Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Double Exposure

I don’t think you could get this result on our modern digital cameras if we tried. But back when the only way to get a picture was to use a camera with film it was easy to do. Double exposure was achieved when the same file was exposed multiple times without advancing the film. This resulted in multiple images being superimposed within a single film frame.

This photo is a super cute posing of twins Wayne and Wava on the front yard at the Miller farm. They look to be about 2 years old. Which would place this photo about 1948. I love the contrast of their hair. Wava with her curls and Wayne with his straight bright blonde hair. We have a photo of my dad with the same hairstyle with the cutest curls. Her dress has the cutest cap sleeves, but in the normal photo seem to have either contrasting cap sleeves or she’s wearing a short sleeved sweater. But in the double exposure you can clearly see that’s they are made out of the same fabric as the rest of the dress. Wayne’s just rocking the overall shorts. They seem to be posing so nicely, but you just know they are ready to move on from posing to playing.

I think I was 8 when I got a hand me down camera. It was hard to remember if I’d taken a photo or advanced the film. The first several batches of film that I had developed, had MANY double exposure photographs. But over the years those have become my favorite photos. Lately life is happening so quickly that it seems I have a bunch of double exposures.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

A Picket Fence Kind of Life

Picket fences symbolize the American lifestyle, the perfect house and way of life that many people still want today. On the farm, though, a fence was important. It separated the house from the rest of the farm buildings and added security. Fences protected the house from any livestock and, I’m sure, added an aesthetic appeal.

Here, a young Kermit Miller stands patiently to get his photo taken. It looks to be a lovely spring day. I would imagine that he was between the ages of 10 and 13. Kermit was born in 1909, so that would place this photo in the early 1920s. I really like his overalls. Overalls were invented by the Levi Strauss Co. in the 1890s. Workers would wear them because they were cheap, durable, and comfortable.

There appears to be an electrical or telephone pole to the left of Kermit. While phones began appearing in stores or communities in the 1880s, it wasn’t until party lines became popular that individuals had phones. And while we like to think that electricity has always been around, it might not have made its way to the Miller farm when this photo was taken.

We know that the Miller family has had far from a white picket fence existence. Each generation has had it’s struggles, but what we have always been able to count on is each other. May we each have our own fences to help us when needed, to keep us secure and safe or just a pretty thing to look at.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Lucky

I didn’t use to think I was lucky. I was the only grandchild who remembered Kermit. I felt that there was a lot on my shoulders to hold the scant memories I had of him tight and not think about or talk about them. No one else had them so if I talked about them would it be bragging?

I remember him being tall, but then almost everyone is taller than I am. I wanted to be tall, but I feel I am more Eunice and Lydia then the taller, svelte women on my mothers side of the family. Being short does not make me feel lucky. But then I think about the one strong memory I have of Kermit. While it’s sad, I cling to it as hard as I can.

I was three. I lived in Lexington, Kentucky with my parents, Raymond and Joyce and my younger brother Mark. We got the call that my dad needed to return to illinois quickly if he wanted to say goodbye to his father. Kermit was sick and in the hospital. They felt he would soon die. I remember driving in the car what seemed like a LONG time. Mark and I had just learned how to sing the song Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and I’m sure we must have driven my mother crazy singing it as we drove to pick up my father who was in Indiana working.

I remember being at the hospital, a big thing during those days. Children were not allowed in the hospital, and they had to get special permission for us to visit. Mark and I were supposed to sing our new song for him, but it ended up being a solo when he wouldn’t sing with me. I remember Aunt Wava standing by his bed, a sheepskin lying across his bed. His hands stroked the fleece. Afterward, Eunice took us out into the hallway and peeled an orange for us to share. Sometimes I smell an orange and it takes me back to that time.

So am I lucky? I am blessed beyond measure.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

A Look Back

Well, 2024 has come and gone. Today, I’m pleased to bring you a look back at all the photos I used last year. This is one of my favorite things to do with our photos. I love picking the music and trying to match it with the spirit of the pictures. 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 year’s look back. I hope you enjoy it!

