Honey Lights: July 2013

Dear Aunt Ann,
I know you are resting in peace because you always brought a sense of peace with you everywhere. But I am selfishly feeling bad because I am now without any uncles and aunts and not feeling very peaceful. Of course I knew this day would come, but I still can’t believe it. So I pulled out Margaret’s old photo albums and have gathered some photos to share here.

However, I don’t seem to have any photos of one of my favorite memories which is when you and I travelled to the Mother House of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth to visit Sister Mary De Lourdes (Bernice Schuelle) for her 90th birthday. She was closer to Margaret's age, but her family had been neighbors in Leavenworth and you were given her name for your middle name.

We’re all somewhat jealous that you are all surely partying now that you’re all together again. I’m guessing we all kind of wish we could do some kind of time travel and get together with you all in Aunt Kay’s back yard -- all the various generations together telling stories. I know we are all grateful to your generation and our parents’ generation for your efforts to share so many birthdays and holidays when we were growing up.

My consolation is that I feel you will always be with me, at least when I’m working on genealogy. I can’t get over how much you accomplished before any of us had computers -- ordering microfilm and sitting at those readers searching for names on census records. Then making copies and sending letters with stories you remember. My work is a continuation of yours and your persistence inspires me to keep working on the Adams and Sesma stories.

We were so lucky to be loved by you.
Peace, Joni

[note to readers: Ann was my maternal grandmother's youngest sister. Their mother, Anna, gave birth to 12 babies. My grandmother Margaret was second-born in 1899; Ann was last-born in 1920. My mother Betty Ann was born in 1921 and in many ways Ann and Betty Ann were like sisters. As a child, I always thought of Ann as an aunt like my mother's sister Peg. In fact, there was very little differentiation between "degrees" of relation for any of the generations -- so when I started doing genealogy, I had to learn the difference between aunt, grand-aunt, great-aunt, etc. Likewise for grandmothers -- it took me many years to figure out the difference between Anna and her own mother Elizabeth so that now I use Anna Harrington Henderson and Elizabeth Ringwald Harrington in order to remember.]

Here are some photos. The B&W photos are from photo albums of Margaret's that I had in storage, waiting for me to have time to scan them. I don't have any here for the late 60's on. Then I have a few from John Henderson's 100th birthday in 2008 and other recent events.

Anna Henderson, Ann
(1920, can't read others (written in faded pencil); could be Tom & Frank? Maybe Margaret?)

Arkansas 1921
Margaret & Verne, Mother (Anna) Henderson holding Betty Ann
John Henderson, Ann Henderson

Betty Ann and Ann

Ann Henderson
Leavenworth, KS

Ann Henderson, age 4

St. Louis
"Francis & Thomas, Ann, B-Ann, Bob, Paul Jr, Peggy, Walter"

Ann, Betty Ann, Peg, Joani & Friends
Strotman St. St Louis

Grandma Harrington, Adele & Clarence, Anna, Ann
Adele (Henderson) & Clarence Hatch Wedding Day 1925

Betty Ann in her H.S. graduation dress. Ann.

Peg, Betty Ann, ??, Ann
This must be 1938 because Betty is wearing her high school grad dress.

Bill & Ann Goodwin. Peg & Joe Fairchild

V-mail from Ang Adams to Ann & Bill, 1944

Sisters 1960. Margaret, Ann, Adele, Kay (and someone in mirror)
(this must be Gertrude Harrington & Arch Johnstone's 50th anniversary.)

Early 1960's. Goodwin's backyard??

At the Adams, McLean Ave. 1960's
Joe Fairchild, Ang Adams, John Henderson, Bea Henderson
Ann Goodwin, Margaret Russell, Betty Adams, Frank Henderson, Peg Fairchild
That's Tom Adams next to Ang and I think that's my back walking away.