Shoes from 1917 at Antique Images

I just HAD to share this image with y'all!  I LOVE THIS SHOE! 

I'll have to admit to being very fond of shoes and purses!  Imelda Marcos didn't have anything on me, except the means to buy whatever shoe she fell in love with!  My closet is heaving a huge sigh of relief, let me tell you!


The "Peggy" Pump

"Here's the description of the shoe from the catalog:

Grey shoes are very fashionable. This handsome openwork Oxford is made of soft Kid-finished Leather in the new shade of Grey. Receding toe: high arch: leather concave Cuban heel: medium weight dress shoe. White laces. SIZES 2 1/2 to8: widths, E, D, and E. State size and width. OUR PRICE, $2.98. Postage 6 cents extra."

 I found it at Antique Images, where Carolyn has lots and lots of vintage images.  She has both mens and womens clothing from 1917 posted, which I find so interesting!  The post I did on my great-grandma Jennie Meeks Johnston here included a photo of her, two of her daughters, and a grand-daughter that was dated September 1917.  I wonder if she ever had shoes like these?  Or, did she wear the high-top boots like these? 



I didn't see a "name" assigned to either of these boots.

 Grandma Jennie must have had a tiny foot!  If you'll read the description of the shoe, the sizes were 2 1/2 to 8!  My size is 7 1/2, which must have been considered extreme in 1917!  My poor sister would have had to gone barefoot!!!  I won't mention her size, though, if I know what's good for me!

Anyway, I thought I'd share this piece of trivia with you.  Pop on over to the Antique Images and browse Carolyn's wonderful collection of vintage images!

Till next time - take care!

XoXoXo

{Texture Tuesday} The Golden eDition

Yay! It's Texture Tuesday time, it's Texture Tuesday time, it's Texture Tuesday time, it's Texture Tuesday time! (Sing or hum to the tune of It's Howdy Doody Time.)


I love experimenting with the textures provided by Kim Klassen for our weekly Texture Tuesday. You really must hop on over and see what it's all about!  I've been doing this for about a month now, and she's had over 200 entries each week.  There're a lot of us that are in love with textures, and Kim's place is where it's at!

Kim Klassen

I picked a photo this week of a lovely rose in our garden.  It's called Black Beauty, because it's supposed to have a deep red, almost black appearance.  Guess it didn't remember that this year!  It's still beautiful, no matter what the color.


We were to use at least one layer of Kim's "golden" texture, which I did.  I also used a layer of her "granny's cupboard," and a soft focus on the rose.  I'm very happy with the way the photo came out!

Before...

and after.

Bye, bye, girls and boys! See ya next week!

XoXoXo

{Texture Tuesday} The Sweet Peeps eDition

Tuesday already!  Where does the time go?  Grandma Good always said the older we got, the quicker time would go. What a wise lady she was!

This week's assignment at Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday was to use a photo of people or a person and at least one of Kim's textures.  I chose this one of our greatnieces, Lilly, Sophie, Avigale, Jayden, and Maci.  

Greatnieces Jun 24, 2009

The girls were modeling at Grandpa and Grandma Burkhart's their new bridesmaids dresses I had made for them .  I was so happy the dresses fit, even tho' Sophie's looks a little bit long.  With shoes, it was perfect. 

Lilly and Avi are the daughters of our nephew Chris; Sophie, Jayden, and Maci are the daughters of his bride, Sonya.  These sweeties were to play a big part in the wedding of their dad and mom!

Here's their photo after applying Kim's textures "flourish" and "empty page."

Greatnieces with textures.

I like the way these two textures soften the look, and the girls' skintones really don't look much different.

Come on over to Kim's and join us!

Kim Klassen

XoXoXo

Madness Monday - G-Grandma Jennie

There is one ancestor for whom I have such empathy and sympathy!  That's my Great-Grandma Jennie Meeks Johnston.

Jennie Olie Meeks Johnston Covey
ca 1925-1930

  Jennie Olie Meeks was the third of six children, born April 24, 1881 in Clinton Co., Indiana to George Washington Meeks and Missouri Alice Knapp.  I don't believe she had a very good or happy childhood. When she was about 10 or 11 years old, her brother Daniel overheard their parents talking about putting the children into an orphanage. 

I talked with Daniel's youngest daughter a few years ago.  She was born in 1925, but was still sharp as a tack!  Her name is Alice Dorothy, named after both her grandmothers.  Alice told me the following on Apr 3, 2007: 

Her "dad, Daniel Webster Voras Meeks, was an easy-going sort of person.  He lied about his age to enlist in Spanish-American War." 


