I have always treasured memorabilia from my family, whether it be photos or possessions. I do have some wonderful treasures packed away and some displayed in my china cabinet. Some I remember seeing as a child and others I can only imagine being used.

I've brought some to life here along with a photo of the one who they belonged to.

Pearl M Coughlin

Aunt Pearl has always been a fascinating lady to me. She along with her mother, Grace raised my grandmother. I have her diary where-in she records the end of World War II as well as the death of her beloved mother. Below is a sewing kit that her father carried with him during the Civil War/





Doris Cline Bradshaw

Doris was my grandmother - born in Kansas and raised by my Aunt Pearl. She was a school teacher for many years in a one room school house in Kansas until she married my grandfather, William H. Bradshaw. She was very artistic and loved to draw birds and flowers. She would draw pictures for me to color when I was a child. She was always very particular about her hair and it remained very thick and lovely to the end. I have a doll that she played with as a child. It has a kid body and has had to be restored. Her long hair is not original, unfortunately since my grandmother cut it in the popular hair style of the flapper. The shoes were her baby shoes and were on the doll when I inherited her.



Halsey Jean Black Borst

My mother recently moved in with me since she has become more forgetful and fragile. In her younger days, she was very independent, working and traveling as a travel agency manager for many years and even serving on the local city council for awhile. She is also artistic and musical and loved to sing tenor in church choir. I have many treasures of her but here are a couple...a sampling of her toddler clothes and her favorite baby doll, Betsy Lee. I played with Betsy when I was a child.



William Sherby Black

Dad was born in Oklahoma, made his career in the Air Force and later retired from his last job in Texas. My mother and father divorced when I was very little and I have no memories of my Dad. Because of unfortunate circumstances I saw him only once when I was in grade school. By a miracle, Dad was able to track me down when I was in my early 30's. He came to see me and we visited and wrote and talked on the phone many times after that until his death in 2009. Each time we were together, it was like another puzzle piece was put in place. I regret that there was so much more I wanted to learn from him and so much time that we lost. But I am thankful for the time we did have. Here are a couple more photos as a boy and in uniform. He was quite a handsome man!