Once upon a time, a handsome schoolmaster married a debutante from across the Mississippi River. Paper Japanese lanterns glowed. Years before, the bride’s grandpa had marched with General William Tecumseh Sherman. She is said to have weighed a whole 98 pounds full-term with child. Of their eight kids, one would become a preacherman.
About this same time, in the heartland, a farmer fell in love with a pretty, feisty neighbor from a nearby homestead. (I’m said to look like her.) He died from a ruptured appendix far too soon in their marriage, leaving behind a brood of their own kids and several adopted orphans.
The farmer’s daughter married the preacherman, who had been assigned to the nearby country church after seminary.She gave up art school to marry. Over the next decade, she gave him a half-dozen children. After a time, the preacher took a congregation on the West Coast. Mostly he needed sunshine and warm weather for his health. His kids enjoyed the beach. His wife (my brilliant gramma and personal hero) brought the family through the Great Depression with class, grace, and without complaint.
During the Second World War, their oldest daughter, a schoolteacher too, married her sailor. (She’d had a crush on him since high school. He signed her yearbook fairly lame: To a nice quiet girl, but admitted later on he’d been interested in her too.) She longed to wear her mama’s wedding gown, but everything fell to shreds when unwrapped. In her hair the bride wore the only surviving finery–a little bunch of silk flowers.
Thirty eight years ago this week, their daughter, also a schoolteacher, married her fireman on a hot August afternoon. (Strapless and sleeveless bridal gowns not acceptable then.) Two kids and two grandkids later, their love story is still going on.
In fact, here’s a reprise of their daughter’s wedding, exactly three years ago.
I hope you enjoyed climbing up and down my family tree a little bit today.
Tanya-
Thanks for sharing. Really neat that you have all the photos. :-)
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 7:41 am.
What wonderful historic photos! That is such a treasure. And I must say that the great-grandfater schoolmaster cut quite a handsome figure. You obviously come from good stock, Tanya. :-)
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 8:24 am.
Wearing a broad smile this morning, thanks to your wonderful blog, Tanya. What a heartwarmer. Beautiful stories. And we all have our own. Congratulations on 38 years and a beautiful daughter.
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 8:45 am.
Tanya,
Loved the story of your family tree, how beautiful!!!
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 9:42 am.
Tanya – How wonderful that you’ve got your roots and those amazing pics all put down on paper. Loved it and wishing you a very happy Anniversary!! And Happy Anniversary to Christy and hubby too!! Three years flew by!!
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 10:02 am.
Hi Amy, thanks for posting today. Cleaning out my mom’s old house a few years ago when she moved into a retirement home left me a terrific legacy of antique family pictures. Great fun! So good to see you here.
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 10:10 am.
Hi Elizabeth, still aglow from meeting you at RWA. I had such fun putting this together. We just got back from Tahoe and while that will be topic for another blog (I love that palace) I wanted to think of something fun and light hearted with our ann’y looming. Thanks for the post! xoxox
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 10:12 am.
Hi Karen, aw, thanks for your sweet words. Great grampa Martin was a hottie, that’s for sure. I didn’t get to know him…he died when I was a baby, but he wrote me a letter when I was born. It said I should be a ballerina or a composer, with the name I have. (My maiden name is Russian.) LOL.
I have an old trunk filled with antique photos….the sad thing is, many aren’t marked. I have no idea who these cool folks are, or where that wonderful homestead is. My mom is 92 but still very sharp, so we have a great time going through them and figuring things out. I so appreciate you posting today!
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 10:15 am.
Hi Sharon, thanks so much. I love going back in time. One of these days I’m seriously sitting down and getting an official family tree started.
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 10:16 am.
HI Charlene, thank for the fun comment and good wishes. You two just had your 38th, too….we’re “twins” in lots of ways. Yeah, I can’t believe it’s three years since the wedding. And now, a beautiful baby boy! Love you..thanks for stopping by. xoxox
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 10:17 am.
Tanya, how neat! I loved all the pix of your family and seeing how you came to be born. Congrats on your wedding anniversary. That’s really special. Count each day as a blessing. I remember when your hubby got cancer a few years back and you struggled with the feeling that you might lose him. I’m so glad and happy that he’s still by your side.
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 10:28 am.
Hi Linda, oh, my sweet filly sister. How I loved talking to you on the phone first, then hanging out a bit at RWA. Thanks so much for your good wishes. We do feel really blessed at his return to health and strength. And boy, does he love being a grampa to those little boys. Of course I’m a completely obsessed gramma…
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 10:40 am.
