Instead of showing a very old sepia photo, I have a poor quality color photo of the 60's. The photo is a good one showing my Grandmother Mabel Brooks with her brothers and their wives. My grandmother is the second from the right in this photo. The interesting thing for me of this photo is the prank that is going on while they are posed. On the right side is Ivalea Wheeler. She was married to my great Uncle Elva Wheeler and you can see his bald head behind her and he is holding the cigarette. Behind him is one that I can't identify who his tapping Ivalea on the head with some object, artificial flower or something like that. As you can see she is turning around wondering who is doing that to her.
The story goes further than this as she is the one who had such flowery language. At that time in her life she would cuss a blue streak casually in almost any conversation. I can imagine the hells and damns that are coming out of her mouth right then as someone bonks her on the head. Cussing wasn't unusual once in a while from a few of them but most of that bunch didn't really make it a daily practice. She was the perfect one to tease to get a great reaction. The woman who played Carol Burnett's mother in the tv show "Mama" would be that same character. Later in life, Ivalea mellowed out and was an avid creator of quilts.
On the left, in the front row is Ellen and her husband Weaver Wheeler. They lived in Iowa Falls, Iowa. The next row back is Lee and his wife Esther Wheeler who farmed in the Macksburg, Iowa area. I am assuming the guy in the very back on the left is Elga Wheeler and I am assuming his wife is the one not shown standing behind my grandmother. The guy doing the teasing is unknown to me right now but maybe it will come to me later.
Here is the same bunch much earlier in their years. Elga, Elva, Mabel, Weaver and Lee Wheeler. One brother also lived in the Des Moines area and left the group behind. I bet someone can date that car for me and I will know the year.
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10 comments:
I'm going to guess 1938 for the picture - not because I know the year or make of the car other than old and black. I just like contests and I'm sure you'll be dragging out a prize for this as others show up to take a guess. Perhaps some of last year's Halloween candy - or that flower thing in the first photo. I'll check back to see if someone ID's the car..
It's great to see an old photo with a prank, especially since overall they look pretty serious.
P.S. Larry, I don't see your link on the Sepia Saturday site.
I would have liked to have heard your aunt cussing.
I love the second photo, I love how they are dressed. Sadly I can't age the car, and even if I could it wouldn't mean a thing if the photo had been taken here in NZ as everyone had old cars when I was young. I have some photos where the cars in them would be 30 years old! We are still a nation who drives old cars ;-)
your grandmother has the same expression in both photos. I'd guess ten years earlier based on the people. They look like they've aged about 10 years. they weren't any spring chickens in the second photo either.
60's Flower Power!
The pictures are great and the first one is really funny, considering how serious everyone looks. But what really fascinates me is the names. Such unusual names for the men. And I notice that Weaver is wearing overalls in both photos. Great post.
It is so much fun to rummage in the old photo albums. Suddenly memories kick in and here we go.
Funny story and good pictures. We have some of those family gatherings where somebody is always playing a prank or making horns when trying to take a "serious" picture.
I think the bottom photo is from the 1940's..but what do I know..one day if I remember I will have my Dad look at that car.
The top photo shows personality..and I enjoyed your recollections about your Aunt:)
Hello Larry, I love the top photo with the men all wearing hats and the women all ladies in dresses.. we have lost a lot of the decorum from that era. In the second photo they all have such pleasant kind faces. The car I'd say may be the late 1930's?? as I woman I am not the best guesser? Blessings CML
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