Treasure Chest Thursday: Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It’s Flavor?

Posted on May 3, 2012 by kathy

My gum shoe - a gift from Grandmother Hockensmith

A punny solution to the problem of what to do with your gum when you have to spit it out, but it’s too good to throw away.

A gum shoe….. get it?

A gift from (my step) Grandmother Viola Templeton Hockensmith.

Piggy bank from Grandmother Hockensmith

And this is my cute piggy bank. If I’m not mistaken, my sisters each have a personalized piggy bank as well. How about the other grandkids? I’m betting you got one too. If you have your piggy bank, you should send me a picture of it and we’ll have a little piggy party.

Viola enjoyed painting ceramics and went to the ceramics shop in Junction City every week to work on gifts for her family and enjoy the socializing as well. I loved going with her when I visited. Maybe I’ll post some of my ceramics another time. My pet turtles were probably the inspiration for this last one.

Gift from Grandmother Hockensmith

And because the refrain of this song keeps going through my head, I’ll include it for your listening pleasure! (And it gives me a chance to try out embedding!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6bFTVi0hHs

A Few Pictures of Viola Templeton

Posted on May 2, 2012 by kathy

I didn’t plan this in advance, but since it was the 110^th anniversary of Viola Templeton’s birth yesterday, I’ve decided to stick with her for the next couple of days. I don’t have anything pre-prepared, so this will be a test to see if I can fly by the seat of my pants without embarrassing myself too badly. I haven’t done much research on the Templeton’s or the Hockensmith’s, so maybe that part of the family will get interested and help me out. Please?

I introduced Viola here in case you missed it.

I’m thinking that Viola looks about two years old in this picture. Pretty dress. And those shoes! As I look at her face, I see a resemblance to a certain nephew who is Viola’s great-grandson. Are the necklace and bracelet still in anyone’s possession?

Viola Nell Templeton circa 1904?

The doll’s hair in this next picture is a bit of a mess, so I’m guessing she was a favorite. Is this on the front porch of Viola’s house? It looks like she is wearing a pin that might be a locket.

Viola Templeton holding doll

This picture leaves me with a lot of questions. It looks to be almost a mirror image in which Viola is playing a game of checkers with herself. Is that what this is? If so, who was the photographer/printer who did such a good job of creating this without the benefit of computer software? Or does she have a look-a-like cousin dressed exactly the same way posing with her? What a great picture. I’ll have to see if I can get one of my girls to enhance it a bit with photoshop. I believe that table is in the living room of my parents’ house.

Viola Templeton playing checkers

Samantha, an American Girl Doll

Seeing Viola in this dress and big hair bow reminds me of my daughter’s American Girl doll, Samantha. Too bad the company was bought out – Samantha is no longer available. I loved those historical dolls! And the books. It was so wonderful that there were dolls and books that represented the times of their grandmothers and greatgrandmothers. But enough about Samantha…

If any of you can fill in some blanks about Viola’s childhood, I would really enjoy hearing about it. Did she tell you anything about her parents, her school years, things she did as a girl? Comment or email me and we’ll share.

Another Grandmother – Viola

Posted on May 1, 2012 by kathy

Glenn and Viola (Templeton) Hockensmith July 1961

Although this blog bears the name of my grandmothers Abbie and Eveline, they are not my only grandmothers. I was blessed with an additional set of grandparents when I was seven. I’ll say right now that I don’t like using “step” or “half” to describe my familial relationships. I suppose I’ll have to do that sometimes in the confines of this blog to distinguish where people fit in my genealogy, but that is not the designation that people hold in my heart.

Viola Nell Templeton Hockensmith is the name of my 3rd grandmother. This picture was taken when we first met – on the occasion of my mother’s marriage to her son. There were no other grandchildren at the time and they accepted me into their family as their own. Like my other grandmothers, Viola was a warm, loving, hard-working woman of faith. I often spent a week every summer with my Hockensmith grandparents on their farm and, like my other grandmothers, Viola included me in her daily activities and hobbies and made me feel as though she enjoyed having my company.

Viola Templeton, November 1902

As luck would have it (since I didn’t know when I would get this blog up), I am posting this on the anniversary of Viola’s birth 110 years ago. Viola Nell Templeton was born May 1, 1902 to Ernest M. Templeton and Erma Wandler Templeton on the family farm near Junction City, Kansas.

I don’t have as many pictures or stories about Viola since we didn’t meet until I was seven and we were always separated by distance. I hope my Hockensmith family will be sending both!