I love that you have all these pictures, Tanya.
Such great stories. I often say, when giving speeches, that everyone should write their story. Everyone has a love story. Everyone has lived through interesting times and seeing how a person passed their time during that life is valuable and fascinating.
THANK YOU!!!!!!! Love that tiny flower in your mom’s hair…the only surviving finery. That’s so sweet.
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 10:41 am.
AND
I got married in the 70s, too. What a time that was for fashion!!!!
My husband wore a ruffled shirt at our wedding. It was VERY COOL!
My sister had yellow tuxes at her wedding.
My sister in law had pastel blue.
God have mercy!
Better than the 80s, though, the huge permed hair and bangs that stood straight up.
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 10:43 am.
WOW!! Great pics. Thanks for posting
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 10:56 am.
Very cool Tanna
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 10:56 am.
Wonderful memories. Thanks for sharing!
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 10:58 am.
Hi Mary, it is such a sweet story now, but when I was a little girl, I was so mortified she didn’t have a lovely bridal gown. With war rationing and having to mind one’s pocketbook, I guess a lot of women didn’t “waste” money on a bridal gown but rather a lovely new suit (which she did) they could wear to church or work. And with my dad suddenly shipping out, they had to marry quick. Gramma’s gown seemed the answer… ah well. They look cute. THanks for posting! xoxox
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 11:09 am.
Hi Mary again, I was thinking about all of that this morning. Our groomsmen wore ruffly shirts of pale blue and the best man’s was light lavender. Sheesh. When my best friend got married in the 80′s, ruffles were everywhere. I guess because of Princess Diana and Fergie. Her sleeves must have been made of two yards of satin all bunched up at the shoulders. And the veils in the 90′s were just explosions of tulle. Oh well.
I didn’t feature hubby’s part of the family today but they’re in the collage, too. His gramma’s veil in the 20′s had a head piece that was white lace sticking up and shaped like an Indian chief’s war bonnet. I’m sure it was high fashion!
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 11:13 am.
Thanks, Ellen. I had fun putting this together. So good of you to stop by.
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 11:13 am.
hi Deb and Connie, thanks so much for posting today. It’s always so good to have you visit here in the Junction. Welcome once again!
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 11:14 am.
How fabulous to have all that history at your fingertips. So dated and yet so classic at the same time.
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 11:16 am.
Oh, Tanya–I have a little tear in my eye. So lovely, and the way you put this together was just outstanding.You were so pretty with your fireman! Your daughter followed in her mama’s footsteps.
I do adore vintage photos–I have a lot just like these. Thanks so much for sharing.
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 11:20 am.
Hi Maddy, so good to see you here. I so enjoy looking back in time. I guess that’s why I enjoy reading and writing historical novels set in the American West. I don’t have historical pictures of my dad’s side, unfortunately. Thanks for the post.
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 11:47 am.
Hi Celia, aw, that’s so sweet of you to say.I love the old photos. They are so precious to me. I get so sad when I’m at a flea market or antique store and see gobs of them for sale. How could somebody not want to keep them forever and ever?
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 11:48 am.
I just love your post! That’s neat that you’ve kept up with the details in your family tree. We’ve lost a lot of the details in our family… But I always wonder about how they met, what drew they together… the novelist in me! LOL!
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 11:53 am.
Tanya, what a wonderful family tree! Have you written any stories based on the schoolmaster and the debutante? I love the imagery of the japanese lanterns and the river!
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 11:54 am.
Very cool post.
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 12:25 pm.
The history you have in your family is wonderful!
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 12:33 pm.
Great idea, Tanya. I love old photos and family history, so this was right up my interest alley.
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 12:33 pm.
Wonderful post, Tanya! Really enjoyed it!
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 12:40 pm.
Oh, I found that fascinating and so wonderful that you had pics that far back. My father’s father also died young from appendicitis – 42 I think. My dad was just 11 yrs. old and an only child. He quit school and worked from then on. Then my grandmother remarried and he wasn’t very nice (sigh).
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 1:43 pm.
Hi Patty, I hear ya. I’m always imagining a happy ending for the folks in all those unidentified photos I came across in Mom’s stuff. I need to start writing ‘em down. So happy to see you here today.
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 1:43 pm.
