Don Lorenzen - Gray Lines Across Time
Don Lorenzen, was our speaker this past week. Don discussed his Grandfather Marion Gray's Book, which he edited, completed & published after his grandfather's death. He titled it Gray Lines Across Time. The Book is a coming-of-age story of his grandfather from 1916-1923. The story began with his grandfather's late high school years and his first job at the Five & Dime store unpacking China dishes for the store. He later enlisted in the US Army ahead of World War 1, he wanted to be involved in aviation, but the Army had other plans for him. He was in the 29th Division aka the Blue & Gray Division (pictured below), formed after the civil war as a union between the Union & Confederate Armies. He brought some interesting items to share as well, some "Trench Art' carvings (also pictured below) into some of the large brass shell casings, that soldiers carved while in the trenches. Don also mentioned that he did not edit his grandfather's manuscript to make it more Politically Correct, but left the original language used by his grandfather in the book. After the war he married an older woman, who passed away in 1961 and he remarried his old girlfriend & Don did not get to see his grandfather again until he passed, due to a family feud, so he did not get to know about a lot of the interests that they shared. Don gave the club 2 books, which we auctioned off, with the proceeds benefitting the Mother's Milk Bank of Montana.
