Category: Memorabilia

1911 Courtship: July 23 Dear Ethel

7/21/2013

1910 Regina Exhibition Livestock Grounds, Valentine and Sons' Publishing Co. Ltd. Courtesy of the University of Saskatchewan Library, Special Collections.

The above photo from http://saskhistoryonline.ca shows the numerous barns housing the livestock exhibits on the Exhibition grounds. As a former exhibitor of our goats, I've been in the livestock barns too many times to count, and even camped in them while we exhibited. Unfortunately, the barns in the image were devasted by fire and the ones I'm used to seeing are huge window-less metal structures which do the job of keeping the animals sheltered, but lack the beauty and charm of the original ones.

Author of Letter: Noah Clement Draper (24 yrs old)
Dated: July 23 (1911)
Addressed to: Miss E. Nelson, Dear Ethel (21 yrs old)
Mailed to: Huntsville, Ont
Mailed from: Grand Coulee (Sask)
Relationship: Courting
Profession: Farmer
Writing instrument: Fine point pen, Black ink which lightens as the letter lengthens.
Writing Paper: Thick, textured, linen-like paper, 9 inches x 6.5 inches. Paper is folded in half, written on front and back like a book, but inside, paper is turned sideways and written across short length and straight down both pages.

People/Places mentioned in this letter:

Ma - Noah's mother, *Sarah Sophia Deverell
*Elva Jane Nelson - Ethel's cousin, currently living in Indian Head, Sask
*Sadie - Ethel's 16 yr old sister back home in Belhaven
Manuel - *Emanuel, Ethel's 6 yr old brother back home in Belhaven

**Dominion Exhibition
*Regina, Sask
the head - *Indian Head, Sask, located east of Regina on Hwy #1

Phrases/Cliches in use at the time:
- "going to get hooked up"

* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right column for more on posts on the above people.
**More info under Genealogical Notes

Grand Coulee July 23

Miss. E. Nelson,
Huntsville. Ont.
Dear Ethel, -
Received your welcome
letter last week and was glad
to hear you were having
a good time. Hope it may last.
Say you want to have lots
of boat riding this summer
for you are apt to be a
long time up here with
out seeing much water here.
Well we have four
carpenters and two well
diggers here so you see
Mother has plenty to do.
have sent down to Manitoba

for a girl & I certainly hope she
comes for it is to much for mother.
Am going into Regina to-morrow
to get a furnace and see about the
plasterers. so you see we will
be buisy right along untill
after harvest or rather threshing.
Well I suppose you know
wheather Sadie has passed
her examinations by this time.
dont think there is much danger
of her failing.
Dominion exhibition starts
in Regina Monday next and
lasts untill the 13th of August
dont think I will be able to spend
muchtime at it tho for it is
harder work to keep the other
men going than it is to work
My self.
Suppose that new barn is
about finished by this time
or at least the rough work.
Oh say I dont know wheather
I told you I saw Elva at the
head on the 18th or not. she was
telling me she heard I was going
to get hooked up. Ha. Ha.

Well. who in the world was
telling that Manuel was
trying to set a hen's tail
on fire. (poor hen) I guess
she would go some. Eh.
Say do you know any
one who is coming up to
the exhibition or do they
all think it is out of their
reach and to God forsaken
a country to travel in. Ha. Ha.
Well I guess I will have to
close for this time wish I
were there to take you
out for a row. when you
get this but you will not
be far away in my thoughts.
Well bye. Bye. Write a long
letter to your little Lover.
xxxxxxxx N.C.D.

Genealogy Notes

In this week's letter, Noah mentions that the Dominion Exhibition will start on Monday. The above images are taken from the 1911 Dominion Exposition Regina Prize List which I found as a free download PDF at University of Alberta Libraries.

However, it notes the Regina Fair as the Dominion Exposition instead of an exhibition. In all my years, I've always known it as an exhibition or fair, although fair is usually reserved for smaller locations and exhibition for provincial capitals - like Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, etc. I checked dictionary.com and it states:
expositon - a large-scale exhibition or show

Calling the 1911 Exhibition an Exposition fits then, because it was the year Regina hosted the Dominion Fair - a privilege awarded annually from 1879 to 1913 to Canada's biggest fairs. This meant that exhibitors from all over Canada vied for the chance to win not just a ribbon that said Provincial Exhibition, but a medal confirming the exhibitor won it at the Dominion Exhibition. As you can see from the lettering below, even the organizers weren't sure if is was an exhibition or exposition.

