The next page in this lovely album skips ahead several years to the Summer of 1919. My great-grandparents, Claude Albert Ellis and Blanche Octavia Huband, were married 22 November 1917 in Salt Lake City. Their first child, Beth Louise Ellis, was born 17 March 1919 in North Ogden, Weber, Utah. Based on the flowers, bushes, trees, and grass in each photo, and Beth’s apparent age being under one year, these photos were likely taken in the summer of 1919.
Interestingly the yard in these photos appears to be the same yard as seen in two of the photos from the third page of the album taken in 1915. I wonder if the yard belonged to the home of either Claude or Blanche’s parents?
The first photo on this page features Blanche holding her daughter Beth:
The second photo features Beth in a rolling cradle feeding herself a bottle. (Note that the cradle is visible in the background of the first photo):
The last photo includes Claude Albert Ellis holding his daughter Beth Louise Ellis, standing next to Margaret Noble Bevans. Margaret was Blanche’s first cousin. The two women were very close, as evidenced by the many, many photos of them together and of their respective families in each other’s photo albums, despite the geographical distance between them. Margaret lived in California while Blanche lived most of her life in Utah. I wonder if Margaret visited Utah to meet Beth?
I look forward to any additional information that my family members might be able to add! My great-aunt Claudia, daughter of Claude and Blanche, has been so helpful as I work through this album, as well as many of her first cousins. I am also in contact with a granddaughter of Margaret Noble Bevans who has been very helpful!
This post is part of a series sharing this wonderful old family photo album. You can learn more about the album here. A digital version of this photo album can be viewed on Flickr here.
Happy Monday! I hope you and yours are healthy, happy, and safe. xoxo
Sweet young family. I was struck by the baby on her back, drinking from a bottle herself. Boy, things have changed! I was told (1) don’t leave the baby on her back (2) don’t feed the baby in her crib, and (3) always hold the bottle, don’t just give it to the baby.
I was struck by (almost) the same things! But I was told to always put my babies on their back. Haha. The good news is she lived a good long life. She was just a few weeks shy of 92 when she passed.
That’s good to know! All the rules these days make mothers crazy. When my babies were babies, we were told to put them to sleep on their tummies so they wouldn’t choke. When my grandsons were born, my daughter was told to put them on their backs so they wouldn’t suffocate. What’s next? Hanging them from the ceiling?
Haha!! I had two NICU babies and it was fascinating to me that they would break the “rules” of how to put a baby to sleep and then tell us not to do that at home. Of course they were correct that the babies are monitored in the NICUE and the nurse is always awake and nearby so it is different, but it still made me laugh.
That little bed on wheels was still around when I had Jeffrey — my first baby in 1961 — thus I was able to use it — I was excited about that.
So cool! Thanks for that detail, Aunt Claudia. ❤️
I’ve been interested in their dress styles & watching the hems go up.
I was told babies on their tummy, while my daughters were told babies on their backs. Doctors must have a reason for being!
Me too! I love noticing the clothing, shoes, and hair styles.
Those doctors like to keep us on our toes!
My Grandma Margaret Bevans visited her brother DeWitt in August 1919 when he appeared to have been living in Bingham Canyon near Salt Lake (news clipping about the visit) – so very likely she also traveled north to Ogden to see the Ellis family at the same time.
Thank you for those details, Suzanne! August is certainly consistent with what is seen in the photos and Beth’s apparent age. ❤️