Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Our Neighbors

I love Cousin Jean’s scrapbook. To me, Cousin Jean was a mysterious figure who was always discussed with great reverence and awe. And her scrapbook has been just as awe-inspiring. Frank and Dora Bourscheidt built a home at 100 Fredonia Avenue in 1892, when Jean was just 17 years old. Set at Fredonia and University Avenues in Peoria, it was located at the top of a T-intersection.

Jean shows us three different times the neighbors came together to share a meal. They appear to be from the early 1900s based on the photos, fashion, writing, and Jean herself. Here, she notes the Wead, Todd, and Worthington families as their neighbors. Even with outdoor settings, the meals appear somewhat formal, with dishes, tablecloths, and more formal attire. These areas were extensions of the home, creating spaces where hospitality could flourish. Through regular contact with their neighbors, the Bourscheidt family was able to share traditions and develop a sense of belonging. The fact that Jean chose to preserve these meals in her scrapbook shows how meaningful these neighbors were to her.

Do you know your neighbors? My next-door neighbors speak Spanish and make everyday conversation a little harder to bridge. But it’s fun to hear their music, which seems to bring the street alive, and to catch the warm smells of the food they’re cooking as it fills the air. Even though Jean’s gatherings took place more than a century ago, it’s a reminder that sharing food, space, and simple moments with the people around us is still one of the most meaningful ways we build community.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Knowing Her Now

We move through life believing we know the people around us — their habits, their laughter, their routines — but it’s only when they’re gone that we realize how many pieces of them we never truly saw. Lois’s expression was always one of calm and serenity to me; however, beneath the surface, she was anything but calm at times. These serene moments become an echo of everything we wish we would have asked, noticed, or cherished while she was still here.

Lois Jean Jorden – photo developed November 22, 1949

When we lost Lois  in 1984, the world kept moving in ways she never had the chance to witness — all her nephews and nieces growing into adults, the family shifting and expanding, with new traditions quietly forming within the family branches. She missed the laughter that came later, the reunions, the milestones, the small triumphs, and for some of us, the hard‑won peace we have eventually found.

Today Lois would have celebrated her 81st birthday! I find myself thinking about which aspects of technology she would enjoy. Perhaps digital cameras and photos would be her chosen enjoyment. Or the ability to send text messages that can include so many others. No longer waiting for the round-robin letter to get to you, but knowing instantly what her siblings were doing and being able to respond to them. I’m sure she would have enjoyed that. And so today I send all my love to Aunt Lois, wishing her a happy Heavenly birthday, grateful for the years she lived, thankful that we can keep her memory alive.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Dolls and Dreams

Sometimes it’s hard to fall asleep, especially when you’re a child. You don’t just “fall” asleep. Sleep is a transition that can be fought. Going to sleep means stopping play with a toy, or, in my case, reading a book. It means turning off your energy and telling your body to rest. And sometimes being apart from the people you love is hard. Now, we have to be in a dark, quiet room, and sleep can feel too big. Sleep requires trust. Trust that the night will pass safely, that the morning will come, and that you won’t miss anything important. That’s why bedtime is often a dance of one more story, one more drink, one more question. It’s not defiance. It’s learning how to let go. And when a child finally drifts off to sleep, it’s a small triumph, a reminder to us that rest is something we all have to practice, no matter our age.

Here we have Joyce Jorden Miller and Lois Jorden all ready for bed. The bed looks comfy and cozy, just waiting for them. Many of us build rituals around going to sleep, and those rituals can begin in childhood. Brushing our teeth, picking a story to read, or a doll or animal that will “sleep” with us. Those toys become a part of the ritual, signaling that it’s time to wind down and go to sleep.

The room that we can see is simple. Just a bed and a small bedside table with a lamp on it. Simple. I love the wallpaper on the walls. And the simple draped curtains with a window shade. The room is not cluttered but holds the most important things of a bed and light.

