An
Autobiography of Charlotte Christine Carl – Mitchell
In honor of my 60th birthday
August 26, 2010
Because in a
sense I’m the result and product of those who came before me
and because I’m an archivist and historian, I’ll start my
autobiography with two family trees.
Above is an illustrated pedigree of
my maternal line, the ancestors of my mother, Mercy Annabella
Ramsey.
Above is an
illustrated pedigree of my paternal line, the ancestors of my
father, Edward Miller Carl, Jr.
My parents,
Mercy Annabella Ramsey and Edward Miller Carl, Jr. married on
Jun 12, 1940. Their first child was still born on Jun 30,
1941, a tragedy that almost destroyed their marriage. Their
prayers were answered with the birth of my sister, Madeline
Mercy Carl on Jul 11, 1944. Catherine Elizabeth Carl followed
on Oct 30, 1945.
Above left of
Mother and Madeline; The photo above right was probably taken
on Dec 30, 1945, when Catherine was two months old.
Madeline
remembers overhearing our parents planning my conception. I
was told that three children were considered an ideal family.
The explanation was that if one of the children is a genius,
the other two can support her!
1950
Mother and
Daddy sent the photo above left to his mother for Mother’s
Day, May 14, 1950. Mother was pregnant with me. This fuzzy
snapshot above right has a development date of August 1950. It
is the only photo I’ve found that shows Mother’s pregnant
tummy. It was obviously taken during a fishing trip. The boys
are unidentified but may be two of the Cate boys. This may
have been the trip when Pat and Madeline fell in the lake and
she thought she’d drown.
I
was born at Seton Hospital at
11:16 am, Sat, Aug 26, 1950. I was 18 1/2 in long, and weighed
5 lbs, 13 oz. Above left, a bright pink
sign that might have been put at the end of my hospital crib.
Since I was premature, I had to spend my first night in an
incubator. Above middle, a copy of my birth certificate. I
thought it was funny that the informant was listed as Mrs.
Mercy Carl, Jr. She wasn’t the Jr, Daddy was! I was enrolled
in the University Methodist Church Cradle Roll at my birth.
I was going to
be named Euna after my paternal grandmother, Euna Ellerfair
Posey Carl Mondell Peters, above left. Mother decided against
that and chose Charlotte, in honor of a distant cousin of
hers, Charlotte Cushman, the great 19th century American
actress. So I became Charlotte Christine Carl. My birth
announcement was in my scrapbook. I’m sure on the ones Mother
and Daddy mailed the parents names were given as Mercy and Ed
Carl.
On September
3, 1950, I was brought home from the hospital. On Oct 30,
Catherine celebrated her 5th birthday and Grandma Ramsey
presented me to the camera. I would have been 2 months old.
The girl behind the cake is unidentified. The others are
Douglas Smith, probably Billie Gene Gault, then Patti Lenhart
behind Catherine.
On Nov 18,
1950, when I was two months and 23 days old, Mother and Daddy
had two studio photos taken of me and used them on their
Christmas card. I wasn’t a very attractive baby, but I got
better!
Above left,
Madeline, me and Catherine, probably at Thanksgiving, Nov 23,
1950. Above
middle, a photo from Uncle Murray Ramsey’s birthday dinner on
Dec 18, 1950. I think the man is Fred Beeman, Aunt Alice’s
stepfather. The next big event was Dec 25, 1950, my first
Christmas. Grandma Ramsey went to visit Helen and her family
in Tulsa, OK for Christmas so wasn’t with us like she usually
was.
Above left,
after opening gifts at home, we went over to celebrate with
the Carls. Janice Carl, sitting in Genevieve’s lap, had been
born on Aug 15, just 11 days before me. We appear to be
checking each other out! She had more hair than I did and it
was dark, which is interesting because she soon turned blonde.
My hair went from blonde to brown. Another interesting tidbit,
she and I were both born in 1950 and are the only ones in our
families not to have children. Austin got snow during the
winter of 1950-51. We were all bundled up against the cold,
especially me!
1951
On Jan 12,
1951, Mother noted on her calendar that I’d stopped nursing.
In a letter she wrote on Jan 25th, she said “In less than a
year we’ve taken on a new stove, refrig, car and baby!”
Sheesh, I see I came last in the list. Maybe it was
chronological not in order of value!
On Feb 26,
1951, my six months photos were taken. The next day I came
down with Chicken Pox. Now wonder I wasn’t smiling in most of
the photos.
