Thursday, September 16, 2010

Grandma's Hat Box


(My mother on the left)
How do I explain?
Life becomes just a fragment from another time..like the old photos I'd pull out of my Grandma's hat box. It was back then- when my mother could tell me who was who. These were from stills (except for the wedding photo)- my husband took from a video a relative sent after copying it to a CD.  The humidity already began to take its toll.




Ship Germania~
My maternal Grandparents sailed from Germany to Minnesota in the mid 1800's. My Grandma's parents were from Switzerland. 

Mankato- Blue Earth  was rich farming land, settled mainly by German Immigrants-mostly Catholics and Lutherans.






(Woman is actually part of the logo on the window)


Grandpa was an entrepreneur who started a cookie factory In Minnesota. My mom was just a few years old when they decided to sell the factory and move to Hollywood. They opened another one on Melrose Av. near La Brea and named it Calirox,"California rox". 
According to the census, they were farmers and bakers (what his father~my G. Grandpa did) 
:
They moved into a home on Laurel Canyon in the mid 1920's, which is where my mother grew up.  Anyway, they did really well..  that's my Grandpa (in the middle) walking beside a fleet of his trucks- next to my Uncle (left) and I believe his brother-in-law (G.Aunt Rose's husband)-(who's father had his own little cigar manufacturing business) back in Minneapolis.

(Both Grandparents at home on Laurel Canyon)
:

 The story was, my uncle contracted tuberculosis and nearly died- then ended up working for American Express (Railroad) as a station manager.  But because of my Great Aunt's care, he recovered..and they eventually decided to move from Minneapolis to California where he began to work with my Grandpa at the cookie factory until the depression.  
My Grandparents sold this, along with the lovely home which was later turned into a duplex. They bought a charming old house in Sierra Madre- (another story). My Grandpa died the year I was born
but my Grandma lived to be almost 92 yrs.
:
These are really wild photos..but like the hat box- its closed and so is that era- (Ironically, my parents just gave away that old box of memories on impulse one day?)

:
"..While yet the rolling earth abides,
Men come and go like ocean tides..
.
And ere one generation dies..
Others succeed, like wave on wave"
:
Life can often leave you feeling burned..only I'm reminded of the following in
Phil 3:13-
Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.. forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus~





(My mom with my uncles & Grandma above)


Left is taken from a book (Dreams of Glass)- The story of William McLaughlin and His Glass Company-
It'was written by Fred Pagent- a kind gentleman who sent a copy to me when I was doing a  search on line a few years ago. Very meaningful in light of the fact that I came to a dead end (a pun now, ha)..but couldn't really find help from relatives or any more information on the cookie factory here. (outside of a genealogical search which provided the family linage and census though.

19 comments:

Anzu said...

Thank you for sharing your
happy family's history.
( 。・_・。)人(。・_・。 ) ♪ 
I hope to saturate our family's memory
into the Glass of Dreams.

Flat Creek Farm said...

Regina, I enjoyed every bit of your post (as always). Those photos are simply fantastic! I'm so glad you were able to find at least some of the missing pieces to your family history. Fascinating about the cookie factory and all! My paternal side, and hubby's maternal side of the family, both hailed from Germany "way back when." -Tammy p.s. I LOVE your new header & background. Gorgeous!

Joyful said...

I love old photos. Yours are a treasure! I also love your new background and header. You never cease to amaze me with your header photos. Do you have formal photography training or are you self-taught? Either way, you do have talent ;-) Hope you're doing well my friend. hugs xx

Leenie said...

From Germany and Switzerland to Mankato (Little House on the Prairie) to Hollywood to The Big Island. Your family has gone almost all the way around the world! It's wonderful to have photos of your ancestors and to know and share their stories. Handsome trucks and fun fashions.

I covet your header photo. Wow!

Ginny Hartzler said...

What a story! And how sad just the few things you have for a memory. Your parents GAVE that away, on IMPULSE? That doessn't make sense, was it at least family members who got it? Don't you wish you could taste one of those cookies? But now they are just the cookies of dreams.

Kilauea Poetry said...

Aloha Anzu..I'm sure they will! Hey Tammy- cheers- that's neat.. and thank you!
Penny- appreciate the encouragement- thanks for stopping by!
Leenie, it appears that way- though it feels (well actually is now) more than half my life spent here) thanks-
Hi Ginny..that they did, though I do have enough I suppose? Memories & the distance past..maybe the same substance dreams are made up of~ never forgotten really?

The Chair Speaks said...

These photos are treasures!

MadSnapper said...

the wedding photo is my favorite, it made me smile and stare at it for a while. like those old cars also. our old memories live in a hope chest that was my grand mothers. my niece amanda is the family historian and has all those hope chest at her house. that is a 10 hour drive from here so I have not seen them in many years. thanks for sharing your memories

rainfield61 said...

The photos were black and white at the beginning and after fade.

They were then colourful at the beginning and lost the colours after fade.

They are now colourful at the beginning and at the end in the computer.

But "Men still come and go like ocean tides.."

Kilauea Poetry said...

Thank you the chair!
Sandra..they are indeed- I used to love going through them!
So true..I follow you here Rainfields-

eileeninmd said...

I loved your old family photos and reading yoru family history. I would have loved to have seen the old hat box too. Wonderful memories for you. Thanks for stopping by. I love your new header very cool.

doro said...

So nice story and old pictures!
Some Boxes are magic ;) We was copying old films to CD - month ago. It is so unreal!
Hugs!

Kilauea Poetry said...

Oh happy you stopped by and enjoyed this Eileen!!
Doro- your right, thank you- I'm glad for you as it is very special to get them copied huh! Some of them are hilarious too!?

Lisa (Mountain Photog) said...

Those are wonderful photos, Regina! Such a treasure trove of family history. Interesting stories, as I'm sure all families have. . . Have you seen any episodes of the program on NBC called "Who Do You Think You Are?" Celebrities trace their ancestry and find out all kinds of fascinating things.

The Write Girl said...

Hi Regina,

I really enjoyed your photos and story on your family history...I hope you are able to unearth more about your family. Take Care!!

Kilauea Poetry said...

Hey Lisa..thanks, no I have not- but I bet it would be really fascinating! It's always quite a discovery, but I did this out of frustration with my search for roots..also thinking -I'd enjoy stumbling upon this! Anyway..now I'm wondering how your doing- thinking about that nasty fire..I know another lady who posted about that too, so devastating and takes time for new growth. Anyway- hope your OK and have a peaceful weekend (thanks for the visit too)!
Katina.. thanks for the read (hugs)~

jennyfreckles said...

It's an interesting story - I can't begin to imagine how it must have felt to your grandparents to set sail for the other side of the world in the 1800s. So brave.

Regina said...

Precious history to be pass on on the next generations.
Wonderful my friend. Genealogy is very interesting.
Thank you for sharing.

xo

DIGITAL WORLD PAGES ARCHIVE said...

Very interesting story!

Let's be perfectly clear- the war on free speech is spiritual!