Pa and Ma

Several years ago there was a photo booth at the mall that would alter your picture to make it
look like a pencil drawing. This was made in 1990.
L. has lost the beard and several pounds. I have acquired a bunch  of wrinkles.

29th Anniversary

Thirty-two years ago last August. Doing the math - 61 years married.

 

On my folks' anniversary my dad always said, using whatever year it was, "Twenty-two years

with the WRONG woman." Mom always laughed.

They had thirty-six years together.

Coat

One of my crochet creations. Not practical but it took a whole lot of yarn and helped the Yarn Yard shop pay its bills in 1968.

The Photo Booth

Five of these poses were at the same "sitting."  The white fur coat was at an earlier time. What was with the finger on the cheek bit? I don't know which I liked the most; the fur coat or the cape like nurses wore. That was the job I wanted until high school when I almost flunked chemistry and decided that was not my calling.

Kazoo Kitchen Band

Friends of my mom who had a kazoo band with items from the kitchen and lots of plastic spoons. Sometime in the early'40's.

Cadwell Black Smith Shop and a Team

My memory is that this was in Haven, KS. I'm not sure about that! My Grandmother Wright's maiden
name was Cadwell so I think this must have belonged to some of her relatives.

Another Portrait of the Brown Brothers

This is the only other studio portrait I have of my dad and his brother. Dad, Dewey, is on the right and Lee is on the left. There is no date on the back but I would guess their ages to be about eighteen and sixteen.

The Wrights

The baby from yesterday's post is seated here with the big bow. They all are dressed nicely but I don't think they were wealthy. There was one more girl, Retta, who died in infancy.
I cannot imagine growing up in a family this size. About fifteen years after this photo was taken,
the head of the household left his wife and worked in western Kansas where he died shortly after he moved. His wife,  my grandmother, took in ironings and cleaned houses to support herself. Sad times during the depression - an apt name for the period. I didn't hear a lot of details about this, but I like to think that the "kids" helped their mom. They were all married by then.
From the left: Lloyd, Pearl, Victor, Iva, Alice, Claude, Selma and Harlan.

Little Girl; Long Dress

This is my mother, Selma Wright Brown, born in 1904 in Halstead, KS. I've always wondered what the point was in using all that fabric on a christening dress. Just a tradition or maybe the "style" of the day?

The Brown Brothers

I know I've posted this before but along with the "older" pictures, this one goes back to about 1900. My dad, Dewey Russell, is on the chair and his brother, Harvey Lee is standing. They were born twenty-one months apart in August, 1896 and May, 1898. Lee served in the Rainbow Division in WWI. Dewey was not drafted and his brother told him to stay home and help on the farm. In 1922 Lee was working for the electric company and was killed  in an accident while trimming tree limbs away from a high line. My poor grandmother worried every day of the rest of her life because Dewey also worked for the electric company as a lineman and foreman. He retired at age 65 and lived until 1982. Curls were not unusual for boys at that time. Not so sure about the bow in the hair.

Live or a Mannequin?

 

Either way, I look sort of bored; since then I don't remember being bored - maybe tired, or listless - but never bored.

Dodge City, KS - 1965

When we lived in Dodge City (1955-57) Boot Hill was there but not developed. With the TV program, Gunsmoke, there came a big change to the Hill!  Front Street was developed with old buildings moved, refurbished and furnished with historical items. The saloon had sarsaparilla,  a clangy piano and dancing girls. The graveyard above the hill was filled with tombstones listing the outlaws and how they died.
So, with a bigger tourist attraction, many folks traveled there on US highway 54. We took the boys there to see the place. in 1965. I hope they remember this trip. We returned there with the grandkids in 2003 (I think!) Why can I remember dates from years ago and not recent dates? Because the film developer put the dates on the photos.

PN Checking Out MN

I wonder what he was really thinking. . . does the cowboy hat go with the suit?
The new Buick station wagon with the sky windows arrived on MN's birthday
that April.

PN and Friends

                                               1963 with MA and NJ

The Neighborhood Gang

1963 -

At the Tank

I think I've posted this before but it's the tank in Emporia. Our boys and their cousin, MLN. I believe
they have painted it since the 1960's.

  

Bird on PN

Keeping with yesterday's theme of PN and birds, this happened in 2005 when a bird found its way into the office. I like to think it knew that he wouldn't swat it or hurt it in any way.

The Bird Boy - 1965

Like many families we've had dogs, cats, gerbils, sea monkeys and birds.
Oh wait.  Maybe not everybody sends off for sea monkeys,
We had a lot of pets.
Even though the lighting on this picture is terrible, it's another favorite of mine.

With Grandma and Grandpa

We still have the porch swing that my folks bought from the Reformatory workshop in the '30s. I can remember swinging in it when I was about the size of MN - because my legs  didn't reach the floor.

The boys loved to go there and stay for the afternoon.    Sadly, my mother only lived two more years after this photo was taken. She would have taken such pleasure in seeing those grandsons grow up. My dad had twenty years more and I still miss them both.

Bow Tie Day

I don't know why PN is the only one saying, "Cheese."

Tired

Why didn't his mother put him down for a nap?

My Favorite Photo

 

and MN almost three years. (From PN's album)

Dad and his Boys

PN's first Christmas, with LN and MN
 

Brothers

 

 

Plus Grandma and Mom

Twenty-eight months and Two Weeks

 

First photo is PN at two weeks with his "older"  and second one with friend, NJR,
who happened to be a girl.

Early photos

These are photos of our two sons.
The first one,  MN, was taken in the hospital. He is the older by twenty-eight months.
The second, PN, was taken at home with his Grandma Brown.

Since it is cold here, just like the rest of the country, we are not getting out
to take any pictures. I asked their permission so this theme will continue for a while.

Two in Taffeta

t
This is a photo of the baby Violet at about
three years. The girl with her is Opal Harkness.
I don't know if they were friends or related in some way.
What colors did little girls wear in 1907? Red, blue, green?

Snow People and Quilters

These delightful snow people, an angel made from an old quilt and the two friends
statue were all gifts from dear friends.
The "Show and Tell" plaque was from my cousin, Marcheta.
They cheer me up.

Beautiful Baby

This is the baby from yesterday's post. She is wearing the same
dress and locket so I believe it was taken at the same sitting.
Violet Rose.
Isn't that a lovely name?

Grandma and Second Grandson

 

Family Portrait 1906

I love this formal photograph.
This is my great aunt Eliza Pringle Hampton and her
husband, Fred, and daughter Violet.
Eliza was my grandmother's sister.
I love the hair styles.
I thought I read somewhere that people parted little boys' hair
in the middle. But in this case we have a girl!
And that is one great pompadour on Aunt "Lie-zee" as we called her!
I would think it was arranged with the help of a rat.

All Suited Up

And ready for church in  the latest fashion in 1949.