It has been a long day looking at family albums. Many are photo albums of the current generations. Some are "trip" albums from my grandparents. Then there are the gems - the unobtrusive old black binder with Geils family information. This is our great-grandmother's family on Grandpa Williams' side. They left Germany in the late 1800s for New Rochelle, New York. Everyone seemed to have had at least two marriages and the photographs often contain wives, sisters, step-children and neighbors. It is hard to sort them out. We are making progress. Thank goodness Gramps labeled many of the photos plus made a trip to Germany to try and trace a few generations.
The next gem was an album labeled honeymoon 1928, Europe 1937, etc. The first section contained the diary notes Gramps made while he and Maggie were on their honeymoon. It wasn't anything I expected to find but was fun to read - nothing racy. I did learn that Gramps called our grandmother Margo. I don't think that nickname lasted long. I never heard him refer to her as anything but Margaret.
I'm about 2/3 of the way through the albums - took almost 500 digital photos today of documents (including GG Atkinson's Spanish-American War enlistment papers and a relative's character reference written by Rutherford B. Hayes) and pictures. Labeling the photos will be the killer.
One last item that Anne brought out was a beaded flapper dress - all black and crystal beads in intricate patterns. The picture doesn't do it justice - and it doesn't seem to want to upload tonight. Another time. We think the dress belonged to Maggie (my grandmother) but are not sure. It is very heavy and I can't imagine moving or sitting in it.
We had a friend over for dinner and Anne is hosting a couple and their friends tomorrow for lunch. Busy days.
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