I was baptized
with my two sisters on March 18, 1951, Palm Sunday, at the
University Methodist Church. I was baptized in a dress Daddy
had worn as a baby and perhaps the kid slippers too. Easter
was Sunday, March 25 in 1951. We obviously had an Easter egg
hunt with the Rugeleys at Grandma’s house. In a letter on Apr
5, Mother wrote, ‘Says da da de de. On Apr 17, ‘Got her foot
in her mouth.’ (And I’ve put it there many times since!) On
Apr 19, ‘Turned from back to tummy.’ On Apr 20, ‘1st tooth –
her lower left.’ On Apr 23, ‘Says La-tee-ta with you.’
In the photo
above left, you can see the flowered couch on the right where
the Jan 20th photos were taken. Mother’s sewing machine is on
the left. The photo above middle was probably taken on Barbara
Rugeley’s birthday Apr 27, 1951. Right, me on our sidewalk in
the same strange looking stroller. On May 11, Mother noted
‘Pushes taylor tot front and back.’ May 12, ‘4th tooth – upper
rite’ On Jun 4, ‘Plays peek-a-boo with towel or anything.’
On Jun 12,
1951, Mother and Daddy celebrated their 11th anniversary. The
middle photo of the three sisters was probably taken in July
1951. Madeline says the dresses we wore had been made by
Grandma Peters. On Aug 7, 1951 Mother noted in her calendar we
left for a vacation trip to Corpus Christi. We obviously went
through San Antonio to visit the Carls on the way down because
another note said that I’d stood up alone at Miss Minnie’s.
Mother and
Daddy had a tradition of getting a studio portrait taken of us
on every birthday. The photo above left is me on my first
birthday in a similar stance to my aunt Minnie Carl in 1911! On Aug 26th, 1951,
we celebrated my 1st birthday with a neighborhood party. I’m
in the famous high chair that converted to a little chair and
table. (Catherine has it now.) Right, Mother holding me at an
event at Catherine’s private 1st grade on the Rosedale
Elementary campus.
Christmas
1951. That year the tree was in the playpen to keep the kids,
probably primarily me, from knocking it over or trying to
climb it! You can see the train set on the right and tricycle
on the left.
1952
Above left, a portrait of me at 18
months old in Feb 1952 nattily attired in a pink dress and
blue bow and socks. The development date on the photo above
middle is also Feb 1952, but my outfit isn’t as coordinated!
I’m wearing the same check dress in the photo above right,
development date May 1952. Madeline looks a bit bored by
whatever Mother is reading and I’m perusing my own book Notice
the funny hat on the bottom right of the photo.
It shows up on
my head in the photo above left. My crib appears to be in the
kitchen up against the swinging door to the dining room. That
looks like the stove on the right. What an odd place to put
me! I guess Mother could watch me while she cooked. Middle, us in our
colorful Easter finery on Sun, Apr 13, 1952. We celebrated
with the Rays.
The
development date on the next series of photos is May 1952 but
they could have been taken anytime before then. Above left, the
three of us at the University Methodist Church. Above right, a
picnic with the Carls. From left to right, Mr. Carl,
Catherine, Madeline, Miss Minnie seated, Paul and Mother
holding me. According to Paul, the couple seated on the right
are Miss Minnie’s niece, Evelyn and
her husband Monroe. Right, a close-up of me and Mother from
the middle photo. Except in studio photos, I often seem to
have a blank or bemused look, not a lot of smiles yet.
That summer 1952 the family took a
vacation to the coast again, this time to Galveston. There was
time to frolic in the Gulf with Daddy. The color photo was
pulled from the home movie of our trip. Right, I was two years
old on Aug 26, 1952 and had a photo taken in a blue dress,
socks and pink and blue shoes. 1952 was my pink and blue
period!
Left, in 1951, Daddy and Minnie had
helped their father and stepmother buy a home in Austin so
Paul could go to UT. That meant we saw them more often.
Middle, a visit by Daddy’s mother and stepfather, Grandma
Peters and Buck Peters. These photos prove I knew both my
paternal grandparents, but I don’t remember either of them.
The Carls and Rays joined us for Thanksgiving 1952 at our
house. Above right, the kids table, from left, Janice,
Madeline, me, Catherine and Marsha.
