Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers to share family
history through old photographs.
There is nothing remarkable about this week’s Sepia Saturday prompt featuring a woman near a window. Yet surprisingly it tricked me
into noticing in how many photos my grandaunt Lillie Killeen was positioned near
a window.
 |
| Lillie at work 1942 |
 |
| Lillie at Aunt Helen's house 1966 |
 |
| Lillie visiting on Tangier Island 1973 |
I have written about Lillie several times HERE and HERE. Today
I want to share two funny stories about her.
The Potted Plant
While her sister Helen Killeen Parker was away, Lillie
looked after the things at the house. She faithfully watered the flowers and
plants, even the ones inside. However, one of the healthiest-looking potted
plants was actually made of SILK. (We’ve all been fooled like that, right?
Right??)
Oven Bags
In my early married life, the Reynolds Oven Roasting Bags
were all the rage. Everyone was thrilled to be able to roast a chicken or turkey
in one. Turkey came out juicy. A pot roast was perfect and the vegetables were
not mushy. When her friends touted the benefits of cooking in a bag, Lillie
wanted to get on board. So she got a plastic bag, added a nice roast, and
popped it in the oven. Only it wasn’t a legitimate roasting bag, just a regular
ol’ plastic bag. The results were exactly as you’d expect.
Now I don’t mean to sound like I’m laughing at her. Well,
ok, yes, I am. It’s a funny story. However, I do not mean to imply she was
stupid. I think she was a victim of her age and changing technology much like
people of my generation struggle to adjust to the world of computers and social
media. Keeping pace is often a challenge.
 |
| Young Lillie |
When I look back at Lillie, I do not see a silly old woman
tripped up by technology. I see the caregiver. Lillie was the first of 9
children born to Mary Theresa Sheehan Killeen Walsh, 6 with John Joseph Killeen
and 3 with John Fleming Walsh. She was probably always charged with taking care
of SOMEBODY.
 |
| Lillie with Mae's baby John 1917 |
She doted on her sister Mae’s children.
She traveled from Virginia to New York to help a cousin
who had just given birth.
 |
| Lillie in New York 1917 |
 |
| Lillie in New York 1920 Even the doors have windows |
Whenever her sister Helen entertained, Lillie was right
there at her side making sure everyone was served and taken care of. My sister
is just like that. “Lillie Jr” rattles around in the kitchen preparing food and
filling glasses for everyone, rarely taking time to join in the fun herself. I
have to tell my sister, “OK, Lillie, you can sit down now.”
 |
| Lillie 1977 at Helen's house |
The window on the world is open at Sepia Saturday.
Wendy
© 2020, Wendy Mathias. All rights reserved.
How lovely to have photos of your Aunt Lillie. I'm always pleased to hear stories of our aunts and uncles...and these are definitely true to the generation.
ReplyDeleteI would have loved to know Lillie. She seemed like a sweetheart!
ReplyDeleteBetty
Oh that photo of Lillie in New York in 1920 is just a dream. That hat. That coat. Talk about style!
ReplyDeleteI wonder why people posed in front of windows I wonder how it all started. I can understand why you might do it from inside in order to get better lighting for you pictures. There'll some answer somewhere that some students will be discussing in visual arts in some part of the world I suppose - all very intriguing.
ReplyDeleteLillie sounds like a treasure to all in her family...they could see her goodness. The two amusing stories raised a chuckle...I’m sure we’ve all done “dumb” things at time especially with new products.
ReplyDeleteAh yes - funny (sort of) mistakes . . . like the time I made my sister's birthday cake. I'd made (boxed mix)lovely chocolate cupcakes for her birthday party that afternoon so when Mom was rushed because she & Dad were going out that evening, she let me make the yellow cake. Because I'd made the chocolate cupcakes I 'knew' exactly how many eggs and how much water to add, so didn't read the instructions on the box so didn't know chocolate mixes require more water than yellow mixes. Therefore the cake layers came out heavy and thin. As for the frosting, the recipe called for confectioners sugar. What was that? My Dad was just on his way out the front door when I asked him. He said it was sugar candy makers used. Well that meant 'zip' to me, but I knew Mom used some powdered sugar so I used half powdered and half table sugar. My poor sister had a birthday cake only two inches high with gritty frosting, plus it looked too plain and all I could find to decorate it with, were raisins. The family has never stopped talking about that cake. In my defense, I was only 12.
ReplyDeleteI too did not realise I had so many photographs posed in front of a window, until I came to search for this post. Lovely family memories.
ReplyDeleteAmazing how you have turned several window photos into a loving biography of your grandaunt Lillie. The stories are truly funny -- ones we each have in abundance in our families. I bought my retired parents a microwave apple baking dish, and it worked so well on the apple my mom decided to try it with an orange. She had to enlist Dad's help to clean up the explosion :-) Your post is a reminder that we need to mix the serious with the fun as we blog about our ancestors.
ReplyDeleteGreat stories and lovely photos of what sounds like a very caring lady. You did her proud, Wendy!
ReplyDeleteLots of great photos in front of windows. As you know, in my family it was the front porch with the white bench.
ReplyDeleteYou did a good job turning the photo into a real live aunt with the little stories about her.
ReplyDelete