Family Archives - The Courtship of Bert & Louise

So when Nick left off last time, Louise was working as a soda fountain girl in Winterset (?) Iowa, and on one particular day, in walks this handsome guy in overalls. He happens to be buddies with some of the fellas hanging out, drinking sodas, and he has eyes for the perky little miss full of banter behind the counter. Apparently she has eyes for him, too - because when her shift is over and several of the fellas offer to walk her home, she says to them, "Oh, Bert can walk me home," because he is obviously too shy to volunteer.
And history is made. In Louise's words, "He chased me until I caught him." Nick thinks that if she got a chance to see him in this suit before she caught him, she was probably wishing he would hurry up and cut to the chase!
'Course, Bert is just as handsome in his regular clothes - check the belt buckle to the side, ladies! Bert and Louise will court for four years before they are married - because of the depression, there is oviously a lack of any substantial employment. Bert eventually goes to school to learn metallurgy, gets a good job, and he and Louise are able to be married. Meanwhile, they have lots of outings....
Bert and Louise are nature lovers. And apparent outlaws. Nick thinks it was probably this other gal's idea.
Even though a fella might not have much cash, he can still impress the ladies with a spiffy outfit and a roadster.
Okay, Bert, you don't have to work so hard...
You've already got your girl.

Family Archives - Edith (GG) Shutt Young

I usually do these posts in third person, but this one is a special post, so please forgive the apparent eccentricity. This is my GG, the way she looked when I knew her. She is sitting outside my grandparents' motel, and that's my grandpa in the distance with his head cut off. BTW, behind him is the famous pop machine. But I digress. This was the GG I knew: endlessly kind and patient, she was always either holding me in her lap, reading me a book, listening to me chatter away, or letting me bake her a cherry cake, stirring it up in my grandma's red bowl (red was my favorite color - hence the cherry cake - there was no actual batter used or harmed in the making of said cherry cake). She wrote my name in red ink in all of my Little Golden Books. She let me paint my fingernails with her red polish, and when I made a mess and my mom got mad, she defended me. She was my best friend.

This is my GG on the right, and her older sister, Nida, on the left. My GG was a very stylish lady. I think Nida was, also. My GG could make a dress for herself without a pattern. She could crochet, embroider and quilt, and wring a chicken's neck, pluck all the feathers, and cook it for dinner. She was a wonderful baker, and famous for her Divinity and her fudge. I don't know what she is looking at here, maybe she is just posing - I don't think she was married yet. Maybe Elmer is the one with the camera - or maybe her brother in law, Nida's husband Jim, is taking the picture. Maybe Edith (GG) is dressed up to go on a trip somewhere, or going to some event - maybe a date with Elmer. Did she have other boyfriends before Elmer? I was too little to ask, and she died when I was 4. I wish I could know these things.
Here are the three sisters together: Lulu, the second oldest, on the left, GG (Edith) in the middle, and Nida on the right. I love their skirts, and I think my GG is the prettiest of the three. They have two older half sisters, one of whom died when 2 or 3, along with the mother. There is a brother older than Nida, and four other brothers - two between Lulu and Edith, and two after Edith. Their mother dies in childbirth with the last boy, and their father dies when Edith is 10. The oldest half sister has married and moved away by then, so I'm pretty sure Nida sort of raises the younger kids. Nida and her husband have only one child, Katherine - but I'm not sure they really are sad about that, given all Nida's younger siblings.
Here are Edith and Bert again, and she has her book with her - probably the same one I would so like to know about. She never sat for a portrait, so this is the best picture I have of her face when she was young. She looks a lot like her mother, whose name was Phebe Catherine Fisher Shutt. And my grandpa and my mother both look a lot like Edith. I wish we could see this in color, because the yard really looks dead, doesn't it? And I wonder why my grandpa is sitting there - is he having a time out, or did he just want to sit with his mommy for a minute or two?
Here are Elmer and Edith and their unknown furry companion during WWII, when they are living in Washington State, and Elmer is working on an army base as an airplane mechanic instructor. Apparently they like it here, only - "it rains too GD much!", to quote my GG. So they move back home to Nebraska after the war.
This is taken right before Grandpa Elmer dies, in 1961. At this time, they are living in their own house, although earlier they had been sharing their house with my grandparents and their children - my aunt, my mom, and my uncle. GG is the kind of grandma who sits on the floor and lets the girls brush her long, long hair, and makes toast that is so toasted it is almost burnt, and all the kids in the neighborhood come around asking for a piece. She makes everything from scratch - probably the reason her arms still look so taut - she is in the kitchen, stirring and beating and lifting things, all day long. She does all this and more with love, and all of us who knew her miss her very much.

