This was the photo I had. Simple. Where we see Kirk in the lead, being followed by Todd and then Dick up a path in the mountains near Aspen. I thought it was a striking photo even though I didn’t understand why Kirk and Todd would be hiking in plastic coats. Surely they’d be too hot and uncomfortable to want to hike in them. Both boys are wearing jeans and Muller Elementary shirts, with plastic coats over them. Since the photo is centered on the individuals, you see Kirk’s smile and Todd’s concentration, with Dick’s presence in the background. There is emotion to this photo.
To me, it looks like this could almost be anywhere. From a field in Oklahoma to the Flint Hills that surround Manhattan. So when Cris told me this was taken outside of Aspen, Colorado, I could kind of see it.
But then Cris sent me this…
The differences are so striking. While Kirk, Todd and Dick are still the focal point, in this photo you see the expanse of the mountain and the feeling that there is a scale to the environment. You see the rugged beauty in the Aspen Wilderness. This photo shows the journey that they are walking. The expanse of the mountains and the height of the trees. It reminds me that our world is far bigger than we might first think. And when we set out on that trail that great things can happen when step beyond what we know and put on plastic coats 🙂
When I first saw this photo, I immediately thought about the book, THE GRAPES OF WRATH by John Steinbeck. The overalls, the steady expressions, and the rural strength that the Joad family had in that novel also seem to be on the faces of the Katz family in this photo. This story was not one I enjoyed reading as a sophomore in high school. The hardships described in the book brought the Dust Bowl and the depression to life for me, and now here was a Katz family photo that also did just that.
The overalls being worn in this photo were a symbol of workwear throughout America. Overalls originated in the 18th century as protective garments for laborers, designed from coarse cotton to protect clothing and worn over it. They evolved through innovations by Levi Strauss & Co. and Lee Jeans in the late 1800s–early 1900s, becoming the first true bib overalls. Because they were durable, affordable, and protective, they became the defining uniform of American farmers, railroad workers, and rural families by the 1920s–1930s.
Here, in the back row, are Audie’s brother and his family with Audie’s family. The one person missing from this photo is patriarch Audie Katz, so I assume he took it. In the back we have Howard Katz and his parents, Mary and Bill Katz; June Katz Anderson; and Marvin Katz. In the front row are Robert, who is not looking at the camera; Hazel, holding Donald and perhaps talking to Robert; and Bill Katz, standing in front of his sister.
The next thing I had to consider was the time frame, as there was no date on the photo. As in many of our photos, I use one of the people I know well to be my anchor and draw a timeline around them. In this case I used June. June was born in 1916 and appears to be in her late teens or early 20’s. In 1934 she would have been 18. She married Howard Anderson in 1937, so I think we can say this photo would have been taken between 1934 and 1936.
I don’t believe that Manhattan, Kansas, where the Katz family resided, was in the core area of the Dust Bowl in the 1930s; however, it was close enough to feel the effects on the areas of Kansas that were affected. Manhattan is part of the Flint Hills region and, as such, had more natural grass and fewer erosion problems. I’m sure they received some of the dust that blew in from the affected areas in Kansas during the peak affected years of 1934 to 1936.
John Steinbeck wrote The Grapes of Wrath in 1938, when the Dust Bowl and the Depression were easing their grip on America. He showed how ordinary people carried extraordinary strength through everyday life, and this photo of the Katz family reflects that truth: a family living through the same era, weathering its challenges, and finding dignity in the simple act of standing together.
Outdoor photos are some of my favorites. You don’t have to try to arrange a big group in a small space, and nature is always a good backdrop. Here we have the Anderson family commemorating what appears to be a casual summer get-together.
The first person I notice is Howard. His shirt makes him the focal point of the photo for me, perhaps because of the print. With his mother-in-law, Hazel Katz, standing next to him, also in a printed shirt. Everyone else is in solid colored clothing, so now I’m going back and forth from right to left. First to Sherigay and Dick Anderson, to Nancy and her husband, Gary Conover. I love how Sherigay is looking at Dick. You can see the love she has for him captured in her expression. I love how Nancy is holding a dog, making sure it’s included in this photo.
