Today is my Grandmother, Pearl Doris Reed Cleage’s, birthday. If she were alive today she would be turning 125 years old. In her honor I have posted some photographs of her from the little black album with the little photos taken by her sons around 1938.
She was born in Lebanon, KY in 1886 and moved with her family to Indianapolis, IN when she was about six. She met her husband, Albert Cleage, at Witherspoon Presbyterian Church where she sang in the choir. They married in 1910 after he received his Physician’s License. Their first child, my father, was born in 1911. Pearl was warned never to have more children because it would probably kill her. They moved to Michigan soon after and by 1915 had settled in Detroit. My grandmother eventually bore and raised seven children. She died at age 96 in 1987.
For more posts about Pearl Cleage click the following links: Grandmother holding my father in 1911 and My Grandmother’s Family Tree and Indianapolis Research and Two Newspaper Articles 1908 and 1950. For more Sepia Saturday photographs CLICK.
An interesting collection. I'm impressed by the size of the teapot in the group at the top. She must have been expecting company – or it's a big family.
Bob, at that point there were 7 children at home. The youngest about 12 or 13 so they all would have been tea drinkers. Might have been the fact that the tea pot was closest to the camera too. I remember she always had a pot of tea on the dinner table and we always got to have a cup of cambric after dinner. I still drink it that way, no sugar and lots of milk.
A day and woman worth honoring. And those men knew what to do with a camera!
i forgot to mention that the photos on the album page are actual size.
What a lovely lady she was. She has a very warm and gentle look about her.
So much for the doctor's warnings. She I'm sure outlived him with her spunky attitude. Wonderful images. And what is that wee cake? It looks yummy.
good thing she didn't listen to the doctor….
BTW: i blew the candle for her. make a wish now!!
:)~
HUGZ
The cake was a mini chocolate with chocolate icing one of my daughters brought over.
There is always a slightly quizzical look in her face : a fine lady I am sure.
She ran a tight ship. Had a backbone of steel and fought for her children to receive an equal education in the days when black children were routinely not given one in the integrated schools of Detroit. I think I need to write something about her that will show the more there was to her besides her sweet face.
I particularly love the collage of photos on the album page, each image enlarging our view of your grandmother. I clicked the image and made it large, and then I was lost in time and place. Lovely.
I saw a great deal of steel and determination in her face besides some deep calm. And as another said so much for medical advice!
A nice page of her life. Is that a big paper rose across her bosorm in the last photo?
I can't tell if it's a paper rose or a giant real flower. are those stems on the side? I'll have to investigate.
What a large flower she wore! These are fantastic family photos and the birthday cake looks so inviting! Your mother's photos are lovely!