Finding Eliza

How to subscribe to my Newest Finding Eliza Blog

2011-12-31T11:37:00.001-05:00

I finally figured out how anyone can subscribe to my unaffiliated blog, http://findingeliza.com/ via Google Reader or their usual email program. This would work for any independent blog. I'm sure this is not news to most people but it was to me.

Here is how to do it - go to Google Reader, at the top left it says "subscribe". Click on that and add http://findingeliza.com/feed and voila, it comes up in the reader. It also works for adding it to an email program's RSS feed.

Now I just have to figure out how to let people subscribe to the comments. So much to learn. So little time!

Newer Blog!

2011-12-21T14:28:00.000-05:00

Since I moved my blog to WordPress several days ago I've moved again! Now this is ironic, I know that. Yesterday I lost the ability to administer my new WordPress blog. I was trying to log in to Word Press yesterday and the password wasn't working so I asked to have it emailed to me. I received an email with a different user name but thought I must have forgotten my own user name because this one was similar. When I tried to log in with the new info I was told I had no blog and asked if I wanted to set one up. I wrote Word Press, who wrote back promptly and said they were working on it. The blog looks fine, I just can't do anything with it, including moderating comments.

I immediately went and found a place HostGator where I can host my very own domain name. I imported all my blogger posts and re-created my last three posts from the WordPress blog,so I'm now up to date and if anyone is still interested in seeing what I'm writing when I write anything else, you can find me on my own little piece of the internet here http://findingeliza.com/

Moving blog!

2011-12-18T13:51:00.000-05:00

In the past 30 days, three blogs that I follow have had their google accounts (including gmail, google+ and blogger blogs) suspended with no reason given either upon suspension or reinstatement. The latest was geneabloger SusanClark at Nolichucky Roots. Although I like the Blogger platform and have gotten very comfortable with it, I've decided to move my blog to WordPress, both because of my disgust with Goggle's seemingly capricious behavior and because I don't want to wait around and see if I get "choosen". I've moved all my posts over to my new blog. I'm still feeling my way around but I hope that you all will come over and read my posts, once I make some new ones. It just hit me that this time next week we will be in the middle of the Christmas celebration so there probably won't be too many posts this week! All suggestions and comments welcome. The new blog is still named Finding Eliza <---click to get there.

Surprise Birthday Party - December 29, 1991 - Advent Calendar Dec. 15 2011

2011-12-15T13:32:00.003-05:00

SURPRISE!

By Tulani Williams

On December 29, 1990, Jim Williams and Warren Evans were in for a surprise! Nikki Evans (Warren's daughter) and I (Tulani Williams, Jim's Daughter) planned, with the help of our cousin Jann Shreve and her mother Jan, (Warren's sister) a surprise birthday party. We got permission to have it at Hugh and Louis' house. They are our great uncles. Then we began to get ready for the party. First we went into town to buy a few last minute things. On our way in we passed Warren on his way home. He saw us and stopped to ask where we were going.
Jan who was driving, answered, "We're on our way to the store to get some eggs and hamburger buns."

Warren then said, "Well, could you get me some 'Stay alive food'. Some hamburger, fries or chips....you know?" He handed Jan some money and we were on our way.

Now we had to go out of our way to get Warrens "stay alive food". At Ben Franklin's (a dime store), we got a few presents and Jann looked at the cards and picked out one that said, "I was going to get you an expensive watch for your birthday:...Then you open it and it said "But at your age time doesn't matter". She showed it to her mother and they bought it.

After going to the grocery store for Warren, we headed home. Nikki, Jann and I started mixing up the cake. When we put the cake into the oven Jann, Nikki and I sat down with Kriss (Jan's brother) and James (my brother) and started playing Seaga. We hadn't got very far when the cake was done and we started the icing. After we iced the cake, we were going to get Jan to drive us over to Louis'. I went over to tell my mother (Kristin) and she suggested that we put the cake into a box and drag it over on the sled since the roads were iced over. So we decided to pull it over on the sled. When we got to Hugh and Louis' we started decorating the house with balloons, and crepe paper. We even had a sign that said "HAPPY BIRTHDAY JIM AND WARREN!" that James and Kriss had printed up on the computer. When we finished decorating, people started to arrive. We were all brainstorming on how to get Warren to come over. Louis said that we should tell him that we were having a surprise party for Jim and then...the fire siren went off. Jim is a volunteer fireman so that meant he had to go to the fire. But lucky for us it was a false alarm. Jim arrived a few moments later with Kristin, who knew about the party and brought him over. We all hid and had the lights out and yelled "SURPRISE!" when he came in.

Gladys called Warren and told him that the washing machine was clogged up. When Warren finally got there we were in a dimly lit house. He came in talking about "With all these strong backs why... " but then we yelled "SURPRISE!" and we sat down to have cake.

See Happy Birthday to All! and Happy Birthday Poppy! for last years birthday stories

Fruitcake - Advent Calendar Dec. 14, 2011

2011-12-14T13:21:00.000-05:00

I have been making fruitcake using the recipe in my mother's "Woman's Home Companion Cook Book" for decades. I like my homemade fruitcake but can't say the same for the blah stuff from the grocery store. This year's fruitcakes are still soaking up the brandy. I will finish making them as soon as I get over this horrible cough I've come down with. To see last year's photo of me up to my elbows in candied fruit and nuts, go to Yay For Fruitcake!

Celebrating Kwanzaa - Advent Calendar - December 11

2011-12-11T17:26:00.000-05:00

The Kwanzaa table, minus the fruits and vegetables and plus a globe - 2009

This is recycled from my 2010 Advent Calendar with minor changes.

When I was elementary school age our neighborhood was majority Jewish for several years. We never celebrated the Jewish holidays but we learned about them. I remember singing the dreidel song in school and learning about the menorah.

We have celebrated Kwanzaa in various ways over the years. Once again I bring you a reprint from Ruff Draft 1991. We didn't celebrate it when I was growing up since it didn't begin until the late 1960's. Our children grew up celebrating either at home or in community celebrations. At one point we didn't celebrate Christmas, only Kwanzaa but after the kids started school we gradually added Christmas back into the celebrations.

Kwanzaa

By Ayanna Williams

Kwanzaa is a Black holiday started in the U.S.A. in the 1960s. 

This year on the last day of Kwanzaa, which was New Years Day, we had a big to-do and invited Henry over.  We dressed up.  Tulani and I in sarongs.  That is material draped around your body and hung over your shoulder.  James and Cabral wore baggy pants and African print shirts.  Jilo and Ife, who were home on winter break, wore long skirts.  All the girls but Jilo, wore geles (head wraps).  Jilo didn't want to cover her dreadlocks.

When Henry got there we were downstairs in our regular clothes so we ran upstairs and after much losing of skirts and falling off of wraps, we finally went down.  As we went Tulani played the drum, James used the shakare, Cabral strummed the ukelele and I had to use two blocks.  We chanted "Kwanzaa, First Fruits!" as we came. We giggled a little as we went through the kitchen.  Black eye peas, sweet potatoes and rice were simmering on the stove for us to eat directly after the ritual.  When we got to the living room, all the lights were off except one.  By that light we, in turn, read the seven principles in Swahili and their meanings in English.  The introduction was read by Daddy.  Nia/Purpose was read by Henry. Umoja/Unity was read by Tulani.  Kujichagulia/Self determination was read by Ayanna, Ujima/Collective Work and Responsibility by James.  Ujamaa/Cooperative economics by Ife, Kuumba/Creativity by Mommy for Cabral and Imani/Faith by Jilo.

Then we read the meanings explained in plain English that Jilo had written.  After we read the principles and lit all seven candles, Jilo read a story she had written about Kwanzaa with all of the principles included.  We then ushered everybody into the dining room while chanting the principles and their meanings.  Well, that was the plan, but nobody but us kids knew so the adults just sat there and watched us.  So we finally just got up and told them to come to the table.

After dinner Henry told tales about when he was a kid and about his uncles and cousins. Some how the conversation went from reminiscing to the state of the world today. He and Jilo had quite a discussion that lasted for hours. At the end Henry went home and we all went to bed.

Gifts - Christmas Calendar of Advent

2011-12-10T18:39:00.000-05:00

Juanita Cleage Martin - Athens, TN - 1930's

Christmas and Early Childhood
by Juanita Cleage Martin
From the book "Memories to Memoirs"

Our Christmas trees were cedar instead of pine. A bunch of kids would go together a few days before Christmas looking for Christmas trees. We would sometimes find them along the roadsides, but our special place was at Keith’s, across from Community Hospital before Community Hospital. We always found a good shapely tree in that section. I guess we didn't realize we should ask someone. Nobody bothered, as we never seen anyone to ask. Our decoration was ropes of tinsel, and we often strung popcorn and cotton.

My favorite toy was a big doll. In our day, dolls were stuffed with sawdust, and their heads and arms were made of plastic, not like plastic of today. I remember I left it outside and the rain ruined it and made puffed splotches like blisters. I cried, as I dearly loved this doll. My sister Bea was the doctor. She gathered wild purple poke berries and covered the places. I continued to carry and play with it until it finally tore to pieces.

*********************

Juanita Cleage Martin was the daughter of my grandfather, Albert Cleage's brother, Charles Edward Cleage. They lived in Athens Tennessee. Juanita was born February 11, 1922. I don't know how old she was when she got the doll for Christmas but This Cuddles doll was made from 1926 through 1928 to 1940 and sold through the Sears Catalog. Maybe this was the doll she got for Christmas. The body was cloth while the face and limbs were "composition" which was made by mixing sawdust and glue and compressing them in a mold. Composition does not react well to water. I remember a doll sort of like this that was left over from my mother and her sister's childhood. I wonder what happened to them.

1928-1940 Cuddles or Sally-kins, 14-27" tall, composition head, arms, legs (some limbs are rubber), cloth kapok stuffed body, molded hair, tin flirty sleep eyes, with lashes, open mouth with upper & lower teeth, tongue, mama crier, wore an organdy dress, bonnet and rubber panties, (Little Sister has flannel diapers). Made by Ideal.

For more about Juanita and her family - Mattie and children and Memories to Memoir, Chapter Two.

Pearl Reed Cleage with baby Henry

2011-12-09T23:16:00.002-05:00

Here is my Uncle Henry Cleage with his adoring mother, Pearl. Henry was born March 22, 1916, the third of my grandparents 7 children. He always told us his nickname was "Happy". He looks pretty happy here. Henry grew up to be an attorney, a printer, an editor, a writer, a farmer and a philosopher. Not in that particular order. He lived until 1996, when he died from cancer.

Click Sepia Saturday for more photographs of mother's and children and other exciting subjects.

Blog Caroling - We Three Kings

2011-12-08T13:18:00.000-05:00

This year I once again offer We Three Kings as my contribution to footnoteMaven's Blog Caroling Event 2011. This year I chose a rap version done by dc talk in 1994. This carol was written by John Henry Hopkins in 1857 and first preformed in 1863 in New York City. To hear last years Hang Drum version click HERE.

We Three Kings
Lyrics from dc talk's version

Frankincense to offer, have i
And incense owned, a deity nigh
Prayer and praising, all men raising
You can hear it pealing through the river and sky

(chorus)
We three kings of orient are
Bearing gifts we traveled so far
Field and fountain, moor and mountain
Following yonder star

Born a king on bethlehem's plain
Gold I bring to crown him again
King forever, ceasing never
Over us all to reign

Ooh, star of wonder
Star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light

Guide us to the light, father
Guide us to the light [repeat 2x]

(repeat verse 1)

(repeat chorus)

Now we step to a star in the sky
Gloria, now the whole earth cries
Allelu, allelu, the people cried
And brought gifts as a sacrifice
Three kings and a dream that they had
We're three brothers born of different dads
But together we ride because of that child
Until the day that we die

(repeat chorus)

My sister Pearl ready for a Christmas Party -Advent Calendar December 7

2011-12-07T09:40:00.002-05:00

We didn't have Christmas parties. We didn't have any parties of the kind where you invite people over to socialize. We did gather on holidays and for birthdays but those were family affairs. However, I did come up with this photograph of my sister Pearl all dressed up for some sort of formal party. We can see it's Christmas because of the card display on the mantel. It was the winter of 1966. I wonder what my mother is talking to her about. She looks rather dressed up too. I still have that chair and it's mate. Today is Pearl's birthday so I thought it was appropriate to post this photo on several levels. Perhaps Pearl will see this and remember what party she was going to. It was going to be wordless but apparently not.

Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories of Santa Claus

2011-12-06T09:28:00.000-05:00

My cousin, Warren Cleage Evans, checking Santa's beard. I think it's about 1952.

Read last years Santa post HERE.

Week 49 Historical Events - 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History

2011-12-05T18:25:00.001-05:00

Week 49. Historical Events. Describe a memorable national historical event from your childhood. How old were you and how did you process this event? How did it affect your family?

Me in the upper left corner. News photos from 1963.

In 1963 I was 16 and a junior at Northwestern High School in Detroit. In the news were pictures of dogs attacking people who were peacefully demonstrating, high pressure hoses being used on people who were peacefully demonstrating, bombings of homes and churches, people being abused while sitting at lunch counters, people being arrested. Governor George Wallace of Alabama, stood in the door to block the integration of the University of Alabama. Women were dragged from demonstrations to the paddy wagon. Medgar Evers was murdered in Jackson, MS in front of his home. Four girls were blown up while attending Sunday school in Birmingham, Alabama. Two teenage boys were killed during the rioting afterwards. There were two gigantic demonstrations that year, the Detroit Walk to Freedom followed by the March on Washington. Both drew over 100,000. President Kennedy was assassinated. Lee Harvey Oswald was killed, Cassius Clay who had not yet become Muhammad Ali was winning fight after fight. Malcolm X was speaking out and Martin Luther King, Jr was arrested in Birmingham, AL. Here and there people began to wear their hair in afros. In Detroit, the Freedom Now Party was seeking petitions to get on the ballot for the 1964 election and Malcolm X spoke at the Grassroots Conference.

How did all of this affect me and my family? I was angry but I also felt I was part of the struggle of the black community. I wondered why the federal government didn't send troops down south to protect people who wanted to vote. I wrote revolutionary poetry. It wasn't very good poetry. My family talked about everything that was happening. They were publishing the Illustrated News during that time and wrote about changes that had to come and the movement of the struggle from the south to the north and what the differences would be as this happened. Ossie and Ruby Davis, James Baldwin, John O. Killens, Clarence Jones, Odetta, and others formed the Association of Artists for Freedom, which called for a Christmas boycott to protest the church bombing, and asked that people, instead of buying gifts, make Christmas contributions to civil rights organizations. I remember we participated in the boycott but I don't remember anything else about that Christmas. I will have to ask around and see if anybody else remembers what we did on Christmas Day, 1963. To be continued.

Thanksgiving - 1991, Idlewild, Michigan - Part 2

2011-12-03T15:16:00.003-05:00

Our house in Idlewild from the lake side.

After I wrote my Thanksgiving 1991 post several days ago, I talked to several people about what they remembered. Some remembered nothing. Several others remembered the snow, Zaron with his head wrapped in a towel and the status discussion. Someone remembered it was Christmas but I was lucky enough to have the Ruff Draft article saying it was Thanksgiving. A reason to keep a journal or a family newsletter.

Yesterday I was reading the post "Had to Walk Home in the Snow" on the blog A Hundred Years Ago. The blog is set up so that it always begins with a diary entry by Helena Muffy in 1911 and is followed by information her granddaughter, Sheryl, has found that relates to the entry. This entry was about Helena Muffy walking home from church in the snow. Sheryl followed with a weather service report about conditions in that area on just that day! Sheyl was nice enough to explain to me how I could find the information for Thanksgiving, 1991 in Lake County, Michigan. I highly recommend this blog.

According to the chart from the National Climatic Data Center it started snowing on Nov. 24 and left us 4 inches. We got another inch on Nov. 25. By Thanksgiving there were still 3 inches on the ground. By the following Monday the snow had changed to rain and the snow was all gone.

And for my daughter, Jilo, I add these photographs of Pearl in her yellow shirt and Zeke with his head wrapped in a towel.

"I look the same now." Part 2

2011-12-02T13:57:00.002-05:00

I've spent some time looking through my Graham grandparents photographs for a clue to the identity of the Mystery Nurse. I came across one photograph, unfortunately also unidentified, that looks to me like it could be the same person. Who is she is still the question. To read Part 1 click here. If you read the first article early, I later added additional information about the General Negro Hospital and a photograph of some of the nurses. They are wearing the same uniform as "Sister".

Is this the same woman?

This is what I can make out now...

"Made in K.C. Mo.

but just found a

duplicate and had

this developed 10-(3)0-1918.

Over 1 yr ago.

Your Sister M.G.F. (or T?)

A and M C(olle)ge

Normal Ala."

"I look the same now."