The photo above left was obviously
taken around Christmas time 1952, but might have been a
celebration of Uncle Murray’s birthday on Dec 18. It was taken
at Murray and Alice’s house, probably the one on Balcones Dr
in Austin. Aunt Alice is holding me. Middle and right, photos
from Christmas 1952 at our house, with me peaking in the door,
(a still from the movie) and a group shot. I was starting to
become a cute kid and smiling more!
1953
We obviously
had snow again during the winter of 1952-53. The Rugeleys came
to visit that day too.
In 1953, Easter was on April 5th.
Here we are in our Easter finery. Madeline and Catherine seem
to have the same outfits in both photos, but I’m in a
different dress, for some reason. Same purse though. Sitting
among the flowers.
A trip to the Alamo with the Rays.
The development date on the photos above are May 1953. I’ve
always thought the one with me and Harry Wilder was one of the
cutest pictures I’ve ever taken. According to the development
date, in June 1953, we joined the Rays to visit Grandpa Carl
and Miss Minnie.
A photo of the new addition being
added to the house in 1953. Another party with the neighbor
kids, this one my 3rd birthday in August 1953. Aunt
Helen and Barbara were with us.
More photos from my 3rd
birthday. Right, my
studio portrait. I’m wearing the same outfit in the group
photo so this was probably taken before the party. I doubt if
the dress would have been this clean afterwards!
The photo above left is from the
promotion ceremony in Sunday School at University Methodist
Church in Sept 1953. The middle photo is another of my
favorites. I’m not sure how much the kitty enjoyed being held
that way, but it shows I loved cats from a very early age. A
note on the back said it was taken in Nov 1953. The 1953
holiday season was busy. We celebrated at home.
We also celebrated over at Grandma
Ramsey’s with Aunt Alice, Uncle Murray and the Cates, and in
Dallas with the Rays. For Christmas 1953 I got from Mother and
Daddy a doll & dress, a Story Book doll, doctor’s kit, hat
and socks. In the movie, Uncle John is playing with my
doctor’s kit. I
must have gotten the fur hat as a gift too.
1954
On March 3, 1954 I was photographed
on a pony. Madeline says she remembers dressing me for a pony
picture. This might have been it. Starting in 1954 I was a
member of the Tiny Tots at the Hancock Recreation Center.
Easter was on Sunday, April 18. We obviously got together with
the Carls and Rays at the Carl, Sr house on Pasadena. In the
back row are Catherine, Marsha Ray and Madeline; sitting are
Elaine Carl, me and Janice who is holding Barbara Carl. In a
June 10 letter to her sisters, Mother said, “Ed & I took
the 3 girls out to City Park last Fri & spend the nite
under the stars. This was our first try & we had a
wonderful time. We had so much fun fishing off the dock. We
washed dishes in the sand, & boiled coffee out of Lake
water; in other words, we really camped.”
We visited with the Rugeley’s at
Grandma’s when they came to Austin. Three generations –
Grandma, Mother and me. Since I’m in the same outfit as the
middle photo, this was probably also taken during the Rugeley
visit. Right, with the Rugeleys at City Park on July 19, 1954.
The first two photos were taken from
negatives that showed Madeline with a birthday cake so they
would have been from July 1954. The next two I call my vamp
photos. They too may have been taken in the summer of 1954.
My 4th birthday photo, August 26,
1954. I didn’t look very happy having to hold my two cakes,
but when it came time for the party, I was ready to eat them.
The people in the photo on the right are: left to right back row is Woodrow
Hardcastle?, Stephanie, Catherine, Madeline, Jeff Kratt, ?,
?; front row: Patricia Smith? Gary Hardcastle?, me, Jay
Kratt? Janon Kratt?, ? ?.
On Aug 29, 1954
I was promoted to the 4 year old class at the University
Methodist Church Sunday School. I guess that’s supposed to be a
cake with four candles! On Nov 5, 1954, we celebrated Grandma
Ramsey’s 64th birthday. How much younger Madeline and Catherine
looked at the age of 64! Mother
had written on the back of the photo with me and Santa taken
at Scarbroughs, ‘1954 or 1955’. From my hairstyle, it was
probably taken in 1954.
