IGWRT's Open Link Monday & Sepia Saturday #190 "Sweet Reward"

My grandmother titled this photo "Eating Stolen Pie"

Sweet Reward
by Margaret Bednar, August 12, 2013

Bertha was fair
yet often unnoticed,
'til the day she perfected
her sweet apple pie
for a summer picnic.

As college lore goes,
upon sorority steps
young men swooned,
even acted silly,
eager to prove
steadfast devotion
as they competed
for morsels and
fair Bertha's hand

who had become
quite selective,
leaving many a man
downhearted;
but not for long,
as word had spread

to many a feminine ear
and consolation became
its own sweet reward.

My Grandmother titled this one "Mr. Popularity"
For my poem I've entitled it "Sweet Consolation"

This is linked with Imaginary Garden with Real Toads "Open Link Monday" and

Sepia Saturday #190. Theme photo is available by clicking over ... and it has to do with summer and picnics. This is an amazingly interesting and talented group of people who share historical photographs.  Click on over and enjoy!

My grandmother, Marguerite Hutchins (Beckington) from what I can tell, attended Northern Illinois State Normal School from 1909-1912 earning a teaching degree.  The original campus was one building known as "the castle on the hill" (CLICK HERE) and opened its doors September of 1898.  In 1957 it became Northern Illinois University - its education beyond teacher education... now expanded to business, fine and applied arts, and liberal arts and sciences.  

Sepia Saturday 112 - Theme "Books"

My Grandmother, Mary Marguerite Hutchins Beckington, loved books.  Before she got married she was a teacher.  I don't recall seeing many books in her house, nor do I recollect a bookcase, but she must have had one.  One of my earliest memories is visiting her in her small, quaint red house with the cherry trees in the back yard and walking down the sidewalk to the nearby public library.  I loved being surrounded by books and I have many bookcases in my house!

I was happy to find a few photos from her Dekalb Normal College (is now Northern Illinois University) album.  I believe Marguerite graduated in 1912.  These photos are of her friends, she is not in them.  I love the photo above - if the photo was captured today, I would assume Bess was texting, but I like to think Bess has a small book of poetry in her hand and Bob is taken with her beauty and possibly eating his lunch.

This post is participating in and linked to "Sepia Saturday"

Sullivan's room.

I assume this is a sneak peak in the dorm rooms! Can't imagine wallpaper in the college kid's rooms of today.  I labeled each photo as I could read it in my grandmothers' handwriting.

Moses, Smith & Sullivan.

Ruth and Blonde

Thirza and Elsie

I slightly remember Thirza from when I was a little girl.  I believe they both lived near each other as widowers in the later part of their lives.

The photo below I added due the sharp eye of Wendy who asked the question if the "Trouble Cleft" flag (above) was a play the two young ladies above might be in, so I went through my grandmother's album and found the photo below.  (My guess is it's a fun name for their choral group)  I also googled and found a reference that a man named Howard Nash Johnston had been known "the "King" of a group known as the "Trouble Clefts". He graduated 1910 from this same college.

My grandmother, Marguerite Hutchins (married name Beckington)  front, left.  (Love that huge hair bow!)

The last photo looks to be staged in a photographer's studio, the bottom reads "Woollett, 110 Washington Ave, Minneapolis.   On the back is my grandmother's writing "Aunt Libby Lyford, Bradely".  This was her grandfather Lyford's oldest sister (Marguerite's mother's father's sister).   So that makes her my... great great great Aunt?  This is exactly why I could NEVER do a family tree - my mind just blows up when I have to do this.