A Glimmer of Times Gone By

A HAT IS A PIECE OF MAGIC

By

Karen Utter Jennings

Have you ever thought of a hat as a piece of magic? Margaret Sliter wrote, “A hat is a flag, a shield, a bit of armor, and the badge of femininity. A hat is the difference between wearing clothes and wearing a costume; it’s the difference between being dressed and being dressed up; it’s the difference between looking adequate and looking your best. A hat is to be stylish in, to glow under, to flirt beneath, to make all others seem jealous over, and to make all men feel masculine about. A piece of magic is a hat.”

Years ago, hats were used for protection from the weather or as a symbol of royalty and reverence. Hats also indicated social standing and professions. 

A milliner designs, sews and sell hats. Historically, milliners were usually women. I found a few references to milliners in Pineville, Missouri from old newspapers that I read. The following was taken from the 1893 and 1895 books entitled A Unique Little History of McDonald County, Missouri written by James Reed.

For millinery, go to Mrs. J.S. Maxfield. She has the largest and best selected stock in Pineville, and bought them at the very lowest rates.  She will likely give you a bargain that will surprise you, December 14, 1894.

Miss Mary Youngblood, who spent the holidays with her parents at Tiff City, returned to her position at Mrs. Caldwell’s millinery and dress making establishments, Tuesday, January, 1895.

And, June 1, 1895, A nice new awning is being erected in front of Mrs. Caldwell’s Millinery store.  In August 1895, Mrs. Caldwell will go to Kansas City in a few days, where she will remain for a few days, learning the latest styles of millinery and trimmings. She will also select her fall and winter stock while there, which will be the largest and best ever brought to Pineville.

Hats have evolved from sturdy and sensible bonnets to gorgeous little pieces of art. With plumes, lace, ribbons, jewels, flowers and other décor, hats are compliments especially for women’s attire. Through the years, different types of hats were worn. From straw bonnets, turbans, boaters, cloches, pillbox, teardrop and fascinators, hats are beautiful and complete an outfit.

In my family, I found many of my ancestors wearing hats. Both women and men wore hats and still do today.

This is a photo of my great, great grandmother, Christina Hunt Utter in her hat. 

This is my great grandmother, Ollie Francis Johnson Utter Brier with friends.

Flora M. Utter Bailey in her driving hat; there's a veil on it, you can barely see it in this old photo, it's not very good quality, 

Ollie's sister-in-law with a team of horses.

Mame Utter Long and her husband, Ernest G. Long in their hats.

The Bronson sisters, Charlotte & Bessie; their sister, Sarah Ann married Milton Zimri Utter and moved from Indiana to SW MO in McDonald County.

Sam Utter wearing his straw hat. Sam was a great farmer in the Longview and Rocky Comfort, Missouri area; he had an apple orchard and sold lots of apples.

Jennie Mae Utter Stewart at the Utter family reunion located in Neosho, MO.

An unknown woman; the photo is from Ollie's collection that I inherited.

Ollie, my great grandmother. 

Ollie with her niece Mae Utter Martin. Ollie's hat is setting beside Mae. Look at Ollie's hair, it's in the shape of the hat that she was wearing.....

Amy Walsh Modlin in her hat....

Brothers Ernest & Jim Long with their hats 

Mame Utter Long in her cloche hat

William and Amy Walsh Modlin taken in 1917 ~ I love her hat!

Ollie and her third husband, Bill Brier in the 20s in Kansas

Ollie in her fur and her cloche hat

Utter reunion 1960s

and the funniest hat of all ~ Lydia Modlin Firzgerald ~ her hat is hilarious! 

Ollie, my great-grandmother in her bonnet holding her son, my grandfather, Perry Gresham Utter. 

Hats are a part of every family. I'm glad I have photos of an array of different hats. 

My Genealogy Journey ~ Celebrating Mother's Day

CELEBRATIING THE WOMEN IN MY LIFE

by 

Karen Utter Jennings

I come from lines of strong women who lived through triumphs & tragedies, sunshine & rain. Today I am strong because of them: Emma Faye (mom), Nancy (stepmom) & grmas/grtgrmas: Delva, Belvia, Jewell, Ollie, Christina, Laura, Luticia, Nancy, Ethel Mae, Rachel, & 2 special ladies my Aunt Edith & my mother-n-law, Veta.