Then I look at the children with the oldest flanking the youngest. From left to right we have Kirk Anderson (holding a dog) Cary Conover, Chad Conover, Cris Anderson and Todd Anderson. And I know instantly that this photo is from the 1970’s.
Summertime in the 1970s was different for me than any other time. Long days that seemed to stretch forever and lasted until we would collapse once the sun went down, falling to sleep almost before our heads hit the pillow. Summer time meant being outside, either cooking meals because we didn’t want to heat up our houses or doing chores, and eating popsicles that seemed to melt faster than we could eat them. Life seemed to happen slower in the summer, the laughter was louder, and we wanted to capture and savor every moment. It’s proof that the best memories are never staged, just lived out.
The photograph captures a quiet moment — Julius Anderson seated in his chair, holding his grandsons Phil and Dick close. The room is simple, the light soft, yet the atmosphere created in this photo reflects depth that was naturally found.
Julius’s hands, worn from years of work, cradle the babies with a gentleness that is supportive. His hands rest on his grandchildren in a way that makes them settle into him, trusting in his hold and his lap. The contrast between his work-worn hands and the lighter tones of the boy’s clothing emphasizes his strength while highlighting the softness and newness of the boy’s clothing. The tone is one of age meeting youth.
Date of photo estimated to be Summer of 1941
Phil, on the left, leans into his grandfather’s arm, content and curious; Dick, on the right, sits upright, eyes bright. Between them, Julius’s expression completes the photo. There’s no strain, no distraction. Just a quiet, almost contemplative calm. It’s as if he understands the privilege it is to hold your grandchildren in your arms. The feeling that you are holding the future in your hands.
The background is soft, with muted grays and just blends seamlessly into the photo. The desk or table behind him, scattered with papers, hints at the ordinary day this might have been. Yet in the stillness of the photo, time seems to pause — three lives, framed in a moment where time seems to pause just long enough for us to see the beauty of the connection.
I like to see people smiling. And Bess and Hazel seem to always be smiling in every photo I see them in. Bess, the older sister, was born on September 15, 1887. Hazel was born nearly 10 years later on May 12, 1897. Age couldn’t separate the bond they shared as sisters. Based on their hats and the photo’s sepia tone, it was taken between 1915 and 1920.
What could they have been doing? At first glance, because there’s no background, I think that this is definitely a studio photo. But then I look at the item in Bess’s hand. It’s possibly a hook or a screw of some sort, but why would she have it in a photo? And then I get to thinking, what were they laughing about?
Bess and Hazel were constant throughout each other’s lives until Bess’s death on January 12, 1954. Bess was 66 years old, making Hazel 55 at the time of Bess’s death. I like to think that Hazel missed her sister during the remaining years they were apart.
While I might not know the story of this photo, Bess and Hazel’s smiles tell the story of sisterhood. Bess and Hazel embody the grace and laughter of an era when hats were statements and family ties were stitched with devotion. This photo isn’t just a portrait; it’s a window into the warmth and wit that shaped the Andersons to come.
I just love old photos with cars in them. Maybe it’s because our cars are more plastic and computer than they are car, but I find myself missing all the things that these cars had. The seats in these cars were so much more comfortable then the seats in cars today. And while many didn’t have front wheel drive or the best mirrors what they did have got us to our destinations.
While I wish there was a date on the photo, I’ve got nothing but the car, the house in the background and the photo itself to determine a possible year. The columns on the house are not like the ones on the Clifton house so I think this is the house Dick, Sherigay and the boys lived in on Estelle. The photos tone, and paper border were common in prints from the mid to late 1960’s.
And so we come to the car. I asked my trusty co-pilot friend to assess the phote and give me an estimate on the car. It said that the car was a Ford. It’s not it’s a Dodge. But it estimated that the year was 1965. Cris told me he thought that his dad always had Dodge wagons so I looked for 1965 Dodge wagons and found the Dodge Coronet. Window, body shape and quarter panel shape all were similar. So I think that this photo was taken somewhere around 1967. There also appears to be a child next to Kirk in the back seat and while I’d like to assume it is Cris, Todd does not look the same in photos with Cris. So we are going with the Summer of 1967 or 1968 for this photo.
