pumpkins to carve at Simpsons Pumpkin patch. This year we had the most glorious sweater weather as we decided on which ones would be coming home with us. 

We've been getting the most glorious golden sunrises and sunsets which Boo enjoys watching. She celebrated her 11th birthday on Halloween with lots of kisses, cuddles, and a brush.

Our kitchen has been especially cozy with floral arrangements using a mixture of flowers from the farm and the market. And my favorite vase? Its from the dollar store.

- Video - 

Stay warm and cozy,

-Kiki Nakita-

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Cory's 37th Birthday in Mayberry

Good afternoon my dears, 

We recently celebrated Cory's 37th birthday in Mount Airy, NC aka Mayberry. 

Here he is pictured outside the English Tudor, Sobotta Manor Bed and Breakfast, where we stayed.

Gertrude Smith House

Nestled amongst the tall oak and ash trees is the Gertrude Smith House. It's resident, Gertrude Smith, was an interior designer, who graduated from design school in New York City. After her Dad's passing, she moved back to her family home and ran the family businesses. She was a woman born ahead of her time. Interested in preservation and ensuring her family home wasn't torn down, she founded the Gilmer-Smith foundation, whose board of directors would oversee the perpetual care. Her home is now a living museum, free to people like you and me to tour. Definitely a highlight of our trip.

Can you tell how excited I was?

LuRosa Atkins House 

Situated minutes from downtown, the LuRosa Atkins house is a private residence that is sometimes available to tour. We got to have a peek inside and see their large collection of stained glass windows. 

Trinity Episcopal

On Sunday, we attended this Episcopal parish, which has graced Mount Airy since 1896. Seeing the Common Book of Prayer line the pews made me feel as if I was back in my quaint village church in England. 

Mount Airy aka Mayberry

Pictured here is the copper clock which strikes on the hour - every hour.

Andy Griffiths Museum

Born in Mount Airy, NC in 1926. The town was the inspiration behind the wholesome Andy Griffiths Show. The museum had a lot of artifacts from his life which preserve his legacy. We also drove past his modest childhood home which is available for weekly vacation rental.

Video

Our home video from Cory's 37th birthday weekend.

Kiki Nakita 

You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or Bloglovin' 

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Grace at Home #320