Mom was a true 50's girl...here she's goofing off with her friends.Emma Faye Laney was born 31 January 1938 on the farm west of Exeter, Missouri. She married Ronnie Utter from Rocky Comfort, MO in 1953 and they had four children; I am the oldest. Emma died in Monett, MO on 15 November 2013 and she is buried at Maplewood Cemetery, Exeter, MO.  

Nancy Wolfe Utter, my step-mom, was born and raised in Montana. She is still alive and living at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in a quaint little rodeo town. She has a daughter and a son and several step-children. Nancy is a great lady whom I love for her outdoorsy, nature-loving spirit! I've been fortunate to visit Montana several times.

Belvia Ross Laney was my mom's mother; she was born 07 September 1913 at Flat Creek near Cassville, MO. She married Charley Edwin Laney in 1932 and they had a large family. She loved to crochet, sew and she loved to sing. She was a homemaker and died 17 June 1982 from cancer in Joplin MO. She is buried at Maplewood Cemetery in Exeter, MO.

Delva Black Utter was my paternal grandmother. Born  She was born with leukemia & suffered with it until 1956. In January of that year, I was a toddler and on a cold, snowy morning, she shot herself in her bed. Such a tragedy! The stories told to me say that she was a great lady, loved her family, enjoyed fishing, and she was a Grand Worthy Matron in the Eastern Star at Wheaton, Missouri. She is buried at Rocky Comfort cemetery.

This is my paternal great-grandmother, Ollie Johnson Utter Brier. Born 31 August 1895 in McDonald County, she married Dee Jay Utter in 1909 and they had a son, my Grandad. She later married Bill Brier in Kansas in 1921. They came back to Rocky Comfort MO when her folks grew old and their health was not good. She was very close to me and my brothers and our mother. She helped Mom take care of us and I lived with her during my 1st and 2nd grade elementary school years at Rocky Comfort, Missouri. She taught me how to sew, how to ride a bike, how to watch for severe thunderstorms and not be afraid, and how to love nature and the great outdoors. She is buried at the Rocky Comfort MO Cemetery. 

This is Nancy Smith Johnson, mother of Ollie. In her obituary, it claims she was a great and well-known midwife who delivered many babies in McDonald County. She was a short, petite woman. She was born on Halloween 1868 in Sullivan County, MO. She married Tom Johnson in 1884 at Cassville, MO. They had five children, four daughters and one son. Nancy died 25 Sep 1949 at the house in Rocky Comfort, MO. She is buried at the Rocky cemetery. 

Christina Hunt Utter was my paternal great, great-grandmother. She was born 22 June 1844 in Franklin, Johnson County, IN. Her father, Joseph Hunt, was one of the early settlers who helped found the town of Franklin. She married David Jefferson Utter 29 July 1861 and they raised a family of 14 children. She died 18 April 1924 at her son Tom Utter's home in Rocky Comfort. She is buried at the Owsley-Union Cemetery south of Longview, MO.  I love this picture of her; now I know where I get my knack for being able to raise my right eyebrow and my unsmiling lips. She looks like a determined woman with those round glasses, big hat, and the brooch at her throat. 

Nora Ethyl Mae Painter Ross was the mother of Belvia. She was born 22 July 1890 in Barry County, MO and married Daniel Lewis Ross in 1918. They raised a big family. She died 13 November 1967 in Barry County. I don't know much family history about her...maybe I'll find some interesting information about her someday. 

Laura Ellen Danley Laney was my maternal great, great, great-grandmother. She was born 10 April 1886 in Barry County and married Robert "Bob" Laney in 1908 and died 07 November 1969 at the farm west of Exeter, MO. She raised a large family. G'Ma Laney was a God-fearing Pentecostal who ran her family like a General, she almost never smiled, she chewed tobacco and had a spit can. When Mom took us over to the farm west of Exeter to visit her & Grandpa Laney, we enjoyed it, but were scared to death in the house...it was spooky to little kids. 

