Remember when I told you that last week I hung out with my great aunt Ruth and we went through some old pictures? It was a treasure trove, I tell you - and we only got halfway through one bag! That is me and Aunt Ruth up above, from a long time ago. Aunt Ruth was married to my grandmother's brother, and we have always been very close - from the time my sister and I were born. She is just a sweetheart and she has the best laugh you've ever heard. Here are some of the other great pictures she let me borrow ...
In the middle, my great-great grandmother with her youngest son Paul and his wife.
My grandma is in the back row, second from the left (my mom says I look like her!). Aunt Ruth is standing on the far right. Kneeling is my grandma's sister Geneie, and sitting with the kids is Geneie's husband Leonard.
These are my great-grandparents, Milo and Jessy Nelson. (BTW, don't you love the name Milo? If we ever have a son, that's what I'd like to name him ... still working on convincing Chris, though!) I also have a cropped version of this picture, but I thought this one was pretty rad because it shows the date (July 1971) and the bonus wallet photo that came with the print.
My great grandparents
My great grandpa's re-election flier. I scanned all sides of it - it isn't much bigger than a business card and folds open. What a great little piece of family history!I love these pictures because I never met my great-grandparents and my grandparents (on my mom's side) passed away when I was fairly young. Going through these photos with Aunt Ruth helps me feel a little more connected to family members that I wish I'd been able to know better.
Do you have any old family photos? How do you save and/or display them?
8 comments:
What fun! I just can't get enough of things like this, but then again, I am an old lady deep down. It just makes sense that these photos would speak to me. :)
I just recently aquired some very old things of my great-grandparents and grandparents and have been wondering what to do with them. I actually got a stetson hat that's in really great shape that was my great-grandpa's and have been wanting to display it but I don't know how. I'm a little afraid to just put it out and let it get dusty. Any sugestions? I know that was your question and I'm throwing it back at you.
I was also wondering where your great-grandpa was from, I see peoria county but, what state?
Peoria, Illinois. My grandparents (on the other side) had a wood/glass cabinet that they kept some keepsakes in - we don't have room for something like that, but maybe something you could work in to your new place?
These pictures are so wonderful! I love looking through old family photos! (P.S. Milo is also a name in the song Footloose!)
That's so interesting, my family is from Peoria, IL infact that was where I was born.
I love all the pictures Tammy! My Aunt just compiled a lot of pictures of my Grandma for a slideshow at her funeral that I'm eager to print and frame.
As for the question about the hat, if you don't mind me chiming in with a suggestion, I think placing the hat in a shadow box on your wall near a picture of your great-grandpa (in the hat) would be a nice addition to a family photo wall. You could do a contrasting color behind it so the hat stood out, or do a complementary color behind so it wasn't so bold. Something like this: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/crosspost/framed-doilies-090936
Holly I had no idea you were born in Illionois! One of our friends we worked with in Yuma is also from Peoria and has moved back there I hope to visit someday! How funny, maybe our grandparents knew each other :)
After I graduated from college, Lydia made me a photo album with copies of old pictures from the Kann/Hammer side of the family. But I would love to do another book for the Wille side (my mom's family) and someday the Volkmann family. Eventually I'll get this photos framed and on the wall. Until then I'm working on Olivia's first year book.
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