January 1955

Anton Janson, my grandfather, died in Los Angeles in January, 1955.  Mom kept a box of mementos about it, including newspapers (St Cloud Times and Pierz Journal), sympathy cards she received, correspondence from Wendelin, his brother, and from Helen Hesch, and his personal effects (his billfold and rosary). 

The box has been in my basement since mom died in 1996.  I finally opened it again this week.

54 years later, the leather billfold and rosary pouch have a light green patina.  His zippered billfold has three LA Transit tokens, two library  cards, and his Townsend Club membership card.

The rosary pouch had an unusual rosary in it...nine decades sections of three beads.  It's very light-weight--was it intended for travel?

Here's a close-up of both sides of the medal, in German.  If you can translate the words, I'm sure there's an indulgence in it for you.