That's evident on the census records where he list his birth year as 1875, but on the 1880 census, he was born the year before in 1879.

"He ran away from home at about age 12-13 (1891-1892).  He'd overheard his parents talking about putting the children in an orphanage, because his mom was dying. Daniel hopped a train headed west and never looked back.  He lived in a one-room schoolhouse, doing janitorial work, in return for going to the school during the day as a student." 

He came back east after an eventful period of time in the west, but that's another story!  He met and married his love, Christina Jacobson, in Yankton, South Dakota in 1899.  They lived in Minnesota until the end of their days.

Christina and Daniel Meeks 1939

"He loved his sister Jennie best, and did not like his older sister Ida.  Ida would always cause trouble and blame it on someone else, especially Jennie.  His youngest sisters were adopted and taken to Texas." 


The two youngest girls, Ola and Dora, had been lots of trouble for their parents and were sent to the reform school in Indianapolis.  After that stint was when they were adopted and moved from Indiana. My dad remembered that either the girls' adoptive parents were named Stewart, or one of them married a Stewart.


Jennie had another brother, Earl, but I haven't been able to find anything on him.  Maybe he was adopted as well.


George W. and Alice Knapp Meeks got a divorce, she wasn't dying as had been thought.  She lived until 1904 when she died of nephritis.  Both remarried, but it seemed the kids had to fend for themselves. 

Jennie was married to a man much older than herself.  This would keep her from going to the orphanage!  She and Holman Aurelius Johnston were married 11 May 1897 in Jefferson Co., Indiana.  She was only 16; he was almost 29. 

Their first child, Eva, was born that October.  My Grandma Hilda was born March 1900, Aunt Susie in March 1903, Aunt Edna in Feb 1905, and Uncle Jim in Aug 1907.  According to the 1910 Census Records, Jennie also had two more children that didn't live.  In 13 years, Jennie had been "in the family way" 7 times! 

Jennie, Eva, and Holman Johnston
ca. 1899

She must have had enough by 1910.  In that census record, she wasn't living with Holman and the children.  Eva, Hilda, Jim, and he were living with Jennie's oldest sister, Ida, the one brother Daniel didn't like.  Jennie had her own place, not too far from the family, but far enough away, and had a boarder staying with her.  Susie wasn't listed at either home.

Susie Johnston, aged 16
1919

Jennie remarried 2 April 1917, but she and her new husband, John Covey, weren't living together in the 1920 Census.  This picture, taken in 1917, is of Jennie, her daughters Eva Ramp and Edna, and Eva's daughter Eloise.  Poor Jennie looked so tired! 


Jennie, Eva, Edna, Eloise September 1917



Jennie, aged 36 years in 1917.

Jennie's occupation in the 1920 Census was as a battery inspector at one of the car plants in Indianapolis.  This was probably Chevrolet, or "Chivy" as it was called in Dad's neck of the woods of southwestern Johnson Co., Indiana.  At the time, she was living at 305 Roena Ave, Center Twp., Indianapolis, Marion Co., Indiana, and Chevy wasn't very far from her home.  Two of her children, Edna and Jim, were living with her, as well as a boarder.


Here's a picture of Jennie with two of her grandchildren by daughter Eva.  This was taken early to mid 1920s.

Jennie Covey, grandchildren Eloise and Jack Ramp ca 1922-23.

This is a picture of Jennie's dad, George W. Meeks, with his great-grandchildren Eloise and Jack Ramp.  This was probably taken about the same time as the picture of Jennie and the kids.


George W. Meeks, g-grandkids Eloise and Jack Ramp
taken about 1922.

1934 was an infamous year.  Not only was John Dillinger shot and killed in July of that year, but Jennie lost her daughter Edna and 3 of her 4 granddaughters, Edna's girls. 

12 March 1934 was a cold morning to get up to a house with no heat.  The girls, Carol Jean, Frances Ellen and Ernestine Finch, decided to get the old wood stove going before the adults got up.  Tragically, the kids caught the house on fire.  The neighbors were able to save Jennie and Edna's baby daughter, Alice Jo Finch, but Edna and her 3 girls perished.  This was the beginning of the end for poor Jennie.  

Alice Jo Finch September 1933
6 month old.