2011-12-01T14:49:00.004-05:00

I found this photograph in my Graham album. I have no idea who it is. I don't know who's sister it is. I know it isn't my grandmother Fannie's sister because I would recognize them. I don't think it's my grandfather Mershell's sister because as far as I know she was a servant with several children by 1918. I looked for information about nursing schools for African Americans Kansas City, MO. in 1918 and turned up nothing, but Zann, a friend of mine, found several short pieces and some photos of the General Hospital for Negroes in Kansas. The uniforms the nurses are wearing look the same uniforms. So, here is my mystery nurse for this weeks Sepia Saturday. For more Sepia Saturday offerings click HERE. For Part 2 of "I look the same now." click here.

"I look the same now. Sister."

I can't make most of this out very well, but here is what I make of it "Made in K.C. Mo. but just found a duplicate and had this developed - 10-10-1918. Over..........your....F. A dm.........Normal Ala."

For the original articles that go with the photos, click They came to fight and Along the color line.

The first dollhouse doll - Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-30T16:53:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving - 1991, Idlewild, Michigan

2011-11-30T16:25:00.001-05:00

THANKSGIVING FACES
Top row: Me in the kitchen; family group getting ready for portrait; Ife; Cabral.
2nd row, Jilo with my sister Pearl and her husband; Jilo's boyfriend at the time - Isaac; James; brother-in-law Mike; Jilo. 3rd row - Daughter Ayanna; Husband Jim; Uncle Henry; the snow and Cutie Pie the cat waiting for birds; above with arms outstretched is Daughter Tulani.

In 1991 we lived in Michigan on Lake Idlewild in an old house. Two of our daughters, Jilo and Ife, were in college Jilo was at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL and Ife was at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI. The four younger children had been homeschooling for several years. My Uncle Henry lived several miles away on Water Mill Lake. My sister Pearl and her husband drove up from Atlanta.

My memories of this Thanksgiving begin with the snow storm that dumped at least a foot of snow n us. It started the day before and continued into Thanksgiving day. I remember waiting for people to arrive, standing out in the yard looking through the woods at the road and seeing cars coming through the snow. There were more people there then we had ever had before and everybody but Henry stayed for several days. The 29 pound turkey fed us all. I know we had a very big table in our small dining room and we brought another small table in so everybody ate in the dining room... or did some of the younger people eat at a card table in the living room? My brother-in-law, Michael, video taped the dinner and conversation which lasted long after the meal was over. I looked for the tape last night but it's not here. I hope someone borrowed it and we can get it back.

The conversation was about race, responsibility, aliens from outer space landing on the deck, why black men didn't turn the slave ships around, had we ever fought for freedom, the Status Theory (this was Henry's theory and will have to have a post of it's own one day.) The men did most of the talking and as the night wore on, became pretty heated. Especially between college student, Isaac and my sister's husband Zeke. I remember there being something of the young male challenging the older or maybe it was the older seeing a challenge and not giving an inch. Henry was right there in the thick of it. I remember asking several times, now that we knew the problem, could we make a plan?? What we were going to do? There was no answer because it wasn't that kind of practical discussion. It was about theory and well, status. In fact, the whole discussion was sort of a proving grounds for Henry's theory, which was in short that life is all about fighting for status. At least among the males.

I don't remember what we had for dinner but I know we had turkey with cornbread dressing, greens from the garden (I put up plastic tents over them and we got greens into January, whatever the weather.), fresh cranberry sauce, rice, sweet potatoes, rolls, pound cake and pumpkin pies (from our own pumpkins). We had these on the table because we always do.

I remember Isaac taking the family photograph with all of us sitting on the rug. I don't remember where everybody slept. By Monday, the snow was melted and the visitors had returned homes. Click to read Thanksgiving 1991 Part 2.

Below is an article from The Ruffdraft by Ayanna.

Thanksgiving

by Ayanna Williams

We are still recovering from our rip roaring Thanksgiving! We had LOTS of people here. Our Aunt Pearl and Zaron drove up from Atlanta, GA. Jilo and Isaac drove up from Evanston, IL., Ife came from Ann Arbor. They all got here by late Wednesday. Uncle Michael and our cousin STeven drove up from Detroit just before we sat down to dinner on Thanksgiving. Great Uncle Henry (Sage of Water Mill Lake) came for dinner too.

Henry led many discussions on The Status Theory and The Group. Michael video taped one of them and has promised us all copies. Pearl and Zaron brought some videos with them. We watched one called "Stormy Weather". It is an all Black movie made during the 1940's. We really enjoyed it. We also watched some short films that Isaac and Jilo did. One was called "Shoe Shine Rag" and the other "Metaphycosis of the Mask". They were experimental type films and a quite interesting. Michael showed a video tour of his house in Virginia.

We got our turkey from the food co-op, who got it fresh from an Amish farm. It was organically raised and weighted 29 pounds. It was a wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope we can get together again soon!

Dollhouse Update - Floor Finished, Roof On.

2011-11-28T21:38:00.000-05:00

I didn't get much work done on the dollhouse over Thanksgiving. Yesterday I started back to work. I had to move things around back to the living room work area from the office. I did more work on the fireplace and finished the first floor wood installation. The tile in the kitchen turned out to be too fine and exact for my mat knife so I extended the wood floor. The fireplace is not going to sit in the middle of the room, I just wanted you to be able to see it. Still much to be done but I put some of the furnishings in to impress the family on thanksgiving.

Outside still needs windows, trim and shutters.

Roof on and first floor finished.

Small lantern on table to left was specially made by Mike. He is making a bigger one to hang from the ceiling.
The quilt on the bed still needs to be quilted. The table is from my father's English Leather aftershave long, long ago.

One of my granddaughters claimed this as her bed and added an acorn for a pillow.

The granddaughter also saw some tissue paper on my desk, tore some off and showed me how it
would make a good fire in the fireplace. Still need to finish the inside and the hearth.

Attic wallpaper = mini-newspapers, and another aftershave table and some future pie pans.

Moving - Springfield to Detroit 1951

2011-11-25T15:38:00.000-05:00

I was born in Springfield, Massachusetts and lived there until I was almost 5. We moved in April of 1951 when my father got a church in Detroit, Michigan. Here we are on moving day, my sister and I, with two little girls I knew then but I don't remember their names. I have a photo of the oldest girl and us standing on the parsonage porch. I also have a memory of the oldest girl pouring milk in my dinner, which I wasn't going to eat anyway, but still... we were sitting at the little table in our room eating. My mother said if I'd eaten it in a timely fashion it wouldn't have happened. No sympathy there. I remember another time when this little girl hit me and my mother told me if I didn't hit her back, my mother was going to hit me. I hit her back. Don't remember that she ever hit me again.

Me, sisters I cannot remember the names of, my sister Pearl

I saw them one more time, after we moved to Detroit. In the winter of 1967 my father returned to Springfield to preach for the Men's Club. I went with him. We also went to New York on this trip where I bought my first pair of bell bottom jeans. My grandmother was so disappointed that I didn't get a nice dress. But that isn't this story. I remember the living quarters in the parsonage seemed so small on this trip. Nobody was living in them at the time. I'm sure the next minister got the congregation to move him back into separate quarters. We stayed with the family of these two girls. I was 20 so they were probably 20 and 18. The oldest one was going to a party. Well, actually she wasn't going to the party, she was going to meet her boyfriend there and they were going elsewhere. Her father had forbidden her to see this boy. I was never a big party person and I sure didn't want to be left at a strange party with a bunch of strangers. Needless to say, I didn't go. The adults tried to persuade me that it would be "fun". Ha. I didn't give away her plan but I didn't go. Wish I could remember her name, I'd look her up on facebook and see what she remembers about any of this.

To see more posts about moving, or fish or who knows what, go to Sepia Saturday.

Wacantognaka (Lakota Indian Generosity) - Remembering Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T22:38:00.001-05:00

”We had Thanksgiving way before the white settlers came, Thanksgiving should be done not just once a year but everyday, we should give prayer and thanks for everything the Creator has provided for us.”

Dollhouse update - hardwood floor

2011-11-21T23:42:00.002-05:00

I spent some time today cutting up several 12 X 12 inch self-stick "wood"vinyl tiles in to small strips and sticking them on the dollhouse living room floor. Voila! A hardwood floor. I have a "ceramic" vinyl square for the kitchen. I should cut it up into different sized pieces and lay it our like our floor is, but I might leave it as one piece. I am going to panel one wall in the front room, so tomorrow I'll cut longer pieces for that.

The roof is going up. The stairs are ready to go in. The plexiglass for the windows has to be cut and the molding that goes around them cut to size and painted. Shutters have to go up. A few interior walls and half walls need to go in. A few walls need to be painted, some touching up and then the furniture and curtains can go in. I still have to make the dolls that will live there, a pleasant older couple with a bunch of children and grandchildren who live in a box and come out for birthdays and the holidays. Maybe someone will live in the attic.

Off The Same Plantation, but Not A Relative

2011-11-20T22:48:00.000-05:00

Eliza was also owned by Col. Harrison. Her mother, Annie Williams, was born in Virginia. I am trying to figure out if any information in this article can help me in my research.

The Montgomery Advertiser, Wednesday Morning, November 14, 1917

"Old Charles," Faithful Servant For Almost a Century, Passes Away

Charles Leftwich, born into slavery in "Old Virginny," at Lynchburg in 1831, in early manhood sold to a new master and carried to bondage to Lowndes County, Ala. died here November 7 at four score years and six. His death was mourned by white and black alike. He heard the "angel voices calling", and in death as in life, ever obedient, he answered the call. In youth, In young manhood, in middle life, and finally while body was bent and head hung low, as those who knew him say, he was loving, faithful, and true. "Old Charles" is no more, but through the avenue of almost a century he walked among friends he made because of his deeply affectionate nature and entire faithfulness.

Servant of Col. Harrison

As a slave and faithful and devoted servant of Colonel Edmund Harrison, of Lowndes County, when the war broke out Charles was selected by his master as a body guard for the latter's son-in-law Winston Hunter, when the young man began his service in the Confederate States Army.

Through the blazing heat of Summer, in the sleet, slush, ice, and bitter winds of Winter, for four long and trying years, while the confederacy's fortunes lay in the troubled balance of the great Civil War, steadfast and true the faithful negro served his warrior master. It was but natural that a peculiarly strong affection bound the two together, a bond of attachment none the less strong because of any difference of color, it is said.

Return To Old Home

After the war and Charles was free, he returned to the plantation of Colonel Harrison as to his natural home, and there remained until the death of the older master. Throughout the trying days of the reconstruction immediately following the war there was no change in the former slave. Day and night he remained true to those who had been good to him, an every ready protector of the women and children in the times that tried men's souls.

Sorrow stricken after the death of others to whom he was so attached, after the death of "ol morster", Charles came to Montgomery. Events changed others - but not Charles, for into life, in ease and in plenty, in privation and in misery, this man with a black skin but a spotless character plodded his humble way as nobly within the city's gates as he had for many years out where the birds twittered and the balm of the Southern sunshine itself ever the silken corn and fields of snowy cotton.

Served in Kessler Family

About ten years before his death "old Charles" began service with Mr. And Mrs. W.D.C. Kessler. He soon became so attached to the Kesslers' first born, then a baby boy, that he was installed as a nurse. Then this splendid character proved as good a nurse as the gentlest woman. To other boys were born to the Kesslers, and as each came Charles took him in charge, and guarded them as only he could do. all of the children were devoted to him and his pride and affection for them were beautiful evidences of his own great goodness. He wold often say that it was his only desire that he should live long enough for "his boys" to remember him so well that never would they forget him. That this wish is daily gratified there are several who will attest.

Dollhouse fireplace & the real thing

2011-11-19T15:52:00.000-05:00

New fireplace for the dollhouse

Fireplace in our Idlewild house after an insert was added.

This dollhouse is turning out to have features from several of our real houses. Yesterday I made a fireplace modeled after the fireplace in our Idlewild house. I still need to add the mantel and the picture of the Virgin of Guadalupe and logs, of course.

I used a modeling compound made from toothpaste, white glue, corn starch and water. I got the color with food coloring added to the compound and then rubbed some paint that we used to do the dollhouse roof to make it look more stone like. And threw in a few real ashes for realism.

Jim has been painting and cutting and nailing and there will be more photos soon.

Bigger Photos!

2011-11-17T13:56:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I received a very important hint in the comment section from Angella Lister of 37 Paddington. She suggested that I post my photographs larger. I responded that I had tried but they would overlap the other column if I made them x-large. She pointed out that I could make the columns wider by going to design/columns. Voila, bigger columns and bigger photos! I've spent today going back to older posts and enlarging the photographs. I love it!

Me in 1949. Springfield, Massachusetts 3 years old.

Montgomery Alabama Wedding, 1911 - Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-16T12:30:00.003-05:00

"My Wedding Day, June 7th 1911"

This photograph was taken in Montgomery, Alabama. Victor Tulane (my uncle by marriage) is on the porch - 2nd from the left, looking right at us. His daughter, Naomi was is in the wedding party and is the second little girl from the right in the front. I wonder who the bride was. She looks so happy.

For other posts about the Tulanes, read these: He Had Him Hidden Under the Floor, Sepia Saturday - In Which I Hit the Google Jackpot.

Winter in St. Antoine by James McCall

2011-11-15T18:28:00.002-05:00

In St. Antoine the snow and sleet
Whiten and glaze the drab old street
And make the snow-clad houses gleam
Like crystal castles in a dream.
There, many swarthy people dwell;
To some, 'tis heaven, to others, hell!
To me the street seems like a movie stage
Where Negro play and stars engage.
They laugh and love and dance and sing
While waiting the return of spring.
Some drown their heart-aches deep
In winter time on St. Antoine.

There, on the gutters frozen brink
A dope-fiend lies, with eyes that blink
And from a neighboring cabaret
come sounds of song and music gay.
At windows, tapping, here and there,
Sit dusky maidens young and fair,
With painted cheeks and brazen eyes.
and silk clad legs crossed to the thigh
Upon the icy pavements wide,
Gay brown-faced children laugh and slide
While tawny men in shiny cars
Drive up and down the street like   czars.

Into a church across the way
There goes a bridal party gay.
While down the street like a prairie-fire,
Dash a bandit car and a cruising flyer.
Around the corner whirls a truck,
An old coal-peddler's horse is struck;
The horse falls on the frozen ground,
The dark blood spouting from its wound.
A motley crowd runs to the scene;
A woman old, from shoulders lean,
Unwraps a quilt her hands have pieced
And spreads it o'er the shivering beast.

Among the swarthy folk who pass
Among the slippery street of glass,
Are some in furs and some in rags;
Lovely women, wretched hags,
White-haired migrants from the South;
Some wrapped in blankets, pipes in mouth;
Some smile while others seem to shiver,
As though they   long for Swanee River;
But though they dream with tear wet eyes
Of cotton-fields and sunny skies.
They much prefer the heaven and hell
On St Antoine, where free men dwell.

************************

James McCall was my grandmother Fannie Turner Graham's first cousin. He was born in Montgomery, Alabama in 1880. He lost his sight as a result of an illness while attending Howard University where he was studying medicine. After going blind he wrote poetry. He and his family moved to Detroit in the 1920's where he published several newspapers, including the Detroit Tribune. He died in 1963. Several branches of my Montgomery family moved to Detroit, including mine. I remember the area he writes about but years later. Now, it's all been torn down. I tried to find some photographs of St. Antoine, but to no avail. This is an offering for West in New England's Third Annual Great Genealogy Poetry Challenge.

To read more about James McCall read Poems by James E. McCall, James Edward McCall - Poet and Publisher and  She Was Owned Before the War by the Late Colonel...

Interview with Henry about the Freedom Now Party - Amanuensis Monday

2011-11-14T12:37:00.003-05:00

After writing about politics in my childhood yesterday, I remembered this interview I did with Henry in 1993 about the Freedom Now Party and decided to run it today. Scroll down for an easier to read transcription of the article. There are several corrections. Did I not fact check in those days?!

This article first appeared in 1993 in "Umoja * Unidad *Unity, A Newsletter for Homeschoolers of Color"

Our Stories

Freedom Now Party - 1963 - 1964

In the last several weeks black "leaders" have been speaking out against the treatment of Lani Guinier while at the same time saying they had to stick with the Democratic Party because "there's nowhere else to go." Aside from the obvious answer that they could go fishing and do the Race less harm, it brought to mind 1964, the year the Freedom Now Party got on the ballot in Michigan. I was a freshman at Wayne State University that year. The year before, the six children (Correction: 4 girls were killed, not 6) had been murdered during Sunday school in Birmingham, Alabama and over 100,000 had marched through downtown Detroit in protest. (Correction: the march took place before the bombing.) The March on Washington had taken place. The movement against the war in Vietnam was growing. That summer, one of the first riots had rocked New York and the Freedom Democrats from Mississippi were not seated at the Democratic Convention. Malcom X had spoken in Detroit at the Grass Roots Conference. Ossie Davis, James Baldwin, Odetta and others called for a boycott of Christmas gift buying to protest the violence in the south. Atty. Henry Cleage, along with family members and several friends had put out the Illustrated News for four years. It was a biweekly Black Nationalist paper that was distributed through churches, baber shops and other places black people gathered. Recently, I asked him to tell me about the founding of the Freedom Now Party.

