Wordless Wednesday: Great-Grandpa Dagle with Flowers

"Great-Grandpa Dagle with Flowers" (Digital Image. Original in possession of Elizabeth O'Neal. Date and location of photo unknown.)

About Wordless Wednesday.

Copyright © 2008 by Elizabeth O'Neal

Back to the Beach: 1940's Suimsuit Edition

Pictured here, modeling the most lovely of late-1940's era children's swimwear, are my mother, Judy Dagle, and her older sister, Sharon Dagle.

As is the custom with my family, NONE of the photos are labeled, so I have absolutely no idea where they were taken, when, or what the occasion was (grrr). I'm lucky if I can figure out who is in the pictures.


Sharon and Judy in matching swimsuits, ca. 1943. Picture probably taken in Iowa. I'm guessing from the shoes and socks that both are wearing that there must be no water to play in nearby.

I do love the border around the photo. It says "ELKO" in the corners; apparently the Elko Photo Company was based in Kansas City, Missouri, so it's possible that they also did business in other midwestern states. (Digital Image. Original privately held by Elizabeth O'Neal, California, USA, 2008)


Judy and Sharon, a few years later. This time, no matching suimsuits. Notice the daring, yet subdued, tummy-baring "bikini" my mother was wearing! To my knowledge, she was never caught wearing one of these ever again. Photo was taken ca. 1947. Based on the background, they appear to be in northern Washington, at a lake or river. (Digital Image. Original privately held by Elizabeth O'Neal, California, USA, 2008)


This photo appears to have been taken on the same day as the previous photo.
(Digital Image. Original privately held by Elizabeth O'Neal, California, USA, 2008)

Perhaps someone from the Washington State area might recognize this spot? I do know that the family lived in Tacoma in the late 1940's/early 1950's, which is probably when these photos were taken.

Momsense: How'd You Get So Smart?

Several years before my mother died, I gave her a book. It was one of those "All About Mom" personal history books, which asked a bunch of questions about life, and had blanks on which to fill in the answers.

Mom died in 2001. I found the book among her belongings... still full of empty blanks.

So I'm at a loss for information about much of her life.

I do know a little bit about her school years, mostly from the few stories she told and from the photos and news clippings I found after her death.

From what I can determine, Mom attended grade school at Sacred Heart School in Tacoma, Washington.


2nd Grade Class, Sacred Heart School (Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington). Photo taken May 20, 1949. Original in possession of Elizabeth O'Neal.

On the back of her second and fourth grade photos, she meticulously wrote the names of all of her classmates.


3rd Grade Class, Sacred Heart School (Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington). Photo taken c. 1950. Original in possession of Elizabeth O'Neal.

On the back of her third grade photo, she wrote, "This is the third grade when I had Father Kelly and Sister Mary Paula for my teachers, and Father Kelly for my priest." Mom always did have beautiful penmanship.


4th Grade Class, Sacred Heart School (Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington). Photo taken c. 1951. Original in possession of Elizabeth O'Neal.



High School Diploma of Judith Ann Dagle (St. Bernadine's High School, San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, California). Dated June 3, 1959. Original in possession of Elizabeth O'Neal.

After the death of her father Marvin Dagle, Mom, her mother Mary, and her sister Sharon moved to San Bernardino, California, where she attended St. Bernadine's High School. St. Bernadine's was an all-girl, Catholic school.


High School Graduation Photo of Judith Ann Dagle (St. Bernadine's High School, San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, California). Photo taken 1959. Original in possession of Elizabeth O'Neal.


St. Bernadine's High School Graduation Announcement from Unknown Newspaper. Date Unknown, estimated June 2, 1959. Original in possession of Elizabeth O'Neal.

After high school, Mom was accepted as a flight attendant (or "stewardess," as they said back then) with an airline - I believe it was American Airlines, but I'm not certain. She did not finish her training, as she decided to marry my father instead of becoming a flight attendant.

Mom never attended college, but always had a great love of reading. She voraciously read dozens of books each year, and instilled this love of reading in me with numerous trips to the library when I was young.

She was also the best "speller" of anyone I knew. Unfortunately, whenever I asked her how to spell a word, her favorite answer was, "Look it up."

I'm sure I'll be passing this wise bit of "momsense" on to my daughter someday.

Copyright © 2008 by Elizabeth O'Neal

Celebrating Moms

Before I was a Mom

Before I was a Mom I made and ate hot meals.
I had unstained clothing.
I had quiet conversations on the phone.

Before I was a Mom I slept as late as I wanted.
And never worried about how late I got into bed.
I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was Mom I cleaned my house each day.
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to lullabies.

Before I was a Mom I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom I had never been puked on, pooped on, spit on, peed on, or pinched by tiny fingers.

Before I was a Mom I had complete control of my mind, my thoughts, my body and all my feelings.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a Mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was OK.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much...

...before I was a Mom.

~Author Unknown
____________________

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers and mothers-to-be out there from our family to yours.

Photo of my mother, Judy Ann Dagle, and her mother, Mary McGraw Dagle, taken on Mother's Day, May 8, 1949. Original in possession of Elizabeth O'Neal.