As I was editing this photo, my little one walked by and said, “Oh, those look like Harry Potter’s glasses.” 😉 He got that right!
Delina is my 2nd great-grandaunt. She was born in Utah and lived most of her adult life in Laketown, Utah. Laketown is a very small town next to Bear Lake. It is a beautiful place. I’ve never been there in the winter, but it’s a great place to go in the summer.
This photo was sent as a postcard. My great-grandmother cut it down, this is the portion that remains:
It is dated Dec 25 – 1930. The message appears to read, in part:
“[Be]st wishes for —- [Ch]ristmas and —- New Year —- [a]nd children”
Where the signature should be, you can see the top of the D, l, and the dot of the i. I’m guessing that she signed it “Aunt Delina”. The postcard is addressed to Mr & Mrs C. A. Ellis in North Ogden. The creator of the album this photo was part of, was Blanche Octavia Huband who married Claude Albert Ellis.
The sideways notation of the year and age appear to have been added later by Blanche.
I love looking at old notes and letters. I love to see the handwriting of a relative who has long since passed away.
This photo comes from the twenty-seventh page of the album. Here are pages twenty-six and twenty-seven to give context for this photo:
Colleen is my 1st cousin twice removed. Her mother is Gene Ann Huband. Gene is the sister of the album’s creator, Blanche – my great-grandmother. This same photo can be seen on FamilySearch. There is a note attached to that copy stating that this is Colleen’s mission picture.
Surprisingly, I believe this is the first photo from this album that was already on FamilySearch. There may have been one other, but if I remember correctly, my copy was so remarkably better that I went ahead and uploaded it.
Colleen was certainly beautiful. As I look at the photo, the word that keeps coming to mind is glamorous. Not usually the word we associate with missionaries. 😉
Update:
A week or so after writing this post, I came across the missionary farewell program for Colleen in my Grandmother’s collection. Inside of the program was a lovely photo of the grandchildren of Heber & Hattie Huband:
The back of this photo reads: “Heber Huband Grandchildren Dec. 1959”. The woman standing at the far left is Beth Louise Ellis, my grandaunt, the woman standing third from left is my Grandmother, Mary Margaret Ellis, the man to her right is her brother Dale Huband Ellis, and the woman sitting closest to the piano is their youngest sister, Claudia. Based on the date of the photo and the date of the farewell, I would imagine that this photo was taken upon Colleen’s return.
I had to smile when I saw that my Grandmother and her youngest sister Claudia provided the prelude and postlude music for Colleen’s farewell. Claudia is a fantastic organist. She is known for being able to play the organ while carrying on a conversation with someone without looking at the music or the organ. The first time I saw her do that I was so shocked! But now, 20+ years later, I regularly do the exact same thing and even sing the alto part while I play the hymns on the organ. I often think of Aunt Claudia as I play. ❤
This photo comes from the twenty-seventh page of the album. Here are pages twenty-six and twenty-seven to give context for this photo:
Years ago, I recall a visit to my grandparent’s home when my Grandma showed me this display she had created. I remember it was really important to her. I think I was in college at the time. Even back then, I loved genealogy. But I don’t think that love had yet extended far enough to appreciate framed hair. Because, well, it’s framed hair. And unless you understand the significance of the framed hair, it’s just framed hair. But what I wouldn’t give today to go back to that moment and ask my Grandma a few questions.
Like, what is the significance of the yellow satin? (My Grandma was all about significance so I’m guessing there was some.) It looks like Hattie must have written the note about Nina, am I right? The notes about Lola and Montice seem to have been written twice – did Hattie write in pencil and you tried to trace over her writing with pen? Or possibly Hattie wrote in pen but the ink had faded so you traced over it to darken it, am I on the right track? When was the bit of your Mother’s hair cut? Was she a child? How long had you been planning to create this display before you finally put it together? What inspired you? How did these lovely bits of hair make their way to you?
And on, and on I could go.
Why didn’t I understand back then, that I would have so many questions about this wall hanging one day?
I don’t think I even knew back then that it represented my Grandmother’s Grandmother’s loss. Grandma Hattie buried four of her precious babies at such young ages. Lola was only three, Nina was just a few months past one, Montice was just two, and Edwin was just a young boy of six.
In that moment, standing in my Grandma’s bedroom next to her as she showed me her treasure, why didn’t I understand? Why didn’t I soak in some of her memories? Memories of Hattie. Possibly memories of Hattie talking about her precious babies that she lost too soon.
Why didn’t I know that moment mattered?
I wish I had an answer. I wish I had answers.
Instead, I am left to infer, and comment about, and preserve, and hope that by writing about this treasure here, one day, my own granddaughter or grandson will understand why Grandma has a picture frame with bits of hair tied in bits of ribbon with scraps of paper recording the short, but oh-so-precious lives of Hattie & Heber’s children.
I hope.
Grandma, I’m sorry that I didn’t listen better. I’m sorry I didn’t understand the framed hair. But I’m so thankful that you shared anyway.
And that you shared again, and again, and again.