Christmas 1954, we seemingly stayed
home, but as usual Grandma Ramsey was with us to celebrate. A
still from the Christmas 1954 movie of me in the bright red
car that matched my bright red nightgown. In our Christmas
1954 movie, Daddy received the photo of us three sisters as a
special gift. It may well have been taken as a Christmas
surprise. For Christmas 1954, I got from Mother and Daddy twin
dolls, doll dress, car, necklace & bracelet, 2 books,
blocks, doctor kit, socks, doll suit and bedroom slippers,
from JW and family a soda fountain, a candy cane from
Stephanie, 2 baby bottles from Patsy; from Minnie bedroom
slippers, from Catherine 2 books, from Grandma a doll set,
doll blanket and red gown, from Marsha a dolly, from Madeline
2 doll dresses from the Rugeleys a doll’s diaper set with
bottle, from Jimmie glass dishes, from Grandma Peters $5 and a
crocheted doll and from Alice and Murray red dishes, 2 pencils
and a bubble head. I obviously started to feel overwhelmed.
Mother noted that I said, “I wish I didn’t have any more to
open up. I’m tired of Christmas.”!
1955
In 1955, the Davy Crockett craze
swept the nation. Just about every kid had a coonskin hat. I
did in Austin and so did Smoot in New London, CT. He had a
neat rifle almost as tall as he was; I only had a six gun,
that probably didn’t exist in Davy’s day! Smoot remembers the
hat and gun. Easter was on April 10th in 1955. The
Rays had come to celebrate with us.
Another outing
with Aunt Doody and Marsha Ray. The development date on this
photo of a dimmer at the Carl’s is April 1955. 1955 obviously
was when we got Strudel, our dachshund. He was the only dog I
remember, though we had another dog, Snooper, when we got him.
We celebrated Madeline’s 11th
birthday on July 11, 1955. The playhouse can be seen on the
right along with Strudel and Snooper and Patti Lenhart. My 5th
birthday was Aug 26, 1955. Mother always tried to have our
pictures taken on the exact day of our births. I vaguely
remember feeling so sophisticated in that dress with the
matching purse! Mother made two cakes, one green with blue
flowers and one green with yellow flowers, that I’d asked for.
My birthday was on a Friday, but the party was on Saturday.
The party was
at Austin Kiddie Land Park. There was cake and ice cream. The
favors at the party were 5¢ books and balloons.
For Christmas
1955, we had cute matching outfits. I seemed pleased with my
gift, a doll bathenett.
Later we showed off the tree.
Madeline and Catherine were growing up, leaving their
childhood and to some extent me, behind. Mr. Carl’s birthday
was on Dec 25th. The photo above right was pulled from a movie
and may have been taken in Dec 1955 or earlier in the year. I
have no memories of Mr. Carl. He died the next July.
1956
Mother made a
note on her calendar for Sunday, Feb 5, 1956 that said, “Char
lost her 1st tooth, 5 yr, 6 mo.” Easter was on Apr 1, 1956. We
posed for a picture in our finery on the steps of Grandma’s
house. Above middle, me, Barbara, Elaine and Janice Carl at an
Easter egg hunt, probably at Hancock Recreation Center.
The photo
above left shows me and Janon Kratt at UMC. The development
date is Sep 1956 but was probably taken earlier. Above right,
I’m in a grass skirt costume for some event, possibly the May
1956 Tiny Tots Hancock Recreation Center program. The
development date on the photo above right is Jul 1956.
In July 1956,
the Carl girls were in Austin, probably for Ed Carl Sr’s
funeral. From left – Barbara, Jannon Kratt, me, Elaine, and
Janice. Mr. Carl died on July 8, 1956. The date on the studio
photo above middle is July 30, 1956. I was obviously taking
ballet lessons. The photo on the right shows me in the same
outfit, but outside and my hair doesn’t appear to be as curly.
In August 1956, the Rugeley’s came to visit. We went to Murray and Alice’s house and had group photos taken at Grandma Ramsey’s house.
Also in August
1956, I celebrated my 6th birthday, with a studio portrait and
missing a tooth. As usual, all the kids in the neighborhood
were invited to celebrate.
We did simple things like play Pin the Tail on the
Donkey, nothing like the elaborate parties kids have nowadays.
In the fall of 1956, I entered the first grade at Rosedale
Elementary School in Austin. On the back of the photo above
right, Mother had written, ‘Charlotte’s 1st day at school.’ I
didn’t do well in 1st grade. Having been born in late Aug, I
was barely 6 years old. It might have been better to have kept
me back a year, but that’s history.
The photo of
me with Santa was taken in 1956 at Scarbroughs. I got a new
blue bike for Christmas 1956. I also got clothes, games,
dolls, paints, make-up (!), books, bubble bath, colors and
coloring books. Alice & Murray gave us three girls an
electric popcorn popper.
