Tag Archives: Eveline Coates

Eveline’s Senior Year, Part 1

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I shared this photo of my grandmother Eveline’s high school graduating class a few weeks ago. Along with the photo and her diploma, a couple of other mementos were saved. One is the program for the Junior-Senior Banquet in honor of the graduating Seniors. It was interesting to see how World War I seemed to be the overarching theme of the festivities. I’ve been thinking about it ever since and wondering how I might understand that year of her life more fully.

There was a lot going on during the fall of 1917 and the spring of 1918, a war and the beginning of an influenza pandemic to name the two biggies. Resources for my research seem rather limited, but I’ll just jump in and see where this takes me.

Eveline Coates was born 15 Feb 1901 in Mystic, Iowa, to Joseph Coates and Mary Ann Harris. Both of her parents were immigrants from England, who met and married in Mystic. Eveline had three older brothers and was the oldest girl in a family of nine siblings ranging in age from six to twenty-six.* Eveline was seventeen at the beginning of her senior year and turned eighteen before graduation.

I’m still trying to adjust to WordPress changes and the file of the 1915 plat map of Mystic is too large, but you can check it out here: City of Mystic. The Joseph Coates family is located at the very top of the map, on the right.

Jos. Coates, 30 acres.

Eveline’s older brothers Carl, John, and Joe were all employed in the mines, as was her father. She was the first of the children to complete high school, as the older boys left school at about age fourteen or upon the completion of 8th grade. Eveline’s father, Joseph, worked as a carpenter in the mines most of his life which, if I understand correctly, resulted in a higher income than those digging coal in the shafts. Perhaps the combination of thrift and a higher income resulted in the purchase of the family plot. In addition to a large garden, they had at least one cow as indicated by my great-grandmother’s fondness for this particular cow.**

Mary Ann Harris Coates with cow. Undated

Since I just started this on a whim yesterday and have no plan, I’ll stop here and think about what will come next!

This is my contribution to Sepia Saturday, where we are all going on a whim without the benefit of a prompt photo this week to give us direction. We are a diehard group, so pay my fellow Sepians a visit and see how they have responded this week.

Edit and additional notes:
* A girl, Amelia, born before Eveline, died before Eveline’s birth.
** Apparently, this is a steer, not a cow. 🙂

Sepia Saturday – Miss Evans’ Girls and Boys

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Sepia Saturday provides bloggers with an opportunity to share their history through the medium of photographs. Historical photographs of any age or kind become the launchpad for explorations of family history, local history and social history in fact or fiction, poetry or prose, words or further images. If you want to play along, sign up to the link, try to visit as many of the other participants as possible, and have fun.

The prompt photo of Miss Garland’s girls was taken in 1900. I’m not sure who Miss Garland was or her relationship to these “girls”, but I am pretending that Miss Garland was their teacher.

My grandmother, Eveline Coates Hoskins, was born in 1900 in Mystic, Iowa, and attended East End School. Her teacher for several years was Edna Evans. My grandmother is in the 2nd row, 2nd from right in the photo below. It may have been a chilly day, with the boys – and only the boys – dressed in jackets and hats. Or maybe their mothers dressed them that way to look smart for picture day and not have to worry about wild hair and dirty overalls. The girls all have hair neatly styled in braids and bows.

East End School, Mystic, Iowa 1909
Edna Evans, teacher

The back of the photo has my mother’s handwriting, identifying where her mother is in the picture, and my grandmother’s handwriting, identifying the school and the teacher. I think the third bit of handwriting must be Eveline’s signature as a nine-year-old.

There are two copies of this photograph. Even though I can’t quite figure out who intended to send this second one to whom, it does provide a date.

Here is Edna Evans and her students again. My grandmother Eveline is the 7th student from the left. A tall girl has her arm resting on grandma’s shoulder. A warmer day this time – I hope! – as many of the children have bare feet.

East End School, Mystic, Iowa
Edna Evans teacher. Undated

Again, Grandma identifies the school and the teacher, but not herself, so I did that. And, once again, samples of her handwriting as a child and as an adult.

Is it just me or the poor quality of this photograph that leaves me wondering if these teachers are both Edna Evans. They look a bit different to me, although there is something about the left arm/hand. As I am prone to do, I went looking for information about Edna Evans, but I was left confused, so I won’t take you down that rabbit hole with me today.

Eveline graduated from Mystic High School in 1918. Here she is pictured first left on the top row. Her future sister-in-law, Alice Tingle is next to her.

But before graduation, Eveline had to complete her studies and earn the right to graduate. All of the grades on her report card her senior year are 90 or above, so she was in the clear.

