With the passing of WT's mother this week, I've been thinking a lot about her family. Her maternal grandfather, William Isaac Cummins, owned and operated a general store in Kansas City. This photo, taken in about 1905, shows her mother, Ruth Cleveland Cummins, the young girl in the center in the dark dress, her parents William and Addie Cummins to the left, and her older sister and brother in law on the right.WT likes to wear a big apron, just like his great-grandfather did, when he cleans up in the kitchen. It's surprising how much he favors him, in appearance, especially with the apron.
As the story goes, the store was located near the railroad stop, and Grandma Ruth met the dashing young railroad engineer, Ralph McIntire, one afternoon, as he sauntered into her father's store, on one of his frequent Kansas City stops. They chose a Christmas Eve wedding, marrying on December 24, 1916.
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Willow, isn't it funny how we are all connected somehow, like the spider web theory. My great grandfather had a general store in McKinney, TX and my husband's grandmother was named Addie.
ReplyDeleteI love this pics. Wish I could just step right into them.
ReplyDeleteHow do you know so much about your ancestors? I am in awe, wishing more people would be this way.
ReplyDeleteI love the fact that you took the time to learn about WTs ancestors as well, not just your own. I had to admit that I haven't gone that far yet and only focus on my side of the family. Of course, our kids are his and hers, not ours, so maybe that makes a difference...
ReplyDeleteGosh, you have such a wealth of wonderful family photos! How I would love to shop in that store.
ReplyDeleteIt takes a special kinds guy to put on the big apron in the kitchen...You sure are blessed.
ReplyDeleteI adore the photos you share ... thank you for allowing us a glimpse into your family's rich heritage.
ReplyDeleteThe photos came to life with your description, just the right amount of description. Love the part about the apron and the family similarity on that.
ReplyDeleteAnd the blitz of a story on their wedding.
thanks for sharing this!
Great old photos. I think everyone should have a big apron like in the picture.
ReplyDeleteWonderful picture of the store with all the great detail!
ReplyDeleteI imagine if you couldn't get it at William Cummin's store, you couldn't get it anywhere.
ReplyDeleteGreat photographs, as usual.
Dear Willow, What a very romantic story and what a splendid archive of family photographs. If only we could see the return of the general store and the disappearance of the large, soulless supermarket.
ReplyDeleteWillow--You certainly can tell a story. There is such raw emotion and feeling in everything you do and write about. I wrote about this in my blog tonight. And, your comment above: inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence...how very true that is. Life would be so dull without our sharing our emotions and feelings in our writings. Thank you again for the photos. And how romantic that they got married on Christmas Eve. He'd never forget THAT date, would he!
ReplyDeleteYou could spend all day looking at the detail in the picture of the store. Lovely pictures.
ReplyDeleteI love "store pictures." It's like you're stepping right into history.
ReplyDeleteThat first photo is wonderful. I clicked to enlarge it and could spend much time "just looking" in that store. When I first came to Spain, there were still stores that looked like this, impossibly stuffed with almost anything someone in a small town might need. I guess our needs were leaner then and store shelves seemed to brim chock fuller of everything.
ReplyDeleteso sorry to read of WT's mom's passing. I have been off blog for awhile so didnt know. But love the pictures and stories about his family. HOw wonderful to have these from both your family history and his.
ReplyDeleteWonderful photos, Willow! Those old stores were so beautiful--I always think I was born in the wrong era--I'd have done well back then, in a lot of ways, I think. The wedding photo is stunning--they look so lovely. Don't you love looking at the old clothes, etc, in old photos? I'm with WT--I love those big aprons, too.
ReplyDeleteThey look so prim and proper and polished...in so many of the old photos, their attire looks like it's dragged straight out of the trunk.
ReplyDeleteWonderful family history!!!
I love these forays into your family's past! I so admire how much research you've done too. My uncle is doing the same for my father's side of the family - fascinating stuff.
ReplyDeleteDec 24! One day after my birthday. What a wonderful story! And the pictures. Pics like that make my historical heart swoon. Thanks Willow!
ReplyDeleteI am glad to read your family story and see those wonderful photos. Thank you for letting us know your family secrets …
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful weekend,
Virginia
willow i would love to walk into the store and look at everything on the shelves. it would be like having all the magpie pics in one place! have a lovely day at the manor. steven
ReplyDeleteI love those photos Willow. I can't get over how organized and clean everything looked in that store!
ReplyDeleteAny aprons passed down?
Very visual love story. Like a scene from a great movie.
