Memory Lane Mondays - Generations...

George Newby Family

I love this photograph. It's the family of my great-great grandfather, George Newby. I never knew him or his wife, but my great grandfather, Percy is third from the left. His sister, My Aunt Ethel (she hated being called "great" aunt) is next to my great grandpa, Percy (fourth from the left).

My great-grandpa was a colorful man who I loved. He and my great grandmother owned a trailer court in Plover, Wisconsin and worked hard their entire lives. I have fond memories of our visits to my great grandparents house with I was a kid.

Aunt Ethel (Newby) Mills was an educator, starting in one of the first one-room schoolhouses in Wisconsin. She lived in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, within a couple of blocks of the house where I grew up. I was able to spend much more time just because of her proximity to our home.

Manners and grammer were always paramount with her - a trait I guess I inherited. She would correct grammatical errors when she heard them, and I find myself doing the same thing now. I'm usually the person who corrects the improper uses of "myself" and "there's" in sentences. (Most times "I" should be used where people now say "myself", and "There's" lots of [multiples of anything] should be "There are".) Sorry. Incorrect grammar is a pet peeve. Thanks, Aunt Ethel! Blessing or curse? You decide.

She held a position placing graduates from the Marian College Education program long into her actual "retirement". Her whole life was dedicated to teaching others. I admire her for that.

Laverne Newby Family

Fast forward to 1955 or early 1956 and here's another five-generation photograph. (l-r: back - my father, my beloved Grandfather Laverne. front: my great-great grandmother Boushley (Dora's mother, I think), my great grandmother Dora (married to great Grandpa Percy) and me!) Please ignore that the photo is crooked and the top of my father's head is cut off.

I don't look very happy, but I'd only been in America with my parents a short time and really only knew my father and Mum at the time this photograph was taken. (I even had a sweet British accent at this time!) My little sister was born in July of 1956, and I believe it was taken prior to her birth.

See the mirror on the wall? That's my pretty Mum reflected in the mirror. I don't know who's standing next to her, but I think that's so cool to have her in the picture, too...smiling at me. I love that.

My younger sister always remembers jumping on "Grandma" Boushley's" feather bed. (Her name is pronounced like "Bosley".) I don't remember that, but I remember much more time spent with my great grandma. I remember her wearing plaid shirts more often than not, and she always had that gorgeous smile on her face. I think my grandpa got his smile from her, and I'd like to think that my smile and laughing eyes are her genetic gift to me, too.

Handsome and I have photographs of generations of our family, too. The contemporary images are some of my favorites, but I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for all of the "oldies".

Do you have generations photos of your family? Do you display them or are they in boxes? I love the digital frames. You can store all kinds of images on a thumb drive and them load them into the frames so that they rotate through the display. One frame with many photographs. One frame to dust. That's a good idea, too!

Thank you for joining me on another stroll down Memory Lane. If you have a special memory posted on your blog this week, please come back and link here so all of us can read it, too! I'll be back with another nostalgic post next month!

Mum and Dad Burt are on a plane Monday morning to spend a whole month in England. They're both so excited about seeing family and old friends while they're there, and Mum can't wait to show Dad all around her homeland (and stuff British food in his mouth!). They're going to have a ball, I know.

Please say prayers for their safe travels and an incredible time overseas.