I’ve been spending time with Mom this week, so I thought I’d post a photo of her as a little girl. Here she is wearing a cute hat and with her little sister Alice and her best friend Marion Van Dam.
And, yes, Mom and Marion are still good friends.
I am guessing that this photo was taken in Kalamazoo around 1942 because Aunt Alice was born in 1941. What kind of car is that behind them? Is that a tiny purse in Mom’s hand?
The Family Kalamazoo 
I love your photos, Luanne. That looks like a little wrist purse, and it looks like she’s flipping it around on her hand. It reminded me that I used to do that in church when I was dressed up complete with cute accessories.
Haha, you’re right. It is a wrist purse. Good eye! Flipping it around. I LOVE it!!!!
Just think of what we now call history that was going on in the world at that time.
I know! Thinking that way gives me pause, most definitely.
I wish my Mom were still here.
I am so sorry your mom is gone. I hope her memory is some comfort to you.
Love the older family photos… and discovering other things in the photo like the older car. Is that a man peering through the car… not sure if I’m seeing it in my phone as such. How the clothing and baby items have changed.
Jeanne, what a good catch! I can’t see very well into the car, so I will take your word for it! But I think I do see a shape there that could only be explained by someone in the car. I was thinking that my mother’s outfit seems classic for the time period, but Marion’s could actually be my own time period because girls wore that style dress and bow when I was little in the early 60s.
I only saw it on my phone but maybe on the pc you might enlarge more. I love looking in the background in photos
Fabulous photo and story, Luanne!
I’m not sure about the car – doesn’t resemble anything I remember seeing in Richards, Texas so I would think it isn’t a Ford or Chevrolet.
Possibly a Buick?
Oh wow. A Buick? I will ask the gardener to see if he knows. I keep meaning to show him the photo and ask him and forgetting (been busy around here!). Thanks, Sheila!
This made me smile from ear to ear 🙂
ME TOO!
The car’s older than 1940s, I think. More likely 1930s. I had a look at some Buicks as Sheila Morris mentioned it and they are similar, but for the 1930s style of the car not 40s. People didn’t change their cars as often in those days as they do now, so it’s quite likely to be one the owner had kept for a decade.
Your aunt looks to me about 18 months old there, maybe a little younger. 🙂
Val, very helpful, as usual! That makes sense about the car age. I had to laugh about how people used to keep their cars. My car was purchased new (by me) two weeks before “911,” so it is 17.5 years old, an 18 year old car by year. I love it and don’t want to give it up!
I love this photo! Your Mum looks so cute in her hat!
She has that saucy little pose, too, decades ahead of Instagram haha.
Haha! ❤
That’s very cool that they’ve stayed in touch through the years. Adorable photo!
Very cool! Thank you so much!
Ah, Aunt Alice: my contemporary.
The baby of the group!
Oh good
Sweet photo! Amazing to have a friend for so long. I don’t know what that’s like.
Marion is a very sweet person and a wonderful friend to my mother.
Gorgeous photo Luanne. How wonderful that your mother and her childhood friend have remained close.
I know. It is pretty special!
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Does she have on peep-toe shoes with T-straps?
Somehow I missed this post. Maybe I was in the fog after my father died. Such a delightful photograph! How much older is your mother than your aunt? She looks around seven?
They are 6.5 years apart. Yes, they are so cute here.
Wow, good guess by me! (It helps having 8 year old and 4 year old grandsons!
So true!!!
I am starting to blog on my childhood in the 1940s England, remembering WWII, but also noting that little girls always worse white socks. It looks like this also happened in the US.