“Aunt Irene Riley…PHOTOS FOUND”

Thanks to Jill… for reminding me the other day – – that there was an old PHOTO of “AUNT IRENE” in the house on  “Fenway  Drive” – – she was sure that  is where she had heard of our Aunt Irene – – having never met her – – but remember so much of us talking about an AUNT IRENE – – and if the PHOTO – – that she remembered was still available?

The above PHOTO was inside the frame  and under the PHOTO – – that you see below – – and I am showing it first… because – – that is the face I remember best.

This is the PHOTO of AUNT IRENE – – and it with several other framed PHOTOS – – which were packed for moving so many years ago – – well how does someone look for “stuff ” to hang on the walls – – when the walls just are not suitable for hanging…”your prize winning arts of OLD!”

These “PHOTOS” were taken… and this is my thoughts… the chair that “Aunt Irene” is sitting in…  is a “FAMILY HEIRLOOM” – – there is a MR. and MRS. chair – – and IRENE is sitting in the “MR.” chair and this is the old tapestry material – – some time later Irene had re-covered —  these chairs were “WEDDING GIFTS”  to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas F. BRADY  – – I do not have the WEDDING date available – – but  the year 1875 – – would be a good guess.

The “PHOTOS” on the table next to where Aunt Irene is sitting is her husband, Wm. B. Riley  and their one and only son, Bernard Riley.  I believe that they also celebrated  at least “50 years”  marriage as did  Mr. and Mrs. Thomas  BRADY.


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“The Search That Never Ends!”

I was looking for a special recipe – one that my Aunt Irene gave me in her own handwriting – for “Whiskey Balls” – and so far have not found it. In my looking I did find a small “recipe box” with some really old recipes and along with that box some old and small booklets – one small “Ring-Lox Book” belonging to my Mother. This book is 100 years old this year. This is the book that my Mother used for her “Cooking Classes” – there is no year  – but only dates at the top of pages –  – 10/2 –  10/14 – 10/28 and only some pages are dated. So I can only guess the year maybe “1915” – and or – as a good guess – while she was in High School?

The recipes are very good as some of them are marked “good” and some “very good!” I remember that when I was in “HIGH SCHOOL” – that my Mother and I would make some of the dishes that has a recipe in this little book. Some of these we would make quite often as she and I like a lot of the same kinds of food. And – of course this is back then and when everything was made from scratch! Also, we did not use an electric mixer – we just used the spoons that were made for the type of blending and then used lots of the old elbow grease – something that in today’s world – young people would not know what we were talking about???

When I first went through this cook-book of my Mother’s – in the 1950’s – there was a note on the inside of the last page. Here is what is written on that last page;   “Bet you sure can cook! How about a chicken sandwich or a lunch on you some time?”  – (Hiland 3342) — Tony Ketchum – 7061 Tholozsan Ave., South Saint Louis, Mo.

After reading that note – I had ask my Mother if anything became of this request for a sandwich or a lunch – and she said –  that “she was just lucky to get her cookbook back! “The boy’s hand writing is very good – it is written with pencil – but the letters and words are so very well formed – I’m guessing way back then – the kids in school spent lots of time with their penmanship – that they probably all received “A”  on the report cards!

When you start to look through old books and especially – books with lots of hand written information – there just seems to be a type of “Mystery” – to what you are reading and after all these many years – trying to see if there are pieces of the puzzle that are missing – and what is the next step to take – – it seems – that is to me,  that –  “The search is started – – that never  – ever  – ends???”

 

 


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