Interview - Henry Cleage

Kristin: Henry, I've been trying to remember how the Freedom Now Party started.

Henry: Well, do you remember Worthy? William Worthy was in New York with those two brothers, I can't remember their names, and they started talking about the Freedom Now Party. That was about the time the group in Detroit began to be black and quit trying to integrate. I remember sitting in my office talking about it. The question everyone had, you know, there weren't enough Negroes to win. The answer that was being made by Rev. (Note: Rev. A.B. Cleage Jr.) was you can't win anyway. The point was you could punish the Democratic Party. And that's the way it started. Then they sent Worthy and those two brothers, they were all over New York hollering about freedom, they came and we started the Freedom Now Party.

The important thing about it, I think, was after all that, it was supposed to be nationwide, but Michigan was the only place it got on the ballot. Getting on the ballot in different states had different rules. In Michigan we had the Struther sisters and Boggs and one or two others. You had to get so many names from different counties - so they went up to the counties and got them. You know the way women will do, they just do stuff. And, of course, they had yours truly pointing out the laws and stuff - they did it and they got on the ballot. Of course they stole all our votes though.

Dunbar worked at the county building. He got drunk at one of the parties and he said, "If you knew what they did with your votes...!"

You know, the votes come in at night. It was on the radio. The Freedom Now Party had 40,000 votes. Next day, they didn't have but about 200, you know.

He, Dunbar, said, "If you knew what happened to your votes, you would really be drugged!"

I said, "Well, you're black, tell us what happened."

"No, no, I'm not gonna mess up my job." And, of course, he wouldn't tell.

The FNP had challengers at the precinct, but Dunbar worked down at headquarters, at the Clerks office, where the votes would come in. I don't know if we could have had somebody down there we didn't. The votes came there from all over the state. There were Flint votes and Grand Rapids and...I remember that night they reported so many votes for the Freedom Now Party, on the radio, and we figured out that it was 5%, which means you get on the ballot next year without getting the petitions. The next morning they said we didn't have 1/2 of a percent.

Kristin: Did the Freedom Now Party just go to pieces after that?

Henry: Yes. After that it generally fell to pieces. I think it finally dawned on everybody, like it dawned on me with the court case, we aren't going to do anything quoting law here. Like Lani Guiner. She said something with a whole lot of sense to it, you know, and they act like she's crazy.

To read more about Lani Guinier and the 1993 controversy read "'Quota Queen' or Misquoted Queen?".

Politics - Week 46 Personal History and Genealogy

2011-11-13T20:38:00.002-05:00

Week 46. Politics. What are your childhood memories of politics? Were your parents active in politics? What political events and elections do you remember from your youth?

Me and my sister 1952

My first memory of politics is the 1952 presidential campaign. My parents supported Adlai Stevenson and I remember waking up the day after the election and asking who won. I was quite disappointed when I found it was not Stevenson.

For more about my family and politics, click on these - 1965 Cleage for Congress and Elections Past.

Dollhouse update

2011-11-11T23:34:00.001-05:00

Sanded and spackled.

Roof and rafters.

Rafters notched and in place.

Hopefully it'll get a coat or two of paint tomorrow.

Maybe Monday the floors will get done. I've got to decide

where the inside walls and the stairs will go.

A brass bed that I got this week because...

It looks like the brass bed that Poppy bought soon after he married. He was, the story goes, walking down the street when he saw a brothel being evicted and the belongings being set out on the street. This wonderful brass bed was among the items and he bought it on the spot. Growing up we - sister and cousins - spent many happy hours playing in my grandfather's room. We used to be able to slip between those brass bars at the foot of the bed. My sister Pearl has the big bed now. That's my mini brass bed on the pillow.

Veteran's Day - James E. Williams

2011-11-11T14:35:00.002-05:00

James E. Williams. Coast Guard 1964.

His brother Harold always calls my husband, James, on Veterans Day. Harold said that it was a long time ago and the memories almost don't bother him now. Almost. Harold's hands still bleed sometimes from the Agent Orange. Both agreed they'd take "Option B" if they had it to do over again.

100 Years - 100 Photos - 100 Sepia Saturdays

2011-11-09T15:41:00.006-05:00

In 2009 Alan Burnett and Kate Mortensen founded Sepia Saturday. This week we celebrate it's 100th week of existence. I contributed my first post to Sepia Saturday #48 on November 7, 2010. Since then I have usually been a "themer" and enjoy coming up with something from my family photograph collection related to whatever theme Alan comes up with each week. I also enjoy seeing what others come up with. I have chosen to celebrate the occasion by posting 100 photographs of my father, who would have been 100 years old this year.

Alan designed the above Sepia Saturday Logo and I changed out his photos with some of my father. You can see the original by going to the Sepia Saturday link above.

The New York Times

U.S.

____________________________________________________________

Albert Cleage is Dead at 88; Led Black Nationalist Church

Published February 27, 2000

Bishop Albert B. Cleage, who after the urban riots of the 1960's built his Detroit church, the Shrine of the Black Madonna, into an important center for black theology and political power, died on Feb. 20 in Calhoun Falls, S.C. He was 88.

Bishop Cleage died while visiting Beulah Land, his church's new farm, where he planned to raise food for the needy and give city youths peaceful summer vacations.

The bishop, who changed his name in the early 1970's to Jaramogi Abebe Agyeman, presided for more than three decades at the Shrine of the Black Madonna, originally a Congregational church. The change came in the late 1960's.

There were other black secessionist churches but Bishop Cleage's became one of the biggest and most influential emphasizing black interpretations but retaining some traditional Protestant teachings.

Bishop Cleage was also drawn to politics. in 1973, Black Slate Inc., his political organization, helped Coleman A. Young become the first black mayor of Detroit, and the bishop was important in the careers of United States Representative Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, Democrat of Michigan; former United States Representative Barbara-Rose Collins; and blacks who ran for smaller offices.

"He taught me the importance of organizing," Ms. Kilpatrick said, "and he created networks of political activists that continue to have a profound impact on Detroit's political landscape."

Bishop Cleage became a focus of national attention during the 1968 Detroit riot, when 43 people were killed, and in the turbulent years afterward. Splitting with both the white power structure and more moderate black leaders, he emphasized black separatism in economics, politics and religion.

"The basic problem facing black people is their powerlessness," he said. "You can't integrate power and powerlessness."

Trying to counter what he saw as white domination of religion, Mr. Cleage espoused a gospel of black nationalism. He installed a larger-than-life painting of a black Madonna holding a black baby Jesus, radical for its time, and preached that Jesus was a black revolutionary whose identity as such had been obscured by whites.

"That was the beginning of a whole new religious iconography" said Menelik Kimathi, chief executive officer of the Shrine of the Black Madonna. Mr. Kimathi, who joined a shrine youth group 30 years ago, added, "I think his legacy will be that he founded black liberation theology, the idea that the church could be more relevant to the day-to-day concerns of the community."

The Rev. Jim Holley, pastor of Little Rock Baptist Church in Detroit, said: "He brought a black consciousness to the church community like it never had been brought before. And it translated into politics."

In 1968, Life magazine called Bishop Cleage one of "the men who are speaking to black America," along with Jesse Jackson, Julian bond, Eldridge Cleaver and Dick Gregory.

The bishop was national chairman of the Black Christian Nationalist Church, an umbrella organization for similar churches, and he wrote "The Black Messiah" (1969) and "Black Christian Nationalism"(1972).

Albert Cleage was born in Indianapolis on Jun 13, 1911. his physician father moved the family to Detroit, and in 1937 the son received a sociology degree from Wayne State University. He received a divinity degree from Oberlin College, then served churches in Lexington Ky.; San Francisco; and Springfield, Mass. In 1951, he became pastor of St. Mark's Community Church in Detroit, and two years later he formed the Central United Church of Christ, which later became the shrine.

Though he had believed in integration -- some of the churches he served were racially mixed -- Bishop Cleage came to despair of the hope that whites would ever willingly help blacks advance. He also befriended Malcolm X, the Muslim leader, who had Michigan roots.

Bishop Cleage's vision of a church reemphasized social service programs reached out to young people and marched fr civil rights. He organized black-owned businesses like grocery stores and bookstores, and built hundreds of units of housing.

All this activity made him frightening to many whites.

"When we take over, don't worry," he once responded. "We['ll treat you like you treated us."

He later founded other shrines, including major ones in Atlanta and Houston. Today, Mr. Kimathi said, the church has about 50,000 members nationally.

In the 1970's, Bishop Cleage backed out of the national spotlight to concentrate more on church programs and working with young people. In the late 80's and much of the 90's, he lived in Houston, then returned to Detroit.

Bishop Cleage married Doris Graham in 1943; they divorced in 1955. His survivors include their two daughters, Pearl Cleage of Atlanta and Kristin Williams of Idlewild, Mich.; three sisters; a brother; six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

Albert B. Cleage, Sr 1883 - 1957 - Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-09T09:00:00.008-05:00

My grandfather, Albert B. Cleage Sr. at home -1935

The Devilish Ghost - by Henry Cleage

2011-11-08T00:00:00.005-05:00

It was a marvelous party. It had that nebulous, dreamlike quality that is so mellow. I was tripping daintily across the floor with this mellowness of aspect, when a small table sprang upon my person and bore me to the floor. It was pleasantly surprised to find that the lower level was as thickly populated and as chummy as the upper. George was lying right next to me.

“Hello” I said, “a lovely scrunch.”

“Isn’t it though” said George raising his head to look about.

“Everyone seems to be having a very enjoyable time,” I said.

“Except Snuffy,” said George pointing towards a neglected part of the establishment.

He was right. Snuffy was peering wildly out from behind some draperies.

He obviously wasn’t up to snuff.

“Soon as I rest up,” said George, “I’m gonna crawl over and see what’s up.” He leaned back, tucked a bottle under his head and closed his eyes.

“Allow me,” I said, “I’m rested.

It was a gloomy hole that Snuffy had wormed into. Separated from the larger room by draperies. It was dark and full of shadows. Snuffy was sitting on a couch near the opening so that he could keep an eye on the party. But his eyes had a haunted look, like they had seen too much. Of course I knew personally that they had been around plenty, his eyes I mean, but there was definitely more here than met the eye, speaking of eyes that is to say.

“I’ve got a ghost,” said Snuffy.

“Female?” I asked.

“But talented,” said Snuff looking at me with respect.

I must admit that I was pleased. One must be of a sensitive nature to delve into the mysteries with the nonchalance I had shown. One must have imagination and faith. Also one must have a particularly fine edge on.

“Behold,” said Snuff gesturing largely across the little room.

And there she was, a genuine ghost of absolutely the first water. She was sitting across the room drinking a mellowroony.

She was, as far as I could see, a luscious piece of plunder too. Of course it was all dark and shadows, but her robes and things were draped where they should be draped. It was quite a ghost gown too. Slit up one side about to her… It was beastly dark, as I say, and I couldn’t just say for sure. The gown was very form fitting though and the ghost had no less a fitting form. As a matter of fact, the tiny shaft of light that lay across that slit in her gown rested upon a limb that was surprisingly lifelike. But that cape gave her away. That was a ghost cape if I ever saw one.

Immediately I realized the dire potentialities of the situation. At a party like this where all is fellowship and noble sentiment, a ghost with a silted ghost gown has no place, especially if she also has a genuine ghost cape with a hood, yet. Snuffy and I must protect the party, or vice versa.

But I wasn’t happy. The party was showing admirable reserve strength as it swung into the stretch. A lovely thing was doing a picturesque number on top of the piano. Across the room George, apparently refreshed, was reaching great heights with his speech on fellowship. Louis was standing before an Italian mirror, in a Mexican Sombrero, reciting German poetry. And I was tied up, in a manner of speaking, with a ghost. Giving my all—understand—for the group.

To top it all, Snuffy was well in was well in his cups and having difficulty remaining awake. The ghost was not far behind, speaking of cups. I was desperate. That beautiful bit of talent on top of the piano needed me, I felt. I couldn’t place her but that gown fascinated me. A bit of ribbon here, a bit there and neither definitely here or there – understand.

I took desperate measures. I marched right up to the ghost.

“Pffft, disappear,” I intoned whilst making mysterious motions with my hands. Motions a ghost would understand, mind.

But she wasn’t having any. She offered me a drink of mellowroony, which I accepted with a certain dignity and toddled back to my seat.

I was about to descend into a quandary when a nudge from Snuffy rescued me. I looked up. Our ghost was upon us.

“She must not pass,” said Snuff.

The ghost had no intentions of passing. She fixed us with those eyes and slowly raised her arms.

In those ghost capes and hoods she presented a most disheartening picture. The room was full of darkness and despair with her just sitting there, but now it had gone hog wild. It was as if some giant vulture had come among us. As she hovered there she seemed to expand until she filled every corner of the room. I was about to give her more room by leaving, when she spoke.

“Pfffffft,” she said. She looked like the devil.

“Vamoose,” she hissed.

It was rather a nasty shock. Being uncertain as to the powers of ghosts filled with mellowroonys, I quickly looked to see if Snuffy was still one of us. He was and I was relieved. Snuffy seemed relieved too. We three looked at each other. An impasse seemed to be reached.

Our ghost took in her stride though. She sad down between us and cuddled up against my shoulder. Snuffy cuddled against hers. I was perturbed.

“Snuff,” I bellowed, thinking to keep him awake with conversation.

“Ummmm,” he replied.

“That girl on the piano with that gown, who is she?”

Snuffy and the ghost leaned forward to the opening and directed four beery eyes upon the piano and then fell back heavily to their former positions.

“Girl from the show,” said Snuff “George brung em.”

“Oh. And it ain’t no gown,” said Snuff fast loosing consciousness.

No?”

“It’s her costume, they didn’t change”.

“They?” I asked pointedly.

“Two girls,” he said heavily, “From a skit called Flesh and …” here Snuff gave it up. He snuggled close to the ghost and put that devilish cape over his head and began to snore softly.

“Flesh and what,” I shouted hoping to arouse him. But I was let alone with a ghost with a slit in her gown.

I was beat – in a quandary-frantic. This ghost was so permanent and so heavy. The way she was leaning on my shoulder it wouldn’t be long before she had overcome me with sheer weight. What to do? Would I have to scream for help?

I was interrupted from my fast approaching neurosis by a giggle erupting from my left ear.

“Flesh and the Devil,” my ghost confided in rare good humor.

“Didn’t you notice my devil’s costume?”

She held up that devilish cape.

*****

Henry wrote this story about 1943. The photo at the top of Henry and someone I will try to find the name of was taken during 1943. I looked up the drink "Mellowroony" and came up with the song "Cement Mixer" which you can hear near the end of this clip. I had never heard of Slim Gaillard before but I think his performance fits in with the story. And he grew up in Detroit.

Henry's Diary Part 2 - 1936 with photos from the Black Album

2011-11-07T09:11:00.001-05:00

While looking over Henry's Diary 1936 post I realized that I had left out the last entries. I offer them here. The photographs are from the same time period in the little Black Album full of contact photos.
There are a few words I couldn't make out, but the gist of it comes through. You can find other posts about Henry at Henry's Diary 1936, Follow up on Henry's Diary, Just Tell The Men - a short story by Henry Cleage and another short story Positive Proof.

Henry

_______________

March 10   Nothing - home
did find accounting problem. Brewer said three openings to
Nacerema - invited me - Daddy not enthusiastic - social club, not for student at school - Brewer said that Alpha's taking a batch - advised me to pay some on my back fees.

March 11 school & home -
Rained - cold. tomorrow
two tests Friday - history & accounting.

March 12 Found out from kid no test in History tomorrow, just in accounting. he had better be right- However I have studied History for a quiz (oral) tomorrow - I will study accounting during two vacants tomorrow - I hope Mama & Daddy have gone to Boulé "Keno" party -now about 1:00 a.m. going to bed.

March 13   Fri - after school (8:30) not enough money to go to the show, so I waited in Union till 7 o'clock class!
Went over to Margaret's tonite - walked home with Elmo, Marion, Micky

March 14   had tooth treated - hair cut -

Mama and Daddy

March 15 Went to shine meeting with Brewer, argument whether to get Laertes or Gloster for Dexus Desus - Laertes
Everyone all bothered about going into fraternity.
took car to Neil Hendersons tonight. took so long they were mad.

March 16 Went to show tonite and saw two good pictures - Old Kentucky Will Rodgers, Bill Robinson - & Whipsaw - Myrna Loy and Spencer Tracy

March 17 Hygiene class went to Resdon's Creamery - again I collected fares.
Nothing of import

Henry in checkered suit

March 18 Late for History Lecture.
Tonite I went to show and saw "Man who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo" (Ronald Coleman) and "Remember Last Nite?" Robert Young.
Met Winafred DeGrasse at show -

March 19 Hygiene class didn't meet so I didn't got to school till 2:30 -

March 20 Accounting class didn't meet.
I & Clark went up to do our geology lab work, but teacher had neglected to leave questions so came home with Clark.
tonight started to show with Bill Mitches after my 7 - 9 class - changed my mind
Paper due for English next week.

