Mystery Woman in the Basement

As a child, enjoyment came from spending time at my maternal grandparents – especially when they were still living in their house. There were items that had been collected on all their travels – wooden shoes, Hummels, small dishes, and the list went on and on.

In their finished basement, they had a kitchenette, a bathroom, and a shuffleboard game painted on the cement part of the floor. Large gatherings were held downstairs. A very large oil painting of my grandfather hung on the wall. He had other photos from years gone by hanging up as well.

Yet, once as I was exploring in the dark corners of their basement, I saw a woman with a hat behind some other items in the back room. I ran upstairs telling my grandmother that there was a strange woman in the basement that scared me.

Nana just chuckled and told me that I had just seen Mrs. Furbish. She took me by the hand, walked me downstairs, and made sure there were lights on to chase away the shadows. Then she introduced me to Mrs. Furbish. She wasn’t a long lost aunt or cousin or even a neighbor. In fact, sbe wasn’t even an animate object! However, from that moment on every dressmaker’s form was gifted with the moniker of Mrs. Furbish!

I have met some cousins and learned quite a bit of family history, stories, and information due to being curious, but Mrs. Furbish will always hold a special place in my life because she came from my grandmother’s imagination.

This post was written for Week 4 “Curious” blog prompt of “52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.” For more information please go to https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/

(Photo of question mark – Pexels – public domain; photo of dress mannequin Henry & Co. from Pexels)

 

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Young Woman

It wasn’t easy to pick out a favorite photo. I have so many: my kids at different ages, my wedding photos, reunions, ancestors, and even some of myself as a young child.

I chose the photo of my maternal grandmother, Vesta Christena Wilt, as a young woman – before she was married (probably). Her unruly baby fine wavy hair set in place. A locket on a chain around her neck. Blue eyes looking toward her future.

A photo of a woman of whom I see a bit of myself in the eyes, the same type of hair, and slight smile. A photo I treasure – but my Nana – I treasure her memory even more.

This post was written as part of Week 3 “Favorite Photo” blog prompt of “52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.” For more information please go to https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/

(Digital and original photo in possession of Wendy Littrell.)

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Found Voices of the Past

Over a decade ago, I received a welcome gift from my cousins – about 5 CDs. On those disks were voices of family members who were no longer living – my maternal grandparents, some paternal aunts and uncles, and my brother. Little did I realize that within a year after I received them, I would add my mom to one who would also be gone. Several years later, it would be my dad.

Back in the 1950s when my parents and older siblings lived in Japan, they would record their “letters” home on a reel-to-reel tape recorder. My grandparents would reciprocate. To hear the details of their days and all that was happening in their world was amazing. To hear my parents’ young voices was sometimes comical.

In the 1960s my dad and his siblings also recorded some of their reunions. I even heard my young self singing “Downtown” as well as a couple of stories that (for this family historian) was exciting to hear! What seemed “normal” was reliving the conflict that some of the Amore family members had with each other or their in-laws!

I am so fortunate that my cousin’s husband took all those reel-to-reel tapes that he had from my brother and convert them to CDs. I may no longer be able to speak to those family members I love, but I can still listen to their voices. Voices that may have been lost but thankfully have been found.

This post is part of the “52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks” blog prompts for Week 2: Favorite Find. For more information please see https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/

(Images are courtesy of Pixabay – no attribution required. Collage created on Fotor.)

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Love is the Foundation

On October 15, 1916 a letter was written from Miss Vesta Wilt to Mr Johnson that read:

It has now been six months since I have known you. Am beginning to love you. Is mine returned? I think not. But nevertheless I’m thinking of proposing your hand in marrige. Am telling you as you may think seriously on the matter. Yours as B/4

Two months and nine days later on December 24, 1916 the two wed in Anderson, Indiana. Their marriage was a foundation built on love that lasted beyond their deaths in 1984 and 1985. It lasted due to their commitment not only to each other but to their family, their faith, and to their journey through the military into civilian life. Their legacy has been three out of four children who lived to adulthood who in turn gave life to the couple’s eight grandchildren. In turn that has brought life to 16 great-grandchildren. The great-great-grandchildren presently number 23. And the babies and young children considered great-great-great-grandchildren number 8. The union that the foundation of love of Miss Vesta Wilt and Mr Glen R Johnson have produced a total of 53 descendants.

Vesta and Glen are my maternal grandparents and a couple that all of us who grew up knowing them remember them with fondness, respect, and love.

This post was written from the blog prompt “Foundations” as part of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. For more information on this series please see: https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/ 

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