A Trip Down Memory Lane

I decided I would do some family research tonight and in doing so I once again found these pictures. I never tire of looking at them. They so fascinate me as these were from a time I never knew. It is hard for me to imagine my grandmother and my dad as they were in these photos. No one knew at the time that the little girl with banana curls would grow up to be such a beautiful woman and give birth to the young boy in the photo that would grow up to be my dad.

She was born in 1897 and I have wondered who she looked like- was it Mourning Lewis Adams her 5th Great Grandmother that was born in 1694 in Olde Virginia- or her 8th Great Grandfather Eduaod Bompasse that lived at Plimoth Plantation in 1621 after making the voyage from England on the ship Fortune- or did she look like her great grandmother Anne Dickerson who married three times and ended up going West to Oklahoma dieing in Indian Territory? Alas I will never know- I guess she is a combination of all of these people and many more I have not mentioned.

She died when I was 4 years old so I did not get to know her as well as I would have liked to but I do remember her with some very good memories and since her daughter - my Aunt is still alive I have learned much more about her.

I know that she was a tall,kind, gentle woman who quilted, rug hooked, crocheted, needle punched, sewed, embroidered, and wove rugs on a big wooden loom that my Aunt still has.

Of course in her day she had to learn these skills as there were not many stores on the Illinois prairie back then.

She was the victim of many illnesses that took her life early- she was only 60 when she died.

Her first husband died when my dad was 3 years old so she lived for 4 years as a single Mom
before she married my dad's brother.

I have not learned to do all the things that she did but as I age I have a deep appreciation for her strong will and talents.

I love you Grandma!!