A Librarian Turns 90 - Sun., May 18

After refreshing and changing clothes for the afternoon birthday bash, we headed into New Orleans for Mina Lea's 90th birthday party. All of her relatives attending had a name tag on a ribbon to wear and all her first cousin female relatives were given a wrist corsage. Very classy! Bob is Mina Lea's first cousin once removed (the son of Mina Lea's cousin).

Birthday girl - Mina Lea at 90.

The hall where we met had a history of Mina Lea's life laid out in photos and newspaper clippings. Being a librarian, she had everything neatly organized in chronological order.

Part of Mina Lea's life history.

One thing is certain, Mina Lea has had a full, enriched life. She graduated college with a degree in Library Science and was Valedictorian. A job as librarian at Tulane University in New Orleans is why she moved there, but she stayed because of the jazz.

Party hall on the 2nd floor of a church

College years (WW II) at University of Wisconsin

She and her husband, Bill, opened their own music store, Vieux Carre, on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. They distributed jazz records. For a time, they also had their own record label, Carnival. Bill was a jazz trombonist by night and an attorney by day. They started their own magazine, Mecca, and had a radio program on WWL. They had a house built in Marigny District (east of the French Quarter) where Mina Lea lives today. Bill never lived in it, he passed away two weeks before they were supposed to move in.

Mina Lea in front of Vieux Carre.

Bob's youngest brother, Steve, reading
articles with Bob's mom, Louise.

Left, Bob's mom, Virgie Louise; center, Mary Helen is a
first cousin once removed; Skip is Bob's uncle (Louise's brother).

Cousins: Mina Lea and Louise

And here's a whole slew of us: Bob, me, Laura (Bob's sister), Nancy (Bob's sister-in-law), Steve (Bob's brother), Amanda (Bob's niece - daughter of Steve and Nancy), Mina Lea and Loiuse.

Front to back: Mina Lea, Steve, Amanda.

Mina Lea keeping tabs on the conversation.

All the relatives at the party.

Bob's Uncle Skip as a teen.

Bob's mom as a teen-ager.

It was fun meeting relatives we didn't know existed. When we do more of our travels to the East Coast and Wisconsin, we will be contacting family along the way. Most of the relatives we met were Bob's second cousins.

During the party, Mina Lea's jazz music collection was played. Sandwiches, deviled eggs, fruit, cheese and cracker platters, brownies, cheesecake bites and individual pies (Key lime, pecan and sweet potato) made up the birthday party food.

Thank you, Mina Lea, for a wonderful party commemorating your 90th year. You have had an exciting life. We enjoyed sharing the celebration with you.