Family Archives - More Pics, Peeps!!

This is a pic of Louise, Leo and Nellie, Leo's second wife. She was actually a very nice lady, despite being such a hussy as to marry Nick's great-grandfather within a year of his first wife's death. Nick's mom knew her as Grandma, and wasn't told anything to the contrary about their relationship until she was older. Nick's Grandma Louise did not like to talk about her life before she met Bert, even though it was an exciting life - it was a very tough life, and there are whole chunks missing from any narrative Louise ever gives to any of the younger generation. Even though they beg! Not really. Nick does know a gross fact - Louise used to eat Franco-American spaghetti straight from the can, on a piece of bread, when she got home from school (depression times, remember - anything tastes good when you don't have a lot). Nick knows people think this is gross, because Nick used to eat Franco-American spaghetti straight from the can, minus the bread, and she has HEARD it is gross from MANY PEOPLE. Nick NO LONGER DOES THIS, OKAY?? But now you all know where she got the idea from! :)
This is Louise with her cousin (Paul and Lillian's daughter, whose name escapes Nick at the moment). Nick has always loved this picture. The scanner did a horrible job picking it out, but Louise has her hair in braids. And Nick wants this doll, but she has another one that belonged to Louise that is even prettier, so that's okay. Do we love Louise's shoes, or what?? LOVE!
Louise is quite a tomboy, and this picture of her in pants makes Nick think that inclination started very early. Later she becomes a really good baseball player - good enough to play with the boys in the neighborhood and hold her own. She owned a red baseball glove that Nick's brother #2 has now -

anyway, Nick loves this picture, too - she thinks her Grandma Louise was a pretty cute little thing! This is Bert at about 4 years old. He is SUCH a cute boy, don't you think?? He has beautiful big blue eyes that Nick wishes she had inherited. Nick inherited her father's color instead, and she tries to be okay with that. Nick's Grandpa Bert died when Nick was 20, so she doesn't know as much about his life as she does about Grandma Louise's. Nick was not yet into pestering people over an over until they told all about their past, back then. Nick was way, way into herself and other bad things and people at that time. Nick is very sorry, and could she just sit down with Grandpa Bert once and talk about his life growing up? Just once, pretty please? Rats!
This is Bert with his puppy, and Nick really likes to think it is the famous wolf pup. Grandpa told Nick a story once about the wolf pup, something about sliding downhill (sledding, maybe), and something happened and something happened after that. Nick was a good listener when she was little, no?!?!?
These two are again of Grandpa Bert as a baby - he is just so darn cute, Nick can't resist putting them in here. There is another pic that Nick has which is sadly damaged, which shows baby Bert in the doctor's satchel. Yes, peeps, Bert was born way bacy when people still drove horses instead of cars, and the doctor used to make house calls! And this was in 1915! Crazy!


This is Bert and some of his buddies. He looks like kind of a rascal, doesn't he? His family life is much more stable than Louise's - his parents have a good marriage. Although there IS the incident where Edith cracks a bowl of mashed potatoes over Elmer's head to teach him a lesson for complaining about her cooking. Nick really likes this story - go, Edith!! Now that Nick thinks about it, she has heard that Elmer was a little grumpy, maybe a bit hard to live with. But an excellent mechanic! Really, good with any sort of tool. He teaches Bert a lot about tools. Bert had some tools in his toolbox that Nick doesn't even know the use for!