 Luticia Ann Hanlon Black was the mother of Delva. Born 08 January 1893 in West Virginia, she married Charles Edward Black in 1910. They had five children. She was nicknamed "Teshie" and she died Sunday, 02 May 1954 at the Wheaton MO Hospital. She is buried at the Hamilton KS cemetery. I don't know much family history about her, but I do have a few recipes that she owned, so she must have enjoyed cooking. 

Rachel Brannun Danley was the mother of Laura Ellen. She was born in 1865 and married Hezekiah K. Danley in 1876. They had a large family. Rachel died 21 January 1907 at her home near Seven Star Springs in McDonald County when she was 40 years old. Grandma Rachel is buried at the Rocky Comfort Cemetery.

 Jewell Mae Flippo Utter was my paternal step-grandmother, she was born 27 May 1927 in Harrison, Boone County, AR. She married my Grandad Perry Utter in 1958 at Miami, OK. She had 3 children from her first marriage, whom we all remember and love. Jewel died 11 August 2011 in Winfield, KS. I remember her as a loving and sweet lady.

 Edith Laney Bowen Meyer, one of my mother's sisters, is a special person. She has been a big part of my life forever and many memories abound. She is still alive and we keep in touch. She and her two daughters were very close to Mom and us kids when we were growing up.  

This is Veta Fikes Jennings, my mother-in-law. She was born 14 November 1932 in Neosho, MO. She married Leroy D. Jennings in 1949 and they raised 11 children, my husband, is the 2nd oldest. Veta died in 2009 from a long fight with breast cancer. She was a great woman and I loved her so. 

I'm thankful for cameras & photography because I have their photos to see life etched on their faces & see their personalities in the way they dressed & wore their hair. Through my family history research on my Genealogy Journey, I have found amazing stories of many of the other women in my family lines. So, on this Mother's Day weekend, I say to all: 

Celebrate your mother and the women in your life, for they are the backbone of the family. Learn who they really are ~ learn their history, how they feel, what they did as a child, their likes/dislikes, find out what you can about them, collect family history & photographs, because one day you will be glad you did! When they are gone you will have that information to get you through the sadness of their passing. Make memories now! Celebrate & rejoice about the ladies whom you came from ~ Happy Mother's Day to everyone!

CARTE de VISTE & CABINET CARD PHOTOGRAPHS

By Karen Utter Jennings

 These two types of photographs come from the Victorian era or from about mid 19^th century to early 20^th century and are easily recognizable.

The carte de viste (CdV) photographs are the size of calling cards, which measure 2 1/2 x 4 inches. Because of their size, a series of photographs could be produced on paper and then cut into eight individual cards. The size may vary, however, because commercial suppliers began mass-producing cards and the images had to be trimmed to fit the card size. Many were careless in their trimming, so you may run across some CdVs that are angled or otherwise varied.

People who went calling on their relatives or neighbors used the carte de vistes. Before leaving, they would leave their CdV.  They became popular in the 1860s and royalty, politicians, actors, and other famous individuals had their image made into these photographs and signed them. The Victorians prized carte de viste photographs and collected them.

These photographs were popular during the Civil War. President Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant had their photos taken this way. To accommodate people’s collections, albums were made to hold the prized cards. It would be fortunate indeed, for someone to have an album full of these beautiful Victorian treasures among their family photograph collection!  

To identify a carte de viste, first measure the size of the photograph. The paper print will be mounted on a commercially produced card. Look closely at the subject in the picture and notice their hairstyle and clothing. Carte de vistes were produced into the very early 1900s. These small prints may appear very faded and grainy.   

Cabinet cards replaced the carte de vistes. They can measure from small, 5 inches x 7 inches to larger ones, 5 inches x 10 inches. A customary cabinet card is a photo mounted onto thicker card stock. There is extra space around the photo and you will find the photographer’s studio imprint (if there is one) at the bottom. These are albumen images and will have a yellow-brown or purple-blue tone. But sometimes they may appear black and white. That is due to the process in which they were developed. The last cabinet cards were produced around 1925.