In the end, this is a simple moment – two sisters, getting ready for the end of the day with their cherished doll companions. In a quiet room at the end of a busy day. Even now, our sleep can be a return to the feeling of being a child. Where you can once more feel at home and be comforted, secure in the certainty that tomorrow will arrive after our night of rest.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Pop: Man on the Street

Whenever I see this photo of Pop, I think of the term “Man on the Street”. Which got me to thinking, what does that even mean, and where did it come from?

Man on the street generally refers to journalism. When a journalist asks an ordinary, average person they pass by for their opinion on news, politics, or their perspective. It’s used to represent public opinion or to reflect the perspective of everyday citizens. This form of journalism emerged in the early 1800’s in the United Kingdom, when newspapers began seeking the opinions of ordinary citizens as a shift away from non-elite viewpoints.

Photo courtesy of Ruth Jorden Higgins

Here we have our Pop, Frank J Burd, a mild-mannered citizen walking down the street. It could be a street anywhere in any city. Showing a snapshot of a certain date and time. But how did he come to get this photo?

From the age of the camera, street photography also came to be. Street portraits are taken by a photographer and then offered for sale to the subject. The photographers would either give you a receipt to get your photo at a later date or sell the images to newspapers or magazines. These photos were called “walking photos,” and the photographers would use a small portable camera to snap pictures of people walking by.

I feel the photographer got a part of Pop’s jauntiness and attitude. Just walking down the street, smoking my cigarette, going about my business. With my fedora, printed tie and newspaper, he’s a man about town. I’ve tried to find out where this photo might have been taken, but I haven’t had any luck identifying the background. So even though we don’t know where or when this photo was taken, I sure am glad Pop had it and now I get to share it with you.

He walked the morning – silver street,

Hands grasped paper, a quiet pace.

A shutter blinked – a soft, quick beat –

and caught the gaze from his face.

He didn’t pose or turn his head,

just kept moving, calm and slow.

But in that fram, the world instead

found something tender in his glow.

A moment, small, a life complete –

A story paused on passing feet.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Tableaux Times

Tableaux were all the rage at the turn of the century. They were called Tableaux vivants, or living pictures, in which staged scenes were performed to recreate motionless works of art. They were common in pageants, women’s colleges, and civic festivals from the 1900s through the 1920s. Many tableaux were often Grecian-themed and used a draped style for the dancers’ costumes. This symbolized purity, beauty, and artistic freedom. Outdoor scenes like the one below were chosen to evoke pastoral ideals and connect performers to the natural world.

Here we have a photo from Cousin Jean Bourscheidt’s photo album. A group of women who gathered at Sunnyside, the Gauss’ farm. Standing we have Lucy B Way, Edith P Stone, Julia Proctor White, Elizabeth Way, Florence Raymond. Kneeling is an unknown woman, Mrs Gauss, and our cousin Jean Bourscheidt.

I gather that Julia Proctor White is the leader, as her dress is a different color than the others and she is prominently featured in several of the photos. So I did some research on who Julia Proctor White is. She was born in 1875 and lived until 1968. She was a civic and cultural leader in Peoria whose work influenced Peoria’s arts and women’s movements. She began her professional career as a kindergarten teacher and became vice president of the Peoria Free Kindergarten Association. She helped establish public kindergartens in Peoria in 1907. I am sure that is where her path crossed with cousin Jean.

Julia also had many civic and cultural contributions in addition to her work to establish kindergartens in schools. She worked with the Florence Crittenton Home, supporting women and children in need. She helped found the Peoria Women’s Civic Federation and in 1955 wrote its 50-year history manuscript. She was the first president of the League of Women Voters following the passing of the 19th Amendment. Prior to this, she had been a member of the Equal Suffrage Association. She also served as Director of the Peoria Players Theater and was an advocate for community performances.

Cousin Jean didn’t add any words that included what she thought of these photos or how it had all come together. But I hope she enjoyed her time with this dance group and has many fond memories of a time when Tableaux vivants were all the rage, and this form of dance was new and exciting.

