My theme for the A to Z April Challenge is “In-Laws and
Out-Laws – Friends of the Family.” I
will be researching friends, colleagues, neighbors - those people who came and
went touching my family’s lives in both small and large ways.
Virginia is one of my favorite people whose pictures are
dotted throughout my grandaunt Velma Davis Woodring’s college scrapbook. The two grew up together in Shenandoah,
Virginia. In 1910, Virginia’s father
William Thomas Cole was a fireman for the steam railroad but moved into the
retail business by 1920. Virginia was
the oldest of four children, and she was the only girl.
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| I love that Velma wrote "Va" instead of "Virginia" -- just cute! |
Virginia and Velma attended Harrisonburg Teachers College
(later Madison College and then James Madison University) and graduated in
1926. That year must have been a mixture
of happy and sad times for Virginia. Her
mother Bertie Cutlip Cole died in February, four months before graduation.
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| Virginia M. Cole 1926 scanned from School Ma'am |
By 1930, Virginia’s father had remarried and moved to
Hagerstown, Maryland. At this point I
have lost track of Virginia. I know she
married because I saw her name in her youngest brother’s obituary. But can I find that information now? No.
Virginia’s photos give the impression of someone who
enjoyed a good laugh.
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| Unknown, Velma, Virginia, Thelma Hockman July 1925 |
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| Virginia is thumbing her nose at the camera - shame on her!! But funny too ~ |
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| Velma captioned this "On the Rocks" Thelma Hockman, Velma, and Virginia standing in a stream |
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| Virginia Cole and Olive Williams Virginia and Velma visited Olive in Martinsburg, WV July 1925 |
She wasn’t involved in many activities in school but apparently gained quite a reputation as a team player in the Athletic Association and YWCA.
 |
| scanned from School Ma'am |
What became of Virginia Cole is a story for some other
time, I suppose. (Kicking myself for not
making note when I saw it the first time.)
Don’t vacillate now.
Please venture to the venerable vanguard of verisimilitude in
the vernacular at the A to Z April Challenge to view a veritable vortex of
veracious verbalizations before they vanish.
©
2014, Wendy Mathias. All rights reserved.
I love the "thumbing her nose" photo. This girl had some spunk! Elle @ Erratic Project Junkie
ReplyDeleteYes -- I'd say "spunk" is the word for Virginia Cole. Thanks for visiting.
DeleteShe certainly looks like a lady to be reckoned with.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't she!
DeleteI so enjoy your travels back through time and find it amazing you have 26 things to write about from the past, with photos! My mother was also the eldest of four, and the only girl! And, she was born in Virginia, Lynchburg. Thanks for commenting on my blog, again!
ReplyDeleteLynchburg -- I know it well.
DeleteI'm glad to be able to use some of these old photos. Thanks for visiting!
It sure looks like Velma had some fun friends!
ReplyDeleteMy mother always said Velma was a fun aunt.
DeleteLoving the trousers and haircuts in particular! :-)
ReplyDeleteLisa at Wishbone Soup Cures Everything
Me too. The "bob" was a rather controversial hairstyle at the time.
DeleteI just love reading what you have to say about the photos you post. Virginia seems like somebody that would've been fun to know. I'm thumbing her nose at the camera to being an outstanding ballplayer, what great gal she must have been.
ReplyDeleteDeb@ http://debioneille.blogspot.com
I get the same impression about Virginia -- that's why I like her even though I don't really know her.
DeleteI love the photos and I adore that the girls are wearing "pants"....or knickers, or whatever so they can have some rugged fun.
ReplyDeleteHappy A-Z!
Yeah, I always wondered what girls wore. But the shoes don't look too safe for much -- pretty, but not like today's athletic shoe.
DeleteI like Virginia's hair style and the way she is thumbing her nose at the camera.
ReplyDeleteShe seems to have had a lot of curl in her hair.
DeleteNot surprised to Virginia here for your Letter V, and a good choice, too. I like an athletic gal who thumbs her nose, can hit a ball and signs her name Va. Now that's confidence in everyone knowing exactly who she is. I know you will be on the watch for the name...just think...she probably ended up with a basketball team of her own. Hope you find her again.
ReplyDeleteSue at CollectInTexas Gal
I know she married, and I think she had a daughter named Virginia -- just can't recall that last name!! Darn it! I like that you noticed her confidence -- I wish I had thought to use that word.
DeleteI'm sure you'll stumble across her again when you least expect it.
ReplyDeleteLiz A. from Laws of Gravity
That's what I'm hoping.
Delete