Thanks for sharing, and my thoughts are with you.
I really like the photo of the general store. The shelves are stacked so high. They must have had a ladder tucked back there someplace. When I enlarged it, I could see the signs for Lenox Soap and Ivory Soap. Great old place!
ReplyDeleteHello Willow,
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photographs, once again. The store certainly does look like the sort of place where one could buy anything.
What an incredible past you share.
ReplyDeleteTruly.
While I can't say much of the same, I do hope someday my children can look back with such a sense of appreciation for us :)
Willow you have a rich portfolio of family photos. What I like about them is how so many are set in surroundings indicative of their situations in life.
ReplyDeleteCondolences to you both, Willow.
ReplyDeleteThe photo of the general store is so interesting. There was a similar store in my family.
The photo of the store is a treasure, Willow. The detail in the picture is amazing.
ReplyDeleteTrain engineers and, even streetcar drivers, were the astronauts of their day.
Willow,
ReplyDeleteThat is so Dear. How nice you cherish your photo's. Again
I send Condolences to you. Very nice looking family and I love the store.
yvonne
This is wonderful, all of it, including having a jones for a large apron, including being down by the railroad tracks (by the river? Do you know what part of Kansas City?)
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful pictures. It looks a treasure trove that store, a real family business. Very sorry to hear of your loss - you will cherish the memories.
ReplyDeleteYou are so fortunate to have such rich family stories to go with your sepia colored family photos.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful history and photos Willow.
ReplyDeleteLove this story and pictures. I am enjoying the "Who Do You Think You Are" on Friday nights. I just got a note through Ancestry.Com connecting my Fitzgerald family to John F. Kennedy's mother Rose Fitzgerald. We had heard about it but have it on paper now.
ReplyDeleteQMM
I clicked on the store photo to make it big and it is amazing how clear it made all th details.
ReplyDeleteDid you see the sign for Jersy Butterine? must be a butter margarine type product.
sweet love story too
Fascinating story and wonderful photos! Glad you are documenting both of your family histories; it will mean so much to future generations. Thank you for sharing it with us.
ReplyDeleteInteresting family history; her gown looks quite ornate and possibly home made? Well aprons are now back in fashion so they say!
ReplyDeleteA sweet tribute and great memory. I really like the photos.
ReplyDeleteSuch a romantic story. I presume that's their wedding picture. What a beautiful dress and yes, a dashing groom.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely frock she's wearing! I clicked on the photo so I could see details. The lace is very fine and handkerchief-like in its draping. She sports a lovely ring. And he looks SO dapper!
ReplyDeleteall Those Cans On The Left! They Look Piles High & About To Topple! Yes, I agree with Terresa, I feel as though I am entering the Shop!
ReplyDeleteI love looking at these old general stores...and I love the romance of Ruth and Ralph meeting.
ReplyDeleteHow I love these vintage photos. So often we never know who they are. This is a wonderful story.
ReplyDeleteQuite the handsome couple! It is amazing how many of us who have ancestors that lived in Kansas City at some point in their lives.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that you've extended your family history projects to WT's family as well. I guess it must be a bit like a detective story - piecing together the past.
ReplyDeletei do.
ReplyDeletei love the sepia pics.
and i love these old love stories...
xxx
Great regaling of family history..close up and person. Sepia really sets a mode.
ReplyDeleteoh I'd so love to pop in and wander about - especially to the right, I think I spied some haberdashery.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful picture.
sympathies for what your family is going through.
Willow-
ReplyDeleteBelated but sincere sympathy for your loss. What wonderful old photos you have..memories to treasure forever..
Blessings to you and yours...
Willow, you have so many wonderful stories of your family, you are so lucky to know so much...the photograph is lovely...xx
ReplyDeleteWow! It is amazing how much WT looks like his great-grandfather.
ReplyDelete:) The Bach
Hubby shares very little with me about his family... even his father and mother, but I don't think they shared much family info with him either. My family on the other hand shared much.
ReplyDeleteDi
The Blue Ridge Gal
I love it when you share your family's past with us. You tell the best stories. You do.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely couple. They appear shy, but you can feel they love each other, given the Virtorian taboo of being too demonstrative of affection. They appear to be upper-middle class. An engineer and a shopkeeper. Wonders how they were introduced, where they met, how mnay kids, what happened next. Love these stories Willow! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteLovely.
ReplyDeleteThe store looks almost identical to the one in our little town. Long gone now but it was a place to spend time just looking around.
ReplyDelete