I think Cousin Jean is the 2nd individual on the left

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

A Jorden Reunion

It’s funny how you can remember things. Especially things that occurred when you were a child. For me, the barn is what I remember most. Bold and red and imposing. And a bee sting. And the hills. And it seemed like we drove forever to get where we were going. Once we got to Beardstown and then the Schroeder family farm, there was so much. So many people, where the only ones I knew were my parents, brothers, aunts, and uncles. Yet I was told we are all family. And the hills. I was not used to them, especially to farm on. My father’s family farm was in the flat plains of Illinois. This area is not flat. And as Tiny gave us a tour, I thought to myself, “How do they farm here?”

It’s not impossible to farm in the Bluff Springs area where Tiny’s farm sits, but it is harder. Soil quality is good and well-drained. However, the slope is moderate to steep in places, with the erosion risk being moderate to high. This leaves the only options for the steepest areas used for timber or pasture. Farming in moderately sloped areas is usually done by terracing to create the desired farmland.

On this day in June of 1980 there were many Jorden’s gathered on the Schroeder farm. But why was it called Schroeder and not Jorden? Emma Jorden, sister of our Bill Jorden Sr., had married William Schroeder and they lived on the farm in the Bluff Springs area. They had 4 children, all sons. Edwin, born in 1921, Herbert, born in 1922, Lloyd, also known as “Tiny,” born in 1923, and Alfred, born in 1924. Our Bill Jorden Jr, stayed with Emma and Uncle Billy at times when his father was working for the railroad. 

All the way to the left, I believe, is Ed Schnepper, then we have our Bill, Ruth, David, Rita, Betty Schnepper, and Margaret Triss gathered. I love how Bill is wearing his ball cap jauntily. In the garage, you can see open on the right where tables of food are. It takes a lot of food to feed a lot of Jordens.

Here we have Tiny and his daughter Carol, with Aunt Gretchen seated to the right. When I would hear Bill talk about Tiny, the farm was always discussed, too. What I didn’t know, perhaps because we are talking about humble individuals who were not boastful about their accomplishments, is that Tiny served in World War II. He enlisted and served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1945 in the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater, where he participated in seven major campaigns. He initially landed in Africa and moved north to join the D-Day forces in Berlin, and was one of five American soldiers to enter Hitler’s Chancellery prior to the Russian Occupation. His military occupation was laying communication cable, which he carried out for Patton’s Third Army and for the Potsdam Conference. I just remember him being a lot of fun as he told us a lot about the farm and the land during our tour.

So while I was first drawn to this photo because of the barn I remembered, it turned into a whole lot more for me, and I hope it will for you too.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Out of focus

Do you remember what it was like? When you didn’t have the perfect camera on your phone to capture all life’s memories. Many times getting a photograph took planning and patience. Sometimes you’d run out of film and if you weren’t prepared, you might not get the shot you really wanted. And if you didn’t advance the film, you might get stuck with a double exposure. Not to mention developing and printing the photos. It took a lot of time to get them back and for you to see how they developed. Sometimes the results were like this photo of Jean, a little out of focus.

In the 1930s, owning a camera was a significant step toward documenting life. There were various camera types that catered to a photographers needs. The selection was endless from the easy to use Kodak Brownie, to 35mm cameras like the Leica and professional cameras that enabled photos to have a depth that was missing from the earlier camera models. However, image quality was limited by lens technology and film speeds, especially in low-light conditions.

Here we have a photo taken from Cousin Jean Bourscheidt’s scrapbook of our Jean and a friend. While the photo itself is fuzzy it’s not so out of focus that we can’t tell it’s Jean. I just love how she’s sitting with her legs tucked under her. You can just see where her socks are. The collar of her dress is so cute, it looks like there might be something embroidered on it, but unfortunately we can’t tell. She looks so cute holding a little paper parasol. There’s nothing on the photograph stating who the other person is with Jean. But they look like they’ve been having a good time.