Obverse: 1911 bronze Dominion Exhibition Regina Medal. Courtesy of Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1979-13-232M

Reverse: 1911 bronze medal donated by the Ontario Sheep Breeders' Ass'n for THE BEST ___ WON BY ____ Courtesy of Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1979-13-232M

Although cash prizes were handed out, the top breeder for each breed would receive a medal like the one above which were sponsored by commercial associations, like the Ontario Sheep Breeders, who used the Dominion Exhibition for promotion. The above medal isn't engraved with a breed of sheep nor a winner. The medals would have been struck ahead of time, but sometimes there aren't enough exhibitors in category so a medal isn't awarded.

Much like the Olympic medals are different for each game's location, so are the Dominion Exhibition medals.

On the right is the style of medal handed out at the 1904 Dominion of Canada Exhibition. Unlike the 1911 Regina medal, this one comes with a ribbon and badge for hanging on your chest.

I like the Winnipeg one, except for the hole they've drilled into the medal to enable it to hang. Truthfully, it's hard to find medals without a hole, but as a coin and medal collector, I tend to steer clear of the holed ones unless they were manufactured in that fashion, such as this one.

(Click the image for a larger version.)

“DOMINION OF CANADA EXHIBITION 1904 WINNIPEG” brass medal with ribbon and badge.

Exhibitions are made up of Livestock and Homecraft Exhibits, a Midway with rides, games, etc, and a commercial Trade Show where you can buy anything from homemade jams to farm equipment.

The on-line McCord Museum has a brief write-up about the trade shows on their site, which states in part, "Agricultural fairs and industrial exhibitions were an excellent opportunity to reach huge numbers of people." I always find interesting images at the McCord Museum, but I never imagined I'd find an engraving of a late 19th/early 20th century trade show booth for a corset manufacturer...

1850-1885 engraving by John Henry Walker showing The Crompton Corset Company trade booth. Courtesy of © McCord Museum

The Crompton Corset Company which was located in Toronto, Ontario displayed its line of corsets at trade fairs and exhibitions across Canada.

I wonder if Noah passed a booth like this at Regina's Dominion Exhibition?

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Carla Olson Gade: Romancing the Snow

11/4/2012

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This week we welcome Carla Olson Gade to Author Memories.

A native New Englander, Carla Olson Gade grew up in an historic Massachusetts town and now lives in rural Maine with her husband and two young adult sons. Her love for writing and eras gone by turned her attention to writing historical Christian romance.

Carla enjoys graphic design, photography, history, and genealogy. And she loves the snow, except when it gets dirty by the end of the winter. Throughout the years, Carla has taught workshops on Biblical topics, genealogy, writing, and adult literacy.

Romancing the Snow
by Carla Olson Gade

Romance:
Marked by the imaginative or emotional appeal of what is
heroic, adventurous, remote, mysterious, or idealized.

A native New Englander, I am no stranger to snow. As a child, I always looked forward to that first snow which seemed like a miracle to me. Catching snowflakes on my tongue as they drifted down from the heavens. Tunneling through snow banks taller than I. We made snow forts and snowmen, and would slide for hours on end down steep hills. It was always worth the long trip climbing back to the top, in snow up to our knees, just to go down one more time. When our mittens were soaked, and feet nearly frozen, we’d go in for a cup of hot chocolate, put on fresh mittens and dry socks and head back outside. We’d make snow angels and imagine that they mysteriously appeared in the unscathed landscape. Or so it seemed. Snow always made everything look fresh and new. Pure, and like a dream. A blank palette for a romantic imagination such as mine.