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Unknown Eunice & Kermit

This weekend, Nathan Schneiderman married his Emily, and I’ve enjoyed seeing all the photos from picturesque Mexico. It looks like they’ve had a lovely time and many blessings on their union. When I looked to see what photo I had planned for today I discovered it was a photo I’d already done. So I got to looking through some pictures I still need to scan and came across these lovelies. And since I believe Kermit and Eunice were at the ocean, I wanted to share them.

Ok, I don’t know for sure they are at the ocean, but now tell me if I’m wrong, I do not see Eunice getting her feet wet, shoes and all, to go in any body of water that’s not an ocean! Based on the style of her hair and some other photos I have in which she looks similar, I think that these photos were taken around 1955. I love that they got as close to the ocean as possible. The first time I saw it and was able to go in, I was in jeans, and nothing was going to stop me from putting my feet in the Atlantic. In the middle photo, it looks like there might be a pier or a water break.

Now, my dad says that Kermit and Eunice would go to the Florida Keys with family friends, but to me, these don’t look like Florida. I could be wrong, but Eunice’s coat looks too hefty for the warm Florida temperatures. At first, I thought Kermit had something on his tie, but I believe that’s just the design. But Eunice is wearing a lovely corsage on her coat. I’m left wondering and wishing I knew where they’d gone and what they were doing, as it looks like they were having a lot of fun.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

A Bright Future

Here we have Brinton, Isaac, Kermit and Lydia on a brisk bright day. Unfortunately, we don’t have a date on the back of this photo, but I would assume it was taken in the 1920s based on how young Brinton, Kermit, and Lydia look. Since the image is a little out of focus, their clothing does not give us any clues as to the date of the photo. While I’d like to say it was winter time as there are no leaves on the trees, it could be early spring or late fall.

Brinton was Kermit’s brother, senior by 13 years.  He was a pastor and had a church in Streator.  That’s how Kermit met Eunice.  At first, I thought the photo might have been taken at the Miller farm, but I don’t think so based on the house you can see in the background. Maybe the Millers had been visiting Brinton, and it was his house they are next to.

For some reason, when I see this photo I think of Bonnie and Clyde or John Dillinger, criminals of that time. Maybe it’s how Isaac is standing with his hat shadowing his eyes with his long coat and hand in his pocket. Or perhaps it’s Kermit standing behind him with his jaunty cap and easy stance. Or the fact that Lydia and Britton don’t have a hat on. Since Brinton was a pastor, I know he wasn’t a criminal, but for some reason, my brain has already written a story about the infamous adventures of the Miller Gang. Don’t you think it would be a bestseller?

Posted on by Michelle Anderson · 1 Comment

Christmas 1980

I think I might have brought you this photo already, perhaps years ago. But I was feeling nostalgic, and this photo made me feel good. Eunice writes on the back of this photo that this was taken at Christmas of 1980. I don’t know if we planned to be seated like this, but I love it! We have Matthew, Michelle, Judd holding Julie, Eunice holding Nicholas, Mark holding Isaac, Jennifer, and Kim. The Schneiderman’s bookend all the Millers. So Cute!!

While we are spread across the nation and celebrating with families of our own, I think back to these days when we were all together. While it’s been years since we were together, we remain family, which neither time nor distance can change. As we begin this holiday season, may you have peace and joy with some childlike wonder thrown in.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Turkeys…as far as the eye can see

Thanksgiving began as a celebration of the harvest and is all about giving without expecting anything in return. It was often declared a holiday, but on December 26, 1941, President Franklin D Roosevelt signed a proclamation declaring the US Thanksgiving holiday to be the 4th Thursday in November. Before this, Thanksgiving was celebrated on different days from state to state.

In 1621, the Native American Wampanoag tribe helped the colonists with agriculture and hunting, celebrating with a harvest feast. They dined on wild turkeys, ducks, geese, fish, corn, green vegetables, and dried fruits. Turkey, though, is a logical choice for the modern Thanksgiving Day dinner. When fully grown. a large turkey can feed many people.  Today, 88% of American families will eat turkey for their Thanksgiving dinner.