These photographs were named due to the Victorians displaying them in their parlors, especially in cabinets. The cabinet card was an admired type of photograph that displayed family groups. By this time, photographers began to use props or complex scenes in studios using ironwork chairs, gates and fences, fake trees and grass, or ornately constructed window and doorway sets.

To identify cabinet cards, note their measurements and observe the color of the paper image. Note if they have gilt and embossed decorative borders and an imprint giving the photographer’s name & the location of the studio. If the card stock is separating layers on the edges, they were probably made after 1870.

The Victorians treasured all things, especially their clothing and jewelry. Cabinet cards document their love of the elaborate. Children’s pictures may show them poised with their dolls and toys or bicycles and wagons. Look for women in fanciful hats and gorgeous gowns and men with pocket watches, mustaches and their dapper dressing. Such as Robert Calvin Utter "Dock" & his wife, Matilda Roll Utter, shown below: 

Notice there is no studio imprint at the bottom of this photo.

 In the photo above, the studio imprint is on hte side of this old photograph. Taken in Monett, Missouri, before the turn of the century. 

When Kodak introduced the Brownie Box Camera around 1900, cabinet card photographs declined in popularity.

While researching these two types of photographs, I found a lot of conflicting information. Writers, photographers, and collectors all disagree on definite dates the carte de viste and the cabinet card photographs were introduced and about how they were produced.

I love these types of photographs and in my collection, there are cabinet card photos of babies, children posed with their pets, men sitting beside their faithful dog, women in huge hats and family groups in various settings. But, not all of them have the photography studio imprint.

            

DEFINING THE PHOTOGRAPH TYPES

by Karen Utter Jennings

Defining types of photographs will help you discover which photos you may have in your collection. I cannot possibly include all of the information known about each type; this is a simple overview.

Daguerreotypes are images attached to glass plates. There were wet plates and dry plates. The finished photo was placed in a double frame of decorated foil-like brass to protect the glass.  Many times artists added color to jewelry, lips and cheeks of the person in the photo.

Calotypes are images produced on paper. Since these types of photos were not popular, most of the surviving photos can be found in museums or other intuitions. They are defined as faded, pale images, sometimes appearing yellow and very discolored.

Ambrotypes are negative images developed on glass with a dark coating on the back. These images were covered with another layer of glass, and then sealed behind a mat for protection. It was enclosed in a metal case.

Tintypes are also called ferrotypes or melainotypes. They were printed on thin blackened sheets of iron, then coated with photo chemicals and varnished for protection. These came in sizes from 8x10 to postage stamp size, or “gems.”  To test whether you have a tintype, hold it to a magnet and if it sticks, it is a tintype.

The photo above shows my great, great grandfather, Thomas Nathaniel Johnson as a young man in Indiana. He was my great-grandmother's father who migrated from Indiana to Southwest Missouri after the Civil War. He lived in McDonald County, Missouri, where he raised his family. In later years, Pa & Ma Johnson moved to Rocky Comfort where they died in 1951 & 1949 respectively. Notice Tom's tie is painted on the tin type. The original size of my photo is a wallet size.

Albumen prints are early paper photos made from paper coated with ammonium chloride and egg whites. From the process, the photographer could make multiple prints. If you look closely at these types of photographs, they appear glossy with a creamy coloring.

Carte de vistes are also called card photographs and come in varying sizes. They were popular for folks visiting others in their homes, where they would leave their visiting card. The government taxed the common card photographs. Look at the backs of these and you might find revenue stamps.

Stereographs are easy to identify. They are two matching images mounted side by side. They have a 3-D look when they are viewed through a stereoscope. If you find the photographer printed on the backs of these, research to find the date of the images.

The early black-and-white snapshots are identified by their shades of sepia or gray tones. They are printed on card stock and come in varying sizes, depending on the size of the negative.

Photo postcards were printed on paper with postcard backs. They are also known as “real-photo” postcards, a person could send a picture and a message to others. Look on the postcard side for the stamp box and other design elements. Travelling photographers usually have their imprint somewhere on the photo card. In the old photo below, you can see the traveling photographer's imprint. This photo is of Leander Scott (L.S.) Utter & his family. L.S. Utter was my great, great-grandfather's nephew who lived in Barry County, Missouri. 