This photo reminds me that even though things may sometimes get a little out of focus that’s when we need to slow down to ensure that all our photos are in focus and our prints are sharp and clear.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Four Schneppers

For once my title is exactly what the photo subjects are. We have Mr and Mrs (Anna) Fred Schnepper, John Schnepper holding his daughter Velma Schnepper. There are no photography studio markings on the photo, but I’m going to assume that it was taken by a traveling photographer, probably in Beardstown, as the set seems similar to other family photographs we have. Velma was born in 1911, so I will assume this photograph was taken about 1913. Elmer Schnepper was born in September of 1913, so I’m thinking that either Aunt Molly was pregnant, which is why she wasn’t in the photo, or had just had Elmer.

Anna was from Hanover, Prussia, Germany. She immigrated to the United States in 1882. Frederich was from Baden, Germany and immigrated to the United States in 1881. They were married on March 6, 1886 in Evansville, Indiana and John was born on March 16, 1887. Somehow the Schneppers made their way to Bluff Springs, Illinois and I’m sure were neighbors and fellow congregation members of the same church that the Jorden’s attended.

John married Amalie “Molly” Jorden on November 2, 1910. She was 17, and he was 23. They were married for 30 years until his death on July 13, 1940, when he was 53. I have not been able to find out how he died. I am sure it was heartbreaking for Molly to be a widow at 47.

I love this photograph. My eye is immediately drawn to little Velma. She is so cute in her dress with stockings to match. The band in her hair with what looks like bows is so cute. I don’t believe this was a fashion accessory of the time, but everyone will know that Velma is a girl.

From Velma, my attention focuses on Anna. I had to make the photo quite large to determine if that was her hair or a hate on her head. It is a hat! It is quite an intricate hat with what appears to be some sort of lace or stiff tatting with flowers behind it. I’m sure she was in her Sunday best, but I wish we could know what color her dress is. I don’t want to assume that it was black as it appears. Anna appears to be a very petite woman. While I look at her, she gives the appearance of someone who is missing teeth. But I don’t know this for sure. I love how her hands are folded and placed on her lap.

While Anna seems to be petite, Frederich appears to be a large man. He was wearing his Sunday suit with his hair combed nicely and his mustache shaped. I do not know if the Schneppers were farmers, but imagine that may be so.

From Frederich, I look at John again. Both men seem to have lighter eye color, and their hands seem similar. While Velma’s are pale, both men’s hands give the appearance of being tanned from working outdoors. John wears his Sunday best for this photo and gives just a hint of a smile to his face.

We are so lucky to have this photo in our family. We can now put faces to the Schneppers’ names, and they will never be Four Schneppers again.

Thanks to Wilma Ogden for sharing this photo and many others with me.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Mail Time!

It’s so much fun to get mail. Nowadays, mail means that someone cares enough about you to send you a card or letter. In Jean’s day, it was another form of communication. Mail could move quickly and was cheaper than making a phone call. And Postcards are a lot of fun. You could send a photo of whatever exotic location you were at back home for everyone to see.

All these photos are from Uncle Fred Bourscheidt. And they all have just his signature on them. This one was sent in 1930 and is postmarked from Kingston, Jamaica. I tried to enlarge it to see if I could read what he’d been writing. While at first it looks like he wrote Dear mother, Catherine died in 1928 so he wasn’t writing to her – but perhaps Father – for Brother. And the erased it (luckily he had been writing in pencil) and sent the postcard to our Jean.

This postcard is from Jean’s collection, of which I have shared some in past years’ blog posts. Jean was an excellent writer, and even when she’d just send a postcard, it would be full of exciting news and left you feeling unique and loved. I think I’m gonna see if I can find some postcards to send out to friends and family because who doesn’t like to get some mail?

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Happy 2024

Hello Family and Friends! Yes you read it right, Happy 2024. Today is my favorite day of the whole year of blog posts. It’s the day I get to make a video and show you all the photos I used in 2024. This year I LOVE the music I have chosen. And that it lines up perfectly I think with several of the videos amazes me. The music is by RomanSenykMusic and I belong to his Patreon group. This way I can use his music as youtube limits you regarding music with copyright stuff. But without further ado here’s this years look back. Hope you enjoy!