“As the last belated cloud legions...were passing overhead...they
contribute a few more choice examples of snow crystal architecture
as souvenirs of the skill of the Divine Artist.”
~ Wilson A. "Snowflake" Bentley

Snow, like a story, begins with something so small and delicate and can transform into a wonderland. Like the uniqueness of every individual snowflake, we too, have our own experiences, memories, and stories to be told. Like the times I picnicked beneath the shelter of a bowing pine covered in snow. Desiring to recreate this memory with my own sons when they were young, we took a picnic a short distance from our home following a blizzard. All bundled up, we carried a thermos of cocoa and peanut butter crackers and found a spot underneath a snowy pine. The cozy moment did not last long upon my realization that a badger was snuggled within the trunk of the tree. We let this sleepy creature lay in his wintery cocoon.

In the 19th century, Currier and Ives gave us images of a romantic New England winters with landscapes of sloping hills of snow, ice skating, and horse drawn sleighs. With every picture, I see a story and often long to put words to the scenes portrayed. This notion is cemented for me further as my great-grandfather Amos Currier was a cousin to the famed lithographer Nathaniel Currier. I know that the scenes were often inspired by true events and the culture of rural New England that my ancestors experienced.

"The Road, Winter", N. Currier, 1853

Another ancestral cousin, poet John Greenleaf Whittier, put imagery to pen when he wrote Snow-Bound: A Winter Idyl in 1866. The poem recounts his childhood memories of being secluded in their stormy haven, as his family gathered by the warmth of the fireside hearth to hear legends of old, including those of our shared ancestors. Snow-Bound was one of the most popular publications of its day, lending much to the nostalgia for which good folk longed.

All day the gusty north-wind bore
The loosening drift its breath before;
Low circling round its southern zone,
Through dazzling snow-mist shone. . .

And, when the second morning shone,
We looked upon a world unknown,
On nothing we could call our own. . .

Carla Olson Gade: My mother and grandfather on a sleigh ride in 1942.

“There is something soft and tender in the fall of a single snow-flake,
but when it comes out crawling out in the morning and shoveling
away a big drift, it’s ornery, mean and disgusting.”
~ G.L. Adams, The Fowlerville Review, 1879

Each generation has its own recollections, some more romantic than others. The romance is often a myth. Nostalgia at its best. Choosing to hold on to the best memories. Or, looking to the past to redeem a treasure from the deep. Like snow angels and sledding instead of shoveling mountains of heavy wet snow, trudging through the blizzard with a pail of water and grain to feed our horse, recalling the concussion my brother got when the toboggan slammed straight into a tree. Despite the temporary hardships that are endured by so many during nature’s most alarming furies, I must confess that to spend an evening reading by the light of an oil lamp, a candle, or the soft glow of the fireplace, kindles my imagination like nothing else. And, thus, it was for me in my 16th year, during the famed northeast “Blizzard of 1978.”

Hailed the "Storm of the Century," the February blizzard dumped over 27 inches of snow on the Boston area, my family residing directly in its path. The Commonwealth was immobilized and many, like our family were left without heat, electricity, and telephone. The snow drifts were so deep that we could see but 6 inches of antenna of our car which was at the bottom of our driveway. It felt as though we were trapped inside our house, but the sun shone and we ventured outdoors to dig out after the two day storm. I recall walking uptown on the snowy streets, absent of vehicles, dragging our sled so we could return with groceries; providing any stores were open in our small community. Our historic town with clapboard homes and steepled church was clad in white. So picturesque, surreal even, like a Currier and Ives scene. And so pleasant, as many typically reserved New England neighbors greeted one another along the way. And though many were trapped on the interstate by the snowy onslaught and cities shut down for a week, I cling to my own experiences. But I could never keep from wondering how a great snow would affect those who lived in earlier times. Though their lives were not reliant on electricity and such, tremendous snow still created significant hardship . . . and perhaps other romantic notions.

18th century woodblock print depicting The Great Snow of 1717.

I’ll leave you with a true tale of my 9th great-grandparents Abraham Adams & Abigail Peirce who endured “The Great Snow” of 18th century Massachusetts.