March 21 Sat. Done nothing but work on accounting all day -
am supposed to go to alpha meeting tomorrow to answer some questions.
Again at 3:00 o'clock all ? excited about being made - few will be made

Henry and Oscar

I could if I had the entrance fee, I think.

March 25
My birthday - 20

June 14
Went to Carolyn's house with Bassset in someone's Model A Ford - and Gene (a boy from Carolina) Oscar went with us the first time But Carolyn wasn't home- she left a note for me (see note) - came back on west side and let Oscar out, he was mad!!!!!
went back to Carolyn's (she was home) - Basset left and said he would come back for me-
Carolyn and I became better acquainted ---
Basset came at about 11:15 and we came home.

June 15
Went to Velma's - and not sure whether or not we have a real date sunday or not ??? - am supposed to have a date too with Nancy and Carolyn too_

Older brothers Toddy and Louis

I meant to have my tooth pulled today but decided to wait until after the St. Matthew's Moonlight July 6.
(I must learn to dance) and get some ? I got and get a job.

June 16
Nothing - had dentist fix a molar - said back Sat at 11 and he would fill it.
Played ball and went to bed.

June 20
Went to Carolyn's - talked from 6 to 9:30 - some kids came over - Matthews, ?, Charlotte, etc -
Toddy and Louis came over so I left -

Went by Velma's - we did have a date - she expected me.

June 21
Took Velma for a short ride - Mabel fixed it - !!

June 27
Went to Carolyn's - me and Toddy took her and Clara ? & Wilberforce for a ride.-

August 29 Meadows
Arrived at meadows at about 7:30 (getting dark) Had seen Velma before I left - I have her ring now -
after had gotten our trunk in - we went down to creek - other's brought some wood up and started a fire - I stayed down watching the creek and the farm - as it was dark they worried and came and got me.

August 30 Meadows
Sunday Richard's club gave a picnic- we played ball off and on all day. Daddy came out and brought Bobby - wrote two letters - Velma and Carolyn. Bobby deliver them.

At the Meadows

Last night when the others were in bed Morrow, George, Paul, Hugh and I sat around camp fire and sang - Nice but a little chilly
(Benard's parents came out)

August 31 Meadows
After breakfast some of us went swimming - after that we all worked on a raft till dinner - chopped heavy logs from a fallen tree - tied together with grape vines and barrel wire - after dinner went & christened it "Froggy Bottom" & launched it - it immediately sank - logs were too heavy - were we mortified - the same group sat around the campfire again sang after dark.

September 1 Meadows
"Gee! but I'm blue, and so lonely, I don't know what to do, but dream of you!" (a song I like to sing out here)

Hugh fishing

Boys are playing horse shoes just after dinner - we fished and swam today - George caught a pretty large bass and I, trying to throw him across river to Morroco - threw him in.
I like to get on the hill and look down towards the creek in the evening and watch - The other nite I was there, Morroco, George, Hugh and Benard were chopping wood. Louis and Paul were sitting farther down the hill with their arms full of wood - It was almost nite - The faint light from the west gave the scene an surreal quality -
The grass uneven, the rolling land, the giant trees, the creek, all outlined in this light and the boys too reminded me of an illustration in the book "Tom Browns School Days."

Memories of Alice - 5 Family Members in 3 Generations Remember

2011-11-06T09:57:00.001-05:00

Alice and Daisy during a family trip to Bob-lo Island - 1961

I restrained myself from adding facts or "correcting memories". I appreciate my relatives for sharing their memories with me! You can read other posts about Alice here - Just The Facts - A Time Line for Alice, Finding Alice and More About Alice. I wonder what people will remember about me when I'm gone.

Doris Graham Cleage
Alice only worked a little while. She had problems getting along with people. Grandmother Turner was eventually senile. Died of a stroke at 83 or so.

Whenever Daisy really considered leaving, Grandmother did the old guilt trick "How can you leave me to take car of Alice all by myself?" Alice spent years taking care of her while Daisy worked. She and Alice would buy us dainty, expensive little dresses from Siegel's or Himelhoch's. They all went to church every Sunday. Plymouth. While they lived with us I remember violent arguments between Alice and I don't know who - either Grandmother or Daisy or Mother. Certainly not Daddy because when he spoke it was like who (?) in the Bible who said, "When I say go, they goeth. When I say come, they cometh."

Maybe here a word about Aunt Daisy. Look at her picture, sweet, soft, pretty, taught school awhile in Montgomery (with high school diploma) loved Congregational preacher named Duncan Erby who loved her and waited for her for years. Had a church in Buffalo, NY. Whenever she really considered leaving, Grandmother did the old guilt trick "How can you leave me to take car of Alice all by myself?" and "No man in this world is good enough to touch your little finger. They are all no good except (maybe) Shell." and Daisy listened and stayed and played numbers, studied dream books and drank a little apricot brandy. I always found their house light, cheerful, full of magazines (McCall's, Journal, etc.) which I loved to read, full of good things to eat. All three were super cooks and they had always just had a bunch of friends to dinner and to play cards or just about to have.

Kris (Me)
By 1961 both Alice’s mother and sister Daisy were dead. Alice moved in with my grandparents, Fannie and Mershell. Soon after Alice was diagnosed with schizophrenia. We sometimes heard her talking to people who weren't there. She spent several years in the Ypsilanti mental hospital before moving back with my grandparents. Alice and Aunt Abbie shared a room. Alice wasn't always clean and still seemed distracted. I don't have many memories of Alice. She was small. She was quiet and she was there. I don't remember ever having a conversation with her. Once I was visiting my mother with my daughter Jilo before we left Detroit and I learned it was Alice’s birthday and nothing special was planned. I suggested we go get her a cake and have a little party for her, which we did. It seemed very sad that her birthday was going to pass without anything.

After my grandparents died in 1973 and 1974 Alice was moved into a senior home. I was no longer living in Detroit. My mother told me Alice wanted to move back home, that she imagined she was 35 and pregnant. Alice never married and never had any children. I never even heard of a boyfriend.

In 1975, on a trip to Detroit I visited her with my two daughters who were 2 and 4 years old. She was happy to see us and enjoyed seeing my daughters. My mother moved to Idlewild soon after and it was the last time I saw Alice, although she lived another 18 years. She was cremated and her ashes were buried in her mother's grave in Detroit Memorial Cemetery.

Pearl
All I remember is when we used to go over to Daisy and Alice's house when Grandmother Turner was alive and then, I think, a couple of times after she died. I remember the food being amazing. One time, they had cooked okra and tomatoes and I thought I didn't like okra and Alice or Daisy said to me: you'll like our okra. And it was great! Not slimy or anything. I admired that. I also remember they used to play cards with their friends from Anis Furs and Daisy was the life of the party, according to Alice, who always seemed to be right next to Daisy, in the kitchen, in the house. She seemed to be very comfortable and happy. Quiet, though. then, of course, i remember when Daisy died and Alice didn't tell anybody for a couple of days.

I remember they always gave us "Evening in Paris" cologne in those dark blue bottles. I remember they always had nice handkerchiefs up their sleeve with flowers on them. Dainty little women's hankies. And sensible shoes with chunky heels. After daisy died, Alice just seemed to fold into herself. I'm sure she missed their own life since there was no card playing and drinking of sherry at Nanny & Poppy's house. She's the mystery woman in the family. Makes me kind of sad that we didn't know her better, but we were kids. They seemed ancient to us and now when I realize how old they were and old we are.... well, don't get me started down that road!

Dee Dee
GOD bless Alice! She was a sweet lady, but Alice had mental challenges. She was diagnosed schizophrenic in a time when it was a blemish on your family if you had someone who was mentally ill.

Nanny and Poppy didn't want her to be institutionalized so they kept her with them and made sure she took her meds. She lived with her sister, Aunt Daisy until Daisy died. That's when she came to live with Nanny and Poppy. When Alice didn't take her meds, she could get pretty crazy. For example, I remember one day when she was sitting at the dining room table and we were all having Sunday dinner. She started talking to those people we couldn't see. Poppy made her leave the table and go to her room. I was a little girl but I remember how sternly he spoke to her and told her she had to go to her room if she kept acting up. Alice went up the Theodore stairs begrudgingly and I remember wondering who she was talking to like that, cuz it was obvious she wasn't talking to us. But mostly I remembered the tone of Poppy's voice and when he spoke sternly like that, you knew to do exactly what he said,...... or else!

Alice was a kind person, but I used to hear her talking to herself on occasions when I was young. I also remember visiting Aunt Alice and Aunt Daisy at Daisy's house. Aunt Daisy worked at that famous bakery in Detroit that went out of business. I wish I could remember the name of it. But they made this butter cream and chocolate cake that was the best cake I have ever tasted in my entire life and Aunt Daisy always had that cake at her house. She and Alice also made the best homemade Eggnog (with alcohol in it for the adults) and plain for us kids. And she always had a box of Sees Candy on the living room table available for guests.

Alice was always a little frumpy looking, in my eyes, and had a little bit of a mean spirit sometimes. When she was on her meds she was quiet and kind, but when she had a bad day she could be sarcastic and angry. She and Poppy seemed to have a love/hate relationship. I think Poppy took her in because he loved Nanny so much and Nanny wasn't going to let her sister be put into an asylum. But Alice used to mumble about Poppy under her breath and I used to hear her fussing to herself when he gave her orders. She did what she was told, but she didn't like it. Nanny kept her clothes and had her helping her in the kitchen most of the time when I was over there. Nanny used to say that Alice was born when her mother was going through the change in life and that was why she was the way she was. That's how she explained it to me. But she wasn't slow or retarded. Nanny never said it, but I learned later in life that she was schizophrenic.

Mama said when I was a baby Alice used to complain that I was too dark and my nose was too wide. Once Mary V said she caught her bending over my crib and putting a clothespin on my nose. Mama asked her what she was doing and she told mama she should keep the clothespin on my nose to make it more slender. I think that was another issue, not having to do with mental disease but more with racist disease.

Alice died in an old age home. Mom was supposed to take care of her and see about her, but she rarely visited Alice. Once, when I was in Detroit, I went to see her and she kept calling me Mary V. After a while I stopped correcting her. She was obviously getting very senile and I'm sure she couldn't relate to the fact that little Dee Dee had grown into a woman.

Funny the things we remember about people. I think she told me that people kept stealing her radio and going through her things at the retirement home. It was hard to know if that was true or if it was part of her illness. I did report it to mom. I never have trusted those homes and I still have not recovered from the fact that my mom died after being placed in one of those facilities. I think it takes your will to live away.

So that's what I remember about Aunt Alice.

Binky
Children always see things so differently...I remember the close relationship that Nanny and Aunt Alice had. They appeared to be the best of friends. Aunt Alice always had a smile on her face and didn't let things get to her. She took directions from Nanny with ease and quickly followed them, for example assisting with prepping vegetables for the meal, cleaning up around the home. I recall thinking that she was always working and deserved a day off (smile). She was very gentle with my brother and I and would give us the biggest hugs. She was soft spoken and a women a few words. I never knew exactly what she was thinking, because she appeared to keep a lot to herself. I didn't know that she and Nanny were sisters until I was an adult and she was gone. When we would visit at the home, I recalled thinking how cool it was that the two of them got to stay in the same nursing facility - they had each other. I didn't like the home at all...Nanny seemed so sad being there, missing Poppy....but Aunt Alice would make me smile, she appeared optimistic and still had her calm demeanor. I loved Aunt Alice, she exuded a constant display of calm, helpfulness that made you feel welcome and cared for.

Henry Cleage playing the cello - 1970

2011-11-04T22:56:00.002-04:00

As soon as I saw this weeks prompt for Sepia Saturday, I thought of this photograph. I decided to revisit an old post from Henry's journal, written during several months of 1936, where he mentions playing the bass at a club.

January 11

Awoke to find that I had lost 2 dollars very depressed. Wrote on theme. Played tonight at Quinn’s Lone Pine with Duke Conte, played bass, terrible night. Fingers sore. Noticed how good-looking Lene is... Ought to throw a line - Police stopped us at about 1:00AM. No permit to play until two. I was glad. Very animal acting bunch in River Rouge. Most of them seem friendly though.

January 12

Played matinee dance at Elks rest with Heckes, Toddy and Bill - Dracee's band came in and sat in awhile (no trouble) Kenneth was there. Too tired and sleepy to study history. Get up early tomorrow (no English) Toddy is going downtown to get some books is supposed to get me ‘American Tragedy” and ‘Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations”

January 13

Haliver Greene died this morning -spinal meningitis. Didn’t get up early to study History, however there was no class - lecture tomorrow so I won’t slide, tonight. Toddy bought back two books about lives of Educators (putrid!!) only 25 cents a piece though - awfully windy out today-not so cold thought - like March. I would like to have been in the country, wrapped up good, walking into the wind at the Meadows, down the road towards the sand pile or over the hill to the creek - zest, spice, life, health, clear eye, firm step and all that sort of thing.

January 14

Cold out this morning although it became somewhat spring like after school. Went to show after school. Another big fight this morning, I think they think I skip classes because I am sleepy, nonsense. Bought ‘Bartlett’s Quotations” $1.53. Seems worthwhile. Read one of dictator books - Good - tonight as I was going to the store the weather brought memories of spring. Roller-skating in street, if not roller skating then walking. Everybody walking and friendly. The crowd at Krueger’s and the tent. Perhaps riding through Belle isle – water, boats.

To read more of Henry's journal go to Henry Cleage's Journal - 1936. For a followup with more information about the band go to Follow up on Henry's Diary. For more musical (or not) Sepia Saturday offerings click HERE.

More about Alice (Wright) Turner

2011-11-04T16:22:00.005-04:00

Alice - 1935 Detroit, Michigan

Alice was my grandmother, Fannie's yougest sister. I knew that Alice was my grandmother's half sister and had a different father but all I'd ever heard was what my mother wrote me about him,

"Grandmother stayed single until she was about 37 or 38 when she married someone Mother hated - looked Italian, hardly ever worked. Liked a good time. Fathered Alice and left when she was very small. Somehow when mother spoke of him I had the feeling he would have like to have taken advantage of her. She was about 20 and had given up two college scholarships to stay and help Grandmother."

And then his name on the chart my mother wrote out for me that has "Wright" squeezed in after my great grandmother Jennie's name. At one time I was hopeful of finding him with the family in the 1910 census since Alice was born in 1908 in Montgomery. But, no, he was already gone. I looked for Wright's nearby and there was a Sallie Wright on the same page but I couldn't find any connection to her and a Mr. Wright. I sent for Alice's death certificate and her social security application hoping for more information about Mr. Wright.

I received the Death Certificate first. My Aunt Mary V. was the informant. I saw that Alice's father's name was given as "Howard Wright". I doubted it. Jennie Allen Turner Wright's first husband was Howard Turner. Possibly Mary V. didn't remember his actual name and so put in Howard. I looked for Howard Wright and found none born in North Carolina and in Alabama during the time.

A few days ago Alice's Social Security Application arrived. It looks like my grandmother Fannie helped or corrected Alice's form. By the time she filled this out, Alice's mother and other sister, Daisy, were dead. She was living with my grandparents, Fannie and Mershell Graham, on Theodore. Her schizophenia had been recognized or surfaced and perhaps she applied in order to receive social security payments since she had not worked under social security. At any rate, there is a whole name on the form - John W. Wright. I looked for him and found a few John W. Wrights born in NC in Montgomery and the right age range, but no marriage record and never with my great grandmother. The search continues.

Checking in at "Winter Wonderland"

2011-11-03T17:28:00.001-04:00

While looking through newspaper archives awhile ago, I unexpectedly found an article with a photograph of my mother. In the photograph below she is seated at the table checking people into the dance. I looked for a photograph of the hotel where the dance was held and the old postcard. Next I looked for something about The Girl Friends Society. I had no luck at first. Items about the Girls Friendly Society kept turning up and it wasn't the same group. After I dropped "Society" in my search, I found several things, including the history of the group below with a link to their website. The Springfield, Mass. Chapter was founded in 1935 and they celebrated their 75th Anniversary in 2010.

I never knew my mother to be part of any posh groups so this was all news to me. In February of 1951, my father was pastor of St. John's Congregational Church in Springfield. I was 4 and my sister had just turned 2 in December. We moved to Detroit in the Fall of that year.

"Checking in at the "Winter Wonderland - Wonderland-shown above, at the 15th annual charity cabaret dance, held last night at the Hotel Kimball by the Springfield Chapter of the Girl Friends Society of America, are, left to right, Mrs. Doris Cleage, chairman of the ticket committee, Miss Helen DuBose and Harold Edmonds.Nearly 150 patrons of the Society's charities attended the dance, which the Springfield Girl Friends termed the "Winter Wonderland." Dancing was to the music of Lenwood Cook's Seven Sharps.

The Springfield chapter has a membership of 12, including Mrs. J. Clifford Clarkson, president: Mrs Nello Greene, vice-president; Mrs. Marian Kennedy secretary; Mrs Irttle Funn, treasurer: Mrs. Hazel Fitch corresponding secretary; and Mrs. Doris Cleage, parliamentarian. Other members are Mrs. Maude Boone, Mrs. Cordella Clarke, Mrs Evelyn Delworth, Mrs. Charlotte McGoddwin, Mrs. Melle TAylor and Mrs. Theda Wilson.

