Fannie Mae Turner Graham would be 112 today if she had not died in 1977. This photograph was taken in my grandparent’s backyard during a trip home to Detroit from Springfield, Massachusetts in 1948.
My grandmother, Nanny is looking at me and smiling while I stand on the little table. My grandmother was 60 years old, 6 years younger than I am today. I turned 2 in August of that year. This was my first visit to Detroit. My grandmother came to help my mother when I was born, but she hadn’t seen me since. This was my grandfather’s first time seeing me.
My mother was several months pregnant with my sister Pearl. We traveled by train. When I got back to Springfield, I came down with a case of roseola. There were no lasting effects for me or for my yet to be born sister.
Your grandmother’s face is full of loving admiration.
She had some sad events in her life – her father died (shot to death) when she was 4. She lost both of her sons as very young children. She had terrible arthritis in later years. But I never knew her to other than kind and generous and encouraging.
What a wonderful picture to have. As an Aussie, I associate rosella with our beatiful native birds. I had never heard of rosella as an illness so had to google it!
How terrible that your great grandfather was shot. You have an interesting history full of struggles. Have you written about your great grandfather as I would like to read more.
I don’t think I’ve written about Howard Turner in a separate post. I will have to do that. Unfortunately, I don’t know a lot about it.
I did write about him here http://findingeliza.com/archives/49
Thank you Kristin. I will go and read now.
Happy Birthday Fanny Mae Turner Graham… Lovely photo Kristin and beautiful memories.
Definite grandmotherly pride evident there! I can’t believe your mother was 7 months pregnant., and how lucky that there were no after-effects from your illness. A lovely family portrait.
No, no! Not 7 months, several. Just a couple of months. This was summer and my sister wasn’t born until December 7!