I’m so thankful to be the current steward of so many family treasures that you lovingly preserved. Man, I wish blogging had been a thing when you were still alive. You would have been an amazing genealogy blogger. I would have answers to so many questions!
So I’m just going to keep on keepin’ on. I’m going to digitize and write and share so that as much of our family’s history is preserved as I can get to. Thank you, for being such an inspiration to me about the ways we can honor and remember our ancestors. I hope I am making you proud. I love you! Save a spot for me up there right next to you. ❤
Happy Monday, I hope it’s a week filled-to-the-brim with genealogy goodness and happy memories of loved ones! xoxo
Blanche Octavia Huband & Montice Cheney Huband, about 1900
Blanche Octavia Huband is my great-grandmother. Montice Cheney Huband is her younger sister. Blanche was born 21 May 1895 and Montice was born 7 December 1897. They are the daughters of Hattie Margaret Cheney & Heber Albert Huband.
While this photo is undated, it was likely taken in about 1900. Blanche is so clear in this photo, while Montice is slightly blurred. I imagine it was hard for such a young girl to hold still enough to be in perfect focus.
Hattie & Heber were the parents of eight children:
Lola Huband, born 21 August 1890
Nina Huband, born 27 April 1893
Blanche Octavia Huband, born 21 May 1895
Montice Cheney Huband, born 7 December 1897
Edwin Perry Huband, born 29 October 1900
Lane Augustus Huband, born 16 December 1903
Gene Ann Huband, born 30 November 1908
Grant Cheney Huband, born 18 May 1911
At the time this lovely photo of Blanche & Montice was taken, they were the only living children. Sadly four of Hattie & Heber’s children would die as young children:
Lola, died 27 July 1894
Nina, died 2 August 1894
Montice, died 6 November 1900
Edwin, died 11 March 1907
I have not seen a photo of Lola or Nina. I don’t know if one exists.
As much as I love the photo of Blanche & Montice, I feel terribly, terribly sad when I look at it. How must it have been for Hattie & Heber to bury four of their precious children at such young ages? However, I’m glad this photo exists. It is the only known photo of Montice.
This is the back of the photo. I do not recognize the handwriting in blue ink at the top. Could it be Hattie’s? It doesn’t appear to be Blanche’s handwriting. The notes in black ink were written by my Grandma, Mary Margaret Ellis, Blanche’s daughter.
Happy Thursday, do you happen to have a precious “only” photo of one of your relatives? Have you scanned and shared it? If not, I hope you will today! xoxo
Isn’t this portrait lovely? I feel like I say that a lot. But man, this album is just filled to the brim with lovely portraits in excellent condition.
This beautiful woman is Florence. She is my 1st cousin twice removed. Until I scanned her photo, I had never heard of her. But it turns out I have two connections to her.
The creator of this album is my great-grandmother Blanche Octavia Huband. My great-grandfather, and husband of Blanche, is Claude Albert Ellis. Florence is the daughter of Claude’s older sister Alice Eliza Ellis. Florence married Joseph Cheney Willis. Joseph is my 1st cousin three times removed. He is the first cousin of Blanche. His mother is Louise Delina Cheney, sister of Hattie Margaret Cheney. Hattie is Blanche’s mother. Phew! Did you follow that okay?
This photo comes from the twenty-seventh page of the album. Here are pages twenty-six and twenty-seven to give context for this photo:
Edwin Perry Huband is my great-granduncle. He is the son of my 2nd great-grandparents Heber Albert Huband & Hattie Margaret Cheney. He was born 29 October 1900 in Shelly, Bingham, Idaho. A very short, six years, ten months, and four days later, he died of appendicitis on 11 March 1907 in Logan, Cache, Utah.
The back of the photo reads: “Edwin Huband our Brother” written by an unknown writer, although it is likely that Blanche Octavia Huband may have written it; and “born Oct 29, 1900 died March 11, 1907” written by Blanche’s daughter, and my Grandmother, Mary Margaret Ellis.
Until last week, I did not know there were any photos of Edwin. I found this precious little picture in a folder created by my Grandma that she labeled, “Huband”. The photo is a copy of the original. The original must have been quite damaged. I cleaned the scan up a bit but you can see that it must have torn or experienced a severe stain of some kind.
I was very happy to see that I had already taken a photo of Edwin’s headstone and shared it on FindAGrave.
Headstone of Edwin Perry Huband in the Logan City Cemetery.
Happy Thursday, I hope you come across a photo of someone in your family for whom you did not know a photo existed very, very soon! xoxo
Blanche Lenore Cheney is my 2nd great-grandaunt. She was born 5 January 1886 in Laketown, Utah. She was the youngest of eight children born to Joseph Thompson Cheney and Louise Maria Austin, my 3rd great-grandparents. In 1921, she married Farrel Andrew Whitlock. They had four children that I know of. Blanche passed away 15 February 1971 in Fullerton, California. Blanche was the maternal aunt of my great-grandmother, Blanche Octavia Huband, the creator of this wonderful album. Isn’t this a lovely portrait?
This photo comes from the twenty-seventh page of the album. Here are pages twenty-six and twenty-seven to give context for this photo:
