Nana on Vacation

I'm not sure you can see this very well.  It is a little picture of our Grandmother, Nana.  It says she is in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater, a souvenir from Hollywood, California.  I assume it was on a vacation of some sort.  What is interesting to me is that Nana looks pretty much like a school teacher even on vacation.  I wonder what the papers are in her arm.

Beautiful Mother

I adore this picture.  It is our Mother at what appears to be a very much younger age.  Let me guess, why not, who knows, I'm guessing late teens.  Isn't she gorgeous.  I often think what was her childhood like, what was school like for her, was she happy.  I do know she did not have a Father and I know she grew up in a home with some pretty puritanical women.  I just hope she was as happy as she looks in this picture.

Greeley State Teacher's College

This picture has the title "The Training School-Teacher's College-Greeley."  I had always heard it called just the Greeley State Teacher's College.  I do know it was in Greeley, Colorado.  I wish I had asked Nana more about this.  I'm pretty sure Nana went to school here.  What I don't know is:  how long did she go there; did she graduate from here; did she get a credential from here;  did she teach in Colorado before she moved to California; did California accept her work from this college; etc.  I think she would have attended here after my Grandfather, her husband Bruce, died.  How did she pay for this college work?  Where did she stay while she went here?  And, many, many more questions.  For now, I have to let it alone.  The only thing I think I know is that she went here at some point for some time.  I am guessing that Aunt Maude went here too, but that is pure conjecture.  I love you Nana and Aunt Maude.  By the way, sometimes I mention Aunt Phyllis.  She was Nana and Aunt Maude's sister.  There was another sister, Aunt Ethyl.  Their maiden name was Hamblen.  When Aunt Phyllis married her married name was Magee.  Aunt Ethyl was Ethyl Reynolds I think.  It makes me think she married a man named Reynolds, but I don't think I ever knew him.  Aunt Maude lived with Nana all her life I think, certainly after my grandfather died.  Aunt Ethyl lived by herself in Reedley in a tiny little house.  She never socialized with the rest of us.  Not sure why.  I never knew about any hostility there.  I used to go over to her house once in a while.  This would have been during my Junior High years and my freshman year at Reedley High School.  (The Junior High School was called General Grand Junior High School.  It was a beautiful old school house.  I'm guessing somebody condemned it for school use and while I went there we were housed in the local armory while our new school was built.  I think I spend one year in the new building, probably 8th grade.)  I think the building was sold to some church or other.

Rollie in Sunday Best

This is a picture of me in my Sunday best.  I am standing in front of what I would guess is a Chrysler.  My Dad would buy the Chrysler from Uncle Glenn and Aunt Phyllis after they were a few years old.  I'm guessing it was a good deal for both parties.  I'm sure they took good care of the car.

Nana's Back Yard on Sunday Afternoon

I did not know I had this picture.  I think it is one that Larry sent me recently.  What a wonderful picture. This is a picture of all the cousins on Mother's side of the family.  I am in the back.  Larry is in front of me to my right.  Allyn is to my left.  The two girls in front are Linda and Sue, Allyn's sisters.  There is an extra boy in the picture.  I can't remember his name.  Uncle George and Aunt Helen had him for a while, I think with the idea of maybe adopting him. However, he went away.  We would go over to Nana's house for "dinner" which was actually lunch after church.  Some Sundays it was at Nana's house and some Sundays it was at Grandma and Grandpas house.  We would play in the back yard here.  My memories of this time are very pleasant, although I don't remember much about them.