"Hotel Kimball Springfield, Massachusetts. Ranks with the finest in the country. A magnificant hotel, modern and metropolitan in every appointment."

The History of The Girl Friends®, Inc.

* Founded during the Harlem Renaissance in 1927 by eleven young women based on friendship and community involvement

* One of the oldest social/civic organizations of African-American women in the United States

* Incorporated in 1938 under the legal guidance of Baltimore attorney Thurgood Marshall (spouse of Girl Friend Vivian Marshall)

* Founders of the organization were Eunice Shreeves, Lillie Mae Riddick, Henri Younge, Elnorist Younge, Thelma Whittaker, Dorothy Roarke, Helen Hayes, Connye Cotterell, Rae O. Dudley, Anna S. Murphy and Ruth Byrd

* Bessye Bearden, newspaper columnist, civic leader and mother of celebrated artist, Romare Bearden, served as the groups chaperone and advisor.

* Currently there are 45 chapters across the country, and over 1400 women of prominence in membership

*The first chapter expansion was in 1928 with the formation of the Philadelphia chapter, with Baltimore (1930), Boston (1931) and New Jersey (1932) and New Haven (1932) soon added

*The first Conclave (national meeting of chapters) was hosted by New York in 1933

*Organization colors are apple and emerald green, its flower is the Marshall Neal rose (now called the yellow tea rose)

*Since those formative years, the chain of friendship has grown to embrace a continent. Girl Friends have founded schools, headed colleges, earned all manners of academic and professional degrees, written books, headed their own businesses, saved lives, been elected to Congress and named to the cabinet of the US President. They have also been devoted wives, mothers, sisters and friends, and involved members of their communities.

*Currently there are 45 chapters across the country, and over 1400 women in membership.

Louise and Ronnie

2011-11-02T09:38:00.002-04:00

Louise and Ronnie - Chicago

Progress on the dollhouse

2011-10-31T19:16:00.001-04:00

Since posting on the dollhouse last week slow but steady progress has been made. Jim took over the sanding and glueing.

Jim begins some serious sanding.

Sanding the floor. I don't think this wood has been paint free since before the dollhouse was built.

The back has been removed.

Almost free of paint and ready for cracks and holes to be filled.

Jim filled the cracks down the side between the two pieces of wood Poppy put together with spackling paste. He filled some holes in the wood in too.

The dollhouse sits clamped and drying.

I have not been just twiddling my thumbs while Jim works on the house. I've gone through what was left from my children's dollhouse days and collected a few things.

Free samples of "Allure Resilient Plank Flooring" from Home Depot that I am going to cut down to dollhouse size planks for wood floors and tile squares for the kitchen.

Muslin for curtains. I will do some folding paper window shades for some windows.

The old wood stove is the only original furnishing. It needs to be polished and also needs covers for top. The tea set I bought years ago at a dollar store. I didn't realize I was collecting things for when I fixed up the house. The bottle caps are newly collected for future pies. The little chest is from my children's day.

A rocking chair I made for my kids dollhouse. A cream holder I saved a few years ago because it looked like a dollhouse sized waste basket. A box of National Geographic magaziness my daughter made long ago and some books I made last week from free printies and styrofoam. Behind all is a cabinet I bought cheap at Michael's several years ago because it looked like it needed a dollhouse to be in.

Acorn caps from our bountiful supply that will be sanded to sit flat as wooden bowls. A plastic case for gum massagers that looks like a future laptop to me.

This egg carton plastic will be cut down and made into window greenhouses for the kitchen.

Dr. Albert B. Cleage and Miss Pearl D. Reed were married at noon Thursday...

2011-10-30T21:05:00.004-04:00

My grandmother, Pearl Doris Reed, was born in Lebanon, Kentucky in 1886. She the youngest of the seven children of Anna Allen Reed. Pearl's father was Buford Averitt, a white physician. By 1888 Pearl's oldest brother, George, had moved to Indianapolis Indiana to work at Van Camps cannery. The rest of the family soon followed.

My grandfather Albert Buford Cleage, Sr was born in Louden, Tennessee in 1883. He was the youngest of the five children of Louis and Celia (Rice) Cleage. The family eventually moved to Athens Tennessee. In 1906 he graduated from Knoxville College and moved to Indianapolis to attend Purdue University College of Medicine. Three of his older siblings were already there. He moved in with his brother Jacob and his wife Gertrude. His brother Henry also lived in the house.

Albert and Pearl met at church. They both signed the petition to organize a United Presbyterian Church on April 30, 1907. Pearl sang in the church choir and also at community and church events. By the time I heard her sing she had a frail, old voice. I wish I could have heard her back in her prime. In 1907 Pearl was 21. Albert was 24.

The courtship lasted for three years. Pearl's mother was against the relationship because she thought Albert was "too dark". Of course this caused problems with them meeting and going anywhere together. Many letters were exchanged and they met at church functions. Their houses were about 2.3 miles apart. It was a straight trolley ride down N. Illinois in those days. Today that would be a 23 minute ride by bus. I imagine it took a bit longer by trolley in the early 1900s.

As Albert neared the end of his course of study, his thoughts turned to where he would practice and to their marriage. They set the date for October, 1910. He graduated in June and as an intern was appointed to the City Hospital. On September 2 he received his Physicians License and on September 29, 1910 Albert and Pearl applied for a marriage license. On October 2, 1910 they were married in a quiet ceremony at Pearl's house. The Indianapolis Star column "News of Colored Folk" contained this item,

"In the presence of relatives and immediate friends of the two families Dr. Albert B. Cleage, Intern at the City Dispensary and Miss Pearl D. Reed, 2730 Kenwood Avenue were married at noon Thursday. The Rev. D.F. White of the Witherspoon United Presbyterian Church officiated. Immediately after the ceremony Dr. and Mrs. Cleage left on their wedding tour, during which they will visit the Appalachian Exposition at Knoxville, Tenn., and points farther south." The points farther south would have been his family's home in Athens, Tennessee.

Another piece News of Colored Folk, dated Oct. 2, 1910 said, "The Witherspoon United Presbyterian Church and Sunday school gave a linen shower Friday evening in honor of Dr. and Mrs. Albert Cleage at the home of Mr. and Mrs. R.A. Kelley 1917 Highland Place. Dr. and Mrs. Cleage have returned recently from their bridal trip to Knoxville, Tenn, and are at home at 913 Fayette street."

The add in the lower corner of the collage above has several pictures of women in traveling suits and big hats. The photograph of my grandmother over it shows her wearing a similar suit and hat, although not quite as flamboyant. Although this photograph was taken later in 1910 at a medical convention, I imagine this is the outfit she wore for her wedding tour. The little blue house is the one they came home to on Fayette street and the photo in the corner shows two women and my grandfather and my very happy looking grandmother at the medical convention later that year.

My grandparents ended up in Detroit where my grandfather practiced medicine and they raised their seven children. They were together 46 years, until my grandfather's death in 1956. There are 9 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren and 20 great great grandchildren. We've spread out over the United States and Canada.

This is a Sepia Saturday offering and an entry in the Fall Marriages Genealogy Carnival.

Unknown Man on Unknown Road - Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-26T18:50:00.002-04:00

Mershell C. Graham on the Porch - Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-26T18:33:00.002-04:00

My grandfather, Mershell C. Graham sitting on the porch railing of his unofficially adopted families home in Montgomery, Alabama in the early 1900s. Mary Graham seated in the rocker and her son Cliff seated on the stairs.

The Ancestors' Geneameme

2011-10-17T20:51:00.002-04:00

Inspired by Angela Y. Walton-Raji over at My Ancestor's Name, I finally did The Ancestor's Geneameme. It was started by Geniaus several days ago.
The list should be annotated in the following manner:
Things you have already done or found: bold face type
Things you would like to do or find: italicize (color optional)
Things you haven’t done or found and don’t care to: plain type
You are encouraged to add extra comments in brackets after each item
Which of these apply to you?

The Ancestors' Geneameme
1. Can name my 16 great-great-grandparents.
I can name 12.5. Robert ALLEN, Clara HOSKINS, John AVERITT, Elizabeth Marshall TUCKER, Frank CLEAGE, Judy CLEAGE, ? RICE (He's the 1/2), Joseph JACKSON, PRISSA JACKSON, Joe TURNER, Emma JONES, Dock ALLEN, Eliza WILLIAMS.
2. Can name over 50 direct ancestors. [yes]
3. Have photographs or portraits of my 8 great-grandparents [I have photos of two.]

Celia Rice Cleage & Jennie V. Allen Turner

4. Have an ancestor who was married more than three times.
One had 4 different partners but was not married to all of them.
5. Have an ancestor who was a bigamist [No.]
6. Met all four of my grandparents [Yes. I grew up in the same city with them and saw them often. Two lived until I was in my twenties and One lived until I was 35.]
7. Met one or more of my great-grandparents [Met one, Jennie Virginia Allen Turner. The others died before I was born.]
8. Named a child after an ancestor [All of my children have a family name and an African name.]
9. Bare an ancestor's given name/s [No but I do have my mother's maiden name as a middle name, as did several cousins.]
10. Have an ancestor from Great Britain or Ireland [Yes]
11. Have an ancestor from Asia [Well, 23 & me says I do]
12. Have an ancestor from Continental Europe [Not that I'm aware of]
13. Have an ancestor from Africa [Yes]
14. Have an ancestor who was an agricultural labourer [Yes]
15. Have an ancestor who had large land holdings [Joe Turner owned a lot of land but I don't know how much. Need to find those records.]
16. Have an ancestor who was a holy man - minister, priest, rabbi [As far as I know, none before my father. The Grandparents did start some churches though.]
17. Have an ancestor who was a midwife [No. I used to want to be a midwife though.]
18. Have an ancestor who was an author [None before my father and sister]
19. Have an ancestor with the surname Smith, Murphy or Jones [Emma Jones Turner]
20. Have an ancestor with the surname Wong, Kim, Suzuki or Ng [No]
21. Have an ancestor with a surname beginning with X [No]
22. Have an ancestor with a forename beginnining with Z [No]
23. Have an ancestor born on 25th December [My grandfather Mershell C. Graham did not know the day he was born and picked December 25.]
24. Have an ancestor born on New Year's Day [Nobody in my tree was born January 1.]
25. Have blue blood in your family lines [No royality]
26. Have a parent who was born in a country different from my country of birth [No]
27. Have a grandparent who was born in a country different from my country of birth[No]
28. Can trace a direct family line back to the eighteenth century [Yes]
29. Can trace a direct family line back to the seventeenth century or earlier [No]
30. Have seen copies of the signatures of some of my great-grandparents [yes]
31. Have ancestors who signed their marriage certificate with an X [Yes]
32. Have a grandparent or earlier ancestor who went to university [Yes Grandfather Albert B. Cleage Sr. & Great Grandfather Buford Averitt, both finished Medical School.

33. Have an ancestor who was convicted of a criminal offense [Great Grandfather Lewis Cleage spent time in jail for various minor offenses. Other non-direct ancestors spent time in prison.]
34. Have an ancestor who was a victim of crime [Great grandmother Jennie Allen Turner had her land stolen after her husband died. Not to mention those held in slavery for generations.]
35. Have shared an ancestor's story online or in a magazine [My blogs has\ve several. More to come.]
36. Have published a family history online or in print [The blogs are sort of a serial history but I hope to do a more organized one, perhaps next year I will start]
37. Have visited an ancestor's home from the 19th or earlier centuries [No, but if any are still standing would love to.]
38. Still have an ancestor's home from the 19th or earlier centuries in the family [No]
39. Have a family bible from the 19th Century [Not a family Bible but I have a pocket New Testament that came to my grandfather, Mershell Graham through his brother Jacob who got it from his doctor who was gifted it by relatives in 1875.]

40. Have a pre-19th century family bible [No]

The Dollhouse Poppy Made Me

2011-10-14T22:46:00.001-04:00

The dollhouse Poppy, my grandfather made me in the 1950s when I was 9 years old was the envy of my sister and cousins in it's prime. A few days ago I read on The Magpies Nest about her project to fix up her daughter's old doll house and it inspired me to do the same with mine. I asked my husband to dig it out of the long, narrow closet where it has been for the past 4 years. Poor house! It went through my childhood and then my children's childhoods and being stored for years and years and it is much the worse for wear. Right now the poor dollhouse looks like one of those falling-to-pieces houses. Houses with a grand past that have been divided into rooming houses or just left to rot.

I have started my rehab by tearing off the contact paper wallpaper and removing the third story where the wood was rotting and scrubbing the whole thing down. I want to keep the gist of the house but make some changes I've always wanted to make, like adding stairs and returning it to the two-sided access dollhouse it used to be. I will post more photos as the work progresses.

There is a box of furnishings that I haven't had the heart to look at yet. I doubt if any of my original furnishings have survived this long but I hope there are some good pieces in there.

Seamstresses at Annis Furs - Sepia Saturday

2011-10-07T21:34:00.002-04:00

Seamstresses at Annis Furs in Downtown Detroit. Taken in the 1920's. My great grandmother, Jennie Virginia Allen turner is in the second row, far left. Her daughter Alice is next to her. Skip the next woman and her daughter Daisy is there, 4th from the left. The three of them got jobs at Annis Furs soon after moving to Detroit from Montgomery, Alabama about 1924. I remember a little teddy bear Daisy made for my younger cousin Marilyn Elkins out of scraps of real fur. To read more about my Great Grandmother Turner, click Jennie Virginia Allen Turner.

Below is a photograph from the Burton collection at the Detroit Public Library. The Annis Fur Company is in the corner building. Although this was taken in 1917 I think the area looked pretty much the same 7 years later. To see a photograph of the Woodward Ave in 1910 click at Shorpy. You can see Annis Fur Post and Grinell Bros Pianos on the left, looking down the crowded street, past the Eureka Vacuum sign.

For more photos of crowds of women and other fascinating subjects, click Sepia Saturday.

The Illustrated News - Walk to Freedom

2011-09-30T16:27:00.004-04:00

When I saw that an illustrated weekly was the prompt for this week, I knew I had to post something about The Illustrated News. The Illustrated News was published during the earlier 1960s by my father's family and family friends. Two of his brothers, Henry and Hugh, started a printing business because the family was always looking for ways to be economically independent. The main business was printing handbills for small grocery stores. And they started several newspapers. First they did The Metro but the one I remember best is The Illustrated News. It was printed on pink paper (that was what was left over after printing the handbills) and distributed to churches and barber shops around the inner city. Some people had subscriptions. My father wrote many of the lead articles. My Uncle Louis wrote Smoke Rings, which was always on the back page. Billy Smith took most of the photographs.

I just picked a random issue from June 24, 1963. The focus is on the Walk To Freedom which took place in support of the people in the south who were fighting for equality. I was a high school junior at the time and I remember the crowds and crowds of people downtown for the march. It was very well organized and as the main march went up Woodward, to Cobo Hall, the side streets, filled with people who joined as the march went by. Estimates of the number went from 100,000 to 200,000. It was an amazing feeling to be in a peaceful crowd, most dressed in their Sunday best, marching for FREEDOM NOW! At the end of the newsletter there are several photographs from the day of the march. To see other illustrated blog posts for Sepia Saturday, click HERE.

My father is in the second row, third from the right.

My grandfather (poppy) has his finger by his nose, my uncle Hugh smiling with the glasses next to him and my maternal grandmother smiling with the hat on. Older people who couldn't walk all that way in the huge crowd went in earlier and got good seats. I don't remember where I was sitting.

My father giving them hell about conditions in Detroit in 1963. The finally unplugged his mike to shut him up.

Gamma Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha - 1926 - Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-28T16:31:00.002-04:00

My grandfather, Albert B. Cleage Sr is 5th from the left, top row. Dr. Ames, who I talked about here Births, Deaths,Doctors and Detroit - Part 2- The Doctors & Detroit in the 1920s is 7th from the left in the 3rd row down.

Gamma Lamda Chapter

Alpha Phi Alpha

Fraternity

Detroit, Mich 1926

My 23andme DNA Test Results

2011-09-27T12:50:00.000-04:00

Several months ago 23andme was running a special for African Americans, in order to broaden their genetic base. The price was right (free) so I signed up and received my spit test kit in a timely fashion. I sent it back, curious about what my percentages of DNA from the various continents would be. After a wait of 5 or 6 weeks I was informed that my results were posted. There they are above. None of this was surprising to me. Looking at myself and my relatives I knew there was some European DNA in there. My father's sister and I had done an Mtdna test awhile ago and both my maternal and paternal grandmother's lines back to West Africa. The small amount of DNA from Asia, I learned from the 23andme website, could be Native American DNA or it could be from the Asian DNA found in some African's DNA. They (23andme) cannot predict Native American DNA in African Americans yet because usually it is (they said) mixed with a small amount of European DNA and then there is that African/Asian DNA thing.