Hi Christine, you know, I need to start doing so, constructing the Great American Novel etc. So many of them had interesting lives, and I’ve only just begun learning about them. Thanks so much for poting today! xoxo
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 1:51 pm.
Hi Lisa, thanks for stopping in today. I love learning about them!
Paty, yeah, they’re kinda cool. My husband’s grampa is from Nez Perce, Idaho, which is how and why I got so interested in the Nez Perce. Thanks for the post.
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 1:52 pm.
Hi Vicki, so glad you liked it. It was fun to do.
Caroline, right up mine too LOL. I just love getting lost in old picture, wondering. Imagining….One of the most poignant: one of the eight children born to the schoolmaster/debutante died as a toddler. The pix of his coffin, covered in flowers and displaying a tintype of him is so sad. Sigh.
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 1:54 pm.
Hi Catslady, when my hubby’s appendix burst, with the resulting peritonitis, he was in such a bad way that I couldn’t help but think of my poor great-grandpa, when surgery wasn’t an option. How he must have suffered. You have some great stuff in that family history for a story of your own! Always so good to see you here!
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 2:01 pm.
What a lovely post. And what wonderful pictures. I have very few of my immediate family and even fewer of my ancestors. We just weren’t a big picture-taking tribe. Now, seeing how nice it is to actually see pictures of those who came before you, I really regret the loss. But I do thank you for sharing your family with us, Tanya.
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 2:09 pm.
Great family story! Aren’t you lucky to have this wonderful record in photos of your family! I’m envious.
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 2:24 pm.
What wonderful family photos! Thanks for sharing.
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 2:29 pm.
Thanks so much, Darcy. I’m getting pretty fired up today to start the ancestry.com stuff. My dad’s side came through Ellis Island, and so did hubby’s gramma. As soon as I meet this deadline LOL…
My gramma (the one above) and Mom saved ALL the letters I wrote them during my college days…(these were the prehistoric days when e-mail didn’t exist and it was exorbitant to phone long distance too often.) and when I moved out into my first apartment, I threw them all away. WOW.
It was so nice of you to post today!
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 2:34 pm.
Hi Chelley, thanks for reminding me how lucky I am. It’s a beautiful day outside, too! I so appreciate you taking the time to post today.
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 2:37 pm.
Dear Jannine, you are most welcome. I must thank you for leaving a comment! Thanks a ton.
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 2:37 pm.
Very nice, wonderful pictures. We got married in 1971 when “cool” ruffles and colors weren’t the “in” thing yet. I think I’m happy about that! And of course, strapless would not have been good. For my brother’s wedding in 1978 all the groomsmen had lime green tuxes, I thought Kent was quite handsome in his!
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 2:44 pm.
My great-grandfather, Thees, died of a ruptured appendix when he was only 56, leaving his children form his first marriage, his wife’s children form her first marriage, and their three children.
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 2:49 pm.
Tanya! Wonderful post! LOVED IT! I had a great grandfather that died early, too, leaving his wife with 4 children under the age of 6 or so. He was coming home on a hot day and was overheated from working outside. He decided to take a dip in a pond. When he did, his body temp cooled too fast and he had a stroke and died. Weird, huh? I don’t guess there are any pics of him existing. At least, not that I know of. You are so fortunate to have all these wonderful pictures–and what a sweet wedding pic of you and your hubby!
Hugs,
Cheryl
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 2:53 pm.
How fortunate you are to have so much family history–and how lucky we are that you shared it!
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 2:55 pm.
Just fabulous. Oh, the signs of the times, especially the WWII pic. We are fortunate to have the family tree wedding pictures too. So blessed.
Thanks for sharing.
Peace, Julie
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 2:57 pm.
Hi Nancy, I remember seeing pix of those lime green tuxes. LOL But like you say, you go with what’s popular at the time. I wonder if we’ll ever look back at the strapless trend and find it old fashioned. Just the year after my wedding, my brother’s bride had little cap sleeves and privately, my mother was horrified. Oh well.
Thanks for stopping in today!
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 2:59 pm.
Hi Cheryl, aw, that’s a sad story. I can’t even imagine such grief, then raising lots of little ones on my own. I always wonder at a spa, after time in the hot tub, then jumping in the “cold” pool if it could cause trouble. I better not do it again. Some good plot ideas for a future book, my friend! Thanks for telling us your family lore!
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 3:03 pm.
