Family Stories: Julie Faye's Birthday

My mother might be celebrating a birthday this weekend, although I've been forbidden to bake a cake...and what is a birthday without cake?!? In lieu of cake, here are some sweet photos of a young Julie Faye that I found while recently digging through family slides....As you can see, my family could have easily starred in a 1960s television sitcom...

Look at those presents -- very 1962! The little girl beside my mother in these photos is her cousin Cheri. Aren't their dresses adorable? I still dream about that couch. It stayed in our family until the late '80s. It definitely had a good run!

Every little girl's birthday wish - a pink doll cake! That's Joan standing next to my mother. Joan's sister Betty and Cheri (Betty's daughter) are also pictured.

Coordinating with Cheri! I don't think this is a birthday photo, but it was too fun not to include.

As you can see, they liked driveway photos!

More candle blowing...

There are birthday streamers wrapped around the tablecloth and on the table. Very fun. And yes, in case you're wondering, some of these slides are backwards...I'm still getting the hang of nighttime slide scanning! It's too dark in my studio now that the time has changed!

Posing with birthday gifts. I bet that parasol came from somewhere in the Orient. My great-grandmother made several trips there during her lifetime. I have those slides as well!

This shot was too precious not to include. As you can tell from the turkey and turkey plates, it's from Thanksgiving.

Those pheasants on the table live at my house these days, and that is my dining room table! My mom still has the wooden bird, leather chairs, turkey dishes and emerald glass server. She is definitely her mother's daughter -- very sentimental and doesn't part with anything unless it is handed off to my sister and me. I consider that trait one of the best ones to have -- plus it means the treasures in your home are one-of-a-kind, environmentally friendly and good on the wallet. You can't beat that.

Happy Birthday to my wonderful mom! :)

The Story of Gerald and Joan

One year ago, from our hotel room balcony with the Pacific Coast Highway and Hermosa Beach in front of me, I wrote the words "Gerald and Joan" in a notebook. Jonathan and I were visiting our favorite place together for the first time since July 4th of the previous year. I had been in the South Bay area exactly one year before to help my mom pack Joan's house before the new owners took possession.

I didn't realize it at the time, but that moment -- the entire trip really -- was a turning point in our lives. Although Gerald and Joan was just a pipe dream -- simply an idea to create and style pretty things to supplement my current income -- it would soon alter our world.

Born under the California sun with the view of Palos Verdes and my great-grandmother's home in the distance, we have nurtured that dream at home in Tennessee this past year. Carrying the name of my grandma and Jonathan's grandfather, Gerald and Joan has united our own heritage.

What began as a vintage-inspired business has become a business of storytelling -- for families, friends, events, small businesses and nonprofits. The stories take a variety of forms, but they are there all the same. By preserving these stories, Gerald and Joan ensures that they'll exist tomorrow. Along the way, we keep alive the memories, treasures and traditions. We preserve history by design --- weaving it into a fabric that can only be described as heritage.

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Family Stories: Laura Stump Dumm

 

Laura Dumm, right, and her daughter Myrtle Robb in the late 1960s.

My great-great grandmother Laura A. Stump was born in 1881 in Ohio. She married my great-great grandfather Jacob Beecher Dumm in 1899, and they welcomed my great grandmother Elsie Belle Dumm the following year. Two years later, they had Myrtle, who was known as Mickey Dumm. In 1906, the girls were joined by Forest Dumm, and in 1909 Clarence Vernon Dumm, who was nicknamed Jake after his father. Sadly, I don't have any photos of the boys.

Laura and Beecher Dumm

My grandmother, Joan, loved her grandmother, just as I loved Joan. Their bond was incredibly strong, despite the distance that separated them after Joan's moves to Alaska and California. Although Laura died in 1971, Joan was determined to keep her grandmother in her life. She often shared stories of Laura's strong Christian faith and love of her family with us, and she kept many of Laura's writings for us to treasure and enjoy.

Laura Dumm at her piano. This photograph was displayed in Joan's home for as long as I can remember. It is now in my home.