Now, as I said, none of this surprised me. And it also didn't change the way I feel about myself or my ancestry. I know the European DNA is there but the men that "donated" it didn't leave a story, a whisper or a name on a death certificate as a clue to who they were and where they came from. There is one exception, post slavery, that we have used reasonable clues to pinpoint - including family stories, naming patterns and geography. So, aside from the physical evidence/residue/DNA, they are invisible and likely to remain so, in spite of the "cousins" I find listed in my account.

I had not even thought about finding long lost cousins from the past. The first message I received turned out to be from an old family friend in Detroit. That was amazing and kind of funny. She and her husband were friends of my father's family for decades and to get a message from her daughter saying we are possible 5th cousins was nice. We don't know which side of the family we are related through, and I don't see how we can ever trace it, but it's nice anyway. I would like to hear from that possible 2nd cousin who hasn't contacted me yet. That seems close enough to figure out how we're connected. Maybe I already know them. If only it would be one of Uncle Hugh Reed's long lost grandchildren. Or maybe my grandfather Mershell Graham's brother's or sister's descendants.

My feeling is that the only way I'm going to find out where the last ancestor's I've found came from, who their parents are, is to find the plantations they were on and look for the records. I don't think I'll find out anything shockingly new about those lines from 23andme. My husband received his kit yesterday. Can't wait to see his percentages.

Albert B. Cleage Jr. - Sepia Saturday

2011-09-22T17:04:00.003-04:00

Today I have posted a page from a small photo album that featured a page for each member of my father's family, plus some family friends. The contact size photos were not very carefully pasted in and are not identified or dated. Judging by the ages of the people, I think they were taken about 1938. Which makes my father, Albert B. Cleage Jr (Also known as "Toddy" to family and friends), 27. The theme this week is a man sleeping while posing for a photograph.

"Toddy" Albert B. Cleage Jr

To see another page from the album, click Grandmother Pearl Reed Cleage
To see Sleeping (and other) Sepia Saturday offerings, click HERE.

The Detroit Riot 1967 - Some History & Another Small Interview With My Father

2011-09-21T18:20:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I put up a small segment of an interview with my father, Rev. Albert B. Cleage Jr (later known as Jaramogi Abebe Agyeman). Today I have another video from Paul Lee with more information about the Rebellion of 1967 along with a very short segment of my father. As before, Paul Lee provides more information on the You Tube page.

An Interview with my Father, Rev. Albert B. Cleage Jr. - 1967/1968

2011-09-20T22:22:00.002-04:00

My friend, historian Paul Lee, put this short clip of an interview of my father, Rev. Albert B. Cleage Jr. by Chet Huntley on You Tube. It is from late 1967 or early 1968, not long after the 1967 Detroit riot. If you go to the You tube page and click on the "more information" section, Paul Lee has put the video in historical context. I recommend reading it.

For a post about my experience of the Detroit riot click HERE.

A Plea For Peace - Signed by Rev. Albert B. Cleage, Jr - 1948 Amanuensis Monday

2011-09-19T16:58:00.002-04:00

A PLEA FOR PEACE and for AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

Americans want and CAN HAVE PEACE. Many of us are shocked at the war hysteria evident in the President's message to Congress on St. Patricks Day. We must not be swept into war. We will not flinch in our determination to save our traditional American freedom. The fight for democracy and for peace is not subversive - it is our American heritage.

Because our American tradition has made it possible for peoples of all creeds and opinions to live in peace within our borders, we know that Americans can live in peace with all peoples of the world no matter what their way of life. The United Nations must be supported and strengthened as the hope and prayer of all mankind for deliverance from the barbarism of atomic war.

We plead with Congress not to accept the President's proposals on Universal Military Training and the draft as this program would militarize America and thereby lead to a police state and to war. We urge all like-minded people to make known their views. WRITE A LETTER TO YOUR CONGRESSMAN AND SENATORS TODAY.

Rev. Frank P. Parial Julia Whitmore Charles Mackey

Rev. F. B. Archibald Ben Wolf R.C. Weller, Jr.

Rev. James H. Hamer Dr. Carolyn Prowler Prof. Frank A. Warren

Rev. Glenn B. Glazier Robenia Anthony Rev. Albert B. Cleage, Jr.

Rev. Hadley B. Williams Maurice Kurn Rev. Hesakiah M. Hutchings

Rev. Emory Lincoln Wallace Richard M. Klein Rabbi Samuel Price

Leon Massa Rev. Howard L. Moore Sigmond Gomula

Abe Hoffman Rev. W.T. Teague Martin Griffin

Prof. Charles H. Hapgood Rabbi Naphthali Frischberg

Births, Deaths,Doctors and Detroit - Part 2- The Doctors & Detroit in the 1920s

2011-09-16T12:42:00.008-04:00

Timeline

As I was transcribing my grandmother Fannie Turner Graham's records of her children's births and deaths, I began to wonder about the lives of Dr. Ames and Dr. Turner (no relation) who attended these events. As I read about their lives in various online sources I also learned about Detroit race relations, some of which I knew but I had not put them together with the lives of my family and those they knew. I also realized some tie-ins with my paternal Cleage side of the family which I usually discuss on my other blog, My Cleages and Reeds. They all get mixed up in this post.

On April 3, 1920 Mary V(irginia) Graham was born at home with Dr. Ames attending. My mother, Doris Graham Cleage did not remember him fondly. “It was a very difficult delivery, labor was several days long. The doctor, whose name was Ames, was a big time black society doctor, who poured too much ether on the gauze over Mother's face when the time for delivery came. Mother's face was so badly burned that everyone, including the doctor, thought she would be terribly scared over at least half of it. But she worked with it and prayed over it and all traces of it went away. Mary V's foot was turned inward. I don't know if this was the fault of the doctor or not, but she wore a brace for years.”
Dr. James Ames came to Detroit in 1894 after graduating from Straight University in New Orleans and Howard University Medical School in Washington D.C. He was elected to the Michigan State House of Representatives from Wayne County's 1st district for a two year term, 1901-1902.

In 1900 the total population of Detroit was about 285,704. When my paternal grandparents, Albert B. and Pearl Cleage, moved their family to Detroit in 1915 the black population was about 7,000. By the time my maternal grandfather, Mershell C. Graham, arrived in 1917 the black population had soared to over 30,000.

Dunbar Hospital

Black doctors were routinely denied admitting privileges at white hospitals. This meant their patients had to be admitted to the hospital by a white doctor. They were sometimes also denied the right to treat their patients once they were admitted. Often hospitals had segregated wards and once they were full, black patients had to find another hospital. In 1918, 30 black doctors came together and founded Dunbar Hospital. Dr. Ames was Medical Director and Dr. Alexander Turner was Chief of Surgery. My grandfather Dr. Albert B. Cleage was one of the doctors. Dr. Ames is first row second from left in the photo of the Dunbar staff above. My grandfather is first row, last one to the far right.

Fannie Graham's second child, Mershell C. Graham Jr, was born June 10, 1921 at Dunbar Hospital with Dr. Turner in attendance. In that same year, membership in the Ku Klux Klan in Detroit totaled 3,000. The third child, my mother, Doris J. Graham, was born February 12, 1923 at Women's Hospital with Dr. Turner attending. By that time membership in the KKK in Detroit was 22,000. In November of that year between 25,000 and 50,000 Klan members attended a rally in Dearborn township, which is contiguous with Detroit's west side.

By 1925 Detroit's total population was growing faster than any other Metropolitan area in the United States, the black population was over 82,000. Housing segregation was widespread, although there were neighborhoods such as the East Side neighborhood where the Grahams lived that black and white lived together without friction. Perhaps the area wasn't posh enough to invite trouble. Maybe the large number of immigrants accounts for it. Unfortunately that was not the story citywide as people began to try and move out of the designated black areas into the other neighborhoods. Families moving into homes they had purchased were met by violent mobs that numbered from the hundreds into the thousands. This happened in 1925 during April, June, twice in July and in September.

An Angry Mob Greets Physician in All-White Neighborhood in 1925
RoNeisha Mullen and Dale Rich The Detroit News

Dr. Turner

In the 1920s, Dr. Alexander Turner was one of the most prominent black doctors in Detroit.  A successful practitioner and surgeon, Turner co-founded Dunbar Memorial Hospital in 1918. The 27-bed hospital had an operating room and catered to Detroit's black community.  Widely respected, Turner moved easily between Detroit's black and white worlds. He held appointments at two white hospitals that barred most black doctors. He owned a chain of pharmacies and operated two private offices, and his clientele was 75 percent white.

But none of that mattered when the doctor moved his family into a house on Spokane Avenue, in an all-white neighborhood on the city's west side.

On June 23, 1925, as Turner, his wife and mother-in-law were moving into their new home, they were greeted by members of the Tireman Avenue Improvement Association — thousands of people carrying rocks, potatoes and garbage, news reports said.

At the time, the neighborhood was off-limits to blacks. And it was common practice for mobs of whites to keep blacks from integrating neighborhoods, said Charles Ransom, a reference librarian at the Graduate Library at the University of Michigan.

The Turners had only been in the home five hours when the group attacked. At gunpoint, two men forced Turner to sign his deed over to them and, with the help of the police, had the Turner family escorted out of the house.

The family returned to Turner's Warren Avenue home, which contained one of the doctor's two offices, several bedrooms and a five-car garage. Turner later moved to Ohio, where he died in 1944.

My father at age 15

While writing this I realized that in 1925, my father, Albert B. Cleage Junior, was 14 and attending Northwestern High school with the children of the families that forced Dr. Turner out of his home. The elementary schools for both communities fed into Northwestern High School, which my father and his siblings attended. No wonder my grandmother Pearl Cleage is famous for going up to the school and fighting segregated seating and other inequalities practiced at the time. Ironically, in the '60s when my sister and I were living on Oregon Street, several blocks from where Dr. Turner tried to move in, and attending Northwestern High School, the community was 99 percent black.

On November 1, 1927 Mershell C. Graham Jr was killed when he was hit by a truck on the way back to school after lunch. He was taken to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, a Catholic Hospital on Detroit’s East side. Dr. Turner was there with him when he died.

On September 9, 1928 Howard Alexander Graham was born at Woman’s Hospital with Dr. Alexander Turner attending. By 1930 Detroit's population was 1,568,662. On March 4, 1932, Howard Graham died. I know that his first name was that of Fannie's father. I wonder if his middle name, Alexander was for Dr. Alexander Turner.

Some links you might find interesting:
Part 1 - Births, Deaths, Doctors and Detroit - Grandmother Fannie's Notes
Click For other Sepia Saturday Posts
"I have to die a man or live a coward" - the Saga of Dr. Ossian Sweet.
The Sweet Trials: An Account
How Detroit Got It's First Black Hospital

Births, Deaths,Doctors and Detroit - Part 1- Grandmother Fannie's notes

2011-09-13T12:07:00.004-04:00

#1 Baby Mary Virginia - #2 baby in cap Mershell - #3 Baby Doris - #4 Baby Howard

From the back pages of my grandmother Fannie Turner Graham's Bible

"Our darling little Mershell Jr. was run over by a truck on Tuesday Nov. 1st - '27 at 12:45 PM. on his way to school from lunch. skull crushed etc. - Neck broken - shoulder fractured- rushed to St. Joseph's Mercy Hospital - never regained consciousness - died - same night at 2:10 - Dr Turner at his sid(e) (Fun)eral-Nov 4th ... (Lavi)scount offic(iated) sang...."

Mary Virginia born April 3rd 1920 at 5:10 AM on Saturday. Detroit Mich at 1031 St. Jean Ave, 7 #. Dr. Ames & ...
2nd baby - Mershell C. Graham, Jr. born June 10th - 1921 at 7:45 PM. On Friday. Detroit, Michigan. Dunbar Hospital. 8 1/2# Dr. Turner. Died 11/1/27 killed by auto.

3rd baby - Doris J. Graham born February - 12th - 1923. 5:10 A.M. - on Monday at Women's Hospital Beaubien and For(est) Detroit, Michigan 7#

Two pages from Howard Alexander Graham's baby book.

The Arrival

A baby Howard A(lexander) Graham was born to Mershell C. and Fannie Turner Graham – Woman’s Hospital.

On the 7th day of September 1928 at 5:10 o’clock P.M.
Address 6638 Theodore Street.
Autograph of Mother Fannie T. Graham
Autograph of Father Mershell C. Graham
Autograph of Doctor A.L. Turner M.D.
Autograph of Nurse Aunt Abbie Allen
Autograph of others Aunt Jean Walker presented this book to him.

Photographs

Saw his first circus – 2 1/2 years old – and what a thrill. July 1931
On Oct 23 1931 – Howard came into bathroom while Dad was trimming my hair.
Where have you been I asked?
Answer …In the children’s room.
Question—What doing?
Answer – “Lecturing on common-sense.”
The above is true – Believe it or not.
Had more sense then any child his age we’ve ever seen.

***********

2/20/32 Howard sent to hospital – scarlet fever.
2/28 – began to grow worse – they sent for us to come see him –Sunday 2/28/32 – He was unconscious and didn’t know us…remained unconscious 4 days
On Tuesday 3/1 – called us to Hospital to see him.
On Thursday AM he began to get better.
Thursday eve – regained consciousness. At 12:45 AM. The phone rang and Dr. called us to come see him…
Then again at 5:30 a.m. “Dr” phoned us to come. Mr. Vorpogel dressed and drove Daddy out there – but Howard was dead on arrival. Died 3/4/32 at 5:00 AM…
Buried 3/15/32 – beside Mershell.

*****************

What did Lewis Cleage Look Like?

2011-09-11T12:01:00.002-04:00

Lewis Cleage is one of my ancestors that I do not have a photograph of. Above is a photograph of his wife, Celia Rice Sherman holding their granddaughter Barbara Cleage Martin. The other photograph includes their 5 children. In the front are Albert B. Cleage Sr. (my grandfather), Josephine (Josie) Cleage and Edward Cleage. Behind Albert is Henry and behind Edward is Jacob (Jake). Below are several descriptions and stories of Lewis by grandchildren who never met him.

Lewis Cleage and Celia were married and had young children. One of them was grandfather Cleage. Lewis C. worked all day for 50 cents. Celia worked all week for 50 cents. He often spent his on good times before he got home. Many nights he spent in jail - drunk - playing the guitar and singing! One evening she waited for him where he worked so she could get him and the money home before he spent it. He had had a drink or two and was cussing and threatening her as they went down a country road toward home. She was hanging on to him and crying. A passing white man stopped them, cursed Lewis, told him to stop abusing his wife, etc. And if he heard in future about him abusing her, he would find him and kill him. They never saw him again, until...

About twenty years later Celia was on the train going to see her children - who were now grown with children of their own. A white man on the train spoke to her. Asked if she wasn't the same woman he had seen on the country road, etc., etc., and asked how she was!

Thought you would enjoy this. Louis remembers everything - knows lots of good stories.
Story by Louis Cleage (grandson) as told to Doris Graham Cleage. 1-29-79

Grandfather Louis: Tall, big-boned man in stature, heavy voice, coarse hair.
As described by Juanita Cleage Martin (granddaughter) in her writing "Memories to Memoirs" 1990

Lewis Cleage was a large, dark skinned man. He spent a lot of time playing his guitar, drinking and landing in jail. They could hear him in the cabin over at the jail, singing and playing the guitar. He'd get drunk, they'd throw him in jail. He was born in Louden, Tennessee and was shot early on, leaving Celia a widow.
As described by Henry W. Cleage (grandson) to Kristin Cleage Williams 1990s

According to his death certificate, Lewis Cleage didn't die until 1918 in Indianapolis, Indiana. He died of Lobar pneumonia. I think I need to figure out how to find court records and see if I can find him there.

Steps - Sepia Saturday

2011-09-10T15:26:00.002-04:00

"On our back porch 1959. Kris 13 & Nannie. She's just turned 13."

I look so comfortable leaning into my grandmother. Nannie was 71. It was almost back to school time. One more year ahead at McMicheal Junior High for me. Right now I'm wishing I could go back there again, even for just one of those Saturdays in my grandparents backyard.

For other Sepia Saturday offerings, click HERE.

Lewis Cleage - Work Day Wednesday

2011-09-09T23:59:00.001-04:00

Lewis Cleage was my paternal great grandfather. Lewis was born into slavery about 1852 in McMinn County Tennessee on the plantation of David Cleage. I first found him in the 1870 Census in McMinn county, TN living with his family. His age was listed as 16 and he was neither employed nor in school. His father, Frank, was a laborer.

By 1880 Lewis was married to my great grandmother, Celia Rice Cleage, and 4 of his 5 children had been born. My grandfather, Albert, wouldn't be born until 1882. Lewis' age was listed as 28 and he was farming in Louden County, Tennessee.

By 1900 Lewis and Celia were no longer together. Celia lived in Athens, Tennessee with her second husband, Roger W. Sherman. The children lived with her and were attending school. Lewis was working as a furnace laborer in the iron and steel industry that had grown up in Birmingham, AL. He had not been unemployed during the past year.

