262 Maine Avenue

After meeting with my dad's World War II ship mate, his daughter gave me a ride to the church where my parents were married in 1945. I believe that the actual church they were married in was torn down and replaced with another based on the wedding photos I've seen. From there, I went on a little trek of discovery, visiting the house where my mom, her brother and their mother first lived when they moved from the Bronx to Staten Island. I also went to check out the building that was once Gus's Restaurant, where my parents likely had met. (They never talked about this stuff, so I'm relying on my uncle's memory.) My mom's best friend from her teenage years still lives in Staten Island, so I called to see if I could visit her, but her health is such that she didn't want visitors. My last stop before heading back to my Airbnb was the place where my parents and my oldest brother lived for a few years before they moved to where my dad grew up in Toledo, Ohio. I called my mom's brother to find out where it was, and as we were talking, I found it. While taking photos of it, I could see that the person working at the convenience store was suspiciously watching me, so I went over to chat with him and explain what I was doing.