There are times when I feel that I was born too late. I would have LOVED to have been able to accessorize like they did in the early part of the 20th Century. From gloves to hats, shoes to purses, it would all match. And what’s more stylish than black? I’m unsure where or when this photo was taken, but Hazel is undoubtedly fashionable.
I don’t think I could pull off wearing a hat like that. But Hazel does so with a superior look, saying of course you can! It appears as if there is a brooch or a pin there on the coat. Matching the flower in her hat, Hazel has paired white gloves and a patent leather purse. She’s all ready to go just waiting on her ride. I find myself wishing I could see the rest of her outfit, but this will have to do.
Coco Channel said it best. Haute Couture is the unseen, unforgettable, ultimate accessory of fashion that heralds your arrival and prolongs your departure. I believe that Hazel lives up to this quote and gives us all an example to try to achieve.
For some reason, I am enamored of every photo I discover with Eunice in a dress. So to find her next to a car, just makes me love it even more. The date on this photo is April 1938, but that’s when the photos were printed, so I would imagine that this was late 1937 to early 1938. Eunice and Kermit were not married until June of 1939, so this would have been taken before their union.
In the 1930s, the average price of a new car was between $400 and $600 brand new. However, car ownership was still limited, with only about one in five and a half Americans owning a car at the start of the decade.
Here are some other things to consider about cars in the 1930’s. As always, in addition to the cost of the car itself, owners also had to pay for license plates, oil, repairs, and gasoline. At the time, gasoline cost around 19 cents per gallon, and cars typically got around 15 miles per gallon. And used cars could be just as expensive as brand-new cars.
I don’t know who’s car this might have been or where it was taken, but Eunice sure seems happy to be next to it. I love the simplicity of her outfit. It appears to be made of warm fabric like wool, with a simple long-sleeved blouse and skirt. With stockings and simple shoes completing her outfit, Eunice is ready for a brisk fall, winter, or spring day.
I find myself wishing I knew then what I know now. This photo was taken in 1972 so I would have been six, Mark would have been five, and Pop (Frank Burd) would have been 81 years old. It was taken at his house in Peoria. I liked to visit him at his home. It was a neat house, and Pop was always doing things. He always had mints for us and would give us quarters or fifty-cent pieces. Those coins always went into my piggy bank, and I am treasuring them today.
This brings me back to what I wish I knew then and now. I would tell myself to talk to him. I would ask Frank about his childhood and his Uncle, the doctor. About his choice to move to Chicago and the issues he faced being of German heritage. About him and Anna. About his faith. About baseball. About dealing cards and why he smoked a cigar. And probably many more questions.
This month Pop would have celebrated his 133rd birthday! WOW! We were so lucky and blessed to have had him for as long as we did. I hope that I can share my memories of him with my children and great-grandchildren so our future generations will always remember our Pop.
Today I have three great photos for you to read about. It’s hard to choose which one is my favorite. If I had to choose, I’d probably choose the one with Eunice, as I’m a sucker for car photos. I can’t believe that we are already halfway through November and that 2024 is almost over! If you have any photos you’d like me to share in 2025, please send them to me, and I’d be happy to work them into my schedule. Hoping you have a great week.
I have a note sitting on my desk. It has quotes about why stepping out of my comfort zone is good. This is one of those days when I read it more and more and push myself to complete the blog pages. Today’s pages are so hard because they all deal with Veterans. One is a story that was ended too soon. One story told of bravery and service only to deal with a sacrifice years later. And one story seems incomplete. And I find myself struggling through these stories of men who rose to answer a nation’s call. When I scheduled these posts a year ago, I thought it would be a great topic. And yes, I could just change what I have planned, but I want to bring these stories to you. So, I will take a break and then return to trying to do honor to these individuals I salute today.
Please take the time today to thank the Veterans in your life or who you may see. Their duty and service to our nation make our freedoms possible. Thank you to all the Veterans in my life. May you have a day full of happiness and good health.
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.
Well ready or not here comes November. I was looking at the calendar this week while it was still October and thinking about what I have planned for November and December. I’m going to try to end the year with a bang and hope you will enjoy the upcoming content. May we all have a warm place to be this fall as temperatures turn cold, unless you’re in the South in which case, I wish I was there with you. But there’s nothing like the changing seasons and fall is one of my favorite. It reminds me that I have a LOT to be thankful for indeed. May you have a great week and if you aren’t yet subscribed to the page you can do so if you choose so you don’t miss any of the upcoming posts.