I don’t have any pictures of Eveline and her class mates reclining on a grassy place holding their hats, but I do have the program from the Junior-Senior Reception held May 10, 1918. One of the speakers was … Miss Evans.

In this small community, it seems likely that Miss Evans kept up with this group of students that she had known throughout their public education. The graduating class consisted of eighteen students – fifteen girls and three boys. Most of the boys had likely ended their education after 8th grade to work, often in the coal mines.

I previously shared an autobiography that Eveline wrote as a school assignment in high school. She portrayed herself as having gotten in trouble a few times at school when she was young. I wonder if Miss Evans was her teacher at the time.

Miss Evans may have inspired my grandmother to teach – which she did – at East End School.

Did the graduating class of 1918 considered themselves to be Miss Evans’ girls and boys?

(I found the program for the reception interesting, but I’ll save that for another post.)

Sepia Saturday: Christmas 1959

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Sepia Saturday provides bloggers with an opportunity to share their history through the medium of photographs. Historical photographs of any age or kind become the launchpad for explorations of family history, local history and social history in fact or fiction, poetry or prose, words or further images. If you want to play along, sign up to the link, try to visit as many of the other participants as possible, and have fun.

I thought I was going to tell the story of the family tinsel tree, but when I looked for pictures, I found a before-the-tinsel-tree photo and, well … I changed my mind,

This is a photo of my mom and me on Christmas morning in 1959. We lived with my grandparents in Ottumwa, Iowa. The big dark brown square on the left is the coal burning stove for heat, although its warmth didn’t reach the upstairs. The green curtain provided limited privacy for my grandparents’ bedroom. The wall paper changed every few years as coal stoves tend to make things dingy. The door and wood trim was stained or painted dark and varnished. The big black and white television is on the right – shoved over a bit to make room for the tree. I could be holding a stuffed animal, but I’m not sure. I wonder what was in that tall package leaned up against the door? My first thought is that it is a room divider. The only running water was a cold water tap in the kitchen. Bathing occurred while standing at the kitchen sink surrounded by a folding room divider for privacy. But it could be something entirely different and fun. It looks like the tree has a silver bead garland and some tinsel. The tree topper seems a little unusual – a dark-haired angel surrounded by red?

Another photo taken that morning shows the other side of the room. Hmm – different wallpaper. Christmas cards hung on the wall and tucked in the picture frame. Unwrapped presents cover the couch. And there is my Grandpa Hoskins. This was obviously the year he suffered a serious injury to his hand at the meat packing plant where he worked. Grandpa had to go to Chicago for a few months for rehab and I missed him terribly while he was gone.

Later that day we changed out of our pajamas and combed our hair and my Uncle Roy, Aunt Joan, and baby cousin Cherie came over. Cherie was born in 1959, so that is how I was able to date this series of photos.

All of the family that lived nearby came for Christmas dinner. I love seeing my grandmother’s smile in this photo.

We always ate off of Grandma’s Blue Willow china on holidays. From left to right are my Grandfather, Aunt Vicki, Uncle Mont, Mom, me, Cherie, Aunt Joan, Aunt Wilma, Uncle Don, and Grandma. Uncle Roy must have been the photographer. The black formica table is covered with a tablecloth. It looks like I am taking a big helping of mashed potatoes. I will make a little well in the center for a big pat of butter. There is cream on the table for Grandpa’s coffee and he and Grandma are not using the matching Blue Willow cups, but the ones they used every day – Grandma’s would hold tea rather than coffee. Grandma’s sewing machine usually sat under the shelf below the mirror. I wonder where it is?

This next photo was taken the same Christmas, as evidenced by baby Cherie. We are with our cousin Deb, at her house in Ft. Dodge, Iowa.

My hair is fixed in the ringlets my mom managed to create once a week for Sundays and  special occasions. Cherie is too busy to pose for a photo. Since my mom worked at Sears, I always assume that items like matching dresses were something she saw at work and suggested or just got for all of us as gifts. If Deb or her mom see this, maybe they can add to my memories.

Well, that’s my little stroll through five photos documenting one Christmas.

Christmas in 2020 is not what we hoped it would be. It is likely that many of our family photos will be heads in “zoom boxes” rather than loved ones gathered around a table together. In whatever form it takes, I hope this holiday season brings you moments of joy and peace and the sharing of love.

Please visit my Sepia Saturday neighbors here to see what they have shared for us.

Edit: July 7, 2021 – I figured out that the first two photos were from 1958 – the year before my cousin was born, based on some additional photos. Doesn’t change much, but best to be accurate!