This is a photo I estimate to be circa 1868-1875 of the millinery shop owned and operated by my great-great grandmother, Mary Emily (Conner) Meek in Grenada Co., MS. (Click here to read more about her.)



From comparing the only known photo I have of her to this one, I think grandmama was the lady seated to the right of the post.

But I can't be sure.

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A photo of my paternal grandmother, Addie Louise Herrington (left) and her sister Florence.

Florence was the only daughter of the five born to Jasper Monroe Herrington and Julia Ann Callaway who *was not* a twin.


Photo circa 1925



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I have a fair number of photos of my family decked out in their hats.

I even have an ancestress who made them.

The millinery shop of my g-g-grandmother, Mary Emily Conner, in Grenada Co., MS, about 1870-1875.



My grand-aunts, Ocie (left) and Arkie Burris, photo about 1909.



My grandfather, his brother and their double cousins, Elbert and Earl. Photo about 1905.


Left to right - Elbert Burris, Homer and George Burris,Jr. (brothers) and Earl Burris (brother of Elbert)


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From Aunt Ruth's scrapbook...

Ruth and her family took a trip to Oakland, CA in 1926.

I don't know if they knew Virginia Bliss or not, but Ruth snapped a photo of Virginia and her baby anyway.


Caption reads, "Virgie Bliss and baby."

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From a quick check of the 1930 census, I found Virginia Bliss (born about 1903), wife of James Bliss, living with her husband, 3 1/2 year old daughter, Frances E., and 24 year old brother-in-law, Adam, in Oakland, Alameda Co., CA.

I'll haunt the Ancestry trees to see if I can find descendants to offer them a scan.

Probably will upload to Dead Fred if I can determine if no one in the photo is still living.

If you are related, just right click and save...

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The theme this week is "going out."



My grandaunt Ruth Balding with her 1928 Essex sedan.

She was 25.




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Sadly, none of these folks are still living, with the possible exception of the unidentified one.




Left to right: Ruth Lucille (Balding) Brandon, Eugene Victor Balding, son Larry Eugene Balding, wife Lucille Balding, unidentified, Hattie Belle (Chapin) Balding

Another little ditty from the Williams' family photo album.

This time, I know who one of the subjects was...

My great grandfather, Jo Desha Williams, and someone who had to be one of his grandkids...

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Ya think the sun was in their eyes?




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I can only imagine it was great-grandma Maxie's idea to take photos of the Williams' family home in Russellville, and turn them into postcards.

So, in 1910, son Paul used one to write Mama from Little Rock:





Am leaving for H S (Hot Springs) in about an hour. Got here about 11.30. Stayed at Torrey House. Paul.


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George Washington Burris, Sr., feeding the turkeys...I'm just going to guess that this may have been taken in the early to mid 1920s. If that's the case, then they had turkeys in town (Russellville), which would not be out of the question.

George Washington Burris, Sr. died in 1929.




This is a Sepia Saurday post.

Twenty years ago (or maybe a tad more), before I started tracking my ancestors in any serious way, I got a phone call from my second cousin.

He was one of my Balding cousins, the only son of one of my grandmother's brothers.

His father died in 1980, and his mom couldn't live by herself any more. Larry was packing up her house to move her to Tulsa where he lived and could keep an eye on her.

The call was to let me know he had finished the packing and there were some leftovers in the house - bits of furniture and memorabilia, and he wondered if my sisters and I might want some of it.

I said sure, and we made a date for the next afternoon. I called my sisters to let them know.

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I can't even remember now if my sisters accompanied me.

But I will never forget what I saw when I pulled into my aunt's driveway.

This portrait, leaning against the garbage cans on the curb.


Fred Chapin, 1858-1938

I grabbed it up as I went in the carport door. I gave it to Larry when I went in.

He looked at me. I told him I found it out by the trash. That's Grampa Chapin.

What he said just floored me.

Dee, that frame isn't worth anything. That's why it's out with the trash.

I may not know much about the monetary value of old portrait frames, but there's one thing I did know.

At that time, that portrait was 100 years old.

So...no Larry, we're not putting Grampa out with the trash.

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Grampa Fred Chapin's portrait has hung in whatever humble abode I have occupied ever since then.

I had a very interesting text conversation with my nephew today.

It's his 24th birthday and I texted him to wish him a happy one. We kidded back and forth about where his envelope full of cash was, and I told him I'd remember him in my will.

What he said just floored me.

When I die, he wants this portrait of his great-grandmother, Doris Geneva Balding, Fred Chapin's granddaughter.


Doris Geneva Balding Williams, 1907-1998

I think Grampa may have a new home...



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