Oh, those summer trips from California to Nebraska and Illinois to visit grandparents – this one in 1955. We stopped at as many souvenir stands as we could talk Dad into. This is my sister, Jeanie, in the buggy somewhere in the southwest US. 
Having given this post that title, I’m not positive this is the home of the Sandersons or that it’s in Lee, Illinois. What I do know from Mom’s photo book, the woman on the far right is Isabelle Sanderson (married Richoloson) and the woman next to her is Mom’s grandmother, Mary Ann Sanderson (married Oakland). Mary Ann was born in 1868 in Lee, Illinois. The family lived in that area for a long time. How old are the two women on the right? My guess is in their early 20s. That would date the photo to the early 1880s. What do you see, especially in the clothes?
Here are some enlarged images from the top photo.
I’d love to hear from anyone who can identify more of the people in the picture.
This was the home of MaryAnn Sanderson Oakland and Thomas Lewis Oakland in 1918 at the time of his death. I don’t know how long they had lived there.
It’s going to be part of the Historic Tour of Homes next week in Sycamore organized by the Sycamore History Museum.
The photos come from Mom’s scrapbook. I think the handwriting on the first page is my grandfather’s (Thomas L. Duncan). Thomas Oakland was his father-in-law.
Wish I could be there for this tour!
Found this at a yard sale this morning – a list of scholars at Gem School, District No. 57, May 3, 1901. My research leads to Victor, Nuckolls county, Nebraska.
The teacher was Mary Boyd. The director was Eugene McCarthy; treasurer was I. S. Moffett; and moderator was Thomas Karmazin.
The students were Fred Gerhart, Nellie Gerhart, Orval Daniel, Celia Yunker, Dora Thompson, Alta Thompson, Gilbert Moffett, Mike Gerhart, Jay Crannel, Earl Daniel, Julia Blaha, Dee Thompson, Robert Theer, Eugene Gerhart, Mary Karmazin, Lawrence Yunker, Grace Daniel, Thomas Karmazin, Ella Thompson, Iva Moffett, Fay Crannel, Charlie Gerhart, Claude Thompson, Annie Schwynorh, Vira Shipp, Alma Shipp, Estel Moffett, and Harry Daniel.
Anyone here from your family? Let me know.
These are photos of the United States School of Military Aeronautics, Champaign, Illinois, May 1918.
Our family representative is one of our Oaklands (third row, far right) – Milo Oakland, I think. I hope someone can find their family member here – they are all named!
This is the squadron photo.
These are the officers and instructors.
Relics from my kindergarten year (1950-1) at Lindo Park School, Lakeside, California. Kindergarten was a time to learn to be away from home, to get along with other people and listen to the teacher, and my favorite parts: graham crackers and milk, and naps. Seems ridiculous to have to mention but there was no homework as there is today. It was a year of fun. There were two classes – I was in Mrs. Lyon’s class and next door was Mrs. Westrick’s class.
Mom took the movies and they have those qualities of movies then – no sound, too light or too dark, moving too fast, heads cut off, and yet, brings back memories of those times.
The first video shows the playground activities. I can recognize a few kids: Louise Hayward, Susan Diamond, Celeste Harrison, and maybe Esther Thomas. And Mrs. Westrick. I’m in the red overalls, and that surprises me – I would have expected to have to wear a dress. But you can see, pants are much more practical when you play on the bars!
Dorothy Lyons and kindergarten class.
Dorothy Lyons and kindergarten class.
One day Mom put one of our lambs into the family car and brought it to our kindergarten class for the kids to see. Of course at the time I didn’t appreciate the effort this must have taken.
The second video is our graduation day. I do remember making the construction paper hats. Both teachers are in this. I can also see Dennis Busgen, Susan Diamond, Erin Macgillivray, Ken Walling, Ron Carlson, Esther Thomas, and I think, Pat Fazio. I’m in the blue and white polka-dotted dress.
If you are in these videos, I’d love to hear from you. And if you recognize anyone, we could add that to the post.
Boys in the back: Frank, John, George. On the bench: Barbara and Richard.
1923 Wayne Nebraska. Children of Ruth Bressler and Amos Claycomb.
Grandma Claycomb (Ruth Bressler Claycomb) visited us in California in the early 1950s. One of the things she did was sew geranium leaf hats for the girls. This is a clip from a home movie showing her with my sister, Jeanie, and a neighbor, Linda Renner.
This is the first time I’ve embedded a video. Found out how to convert the DVD files to an mp4 file and then make the selection into an mp4 film. Set up a channel on YouTube and uploaded it there. And wrote this post embedding the YouTube link. It seems to work. But wow, all this is not easy the first time. A bit stressful.
This I Leave 