A sweet card sent from Laura to her great-granddaughter Julie, my mother.

Here are a few of Laura's poems and writings. Many of them were published in her church's bulletins.

My Heart Sings

It was a beautiful morning and my soul was full of joy. Just a few rose-tinted clouds hung motionless on the Eastern horizon and the great, golden ball of sun peeped through the window right in my eyes. A new day was dawning, giving us another chance…another opportunity to let our light shine through in newness of life in our Christ Jesus.

Sunrise is the time to start the new day with prayer that God will guide us through the coming day….that He will help and sustain us…keep and direct us. There is invigoration and freshness in the early morning hours…to many of us it means just going back to the office, factory or to the field…to the housewife it means starting in again on the unnumbered duties of the home and our children.

How fortunate are we are who able to get up and go to work again. Just a glimpse at the sunrise and a morning prayer will put Hope in your heart and a song on your lips.

-Laura Dumm, 1970

When Father Prays 

When father prays he doesn’t use The words the preacher does. There’s different things for different days But mostly it’s for us.

When father prayers the house is still His voice is slow and deep. We shut our eyes, the clock ticks loud So quiet we must keep.

He prays that we might be good boys And later on good men. And then we squirm and think we won’t Have any quarrels again.

You’d never think to look at Dad He once had tempers too, I guess if father needs to pray We youngsters surely do.

Sometimes the prayer gets very long And hard to understand, And then I wiggle up quite close And let him hold my hand.

I can’t remember all of it I’m little yet you see. But one thing I cannot forget My father prays for me.

In addition to these sweet poems, I also have one of her silver dollars that was given to me by Joan when I graduated from high school in 2002. She had originally given the dollar to Joan, telling her that as long as she had the dollar, she would never be broke. I always loved that story, as it showed her sense of humor, as well as the deep love she had for my grandma.

I am proud to share her name.

Family Stories: Lucy de Forcade Cannon

When my grandfather died in February 2002, my grandmother wrote the following poem. At the time I was 18 and knew little about love. As naive as I was, I realized how devastating it would be to lose the love of your life after 56 years of marriage.

In August of that year, shortly before she left Mississippi to move back to Naples, Italy, she wrote this poem commemorating their life together:

Bill and I

He came from the clouds On the Isle of Capri And his blue eyes Matched our beautiful sea. We played tennis, swam, danced Looked at the stars and the moon above And to our own surprise We soon were in love.

 It was 1945 when I walked down the aisle And to the amazement of friends I became a war bride. We spent our honeymoon on the Isle of Capri And that was a real treat to me. Then there was Foggia in south Italy Where Bill was stationed And where we lived.

Six month flew by fast Bill was first to return to the U.S. I followed shortly And in 1946 it was Corinth, Mississippi also for me Later Meridian was our home For almost nine years And there we rejoiced For the birth of our son, Fred Blonde curls and blue eyed And of course the joy of our life. The years went by fast And when he was five We went back to Italy And without knowing it To start a new life.

 There in Naples Our little girl was born To join our darling son. Tina Jennie was so pretty Sweet and blonde A real bundle of joy And our dreams were filled With a girl and a boy. In Naples we stayed For 36 years Spending our summers on Capri The children were loving it And so did we.

Time was flying by With incredible speed The children were growing so fast And soon were to leave The family’s nest With a husband and a wife Each couple starting a new life.

Our hair was now graying But we hoped for the best And with Bill’s retirement It was back to the U.S. Our 12 years in Booneville Were nice and quiet Some trips, much golf And good friends were our pastimes. My life is now changed There is a great void For my loved one is gone After 56 years.

It is hard to be alone But my children are near me With much love and affection For this I am so grateful But I am aware still That a chapter is closed And another begins So I pray the good Lord That wherever we go He will bless us from above And keep us all three always united With our strong bond of love.

When she wrote this, she had no idea that she would ever see her adopted Mississippi home again, but she was able to return for our wedding in December 2007. She turned 90 earlier this year and is still in excellent health. I believe much of that is due to the wonderful Capri air and delicious Italian food. Both are exceptionally good for the soul.