Autochromes are those photographs taken from 1904 to the late 1930s. They were created using a process of dyed starch grains to create the image on glass plates. To identify them, the dyed

grains may give the photo a hazy look.

The color paper prints were produced between 1941 and the present. These prints come from 35mm film. To identify the era in which they were taken, look at the details of the photo, such as people’s dress and hairstyles or the styles of homes and other elements in the picture.

Finally, there are the instant photos, taken from about 1947 to the present. These photos are easily defined as having a white border and a glossy picture. They are layered and have thick plastic backings. These photos tend to fade, so you might scan all your instant photos to other media, and store the originals in a dark and cool environment. 

The source I used to help write this column is a great book, “Uncovering Your Ancestry Through Family Photographs,” by Maureen A. Taylor. (Cincinnati, OH: F&W Publications, 2005).

            

Modern Woodmen of America Organization

MODERN WOODMEN OF AMERICA

By Karen Utter Jennings

Many of my Utter ancestors are buried at the Owsley Union Cemetery, located south of Longview and north of Powell on 76 Highway in McDonald County, Missouri. One day while there, I noticed a unique headstone for Walter E. Utter, a son of my great, great-grandfather, David Jefferson Utter. Walter died two days before Christmas in 1908 from pneumonia.   

Walter’s headstone is a rectangular smooth piece of gray stone that sets on a large base.  It measures five feet tall. Walter’s date of birth and date of death is on the front of the stone. An inscription reads, “left a wife and five children.” At the top of the rectangle on both sides, are engraved upside-down lilies. Four large engraved stone logs are stacked on top of the headstone.   Beneath the lilies and logs is a large square emblem marked with a shield, an ax, and an aul, with the letters M, W, and A. 

I had no idea what Walter’s headstone represented. But, I noticed other ornate headstones in the cemetery that resembled his. They mark the graves of Jerry H.Clapper and Lee R. Owsley. Owsley’s stone resembles a tree trunk with the same emblem, but his states “Erected by the Woodmen of the World.”  From that, I had the information I needed to do research. 

Joseph Cullen Root started the Modern Woodmen of America around 1883 for honoring the pioneer woodsmen who cleared the land for developing our roads, communities, and building homes. Modern Woodmen of America, also known as the Woodmen of the World, began as a fraternal benefit society that protected families and their financial futures by offering insurance protection. In the early days, certificates provided a death and a monument benefit to its members, furnishing free gravestones when they died. Eventually the elaborate gravestones became obsolete due to the cost of materials and cemetery regulations.    

Originally, all of the Woodmen’s gravestones were to be identical in size and design, but the result varied across the nation as local stonecutters used a wide variety of designs. What evolved are beautiful, elaborate, and precious works of art marking woodmen’s graves. There is the answer to the question of why all of the headstones are different, except for the Society’s emblem. 

Woodmen’s gravestones are scattered across the nation and is a fascination for many people who want to document the elaborate stones found in cemeteries. The USGenWeb Archive Project does have some photos of gravestones in our area, but not of the Owsley Union Cemetery. You can access the website at USGenWeb Project to see the photos.  

Cynthia Ann Utter, my great, great-grandfather’s sister, married Lewis Fulweiler Houser. They lived in the Rocky Comfort, Missouri, area all of their married lives. Lewis Houser is distinguished as being a charter member of the local Modern Woodmen of America in Rocky Comfort. I have a picture of the Rocky Comfort Citizen’s Bank building. Banking was done on the lower level, while the Modern Woodmen met in the upper level of the building.

After finding the interesting Woodmen headstones in cemeteries, I watch find more when I’m out visiting cemeteries. As of this writing, I have seen many Woodmen stones dispersed throughout our Missouri counties. While using the newspapers on microfilm, I watch for meeting notices of any fraternities.  

I am proud to have Modern Woodmen of America in my family. Finding information like this is thrilling for family history researchers. Do you have Modern Woodmen of America ancestors in your family tree?  If you’re not sure, why not do a little research and see what you can find?
I wish you luck in finding your history ~