The girl on the far left is Bert's cousin, Katherine. They are about a year apart in age. Even though Katherine's mother, Nida, is 10 years older than Edith, they are very close, and live near to each other for most of their lives.

Here is Bert on his wagon. Nick falls in love with Bert in every picture, every time. Cause he is just so darn cute!!! Here is Bert in a George Washington-type pose, but that is not a cherry tree. Nick hopes not! Maybe Bert is really channeling Abraham Lincoln - or maybe he is just really doing his chores. Nick prefers a presidential reference, personally - just for the spice of it!
Here we have Edith and Bert - the caption says "waiting for the Mitchell to start" - remember what Nick said earlier about Elmer being an excellent mechanic? :) Nick is also digging Edith's outfit, especially the hat, and wondering if the family is maybe going camping or something? Or maybe a family trip - maybe to visit relatives somewhere? Maybe the hat is to help ward off sun and bugs and things - Nick is pretty sure Edith's hair is really long. Nick wonders where people go camping in Iowa, anyway? This is Edith reading, and Nick has always wondered what the book is. Tomorrow Nick is going to tell a little backstory about Edith's family - but right now, Nick is going to enjoy this picture, another one of her favorites. Have a great day, peeps!

xo

N

The famous promised pics!

Nick knows these look tiny, but you can click on any pic to enlarge it - the one below is Esther & Leo in his Army uniform. Nick thinks they probably have a lot of fun when things are going well, there are many photos where they are laughing and hugging each other. Esther is quite a sharp dresser, no? Leo and Esther in love. Nick wonders about the dynamics of this relationship. Obviously, there is a lot of affection here - Nick thinks these two had some fiery tempers and maybe weren't well suited for marriage to one another. Also, another wonderment, Leo is at one time (when he goes into the army) an auto salesman, yet ends up in constuction. Wait, that sounds like Nick's brother #3! A really good schmoozer, who likes to work outdoors, rather than in an office. (He's single, peeps, btw! - just sayin')
See how they are?? Maybe for the cameras only? - no, they are having a great time together! Sad.
Eshter in a quite fancy dress - I wonder if she made it, or if she bought it? Was she crafty like Edith was? Nick is pretty sure that women of that time period had lots of crafty skillz. But with her mother running off with the circus/dying young, did she get the training, maybe from her grandma? The world will never know. (yes, Nick did steal this from the Tootsie Roll Pop commercial)
Esther's brother Paul, Esther and Leo. Couple of handsome fellows!
Nick is splitting these up into a couple of posts today, because...because I want to, that's why! :)

Family Archives Part 3 (Louise's Story)

Louise, probably circa 1936-1937

Edith (GG) and Bert Young

Louise's Uncle Paul and his wife Lillian take Louise in for awhile, but since it is the depression, it is a hardship on them, and Lillian wants Louise out. They argue and Louise overhears this. Therefore her father takes Louise to live with him, but he has been remarried to a lady also named Nellie (coincidence - ? or !), and this makes Louise angry, as her own mother is not even dead a year yet. Needless to say, there are many conflicts, resulting in Louise being sent to live with the principal of her school in exchange for room and board.

Louise finishes school and lands a job at a soda fountain, becoming whatever the female version of "soda jerk" is. Or maybe she is still in school, okay - Nick doesn't know everything! :)

At this time, she meets a lovely boy in overalls named Bert Young.

Dear reader, we now continue with some Bert Young backstory! (that's him in the above pic, with his Mommy)

Bert is the son of Elmer Young and his wife, Laura Edith Shutt Young. He is born in Winterst, Iowa, and is not a relation of John Wayne, who was also born there. Also no relation to Clint Eastwood, who filmed a move there. BUT, he IS related to Queen Elizabeth! Oh, wait - who cares about THAT?!?!? What about Charlemagne? Henry II? John Lackland? These do not float your boat, dear reader?? Oh, ALL RIGHT THEN, back to the story!!

