Then & Now!

There is a lot to be said, explored plus questions answered in genetics. Things that people do without realizing that it's a mannerism which has been passed down for many generations.

Do you know your family tree?

Have heard it said that some West Virginia family trees grow straight up.
Whoops!

Do you ever wonder how family members contract diseases associated with tobacco usage, yet, have never lived with tobacco users  nor been a tobacco user in their entire life?

Do you ever see a family with children who are so different from each other, they look like they couldn't have come from the same parents? Yet, they did.

Genetics can be very fascinating!

According to the family knowledge passed to me by my mother, aunts, maternal grandmother, etc, my maternal great grandmother was a formidable enigma to be reckoned with! She was feisty, strong willed, alarmingly intelligent with a quick wit & a sharp tongue.
According to my relatives, she was also an Austrian Duchess.

Gee whiz, skippy, I am nothing like her!  ;)

She gave her royal title up to marry the man she loved. Yeah, I would do that, too. She had (according to genealogy records) seven children to raise when her husband, Herman Nagel died. He had bought a large home for her, so, she moved her children into rooms together, then, rented the rooms to boarders.
She did what she had to do, did what she could do.
She was a survivor!
My grandmother was second youngest, her baby sister died as an infant.
My maternal grandmother was beloved by all, her husband insisted on it. He loved my grandmother so much, he insisted that she be treated with respect. My mother was the youngest of his 5 daughters. After my mother was born my grandmother announced that she would have "no more of that" much to my grandfathers sorrow. This meant that Grandpa got his own bedroom and Grandma had her own bedroom. She was also very feisty, stubborn as well as being considered "very opinionated" by those who knew her.

I saw her soft side, I believe, more than most people did. She indulged me with giving me treats, she and my Grandfather. They would dress me in cute little dresses, grandpa would braid my blonde hair, then they would take me to their Senior Citizen parties.
She also would fly into rages, tirades, during which my Grandfather would look at me, smile, hold his index finger to his lips as in. "shh". Still smiling, he would, very inconspicuously reach up to turn his hearing aid off. 
Then, every time Grandma took a breath, he would say, 
"Yes, dear."

It would be surprising if my mother, my aunts, my sisters or I turned out to be docile little wallflowers. 

All of us are passionate, adventurous, strong women with survival skills. Not as opinionated as Gr.Grandma Nagel, Grandma Kendall or even my mother, yet, it seems to be in our genetics.
Two of my maternal Grandmothers sisters did something that women born in the 1800s just did not do. Going into a man's world to start a business, together.
They struck out on their own to become successful business women. They worked together, they argued, they shared a home which they bought for themselves. They refrained from marrying. From the photos I have seen, they look to be well to do, if you will. 
I have seen several photos, yet, only have one photo of each in my possession.

To add a bit of description to this photo, I was visiting in Utah, when I was based at Edwards AFB, CA. The visit left me with a bit of free time. I went into one of those photo studios that dress their subjects in clothing from a different era for their photo session. 

I may get the names of my great aunts incorrect, however, I believe the one on the left is Gr. Aunt Amelia, on the far right is Gr. Aunt Edna. In the center?

C'est moi!

When I had my photo taken, I had no knowledge of the photos of my Gr. Aunts. When I was looking through photos, one day, I found the photos of my Gr.Aunts, then the one of myself. It gave me the idea to put all 3 together.

Purty cool!