The year 1717 “is rendered memorable, by the unusual quantity of snow, which fell on the twentieth and twenty-fourth of February. In these two storms, the earth was covered with snow, from ten to fifteen feet, and, in some places, to twenty feet, deep. Many one-story houses were covered, and, in many places, paths were dug, from house to house, under the snow. Many visits were made, from place to place, by means of snow shoes, the wearers having first stepped out of their chamber windows, on these excursions. ‘Love,’ we know, ‘laughs at locksmiths,’ and, of course, will disregard a snow-drift. Tradition informs us, that a Mr. Abraham Adams, wishing to visit his ‘ladye love,’ Miss Abigail Peirce, mounted his snow shoes, took a three miles’ walk, for that purpose, and entered her residence as he left his own, namely, by the chamber window. He was the first person the family had seen from abroad, for more than a week. Cotton Mather has left in writing a particular account of ‘the great snow,’ and the many marvels and prodigies attending it.”

(From: A Sketch of the History of Newbury, Newburyport, and West Newbury, from 1635 to 1845 By Joshua Coffin, Joseph Bartlett, 1845)

“As mighty a snow, as perhaps has been known
in the memory of man, is at this time lying on the ground.”
~ Cotton Mather, early American preacher and historian

Carla Olson Gade: My ancestor’s home in Newbury, MA (Spencer-Peirce-Little House, c. 1690 which was covered in snow up to the second floor in 1717. Photo courtesy: Karen Lynch. http://www.karenlynchphotos.com/

Have you ever been in a blizzard or other great snow?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY!
Leave a comment with a valid email address by midnight, Nov 11th
to be entered to win a copy of Carla's giveaway,
Colonial Courtships
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Colonial Courtships:
Carving a Future by Carla Olson Gade
Barbour Publishing, October 2012

Unexpected adventure catches the Ingersoll
brothers by surprise-and brings unexpected love into their lives. Nathaniel has his sights set on becoming a master figurehead carver, until he risks everything for a woman. Jonathan's merchant trade and his new love are in jeopardy from a brother's animosity. Micah expects to settle down to peace after a life of fighting on the frontier but finds a young woman hiding from an abductor. Alden is press-ganged into tending an ailing naval captain, then catches sight of the captain's fetching niece. Will the unexpected end in four courtships?

The novella collection begins with Carving a Future, set in 1753. Ship figurehead carver Nathaniel Ingersoll has apprenticed for many years under his Uncle Phineas and hopes to become a master ship carver in his own right. Indentured servant Constance Starling arrives on the Connecticut coast too ill for anyone to accept. Has Nathaniel jeopardized the future he has worked hard to achieve for the welfare of a weakly servant?

Excerpt: http://carlagade.com/CarvingaFutureChapter%201.pdf

Carla is the author of the Heartsongs Presents novel, The Shadow Catcher's Daughter, as well as the novella “Carving a Future” in Colonial Courtships. Carla is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.

Connect with Carla at:

Carla's website
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Goodreads
Colonial Quills group Blog

If you are interested in ancestry, Carla invites you to check out her Genealogy blog at http://familyhistory.wordpress.com.

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1906 Percy's Policy

7/2/2012

4 Comments

In the continuing story of Noah and Ethel, I’m posting the letters, cards, and other bits of historical papers I found in the treasure box collected by Ethel and handed down to my husband. For a list of corresponding posts, check the Genealogy Post Index.

This past week, I went through the final envelope which contained a haphazard collection of legal documents from several generations. Some of them are private, but others should be posted for their historical value, and genealogical information. That's why I'm presenting this life insurance policy - it gives genealogical information about the Draper Family and helps answer the question of when they moved to Saskatchewan.

Life Insurance Document:

Company: The Supreme Court of the Independent Order of Foresters
Benefit Member: Percy R. Draper of Grand Coulee, Saskatchewan
Beneficiary: Sarah Draper (nee Deverell)
Relationship: Mother
Amount of Policy: 1000 Dollars or 200 pounds sterling
Dated: 19 November 1906 in Toronto, Ontario
Writing instrument: Black Inked pen

Tri-folded 1906 Life Insurance Policy for Percy R. Draper.

The policy is tri-folded so the centre block with Percy's name, his address, the amount, and the policy number are on the outside and the two flaps fold inside.

When fully opened, the 'benefit certificate' measures 12 inches x 19 inches. I find it strange that the policy isn't in Percy's handwriting, nor is it signed by him. I base this fact on his handwritten postcard to Noah in the post, 100 Year Old Postcards.

