Blanche's Beaux

Here's how my grandmother, Blanche Nace Ruble, looked when she was 19.

Growing up in Lithia, she had plenty of beaux. Many of them gave her pictures of themselves. She kept those pictures all her life. When she was in her mid-90s and bedridden, she'd look at those pictures. Here they are:

Will Haymaker

Mike Fain

Edgar Booze

Alvin Lester

Sheron Walker

Some gave her more than one, such as Walton Dooley:

Peyton Waskey also gave her two. Doesn't he look like a distinguished gentleman?

She must have counted the Peake brothers among her favorite suitors. At least she has a lot of pictures of them, both separately and together. This picture of JA Peake is dated 1903:

Here's one of Arthur Peake:

And here are John and Arthur Peake together, though Arthur now has a moustache:

Then there's Eli Peake:

The three Peakes together:

Some of the photos were actually postcards, such as this one that has no name or message but was dated 1907:

This one is from Ronnie M, who did write a message on the back:

The postcard below, mailed in 1907 from Nola, WV, didn't have a picture or a signature. "YKW" must mean "you know who." At least the unidentified guy had a nice time at the box supper. But what is the "immediate anr" (immediate answer?) he's looking for? I wonder if he ever got it.

Some things will remain a mystery, I suppose.

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