PS I hope you all remembered to turn your clocks back last night 🙂
Lately my social media feeds have been full of people who are going to JC Pennys to get their photos done. Their results aren’t as classy as the Anderson-Beldens achieved. I don’t know a date of when this gem was taken but I’m thinking very late 1980’s or early 1990’s. If someone knows please let me know!
At the focal point are Fran and Dick. Looking every bit the professionals that they were. Very put together and looking good. Behind them I feel the photo is two seperate groups. Those in suits and professional clothes and those dressed in casual clothes. It seems so evenly split too.
Leading what I call the suit group behind Dick are Kirk and Christy. Kirk’s rocking that Tom Selleck moustache. Behind Kirk also in a suit is Brent. Are those matching ties guys? Heading up the casual group is Deanna who I think is all in denim. She appears to have a tan so I’m thinking that perhaps this was taken during the summer. Next to Dee and also sporting the casual look is Wade in a white shirt and our last causal individual is Cris in a black shirt in the back row.
Did you know that JC Penny’s still has Portrait Studios? They do! I am challenging the Anderson and Belden siblings to go have a retro photoshoot done in honor of this photo and their parents. I would love to get us all together for a photo shoot, but don’t think we’d all be able to fit in the small JC Penny Portrait Stuidos but it would sure be fun to try!
I love to go to Florida. The ocean, the warm breezes and sunshine, lots and lots of sunshine. During the winter Kermit and Eunice liked to go to Florida too. They started to go to Florida with their friends George and Lorraine McDonald. When they would go, usually Don and Ruby would stay with the kids. But one year, they all went for a wonderful week spent in the sunny shores of Florida.
Their trip started in Oregon, Illinois where they took the train to downtown Chicago. Once in Chicago they made their way to Midway From Midway, they flew on a DC7 aircraft which could carry 90 people to Miami. Then from Miami they rode on a Greyhound Bus to a place called The Greyhound Keys. This key is located half way between Miami and the Florida Keys. I found an aerial photo which I found interesting. It looks like a wonderful place to rest, relax and enjoy the sunshine that one so desperately seeks in the winter months.
The Greyhound Bus Company received permission from the interstate commerce commission to purchchase all of the Florida Motor Lines and changed the name to the Florida Greyhound Lines in 1945. Sometime in 1947 they began construction on the terminal and restaurant/rest stop facility. In 1955 the US Postal Service authorized a station post office with the name Greyhound Key. The postmaster was the restaurant manager.
In 1966 Kampgrounds of America purchased the island from the Greyhound Company and gave the island a new name, Fiesta Key. This island has been known as such ever since.
There were more photos then I usually work with for a posting so I took them and turned them into a movie. The year that the whole family went, George and Lorraine’s daughter went with them to Greyhound Key, she is in a photo with Wava. Even though spring is right aound the corner, I sure would like to be in Sunny Florida right now.
Don’t you just love getting mail. I think that today so little people send mail that it’s special when we receive some. I hoard my handwritten letters and cards keeping them in my desk too look back on.
Here we have a postcard that Uncle John Wenke sent to his sister Rena in 1919. The postmark is September 13, 1919 in Yellowstone, Wyoming. It is addressed to her at the family home they shared in Peoria at the corner of Rohman and Sterling Avenues. It appears that John also put that the house had a Rural Route address.
Yellowstone was established as the nations first National Park on March 1, 1872. Signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant, America’s first national park was set aside to preserve and protect the scenery, cultural heritage, wildlife, geologic and ecological systems and processes in their natural condition for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations. Yellowstone encompasses 3,472 square miles (2,221,766 acres) which makes it larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined.
While Uncle John got to see the Teton’s and wonders of Yellowstone in person, I’m glad Rena saved it so that we have this record of his trip. To me it’s just as beautiful as the park is.
This is as close to deciphering Uncle John’s penmanship as I could get. It’s faded in spots and he used very little punctuation. Uncle John writes on 9-11-1919: Well I am at Old Faithful Hotel now. Having a fine time will write a letter after I get through the park for I’d not have any time here with go all the time. John