1906 Life Insurance Policy for Percy R Draper

Please excuse the reproduction quality of these images. Since I didn't want to create new folds in this 106 year old document by photocopying it, my only choice was taking photos.

In case you can't make out the detail of the header image, I'm showing it below again and hoping it's better quality.

1906 The Supreme Order of Foresters Whole Life Benefit Certificate.

With the document folded in half once again, you read where Percy named his mother, Sarah Draper as his sole beneficiary. By naming his mother, the document tells us that in November 1906, Percy was still a single man, because if he had been married, he would have named his wife as his beneficiary instead of his mother.

1906 Life Insurance Policy naming Sarah Draper as beneficiary

Through this post, I hope others looking into their genealogies will realize that one document or one small newspaper clipping won't give a complete picture of your ancestors. However each is small puzzle piece in the overall picture of your past. When placed in a timeline, those small bits of information flow together to tell the story of how you came to be where you are today.

Some good news:

A welcome event happened this week due to the posting of material from Ethel's treasure box... one of the Draper descendants commented on 1909: To Noah, A Letter From Home and as well as 100 Year Old Postcards and left valuable information which has solved the first major puzzle of this story.

Thank you going out to Geoff Bowerman who commented that David Draper moved his wife, Sarah, and their children, Percy, Louie, Jennie, and Noah to the NorthWest Territories (now Saskatchewan) in 1903. He based this on Noah and Ethel's 1912 marriage certificate.

Since I have that document listed as a citation for proof of their marriage, I went to take a closer look at it and indeed, Mr. Geoff Bowerman is correct. I had missed the line where it lists Noah as having lived in Grand Coulee as of 1903. Geoff was also correct about the bad handwriting, because I can't make out if they moved in June or July 1903. The word looks like Juny.

So what does this all mean? It means that the family moved west as soon as Noah - the youngest child - received his school certificate, dated July 1903, as shown in my post, Noah & Ethel 1887-1911.

In the story of Noah and Ethel, we now know:
- their place and date of birth
- when they completed school
- what they each did in the time leading up to their courtship year

Or do we? We still don't know why Noah was in Burk's Falls, Ontario on 25 Dec 1908. As a mixed farmer, he would be required on the farm during the winter months. Would he leave Sarah, Jennie and Louie alone to do the chores? Or were they strictly grain farmers?

I'll present another piece to the puzzle of Noah and Ethel next week.

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1909: To Noah, A Letter From Home

6/17/2012

16 Comments

Two weeks ago, I posted about a box of letters and photos my husband inherited and that we've had in the house for several years - just sitting there. We've decided to share them online so all members of the family and anyone interested in history can read and enjoy them.

That first post was Noah & Ethel 1887 - 1911 where I showed early memorabilia of Noah (1887-1953) and Ethel (1890-1974). 1911 is when Noah and Ethel start exchanging letters upon their engagement, but there are several letters written to each of them prior to that which I wanted to share. This is the first.

In order to maintain historical accuracy, this letter and others to follow will show the actual spelling and punctuation of the original letter. If there were only a few instances of misspelling, I would use [sic] after the incorrect word. However, that would take away from the authenticity of the letter as well as distract you from the letter's intent.

So, I will display the original letter, then follow it with the transcription verbatim - as it was written.

Author of letter: David Draper, 1842-1909

Date of letter: Feb 21, 1909
Addressed to: Noah Draper, 22 yrs old, Grand Coulee, Saskatchewan, Canada
Mailed from: North Gwillimbury, York, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Relationship: Noah is David's youngest child
Profession: Farmer (David's father's profession is listed as a yeoman (British farmer) although he was born in Canada.
Level of Education: Unknown. Usually, farmer's sons attended school for a very short time, if at all, as they were needed on the family farm.
Writing instrument: Blue Ink, but it looks like pencil marks that have been rubbed by age
Mentioned in letter: Persey aka Percy Roy Draper, 1883-1939, David's son, Noah's brother

Grand Coulee Feb the 21 1909

     Well Noah I thought
I would write you and
let you now how things
is hear We are all well except
My Self I am mending Slowly
am only able to git to the
barn once and a while and
as been is going a way on
the first of the month I would
like you to come home
and look after the things
hear and if you do not
wanto let me now at once
for I will have to doo Something
With the place for I can
not doo much my Self
So let me now at once
I think it would bee beter
for you to come home at
once   the Wether is fine
hear now and looks lile
Spring the horses is looking
very well for the care
they have got I wrote to
Persey and told him to bee
Shure to have you to come
home with him but he's
Staying longer than I thought
they would So you had not
beter wait for them.
     I remain you D Draper

The letter is written on slightly thick, textured linen-like paper. Each page is 4.5 inches x 6.5 inches like you see above, but when opened, the 2 pages of the above letter are actually the front and back covers as seen below. When opened, the size is 9 inches wide by 6.5 inches long.