According to The Encyclopedia of Alabama: "The companies kept labor costs low by employing black workers, who came from depressed agricultural areas and supplied cheap labor. And the coal used to fire the furnaces was largely mined by forced convict labor leased to the companies at very low rates by the state and county governments."

The Sloss Blast Furnace in Jefferson County, Alabama

In the 1910 Census Lewis Cleage was in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area working as a railroad laborer. He was enumerated in a railroad camp. He was listed as 54 years old and had been in his second marriage for 11 years. He was a wage worker and has not been unemployed during the past year, including the day before this census was taken, April 29, 1910. At age 54, there were only two men in the camp older than he was - 56 year old Lee McConnel and 70 year old Fate Parker. Most of the men are in their 20s and 30s with a good number in their late teens.

Unidentified railroad workers

Lewis could neither read nor write according to all the censuses. On his death certificate in 1918 his occupation is listed as laborer. His children all finished high school. Several of his sons graduated from college. My grandfather, grew up to be a physician. Uncle Edward was a barber with his own shop. Uncle Henry was a teacher and, after his move north, a postal worker. Uncle Jake was a teacher and, after moving to Detroit, a Wayne County deputy.

I got the idea for this post on the Blog, Reflecting on Genealogy.

He Had Hidden Him Under The Floor

2011-09-08T16:08:00.000-04:00

Victor Tulane's store with their apartment above in 1972

Here is a story my cousin Jacqui told me about her grandfather, Victor Tulane's rescue of Dr. William Watkins in Montgomery, Alabama. This story was told to her by her mother, Naomi. Naomi was twenty and the family was living above the store on Ripley and High Street when it happened. The Watkins family lived several blocks away on Union Street.

*******

It was the middle of the night when the Vincent family was woke up to car lights shining through the windows. The got up and looked out into the yard. It was full of cars and trucks. Victor Tulane told his wife, Willie Lee and daughter, Naomi to go back to bed, everything would be all right.

He let the white men in and they told him they were looking for William F. Walkins, a black dentist who lived several blocks away. Mr. Watkins, they said had insulted one of their wives and they wanted him. Was he there, they asked? Victor told them that nobody was there except his wife and daughter. They could look for themselves. They went through the whole house looking everywhere. Finally, satisfied that Dr. Watkins wasn't there, they left.

As dawn approached, Victor brought Dr. Watkins out from his hiding place beneath the floor. He put him in the car, piled produce on top of him, drove him to the train station and put him on a train heading north to Chicago.

_______________________

Jacqui remembers meeting William Watkins when she was a child and he was an old man with a white beard, in New York. He looked just like Colonel Saunders, she said, and asked if I could find out anything about him, was he married, did he have children, when did he die? Using various online sources, I was able to put together the following timeline.

Timeline for William Franklin Watkins

1879 - Williams Franklin Watkins Jr. born to William and Sarah (Fauntleroy) Watkins in Montgomery

1880 Census – Montgomery, Alabama
William Watkins Sr. was a carpenter. William was 1 year old.
1900 Census – Montgomery, Alabama
The family lived at 518 Union Street. William Sr. was a carpenter. There were 6 children at home, including 21 year old William Jr. who was at school. The oldest daughter, Lula was 26, a widow and teaching. She had a 4 year old son.
1910 Census – Montgomery, Alabama
Williams Watkins is living at home with his parents and four other siblings.
1914 - William Watkins, Sr. Dies

Obituary from the Montgomery Advertiser – March 11, 1914
William Watkins Dead

William Watkins, well known negro of Montgomery, died at his residence, 518 South Union Street, Tuesday evening at 5 o’clock. He had been living in Montgomery nearly fifty years and was thoroughly identified with negro church, society and business life. He was a contractor and builder and stood well in business circles. He was a member and deacon of the Negro Dexter Avenue Baptist Church and a trustee of Swayne School
1917 - William and Gussie Rue Harris are married in Birmingham, Alabama (Gussie's home town.)
1918 – WWI draft registration card information.
William is a dentist in Montgomery, AL. Address is the family house on 518 Union St. He is married to Gussie Rue Watkins. His eyes are brown and hair is dark. He’s of medium height and build.
1918 – Son William III born in Alabama
Between the draft card in 1918 and the 1920 census - the event described happened.

1920 Census
*William is a Lodger in Washington DC and practicing dentistry. Identified as Mulatto. He was 40.
*Wife Gussie living with her parents with their son William.
*William's brother Charles is living in Los Angeles, CA. He is a carpenter.
1924 – Daughter Alice born in Washington DC.
1930 Census – Los Angeles, CA
William F. Watkins 51 years old. His wife Gussie and their two children, Williams and Alice, are also in the household. H practices dentistry in his own office.
1936 - His mother dies and is buried in Montgomery, AL
1954 - William F. Watkins died

For photographs and posts about the Tulane family click on the links below.
Another Photographic Mystery Solved. Photos of the Tulane family and the store.
Tulane Calls On Members of Race to be Patriotic. Article from 1918
Sepia Saturday - In Which I Hit the Google Jackpot - More finds about the Tulanes.

Maternal Family Tree of Workers - Labor Day

2011-09-05T13:33:00.004-04:00

I posted this chart last year for Labor Day. Here is a chart showing 7 generations of workers from my 3X great-grandmother to my children. My direct line is highlighted in yellow. The women with children combined whatever else they did with cooking, cleaning, washing clothes and raising the children. The first generations started their work life as slaves in Alabama. You can see a similar chart for my paternal side HERE.

Family Tree of Workers - Labor Day

2011-09-05T13:19:00.001-04:00

Last year on Labor Day, I posted a chart of 7 generations of my family's work history on both of my blogs. (How did I miss that I've been blogging for over a YEAR??) Today I'm going to repost them with a few minor changes. I can only find Lewis and Judy Cleage in the 1870 US Census and their marriage record. I am not convinced that all the children listed living with them are their children if their ages are correct. But having no other information, I put them in. I do not know what work the children did in the future. I think I will look for them again. Annie Green Reed had two husbands and four more children but I left them off of this chart. They were all laborers or farmers or housewives. Both Buford Averitt and Robert Allen come to the family tree as white men who did not acknowledge their black offspring as far as we know. Oral history and records of birth, marriage and death account for their making it onto my chart. I've pinpointed Buford but there are several possibilities with Robert so he has no job here. My direct line is highlighted in yellow. You can see a similar chart for my maternal side HERE.

Theresa Pearl Reed - Sepia Saturday

2011-09-02T23:32:00.002-04:00

On the back of the photograph is says "A Merry Xmas to you all. Here are some roses for your (faded words - if you can read them let me know!) Your little niece, Theresa P. Reed." "Hugh's daughter."

Theresa was my grandmother Pearl's brother Hugh's youngest daughter. She was born in Indianapolis, IN in 1914. There are several other photographs of her as she grew up to about the age of 12 or 13. Unfortunately I cannot find the family in the 1930 census, although I do find her father later on. Hoping I can find them in the 1940 census and back track.

You can read about Theresa's father, Hugh Marion Reed by clicking HERE.
You can see more fascinating Sepia Saturday posts by clicking HERE.

Presbyterian Church Connections in the Cleage Family

2011-09-01T13:10:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I was working like mad to complete an entry for the Carnival of Genealogy - Our Ancestors Places of Worship, by the midnight deadline when I came across two interesting pieces of new information. First, even though I thought I had done this before with no success, I asked my cousins to ask their mothers what church they had attended as children in Detroit. The answer came back - St. John's Presbyterian Church. At first I thought there was some confusion because I knew that my father had been pastor of St. John's Congregational Church in Springfield, Mass. and St. Mark's Presbyterian Church in Detroit but St. Johns Presbyterian? I didn't remember ever hearing of it before. So, I googled it and found that not only was there a St. John's Presbyterian Church in Detroit but that my Cleage grandparents were among founders and that it was founded in 1919, the same year my Graham grandfather was participating in the founding of Plymouth Congregational Church, also in Detroit, also on the East side. I looked for more information on St. Johns. I searched for even one photograph of the old church. I came up with very little. I looked through the family photos for something that looked like it was taken at a church but also found nothing aside from a few where the family is on their way to church. I did find the information below.

Detroit and the Great Migration 1916-1929, by Elizabeth Anne Martin Religion and the Migrant

"We, the believers in Christ members, are very proud of our rich heritage. We rejoice always; give praise and thanksgiving to our Lord for His abundant blessings of the faithful shoulders we stand on. We accept our charge of ensuring an African-American Presbyterian witness for our Lord in the city of Detroit, Michigan and beyond to the glory of God! St. John's Presbyterian Church was among the new congregations formed because of the migration. In the winter of 1917 Reverend J.W. Lee, "field secretary for church extension among colored people in the North," came to Detroit hoping to establish a Presbyterian church. He was disturbed by the fact that many migrants of the Presbyterian faith had turned to other denominations because there were no Presbyterian churches in Detroit. In April 1919 Lee organized thirty-nine believers into a new congregation. He served as pastor until 1921, when he recruited a southern preacher front Alabama to take his place. By 1925 the Sunday services at St. John's were so popular that some people arrived as much as three hours early in order to secure seats. Hundreds of persons had to be turned away at both Sunday and weekday services." One clarification, there were Presbyterian churches in Detroit but they were white.

Something the churches my grandparents helped found have in common is that they were both urban renewed and torn down to make way for, in the case of Plymouth, a parking structure and I'm not sure what for St. Johns but neither of the historic church buildings are standing today, although both churches are still going strong in their new buildings.

Next I decided to google the church my grandfather, Albert Cleage attended when he was growing up in Athens Tennessee. I found that he was too young to have helped start First United Presbyterian Church, it was founded in 1890 and he was born in 1883. However, his step-father, my great grandmother Celia Rice Cleage Sherman's second husband, Rodger Sherman, is listed as the architect of the church on Wikepidia. Amazed? Yes, I was. Mr. Sherman and Celia Cleage weren't married until 1897, First United Presbyterian church had been standing for 5 years by then. The church is still standing and still looking good today.

From the Website "J.Lawrence Cook - An Autobiography"
"After a short time at Fisk, just how long I do not know, my father (note: J.L. Cook) entered Knoxville College in Knoxville, Tennessee. [5] He worked to pay his expenses, and was also aided by donations from individuals back in his home town of Athens. In 1888 he received his bachelor’s degree from Knoxville College and entered Allegheny Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to prepare for the Presbyterian ministry. [6] On 9 April 1890 he was licensed as a minister by the Allegheny Presbytery, and with this credential returned to Athens to establish a United Presbyterian mission. Fresh out of seminary, he began holding services in an old dance hall. [7]"

First United Presbyterian Church - 2004

Other posts about church founding in my family.
From Montgomery to Detroit, A Congregational Church - COG Our Ancestors Places of Worship

Witherspoon United Presbyterian Church 1909, Indianapolis Indiana

From Montgomery to Detroit, A Congregational Church - COG Our Ancestors Places of Worship

2011-08-31T23:57:00.004-04:00

The Congregationalists came south to Montgomery Alabama after the Civil War. First Congregational Christian Church was founded in 1872. They also supported a school nearby. My grandmother Fannie attended the school and the church. She met her husband Mershell in the church.

When Mershell Graham, my grandfather, migrated north to Detroit in 1918 many of his friends and members of First Congregational were also leaving segregated Montgomery. In 1919 a group of 9 gathered together to form Plymouth Congregational Church. They met first in members houses and in borrowed space until they were able to purchase their own building, a former Synagogue in 1927. The congregation moved in May 15, 1927.

Plymouth Congregational Church - September 1928. Detroit, Michigan

They had been in the building a little over a year when this photo was taken. My grandfather Mershell C. Graham, is standing behind his daughters, Mary V. and Doris (my mother). Their cousin Margaret is standing between them. They are in the front row, towards the left side of center. The minister, Rev. Laviscount, is standing behind Mary V. My grandmother, Fannie, had just given birth to their son Howard so was not there.

You can read an online history of Plymouth Congregational Church of Detroit Michigan HERE.
A post about the Cradle Roll my grandmother Fannie filled out at Plymouth HERE.
You can read about Witherspoon Presbyterian church of which by my paternal grandparents were founders HERE.
A new post on my other blog - Presbyterian Churches in the Cleage Family HERE

Charlie Lee and Annie Lee Pope - Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-31T09:35:00.002-04:00

Twins Annie Lee and Charlie Lee Pope in Montgomery, Alabama. They were born February 8, 1903 so I would guess this was taken sometime before 1910. Their parents were Robert and Beulah (Allen) Pope. They were my grandmother's first cousins. This photo is from the collection of my cousin Ruth Pope Hatcher.

Another Photographic Mystery Solved

2011-08-27T00:26:00.003-04:00

Ubert

Sylvia

Yesterday after talking on the phone with my cousin Jacqui and posting the identities of the people in the formerly mystery photo, I decided to look online for a photograph of Ubert Conrad Vincent as an adult. Instead I found a newspaper article in The New York Age from Saturday, May 7, 1927 with a photograph of him as a three year old. As soon as I saw it I realized it was the same small boy in another photograph I had from my grandmother's collection. It wasn't labeled or dated, but my mother had written on the back "I don't know who he is but he's too pretty to throw away!" I hope this doesn't mean she was tossing photos of those who weren't all that pretty.

There was also an unidentified photograph of a little girl that is clearly the same little girl in the family portrait, Sylvia Vincent.

To tie this in with this Sepia Saturday's theme, corner grocery stores, Conrad and Sylvia's maternal grandfather was Victor Tulane who, among other businesses, owned a corner grocery store housed in the Tulane building on the corner of High and Ripley streets in Montgomery, AL. I offer several photos of the store from 1919 to 2004 below. For other fine photographs and stories about stores of all kinds and who knows what else click HERE.

Mystery Photograph Identified

2011-08-25T20:38:00.002-04:00

Today I received a call from my cousin Jacqui to tell me that the mystery photograph is her mother, Naomi Tulane Vincent with her two oldest children, Hubert and Sylvia Vincent. Hubert was born in 1923 and Sylvia was born in 1929 so this photo would be from the early 1930s.

Jeanette McCall McEwen - Death Certificate 1897 - 1931

2011-08-24T14:53:00.004-04:00

4744 Langley. Jeanette on stoop with son Robert + google maps photograph.

I received Jennette McCall McEwen’s death certificate in the mail this week. I wrote about her earlier here and here. Here is the new information I gleaned both from the death certificate and from a re-reading of other documents I have for this family.

According to both the 1920 census and Robert junior’s birth certificate, the family was rooming at 4744 Langley in Chicago, IL. See a photo of the house above. Little Robert was born at home on January 2. Robert Sr. worked at the post office.

On December 16, 1923 second son, Raymond was born in Provident Hospital, one of the first black owned and operated hospitals in the

Provident Hospital. Photo from Provident link.

United States. Robert Sr. was a dental student while Jeanette continued to work inside the home. The family had moved to 652 E. 46th St.

By the time of the 1930 Census Robert Sr was a practicing dentist. Jeanette was not working outside of the home. When I first found Robert and Jeanette in the 1930 census several years ago, I wondered why they had no children because I had heard that they were the parents of two boys. After looking at the neighbors I found that 10 year old Robert Jr and 7 year old Raymond were living as lodgers in the apartment of Harry and Zada McClatchey. At the time I thought it must be a mistake, but after looking at the death certificate I realized there was a good reason for the boys to be out of the home.

Jeanette died at home of influenza on December 27, 1931. The informant, the person who gave the personal information on the certificate, was her older brother Leon Roscoe McCall. Her doctor was her brother-in-law Joseph Howard, MD. He had begun treating her on Christmas day, although she became ill on the 20th of December. A contributory cause was “phthisis pulmonalis” or consumption. Jeanette found that she had tuberculosis in February of 1930. The Census took place in April. Robert and Raymond were probably out of the house to keep them from being infected. She had been unable to continue to do her usual work as a housewife since July 1931. Jeanette McCall McEwen was buried in Lincoln Cemetery in Cook County on December 30, 1931. Now I'll send for Robert McEwen's death certificate to see if he also died of tuberculosis.

Just The Facts - Timeline For My Great Aunt Alice

2011-08-22T19:09:00.002-04:00

1866 October 1 - Jennie Allen Turner born (Alice's mother)
1888 March 12 - Fannie born (Alice's oldest sister)
1890 May - Daisy born (sister)
1905 Jennie married Wright (according to the 1910 census)
1910 Census – 7th Precinct, Montgomery 19 April 1910
Top of the page is Sallie H. Wright, a widow and a teacher
Address 712 E. Grove Street
Jennie T. Wright – age 40 2nd marriage, 5 years Dressmaker – 3 children, all living (44)
Fannie Mae Turner – age 20 book keeper (22)
Daisy Turner – age 17 clerk (20)
Alice Wright – age 2 father born North Carolina (after this census Alice's last name is always given as "Turner", Jennie's first husband who died in 1892.)
1918 – Daisy taught school at Booker Washington Elementary
1919 – Daisy taught school at Booker Washington Elementary
1920 Census - Precinct 7 (part of) 19 January 1920 Montgomery Alabama
Address 712 Grove Street
Jennie Turner – age 52 – Widow Seamstress (54)
Daisy Turner – age 25 clerk at grocery (30)
Alice Turner – age 11 – attended school, can read and write.
1921 July 31, photo taken in Windsor, Ontario with Beulah and Robert Pope
1922 Nov. 23 Letter from Victor Tulane, he’s shipping Gr.Turner’s things to Detroit.
1924 Oct 11 – Certificate of Survey for Theodore applicant Fred L. Marsh
1920's - Undated photograph of seamstresses at Anis Furs. Jennie, Daisy and Alice are all in the photo.

