Three weeks before her 84th birthday, several family members of longtime Ceres resident, Nora McKinsey, gathered at the Turlock home of her oldest daughter and son-in-law, Jennifer and John Ensley, to visit with her new great-grandson, 3-month-old Otto X. Paananen who came down from Napa.

Otto is the son of Nora's great-granddaughter Meghan (Troy) Paananen of Napa; the grandson of her granddaughter Sherri (Jeff) Mitchell of Napa; and great-grandson of Jennifer and John Ensley.

Also there on July 25 to see the newest addition to the family were Nora's younger daughter, Terri Bradford (Ken), and granddaughter Elizabeth Bradford, both of Ceres.

Nora Culpepper came to Ceres from Arkansas with her family in 1946. Her father owned a grocery store next door to the McKinsey family's home. The McKinseys had four sons. Nora and the second son, Gale, fell in love and they were married in 1948. They lived in two homes in Ceres that Gale built himself and as a typical wife and mother of the era, Nora stayed home and took wonderful care of her family and home. She also worked hard in her yard and helping to maintain the duplexes that they owned and rented. They enjoyed camping and traveling throughout the country. Gale passed away in 1990.

Her family continues to be amazed at all that Nora does. She still loves to work in her beautiful yard and is active in Harvest Presbyterian Church. She also delights in watching her family grow.

Besides Otto, Nora has a 15-month-old great-grandson, Michael Steven Pecsek of Pomona. Nora also has two grandsons, John (Lindi) Ensley of Glenn Heights, Texas and Nathan Bradford of Ceres; another granddaughter Amber (Sam) Pecsek of Pomona; great-granddaughter Taylor Ensley of Modesto and great-grandson Joshua Ensley of Glenn Heights.