Since Noah's father, David Draper wrote on the front and back cover, that left room on the inside for a few words by Noah's mom, Sarah, who started the letter, but only wrote one paragraph. The rest of the letter is written by Louie, Noah's sister...

Part-Author of letter: Sarah Sophia Deverall, 1846-1930
Relationship: Sarah is Noah's mother
Profession: Farmer's Wife (as listed in the 1901 census)
Level of Education: Unknown
Writing Instrument: Black ink, looks like Fountain Pen or possibly inkwell

Part-Author of letter: Louie aka Sarah Louisa Draper, 1879-1920
Relationship: Louie is David's older sister
Profession: Farmer's Daughter (as listed in the 1901 census)
Level of Education: Unknown
Writing Instrument: Black ink, looks like Fountain Pen or possibly Inkwell

This 1st paragraph written by Noah's mom, Sarah

well Noah as your pa is wrightin I will
try and doe some to tho you have not sen
fit to answer my last

The rest of letter written by Noah's sister, Louie

Ma has not time to write as
Pa wants to send this with
Charley who is going to the
Coulee. They are going
over to Taylors this after
-noon the first either of
them have been out since
pa came from the
hospital. We were down
to church last night
Mr Ross certainly
gives us some fine
sermons. I expect
Mr & Mrs Valence
up tomorrow
Mr Harvey died a week
ago Friday his family
are left inather hard
up I hear. Well I can
think of no more news
so will close with love
from all to all.

Lovingly Louie

David Draper passed away on June 21st, 1909 in Saskatchewan - 4 months to the day after he wrote this letter. He is buried in the family plot in Regina's oldest cemetary in the middle of the city.

Headstone for David Draper, his wife Sarah, and Noah's wife Ethel. One side reads Jennie F Draper, and the back reads Percy Roy Draper and his wife, Parthena. Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.

We don't know if Noah ever made it back to Gwillimbury, Ontario after receiving his father's letter (above). Perhaps David realized that at 22 yrs, Noah wouldn't be back because he was working on his own land. And we don't know why David and Sarah uprooted their family and moved to Saskatchewan, or when they did it during those 4 months. With the survey work done, the new province of Saskatchewan was looking for settlers to work the wide expanse of prairie suitable for agriculture. David relied on Noah's help since the older boys had already left home to start families of their own. Perhaps David and Sarah left the family farm to one of them and decided to follow Noah out west.

I wish I knew.

The bright spot is that I have many more of Ethel's letters to go through and the answer may well lie in one of those. I also have the internet to help with research. In the coming weeks and months, I'll bring more of Noah and Ethel's story. As I mentioned previously, the letters are simple missives about your average early 20th century Canadian family. I think. We shall see.

Are you familiar with genealogical research?
Would you like me to explain how I go about researching this family?
How I find the citations to prove dates, etc?

I am an amateur and learning as I go, but I'm willing to pass on what I discover as I work my way through the letters. If there's interest, I'll add a Genealogical postcript box to these posts specifically for this purpose.

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Vintage Dolls, Vintage Recipe

6/10/2012

48 Comments

This week we welcome Louise M. Gouge to Author Memories.

Award-winning Florida author Louise M. Gouge writes historical fiction, calling her stories “threads of grace woven through time.”

With her great love of history and research, Louise has traveled to several of her locations to ensure the accuracy of her stories’ settings. When she isn't writing, she and her husband love to visit historical sites and museums.

Her favorite Bible verse is “He shall choose our inheritance for us” (Psalm 47:4), a testimony to her belief that God has chosen a path for each believer. To seek that path and to trust His wisdom is to find the greatest happiness in life.