Elmer and Edith are from large families, and both of their mothers die young - either in childbirth or shortly thereafter. Either for this reason, or maybe just that they both would prefer a much smaller family - or some other factor - miscarriages? Nick believes that it is the second reason, and she does not blame Edith for that one bit. NOT ONE BIT! Oh - anyway, there is only the small Bertie in the Elmer Young household. Even though his father is an auto mechanic, Bert has quite a bit of access to farm equipment, and gets his middle fingernail permanently split by some piece of equipment that Nick cannot remember even though Grandpa Bert told her more than once, and if anyone knows the answer please help Nick out!!!

Bert also at one point has a wolf pup for a pet - but eventually Elmer has to MOVE the pup to OTHER QUARTERS - no shooting of defenseless, rabid animals here, peeps! And just kidding on the rabid part!!

Scanner problems, and more Archives (Louise's Story)

Nick has been having some scanner issues and deeply apologizes for the delay in the pictures that apparently no one is looking at anyway *ahem* oh! So hopefully by the end of the week, there should be some LOVELY pics which Nick can see right now, but you, dear reader(?) cannot. Meanwhile, Nick will continue with her story, to whet your (?) appetite...


When Leo gets back from the Army, things do not go so well. Times are rough, and the relationship between Esther and Leo begins crumbling. Louise is sent to pay overdue bills on her own when she is still very young.
Leo and Esther split up, and Esther begins seeing a man who is involved in illegal activity during Prohibition, otherwise known as rum running. This boyfriend takes Esther and Louise with him on trips from Des Moines, IA to Chicago and back, so that the police are less likely to suspect the hauling of a load of illegal hooch. Esther and Louise eventually relocate to Chicago with this unnamed (for our purposes) fellow, and live in an apartment close to the Ell, just down the street from a warehouse where the St. Valentine's Day Massacre takes place (Esther and Louise are actually living there at the time this happens).
Esther develops cancer (possibly pancreatic?) and dies during a surgical procedure when Louise is just 13 years old. Esther herself is only about 35 when she dies.

What will happen to our herione? Tune in tomorrow, and there may yet even be pictures!! :)

xo N

Family Archives (Louise's Story)

I got a fabulous idea from the awesome I Am Bossy, whose blog I adore and would steal every idea from if I could, but that would be illegal or something, so I won't. She rocks, people. But I need to find my own voice, right? Right! But would really love to speak it in 3rd person...

Anyhoo, back to the subject. Nick is telling the story of her grandparents' lives, as Nick is very into geneaology and history and all that, and she is again, totally stealing from Bossy whom again, she thinks ROCKS TOTALLY, etc etc...

The above photo is of Nick's grandma, whose real first name was Nellie - but thinking that sounded too much like the name of any given horse or cow, she went by her middle name, the lovely Louise. Nick believes that every little breeze seems to whisper Louise. That's an old song...Nick will try to keep to the subject here, promise!!

Nick's grandma Louise was an only child. And when Nick figures out how to get other pics in the right spots, she will add more. *frustration ensuing* So anyway, Louise was an only child whose dad entered the military when she was three, during WWI. At this point, Louise's parents look very happy. My next post will contain several pics of them, I promise - in uniform! Louise's mom, whose name is Esther, keeps her while Louise's dad, Leo, is in the Army - apparently at a desk job - he never went overseas. Which is strange, but Nick has no clue as to why...

Louise's mom, Esther, has a grandmother, a father and a younger brother, but no mother. There are two stories about this: one, that Esther's mom may have run off with the circus (!), or two, that she merely died young. You can pick which one you like unless Nick hears anything different. Nick likes the circus story - did her great-great-grandma actually PERFORM with the circus?? Did she ride bareback, or fly on the trapeze, or something?? Or did she love a circus performer and sew his costumes and live in a tent??

Esther's father (Albert) is a paper hanger whose father (Augustus) was alternately a harness maker and a cobbler, fyi. Nick just likes to get her readers the facts, the outlines, if you will. So the readers know who is who and what is what. Nick believes that Esther and Louise stay with Albert and Esther's grandmother (Emma) while Leo is in the Army, and there are a couple of pics, which again, Nick will post. Hey, tomorrow is ALL ABOUT the PICS, okay??

xo

N