Oh, and thanks for liking our wedding pic. It was SUCH a hot day. Sheesh. But I wanted August so I had the summer to plan (I was off, being a school teacher. You didn’t need a year to plan in those days.) but still have a few weeks to honeymoon, settle in and relax before school started. And get those thank-yous written. xoxox
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 3:05 pm.
Lynnette, thank you for the fine compliment. This was fun to re-live, remember, and do!
Julie, I love the WW2 fashions, so I love her outfit. Just…as a kid, I wished she’d had a big ole’ gown LOL. Oh well. Didn’t matter to them. They were happily married for 33 years.
Thanks for posting, both of you! I sure appreciate it.
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 3:08 pm.
Great photos and what a fun presentation!
Loved it.
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 3:23 pm.
Hi Cher, thank ya kindly, sister! xoxox
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 3:34 pm.
Tanya, how great that you have all those pix. They are wonderful! We married Aug 27, 1976–36 years ago. It’s a blessing to take this walk down memory lane with you. You have a long line of long marriages to follow. What a great accomplishment. My gown also had long sleeves and Jerry’s tux had tails and was candlelight (to match my gown) trimmed in dark brown. The hat I wore was huge and I adored it. I didn’t want “white” and my mother was afraid people would believe I was a “bad” girl at 26!
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 6:07 pm.
Oh, Brenda, your mama is making me laugh! Hubby’s tux was “candlelight”, too, to match my candlelight organza!!! I wanted an off-white as bright white was, well, so bright! My bridesmaids each wore wide-brimmed straw hats. I asked each girl to decorate hers just as she wanted. They were all different but similar, and I felt very trendy.
I found one of the bridesmaids dresses off the rack at my favorite department store. I knew it was just what I wanted. The manager called all of the other branches of the store to get the five sizes we needed. Ah, those were the days. They cost $24.
Thanks so much for posting today, my wonderful friend!
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 6:15 pm.
Aww, what a sweet way of showing your family tree! And Happy Anniversary!
Your mother’s situation w/her mother’s wedding dress struck a chord with me. I did wear my mother’s dress, for the ceremony. But in the reception line, I reached to hug someone and the underside of the right sleeve let go. Didn’t really rip, just fell apart! Luckily, as my wedding was also in August (hot, hot!) I had another, cooler dress ready at hand to change into. So happy your mom at least got to wear the silk flowers from her momma’s wedding :D
Posted on August 16, 2012 at 10:19 am.
What wonderful photos.
Posted on August 16, 2012 at 10:23 am.
A belated happy anniversary. You are so lucky to have so many details and pictures of your family going back that far.
Unfortunately nothing left from my mom’s wedding. Not sure what happened to her wedding gown, but since she was the first of 4 girls in a family of 9 siblings to get married, I think it may have been worn again.
I made my attendant dresses, the ring pillow, and my headpiece. They wore wide brimmed “straw” hats,. The dress for one of my sisters was a guess. She was pregnant and the baby was due about the time of the wedding. I had to guess at bust size to allow for pre and post delivery. Luckily the dresses had empire waists. Luckily her son was born a week or so before the wedding.
Thanks for sharing with us.
Posted on August 16, 2012 at 12:21 pm.
Thanks for visiting Wildflower Junction, Tammy. So glad you had another dress on hand. Mom said, indeed, gramma’s dress and veil just fell apart. After our daughter’s wedding 3 years ago, we had the dress and veil hermetically sealed LOL. So we’ll see whatever happens. I never did anything with mine, it’s just in a box in the attic. Just watch, Ill have a granddaughter some day who will want to wear the old’fashioned thing and it’ll shred to bits LOL.
Posted on August 16, 2012 at 1:13 pm.
Hi Janie, thanks. I was glad to share them. They’re all in a collage frame in our guest room. where my gramma’s antique bedroom furniture is. I inherited it when she passed away. So everything kinda matches time-wise. I have a tintype of my handsome great-grandpa on the dresser. So glad you came by today.
Posted on August 16, 2012 at 1:15 pm.
HI Patricia, always so good to see you here! I made the ring pillow for our daughter…(t was carried by our then and still adorable two and a half year old grandson. I had bought one but liked the handmade one better. I made all the bouquets out of straw flowers, thinking they’d last forever. But think again LOL. Your wedding sounds lovely. What colors did you pick? I hope straw hats make a comeback. And that said, I don’t think I like the trend of brides not wearing a veil. Oh well. Our daughter did…I insisted LOL. See you here again, my friend!
Posted on August 16, 2012 at 1:19 pm.