#117--Shoes, Shoes, Shoes

This week’s 52Ancestors’ Challenge is heirlooms.  That works so well for me as I come from a sentimental family that passes things down from generation to generation.  One of my most unique heirlooms is a set of shoe catalogs.  My grandfather, William D. Hannah, manufactured shoes.  As far as I can tell, in the early parts of the 20th century, the way in which shoes, and other things, were advertised was through catalogs. I am very fortunate that I have some of them.

This is one of my favorites.  I really like the women in the shoe, pulled by that big butterfly.

While I am not sure when this one came out, I think it is very "Roaring Twenties,"  

 And here is a cute young woman who looks to me like she is about to dance in a show.

If I could talk to my grandfather, I would ask about who designed the catalogs, where they were sent, and why he kept these particular ones.  

#116--I Made You A Valentine

Valentine’s Day is this week so it is very appropriate that the challenge for this week is Valentines.  For the last two years I have blogged about Valentines  so this challenge left me scratching my head. I went and looked to see what had and made a great find.



Remember when you were in elementary school, around Valentine’s day you would make Valentines from paper doilies, red hearts, etc.  I think when I was about 7, I made one for my mother.  She kept it and I found it among some of her cards.  It is pretty tattered and hard to read, but here it is.

It says:  "To My Valentine on Valentine's Day."  and of course it is signed with a question mark







If you missed my other posts about Valentines, here is the one on vintage postcards  and here is the one on cards 

#115--What is Your Favorite Name?

The challenge for this week is about names, particularly a name of one of your ancestors that you like a lot.  I really had not thought much about that.   So  I decided that my favorite name would have to be one that I would name a daughter.

Jennie Sophia Willey Hannah

Most of the names in my tree are pretty common ones—Mary, Alice, Elizabeth, Helen, etc.  In fact when some of my family are together, if you call Mary or Alice, several people will reply.  Then, there are a few names that really stand out as unusual—Dulcina, Sentrilla, Albertine, and Indiaanna.  I am a pretty conventional person so those unusual names were out.  However, I did want one that was a little different.

After some thought, I decided on the name of my great grandmother—Jennie Sophia Willey.  I think it is a pretty name and just a little unusual.   Jennie Sophia was born in Illinois in 1847 to Samuel G. and Rebecca Ann (Witcher) Willie.  After the Civil War, she went to Butler, Missouri to visit her brother.   She and John Wesley Hannah met, married, and had 5 children.  My blog entry  Romance in Real Life tell the story of their engagement and marriage.  It is a great tale.