Todd and Kirk are definitely ready to go on an adventure. Todd’s got a flashlight in hand and is ready to show you to and from the car with ease. Waiting for you is our ever-energetic Kirk, who can’t wait to talk to you throughout the trip. While I have never traveled with any Anderson except Cris and my kids, I’m sure Todd & Kirk made trips fun! Here’s hoping all our summer trips can be as fun as this photo.
What a lovely spring photo of June and her mother, Hazel Katz. To me, June will always be the stylish, put-together woman I met. And this photograph does not disappoint. Just the tilt of her head shows all her confidence and sass that only a young person can pull off. Hazel seems to be exuding the air of one who taught her child to be confident and sassy.
Hazel Mae Lundberg was born May 17, 1897, in Riley, Kansas, to William and Emma (Peterson) Lundberg. Riley is located 20 milies northwest of Manhattan, Kansas. Hazel was the 6th child of 7 born to William and Emma.
Hazel married Ross McDonald in December 1915 and divorced him three years later in December 1918. Our June was born on June 18, 1916. After divorcing Ross, Hazel married August “Audie” Katz in October 1919. Our June told me that in her mother’s photo album, there were old photos that looked like someone or many others had been cut out of the images. We assume that someone was Ross. Hazel had three more children with Audie, Robert, Donald, and William.
While June grew up in Manhattan, Kansas, she led her siblings, who at times she felt so different from, but didn’t know why. I would imagine that in this photograph, June is between the ages of 9 and 12, which would place the year about 1926. Their style of dress is also that of the late 1920s. I would love to know what colors their dresses were and what materials they were made of. June’s appears to be cotton, but Hazel’s looks like it could be a silk-like fabric.
From top to bottom they are the picture of a lovely spring duo and I hope they bring some sun to your world today.
Confuscious has been quoted as saying “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” I feel that is a good quote for our Fran. I was missing her today and had pulled this photo to use this spring and felt that today was a good day for that.
There are those people who for whatever reason have the ability to appear timeless and classic. I have never felt that way. There are times I feel awkward and the least put-together version of myself. Those are the times when I tend to look at my possessions and question if I really need them. This photo of Fran to me is just that timeless and classic. I feel that one could dress in that skirt and shirt today and it would not be out of style.
Leo Babauta, a writer, former journalist and former editor of the Pacific Daily News gives us this bit of advice for simplistic living. “Simplicity boils down to two steps. Identify the essential. Eliminate the rest.”
Fran was good at living simply and showing us all that something didn’t have to be new to be valued and that we can all learn to be timeless and classic.
Sometimes, when we get a new sibling, it’s like your birthday and Christmas all rolled into one. I bet that’s what Dick thought when Nancy was born. Suddenly, he had a new best friend, and what friends they were. Dick looks to have his hands full, trying to ensure Nancy’s safety where they were seated for this photograph. I’m unsure if the family still lived in Climax at this time or they had moved.
But aren’t they cute. All Dressed up for a brisk winter day. Nancy looks to be about 6 months old. With tights and a warm outfit and cap, Nancy looks to be ready to spend time outside. Dick in his warm gear and rolled up pants, looks like he’s already been playing outside for awhile, just waiting for Nancy to get out there.
I’ve often wondered why so many of our family photos of this time or earlier are taken outside. Perhaps it has to do with lighting. So I did a little investigating. Flash bulbs for cameras were not Invented until the 1930s. Flash bulbs were only usable once and cost about 10 cents per bulb. However, when purchased in a pack could be pricy. And there was no guarantee that even with a bulb, your photo would develop well. So ones best bet was to go outside to have your photo taken.
Brother and Sister, together as friends, ready to face whatever life sends. Joy and laughter or tears and strife, holding hands tightly as we dance through life. Suzie Huitt
I’m always sad and excited at the end of the year. Sad because another year has come and gone. I’m excited because now I get to do one of my favorite things: make a video for you full of the photos I used this year. I love picking the music and trying to have the music match the photos in some way. I use RomanSenykMusic’s music, and I belong to his Patreon group. This way, I can use his music as YouTube limits you regarding music with copyright and whatnot. So, without further ado, here’s this year’s look back. I hope you enjoy it!