Vintage Dolls, Vintage Recipe
by Louise M. Gouge

When my father went away to war (WWII), my mother and three older siblings moved in with my widowed, maternal grandmother, Lacy Cain.

Grandmother Lacy Cain at 104 yrs old

I was born soon after that, and Grandmother was an important part of my life from that moment until she died at 104. Everyone in the family says she spoiled me, and I suppose that’s true. But she also set an example of patience and goodness that has stayed with me all these years. Once when someone was rude to her, she gave a gentle reply. Later I asked her why she
didn’t tell that person off. She quoted the Scripture, “A soft answer turneth away wrath.” (Proverbs 15:1 KJV). While I must admit her answer annoyed me (I was about ten years old, so
maybe that was conviction about my own unruly temper), I have never forgotten her Christ-like attitude.

Lacy Cain, 20 yrs old, circa 1895

Grandmother was born in 1875, and she was a true Victorian lady, despite modest means. She was an excellent seamstress and made many of my clothes. She also crocheted. When I was about five years old, she crocheted some beautiful doll clothes for me and put them on small display dolls.

While the dolls were long ago broken from being played with often, I still display the clothes on new dolls. I also made a shadowbox containing Grandmother’s picture and a few of her belongings. Each time I pass this little display, I think of Grandmother and the way she
chose to live her 104 years of life for Jesus Christ.

Another enduring legacy my grandmother left is one I passed on to my children and grandchildren. When she was young, a neighbor gave her a recipe for Lepkuchen, German Christmas cookies. These delicious molasses cookies are best made up in late November, then stored to age.

Grandmother Cain’s Lepkuchen (Christmas Cookies)

Photo credited to The Opulent Opossum (permission pending)

2 quarts of molasses
1/2 to 3/4 lb. of citron or mixed candied fruits
1 1/2 lb. shortening
1 quart to 3 pints chopped nuts (mixed, pine or walnut)
1 ounce nutmeg
1/2 cup cinnamon
3 tablespoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup soda
2 cups sour milk (or cultured buttermilk)
2 cups hot water
1 1/2 oz. Lemon extract
1 box raisins
10 lbs. of flour (pre-sifted is good)

Make dough up stiff at night.

Next morning, divide into batches.

Roll as thin as possible.

Cut into squares.

Bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 12 minutes.

***Long ripening improves the flavor of these cookies.

If desired, an icing of confectioner’s sugar and water may be spread thinly over
cookies.

Loosely translated, Lepkuchen means “sweets of happiness.”
Recipe comes from Grandmother Lacy Aris Neal Cain (1875-1979) and was handed down to daughters and subsequent generations. Original recipe comes from Germany by way of Lydia Pregge, or Prague, (not known to be related to Cain family) in Sedalia, Missouri, on November 12, 1922.

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GIVEAWAY!
Leave a comment with a valid email address
by midnight, June 17th
to be entered in a draw for a copy of
Louise M. Gouge's latest Love Inspired Historical,
A Proper Companion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Proper Companion, Love Inspired Historical, June 2012

Back Cover Blurb

With her father’s death, Anna Newfield loses everything—her home, her inheritance, and her future. Her only piece of good fortune is a job offer from wounded major Edmond Grenville, whose mother requires a companion. The Dowager Lady Greystone is controlling and unwelcoming, but Anna can enjoy Edmond’s company, even if she knows the aristocratic war hero can never return her love.

Even amid the glittering ballrooms of London, nothing glows brighter for Edmond than Anna’s gentle courage. Loving her means going gainst his family’s rigid command. Yet how can he walk away when his heart may have found its true companion?

Ladies in Waiting series by Harlequin’s Love Inspired Historical imprint:
Three young ladies come to London to work as companions for wealthy women, but
find romance instead.

Book One - A Proper Companion (June 2012)
Book Two - A Suitable Wife (will be released in December 2012)
Book Three - TBA

In addition to numerous other awards, Louise M. Gouge is the recipient of the prestigious
Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award for her 2005 novel, Hannah Rose.

You can find Louise online at her website and blog:
http://blog.Louisemgouge.com

Thank you for sharing your grandmother and her recipe with us, Louise.

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