Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Sister Blooms

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.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson · 3 Comments

On The Road Again

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.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Hazel and June

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.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Classic Fran

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.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Dick & Nancy

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

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Annual Recap

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!

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Christmas 1971

Christmas can be the absolute best time or the most stressful. Before I had children, I did not appreciate how carefree my Christmases were. And then, after the children came, the time to get presents bought and wrapped seemed to compete with just our everyday schedules. Time was a commodity that some days was scarce. Now, with a house free of children, we are back to a more carefree Christmas attitude. We can place ornaments on the tree wherever we want. If we don’t want the Holiday music on, we don’t play it, and if I want to watch every version of A Christmas Carol, I do! Here we have the Anderson – Conover – Katz family, who are experiencing each of these Christmas feelings.

Lets start with Hazel. She sits by the tree and holds Yo Yo June’s toy poodle. According to Cris Yoyo was Hazel’s favorite. Sitting in front of Hazel is Todd, patiently waiting to open presents. Aunt Nancy Conover and oldest son Chad are behind Todd. Chad looks to be as much of a handful as the dogs. Gary is standing behind Nancy, but none of the Anderson boys can remember the name of the dog that Gary is holding. So if someone knows it, I’d be happy to include them.

Next to Nancy and Gary is Howard and June. June is holding Jigger, their other dog. Howard told Cris that he was named after the small device you could use to hold the gas pump lever down to keep gas flowing into the gas tank. This was called a jigger, and Jigger the puppy could fit in his pocket just like the gas device. Sitting next to June is Kirk, who looks ready to open presents, although maybe not as patiently as Todd. Sitting on his mom’s lap is Cris – I figure he’s about two and a half in this photo. And Sherigay looks like she’s ready for Christmas to begin. King the German Shepard is sitting next to Dick. All the dogs look ready to get out of the way of the opening of presents.

As I went through this photo and looked at each face, I thought about all the good times at June and Howards house on Christmas Eve. I’ve heard it said if I knew that this would be the last time we’d be together, I’d have stayed longer and appreciated it more. May those who are no longer with us have a Heavenly Merry Christmas, and may we have a holiday season filled with cherished old memories and wonderful new ones.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Fire!

I think this was the first photo I ever saw of Sherigay. Cris casually said here’s a picture of my mom and handed me the polaroid. All I could see where what looked like burn marks. i said what happened to this photo. “Oh there was a fire at the house we lived in when I was a baby” all very nonchalant. I’m sure becuase he was an infant and doesn’t remember the actual fire that it was just something that happened to his family. But I wanted to know more.

According to older brother Kirk, it was cold out. He doesn’t remember what month it was exactly, but that it was very cold and probably in February or March of 1970. Dick had put a light in the dog house that the family dog, Snoopy, a Dachshund, was sheltering in. Kirk believes that the dog either kicked over the lamp or kicked the blankets up onto the lamp which caused them to catch on fire. Unfortunately, Snoopy did not make it thru the fire which started at about 2-3 in the morning.

Kirk said it was scary. He was in Kindergarten at the time, so we figure he was 5 years old. He remembers that either the firemen or Dick ran into the house to get Cris as he was in the back of the house. They were living in a little shotgun style house in the 300 block of Estelle. Kirk couldn’t remember where the family stayed after the fire, it could have been with June and Howard or Mimi and Ramsey. Or perhaps both of them. Mimi and Ramsey were living in a house on Clifton and June and Howard lived on Belmont.

While we can never predict a fire, there are things we can do to prevent them. Never leave cooking food unattended. Create a fire escape plan and tell everyone that lives in your house the escape route and where you will meet as a family. Make sure you have smoke alarms and test them to ensure they are working correctly. Keep all flammable materials away from heat. Inspect your electrical cords and appliance ensuring the cords are in good repair. If you have a fireplace install protetive screens and vents on the chimneys and stovepipes.

These are just a few ways we can have a safe house and hopefully be fire free. As Benjamin Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” I hope that we will all be fire-free as we go into the holidays and 2025.

PS – I haven’t even commented on the photo today. I love that Sherigay and Cris look to be happy. The photo was probably taken at Christmas in 1969 at June and Howard Anderson’s house. Sherigay looks festive in green and Cris looks ready for Christmas Eve in a sleeper.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Childlike Wonder

Today I bring to you this lovely photo of Huck (Albin), Nell and Hazel Lundberg. And such a cute photo it is. I believe that i would have been taken around 1897, the year of Hazel’s birth. Huck, Nell and Hazel and the middle children of William and Emma (Peterson) Lundberg. They had three older siblings, a brother named Charles, and two sisters, Bessie and Esther. Their baby brother Chester was born in 1899, so not yet in the picture at this time.

I love Huck’s outfit. His scarf and coat give his appearance a Nordic quality: that and his fair hair and blue eyes. You can just see his boots as they are faded as part of the photographic process. What a wonderful big brother to stand there next to his sisters. Nell appears to have two collars on her clothing. A big, wide one and then a crocheted one adorn her outfit. The look on her face says that she will reserve judgment of whoever might be taking the photo. And baby Hazel is wide-eyed, ready to keep up with her older siblings. The chair she’s seated on appears to be velvet with the tassels hanging at the bottom.

To me Huck, Nell and Hazel remind me of this quote about siblings. Siblings are the people we practice on, the people who teach us about fairness and cooperation and kindness and caring, quite often the hard way. While we don’t often appreciate our siblings the way we should, it’s with them that our personalities flourish. Sibling relationships usually outlast marriages, survive the death of parents, and are stronger than quarrels that would destroy most friendships. Hazel had a close relationship with all her siblings and my hope is that you do too.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Duck, Dick and Nancy

Thanksgiving is a time most of us have turkey, but here we have Dick with a duck. It just makes me smile to see. Dick is sitting so nicely. I imagine he was trying to get the duck to allow him to pet it. And Nancy, like a good little sister, is right there with him. I love how you can see Audie’s face in his shadow on the building. At first, I overlooked it, but it’s turned into my favorite part about this photo.

There’s no date or writing to accompany this photo. I imagine it was taken at Audie and Hazel’s -piece romper coat with a lodge in Manhattan, Kansas. And from the looks of Nancy and Dick, I imagine that it was taken around 1946 or 1947. Dick is all bundled up with a warm coat and cap. Nancy is all prepared for cold weather in a one-piece romper coat and scarf on her head. I wish we knew if this was a pet duck Hazel and Audie had or if they were grooming it for Christmas or Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving originates from the Native American philosophy of giving without expecting anything in return. The Wampanoag people and the English colonists, known as Pilgrims, shared a harvest feast to celebrate the harvest. The feast included wild turkeys, ducks, geese, fish, corn, green vegetables, and dried fruits.  So we could have many things for Thanksgiving, but most of us will have turkey for our Thanksgiving dinner.

There are so many things I am thankful for this year, but at the very top of the list are all of you. Thank you for taking the time to engage with my blog posts on this website or social media. Your support and feedback are what inspire and motivate me to keep writing. Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday filled with the warmth and happiness of the season