Here we have some turkeys, I believe, at the Miller farm. There’s no date on the photo, but it was in the same photo group as the photo of Eunice with the car, so I believe this was taken in the fall or winter of 1937. There are so many turkeys, and they are LARGE, too.

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.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson · 1 Comment

Remembering Ernest

I knew this story wasn’t gong to be a happy one. I just didn’t realize today was the day to tell it. Eunice had once told me about her Aunt Jennie who died too young after giving birth to a child. What she didn’t tell me about was her husband.

Jeannie Woods, sister to our Bertha married Ernest Bosque on July 2, 1921. Ernest was a veteran of the War to End all Wars, World War I. Ernest was also known as “Blackie” according to his obituary. He was a generous person willing to help in any project and generous in lending his presence and energy to his American Legion post.

I am unsure which of these men is Ernest, but know he must be among them. Ernest was a charter member of the Streator American Legion post. Ernest was sent with many from Streator and LaSalle County to Army training on April 3, 1918 to an eatern training camp, acccording to The Times a Streator newspaper. Each man was presents with a Red Cross comfort kit, which felt would be appreciated once they reached the camp.

I think Ernest was sent to France, in August of 1918. The time to transport was three weeks. And then he would have been in the thick of it. This war was dangerous and difficult, with lots of downtime and brief periods of fighting. The living conditions in the trenches were hard on the body and the soul. I can’t imagine what they faced day to day or the hardships they endured trying to return to their lives stateside.

When I first saw this card, I was unsure of what it was. It wasn’t until I removed it from the sleeve that I discovered it was a gas mask repair kit. While I want to discuss these memories of Ernest’s time in the Army, I am not knowledgeable of the struggles in the trenches and want to respect the equipment needed to sustain lives.

Ernest returned to Streator and married Jennie on July 2, 1921. Jennie and Ernest were married for a short time. She died on April 6, 1922 after giving birth to a son. Both mother and child did not survive. The newspaper reported how bereaved Ernest was at the death of his wife and child.

Ernest lived 2 more years before dying of pneumonia on January 21, 1925. Ernest “Black” Bosque was laid to rest by his wife and child on January 23, 1925 after lying in state at the American Leigon post the day before. His Legion brothers mounred his loss with sorrow and great sadness.

Please think of Ernest, Jennie and their child tomorrow on Veterans Day. May we remember them always.

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Dio de Los Kramer Muertos

Since seeing Coco in 2018, I have dreamed about someday having an ofrenda. I know not what most people want but the message in Coco about family and ancestors spoke to me and I’ve wanted to find other ways to remember and talk about those family members who came before us.

The movie Coco centers around Dios de los Muertos or, for you non-Spainish speakers, Day of the Dead. Day of the Dead is a celebration that honors our deceased loved ones and welcomes their spirits back to Earth. This holiday is celebrated in Mexico Central America and by many Mexican Americans and me here in the United States. Using a “ofrenda”, or altar, photos of loved ones are placed to honor, remember, and keep their memories alive. I want to have somewhere I can showcase our ancestors and keep their memories alive. Since this year’s Dios de los Muertos is November 2 & 3, 2024, I thought now was the time for a tribute, Dios de los Muertos style.

I don’t think this young man is related to us, but his photo was in some pictures of Kramer ancestors. This is a photograph postcard popular from the late 1890s until about 1915. You could get your photo taken usually by a traveling photographer, and they would print it on a postcard, which you could send to family members who may live far away from you.

On the back is written George Faulkner, 100 Charles, Streator in pencil. I have looked through the Streator Census’ and directories from the 1890s through 1920 and have not been able to locate George. For this reason, I felt he was a great candidate for our ofrenda. He’s looks so young with the promise of the rest of his life ahead of him. And I’m not sure, but his eye’s look almost as if he’d been fighting, one’s open and the other appears to be swollen. But they both appear to be a bright shade of blue.

While I might not know his story, I can keep his memory alive here on my digital ofenda. May you have a Feliz Dia de los Muertos or Happy Day of the Dead!