Ancestry

I took a trip this weekend to East Tennessee to visit my parents. We looked at one of my dad's picture albums with old pictures from his childhood, college days, and when he and Mom first married. The album also contained old pictures of his parents and grandparents and great-grandfather. I remembered when I read the instruction booklet to my new camera that it had an option to take pictures of pictures. I also remember my brother doing this with some old pictures at my grandmother's house, so I thought I would try. Even though I never could figure out the camera's way to take these pictures, I think they turned out pretty well.

This picture was already out of focus, but I love the dominant blue in the picture. This is my dad on a rocking horse when he was about 3 years old (1939).

This is Dad and Fritzie in 1940 (4 years old) with dominant yellow in the picture.  Dad remembered the dog was not their dog.  They were keeping the dog for someone and he really got attached to it.  He remembered being upset when the dog left.  Poor guy!

Dad in the 10th Grade (1950-1951):

Dad on stilts (which he and his brothers made) with his younger brother, Bob (1954):

Dad picking cotton for a fund raiser in Sigma Rho at Freed-Hardeman College his freshman year.  He remembers it wasn't a very profitable fund raiser.  All of the money they made went for refreshments for the cotton pickers!

My parents' yearbook pictures at Freed-Hardeman around 1956-1957.  Notice my mom's football necklace.  Isn't that so typical 1950's?

I love this picture of my mom.  It was taken on the Alabama/Tennessee state lines on the Natchez Trace only about ten miles from where my husband, son, and I live right now!  My dad was preaching for a small church just up the road from where we currently live while he was attending college.  This was taken one Sunday afternoon when they were in this area for him to preach.  Mom looks so carefree, happy, and possibly in love in this picture.  A teenage look you rarely get a glimpse of in your parents.  The fact that she has her glasses off tells you she was really trying to look her best for my dad...girls still do that!

This is my mother's parents, my grandparents probably taken around 1957.

My mom's mother, my grandmother.  I don't know if this is before 1957 or after.

My dad took this picture of my mom with my oldest brother when he was probably a year old (1959).  This picture is another of my favorites.  I love the way mom's hair is pinned back and the look in her eyes for her son.

These are some of the older pictures from my dad's side of the family.  This is my grandmother in 1922.  She would have been about 14 years old in this picture.  Her hands look like she was used to working hard.

This is my grandmother's parents.  My great-grandmother's picture is very faded on one side.  I really wish I had Photoshop to adjust this photograph.  I think it could be made much clearer.

And this is my Great, Great-Grandfather Way, the father of the picture above:

The last picture is my grandfather on my dad's side.  He was probably 3 or 4 in this picture-this picture was probably taken around 1913 or 1914.  I am certain that most little boys (and dads) are thankful that they are not dressed anymore like he was, but wasn't he cute!

Have a great Wednesday!