Ancestry

I'm a lover of old family photos. I can never get enough of them; seeing how people age, the jawline or eyebrows or lips that pass from one generation to the next, the spirit revealed through a smile, the apprehension of life conveyed by a glance captured by film over a century ago. Though I would share these somewhat recent acquisitions to our meager collection.

1st photo- Stuart's paternal grandmother, Ruth. Stuart's father is the oldest son. All of Stuart's siblings have some of Ruth's features. I hear she was an amazing woman and I wish I could have met her.

2nd photo- Stuart's paternal grandparents, Ruth and Ranny (nickname for Ransom), Stuart's father in the adorable western wear shirt. Stuart's parents have some amazing furniture pieces made by Ranny, a artist with wood, although not his profession. I hear he also built a boat, the start of Stuart's father's love for boating.

3rd photo- circa early 1900. my maternal great great grandmother Milly Ann and her 9 (soon to be 10!) children. Can you believe the hairdo's? My great grandmother is the female in the front row. Milly Ann's husband was a scoundrel and she raised these ten children basically on her own. She looks tough as nails to me, and beautiful.

4th photo- Maternal great grandmother Bessie with her three children, my grandmother with the adorable bashful look in the middle.

5th photo- My lovely mother around age 16.