1930 Census – Precinct 57 3 Apr 1930 Detroit, Michigan
Address 4836 Harding
Jennie Turner – age 62 – owns home. Worth $7,000 Widow. Not working (64)
Daisy Turner – age 30 – single Head portreress at a Fur Store (40)
Alice E. Turner – age 21 – single. Not working
1954 March 28 - Mother Jennie dies. Alice continues to live with sister Daisy in same house.
1961 November 24 - Daisy dies after a days illness. Alice moves in with her sister Fannie and her husband Mershell.
During this time Alice is diagnosed with schizophrenia.
1963 SSN issued 365-48-4560
1964 August 18 – Alice made her best/last cake (Entry in Fannie's bible)
1966 April 18 Alice's Aunt Abbie becomes ill and is moved to a nursing home. Dies on this date.
1968 Summer - Family moves to a flat with Doris (Fannie's daughter & Alice's niece)

1973 September 6 - Brother-in-law Mershell Graham Sr dies (Alice's brother-in-law)
1973 - Sister Fannie has a stroke and is moved to a nursing home. Alice is moved to senior housing.

1974 August 13 - Sister Fannie Mae Turner Graham dies.
1974 September 27 – Guardianship of Alice Turner, a mentally incompetent person, to niece Doris
1982 April 30 - Niece Doris dies and guardianship turned over to niece Mary V.
1994 November 16 - Alice dies after being in failing health.
1994 November - Cremated and ashes buried in mother Jennie’s grave in Detroit Memorial Park Cemetery.

Finding Alice

2011-08-21T17:10:00.003-04:00


Robert Pope, Jennie V. Turner, Beulah Pope (back) Alice Turner, my Aunt Daisy.

August 18 was my Great Aunt Alice's birthday. I decided to do a quick post about her. Found a few photographs. Wrote out my memories. Something wasn't right. I wrote a cousin and my sister asking for their memories. They both sent them and of course all of our memories both overlap and are different. I found my mother's memories. I looked for more photos. I looked for documents. I realized some of what I "knew" I couldn't document. So, I've spent the last week trying to figure Alice's life out when there is no one left to ask about particulars. Now I'm working on a timeline to incorporate both the facts and the memories and the contradictions. Today I dug out a photograph I vaguely remembered as being of Alice and my great grandmother Jennie in Canada. As soon as I found it, I realized that the young man and one of the other women were also relatives. The woman behind my great grandmother was her youngest sister, Beulah Allen Pope and her son, Robert is the young man in the front. I recognized them because Robert's daughter sent me a photograph of them that must have been taken the same day because they are wearing the same clothes. The photo is dated "July 31, 1921 ~~Toronto~~ Windsor, Canada." I did not realize they were there so early. More wondering and looking. I have ordered Alice's Social Security application and death certificate hoping to find more information.

Photo sent by cousin Ruth. Taken in Detroit.

Trip to Jekell Island - Sepia Saturday

2011-08-20T08:50:00.001-04:00

Usually I do not post photos from the present but, when I saw the theme for this week's Sepia Saturday was a Georgia live oak and I had just returned from a trip to Jekell Island, GA with photos of Georgia live oaks with Spanish Moss dripping off of them it was too good to pass up.

My daughter photographing the same live oak. Wish we'd gotten a better shot. Next time.

Corner of the veranda where I sat and waited for my daughter to finish her meetings. Note the live oak in the background.

Daughter in the Atlantic Ocean.

Me in the ocean.


Our toes just touched the water.


The Angel Oak, St. John's Island, SC

To finish up, here is a postcard from my collection. We actually visited this 1,500+ year old oak in 1975 but did not get a photograph! Hard to believe. Click this link to learn all you ever wanted to know about the Angel Oak. For other posts of trees of all types click SepiaSaturday.

Alphonso Brown - Marriage Certificate

2011-08-19T20:30:00.001-04:00

Aunt Abbie, Fannie, Mershell (my grandparents), Alphonso, Henry, Me, Doris (my mother)

Aunt Abbie, my great grandmother's sister, lived with my grandparents , Fannie and Mershell Graham since the time I was born. Aunt Abbie's son, Alphonso, came to visit her sometimes during the summer. My mother told me that he never married and lived alone in New York, as did his brother, Earl.

While looking through New York records for anything I could find about Alphonso or Earl, I came across a marriage record for Alphonso Brown and Helen Wilson. I immediately sent for a copy. It arrived today. Aunt Abbie's son was indeed married Dec. 17, 1928 to Helen Wilson in New York. More family information/memories proved wrong. This is my second bachelor uncle to actually have been married.

Mystery Photo - Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-17T18:12:00.001-04:00

One of Eliza's daughters, but which one? Two of her grandchildren, but who?

Past is Present - Springfield Massachusetts 1948 - 1950

2011-08-15T23:45:00.003-04:00

Here are three combined photographs using Google Images with photographs of my family superimposed on them. I am participating in World Photography Day on August 19, through the Family Curator website with these photos.

This a photograph of my mother, Doris Graham Cleage, standing on the porch of the parsonage at 210 King Street. This was taken in 1946, Several months after I was born.

St. John's Congregational Church on the corner of Union and Hancock Streets in Springfield, Mass. My father, Rev. Albert B. Cleage Jr, is sitting on the porch. This was around 1948.

The last photo was taken on the Community house/parsonage that we lived in after the house on King Street was sold. I am on the left, a little girl from church is in the middle and my sister Pearl is on the right. This was taken in 1950 soon before we moved to Detroit.

Subject and Photographer

2011-08-13T13:14:00.003-04:00

Me, 1949. My father is reflected in the mirror.

This shot was taken in our living room in the parsonage of St. John's Congregational Church in Springfield, Mass. I just noticed the reflection of my father taking the picture last night. I looked everywhere for that teapot in later years but it was lost in one of the various moves. It was blue with a gold design over it. The couch was with us for many years. Eventually the cushions were covered in reddish leather, or something like it. I remember that table, which was also around for a long time. And those little plastic records my sister and I used to play on our little phonograph.

This photo has nothing to do with this weeks theme at Sepia Saturday but to see some that do and more that don't, click here.

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History - Dinner Time

2011-08-13T02:03:00.004-04:00

Week 32: Dinner Time. On a typical childhood evening, who was around the dinner table? Was the meal served by one person, or was it a free-for-all? What is dinner time like in your family today?

I remember being three years old. My parents and I ate dinner together while my younger sister, Pearl, played in her playpen, wearing her favorite fuzzy blue hat. The dinner table was in the living room/dining room of the parsonage of St. John's Congregational Church where my father was the minister. I used to hide my food under my chicken wing bones because I was never very hungry. I thought nobody noticed.

Pearl in her tam. 1949, Springfield, Mass.

When my sister was older, the four of us ate meals together. We moved to Detroit when I was 4 and lived in two other parsonages. In the one on Atkinson we had a small dining room and ate there for all meals. My father's parents lived down the street and he was often there for dinner leaving my mother, my sister and me eating alone.

The dining room on Atkinson. My mother is standing. You can see the back of my father's head. His brother Louis is on the left. His brother Hugh is on the right and you can just see his sister Anna's curl and chin. I guess Henry took the photo because he isn't in it. I wonder why they are all at our table and where Pearl and I are. I remember those little fat turquoise salt and pepper shakers and the glass sugar and creamer. About 1951.

The next house, which was on Chicago Blvd, was huge and we always ate in the kitchen. My father teased me about being so skinny and told me I needed to eat more before I went down the bathtub drain or stuck in the chair because my bottom was so thin. When I was 8 years old I had my tonsils removed. I told my mother my fork wasn't heavy any more. I started eating. There was roast beef and sliced tomatoes, chicken pot pies and oatmeal. I only remember eating one meal in the dining room. It was the Thanksgiving dinner right before my parents separated and we moved. My mother started teaching at the same elementary school I attended.

My mother, my sister and I moved to an upper flat on Calvert. We ate in the breakfast room and watched the pigeons on the flat next door nesting. We named one of them Bridie Murphy. We ate family style with bowls of food on the table that we served ourselves from. There was no free for all. "Please" and "thank you" and "you're welcome" were expected and used. My mother cooked but my sister and I set the table and took turns washing the dishes and clearing the rack and table, usually with much whispering about who's turn it was to do what. We whispered because my mother said she didn't want to hear any arguing about it. I took cooking in junior high school and learned to make pineapple muffins which I made often. I remember fried chicken, mashed potatoes, jello salad and green beans.

When I was in 7th grade we moved to our own house on Oregon St. The kitchen was too small to eat in and we ate in the dining room which was pretty crowded with a piano, the dining room table and chairs and my mother's desk (See photo below). My sister and I soon added cooking one meal a week to our dinner chores. I don't remember what I cooked but I remember Pearl cooked a lot of hot dogs and corn bread.

My mother remarried when I was in high school and we all ate dinner together unless Henry (my step-father and my uncle) was working late. He and his brother Hugh had a printing shop at that time and often worked through the night. I remember Henry saying how important it was for a family to sit down to dinner together because it might be the only time of the day they spent together. As we got older there were interesting dinner table conversations about politics, what happened that day and more politics. Dinner continued to be a meal shared by all of us who were home as long as I lived there.

Not dinner, but this is the dining room of the house on Oregon. From left, my mother with the braid, sister Pearl, aunt Gladys, Me, my father. 1960s.

When I was raising my own 6 children we ate together, although my husband was often working and did not get to eat with us. We continued to have meal time discussions and to serve family style. Now that my children are grown with their own families and dinner tables, my husband and I eat still eat our meals together at the table. Television has never been a part of our mealtimes.

My husband Jim eating at our present table in the dining/kitchen/living room. 2010.

Airports and Answers: Some Thoughts on Lighting by Pearl Cleage

2011-08-10T23:30:00.001-04:00

Today, a guest post from my sister, Pearl Cleage, written about our mother. Doris Graham Cleage.

Doris Cleage 1923 - 1982

My favorite memory of my mother takes place in one of my least favorite environments: the airport. The Detroit airport at that. I had just flown in from D.C. and the plane was rolling slowly toward the gate, giving me ample time to worry about the next three days.

In the best of times, arrival and departure gates are not great places to play out complex emotional moments. The lighting is terrible and you’re surrounded by strangers. If you’re leaving, it’s too late to start any significant conversation, but not yet time to kiss and say good-by. If you’re arriving, first there is the interminable wait to actually deplane, the impatient jostling of people in the jet way, anxious to get to the concourse so they can jostle their way down to baggage claim, if they were foolish enough to check one.

Once there, those like me being met by friends, lovers or family members try to accomplish the almost impossible task of hugging hello without bumping noses while juggling belongings and trying not to get trampled by the jostlers who are now breathing down your neck as the bags begin to tumble to the carousel and for the merest fraction of a second, you wonder if the trip was even worth it.

And then I saw my mother. She was standing at the agreed upon meeting place, surrounded by a crowd of people, all anxiously scanning the new arrivals just like she was and my first thought was: When did she get so tiny? At just under five foot two, she was dwarfed by the people on either side, even standing between them on tiptoe, searching the sea of strangers for her baby’s face. She looked worried and frazzled and, in the weird way that happens with post-middle aged parents who are seldom seen, suddenly older; more fragile; more vulnerable.

The fragility is what startled me. When had this change occurred? How long had it been since I had actually laid eyes on her? Too long, I knew, but the distance was necessary to insure my emotional survival. I loved my mother, but like most of the women on both sides of the family, including me, she had a mean streak that could manifest itself in harsh judgments about any and everything. That made moments like the one we were now approaching even more fraught with emotional peril since the last thing I needed was a critique of my behavior. I was just emerging from a series of ill-conceived moves both professional and romantic that resulted in a tearful phone conversation during which my mother asked me the worst question in the world: What were you thinking? The next three days were supposed to give me an opportunity to respond.

Please, God, I thought, let this be a good visit. By that I meant one with a relative lack of family drama (possible, but if past is truly prologue, not likely), and maybe, if I was very patient and very lucky, a moment or two where my mother and I could sit together and talk calmly like two grown women about where we were in our lives.

Even as the thought of such a conversation popped into my head fully formed, I knew it wasn’t going to happen. My mother was not a share your deepest secrets kind of woman. She didn’t solicit your opinion because she truly didn’t care what you thought, a trait I admired even while it terrified me. She married brothers, but was so unconcerned about the resulting gossip that I never even knew her behavior was perceived as scandalous until I heard two women discussing it in the seat behind me on the bus all the way home from ballet class at Toni’s School of Dance Arts.

Like the song says, she had paid the cost to be the boss, and while there was in my mother a deep disappointment at some of the ways her life had turned out, she was prepared to live with the consequences of her decisions without complaint. Heart to heart discussions of what she might have done or said differently held no interest. On the contrary, such unsolicited opinions were certain to evoke a look of such amazed indignation and displeasure that all you wanted to do was take back your feeble offering and beg her humble pardon for having had the temerity to make a suggestion about how she lived her life.

But I had a plan. I would ambush my mother with a fresh pot of peppermint tea in a sunny corner of her kitchen. I would put on a record of Leontyne Price singing Puccini, confess my sins and gently begin to pick her brain. I wanted that conversation. No, I needed it. My life was undeniably a mess and I had exhausted my ideas about how to make it better. The moment, I decided, had arrived for my mother to tell me the womanly secrets and ancient female coping mechanisms she’d been withholding until I was ready.

Well, I was ready now. There were so many questions I needed to ask; about her, about me, about whether or not work was worth the risk and love was worth the pain. You know, those questions. The problem was, where to begin? With her journey or mine? My mother was an archeologist trapped in the body of a first grade teacher. She longed to ride camels and see the pyramids of Egypt, but had to settle for the west side of Detroit and a few weeks in Idlewild at the end of the summer, having cocktails lakeside with well manicured doctors wives, all the time dreaming of the shifting white sands of the Sahara.

Could I ask her how it felt to see so much less than you could imagine? Could I ask her why she did it? Could I ask her how she had survived the loss of all those adventures and the stifling of all those dreams? Could I ask her if she thought I could survive it, too? And last but not least, could I ask her if she still loved me even in the midst of all my flopping and floundering and foolishness?

So there it was at last. I had buried the lead, but then my mother spotted me and however long it had taken to stumble upon the real question, her face at that moment was the real answer. There was so much absolute, unconditional, unequivocal, pure, joyous love shining in her eyes as she threw up her hand and hurried toward me that the force of it made me stumble and I almost dropped my bag.

Now I am not a mystical person, but I felt my heart crack and open that day to welcome the gift she was giving me and I understood that there is only one answer to all the questions that were driving me crazy: love/love/love/love/love.

Suddenly the fantasy conversation I’d been hoping for was just that – someone else’s fantasy. My mother and I didn’t need a cozy sunlit corner and a steaming pot of peppermint tea. We had each other. Then we bumped noses and she hugged me so hard she didn’t seem fragile at all anymore, which is, of course, tangible proof that the power of love can strike anywhere, anytime. Even when the lighting is absolutely terrible.

____________________________

Another post about my mother you may find interesting- GrowingUp - In Her Own Words,

Then and Now - Saturday Night Fun (a day late)

2011-08-07T13:58:00.003-04:00

The "Saturday Night Fun" assignment from Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings (along with some of the fine results) can be found here. It involved picking out a photograph to use in this challenge for August 16 by the Family Curator. For the original challenge you hold up an old photograph and match it up to the present day scene. This means you have to be in the area. Unfortunately, I live far from the sites of my past and that of my ancestors so I was am not able to do this exactly. I also was not able to just choose my photo and let it go at that. Here is what I did.

In 2004 I spent a day driving around Detroit taking photographs of places where I used to live and of other houses family members lived in. The angle of this house fit almost perfectly with the photograph taken in 1951 of my father with my little sister Pearl and me. We are in front of the parsonage on Atkinson. My father was the minister of St. Mark's Presbyterian Church, two block up the street on the corner of 12th Street and Atkinson. My sister and I shared the bedroom on the upper left. We used to look out of the side window into the attic of Carol and Deborah. They were our age and lived next door and got to stay up much later then we did. They had a wonderful playroom in the attic. I taught Pearl to read by the streetlight shinning into our bedroom. I don't know why we waited until we were supposed to be in the bed to teach and learn reading. On the other side lived Eleanor Gross, was our babysitter during the rare times our parents were out. My paternal grandparents lived down the street and I have a 2004 photograph of that house which I think I will mix with one from the 1950's. I was trying to think of someone still in Detroit that I could get to take a photo from the proper angle of St. Mark's. I like this assignment!