Sepia Saturday: A Banner Year

Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers to share family history through old photographs.

This week’s Sepia Saturday prompt might suggest street parades (done that already), revolution (not smart enough to think outside the sepia box), Russia (not applicable), and banners.  By default, “banners” it is. 

In 1973, my grandmother Lucille Rucker Davis attended her 50^th high school reunion. 

Lucille Rucker Davis is on the left - caught with her eyes closed.

Of course, the class was larger than that in 1923. 

Lucille Rucker is second from the left on the back row.
(Man standing in the back was the class sponsor
or principal, not sure.)

That was the graduating class of Shenandoah High School in Shenandoah, Virginia.  Three boys – they must have been busy taking turns dating all those girls. 

After graduation, Lucille was scheduled to enter nursing school.  Her uncle George Eppard, a prominent doctor in Washington D.C., had secured a spot for her.  However, fate took a turn. 

That September, instead of driving into Washington, Lucille Rucker and Orvin Davis crossed the state line into Maryland.  Hagerstown, Maryland, to be exact.  Why?  To get married.  I wonder what her parents said about that.

Orvin and Lucille 1925

Here’s a revolutionary thought:  raise your banner and join the parade with others who are "Russian" over to Sepia Saturday.

© 2015, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.

Wordless Wednesday: Men of the Eastwind #8

Wordless Wednesday is a daily prompt at Geneabloggers that asks family historians to create a post in which the main focus is a photograph or image.

When my dad was stationed aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Eastwind in 1946-47, he took pictures of his shipmates during tours to Thule, Greenland but didn’t provide names.  Maybe the family of these sailors will find my blog and share their story.

© 2015, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.

52 Ancestors: Week 8 - Davis Deeds

Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small has issued a challenge:  write one blog post each week devoted to a specific ancestor.  It can be a story, a biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem – anything that focuses on one ancestor.

This week’s theme is “Good Deeds” pointing to a generous ancestor or to ancestors found through land deeds.  My mission to join the DAR recently involved a search for SOMETHING – ANYTHING to prove my 2X great grandfather was son of Leonard Davis, son of my patriot.  That "something" turned out to be a land deed. 

Rockingham Co, VA Deed Book 32, page 528

In 1886, my 2X great grandfather Mitchell Davis and his brother Elijah “granted bargained sold and conveyed . . . with general warranty” to their sister Sarah F. Davis their “right, title, interest, expectations and demand in and to the Home farm of said Leonard Davis Estate.”  Surely this will be a suitable substitute in the absence of birth and death records. 

An earlier deed serves the same purpose.  In 1881, Mitchell along with his widowed mother Frances and his siblings sold some land to David Wyant.  Frances had a brother David who died in 1882.  Possibly the David of this deed was the son of David Wyant.  But that is not the interesting part of the transaction.  No.  The land in question was purchased many years earlier by Leonard Davis and Thomas Marshall. 

Rockingham Co, VA Deed Book 20, page 212

“Thomas Marshall” caught my eye right away.  Leonard was the son of Leonard Davis and the widow Mrs. Mary Marshall.  It is possible Thomas was her son from her first marriage, making Leonard and Thomas possibly half-brothers.  Worth investigating.








Until now, I have been unable to pin down any information on Mary Marshall Davis.  Thomas might provide a clue to uncovering the story of my 4X great-grandmother.

© 2015, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.

Sepia Saturday: That's About the Size of It

Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers to share family history through old photographs.

This week’s Sepia Saturday prompt features two vehicles with the implied theme of “large and small.”  My grandaunt Helen Killeen Parker’s attempts to be humorous with her labels alerted me to a pair of photos from her 1920s photo album. 

A Lizzie Jit
A Ford 

Helen Killeen in a toy "jitney"

Definitely large and small.  A "jitney" is a small vehicle used for transporting people much like a shuttle.  As slang, it suggests a cheap car. Helen's label for both the family car and riding toy gives me some insight into her playful humor.  

Father and son are obviously “large and small” especially when the son is just a baby.  Orvin Sr. and Orvin Jr. are on the right.  The other father and son also fit the theme.

Orvin Davis and Orvin Jr. right
1925

Finally, whenever I write about my grandaunts Violetta and Velma, I can’t help noticing how much our alma mater has changed – from a mere two buildings on opening day in 1910 to a campus that straddles an interstate.  

Harrisonburg Teachers College 1923
There were about 14 buildings.

James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
You can't get the entire campus in a single photo.
Just north of center is the walkway over the interstate
to the newest section of campus.