UPDATE: 17 JUL 2014

I recently made contact with a Meeks cousin, Tammy Sampson.  In her possession was a copy of an article from 1 August 1934 in the Indianapolis Star newspaper she'd received from my Dad!  Tammy graciously made copies and mailed those to me for my records.  I have no clue what happened to the original Dad copied for her.  Dad's gone now, so I'll never know.  The article is so, so sad!!!

Her health deteriorated over the next couple of years.  She entered Richmond State Hospital, (originally East Haven Hospital) Richmond, Wayne Co., Indiana in 1936.  Her death came 31 October 1938, and her daughter Hilda Johnston Logan had her buried in the Logan Family plot at Friendship Methodist Church, Hensley Twp., Johnson Co., Indiana.  Her grave marker is simple, engraved only with "Jennie Meeks Johnston 1881-1938".  She was just 57, one year younger than I am now.




Hilda Pearl Johnston and Hiram Logan
I believe this was my grandparents' engagement photo.
1918

Jennie's mind must have snapped, wouldn't yours?!?  I don't know how she managed to last 4 years after losing her child and her child's children!  I lost my first husband when I was 39.  For one year, until I met my present dear husband Doug, I went through torment, guilt, anguish, and depression.  I cannot image losing my child and her children!  Jennie must have gone through many of the same feelings I did...torment and anguish at losing her loved ones, guilt and depression at not have been able to save them.

I wonder if there is a gene in our family that makes us susceptable to mental illness.  Jennie's situation is understandable.  Would she have developed Alzheimer's in later life had she lived to old age?  Her daughter Hilda lived to be 6 weeks short of 90, but had Alzheimer's.  My dad just turned 84 and now has Alzheimer's.  Will I get this terrible disease if I live to 80-90 years old? 


XoXoXo

Happy Father's Day ! ! !

"A sulky is a lightweight cart having two wheels and a seat for the driver only but usually without a body, generally pulled by horses or dogs, and is used for harness races." source: Wikipedia

Courtesy The Graphics Fairy

Dad grew up in the countryside of southwestern Johnson Co., Indiana, Hensley Township.  The township was named after his great-great grandfather Richardson Hensley, the first settler of the area.


Dad with his buddy, Ladd, in the early 1930s.



Pop in his Trafalgar HS letter sweater, taken late 1940s or early 1950s.
SIDENOTE:  PLEASE WRITE ON THE BACKS OF YOUR PHOTOS!
RECORD ALL POSSIBLE INFORMATION!

He would tell us kids he raced his sulky against other guys in the neighborhood, and won!  The sulky was also used as transportation - guess it was easier (on the backside) than ridin' a horse to and fro!

In honor of Pop's history with the sulky, I created this Father's Day card for him.  You can make use of this, if you care to.  Print as landscape on cardstock - end result is 5 x 7 card, folded.  You may have to do a little bit o' trimmin'.

The graphic is from the Graphics Fairy, of course! Love Karen's wonderful site, with all the free vintage graphics she so graciously shares!

Buddy, Dad, and me - 1958

Happy Father's Day, Pop!!! I love you and pray you get better soon!

XoXoXo



Additional note:  I entered this in the Pioneer Woman's Photography assignment: Fathers.  You can find it on her Flickr page.  It our "Pop Through the Years."

Love ya, Pop!

{Texture Tuesday} Another Fab 'Free & Easy eDition'

Once again we meet here on Tuesday for Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday!  Where does the time go? 


Here's one of my favorite photos of my hubby, Doug.  In this picture, he was cleaning out our Dodge Dakota Big Horn the first part of April this year, trying to avoid the camera!  HA! Got this really good one of him anyway! 

I used Kim's "extreme grundge" @ 43 % opacity and "aged newspaper" @ 75% opacity, and got a warmer, older looking photo.  Love those old photos!!!

Come join us over at Kim's and have fun with your photos!

click here

See ya next time!

XoXoXo

{Texture Tuesday} The Word eDition

Here it is Tuesday again!  Time for Texture Tuesday with Kim Klassen!

This week our assignment, should we choose to accept it (and of course we did!), is to take one of our photos, use at least one of Kim's many beautiful textures, and add words to the result.

Back in September, my hubby, sister, and I took a quick road trip to Seattle.  On the way back I took several many pictures of the sunrise over the mountains in Montana.  This photo is one of my favorites, even though it's blurred due to the movement of the car.  I used Kim's "subtly yours" texture, two layers, one darkened and the other dissolved slightly.  I like John Muir's quotation - it really fit the majesty of both the mountains and the sunrise!

