Sentimental Sunday - Pete Seeger 1919-2014

Pete Seeger died on January 27.  Pete was known for his controversial political views. But that is not what I know about him. [If you want to know more, there is a lot of information on the internet - just Google him!] What I know about Pete Seeger was that in 1963 my mother bought an album called Children's Concert at Town Hall. I don't know what made her buy it and I don't know what she thought of his political views but she liked having music for us kids to listen to. I so vividly remember laying on the floor in our old farmhouse south of Greensburg listening to the record player.

We loved listening to
"Henry My Son"
"Here's to Cheshire, Here's to Cheese"
"Fifteen Miles on the Erie Canal"
"I've Been Working on the Railroad"
"Riding in My Car"
"Put Your Finger in the Air"
"Michael Row the Boat Ashore"
"Be Kind to Your Parents"
"This Land is Your Land"
and others.

But our favorite song was "Abi Yoyo" - more of a story than a song and we listened to it over and over.

Years later I had the privilege of seeing Pete Seeger in concert at Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas. Pete Seeger's antiwar sentiments were right in line with the Mennonites. At one point he asked those of us in the audience to sing for him because he knew Mennonites could really sing acapella. So we all sang a song that we knew as "606" but was really called "Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow." (This links to a pretty good video - I'm sure there are others) It is a beautiful song and especially when sung acapella by a large group of Mennonites.

I introduced my kids to Pete's songs and we discovered a book in the library "The Foolish Frog" and the song that went with it. My kids loved it. Nothing sticks in your memory quite like music. Farewell to a great musician. You will be missed.

Pete Seeger on Wikitree 

Wordless Wednesday - Snow day with Grandma Bea about 1962

Talent Tuesday - Part Two of Dad's Artwork - Leathercraft

I mentioned in a previous post that my dad was very artistic. His ability to draw was not the only talent he had. While he was in 1-W service in the early 50's he worked on a couple of different hobbies. He lived in Pueblo, Colorado, near the hospital where he worked.

I am not sure how he learned to do leatherwork or who taught him but he perfected his skills during the years in Colorado. He made purses, belts and billfolds. This photo was in the Pueblo paper.















We still have a few of the things he made  --  mostly things he made for mom [Phyl] or himself. But I don't think this beautiful purse has ever been used.

It is lined with turquoise suede.

He gave things to his family and his cousins and he sold things to people sometimes too. Often people would request something to be made and personalized. He also made a purse and put it in the hospital gift pool at Christmas one time. He talked about it in his letters to mom. 

Talent Tuesday -- The Artwork of Ken Schmidt, part 1 -- Childhood Drawings

My dad, Ken Schmidt, was gifted in many ways. He began drawing when he was very young. These were drawn in December of 1942 when he would have been 10 years old. You can see he was influenced by the news.

He also drew on a grain bin that he walked by on his way to school. Those drawings are a little difficult to see and harder still to photograph but they are still there all these years later.

And in high school he was well known for his art. He often drew sketches for posters and programs.

His yearbook lists a Class Prophecy as follows: "Ken Schmidt, who spent all his high school days down by the creek fishing, now finds himself a broken down artist drawing pictures for little children."

In later years, he would often sketch. He liked to sketch while on vacation. One year dad and mom went to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico with my family and I. This is a sketch he made there.

Occasionally as I go through things, I come across a small sketch. It always brings a smile to my face as I remember Dad.

Sibling Saturday -- Edna Schmidt Cooper 1887-1964

The Benjamin Schmidt and Catharina Siebert Schmidt family have had an annual reunion since the 1930s. Children and grandchildren and great grandchildren keep up the family news. But sometimes there is a sibling who for one reason or another gets left behind, usually because they didn't have a family. I feel that way about Edna.

Edna Schmidt Cooper

Edna was the eleventh child and youngest daughter of Benjamin and Catherina Schmidt. She was born on 4 October 1887 in Barton County, Kansas. She is the only one of their children who lived to adulthood and did not have children of her own.

Edna lived at home with her parents most of her life. She cared for them until they died.

She is found in their home in the 1900, 1910 and 1920 censuses.  Her mother died in 1919 and her father died in 1927. In the 1930 census, she is found in the home of her brother Abraham and his wife, Lena, in Kiowa County, Kansas.

The 1940 census shows her living with her new husband, widower Charles Cooper, and three of his six children. Edna and Charles were married in January of 1940. Edna was 52, Charles 51. They lived on Maple Street in Greensburg.

Edna died in June of 1964 at age 76 and Charley in January of 1973. They are both buried in Fairview Cemetery in Greensburg.

  

       

CHARLEY COOPER FAMILY:

Charles Cooper was born to Oliver Cooper and Ella Baker on the 16^th of June 1888. He married a woman named Martha and they had the following six children: 

(listed with an approximate birth date; they were all born in Oklahoma)

Ruth            1913

Beulah         1915

JW               1917

Charles W    1920

Dirl             1922

Dale            1924   - who is buried in Fairview Cemetery by his dad

Martha died sometime prior to 1930.

Wedding Wednesday -- Ken and Phyllis (Egli) Schmidt -- August 17, 1955

My parents, Ken and Phyllis Schmidt dated for four years before they got married. My mom had to finish nurses training [student nurses in her school were not allowed to get married] and my dad was doing alternative service for conscientious objectors. They were both Mennonites.

Ken and Phyl's engagement photo

This picture was taken in Dad's room at a boarding house in Pueblo, Colorado.

They are reading their engagement scripture, which for the life of me I can't find! I think it is written on the original slide. I'll have to dig it out.

Ken and Phyllis and their parents, Emery and Edna Egli and Harvey and Beatrice Schmidt.

They were married in Mom's home church, Manson (Iowa) Mennonite. Their reception was at her parents home.

The entire wedding party

Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Schmidt

Tech Tuesday -- Memory Medallions -- Connecting the Future to the Past

Memory Medallions have been mentioned before on blogs but the only one I saw that was labeled Tech Tuesday, had a broken link. Anyway it has been awhile since it has been mentioned.

I just revisited mine this week so I thought I would mention it..

Memory Medallions are small coin-like medallions that have a variety of uses but the most common is placing one on a headstone, which is what I did. Mine was given to me as a gift after my parents died  -- my mom in 2010 and my dad in 2011.

Here you can see the medallion in the lower right hand corner.

The medallion has a QR code on it:

The code can be scanned with any smart phone.

When you scan it, it takes you to a web page. The web page is yours to complete however you wish with stories, photos, videos and links. (I need to link to this blog!)

This is mine:

You can also take a picture of the bar code to use later  --  or you can go to the Memory Medallion website and search for the page by the name.

They are kind of pricey and of course there is always a million comments and questions about being able to use them with future technology and people using them for identity theft etc. but the concept remains pretty awesome. I don't have much on my parents site. No video and only the one picture. I can't help but wonder if putting one on my great-great grandparents headstone, might connect me to distant cousins! I know technology has already connected me with many cousins I would never have otherwise met.

Another thought - you could purchase one for your own headstone and leave whatever messages you want!