1957
Above left,
Easter was Sunday, Apr 21 in 1957. I vaguely remember that
parasol purse, thinking it was very sophisticated. Above
right, an Easter egg hunt at 5409.
The three Carl
sisters in 1957. It looks like I’m wearing my Easter dress.
Middle, me at Rosedale. According to Mother’s
calendar, on May 2, 1957 there was a program at Rosedale. It’s
possible this photo was from that. Right, my 7th birthday photo. I had
several poses but chose this serious one.
I had my 7th
birthday party at Play Land Park. We played on the rides and
then dug into cake and ice cream. As usual the neighborhood
kids were invited as were friends from church and school.
Above left, I
seem to be in front of a birthday cake in the photo from the
same group of undated negatives. My leg is in that same bent
pose yet again. I guess that was ‘my look.’ Along with this
was an image from a swimming outing with the Rugeleys. I
appear to be wearing the same shorts. It may be we had another
birthday celebration for me when we got together with family.
Bathing
Strudel and a successful fishing trip in 1957. In the photo
above right of a Brownie gathering, I’m vamping for the
camera! What was with that leg pose?
In the fall of
1957 I entered the second grade at Rosedale. I’m second from
the right in the back row, next to Jay Messer. (I had a crush
on him but it went no where; he ended up years later being
Smoot’s insurance agent!) My teacher was Mrs. Mary L.
Blundell. She was much nicer than my previous teacher and my
work improved.
Above left, a
color version of my second grade school picture, 1957-58. Next
to it, a few little adjustments and the photo makes me look a
lot less dorky! Mother noted in her calendar for Nov 26, 1957,
“Ch’s pict at school.” The drawing above was dated Sept 25,
1957. I assume it shows my family. At least everyone’s smiling
in this one! The one on the right was dated Oct 20, 1957. I’m
not sure if that’s supposed to be me. If so, I appear to have
black hair and a crown!
I thought it
was sweet that Catherine was holding my hand in her birthday
picture above left. Or maybe she’s trying to keep my hand away
from her cake! Above right, a stair step of kids, starting
second from left, Dennis Smith, Patricia Smith, me, Catherine
and Madeline holding an unidentified baby. The two
unidentified kids are probably the same ones as in the Kratts
party pics. The photo above right may commemorate our first
TV. As I recall, we could only get two channels, KTBC Channel
7 and Channel 9, the PBS channel. Because LBJ had a hammerlock
on the VHF system, it required a special antenna or box to get
the UHF channels when someone finally found a way to break the
Johnson family media monopoly.
Grandma
Ramsey’s birthday was on Nov 5, 1957. We often had her over to
celebrate. The photo above must
Above left, a program by the second
grade class at UMC in 1957. I’m on the far right, second row
from the bottom. My Brownie troop collected canned food and
decorated a Christmas tree for the children’s hospital. In Dec
1957, I got to have another visit with Santa.
Stills from our
1957 Christmas movie.
For Christmas
1957, from Mother and Daddy I got a tricycle ($22.35), a coat
($7.00), pajamas ($2.98), a Brownie necklace ($1.10), sweaters
($2.98, $3.98), Little Zoo book ($1.00), doll suitcase
($7.98), bride doll clothes, cars, and dishes. From Steve –
barrettes, Stephanie – make-up kit, Madeline – a bell for my
trike, Grandma – blue trunk (that I think I still have!), 2
aprons, Cinderella, Old Maid, Authors and Hearts, Grandma
Peters – a necklace, Rays – a red wiener dog purse, a comb and
a blue scarf, Alice and Murray – lamp, Bible bk, white
mittens, red pants, red mittens, red coveralls, Patsy –
Playtime color bk & colors, Jennie – cut out dolls in
suitcase, Vera – 2 pairs of socks, Margery and Paul – scarf
and panties
1958
A snowy day in
Austin. Above left, the people are, l to r, Mother, Patty,
Madeline, Sharon and Mrs. Paulson. I’m in the front row with
Linda Paulson.
The development date on the photo
above left is Feb 1958 but could have been taken earlier. The
photo above middle of my Brownie troop was from an undated
negative. Right, Jay Messer and me in a 2nd grade play.
Easter was Apr 6, 1958 and we went to
Dallas to celebrate with the Rays. These color images, pulled
from a home movie film almost make a panorama.