Please visit Sepia Saturday for more large and small contributions to this week’s theme.

© 2015, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.

Wordless Wednesday: Men of the Eastwind #7

Wordless Wednesday is a daily prompt at Geneabloggers that asks family historians to create a post in which the main focus is a photograph or image.

When my dad was stationed aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Eastwind in 1946-47, he took pictures of his shipmates during tours to Thule, Greenland but didn’t provide names.  Maybe the family of these sailors will find my blog and share their story.

© 2015, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.

Sepia Saturday: Get In Line

Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers to share family history through old photographs.

This week’s Sepia Saturday prompt is a timely one:  Valentines.  My family was never very sentimental when it came to saving greeting cards or crafts made by children.  However, one Valentine card has survived.  Maybe it was the beautiful artwork that prompted my grandparents, Orvin and Lucille Davis, to put it in a special place so that no harm would come to it.  Surely they believed future generations would want to see it.

Ordinary construction paper, a little glue, and gold glitter – voila!  A masterpiece!  Small personalized hearts make this Valentine truly one of a kind.

The poem inside tugs at the ol’ heartstrings. 

Hurry Up
Get in line!
I want you to be
My Valentine!
Wendy & Mary J.

Quite honestly, I probably plagiarized that little ditty from a store-bought Valentine.  However, I added my own brand of creativity with those heavy-handed exclamation points emphasizing the sincerity of my message.

I included Baby Sista’s name on the card.  I’m sure she was much too young to make her own Valentine, which dates this card 1961 or ’62.  Truly vintage.

In keeping with family tradition, I have dutifully tossed out all birthday and Mother’s Day cards as well as Valentines, even those from my darling daughters.  Save one.  I don’t recall how old Daughter #2 was when she selected this card, but she was obviously old enough to write a message and creative enough to craft her own outline font.

So I would have thought she could have read the front of the card.

I asked Mr. Guilty Party why he allowed that child to buy this card.  His response:  “That’s what she picked out.”  (I’m guessing it was the rainbow colors.)

Some day in the future, she will see this card again and have a good chuckle.  

Share the love this Valentine’s Day at Sepia Saturday.

© 2015, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.

Wordless Wednesday: Men of the Eastwind #6

Wordless Wednesday is a daily prompt at Geneabloggers that asks family historians to create a post in which the main focus is a photograph or image.

When my dad was stationed aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Eastwind in 1946-47, he took pictures of his shipmates during tours to Thule, Greenland but didn’t provide names.  Maybe the family of these sailors will find my blog and share their story.

© 2015, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.

Sepia Saturday: Vikings and Snowflakes

Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers to share family history through old photographs.

This week’s Sepia Saturday prompt is an illustration from a pottery and craft class.  While there are no art instructors in my family tree, there are plenty of teachers, teachers who encouraged creativity as a way to increase their students' enjoyment, understanding, and retention of what they were teaching.

My grandaunt Velma Davis Woodring was widowed early and had no children.  There was nothing to keep her in Martinsburg, West Virginia.  She enjoyed traveling.  She craved adventure.  So why not apply for a teaching position with the Department of Defense Dependents School?  DoDDS serves the children of military stationed overseas with the purpose of ensuring that American children get an American education.

In the late 1950s-early 1960s, Velma taught in Japan and South Korea.  She also served as principal.

Aunt Velma with students at the DoDDS in Korea

Some of the photos might have been taken when Velma was principal.  The classroom looks typically American.  The artwork displayed neatly on the bulletin board and stapled artfully above the blackboard reminds me of every classroom I ever sat in during my own school days. 

A unit on the Vikings would not be complete without drawings of ships.

Snowflake snowmen?  The perfect activity for a lesson on um, er uh, weather?  Geometry?  Whatever, you have to admire the kid who put the snowman in a hammock. 

Velma herself was creative.  She sewed a number of quilts but she also dabbled in painting.  She was no VanGogh, but she was proud enough of several works to frame them. 

Cute frame!

This hangs in my guestroom.

Please check out the artistic endeavors of the creative bloggers at Sepia Saturday.

© 2015, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.

Wordless Wednesday: Men of the Eastwind #5

Wordless Wednesday is a daily prompt at Geneabloggers that asks family historians to create a post in which the main focus is a photograph or image.

When my dad was stationed aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Eastwind in 1946-47, he took pictures of his shipmates during tours to Thule, Greenland but didn’t provide names.  Maybe the family of these sailors will find my blog and share their story.

© 2015, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.