My grandfather Judd DeWitt VanSickle in the middle hugging his youngest son, my Uncle Robert. My grandmother Charlotte is sporting the sash, I believe. I calculate the date as Uncle Robert was born in 1914 and to me he looks about ten in this photo. Durand, Illinois or perhaps on vacation in the Wisconsin Dells.
From my grandmothers’s album
Laura spilled some mayonnaise on her cotton dress. It left a nasty oily stain. Wash it with some Brown fels naphtha soap first before washing, I advised -she didn’t even leave the soap on – but it took the color out of the fabric. Hmmm so much for my advice.
My solution. Rubber bands and yarn ties all over the dress for a reverse tie dye in a solution of Clorox water. Good thing I’m a retired art teacher
From the archives. February 2016
She’s on the left in her ruffled dress, her brother Robert next to her, then their mother Charlotte in the cloche hat, her brother John and their father Judd. I’m guessing on the date .
The indoors photo was placed in the album before the outdoors photo.
Previously posted on the blog, but I think it’s the same group of women. From my grandmother’s album. “Doris February 1916” ?
From what I can tell that’s my great grandfather on the left. No marks or notes on these two pics .
This photograph was sent in the early morning by my DIL in Berlin.
For the blog!
Thank you, N,❤️!
I’ve had some excellent contributions from family members and friends, as my own travel has been restricted, during these Pandemic times.
These photos are from May 1987, taken in Kentucky. Sent by my good friend Joanne. We were so much younger then, we’re older than that now……
And a tribute to Phyllis George who passed May 14th.
Ruth – you and I reconnected as Army wives in Fort Knox, KY in 1986 after we both moved there from Germany, where we first met. You taught me the art of smocking and we spent a lot of time together stitching beautiful outfits for our little girls. Then we decided to make it a “cottage industry” and created our business Handsmocked in Kentucky. We took special orders and sold our work in the Kentucky Arts Council In Louisville … where we attracted the attention of Phyllis George (then wife of the Governor of Kentucky!) .
We had such fun and dreams with our little business, and then all of a sudden we were invited to Phyllis George’s home as a vendor for her Kentucky Derby celebration which featured Kentucky based artists! What an adventure ….33 years later I still have a lot of memories and a wardrobe of smocked dresses to hand down to some special little girl.My memory of Phyllis George was a gracious, giving woman who cared deeply about Kentucky artisans. (And she wrote us a check for a handsmocked dress for her daughter.)
Joanne was able to go into her boxes of photos which are all labeled and put her hands on these photos.
When I wore this 3 strand crystal necklace to my son’s wedding in 2002, my Aunt Rhea sat right behind me. She leaned forward over the back of the pew and said, ”Oh you’re wearing your Grandmother’s necklace.” Now I’d always thought of it as my mother’s necklace when it came to me in 2000 when my mother passed.
Today I found it in my dresser and thought I’d like to clean the crystals and wear it this coming Saturday to the National Kidney Gala fundraiser to which Steve and I are invited. Spiff up a plain dress for sure.
I wish I knew more about the necklace but there is no one to ask.
A search found a simple method of a few drops of dish soap and some alcohol in lukewarm water, a cool rinse and then gently dry with a handkerchief so no bits of fiber from a towel.
