This image is from the archives of the US Postal Service. Pictured is the post office in Saginaw when Don was born.

January 18, 1922

DONALD FREDERICK

joins his brother, George Allen, and his parents, Albert and Anna Schmidt...an American hero is born.

Life is terrific! Things are great! It's the Roaring 20's, and anyone with a bathtub and a car was getting rich..Prohibition favored the brave...and foolish...

 

When the boys are about this age, Albert's luck runs out, and he goes to prison. This would be the first of several times that he would do time for his career choice. The boys and Anna manage without him somehow, but the seeds of discontent are sown....
...Eventually, what goes up, must - well, you know - ....Everything and everyone hit bottom...there were no jobs, and there wouldn't be any jobs...and prohibition was over...Desperation took its place....despite having no money, no food, and no clothes, life went on. The boys had to start school soon..Anna moves in with Albert's mother, Mary, and makes do....It seemed as if

all the money in the entire world had suddenly disappeared. Even those fortunate few who still had money couldn't always find something to buy, like food, and clothing. Times were hard and banks foreclosed on homes and businesses, creating America's vast army of the homeless. Everyone suffered. In time, Albert got out of jail, and he and Anna tried to carry on with the job of raising their boys..the only way he knew how...
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SAGINAW, MICHIGAN