Before Kris Came - My Mother 1946

I was born August 30, 1946.

To read more about my mother click here.

The Proposal Accepted

Shell and Fan

24 November 1918

Montgomery, Alabama

Dear Shell,

    This has been some cold day, but we went to church this A.M. and heard a splendid sermon on "Thanksgiving."  Rev. Scott never spoke better.  He's really great.  The people never will appreciate him until he's gone.  Last Sunday was Harvest and it was fairly good.  Might have been better but for the flu.  They realized $12.50 from it.  Our club held it's first meeting last Friday evening at Madaline's.  She put on a strut, too.  We certainly had a good time.  We are all feeling okay.  Mama is so much better, though she complains yet.

    Now, Shell, about your question.  Willie Lee and several others have been telling me that we were to get married for a month or more.  I've been wondering where it all came from.  I know you wrote me some time ago that you had "something to tell me," but I never dreamed it was on this subject.  It's all okay though and if you will overlook my deficiencies, I'll say yes. You know you like good cooking and I'd have to learn to do that, even after working in a grocery store all my life. Ha, ha!  Now that you know about my inability as a cook does it shock you?  Just let me know what you think about it.

    Now, Shell, please don't write any of this to any one, for it's our own business and we can keep them guessing awhile longer.  What do you say?  Do this for me as a special request.

    Well, dear, I'm so sleepy that I can't write longer so you must let me off tonight with just one kiss.  Ha, ha!

              As ever,

                 your Fan

To see the proposal letter click here.
To see the acceptance of the proposal click here.

Shell and Fan 1958 and 1941

"Shell and Fan under our apple tree

6638 Theodore St. summertime 1958"

Their backyard was full of flowers, as you can see, with a bird bath in the middle.  My grandfather is holding an apple offof  the apple tree just off camera to the right.  My grandmother made wonderful applesauce with those apples and lots of cinnamon.  The vegetable garden was behind the flowers.  They were married on June 11, 1919 in Montgomery Alabama and came directly to Detroit.  Both were 70 years old in this photo and had been married for 39 years.  

This is one of my favorite photographs of the two of them together.  I like the peeling and the white out and even the scotch tape.  This one was taken on the side of their house.  If we could look in the basement window on the left, we would see my grandfather's shop which smelled of machine oil and wood and basement and faintly of the pine-sol he sprinkled around. "Lizzie", the model T Ford is behind them.  It was taken 2 February 1941.  I bet it was Sunday.

To read my grandfather's proposal letter to my grandmother, click here.  For other Sepia Saturday photographs of older couples and who knows what else this week, click here.

The Proposal - Migration Story Part 6

Fannie(left), her mother & sisters Alice, Daisy

  475 Forest W.

Detroit, Mich

Nov 19th, 18

Dear Fan,

I am feeling fine today and I hope that this will find you and all at home well.  I am off from my work today.  No, not sick just felt like taking a bit of rest and too it has been raining all day and it was such a fine day for sleep before taking my midday nap I had to talk a little to my sweetheart, I only wish I could here her voice and be made to feel happy.  Dear I don't know anything of interest to write about just now.  Things are pretty quiet in Detroit, the factories are all getting ready for a big after war business and I think this city will get her share of it.  I am sorry that your mother has been sick, I hope she is O.K. and her self again.  

     Miss Snow formerly of Montgomery now Mrs. Kelly of Detroit lost her husband last week, I think she will bring the body home for burial. They have him now in storage until she is ready to leave for home with him.  Now dear  I wrote you sometime ago and told you that I had something to tell you when I saw you, but I just can't keep it any longer, what I want to tell you dear is this, I feel as if I have tried a single life long enough and now I am going to ask you to become my wife.  Now dear, if you will commit to the above request let me know right away and I will write and ask the permission of your mother to marry you, and with her consent we will then fix the time of the wedding.  Now I hope you won't let this shock you any, and please answer me as soon as possible, if we should get married I shall want you to come to this city to live after the wedding, so dear while you are considering the questions of marriage you may also consider the question of residing in Detroit, also.  

    Now dear please don't keep me waiting too long for an answer to this letter, as I am over anxious to hear what your answer will be.  Remember me kindly to your mother and sisters, with lots of love and many thousand kisses I close, looking to receive an early and favorable reply

    I am as ever the same,

    Shell

To read Fannie's acceptance letter click here

"Shell" 1919