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Friday 23 November 2012

Sepia Saturday - Two Close September Sisters

Sepia Saturday encourages bloggers to record their family history through photographs.

 


There was no hesitation in coming up with my posting for this week's theme.  It had to be the story of two close sisters - my mother and aunt, Kathleen and Edith Danson.  of Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire.


My mother Kathleen Danson and her sister Edith were born one year and one week apart, in 1907 and 1908, daughters of William Danson and Alice English of Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire. They remained close all their lives - as can be seen  these photographs below.
 


Edith and Kathleen Danson  = late 1908


 
 
Playing in the garden - Edith (seated) & Kathleen, c.1914
 
Edith and Kathleen, 1916.
 
 
Aunt Edith was the eldest born on 2nd September 1907. I think of her as one of line of "Feisty Danson Females" and she was fond of regaling me with stories of the family and her life in teaching. She was the only one in the family to win a scholarship to Fleetwood Grammar School, riding the four miles on her bike in all weathers. She became a teacher at Burn Naze School in Thornton (a poor area of town the time), kept home for her father and brother, travelled widely, even to Russia in Iron Curtain days, and married for the first time at the aged 73. You can tell from her photographs that she was someone who enjoyed life.   Aunt Edith, was, of course, my godmother and took on the role with great gusto.

Her sister Kathleen (my mother) was born 8th September 1908 and was more reserved. I have been proud to give tributes to her in other postings such as Happiness is Stitching.

 
Both Edith and Kathleen enjoyed fashion, and made their own clothes on a treadle machine (their house did not have electricity until 1958) and regularly went dancing at the Winter Gardens, and the Tower Ballrooms in Blackpool - where my mother met my father. 
Kathleen & Edith
Kathleen & Edith

Both were  accomplished at needlework and crafts, with Aunt Edith also a talented artist.  and both , like many of their generation were skilled  bakers. 
   

Stitched by my mother
 
Painting by my Aunt Edith

Collage by my mother

Who could be my mother's bridesmaid in 1938, but ~Aunt Edith.   Forty-three years later, in 1981, the roles were reversed when Edith married. 





 

 Both sisters left me with a wonderful legacy on how to get the most out of life.  I  have a lot to thank them for. 



Copyright © 2012 · Susan Donaldson.  All Rights Reserved




14 comments:

  1. This was a marvelous tribute to sisterhood and especially that of your mother and god-mother. It was delightful to see them over time in photographs - a perfect tribute!

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  2. A fabulous collection of memories and photos - what a treasure. :)

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  3. Getting married at age 73, wow! She must have been a strong woman to make such a decision. But what a nice sequence of pictures!

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  4. A delightful set of photos enhanced because their story belongs to you. Marriage at 73! I wonder what made her do that at her age.

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  5. "A good man is hard to find," and Edith certainly waited long enough! I hope her marriage was a happy one. I love all these chronological photos; can see them mature together!

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  6. It was fun to see them together through the years. What a fun aunt Edith must have been! I really like that full length picture of them in their suits and hats.

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  7. The last two photos are so similar (except for the age) that it looks like they were trying to copy the earlier poses in the later one.

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  8. Bows, bonnets and hats and more hats! The hats out number the rest, very fun post. I like the photo of the man and woman, which appears like she may have a hanky as part of the dress!

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  9. A wonderful tribute to two sisters. I can't understand why Edith wasn't snapped up years ago; she would have been quite catch. Lovely art and crafts by the talented pair as well.

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  10. This was so enjoyable seeing Edith and Kathleen as babies to children to adults. Except for the white hair, they didn't change much, both retaining those lovely smiles. Outstanding story as well!

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  11. Thank you to everyone for their kind comments. It was a very satsisfying posting to compose and to bring together all the photographs of my mother and aunt down the decades. To the points about Aunt Edith marrying for the first time at 73, she once commented she seemed to be going to so many funerals and perhaps she decided to "seize the day" and take on this new experience in a late stage of her life.

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  12. Lovely post Sue! Such wonderful photos accompanying a wonderful story. I especially like the photo of them with their gloves and hats on. So elegant! And the photos of them at each other's weddings are precious!

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  13. A splendid timeline of two lovely ladies. We don't often get a full life in photos on Sepia Saturday. Well done.

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  14. A lovely series of photos - and they were both obviously talented creative ladies :-) Jo

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