Before...

and after.

XoXoXo

Sourdough Bread Recipe from Alli-n-son & my Spinach/Pecan Pesto

Good morning everyone!  Hope your day is going well.  It's HOT here, more like the middle of August, than the first part of June!!! 


I found this wonderful recipe at Alli-n-son's for sourdough bread, INCLUDING the starter!  Most of the recipes (well, really, all) I've found state you have to use a starter, but don't tell you how to make that.  Just assume you already have some on hand, I guess.  Amish Friendship Bread starter is pretty close to this, though.  My husband loves sourdough (me, too!), so I just had to try it.


I didn't have any bread flour on hand, so I used all-purpose.  Worked out pretty well, if I do say so myself!  Next time I get flour, though, I think I'll get some bread flour and see what the difference is.  The texture turned out amazing!  The recipe is simple enough, though it does take several days to get your starter going.  I mixed mine up last Tuesday, and made the bread on Saturday.  Now, I have starter in the fridge whenever we get the urge for sourdough!  Just have to remember to keep it active once a week!


Below are some pictures of the bread, and the spinach pesto I made to go on top of the slices.  I had about half a package of the spinach left over from making a salad for dinner one evening.  I didn't want it to go to waste (been known to happen around here!), so I decided to try a pesto for the first time.  I filled the bowl of my food processor with the spinach, added about a handful of pecans (I know, pesto is supposed to contain pine nuts, but I improvised), about half a cup of Parmesan grated cheese, & 2 garlic cloves.  I pulsed the food processor to get it going, then let it blend on its own while I poured in about one-third cup extra virgin olive oil.  MAN, was that good!!!  Next time I'll toast the nuts before adding to the mix.  As it was, I could have eaten the whole thing by itself - in one sitting! LOL!  It made about enough to fill half of one of those small deli containers.  Have to get the basil and pine nuts and try the "proper" pesto soon!  The cheese I used was, surprisingly, a Great Value brand (Walmart).  Cheaper than Kraft and just as good, if not better! (My opinion, no compensation from Walmart.)

I took one of the small loaves and made a chili bowl for my hubby one night, too.  Just hollowed out the inside after cutting a small slice off the top, filled the loaf with chili, covered it with shredded cheese, & nuked it for 1-2 minutes (to melt the cheese).  Wish I'd thought to get a photo of it, 'cause it sure looked purty!  DH said the first time he'd had this was in Nevada when his squadron was training at NAS Fallon.  Said it was served with a soup spoon and a steak knife, so he could eat the bowl.  He must have liked mine, 'cause he finished every last bite!

Anyway, go on over to Alli-n-son's to get the recipe!  Her directions include how to replenish the starter, & how to keep it active.  It's one of those "must try" keepers!

*Tip:  I've been keeping the bread in the fridge, even froze one of the loaves.  It gets a little dry after a couple of day, so toasting it is a good idea.  Could be used for homemade croutons, too.  Saved the chili bowl insides for this purpose.  UMM-umm-good!

Spinach/Pecan Pesto

2-3 cups baby spinach, rinsed
1/2 cup toasted pecans
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic
1/3-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Pulse to bring everything together, then blend while drizzling the olive oil into the mixture.  Spread on some of your homemade bread, or use as a dip.

Enjoy!

XoXoXo

PS. I forgot to add to the recipe for Pesto:  salt and pepper to taste.  Guess I figured you guys would do that anyway! HA! HA!

TEXTURE TUESDAY The Garden Party eDition

Wow! Already Tuesday and another chance to create!  I'm still learning, so please bear with me!


Kim Klassen's theme this week is gardening. So, I thought I'd take a couple of our garden photos from last year and change them a bit.  I like the old photos, the sepia toned, aged, worn and faded.  This first photo is of our wonderful, though small, crop of corn, tomatoes, broccoli, zucchini, and beans in sepia tone with a brush stroke effect.  I've used Kim's "warm sun" texture - saturation legacy at 55%.

Before...

and after.

This second photo, also of the same veggies, just a slightly different point of view, is the one I really like!  I've used the aged newspaper effect, then Kim's "silence" texture - normal at 40%.  It really looks like an old worn photo from the 30s! This could have come out of my Grandma's photo collection.  Love it, love it, love it!

Before...

and after.

Thanks, Kim, for the wonderful textures you've created for our use!

XoXoXo