We obviously also had Easter egg
hunts at 5409 and also at Cookie Hayes’ house. That’s Bubba
Massey next to me and Cookie behind. Also in or around April,
we went fishing and caught a good haul.
The photos above are from a May Day
celebration at Rosedale. I don’t recognize the boy with me.
Right, Rainbow Grand Assembly was held in Houston during the
middle of June 1958. I wasn’t old enough to be a member, but I
could tag along to the bus.
The development date on the photo
above left is also June 1958. The kitten was helping me sew. That summer 1958, I went to Girl Scout
day camp.
On
11 July 1958, Madeline celebrated her 14th birthday. In the middle of July 1958, the
family drove to Tulsa to visit the Rugeleys.
We also simply
hung around the house on E. Jasper. I remember Helen and
Mother staying up very late and laughing very loudly at each
other’s jokes and stories. We also visited the national
headquarters of Rainbow Girls in McAllister, OK. In July or
August the Rainbow girls put on a flapper ice cream social. As
usual, I tagged along. I got to wear one of the flapper hats
when the family got together at Grandma’s. I don’t know why
I’m striking a pose in both photos.
I took a doll
with me for my 8th birthday studio photo. I remember Madeline
and Catherine making fun of me for doing that. They were
probably right. It looks inconsistent with all my other
birthday portraits. In the home movie from my birthday party,
I’m in by birthday dress and Catherine and I are playing on
the whirligig. That might have been the year we got it. Right,
the kids at my 8th birthday party.
I had a very
fancy, three-tiered cake clearly meant to be a carousel. My
birthday celebration was a pool party. It was the last co-ed
party I had!
More birthday.
Middle, I wore my birthday dress for my first day in third
grade, fall 1958. The girl with me, I think, is Vera Juarez.
Right, the color version of my 1958-59 third grade school
photo. I must have been into plaids. According to my report
card, I was satisfactory in my school work even though I still
didn’t know my arithmetic combinations. I guess that means
multiplication tables and such. I was excellent in conduct and
by the end of the year became so in personal development and
work habits.
In the fall of
1958, I entered the 3rd grade at Rosedale with Mrs.
Shuttlesworth. I’m 4th from the left on the front row. I was
also in the third grade at UMC’s Sunday School.
We celebrated
Grandma Ramsey’s 50th wedding anniversary in Sep 1958. Sadly,
she’d been a widow for 14 of those years. In the photo above
right, taken in Oct 1958, I’ve gained a lot of weight. From
the costume I’m wearing, this must have been from a Halloween
carnival with pets. I’m with Neal ‘Bubba’ Massey. Strudel and
Fluffy are in the cage.
I can’t find
any still photos from Christmas 1958 nor is there a movie,
both of which are very odd. Something must have happened to
them. We always took photos at Christmas.
1959
Above left,
Easter was Mar 29, 1959. I’m not a cute little kid anymore,
but a fat, unattractive one. We drove to Waco and had a picnic
with the Rays. Right, Patti and me in Jul 1959 before leaving
for Madeline’s b’day party at Rio Vista.
My 9th
birthday portrait. From Mother’s notes, “Aug 26, 1959.
Charlotte had a luncheon party.” Right, back to school.
I was in the
4th grade, Catherine in the 9th at Lamar and Madeline was in
the 10th grade at McCallum. That meant Mother and Daddy were
members of three PTAs. Above, my 1959-60 4th grade school and
class photos. My teacher was Mrs. Hooks. I got mostly As and
Bs on my report card except for the C+ in handwriting. Sadly,
that hasn’t gotten better but worse! I’m second from the left
in the second row from the top, in front of Jay Messer.
I got to be
part of Catherine’s 14th birthday dinner with Donna Hartung,
Nancy Follett and our family at the Villa Capri. On Dec 16,
1959, I took part in my first piano recital. In honor of that
event I had a studio portrait taken in my first recital dress.
My hair is different from how I wore it at the actual
performance, but the dress is the same. I recognize Mrs. Lusby
on the far left and Ellen Ingersoll second from right. I
played three songs, Glad Song and Sad Song, The Little Red Hen
and Marilyn’s Waltz.
Christmas 1959 at
Grandma Ramsey’s with the Rugeleys and at home.
Above, Nancy Follett, Linda Paulson
and Jean Anne Crawford joined us. I don’t know why Linda and I
are in those outfits. Catherine’s hidden behind Linda.
The end of the
first decade of my life!